Every year right around this time, a proverbial clock starts ticking for network marketers. We’ve rocketed headfirst from fall launches to November sweeps, and now, with the holidays fast approaching, the pressure is only mounting for those of us on the upfront frontlines…those whose presentations may spell the difference in a network’s ability to lure its share of the billions in ad dollars spent annually.

In November, we’re already living several months into the future, focused keenly on that marathon run during which the majority of ad spend is committed, and the effort that will get us to the finish line. Working through Turkey Day food comas, network marketers will be knee deep in strategy, assembling ammunition in the form of research, clips and—of course—a creative team capable of finding a stand-out way to bring it all together.

“I’ll see you all again in June,” one colleague likes to tell me with a laugh, though he knows he’s only partially joking. The road to the upfronts has typically begun well before the Thanksgiving turkey is served, and will continue at a break-neck pace until the stage is set, last edits made and presentation rooms filled.

And this year, the stakes are higher than ever, as the landscape has grown increasingly cluttered and competitive. Networks are competing not only among themselves, but also with digital players—this era of technological disruption yielding a more challenging fight over smaller pieces of the same pie.

So, how do the best network marketers not only survive, but actually thrive throughout this process, delivering killer upfront presentations without losing hair or sanity along the way?

As a vendor in this equation, I have actually grown to love upfront season. When else does a promo team get so much opportunity to work outside the 30-second form, create something out of nothing and ultimately watch the fruits of our labors transformed in the next fall season? I’ve also acquired a keen appreciation for the process—both when it works for network marketers and when it doesn’t—and I can attribute the biggest successes to nine essential upfront presentation best practices:

Prepare Your Schedule. Then Prepare to Change it – This is not a linear process. Knowing that the timelines and programming can—and usually WILL—change in a heartbeat, develop a schedule that can ebb and flow around team needs and availability.

Know Your Approval Process – Ad sales, creative, management… everyone has a voice in this process. Understanding how it works for your network and disseminating that information to your creative team is essential.

Get the Bigger Picture – It’s not enough to simply know the content. You’ve got to have a thorough understanding of your network’s brand DNA, their overall ultimate message and theme, as well as the audience you’re trying to reach. If you’ve worked with the same brand year after year, don’t take them for granted. Things very well may have changed. Get the bigger picture BEFORE you get creative.

Get Creative… VERY Creative – Marketing series that are often at concept or pre-production stages, you’ll have little or nothing to work with. Prepare your team to tell the story from scratch—stock footage, small shoots, design, interviews and images/clips “acquired” from other shows and films. And stave off the same-old, same-old blues by filling up those reservoirs of inspiration. Look for new storytelling devices. Find inspiration in the deep cuts of Netflix with short films, viral videos, documentaries, even B2B presentations from other businesses. Creativity counts.

Embrace the Roller Coaster – You might be chugging along in one direction only to have your entire creative brief change in moments. The most successful among us learn to expect the unexpected, and not cling too tightly to ideas now off the proverbial track.

Avoid the Musical Cliché – The “song of the moment” is not only typically the first to go, but it may also be the one most repeated throughout the upfronts, becoming a cliché instead of a powerful link to your message. Keep in mind that there are multiple tapes, producers and vendors, so a well-chosen, original soundtrack is critical. Embrace your inner Spotify, but if you see your chosen cue trending on pop hits, you may need to dig deeper.

Know Your Venue – What you create for one setup may not work the same for the next. Will your presentation take place in a concert hall with multiple screens? Or will it happen in the form of intimate meetings in conference rooms? Will your network provide online streams? Make sure your creative fits.

Knock ‘em Dead – Easier said than done, right? In the end, it’s about finding unique storytelling and visual devices knowing that your buyer will have seen hundreds of these presentations. Push yourself. Push your team. Go the extra mile to make sure your presentation cuts through the noise.

Arm Yourself with Yummy Takeout Menus and a Good Sense of Humor – What direction-changing, asset-challenged roller coaster ride of a project ever stood a chance against this one-two punch? Seriously.

2C Creative is an award-winning creative agency and content production company. 2C’s creative + content = award-winning promos, brand integrations, live-action shoots, design & original series for TV networks, studios and national advertisers. The company’s promotion and design clients include, among many others, such notable brands as FOX, HBO, TNT, Discovery Channel, Velocity, FXX, Oxygen, Science Channel, Nickelodeon, Optimum, 20th Television and Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. 2C’s passionate creative team, which has earned 22 coveted PromaxBDA Awards in the past five years alone, comprises some of the nation’s top talent from film, television, advertising and design.

Image courtesy of 2C Creative

Tags:


  Save as PDF