Hello! My name is Jade and I am an Account Executive at SBA. I manage and oversee our client’s projects and campaigns. To give you an idea of how I work, here is a little glimpse into my toolkit for success:

Starting off, it is crucial for me to keep in mind that every client is different, therefore every project is going different. No matter how similar they seem, I cannot make any assumptions. That is important tool #1: Clarification. Even if the internal team question is ever so slight, I have to clarify with the client. The tiniest of details can be very important and sometimes even highly contested - if we start down a creative path with a small assumption that ends up being wrong, the whole vision could be muddied. It is my job to keep clear lines of communication and ensure a safe space for dialogue. 

Clarification goes hand in hand with important tool #2: Translation. I have found that it is my job to translate between teams. Client and Internal. Account and Creative. Account and Media. Creative and Media. Further still with individuals - Art Directors, Creative Directors, Copywriters, Video Producers, Media Directors, Publishing Partners, and so on! Once I clarify the needs of the client, I must translate these needs for each team involved in the project. If one group is not understanding another, it usually comes down to whether or not I have relayed or reframed the information in a way that makes sense to all parties involved. 

This brings me to important tool #3: Organization. With projects large or small, many different teams may be involved. I need to keep tabs on all parties, ensuring that their individual tasks are tracking along in a timely manner and in support of the end goal. In order for a project to run smoothly, it is key that I keep all assets organized throughout the whole process, whether that be documents or humans 🙂 

As an example, we’ve been working on a branding project for a new brewery called Alternative Medicine Brewing Company. In the beginning of the project, we were struggling to sift through all the individual brainstorming and inspiration that the creative team members brought to the table for their brand identity. Everything looked great in a silo, but we needed to see it all in one place to really see what was working and what was not. Each creative team member gave me their ideas and visuals to sort through. I organized everything into one document - translating all ideas to the same ‘language’ and grouping by similarities across the team. I aimed to create a visual path from one end of the spectrum to the other, allowing the creative team to see everything at once. This kept the creative process flowing forward, and helped clarify which ideas we should hone in on and which ones may not actually work for our goal, no matter how much we like it.

I use my tools to set the scene and open the doors for creativity to flow - within teams and between teams - so that we can put our best foot forward with each client at SBA.