Agile is a hot topic right now in PR. Many are talking about it but few are putting the new fast-moving work-flow into practice.
When we heard about ‘StoryWorks’ at Ketchum, an integrated and agile team operating like a news room we had to find out more.
We caught up with Andrew Jennings, an Associate Digital Director at Ketchum London to find out how the team operates.
What mix of skillsets are behind your success?
StoryWorks is our content real-time campaign ‘war room’. It was rolled out at the beginning of last year in our Chicago office, we’re currently running it from London and a number of other offices around the network.
We have a collection of experts from all different backgrounds at Ketchum and this underpins how StoryWorks is so effective.
Our core unit involves a researcher, an account planner, a strategist, a digital comms expert and people who can create content; be it a copy writer/creative director/designer/video producer. This helps us to cover all areas of the spectrum for Paid Earned Shared and Owned channels for our clients in a way that’s both creative and realtime.
“experts from different backgrounds help us to cover all areas of the spectrum for Paid Earned Shared and Owned channels for our clients in a way that’s both creative and realtime”
Do you follow a creative process?
An idea can come from anywhere and we like to think that inspiration can spark on a trending news item or piece of content from anywhere across the web. We keep an eye on news stories and trending content in order to tap into conversations online and in the media.
We huddle at 10am and 4pm to talk about what opportunities we can see and propose a creative outline to the client for a yay or nay response. With everyone round the table we can then create things and keep adapting in minutes rather than hours and days.
“With everyone round the table we can create things and keep adapting in minutes rather than hours and days”
What are the tools your team couldn’t live without?
We use listening tools like sysomos, brandwatch and traackr and teams are assigned to different interest areas based on their natural behaviours — we look at trending topics of conversation and reddit is a must!
We’re in the business of news so we’re always monitoring what’s going on online, in current affairs and more generally across pop culture.
Do you all work in the same office? Any interesting set-up or working spaces?
We have our own work room for brainstorming and writing on massive post-its, as well as showing people how it will work in double quick time. The team needs to come together too. A free space for creativity really helps.
“Our own work room for brainstorming and writing on post-its how it will work in double quick time”
What book inspires you and your team?
Two favourite books include; ‘Velocity: The Seven New Laws for a World Gone Digital’ and also Ryan Holidays ‘Growth Hacker Marketing: A primer on the future of PR, Marketing and Advertising’.
Ketchum is a global communications firm with operations in 70 countries across six continents. The winner of 14 Cannes Lions and four PRWeek Campaign of the Year Awards, Ketchum partners with clients to deliver strategic programming, creative and measurable results.
Step inside other innovative PR teams:
Read our interview with Johan van der Zanden, Communications Director at ING Bank and hear how Agile transformed their global PR.
Gisele Navarro, head of media relations at Neomam Studios reveals the tech secrets behind her team’s success here.
Originally published at coveragebook.com.
