Michael R. Faddis

To gain an edge, agencies can employ ‘lean thinking’ alongside a more fluid innovation process that Google is calling “Agile Creativity”. They’re collaborating with industry execs to build a site to help implement agility in agency processes.

Seven agility tips from re-imagining the way teams are structured and operate (click here to download the tips list).

1. Physically (or Virtually) Co-Locate
   Get team members in the same space for the duration of a project by breaking down walls between departments or creating a “virtual war-room”.
2. Add Technologists to the Creative Team
   Today’s definition of a “creative” goes beyond the Mad Men-era partnership of art director and copywriter. Expand your core team’s skill set by including developers, digital experts, and freelance specialists based on project needs.
3. Develop T-Shaped Talent
   Hire and grow problem-solving employees that are 1) highly skilled in at least one area that they can contribute to the creative process (e.g. web development, art direction) and 2) highly collaborative, empathetic of different perspectives and interested in many other fields and skills.
4. Get “Real-Time” Insights
   There are online tools (many of them free) that planners can use immediately for a view of the most relevant trends and behaviors around a brand.
5. Plan an Offsite “Idea-thon”
   Schedule a half-day workshop that couples speedy idea generation with real-time testing of market potential.
6. Iterate and Test Campaigns
   Move fluidly from idea to experimentation, getting to the “build” faster even if it is buggy or seems unfinished. Launch prototypes of executions that are 80% finished to assess marketability and see their real-time impact (or lack thereof).
7. Partner on Pilot Projects

For more, check out thinkwithgoogle.com/agile-creativity.