EPISODE
51
Season 2, Episode 12: 12 Part Series - The Creative Process - Goal Determination
EPISODE LINKS.
SHOW NOTES.
Natalie McFarland introduces McFarland Minutes and presents Part 3 of the Creative Process series: goal determination. She and Ryan use the who/what/when/where/why framework to define a project’s purpose by identifying the target viewer, the problem being solved, the viewing context (time, environment, device, group vs solo), and the viewer’s motivation (seeking a solution vs being shown one). They stress that many clients request content without clear goals, and that setting KPIs and a specific CTA (awareness, fandom, belonging, purchase, sign-up, booking, subscription) makes work more effective. Using a recurring barbecue-sauce example, they contrast educated vs new audiences, short social clips vs long-form storytelling, and explain how context affects creative and production choices like intros and audio mix. They close by previewing Part 4 on strategy in late April.
00:00 Show Intro
00:33 Series Setup
01:18 Who What When
02:50 Define The CTA
04:15 Clients Without Goals
05:27 Barbecue Audience
09:02 What Content Format
14:30 When Viewing Context
17:28 Sports Ad Timing
19:23 Rodeo Case Study
20:45 Timing And Audience Fit
22:08 Viewing Setup And Audio Mix
23:36 Spatial Sound Examples
27:03 Solo Versus Group Viewing
28:21 Why They Watch
31:46 Research To Goal Setting
34:53 Brand World And Dad Jokes
37:33 Wrap Up And Next Episode
ABOUT THIS EPISODE.
Mastering the Creative Process: Goal Determination in Content Creation
Welcome to another insightful edition of McFarland Minutes! I’m Natalie McFarland, founder and president of McFarland Productions and your guide into the fascinating world of content creation. In today’s blog post, we delve into episodes related to Step 3 in our Creative Process series — Goal Determination. This step is where we align a project’s objectives with its creative output, ensuring clarity and purpose behind every piece we create.
Recap of the Creative Process Series
Before tackling Step 3, it’s crucial to have a clear understanding of the overall creative process. Our series kicked off with the first two steps: setting the foundation and ideation. Now, as we venture further, remember that these pieces build upon each other. If you missed the introductory sessions, they’re available for review every last episode of the month.
Step 3: Goal Determination
The importance of goal determination cannot be overemphasized—it’s the compass that guides the entire creative journey. As creators, it’s our mission to establish what we aim to achieve and to understand our audience deeply. This step involves thoughtful research and strategic planning around the cornerstone questions of who, what, when, where, and why.
Who, What, Where, When, and Why
– Who is our audience? Define who will be watching your content. Are they BBQ enthusiasts, digital creatives, or a broader market? Understand their preferences, needs, and expectations to tailor your content effectively.
– What is the problem you’re addressing? Content must have a purpose or a problem it seeks to resolve for the viewer or listener. The nature and structure of your content—be it brief social media clips or full-length documentaries—should be aligned accordingly.
– Where and when will your audience consume this content? Are they at a theater, at home, or on the go? The context in which your content is consumed plays a significant role in crafting its format and delivering its message.
– Why are they engaging with your content? Perhaps they’re seeking solutions, entertainment, or simply stumbled upon it through a targeted algorithm. Identifying this helps in creating motivating and actionable CTAs that resonate with viewers.
Real-World Application: A Barbecue Sauce Campaign
To give you a practical illustration, let’s consider a hypothetical campaign for a barbecue sauce brand aiming to capture the attention of BBQ-loving dads.
1. Audience Identification: Target “backyard barbecue aficionados”—the dads known for their grill mastery on the block.
2. Content Purpose: Appeal to both the seasoned barbecue expert and the enthusiastic novice. Use clever, engaging content that ties in humor, like dad jokes, to speak directly to this audience.
3. Engagement Strategy: Create a series of short, catchy social media teasers to intrigue and direct them to longer, informative content. This dual approach satisfies both surface-level engagement and in-depth exploration by the audience.
4. Contextual Placement: Post content during peak BBQ seasons, ensuring it coincides with competitive grilling events or social gatherings where the product serves as the highlight.
5. Emotional Connection: Craft a story around the brand that not only highlights product features but builds a sense of community and participation, ultimately converting casual viewers into brand loyalists.
From Determination to Strategy
Once you’ve nailed down the outlines of your goal, it’s time to weave these insights into a coherent strategy. To explore this next step, join us in the upcoming segment of our series, where we’ll dive into shaping strategy, thereby transforming objectives into actionable blueprints.
In conclusion, effective goal determination is an art and science that fuels creative success. Stay tuned for more as we continue this journey of mastering the creative process one strategic step at a time. Catch our next installment, focusing on strategy, in April’s last week.
Happy creating!
Natalie McFarland & Ryan
IN THIS EPISODE.
Ryan Lee
Creative Content Manager, McFarland Productions
Starting as the Intern in 2023, Ryan is now the Post-Production Editor and has joined the team full time. His creativity and organization play a crucial role in quickly creating unique content all across the board, however with a core focus on video production. Ryan grew up in Gladstone, OR, where he spent time playing sports, on the water, and in the mountains. He attended Oregon State University where he got his Bachelors Degree in Digital Communication Arts. Although Oregon will always be his home, he spent previous years in Tennessee, and now lives in Connecticut. In his free time he enjoys cooking just as much as eating, and if you can do both outside, all is good in the world.
After spending time filming and editing countless events, sports, adventures and more, Ryan’s main action in the company is to organize, edit, and export content. Whether it’s 30 minutes and horizontal or 30 seconds and vertical, moving or still, he’ll take care of it.
ABOUT YOUR HOSTS.
NATALIE MCFARLAND
PRESIDENT, FOUNDER
MCFARLAND PRODUCTIONS
After freelancing her way through college, Natalie established McFarland Productions in 2014, which has continued to grow rapidly over the last few years. Her passion and focus have always remained the same; capturing, understanding, preserving and promoting Ranching, Farming, Western Lifestyle and AgriBusiness. She has always had a love for the western culture and even at a young age it was unmistakably clear she would someday find a career serving the industry.
Natalie grew up on a small ranch, rodeoed, showed horses in a variety of disciplines, showed livestock, and participated in 4H and Oregon High School Equestrian Teams. She has trained herding dogs and started colts, worked with sheep and cattle and has had the experience of racing to finish up a hayfield before a rainstorm hit. She understands the joys, sorrows, wins, losses and hard work of ranchers and farmers. That’s why McFarland Productions can produce authentic marketing campaigns for the businesses, organizations, events, and brands of the western and agriculture industry – it’s who she is.
With a passion for building community surrounding brands, Natalie focuses on building real connections between companies/brands and the people that make up their community. Telling the stories of your customers and making them apart of the brand’s story is her main focus. Creating real, human, meaningful connections and strengthening community within the western and agriculture industry through strategic marketing services.
SCOUT FOSTER
DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC STORYTELLING
MCFARLAND PRODUCTIONS
Scout’s faithfulness to the agriculture and western sports industry is rooted in tradition. Growing up in Central Florida, she stood by her family as they supported different sectors of the industry, including raising beef cattle, bucking bulls for local rodeos, and spending weekends with her grandparents who lived on Disney’s Wilderness Preserve.
Moving away from The Mouse, Scout graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Nation’s top agricultural communications college at Texas Tech University in 2022.
Now residing in Crockett, she and her husband, Lane, keep busy raising beef cattle and bucking bulls with her family. Scout also loves gardening, raising chickens, reading, and her two dogs: Rue and Dill.
