CREATIVE CRIME SCENE
A social graphic has several equally loud elements competing for attention. The viewer doesn’t know where to look first.
What’s the creative crime?
LOOK HERE: Section 03 — Visual Hierarchy and Layout
What is a lack of a clear primary focal point?
The headline says:
“Get the Support You Need.”
The subheadline says:
“We're Here to Give You the Support You Need.”
What's wrong with the copy?
LOOK HERE: Section 07 — Copywriting Standards
What is the subheadline repeats the headline instead of deepening or clarifying it?
Before deciding what to say, PMP says the message should match what the reader already knows about the problem, solution, product, or brand.
What framework helps us determine that?
LOOK HERE: Section 09 — Emotional Relevance and Audience Awareness
What is the Awareness Ladder?
A webpage uses its H1 for the company name, while the actual page topic appears farther down as an H2.
What’s wrong?
LOOK HERE: Section 08 — Web Page Structure
What is the H1 should clearly describe the page topic?
You finish a deliverable and immediately send it to a teammate for review without checking it yourself.
Which required step did you skip?
LOOK HERE: Section 11 — Internal Review Workflow
What is Creator Self-Review?
A campaign image technically fits the topic, but it feels staged, generic, and obviously stock.
What PMP image standard is being violated?
LOOK HERE: Section 06 — Imagery
What is choosing imagery that feels natural, specific, and believable?
A law firm's ad says:
“Our attorneys have more than 75 years of combined experience.”
It's a valid feature, but according to PMP, the message shouldn't stop there. What's missing?
LOOK HERE: Section 07 — Copywriting Standards
What is the benefit, consequence, or meaningful outcome for the customer?
A reader knows something is wrong and recognizes the frustration they're experiencing, but they don't yet know what solutions are available.
Which awareness stage are they in?
LOOK HERE: Section 09 — Emotional Relevance and Audience Awareness
What is Problem Aware?
A designer uses an H3 because they like how small it looks, even though there is no H2 section above it.
What's wrong?
LOOK HERE: Section 08 — Web Page Structure
What is choosing heading levels for visual size instead of page structure?
During peer review, you spot an issue and simply tell the creator exactly how you would fix it.
According to PMP, what should you do instead?
LOOK HERE: Section 12 — Peer Review Standard
What is identify the standard, explain why it matters, and help the creator find the stronger solution?
The headline, body copy, CTA, and disclaimer are all centered. Nothing is technically misaligned, but the layout feels flat and unintentional.
What creative crime has been committed?
LOOK HERE: Section 03 — Visual Hierarchy and Layout
What is centering everything by default instead of using intentional alignment?
A healthcare website says:
“We utilize a multidisciplinary approach to facilitate comprehensive, patient-centered service delivery.”
According to PMP, what's the bigger copy problem if this language doesn't help the reader understand what they'll actually gain?
LOOK HERE: Section 07 — Copywriting Standards
What is internal language that doesn't communicate a meaningful benefit or outcome?
An ad tries to make people afraid of a problem they've never worried about before, instead of connecting the offer to something they already care about.
What's the strategic mistake?
LOOK HERE: Section 09 — Emotional Relevance and Audience Awareness
What is trying to create an emotion or desire instead of connecting to one that already exists?
A webpage is 1,100 words long. Someone says, “PMP says websites have to be 800 words, so cut 300.”
Why isn't that necessarily correct?
LOOK HERE: Section 08 — Web Page Structure
What is 800-ish words is a guardrail, not a quota?
A teammate asks, “Do you like this?”
You don't — but PMP says “I just don't like it” isn't useful feedback.
What should your feedback be based on instead?
LOOK HERE: Section 12 — Peer Review Standard
What are the standards and the effect on the audience?
A graphic uses the correct logo, colors, and fonts and looks polished. But the imagery feels completely wrong for the client's actual audience.
Which step of the PMP Marketing Review does it fail?
LOOK HERE: The PMP Marketing Review → Brand Check
What is Brand Check?
A reader knows they have a problem, but they don't yet understand the available solutions.
The CTA says: “Schedule Your Consultation Now.”
According to PMP, why might this be the wrong next step?
LOOK HERE: Section 09 — Emotional Relevance and Audience Awareness
What is the CTA asks for more commitment than the reader's current awareness supports?
Your audience knows the problem, understands the available solutions, and already knows your client's offering, but they haven't chosen it yet.
What should the message lead with?
LOOK HERE: Section 09 — Emotional Relevance and Audience Awareness
What are difference, proof, and fit?
A webpage looks great on desktop, so the team approves it without checking the mobile version, forms, links, or accessibility.
What's wrong with that review?
LOOK HERE: Section 14 — Review Checklists
What is the web review isn't complete until mobile behavior, functionality, and accessibility are checked?
A reviewer spots an issue, explains why it matters, and then immediately dictates the exact fix.
Which TWO steps of PMP's coaching model are they skipping?
LOOK HERE: Section 13 — Feedback and Coaching Model
What are ask for their thinking AND let them recommend the fix?
A marketing piece is polished, on-brand, typo-free, and has a clear CTA. The client loves it.
But from the ideal customer's perspective, the message isn't relevant, doesn't make them care, and doesn't motivate them to take the next step.
Is it finished? What ultimately failed?
LOOK HERE: The PMP Marketing Review → The Final Gut Check
What is no, it fails the Final Gut Check?
A homepage opens with:
“Since 1987, ABC Company has proudly served North Carolina with an unwavering commitment to quality and customer service.”
The sentence is polished and accurate. What's the deeper strategic problem?
LOOK HERE: Section 08 — Web Page Structure
What is leading with company-centered detail instead of the audience's problem, aspiration, or desired outcome?
Two people see the same ad.
One has never recognized the problem. The other already knows the problem, the solutions, and your client's offering.
Why shouldn't they necessarily receive the same opening, proof, and CTA?
LOOK HERE: Section 02 — Core Creative Principles
What is because the message should match the reader's existing awareness?
A landing page has one CTA only, buried at the very bottom. The page is long, and the reader understood the core promise much earlier.
Nothing is broken. What's the structural mistake?
LOOK HERE: Section 08 — Web Page Structure
What is failing to place a CTA after the core promise and again when the reader has enough information to act?
A deliverable technically meets the standards, but the team believes intentionally breaking one could make the work stronger.
Can they do it — and what must be true?
LOOK HERE: Section 01 — How to Use This Playbook
What is yes — if the exception is intentional, defensible, and improves the work?