a new approach working with the brand comms team

A new approachWorking with the Brand Comms team

Working with the Brand Comms Team – a new approach

Working with the Brand Comms team

Introduction

Over the last six months, the Brand Comms team have been consulting with key stakeholders around the organisation to develop solutions to some of the challenges experienced by staff working with, and as part of, the Brand Comms team.

The following proposals will change the way CFA and Workplace Training and Supplies teams, both in NHQ and the regions, work with the Brand Comms team.



Challenges – stakeholders• The Brand Comms team were not providing enough support to

help other team’s achieve their business needs

• Lack of explanation/transparency – unsure why the BC team could fulfil some requests but not others

• A perceived lack of flexibility in the team

• There was no training for staff or other resources that would allow them to create their own branded materials without the help of the Brand Comms team.



Challenges – Brand Comms team• Not enough resources to support all of the requests coming in

from around the organisation

• As a result, materials were being created by teams which were poorly designed/written – generally off brand/message

• Some requests coming into the team were not well planned or thought out – lots of last minute requests with no clear brief

• As a result of busy workload there was little time to work closely with teams in NHQ and the regions to develop their knowledge of brand.



Aims• To grow and develop the SJA brand

• To work more efficiently and effectively with all directorates and regions across the organisation

• To have a consistent and coordinated approach to producing branded collateral

• To better manage workloads and complete all jobs to the highest standards

• To provide clearer guidance and better support to staff across the organisation.



Solutions



Solution 1: Briefing forms

Every new request coming into the Brand Comms inbox must have a briefing form completed and attached.

Briefing forms needs to be completed in as much detail as possible.

The briefing form can be found on the Brand Resource site my.sja.org.uk

http://www.my.sja.org.uk/



Briefing forms

Completing a briefing form is the vital first step in any production process.

By providing the Brand Comms team with key information, it initiates two-way dialogue between the department (you) and the supplier (us) and forms the foundation of the whole project.

Once we’ve received the form we’ll assess it and get back to you to discuss the next steps in the process.



Briefing forms

Each briefing form submitted to the Brand Comms inbox needs to be agreed and signed off by a Head of Department.

Each directorate will be allocated a fair amount of time and resource and ensuring Heads of Dept have sight of briefing forms ensures these resources are being used strategically.

A decision to progress the request will be made based on business plan priorities.



Briefing forms

The briefing form provides us with the following information:• Aims and objectives of the project• Target audience• Outputs – what do you want us to create for you?• How the resource will be used• Key messages you want to communicate• Budgets• Deadlines.

We can not begin work on your project until we have this information.



Solution 2: Providing clear guidance on what we do

There is sometimes confusion over what it is the Brand Comms team does.

So we are providing clear guidance on our purpose and the different kinds of work we can support the organisation with.

If you are still unsure over anything just come and ask a member of the team.



Providing clear guidance on what we do

We are print and digital experts, who work with the whole organisation and support its strategy.

We carefully craft and protect the public face and voice of the charity.

We know what will make an impact and we use that knowledge to help the public understand what St John Ambulance does and stands for.




CopywritingWe write key messages and core scripts for awareness campaigns – these resources ensure we talk consistently about our work.

We ensure any copy for an external audience is well written using the correct language and tone of voice.

We work closely with teams to develop their copywriting skills and understanding of SJA’s writing style.




Graphic designUsing briefing forms submitted to us, we outsource design work to freelancers and agencies.

We oversee this work to ensure it meets the aims and objectives set out in the brief, involving the department at key points in the process.

Some examples of graphic design include printed materials (posters, leaflets, banners, certificates etc), internal and external signage, illustrations, infographics, clothing and merchandise.




Video productionIn-house video production - for small projects we can now produce video in-house utilising the skills of the Multimedia Assistant.

For larger projects we will outsource work to freelancers and agencies, managing the project on behalf of the department.

Video production can be time consuming and all projects need to be properly planned, giving consideration to lead times, costs and logistics.




PhotographyWe schedule and manage one photoshoot every two months – this might be a studio or external shoot.

Costs are covered by Brand Comms, teams can request to use these shoots to capture images to support their work.

We manage the image library for the organisation ensuring that any images used by the organisation are accurate and up to date.




OtherCase studies - we are responsible for interviewing and writing up testimonials from people (volunteers, people who’ve attended training courses and saved a life etc). Using our skills and expertise we ensure we capture powerful and emotive stories that can be used by a wide variety of teams.

Reviewing – we outsource publications that require proofreading and we check materials for brand consistency.



Solution 3: Limiting our capacity

Although there are finite resources within our team, we have not previously set a limit on the amount of work we can take on at any given time.

This puts pressure on our team, which can lead to mistakes being made and work not being completed to the highest standard.

It also creates frustration within the organisation – if we do not clearly communicate the limits of our workloads it can seem arbitrary and confusing when we say no to some requests coming through to our team but not others.



Limiting our capacity

• There will now be a limit to the number of jobs we take on each month and year - the amount will be clearly communicated

• The limit we have agreed on is based on the average number of requests we receive each year – so we will still be able to meet the business needs of the organisation

• These jobs are divided up into print production and videos, reviews and photoshoots

• We will always strive to be flexible if there is a genuine business need and this is reflected in our plan.



Our capacity

•6 big jobs per quarter (eg creating suites of collateral for an event or project)

•16 small jobs per month (eg producing a poster or a banner)

•10 reviews per month (eg checking a training manual to ensure it’s on brand)

•1 photoshoot every two months.

That’s a total of 366 jobs per year.


Working with the Brand Comms teamOur capacityThis is what 366 jobs looks like on our annual planner.


Working with the Brand Comms teamOur capacity

How this impacts on you:Our new proposals guarantee each directorate a fair amount of time and resource each month and year.

This means that teams do not have to compete for space on our schedule and ensures that we can meet the business needs of the whole organisation throughout the entire year.

To ensure that work is planned and coordinated amongst teams, briefing forms need to be signed off by Heads of Department before they are submitted.


Working with the Brand Comms teamOur capacity - regions

We work with regions in a slightly different way:

Regional Management Teams should direct any requests to the Brand and Comms inbox

Regional fundraising coordinators and RPROs should submit briefing forms via their relevant national lead at NHQ

The Branded Materials Portal will fulfil many of the needs of individual units and volunteers. Any needs that are not fulfilled by the Portal should be communicated via the relevant RMT.


Working with the Brand Comms teamSolution 4: Clear guidance on timeframes

A lot of the problems we experience come from teams making ad-hoc, last minute requests which we do not always have the time or capacity to fulfil.

Saying no to these requests can be frustrating for teams and there is more we can do to reduce the number of last-minute requests being made.

To help teams plan their work more effectively we are now providing guidance on how much notice we need in advance of starting work on a project and how long it will take us to turn these projects around.


Working with the Brand Comms teamClear guidance on timeframes

Big jobs:For large scale projects, work needs to be planned well in advance.

This allows us to have initial conversations with the department, plan work in to our schedule and allocate resources effectively.

Such projects also require budgetary planning – if you want to create a whole new suite of materials for a particular project, this might require money for design, printing and distribution.

That’s why we are proposing that requests for big jobs for a particular calendar year are made at least six months in advance and when budgets are submitted.



Big jobs:For example, any request for a big job in 2016 should be made in July of 2015 when budgets are submitted for the following year.

This allows time to assess all the requests we receive, feedback to the departments and discuss any challenges, coordinate and negotiate timeframes and deadlines and allocate resources for the year.

A follow up meeting will take place in January once budgets have been confirmed.



Small jobs:We understand that not all work can be planned as far in advance as big jobs and that we need to be reactive to opportunities and requests as they present themselves throughout the year.

Small jobs can be submitted throughout the year on a more ad-hoc basis.

However, teams will still need to adhere to minimum lead-times and timeframes for turnaround – the more notice we are given, the more likely it will be that we can meet your deadline.


Working with the Brand Comms teamTimeframesThis is a general guide on how much notice should be given and how long certain types of job will take.

All times are approximations and turnaround times are dependent on other work going on at the time.

Request What’s the minimum notice period needed? (To allow us to plan work and brief designer)

Minimum amount of time to produce (eg writing copy, design, comments, sign off)?

Big job Create collateral for a campaign 6 months 2 months

Big job Create a new suite of branded collateral

6 months 2 months

Small Produce a new poster, flyer or banner

1 week 1-2 weeks

Review CI check a publication 1 week 2 days

Review Outsource a publication for proofreading

1 week 1 weeks

Photos Arrange photoshoot 1 month 1 week

Video Producing a short video (including storyboarding, filming and editing)

1 month 1 months

Video Editing existing footage 1 week 2 weeks


Working with the Brand Comms teamTimeframes

Why do things take so long to produce?It may sometimes seem like we are being difficult when we ask teams to plan work in so far in advance, and it might be unclear why it can take the time it does to produce things – two weeks for a poster?

Part of the reason is that we can be working on up to 40 jobs at any one time. For each job, there is a process we must go through to ensure work is completed to the highest standard. It is unfair on those teams who have planned their work in advance, giving us appropriate lead times and deadlines, to prioritise the work of teams who submit last minute requests.

We also need time to brief external resources, e.g. designers.


Working with the Brand Comms teamTimeframes

An overview of the process we follow:

Briefing form received First proofs received and shared with dept

Initial discussions with dept Feedback is collated and sent back to designer

Brief agreed and signed off with dept Second proofs received and shared & feedback

Copywriting stage Final proof is checked for accuracy, proofreading if necessary.

Graphic design – freelancer/agency Sign off by dept and BC team – sent to print.commissioned by BC team


Working with the Brand Comms teamSign off

It’s important that before work commences on a project or before something is sent to print that sign off has taken place at the appropriate level.

Sign off is now required at two stages:•Initial sign off – before production begins, sign off is required by the Brand Comms team and the dept to confirm such things as key messages, deadlines etc

•Final sign off – before something is sent to print, published or made live the Brand Comms team and the dept must perform a final quality check before signing off.



Solution 6: Improved resources and support

With all of the new proposals we are making, we understand that we need to increase the amount of support and resources we provide to teams around the organisation, both in NHQ and the regions.



Improved resources and support

Support:We want everyone in St John Ambulance to be a brand champion. That is why we will be working more closely with staff across the country to develop their understand of brand and our processes.

•Holding Brand Comms workshops•Having a monthly drop-in session for informal queries•Having more visibility in the regions.



Resources and support

Resources:We have developed two excellent tools that will allow teams to create and order their own materials without the need to involve the BC team.

•Branded Materials Portal – staff and volunteers can order a range of printed materials at a low price. The portal is constantly being added to and many of the materials can be modified.

•Brand resource site – this site has all the latest brand guidelines, up-to-date statistics, and a range of templates and other documents.


Working with the Brand Comms teamSummary – what’s different•Teams must complete and submit a briefing form

•We provide clear guidance on how we work and what we work on

•There is a limit to the amount of work we take on every month

•Every team is guaranteed a fair amount of time and resource each month allowing them to coordinate and prioritise their own work

•Teams should plan work in appropriately by giving appropriate notice and we will commit to turning around jobs within a certain time

•Sign off is required at two stages of production

•We now provide additional resources and support in the form of inductions, workshops and the Branded Materials Portal.


Working with the Brand Comms teamBenefits •Each team has a dedicated amount of time throughout the year

•Transparency – staff are able to see what other projects we are working on and how busy we are

•Ability to be flexible

•Teams/departments can now prioritise which jobs we take on and when

•More support from Brand Comms through inductions and workshops

•Additional resources, such as Branded Materials Portal and Connect resource site

a new approach working with the brand comms team

Documents

brand comms team slide

brand comms team briefing

brand comms team solutions

brand comms team introduction

brand comms inbox

knowledge of brand

sja brand

bc team