Walking the creative/commercial tightrope: how I learned to love procurement

Who are we impressing?

When responding to an RFP, our agency’s goal is to go beyond impressing the marketing department. We know it is equally important to captivate the procurement team, who will have an ‘unbeknownst’ broader mandate beyond evaluating creative proposals.

Procurement care about commercial understanding, best value and risk mitigation, and winning them over is a skill that often gets overlooked. It means presenting imaginative concepts while also showing a solid grasp of the project’s commercial and physical considerations. Creative agencies must blend their imaginative genius with keen business acumen; proposals need to inspire awe and instill the confidence that we can deliver real results within the constraints of commercial and physical reality.

‘More than just creative’

But how do we unleash the power of creativity that brings our clients’ visions to life within such constraints? Ideas are the building blocks that determine success in the tender process. Start with a killer, innovative creative concept; without that, we’d be going nowhere fast. From a procurement perspective, creativity alone doesn’t guarantee a successful event, so the next blocks focus on being more than just creative.

First, the strategy block shows that we understand our client’s bigger picture and their commercial needs, then the operation block proves we can deliver the goods. Creative ideas steal the show, but often it’s our ability to deliver on time and within the budget that helps our client confirm the decision to award.

When it comes to balancing creativity and commercial viability, stick to a designated budget. Understanding practical and financial goals forces us to get resourceful and think outside the box. We get excited when challenged to come up with innovative and cost-effective solutions that don’t sacrifice the essence of the event.

From the first design brainstorm to execution, infuse every step of the production process with creativity while keeping those purse strings tight. Seeing budget constraints as a negative can create tension and divide internal teams. When we rally together to solve the problem, budgets can become the driving force that unites us. Some of our proudest accomplishments have come from using our creative mojo to overcome production obstacles, and I’ve found it hugely fulfilling to deliver amazing work on a shoestring budget, especially when our solutions involve out-of-the-box thinking.

Never forget procurement

It’s common for agencies to focus on building relationships with marketing and events teams. Sometimes they see the involvement of the procurement team as a bit of a hassle. Don’t. At 2Heads, I learned the value of forging strong connections with procurement and won business because we were the trusted partner who understood and embraced their unique needs.

We give equal importance to nurturing those relationships because we know that their satisfaction is crucial to our overall success. By fostering close collaboration between them and our account teams, the procurement department becomes one of our biggest advocates, opening exciting new doors.

In experiential marketing, finding the perfect harmony between creativity and commercial viability is key to success. When creative ideas and flawless execution are combined with an understanding of our clients’ commercial needs, agencies like 2Heads have the power to deliver extraordinary events that leave a lasting impact.

Marketing procurement people have evolved and care equally about best-in-class suppliers for creativity and commerciality. Embrace that. Working within budgetary constraints without compromising on creativity is a true testament to an agency’s expertise and unwavering commitment to excellence. By striking that delicate balance between artistic brilliance and commercial practicality, event professionals can achieve remarkable results and enjoy long-lasting client relationships.