Every week, we talk to a member of Team Nation to find out how they are bringing this “All in, all together” ad campaign to life. This week 10 questions with…meets Mail Metro Media’s head of project management Lucy Fleming.
1. To me, the rainbow symbolises
Appreciating the journey – no matter how hard things become, working together and focusing on a common goal will always prevail. You should not only celebrate reaching the final destination but appreciate the journey you have made, the little rays of hope and positivity along the way and what you have learnt to get there.
2. What is your role at Team Nation?
I am one of the two lead project managers for Team Nation alongside the wonderful Ben Bibbings. Our first point of call was to recruit and identify a core project management team to cover all aspects of production across the 600+ titles involved. This resulted in some of the industry’s best project managers from across different publishers coming together to form the ultimate project management team. My role is to ensure this team is operating in the most efficient way possible so that the many different production teams are fully aligned on objectives, briefs and deadlines. It was crucial the process we created was agile enough to handle the super quick turnaround times and changing messages, all while allowing each title’s branded content to not only reflect their own editorial style but complement and maintain consistent branding and messaging across the campaign.
3. Have you ever worked on an advertising campaign of this scale before?
I have worked on a wide range of campaigns with different media owners, platforms and clients but nothing comes close to this. The sheer scale of reactively speaking to the whole UK population through both national and regional titles through one core team has been both challenging and exciting!
4. What is it like working on a cross-industry team?
It has been such a privilege to work so closely with other publisher teams, it’s such a unique experience and one that I fully appreciate. It was of course very daunting at first – directing and liaising with your peers – but once we found our stride it has been such a thrilling ride. It’s really shown the amount of talented, skilled and outstanding people we have in the industry. It’s an honour working together with everyone, sharing resource for the good of the campaign.
5. What has been the highlight so far?
Seeing the first round of content publish on time. It was a crazy turnaround while still trying to iron out a process that everyone was comfortable with. We had to ensure we provided all proofs to the client for each title on the same day to make the most effective use of their time. The client has been incredibly flexible and understanding of the pressure each publisher team are under, so it was great to see all stakeholders pull together and deliver.
6. And any challenges you can share?
The major challenge is uncertainty and ever-changing messaging. We have to ensure we are aligning all our content with the latest announcements on the Covid19 situation, so this means regular changes to briefs and deadlines. The fact that the different nations are easing restrictions at different rates has also brought an extra layer of fun to the party.
7. Think of three words that come to mind when you think of the campaign?
Challenging, inspiring, rewarding.
8. What have you learnt?
It sounds a little cheesy but it has emphasised that with the right team and determination anything is possible. I’m not going to lie, there were a few times I felt slightly stressed/anxious at the thought of delivering the huge amount of content required but every single team pulled together and made sure that, not only did we deliver, we delivered amazing high quality content to our readers. It’s also shown me that people are lovely! Despite the pressured environment people have remained positive and happy, making the whole process a wonderful experience.
9. What can we expect to see next?
Content that will celebrate the progress we have made during this pandemic, encouraging people to take advantage (safely!) of the new freedoms we now have. Helping people understand these new social norms and how each person can play their part. In all, it will install an element of hope, comfort and positivity.
10. Finish this sentence…
All in, all together for the best and most deserving post-campaign celebration ever!
