She started working at Stream in 2013 as a graphic designer. Now, more than six years later, Corinne Preston is taking the lead in the role of senior creative director—establishing creative strategies, developing client relationships, and much more.
Take a look at our interview with Preston below about her role in a retail expert agency:
What were some of your main responsibilities as creative director and now as senior creative director?
As a creative director at Stream, my main responsibilities include leading the creative strategy of our clients through developing their brand story and unique selling propositions. I also devote time to developing client relationships to help understand the personality of the client and their pain points, which are both key factors in the creative strategy.
Internally, developing the growth of Stream’s creative team members is an extremely important responsibility that the creative directors are responsible for. In the senior creative director role, I have taken on more operational responsibilities that include new product or process development, streamlining internal processes, and helping each creative team operate at their best.
How did you become interested in working on the creative side of an agency like Stream?
I have always wanted to work in a creative field, and once I found graphic design it felt like a natural fit for me. Since then I have worked in almost every type of creative environment, but an agency provides a variety of challenges and a fast past that keeps me learning, which I value. Over the years I have been with Stream, the company’s growth continues to provide those challenges and keeps each workday different.
In what ways has your role as creative director evolved over the years? Since you first started as a graphic designer?
Since I first started at Stream as a graphic designer, my role has evolved from producing the actual work to providing the creative vision/strategy, directing and providing feedback to my team, and spending time with clients. There are still times I design or write for specific projects, which is always fun. The role and responsibilities of creative director remain largely the same but as Stream continues to grow and develop new products and advertising channels, the need to fully understand marketing and trends from a holistic view is more important than ever.
What does a typical day for you look like, if there is one?
I find each day at Stream to be unique with a variety of challenges and projects to tackle.
Of course, there are certain aspects of my day that never change and help to give structure to each day, including my daily priorities meeting with my team or providing feedback and direction for projects.
How does a client’s creative strategy come to be developed?
Developing a client’s creative strategy starts with listening! I want to understand as much as I can about the client and how they perceive their business and their pain points. Once I understand the problem I am trying to solve, research becomes the next step. At Stream, we like data and that goes for the creative team, too. We will look at how the client is performing, what their competitors are doing, and their market overall. Then we dive into developing a visual brand and creative message.
At Stream, we believe in consistency and integration when it comes to the creative strategy. Because of that, we also collaborate with other internal team members to make sure we are choosing the best marketing channels to deliver our message.
What is the most challenging part of being a creative director?
I believe the most challenging parts of being a creative director are what make the role so enjoyable. The ever-changing marketing landscape, the variety of projects we get to execute on, and all the different personalities we get to work with both internally and externally offer a great environment for continued personal and professional growth.
What are some of your biggest goals in your role?
One of my biggest goals is to continue to push the envelope of the creative that we develop at Stream Companies, so that we can continue to deliver great work to our current clients and attract new clients as well. Also, looking for ways to innovate in what we already do so that we can work smarter vs. harder, we are always looking for tools we can use or create that make us better and, in turn, make our clients better.