In an agency, we’re all a team. No one could survive alone, whether you’re an art director, copywriter, account manager or first-year intern who gets stuck mounting things on foamcore – everyone is important.
But there is one role that is often overlooked that can be so valuable – a role that is often responsible for preventing unwanted client issues and huge embarrassments – and it’s a proofreader.
The trick to proofreading is that almost anyone can do it. They just need time, focus and a relatively strong understanding of the English language. In an agency environment, so often is this important step over-looked. And while we might get away with it sometimes, the day when an ad goes out with a miss-spelled word, or a duplicated phrase, or cut-off logo – is a day we want to avoid. Even worse if the client finds it before you.
Ouch.
It can happen so quickly, a rush project, copy sent from a blackberry, a deadline at 3:00 p.m. – and *poof* a print ad appears with a glaring spelling error and it feels like it’s pointing right. at. you.
I once did a travel ad for a local client, trying to make a rush deadline into a daily paper (which I still have, btw). It left my desk approved by the client and in good shape. But when production was sending the ad to the paper, a tiny typo appeared by the travel deal to Great Britain. It read: Londong – starting from only $899.
Boy, did I hear about that one.
There isn’t always one person to blame, we all touch the ad before it goes out the door – but there is only one way we can make sure it doesn’t happen. Proofread. Twice. Just to be sure.
Have any proof-reading disasters to share?
With her keen mind for strategy Lexie is an idea machine with an eye for a good solutions when she sees it. You can contact her directly at Lexie.Bexson@adfarmonline.com.
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