Marketing Project Support Process

When do I need Marketing support?

Any occasion that requires content, design, or communication assistance of any kind (changes to the FareHarbor website, event materials, flyers, brochures, swag, email blasts, etc.) will need to be submitted as a request to the Marketing Team to maintain consistency and quality across all materials. These requests should be submitted as soon as you know that a need of any kind may arise — even if there are remaining details to iron out, we can at least get it on the books!

How do I submit a Marketing support request?

• Creative & Design Requests
• FareHarbor Marketing Website Requests
• Ad-hoc Email Requests

How much lead time is needed?

Simply put, some materials take longer to complete than others. Below are some guidelines on the minimum lead times required based on project type/size.

Please note: If sufficient lead time is not given, the Marketing Team cannot guarantee the completion of your deliverables by your desired deadline. The lead times below are for content development, design, and review only, and do NOT include time for print production or shipping.

• Small-Scale Deliverables
  • Examples include: flyers; ads; stickers; Close template review
  • Lead time: no less than 10 working days
• Medium-Scale Deliverables
  • Examples include: brochures; invitations; postcards; social media support
  • Lead time: no less than 15 working days
• Large-Scale Deliverables
  • Examples include: event booths/signage; email blasts; PR review
  • Lead time: no less than 20 working days

What if my deadline does not allow for the required lead-time?

Even with the best of intentions, our Marketing Team understands that last-minute needs are, at times, unavoidable. Urgent requests will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis in conjunction with the team’s current workload. Ultimately, it will remain the Marketing Team’s discretion as to whether the requested deliverable can be accommodated, taking into consideration the factors outlined in the following section.

Why is so much lead time needed?

1. Bandwidth. Currently, the Marketing Team in Denver is a small team that services all of the FareHarbor offices globally. Having as much lead time as possible enables the team to prioritize all projects in a fair and manageable manner, ensuring that they can put thought into their designs and/or messaging while meeting all deadlines.
2. Customization. Marketing materials typically require at least some degree of customization to properly target and benefit different audiences. For this reason, time is needed to make sure messaging and visuals are properly honed for the type of materials needed, who the target audience is, and what the end purpose/goal is.
3. Rounds of Review. Building in ample time for a project to go from start to finish includes planning for rounds of review. Following your review of the initial draft, the Marketing Team will do its best to accommodate any necessary or desired changes. The less time there is overall, the less time you will be able to affect the final outcome of your materials.
4. Brand Consistency. As FareHarbor gains visibility across the globe, our Marketing Team keeps a close watch on even the smallest details to ensure that materials look and sound the same, no matter where they appear. Sufficient lead time allows for proper review to ensure that messaging, visuals, fonts, colors, and logos are consistent with our latest brand standards.
5. Translations. It is not uncommon for designed materials to be needed to be translated into multiple languages. If translation will be necessary for your deliverables, you will need to build this into your overall schedule, as it can sometimes take up to 3 weeks if multiple languages are needed. Beyond having the content translated, there is much variation language to language that can greatly affect layout and design. A flyer designed in German, for example, may require a different layout than the same flyer designed in English, simply because of differences in word length.
6. Production & Shipping. Materials that require printing such as brochures, signage, or apparel, will need to have production timelines built into overall lead times. These times will vary by production vendor and material type. Additionally, if materials will need to be shipped to their final destination, this time should also be factored in.

What information does the Marketing Team need to know?

Beyond providing sufficient lead time for your project to be completed, the Marketing Team will need to know some basic information to get started on your request. As a rule of thumb, the more details you can provide, the better! Whenever possible, please be sure to include any links with complete specifications for requested deliverables, such as conference exhibitor guidelines, links to specific promotional items for order, etc.

• Marketing Considerations:
  • What is the purpose of this deliverable? Who is the target audience? If event-related, was an event packet or guidelines provided to you by the event organizer?
• Deliverable Specifications:
  • What is it? Flyer, postcard, t-shirt, social post…
  • What is its application? Brochure, website, email, signage…
  • Are there size or production considerations? Dimensions, color limitations, one- or two-sided…
• Lead Time Considerations:
  • Is this an update to an existing project or are we starting from scratch?
  • Does this deliverable need to be printed or require additional production time of any type? Do you have a production vendor in mind?
  • Does this deliverable need to be shipped? If so, to where?
• Content & Design Considerations:
  • Are there specific messaging, logos, or visuals that need to be included on this deliverable?
  • If not specified, do you have general direction as to what type of messaging or visuals you would like to see?
  • Will translations be needed? Which languages?
  • Is social or email support needed?

Marketing Project Progression

Project Submission, Review, and Prioritization

1. Project or request is submitted via appropriate AirTable.
2. Marketing Team reviews the submissions and contacts the Requestor if any additional information is needed.
3. Marketing Team assigns a Project Owner who will act as the Requestor’s main point of contact throughout the remainder of the project.

Project Status and Life Cycle

1. Marketing Team’s Project Owner will change the status of the project to “In Progress” when they begin working on the deliverable.
2. The Project status for requests can be monitored in the #marketing_projects public slack channel. Please reach out to the Project Owner if there are any questions regarding your submission.
3. Marketing will update AirTable status to “In Review” to account for any feedback (i.e. legal, web development, etc).
4. After rounds of review have been completed and content is finalized, Marketing will update AirTable status to “Complete” and send final deliverables to the Requestor.