WilliambernbachsImplementationProcessFocusMethod
WilliamBernbachwasborninAmericaonAugust13th,1911.Hewasapioneerinthefieldofadvertising,andhistheoreticalapproachhelpedmakehimoneofthemostinfluentialcreativemindsinadvertisinghistory.Heisbestknownforco-foundingDoyle,DaneandBernbach(DDB),widelyregardedasoneofthemostsuccessfuladagencies.
Bernbachsapproachtocreativeadvertisingwastomuchgreaterthanmostadvertisingagenciesofhisday.Hebelievedinaholisticcreativeapproach,oneinwhichallaspectsofcreativewereconsideredasone.This“Eventocreative”approachinvolvedeverythingfrommarketresearchtofinalexecution.Bernbachalsodidnotbelieveinforcinghiscreativevisiononacampaign.Instead,hefavoredamorecollaborativeapproachthatallowedtalentstoplaysignificantroleindeterminingthecreativeapproachtakentotheproject.
Bernbachfocusedhiseffortsonthecreationofamethodofdevelopmentwhichplacedthecreativeprocessattheheartoftheproject.ThismethodwasthendefinedasBernbachsImplementationProcessFocusMethod,anditinvolvedtappingintotheindividualexperiencesoftheteammembersandutilizingtheminthecreationofthecampaigns.Astheteamworkedonbuildingthecreativestrategy,Bernbachwouldcontinuetoaskquestionsandencouragethemtobringinnewanduniqueperspectivestotheproject.
Thecentralfocusofthemethodwastodeveloparesearch-basedframeworkwhichbroughttheservicecontributionofallthesupportersintotheequation.Thegoalwastodiscoverwhatneedstobedonesothatthecampaigncouldtargetthecorrectaudience.Thisinvolvesthecarefulanalysisofmarketresearchdata,identificationofkeysegments,developingacreativestrategy,selectingthepropermedia,andfinallyimplementingthecampaign.
Theprocessalsorequiredtheteamtothinkcriticallyaboutthevariouswaysthateachideacouldreachthetargetaudience.Thisincludedaskingquestionssuchasmakinganassertionandsupportingitwithstatistics,aswellaslookingforopportunitiestochallengeexistingconventionsandmodesofthinking.Thismethodof“creativethinking”allowedtheteammembersandBernbachtodiscovernewopportunitieswhereconsistentandinnovativecreativeapproachescouldbemade.
Theteamwouldalsoneedtodeterminetheproperstylistictechniquestobringthemessageacrosseffectivelytothetargetaudience.Thisincludedthinkingabouthowtone,style,andvisualsouldbestcommunicatetheproductandmessage.Themethodalsoraisedtheimportanceofclearlydefiningamessagetowardstheaudience.
Theoverallfocusofthemethodwasbasedontheunderstandingofteamsynergy.Byarrivingattheendoftheprocesswithacommonunderstanding,theteamcouldthenproceedtousetheadvancedcreativetechniquestomeetitstargetedgoals.
OnekeyfacetofBernbachsmethodwasthatallteamswererequiredtoparticipateintheworkflowforeveryaspectofthecampaign.Thismeansbuildingandmaintainingastrongrelationshipbetweentheclientandthecreativeteam,oneinwhichtheteammembersweretreatedequallyandtheirinputswereunderstoodandvalued.Becauseofthehigherlevelofcommunication,theteamwasthenabletoproducebetter,moreeffectivework.
Inconclusion,BernbachsImplementationProcessFocusMethodwasanimportantelementofhisapproachtocreativeadvertising.Notonlywasitaneffectivewaytodevelopacreativecampaign,butitalsolaidthefoundationforahighlycollaborativeandenthusiasticworkenvironment.Byallowingteamstobringtheirexperiencesandknowledge,aswellastheirmotivationanddedicationtothetable,Bernbachandhisagencieswereabletoachievegreatthings.