In this guest post, Rufus Australia strategy manager Kate O’Loughlin (lead image), puts on her best Hollywood hat an offers top tips for, what she sees as a, seemingly endless round of media competitions…
POV: It’s 3pm after a day full of back-to-backs during the busiest time of the year and a member of your senior leadership team sends yet another all-agency email asking you to get involved in what feels like yet another media competition. *UGH*
Media competitions are easy to dismiss – additional hours on top of your day-to-day with no guarantee of the W. We could look to a sepia-toned-cursive-writing inspiration quote as motivation to enter…
However, not only does that picture give strong 2010s vibes, it just doesn’t cut it. Media comps aren’t just a journey, they’re an experience. A tumultuous 24-hours (or longer) of love, heartbreak, laughs, passion… enough to make you feel like the leading role in Netflix’s newest rom-com.
From this insight, I present to you the rom-com roadmap for success. Using my recent experience at Young Spikes APAC, I’ve formulated a guide on how to motivate and prepare for your next competition experience (NGEN brief is out now) using the conventions of a rom-com. Starting with…
The meet cute (aka pestering your soon-to-be-partner till they say yes)
From the conventional blind date to straight up swapping houses with an internet stranger (see: The Holiday), all rom-coms start with a meet cute. Just like in the movies, we too must find our ideal partner.
Following the stereotypical ‘opposites attract’ mentality is a good starting point. This could be someone you don’t directly work with, or someone with different skillsets to you. For example, if you’re a top-notch writer then look for someone with epic design skills.
Who better to outline the ideal partner than the incredible Summer Treseder, who worked with me on Young Spikes: “your ideal match is someone you can be your unique, weird and wonderful self with, creating an environment where you feel comfortable expressing your opinion… because we all know the best ideas come from random tangents.”
Now the relationship is established, the real story begins…
The Build Up
Before any rom-com protagonist goes on their big date, there is a period of anticipation for whether it’s going to work out.
In a competition environment, this is otherwise known as the ideation phase. This part of the movie is long, frustrating, and might result in a few tears, but at the end of the day it’s what makes cracking your idea that much better. Ride out the wave of stress with the knowledge that the longer you spend cracking your brand challenge and audience insight, the better the idea will be.
Once you land the perfect date (your idea), prepare for what comes next…
The Plot Twist
Be it a complication or troublesome situation, every rom-com has a moment that pushes characters together before pulling them apart. While you won’t need to blackmail an assistant into being your fiancé to avoid deportation (The Proposal), there will be an event you’ll need to overcome.
This could take the form of not being able to find that ONE you’ve been trying to find for the last eight hours, or a piece of feedback that has completely derailed your thinking.
Just like the movies, it always works out. Lean on your partner and you’ll get through it together. Taking a break from what you’re working on always helps (cue moody walking scene with an epic ‘main character’ sad girl soundtrack in the background).
This might be a good time to bring in…
The Loveable Sidekick
Every main character needs a best friend – and aside from your partner, you’re going to need a new set of eyes whose feedback you trust beyond no other.
Seeking a senior mentor will be critical to your journey. During a media competition you live in your idea, so having a third party who can provide you with a macro point of view will only help grow your idea.
The perfect sidekick is someone you trust. If they’re giving you feedback once your idea is nearly done, you’re only going to want to listen to it if it’s coming from someone you put your faith in.
Having had a side-chat with your bestie, now comes my favourite bit…
The Makeover Montage
Clueless, Miss Congeniality, The Princess Diaires, The Devil Wears Prada… I could go on, the makeover is essential for a rom-com.
In media, we too must embrace the makeover montage. But instead of foundation and a hair straightener, we’re going to need wordsmithing and some good mocks.
Packaging up your deck will be what makes you fall in love with your idea. Lean on all the tools at your disposal to help craft your 10 slides into a thing of beauty. Rom-coms have makeup artists to help, just like how we have Canva.
Now we’re looking the part, there’s only one thing left…
The happily ever after
*submit*
You’re DONE! Enjoy! Revel! Bask in the glory of the movie you just made!
There is no better feeling than clicking send. No matter if you win or lose, you stuck it out and that’s what matters.
Competitions can seem like a time-consuming piece of work that won’t get you anywhere. But for every rom-com/competition you do you will grow your career tenfold. You learn new and lateral ways of thinking, and you get exposure to different kinds of research and ideation that you might not otherwise get in your day today.
So next time you get that all-staffer “ENTER NOW” email remember – rom-com or bust.
