New Year, New Month, New Strategy 🛵
Ciao Ragazzi,
Strategy, whether brand strategy, content strategy, social media strategy, or even paid media strategy, is not a linear act.
Agencies and consultants that try and force feed their ‘proprietary” formula your way as a way to differentiate themselves are a) spending too much time on creating another useless framework for you to consume, and b) wasting your time as a possible client and/or partner because, at the end of the day, the art of marketing and branding is not linear.
It’s more chaotic and attuned to all cylinders firing in a melodic fashion than phase 1 is complete before we move to phase 2.
There’s the OLD way of looking at strategy…
Looking very rigid and like every offering an agency or consultant has ever put together. This way is predicated on finishing 1 part before starting another.
The problem with this is that this isn’t how creatives think. It’s not how business works. And it definitely is not the best way to foster the most groundbreaking ideas.
Then there’s the new way to look at strategy…
Here, like a symphony, all pieces are being thought of and worked on in harmony. Sure, there are guardrails and goals that need to be put in place so that there are crystal clear delineations between different aspects of the project, but they need to be designed in a way that fosters thinking.
Design thinking principles state that there’s a constant flow of designing, testing, and iterating going on. Or how Marty Neiumier explains it, knowing, making, and doing.
He talks about leveraging prototypes - using sketches, models, maps, mockups, and simulations - the ‘making’ step puts ideas on the table that weren’t there before. With the old model, you’re getting regurgitated what-ifs, but with the new model, you’re getting breakthrough ideas.
It’s all about creating tension that draws your audience in. Pushing back on what we think we know ultimately changes what we’re likely to do.
Shifting the emphasis from “deciding” the future to “designing” the future.
We live in a business climate requiring perpetual innovation, therefore, industrial-age thinking is useful but woefully inadequate.
We need design thinking.
We need a new model of strategy.
If you’re looking for a strategist to inject this new model of strategic thinking into your organization or agency, I’m here to serve you and help your brand win.
Just reply to this email or holler at me on LinkedIn.
✌️ Steven
P.S. I know I said last time that I was going to let you know about the studio I’m building. An announcement is coming soon so stay tuned. Between an emergency trip to California and a few bouts of Covid, we’ve been delayed a wee bit.