Becoming a World-Class Brand Strategist: Insights from Big Red Jelly
Have you wondered what it takes to make it in agency life? Do you struggle to manage your workload? What about growing in an agency, do you want to improve your skills and rise to the top?
There are three areas that are crucial for you to develop if you want to be a world-class professionals in the agency space. These include: technical skills, account management skills, and project management skills. Simply getting the job done is not enough. True success in agency life comes when you continuously work towards being the best at what you do. Your best combined with increased work in these three areas will help you stand out among the crowd. With the introduction of AI and the tools that make creative work way more approachable, like Canva, web design platforms like Wix, Squarespace, Shopify, etc., and definitely with the introduction of AI, these three areas are now more important than ever for someone to excel and stay ahead of the curve. Regardless of whether you are brand strategist, marketer, web designer or have another role in agency life, these skills will help you make the difference you want.
Where to start: Mastering Zero Talent Skills
Before we delve into the key areas of expertise, let’s focus on what sets the foundation for a successful career—skills that require zero talent. As Warren Gatland, a renowned rugby coach, famously said, “Be the best at everything that requires zero talent.” These include:
– Showing up on time
– Dressing appropriately
– Being proactive
– Taking notes
– Being organized
– Communicating effectively
– Offering help and going the extra mile
These attributes are often overlooked but form the cornerstone of professional excellence. While technical skills, account management skills and project management skills can be taught, these zero talent skills cannot. They are the non-negotiables that we expect from every team member at Big Red Jelly. Mastering these will ensure you stand out and are prepared to build on the more specialized skills required in the agency world. These skills are also key to maintaining good project management skills.
The Three Core Competencies
Technical Skills
The first area is the one that people tend to focus on the most, which is the technical skills. Technical skills are the bedrock of any professional role. These include the skills that make you qualified for the job you have, the hard skills you have gained through dedication, education, and practice. Let’s use brand strategy as an example. Let’s say I’m a graphic designer by trade. The technical skills are the thing. Do you know how to design? Are you an expert in Adobe Creative Cloud? Do you know design fundamentals, color theory, etc.? Can you actually deliver a world-class logo or brand style guide or the brand scape?
The technical skills like those are the foundation of your success. So you should be constantly learning.
Technical skills can get you through the door, but they are not enough on their own. Your portfolio will wow an agency owner or a client. But if you get on the call and you cannot present it effectively, everything will appear underdeveloped or sloppy. If you do present it effectively, but then emails and updates start to fall through the cracks or you’re late on things the project will begin to fail. As AI continues to advance, the emphasis is shifting towards strategic thinking, human creativity, and account management. You have to be able to leverage these tools to enhance your work and stay ahead of the growing curve.
Account Management Skills
Account management skills, or soft skills, are increasingly critical in the agency space. These include:
– Effective communication
– Public speaking
– Handling constructive criticism
– Pitching ideas confidently
– Connecting the dots between creative work and business outcomes
At Big Red Jelly, we emphasize the importance of being able to present and sell your work. Now more than ever, people want to deal directly with the creatives responsible for creating products. You cannot succeed in agency life if you do not have soft skills. It is just as important to be able to explain and justify creative decisions as it is important to have the skills to execute it. With account management skills you will create better connections with the clients they deal with, make your business more personable, and make the product more desirable and professional. It’s not enough to create a beautiful logo; you have to explain how each detail of the logo will benefit the client’s business.When they work with you, they expect you to be able to communicate and explain why what you have done is what is best for the company. Practice these account manager skills by channeling your inner salesperson. Practicing these skills using mock pitches, team presentations, and real client interactions will help you become a much more effective communicator and strategist.
Project Management Skills
Project management skills are often the most underrated but are crucial for maintaining efficiency and organization. These skills include:
– Keeping timelines
– Using calendars effectively
– Ensuring nothing falls through the cracks
– Organizing projects and client work meticulously
It does not matter how great of technical skills or account management skills you have, if you are not someone with project management skills, you will not reach your full potential. A great project manager completes their projects on time, within budget, and to the client’s satisfaction. You could be extremely creative, and have great technical skills but if you do not have project management skills, the delivery and update of the project will fall flat. Refining your project management skills gives you the upper hand when presenting to a client. This requires a disciplined approach to time management and organization.
If you feel that you could improve these skills, observing and learning from colleagues who excel in project management can provide valuable insights and help you develop these skills.
Integrating the Skills
At Big Red Jelly, we encourage our team members to work on all three areas simultaneously. You have to be able to do the thing, present the thing, and then manage the thing. During our team meetings and training sessions, we cycle through these skills, focusing on technical skills in one session, account management skills in another, and project management skills in another.
A better way to envision this would be to imagine you are in a meeting discussing UX/UI fundamentals for a high-converting homepage. To follow up the first topic of the meeting, you transition to talking about effective client communication. Lastly you end the meeting talking about the best project management practices. These meetings should not be long. By integrating these different aspects and shifting the meetings focus to prioritize each of these aspects, you and your team members will be better prepared to excel at your jobs.
Final Thoughts
Becoming a world-class brand strategist or agency professional requires a commitment to continuous improvement. It is easier to do than it seems. Take the time to master skills that require zero talent. Continue training and courses to refine your technical skills. Talk to clients and fellow employees to enhance your account management skills. Lastly develop strong project management skills by implementing best practices you have observed in someone who does have good project management skills.
Work with your boss or mentor to refine your skills. Leverage your strong points and create a plan that accounts for your weaknesses and provides the necessary support. By focusing your energy on these skills, you will stand out in your current but and position yourself for long-term success in the agency space.
We are confident that these skills will allow you to stand apart in the agency world and excel in your career!
