Strict process kills creativity
In the second part of our Breaking Rules series, we explore how processes can lead to losing sight of the big picture. This is why we break the rules – to help our clients see the wood through the trees.
Our hot take:
“Every agency needs a ProcessTM, but a cookie-cutter approach doesn’t suit everyone.”
The why
It's a common claim that agencies have the perfect solution to fix all of your brand's problems. But many recycle tried-and-tested solutions they’ve used on every other client for years – like a process recipe card to make the perfect brand.
If you stick to the same recipe, you're likely to get the same result. And in this case, having the same result as another brand will burn you. That’s why we don’t try to fit square pegs into round holes. For us, it’s not about making brands fit the process, it’s about making our process fit the brand.
We create brands that are truly unique and instantly gettable. To do so, we tow the line between using a unique internal process and cutting out the unnecessary layers. Processes can limit vision, so thinking creatively to look beyond the familiar helps us to uncover hidden gems.
We deliver what brands need, not what the process tells us they need. Strategy isn’t about adding more and more stuff. It’s about taking stuff away. And this doesn’t mean cutting back, it’s solving the problem and simplifying the answer. We filter out the waffle to find your brand’s point of difference.
Telling the story already written
If there’s already a story, the job of the process is to find the best way to tell it. This is the challenge we faced while collaborating with Dickinson & Morris to establish their brand as the epitome of exceptional pies. We didn’t need to run through the motions to find the solution, because its rich heritage had already laid the groundwork. Rather than looking to the tropes of traditional British eccentricity, we took D&M’s own quirks to create an identity that was authentically theirs, and would stand the test of time.
A dash of fresh thinking
Sometimes a fresh set of eyes are just what a stale problem needs to strip away overthinking. When Sarson’s approached us, a product development project had turned stagnant. It was a momentous moment for the brand, launching an NPD that pushed the iconic product beyond chips and into a variety of exciting eating occasions. But they needed help giving it the impact it deserved. Our first task was to nail the name – breaking our traditional approach to process. But the name held the key to unlocking its full potential. Originally dubbed a ‘glaze’, Sarson’s were struggling to communicate the thicker, saucier nature of the product and its many different uses. Enter – Dip & Drizzle, a descriptive, distinguishable name with a dash of playful personality.
Simplify. Amplify. Unify.
Being flexible allows us to push existing ideas further. We built on Tuborg’s original idea of ‘fællesskab’ (a Danish conception of community) to create a ‘community of beers’ putting consumers at the heart of the Tuborg experience. We simplified and amplified the personality of each beer in Tuborg’s portfolio to create a stronger and more consistent brand family. The new design system makes Tuborg easier to navigate and helps them appeal to a much broader audience. All whilst staying true to the heritage and personality of the sub-brands.
“Strategy is like a jigsaw puzzle. Brands and their customers each hold the pieces, and our job is to gather them, fit them together, and uncover the bigger picture. There’s no one right way to solve it, but the simplest approach often has the most impact.”
Chloe
Creative Strategist
So, what?
Processes are important, but having a process built on sound principles that are inherently flexible is what makes them truly effective. We’re always evolving new ways of doing things and asking what's the right way to get the results clients need. To get to a different place, you need to take a new route.