The Creative Process at an Advertising Agency in Australia

The Creative Process at an Advertising Agency in Australia

Case 14.2 is an elaborate depiction of the workflow within the advertising agency. Accordingly, the agency has five departments: suits, creatives, planning, factory, and design. Each of these departments carries out specific roles. However, the functional units work together to ensure that the client’s needs and wants are met regarding advertising. The agency has received numerous awards for its achievements and outstanding performance. The suits/accounts unit creates an ongoing interaction with clients while planning defines the client’s wants/needs. Besides, planning and suits work collaboratively to define each advertisement’s goal. The creative team focuses on generating advertising ideas. Subsequently, the design unit develops materials and artwork for the Creatives’ ideas. In addition, the factory/production unit is responsible for turning the ideas from the Creatives team into actual advertisements and aligning these with the appropriate media. None of the units can work independently to deliver the product to the client (Dawson & Andriopoulos, 2017). The final product amalgamates the efforts of all of the organization’s units.

Questions and answers

How is the division between the Creatives and the rest of the valuable organization for creativity and innovation?

Space is one of the factors of a work environment; the other factors include people and culture. The space in which creative work influences their creativity and innovation. The division is important because it allows the unit’s members to seclude themselves from intensive work (Sayiner, 2015), and they can quickly meet and exchange ideas without distracting the other team members. As much as the final product is evidence of every unit’s effort, the Creatives team tends to deliver the most critical aspect of the product, which is coming up with the advertisement idea. The agency has significantly invested in creating a space supporting innovation and creativity by creating a division to mimic a wall between the units.

How is the division between the Creatives and the rest of the organization detrimental to creativity and innovation?

The same division can serve a harmful purpose. It may lead to a lack of appreciation by the rest of the organization. This is likely to occur if they do not understand its purpose. The creative unit may be viewed as a more favorable department, which could result in tension. Such tension within the organization will likely negatively affect the creativity and innovation process. Most importantly, it could negatively influence the collaboration process among the different units.

In what ways do the processes impact creativity?

The entire workflow process sustains creativity as employees work on different projects—the Creatives kickstart projects from the beginning by choosing different scenarios that boost their creativity. Working from outside or engaging in informal activities related to the project at hand boosts the creative process (Sayiner, 2015). Before this, the employees had an opportunity to develop creative ideas after the briefing. The management process is highly supportive as managers mentor the creative unit through their raw ideas. Before presenting these ideas to the other team members, these ideas are turned into concepts. Subsequently, inviting other units into the meeting allows the entire organization to constructively enhance or criticize the ideas. Eventually, the client’s involvement is critical because it allows them to dispute the idea that the agency presents. These processes create a safe space for creativity and innovation, essential for delivering the required products and services.

What type of conflict is evident in the creative process, and how does this conflict impact the outcomes?

The conflict between the Suits and the Creatives appears to be a task conflict. The Creatives team seems unhappy about the Suit’s control over the review meeting. The reluctant attendance signifies the unit’s desire to hold the limelight in idea development and actualization continuously. It also highlights a perception of superiority in the Creatives team because it looks upon the other units as inferiors.

How might the organization structure more effectively facilitate collaboration?

The current organizational structure is significantly helpful to the process of creativity. However, the matrix structure of an organization can make communication difficult for the various units. Communication facilitates the sharing of information, an aspect that influences creativity (Kastelle, 2022). Already, the current reviews enable further creativity from other units. Therefore, enhancing information sharing by ensuring communication is improved would be beneficial.

Critical aspects

Collaboration is a critical aspect of the agency. The agency can deliver its products and services to clients through the collaboration of the five business units. Despite having a significant contribution from the creatives unit, the input of the other business units is critical to shaping the final product. The work processes have been designed to promote collaboration and ensure that all the units have an opportunity to work together and brainstorm. This process ensures that the final product meets or exceeds the client’s expectations. This approach toward work has sustained the agency’s exemplary performance.

Creativity and innovation feature significantly in the agency’s work processes. The work environment, physical space, and workflow process are designed to promote creativity and innovation. The interaction and collaboration among the various units are also intended to promote creativity. The company’s product and service delivery depends on the units’ ability to be creative and innovative.

Peer reviews are highlighted as an essential aspect of the work processes at the agency. The other units can provide their input by reviewing the ideas created by Creatives. Constructive criticism is also accessible during the reviews. In addition, peer reviews provide an opportunity for collaboration and sharing of information. The process enhances the agency’s ability to create valuable client products (Dawson & Andriopoulos, 2017).

Assessments

The highlighted aspects are identified by analyzing the agency and its work processes. The creativity and innovation aspects are identified in the company’s work procedures. The organization’s elaborate product development process is characterized by immense creativity and innovation. This is the agency’s distinguishing factor, which sets them apart from other players in the sector. The peer reviews are identified in the agency’s work process as well.

Furthermore, collaboration is evident in the agency’s unit’s ability to collaborate and carry out various projects. This collaboration is sustained through the different ranks in the organization. The managers collaborate by working together with the subordinate members of staff as they develop the project. The management provides the necessary support for consistent idea development.

Outcomes

The leading solutions that can be extrapolated from the case study revolve around enhancing creativity, innovation, and collaboration. The agency’s solution to enhancing creativity is sustained in the division of the work area to ensure that creatives have sufficient space for intense and collaborative work. In addition, the informal meetings with peers and the creative director allow further creativity. The peer reviews additionally enhance the process of creativity. The creatives are allowed to work in informal settings that enable them to experience the products and services to be advertised to boost their creativity. Promoting trust in the organization further enhances and maintains creativity. Collaboration is also enhanced through peer review meetings highlighting a project’s progress and kickstarting new projects. The organization also uses supportive management to motivate employees and push their creative capabilities to the limit (Dawson & Andriopoulos, 2017).

Reflection

The case study perfectly collaborates various aspects critical to an organization’s performance. The creativity of employees is critical to every entity’s performance. Constant innovation promotes the entity’s ability to compete in the respective sectors. However, the management structure, workspace, and work processes should promote both elements. Any organizational element that stifles creativity or turns off innovation should be rectified because the ability to innovate distinguishes an entity from others in the respective sector. Creative members of the workforce must collaborate and deliver the various projects. Collaboration is essential because it allows brainstorming, evaluating each other’s ideas, and obtaining input from every entity member. It promotes engagement and involvement of the workforce in developing a product or service and planning. However, it is necessary to ensure that the workforce receives fair treatment. This equity in treatment should eliminate any feelings of superiority or inferiority among specific staff members, reducing the conflict within the organization and enhancing a sense of belonging among all employees.

References

Dawson, P., & Andriopoulos, C. (2017). Managing Change, Creativity & Innovation. Sage.

Kastelle, T. (2022). What is the Best Organisational Structure for Creativity?

Sayiner, S. (2015). Physical Space Drives Innovation: How the Environment Can Increase an Organization’s Productivity, Creativity, and Innovation. Intersect, 8(2).

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1. Carefully READ the entire CASE first, and review the chapter(s) about the case(s) again. Think critically about all aspects of the issue (s).
2. Write a brief Overview/Summary of the case in your own words describing the nature and background information about the case. (Minimum 1/2 -1 page)
3. In your opinion, what were some Critical Aspects in the case that were identified? What were some Critical Aspects that you perceived to be very vital? (Minimum 1 page)
4. How could you make those Assessments of selecting the critical aspects or components for the case author/writer and yourself? (Minimum 1 page)
5. Identify and list some of the Outcomes, Solutions, and Resolutions you extrapolated from the case. (Minimum 1 page)
6. Reflect on what you learned from the case about global leadership. (Minimum 1 page)
7. Make sure your paper format is outlined with the above: (1) Cover Page Sectional Headings; (2) Overview/Summary; (3) Questions and Answers; (4) Critical Aspects and Assessments; and (5) Reflection page.