The Metrics & Measurements of Creativity.

Recently, I was asked how I account for measurements, metrics and organizational goals within creative work.  It’s a great question and one that, as a creative leader, I’m constantly solving for in the work I develop.

To answer this effectively, we need to differentiate between creativity for the sake of art and enjoyment, and creativity for the sake of business results.

As a creative responsible for the needs of brand, marketing and/or sales campaign, positive results are not only needed, they are required for the success of the business. Therefore, whatever you create, needs to support the overall achievement of the desired business result (higher revenue, broader reach, deeper connection, etc.). Our responsibility as creative leaders is not simply to make art that looks cool, we have to deliver on the deeper needs of the organization so that goals are being met.

To do this successfully, I begin by approaching creative in the following ways:

• Communication & Connection
  Before any campaign is created, before any content is developed, an open conversation needs to be had.  This is typically with the marketing director or project lead and together we talk through the needs of the project and any goals they are trying to accomplish.  Forming a strong relationship with individuals you’re partnering with allows you to not only understand their needs better, but also understand what they feel success might look like within their projects.
  
  Within this conversation, things like audience segmentation, specific output needs, key metrics  and desired responses are all strong inputs I’ll tend to focus on.

• Past Successes
  While not every project will have past examples of success, it’s good to talk through things that have worked so that you form a baseline for success on the project ahead.  Often, these conversations spark a brainstorm-style approach that form new and unique solutions that you might not have thought of before.

• Be Specific
  It’s one thing to say, “we want to increase revenue in this campaign”, or “let’s drive higher retention with this email”, but what does that really mean?  With goals like these I always strive to understand the intention behind the goal.
  
  If you want to drive more revenue, is there a specific product or feature you feel might achieve that best?  Is there untapped potential within specific audience segments that have potential for higher spend or a longer/higher lifecycle?
  
  If your goal is to have stronger retention, what does that look like?  Is it a customer that simply stays with you for a long time or someone that becomes more loyal to your brand, perhaps someone who becomes an advocate for your brand over time?

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Having information like this helps you understand the objective better, but that’s really only half the equation.  You then need to use that information to create stronger, more connected creative experiences that drive customers towards achieving these goals.

In other words, by understanding your objectives, truly knowing your audience, and recognizing and appreciating the journey that they are on, you can begin to craft creative experiences that connect with them, with what you’re offering them, in ways that feel natural, organic and honest in their lives.

Some example thoughts on this below.

• Engagement:
  Let’s say you have a goal to increase your customer engagement.
  
  Posting a beautiful photo that earns a ton of likes and comments is good.  But, what if as part of that post you developed content that connected with your audience in ways that urged them to interact with your brand more.  What if instead of getting a few extra comments on a post, you built brand advocates that continued to grow loyalty for your brand within themselves and others they met over time.

• Perception of Value:
  Showing the features and benefits of a product is a proven way to increase perceived value, but what if you could do more?
  
  By incorporating powerful audience-specific storytelling that engages with your customers at a deep and emotional level you’ll begin to reach previously untapped potential within your audience. Of course showing the features and benefits are important, but if you can communicate them in a way that’s embedded within a personal narrative, you’ll begin to connect with customers at a level your organization hasn’t seen before.

• Brand Recognition:
  Knowing a brands colors and/or logo is one thing, but what if you could produce a loyalty that goes far beyond the surface-level attributes of your brand.
  
  We see this all the time in brands like Starbucks, Apple, Disney and others.  Yes, they’re big brands and they’ve been around a long time, but they’ve connected deeply to their customers at a brand level.  Creative is key to that.  Communicating a brand’s essence, their obligation, their promise to their customers on a level that drives them to believe in the brand at an intuitive level is what really sets strong brands apart from the others.

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Every scenario is different, but as you approach creative always remember the metrics you’re trying to solve behind what you’re creating.

By delivering creative that achieves desired results you’ll not only be a stronger creator, you’ll also bring value to those you work with and, quite honestly, to the work itself.