I love launching new experiential programs…It can be chaotic and nail-bitingly crazy for all involved with 24-hour deadlines, clients scrambling to get permits for event activations, last-minute changes in scheduling, checking your email every five minutes for that final approval, brand ambassadors not showing up, software malfunctions…AND just about anything else you can imagine. I’m sure you are asking yourself now, “Does she really mean she loves to launch new programs?” Why yes, yes I do. Here are some of the reasons why:
1. I love chaos! The job of an analyst/project manager is to adapt to the situations that are thrown at them and react to the needs of others. Those chaotic first weeks of a program keep the mind sharp, the toes agile, and the hands nimble for those well-deserved pats on the back.
2. The creative juices are able to flow. The project launch is the most crucial time for a research effort because this is where you lay your “yellow brick road”. With a solid understanding of the overall research objectives, it is up to the analyst to create a research design that is fun, engaging, and sets the stage for story the data will present (whatever it may be) in a way that is insightful and actionable to the client.
3. Patience is a virtue. After burning the midnight oil and scrambling to get all of the research “ducks” in a row, it is now time to see that creative, fun, engaging research design through to the end. There is nothing more rewarding than to deliver a final recap at the end of a program and see the lightbulbs, hear the questions, and ultimately, share with those involved the taste of victory that make those first weeks absolutely worth it.
If you still think I’m the only one who loves the “pursuit of the program launch”, you are wrong! Everyone here at PortMA loves this exhilarating time for their own reasons, but we ALL meet the challenge with the same creativity, determination, and patience. Which one of us will be helping your team on your next experiential program launch?
Photo Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/heyu1021/181939339/