Rekha Soman

Client
For Dell UK | Localized Animated Videos

Project Duration
Around months

• Situation:
  The client needed three animated videos showcasing the benefits of Gen AI in business, tailored for Ireland, Belgium, and Austria, and aligned with brand, regional, and language requirements. Despite tight deadlines for multiple expos, I ensured high-quality delivery by managing internal process approvals and onboarding voiceover vendors for each language.
• Action:
  • Initiated the project in April, working with the in-house research team to gather region-specific data for Ireland, Belgium, and Austria.
  • Onboarded a voiceover vendor for translations and recordings, ensuring the voiceovers matched each region’s language and culture. The company now utilizes this vendor for all the local language translations.
  • Led brainstorming sessions with the creative team to select a custom color palette for each video, following the client’s brand guidelines, and included country-specific designs for all three videos.
  • To meet tight deadlines, created three separate project timelines and held weekly syncs with the creative, design, and animation teams to keep progress on track.
  • Conducted 1:1 sessions with the design and animation teams to quickly address feedback and make necessary adjustments.
  • Promptly responded to client feedback to ensure the videos met expectations for the expos.
• Result
  • The Ireland video was delivered on time and showcased at an expo, receiving positive feedback from the client’s stakeholders for its creativity, quality, and impact.
  • The Belgium video, praised for its exceptional production quality and storytelling, is already receiving stellar comments from stakeholders.
  • This project showed my ability to deliver high-quality, localized animated content in multiple languages, opening the door to new product opportunities for Content Solutions.
  • By planning ahead, collaborating closely with the team and applying strategic thinking to produce quality product under pressure, I exceeded expectations and set a new standard for localized content production.

Client
For Dell UK | Content Projects

Project Duration
One month

• Situation:
  Amidst several ongoing projects and a stalled project due to delays in the translation process and multiple iterations, the client also requested an additional ebook, resulting in four critical projects to be completed within a tight timeline. The client was a high-value account, which added extra pressure to meet their expectations.
• Action:
  • Tackled the stalled project by ensuring timely translation and enforcing strict revision & delivery guidelines.
  • Worked closely with the CS and AM teams, establishing clear communication and collaborative processes to manage the workload effectively with the design team.
  • Developed and shared detailed project timelines for the four projects, ensuring all deadlines were met and client feedback was obtained promptly.
• Result
  • All four projects were completed several days ahead of schedule, exceeding client expectations for both quality and turnaround time.
  • The client expressed their gratitude via email, noting the record turnaround time and their satisfaction with the ready-to-use materials for Q2.
  • The success of this project established a strong foundation for continued positive feedback from the CS team and solidified the client relationship.

Client
For UserWay Sponsored Article Promotions | Email, Display, Community

Project Duration
One month

• Situation:
  To honor the client’s promise of at least 750 page views and 150,000 impressions—targets set despite the article typically receiving only 200–300 page views—we had to significantly ramp up promotional efforts. This was made more challenging as the product was also nearing its sunset.
• Action:
  • Tracked the sponsored article’s production flow using Wrike, coordinating closely with the CS team and setting up weekly syncs to ensure smooth progress.
  • Despite initial delays, we ensured the article was completed ahead of schedule, two days earlier than planned.
  • Developed display banner ads for editorial and community promotion as per the promotional strategy.
  • Accelerated the marketing campaigns through email promotions starting a week earlier than initially planned, allowing for 3–4 additional promotions.
  • Set up a tracker to monitor and optimize performance.
  • Collaborated with the promotional team to promote the article across multiple channels, including X, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Community.
• Result
  • The article achieved 833 page views and 175,000 ad impressions, surpassing the original target of 750 views and 150,000 impressions.
  • Early publication and extra promotional activities may have contributed to 21 extra page views and increased overall engagement.
  • The client was pleased with the project’s timely delivery and the success of the promotional campaign.
  • The success of this project helped position me as a startegic guide to set client projects to success.

Client
For Citrix System EMEA | Creative Production

Project Duration
12 days

• Challenge:
  Around 112 ad resize across multiple languages (EN/DE/IT/FR/ES/JP), in two creative concepts per language, to be delivered within 2 weeks. This was a significant deviation from our standard 3-day SLA per concept and presented a challenge in terms of coordination, planning, and execution under tight deadlines.
• Production Plan:
  • In response to an urgent request, I worked closely with the CS team to revise the original scope of 112 ads down to 80 creatives (EN/DE/IT/FR/ES X 2 concepts), broken into two phases.
  • To manage the increased workload, I worked closely with the designer to devise a clear internal workflow and communicated proactively with the CS team to set expectations for this one-time exception.
• Action:
  • Delivered Phase 1 EN versions (2 days ahead), followed by translation ads on the proposed date.
  • Delivered Phase 2 EN versions (2 days ahead), followed by translation ads proposed date.
  • Managed a mid-production change by leveraging skeletal design concepts, which allowed for quick adaptation and minimized delays.
• Result
  • Despite the complexity and tight deadline, I was able to deliver all 80 creatives in just 12 working days, 2 days ahead of schedule.
  • The project had zero delays in internal and client reviews, and the assets were approved on time.
  • The phased delivery, prior planning, and constant communication with the designer helped me to navigate the challenges.
  • The success of this project helped position me as a mentor within the team, as my planning and workflow management supported timely deliveries, even under pressure.

Client
For AWS Lead Gen | Creative Production Workflow

Project Duration
On-demand

• Issues Identified:
  • Duplicate entries, missing entries, inconsistent naming conventions, translation gaps.
• Proposed Change:
  • Ensure consistency across both English and local language translations.
  • Standardize the country entries, correct naming conventions, and ensure alphabetical order.
  • Assign a common folder for easy access.
• Process Change:
  • Eliminated discrepancies by creating an Excel sheet to compare the client’s picklist with the standard picklist.
  • Corrected naming issues and added missing countries in correct local languages.
  • Assigned QA to cross-check the updated picklists for accuracy.
• Result
  • The client’s Lead Gen forms and picklists were fully updated, ensuring that all country entries were consistent, corrected, and in alphabetical order.
  • The updated forms improved workflow by eliminating errors or confusion in future asset creation.

Client
Display Banner Workflow

Project Duration
Independent Project

• Issues Identified:
  • The original flow was confusing, impacting efficiency.
  • Video attachments were not mandatory, leading to missing files.
  • Lack of clear options for certain use-cases.
• Proposed Change:
  • Restructure the brief for better clarity.
  • Add mandatory questions for video attachments if selected.
  • Include a clear option for “use cases.”.
• Process Change:
  • Added a new question to the brief for banner types and media.
  • Updated the Wrike briefs
• Result
  • Streamlined the QS Banner process, saving 1-2 hours of production time by reducing back-and-forth with CS and ensuring all required information was available upfront.

Client
Email Campaign Workflow

Project Duration
Independent Project

• Challenge: The internal review process for creative QA created confusion among designers, PMs, and the CS/Email teams due to unclear communication.
• Action
  • Suggested adding an “Internal Review” tag to the Wrike ticket, enabling the creative team to mark tasks in review and notify the CS/Email team.
  • Proactively informed the Email Team Lead about the new process to ensure smoother collaboration going forward.
• Result
  • The addition of the “Internal Review” tag streamlined the process, improved task tracking, and eliminated confusion between teams. Communication with the Email team became more efficient, preventing disruptions during production.

Client
Blackberry/Cyclance

Project Duration
3 days

• Challenge: The campaign launch date was unclear and the full buildout was required on the same day the copy was confirmed.
• Action
  • Negotiated with the CS and AM to launch the approved 3/2 ads first to honour client promise and assuring to deliver the remaining ads in sprints.
  • Prepared the design team by having them work on skeletons in advance, streamlining the buildout process.
• Result
  • The 3/2 ads went live on time, and the remaining ads were delivered in stages as planned.
  • The final ads were completed within two days, meeting client expectations. Both the AM and CS were pleased with the proactive solution and our ability to meet key deadlines.

Client
PDQ.com Corporation

Project Duration
2 days

• Challenge: The project was escalated for an urgent campaign launch. Only one designer was available in the team, with delivery required in 2 days, deviating from usual SLAs.
• Action
  • Streamlined the workflow, simplified tasks for the designer, and set up a direct support channel for quick issue resolution.
  • Coordinated with leads and QA to expedite reviews and freed up more production time.
  • Assisted the CS team with post-production, fixing Rabbit tag errors and generating new codes for a smooth launch.
• Result
  • Despite the original 3-day SLA, the ads were delivered in 2 days. The project team received praise for speed and efficiency, including a “lightning speed” shoutout from the CS team.

Client
Team Efficiency Improvement | Creative Project Management

Project Duration
On-demand

• Streamlined the management and delivery of embedded video/banner production, cutting 2-3 day SLAs caused by the video team’s bandwidth constraints.
• Leveraged my Broadcast Journalism background to learn video resizing, reducing SLAs to one day and freeing up the lead video editor for high-priority tasks.
• Handled video resizing tasks for the PM team, cutting processing time to 2-3 hours, enabling faster turnarounds and increasing team capacity.

Client
In-house | Creative Project Managment, SWZD

Project Duration
Independent Project

• Led a small team of creatives (a writer and a developer) to design test task templates for new hires, providing real-life project management simulations.
• Received positive feedback from the team, who found the project enjoyable—especially the process of creating deliberate errors for new hires to identify.
• By streamlining the test task creation process, I enabled our internal team to quickly replicate and use the templates for future onboarding, improving overall efficiency.

Client
In-house | Creative Project Managment, SWZD

Project Duration
Independent Project

• Developed the “Copy Extraction Form” to streamline the translation process, replacing the previous method, which caused confusion due to lack of organization & clarity. This new format allowed PMs and the Production team to easily extract information.
• Initiated one-on-one sessions with PMs and Production team to impart the new format, incorporating their feedback to refine the process further.
• Received positive feedback from the team on organized format and improved ability to process and complete translation projects efficiently. This form is still-in use for all translation-related tasks, marking it as a successful and impactful improvement to the process.

Client
In-house | Creative Project Managment, SWZD

Project Duration
Independent Project

• Authored three comprehensive training guides, including QA/PM checklists, the Display Content Product Offering deck (widely used by Sales and CS teams to get consolidated info on various Display product types), and conducted one-on-one training sessions for new hires in QA and PM roles.
• Authored training resources such as the Creative PM Training Guide and Creative QA Training Guide, with a day-wise/weekly plan that helps the new hires stay on track during the training period. This checklist is still being shared with new hires to guide them through the onboarding process.

Client
In-house | Process Improvement for Lead Gen Campaigns

Project Duration
Independent Project

• Optimized the double-opt-in (DO) campaign process by introducing two targeted questions in the creative brief, improving clarity on which assets required DO. This reduced back-and-forth with Customer Success 4 out of 5 times, enabling quicker processing and improving the Project Management team’s processing speed by 80%.

Client
In-house | Spiceworks

Project Duration
1 Month

• Managed and delivered banner ads to promote Spiceworks Video Meetup and Webinar, which are still in use today.
• Onboarded the Lead Designer to set design templates as per the brand guidelines. 
• Facilitated collaboration between the Creative and Events team to better understand the requirements and ensure clear communication.
• Delivered final banner ads 2 days prior to the proposed deadline, , despite concurrently handling multiple client projects.

Client
SWZD | Dell, Intel, AWS, Google, Oracle, DELL, HP, Aberdeen, Mashable, and more.

Project Duration
Day-to-day

• Delivered 1,000+ creative campaigns annually, overseeing the creation of landing pages, emails, scripts, infographics, banner ads, and editorials, all while adhering to strict 24-hour SLAs.
• Streamlined workflows by identifying and removing internal blocks, providing creative solutions to enhance team efficiency.
• Ensured client-specific assets were accurate and production-ready, supporting the creative team throughout the process.
• Provided timely updates on production stages to all stakeholders, ensuring clear communication and smooth project delivery.

Client
In-house | Project Management, SWZD

Project Duration
Day-to-day

• Authored training guides for new hires (PMs, QAs, Designers) to ensure a smooth understanding of workflows and processes.
• Prepared new hires to be job-ready by providing test tasks and conducting one-on-one training sessions.
• Created and maintained test task templates to streamline future training for new hires.

Client
CRED Missions & NapEazy

Project Duration
Live Action | 2-3 days

• CRED Missions Ad
  • Kunal Shah, Founder of CRED, tweeted shared the video on X, which is a biggest win acknowledging the successful collaboration and the efficient delivery of the project.
  • Designed the look and style of the main character, managed the procurement of creative assets, and contributed to set building.
• NapEazy
  • The project was fully funded in 14 hours, with the ad campaign playing a key role in its success.
  • Assisted the Art Director by managing the procurements of the costumes, set properties, and building the set.

Client
The Center for Mental Health & Law, Pune

Project Duration
Around 2 weeks

• Coordinated the workflow for 10 team members located at different locations in India.
• Project coordination was fully done via WhatsApp & calls because of the lockdown.
• Provided translations and voice-overs for the Malayalam videos.

Client
RazorpayX

Project Duration
Around 3 months

• Planned and managed the delivery of a short video for the product launch. 
• Provided a project retrospective for the team to reflect on the project’s successes and failures. 
• Minimized the delay caused due to revisions by devising methods to educate the client by:
  • Clearly mention each phase of the animation process.
  • Explaining the difference between major and minor revisions and when the extra charges will be billed.
  • Getting approval at each stage of animation.
    

Client
udaan

Project Duration
Around 1 month

• Collaborated with the client to choose a simple, effective animation style that aligned with their needs and ensured timely delivery.
• Planned and executed a streamlined workflow, enabling fast and efficient project delivery.
• Actively contributed to decisions on animation style, asset creation, and workflow optimization.

Client
21 North Europ Assistance

Project Duration
Around 3 months

• Restarted a high-value project which had been in limbo for over a year. 
• Consistently communicated with the client at each stage to get prompt feedback to speed up the delivery process. 
• Assisted the creators by giving rough sketch ideas which they later developed into the visuals on-screen. 
• Edited the final videos to add the newly-suggested voiceover.

Client
Loadshare by Atlas

Project Duration
Around 2 months

• Successfully convinced the client to extend the project deadline by presenting a detailed work schedule with an hourly breakdown, enabling timely delivery while meeting quality standards.

Client
guch, QC Department

Project Duration
Around 1 week

• Introduced Quality Control guidelines to the video team by referring to Netflix’s QC process.
• Helped in preventing creative errors and ensuring production quality by 25%
• Detected and corrected text, visual, and audio errors as per the guidelines before shipping the creatives to the client.