Marcelle Rockwell, VP, Account Director, Palio

Are you an only child who was raised on a desert island by wolves? No?

Then you’ve probably had to work with others over the course of your life to get things done. And, if you’re anything like the rest of us, you’ve had varying levels of success with the process. Sometimes it’s a joy. Sometimes it’s hard work. Most of the time, it’s somewhere in between.

In our professional world of creative marketing agencies and clients, we find that collaborative desires are fairly standard in many ways. Both sides have their ideal image of what collaboration would entail.

Clients would love to have ingenious ideas, perfectly complementary to corporate strategy, completely fleshed out with examples and practical details, falling well within the budget constraints, to be dropped in their lap ten minutes before they ask for them (and sometimes even before they ask).

Agencies would love to have clients who provide extensive detail into their broader brand strategies and long-term goals (which would be secure and unchanging), instant access to all of the stakeholders involved in the approval and execution processes, creative carte blanche unencumbered by regulatory requirements or legal stipulations, and unlimited budgets and flexible timelines to make their dreams reality.

Obviously, these scenarios are seldom the case. Which is why collaboration is key. Negotiation, compromise, diplomacy. And — you may begin to sense a theme across recent posts — communication.

If you can mutually communicate a realistic sense of what to expect before you begin your collaboration, your efforts forward will move that much more swiftly, smoothly, and successfully.

In any collaboration, though, you have to work around the constraints that a partnership poses:

• More than one opinion is at play, and while everyone is working towards the same goal for the brand, there can be vastly different visions about how to reach that goal. Remembering that everyone does have that mutual goal goes a long way toward solving those disagreements
• Your office is not Hogwarts, and no one you’re working with has magical powers. They will not always be able to instantly give you the answers you need; they will not always be able to remove the stumbling blocks that appear in your path; and they will, at some point or another, make a mistake. Being human does that to a person. Reflect, every now and then, on your shared humanity, and use it as an opportunity to build respect rather than frustration
• We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: collaboration requires frequent updates—from both sides. You can work more successfully together when you’re both working toward the same goal on the same activities at the same time. The closer you can stay in synch, the more efficiently you’ll work and the better your results will be

What’s your favorite part of collaboration – the creative brainstorming… the thrill of success… the Happy Hour celebration?

Palio is an advertising agency revolutionizing pharmaceutical and healthcare marketing to create experiences that will Never Be Forgotten.

From Angela Williams, Editor, Palio

Did you know that when you translate a document from English into Spanish, the copy length typically increases by about 25%?

This small tidbit of information may seem unimportant, especially in the midst of a multilingual marketing campaign, but planning for translation hiccups up front will help ensure your communications are as clear, engaging, and culturally appropriate in another language as they are in English.

Writing or designing for a translated piece? Keep these 5 rules of thumb top of mind.

1. Err on the side of lean. Chances are that if your English copy is teetering on the verbose side, the foreign language translation will too. Use clear, concise language, shorter sentences, and simple, standard constructions. Translation vendors charge per word, so wordiness will cost you.

2. Steer clear of idioms, colloquialisms, and jargon. Expressions or terms with unconventional meanings (eg, the bottom line, quick and dirty) don’t always have suitable counterparts in other languages. If you’re not careful, their translations may inadvertently come across as inappropriate, offensive, or confusing.

3. Avoid excessive use of acronyms. If there isn’t already an established foreign language equivalent for an English acronym (eg, the translation of HIV is VIH in Spanish), its spelled-out translation will tack on length very quickly – at a rate of a few extra words per mention.

4. Don’t skimp on the white space. An airy layout with a good amount of white space might look slightly odd before your piece is translated, but when your manuscript comes back 25% longer, you’ll be thrilled you don’t have to crop images or sacrifice design elements to cram in that additional copy.

5. Tailor colors and graphics to your target. Before you start designing, do your research. Consider your audience’s nationality, religion, and level of conservatism when selecting imagery. And be aware of how your audience views certain colors, which may carry different connotations or meanings in other cultures.

Your translation vendor should be able to approximate how much your copy length will increase based on the language and/or dialect into which you’re translating. If you’re not certain, find out. And then make sure members of your creative team are privy, too.

Palio is a full-spectrum global pharmaceutical and consumer advertising, marketing, and communications agency that excels in brand creation and specializes in brand strategy, product launches, global marketing, and digital and integrated media.

From Nora Kiernan, Associate Director, Editorial Services, Palio

It’s a no-brainer that clients expect us to provide them with nothing less than great work, and part of producing that great work means accurately communicating their messages. But what about your day-to-day communications/messages to clients? Are you as careful when you’re communicating with your clients via e-mail? While you hope that your clients’ primary focus is on the content of your e-mail, the truth is, some may become distracted by “silly” grammatical errors, which could, unfortunately, chip away at your credibility.

The next time you have to quickly fire off an e-mail to a client, check for some of the more egregious offenders before you click send. Here are some basic breakdowns of 4 common homonyms to watch for in your writing.

1. You’re vs Your

You’re is the contraction of you are.

• You’re an attractive person.
• You’re better at cards than I am.

Your is a possessive pronoun. This form is used for something belonging to “you.”

• Your daughter is smart for her age.
• Your performance was outstanding.

2. They’re vs Their vs There

They’re is the contraction of they are. You should be able to replace they’re with they are.

• They’re an attractive couple.
• They said they’re presenting at noon today.

Their is a possessive pronoun.

• Are you going to ride in their car?
• I want to be on their team.

There denotes a place and means in, at, or to that place.

• We could go over there for a better view of the show.
• Could you please place the paperwork over there?
• There is a good reason for her persistence.

3. Affect vs Effect

Affect (verb): to have influence on.

• Good writing may affect the quality of an advertisement.

Affect (noun): immediate expressions of emotion.

• The employee’s lack of affect was due to 3 days without sleep.

Effect (verb): to bring about or cause.

• High-quality work can effect praise from a client.

Effect (noun): result.

• The effect of using proper grammar is clear communication.

4. It’s vs Its

It’s is the contraction of it is or it has.

• It’s time for a grammar lesson.
• Wow! It’s been a long time since I saw you last.

Its is the possessive form of the word it (belonging to it).

• Palio is known for its award-winning work.

Palio is a full-spectrum global pharmaceutical and consumer advertising, marketing, and communications agency that excels in brand creation and specializes in brand strategy, product launches, global marketing, and digital and integrated media.