Calling out the Automation Bullsh*t: 5 Red Flags to Watch Out For
There are a lot of creative automation platforms out there and picking the right one is a big decision to make. Get it wrong, and the outcome could be costly. ReMake prides itself on being the best in the market: a platform that can quickly generate new versions of your existing creative, at scale. We can claim this title with confidence because we do our research and know the strengths and weaknesses of our competitors.
We have put this list together to help professionals in the production world identify potential red flags before signing the retainer with a creative automation company. There are plenty of benefits to automation, and we could only talk about the good stuff, but you’ve probably read enough of that already. So let us address some of the pressing issues concerning creative automation platforms…
1. The ones who mandate templates
As outlined in our previous feature, creative automation platforms that require users to design new templates add multiple unnecessary steps to an already laborious process. It is soul destroying for designers to see their creativity compromised to fit the constraints of a template. Nine times out of ten, each asset will be entirely different, meaning campaigns are too complex to be templated. Using templates ultimately results in every asset looking the same, unless users are willing to incur the huge costs of creating multiple templates.
It takes a long time to make a template which negates the fast solution creative automation promises. Versioning, scaling, and deploying at speed is the name of the game. Adobe is the industry standard software and every creative automation platform should work seamlessly with it. ReMake is Adobe’s missing button: create in Adobe, scale with ReMake.
2. The ones that “do everything”
Watch out for the “Jack of All Trades” platforms. If they’re offering creative suites, localisation, DAMs, deployment, analysis (and the rest) then it’s highly likely that they’re average at all of them. The superior platforms focus on doing their one job exceptionally well – ReMake is the same. Providing the best versioning solution out there - one that compliments every other part of your tech stack - is unequivocally our focus. This goal demands 100% of our attention and you won’t get the same hyper-focused commitment from a platform that promises the world.
To quote Australian business blogger Tim Denning’s ‘The Power of Doing Only One Thing’: “Doing one thing causes you to focus and practise more. Through this process, you can see your failures, areas of improvement and areas that you’re good at. This form of reflection gives you real-time feedback that can further compound your results.”
3. The ones that charge for the creative in your recently deleted folder
We believe you should only pay for what you use, not what you make. There is no use paying for creative that is destined for the trash, but not all platforms will be transparent about that. As with all aspects of the creative process, someone is going to assume the power to approve newly versioned assets and they will likely have notes. Your creative automation platform should provide the means to test, version and amend material without it costing you a dime.
We’ve been there, we’ve paid for unused material, which is why we’re so proud of our zero creative waste pricing model.
4. The ones that demand you throw the baby out with the bathwater
A good creative automation platform shouldn’t mean starting over. You shouldn’t have to reinvent the wheel. In almost all cases, clients are looking to add to their current workflow or tech stack – the integration should be entirely seamless.
Creative automation should be employed as a power-up, a means to replace the processes that aren't working well, not the stuff that is.
Forget this or that. It’s this and that.
And that’s exactly what ReMake is. We built our platform to streamline the process of versioning. Integration is just another part of the puzzle.
ReMake can even work alongside other creative automation platforms. Perhaps this makes us the friendliest competitor in the world but we made it that way because - even if you’re using another platform for something else - we are confident that you will always come back to us for the versioning part. We are sure of it.
5. The ones that require you to upskill
Versioning and scaling requires global teams to move at pace. Literally no one has the time to rifle through manuals or hours of laborious how-to videos. For this reason, creative automation should offer frictionless adoption and processes. Don’t be afraid to set your expectations high – a creative automation platform should be easy to understand and easy to use.
Brutal simplicity is and has always been the ReMake mantra. In fact, we think it’s so simple anyone can use it, whether they are on the creative team or the CFO: anyone. Zero design skills or experience is required. The way every creative automation platform should be.
