Process

Client Onboarding Playbook

The step-by-step process for onboarding a brand client — from first contact to production kickoff.

Purpose

This document defines the step-by-step process for onboarding a brand client for a micro-drama ad — a branded content series (3 or 5 episodes) that blends the client's product or service into an engaging mini-drama.

It defines who does what, what gets sent to the client, how decisions move forward, and the SLAs that govern every step.

Production Only

Hadoota produces premium ad content. Clients use the content on their own platforms or distribute it themselves.

Pipeline

The 7-Phase Pipeline

Total onboarding timeline: 2–3 weeks

1
Lead Capture & Qualification
Riham
1–2 days
→
2
Internal Alignment + Go/No-Go
Sawaf
30–45 min call
→
3
Brand Discovery Session
Full Team + Client
60–90 min
4
Creative Concept Development
Mohamed Nabil
5–7 business days
→
5
Proposal & Pricing
Riham + Sawaf
3 business days
→
6
Feedback Loop
Riham
2–3 rounds (~1 week)
→
7
Contract & Kickoff
Sawaf → Nabil
3–5 days
Details

Phase-by-Phase Breakdown

Phase 1 Lead Capture & Qualification +

Owner: Riham · Duration: 1–2 days

  1. Lead comes in (inbound referral, outbound pitch, ecosystem connection)
  2. Riham sends the Welcome Packet to the client
  3. Riham conducts a 15-minute qualification call to determine:
    • Brand name and industry
    • Product or service to feature
    • Target platform(s) preference
    • Budget range (ballpark)
    • Timeline expectations
  4. Riham completes the Lead Intake Form and shares it with the internal team
Gate Criteria to Proceed

Product/service can naturally fit into a drama narrative · Budget aligns with minimum project threshold · Client understands this is branded content, not a traditional ad

Phase 2 Internal Alignment +

Owner: Sawaf · Duration: 30–45 min call · Participants: Full team

  1. Riham presents the Lead Intake Form
  2. Team discusses fit, strategic value, creative angles, and ecosystem leverage
  3. Go / No-Go decision by Sawaf
  4. If Go: Riham schedules the Brand Discovery Session
Phase 3 Brand Discovery Session +

Owner: Riham (facilitator) · Duration: 60–90 min · Participants: Full team + client

The core of onboarding. A guided conversation using the Brand Discovery Questionnaire. Riham facilitates, Sawaf probes strategically, Mohamed Nabil captures creative hooks.

  • Questionnaire sent to client 48 hours before the session
  • Session is recorded (with permission)
  • Output: Completed questionnaire, confirmed by client within 48 hours

View Questionnaire →

Phase 4 Creative Concept Development +

Owner: Mohamed Nabil · Duration: 5–7 business days

  1. Mohamed Nabil develops 2–3 creative concepts, each including:
    • Working title
    • Logline
    • Genre and tone
    • Brand/product integration approach
    • Suggested episode count (3 or 5)
    • Rough character sketches
    • Strategic rationale
  2. Sawaf reviews for strategic alignment
  3. Riham prepares the concept presentation deck
Phase 5 Proposal & Pricing +

Owner: Riham (delivery) + Sawaf (pricing) · Duration: 3 business days

  1. Sawaf finalizes pricing based on episodes, complexity, platform scope, and timeline
  2. Riham packages the full proposal (concept, episode breakdown, timeline, pricing, deliverables, terms)
  3. Full team presents to client — each owner presents their section
Phase 6 Feedback Loop +

Owner: Riham · Duration: 2–3 rounds over ~1 week

  1. Client sends feedback
  2. Riham routes to the right owner:
    • Creative → Mohamed Nabil
    • Strategic/Business → Sawaf
    • Logistical → Riham
  3. Each owner responds within 48 hours
  4. Riham compiles and sends updated proposal
  5. Maximum 3 rounds
Rule

No change goes to the client without all three team members being aware.

Phase 7 Contract & Kickoff +

Owner: Sawaf (contract) → Mohamed Nabil (production) · Duration: 3–5 days

  1. Sawaf sends contract (scope, deliverables, timeline, payment terms, IP, revision limits)
  2. On signature:
    • Sawaf confirms financials
    • Riham sends Client Welcome Package
    • Mohamed Nabil receives the Production Brief and kicks off production
  3. Production kickoff meeting within 3 business days
Deliverables

Deliverables Templates

Documents produced during the onboarding process.

DocumentOwnerWhen
Welcome PacketRihamPhase 1 — First client contact
Lead Intake Form (internal)RihamPhase 1 — Post-qualification
Brand Discovery QuestionnaireRihamPhase 3 — 48 hrs before session
Discovery SummaryRihamPhase 3 — 48 hrs after session
Creative Concept DeckRiham + NabilPhase 4
Full ProposalRihamPhase 5
ContractSawafPhase 7
Production BriefFull TeamPhase 7 — Handoff to production
Retrospective

Post-Onboarding Retrospective

After every client onboarding (whether won or lost), the team holds a 30-minute retrospective:

  • What worked well?
  • What slowed us down?
  • What should we change in the process?
  • Any patterns we're seeing across clients?

Updates to the onboarding process are made based on retro findings.