How to position your design studio: For. Only. Because.
Posted by Mark Pollard on 04th May 2010
We're not as different as we think
Let's face it, we don't always practise what we preach. A lot of the digital and advertising agencies that I've worked in pretty much do the same stuff. They may have a slightly different take on things - a high fallutin' philosophy - but often it's up to the potential client to work out how they're different, much of which will come down to the actual people they'd be working with, the cost and degrees of perceived creativity... and my gut feeling is that the perceived degrees of creativity matter more to us than to people who don't spend their days in agency walls. Of course, there are exceptionally brilliant and bad examples that easily stand out.
Standing out takes balls
It takes commitment. It takes self-awareness. It takes the realisation that things may - because you stick to your guns - take a while to get going. You may have to reject business, people, work that simply don't fit where you're trying to go. But over time, the theory is that you'll build up a specialisation and a brand that people will pay more for.
An equation to run your design studio through: For. Only. Because.
Think of this equation as your elevator pitch. It should be interesting, differentiated, people should be able to get it straight away, but most importantly, it should be something you can build your business around for years.
FOR: who you want your clients to be
ONLY: what you do that's different - one thing (although the one thing could be the sum of several supporting parts)
BECAUSE: the reason for someone to believe your ONLY claim
A make-believe Google example:
For any information-hungry human being with internet access
Only Google organises the world's information online
Because of its search algorhithm and incessant innovation
A made-up studio example that will fly in the faces of most people here, but it makes the point:
For marketers who are absolutely sure of what they want
Only CONTROL-A-DESIGNER puts the marketer in complete control of their design project
Because of our web-based management system and the live cameras that sit over the shoulders of our designers
How to fill in the blanks
Write 10 points about the perfect client. Think about how competitors talk - or more importantly how other people talk about your competitors - and write it down. Talk to existing and potential clients. Ask them what they want. Get your hands on research. Do some research. Then list, list, list. Do it over coffee in the morning or when you're walking - whatever situation spikes your 'in the flow' brain to kick in. Then park it and return to it 2 days later. Show people, test it. Make it different but also something you can commit to.
Take it for a test drive below
If you'd like to throw down some thoughts about where you could go in the comments below, please do so.
Mark Pollard is the Strategy Director at McCann Sydney. He tweets at @markpollard.
Photo courtesy Thinkstock.
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1. By marcusp on 04th May 2010 @ 2.10 PM
Totally agree with the equation. It is such a weird space to find and exist in - I think it really comes down to what you are good at, but more importantly what you love. The great designers that spring to mind all exist in our minds because they set themselves apart through doing what they do and doing it brilliantly. In such a trend driven industry we all run the risk of following trends - and thus disappearing amidst the mass of others doing the same thing - albeit better, faster, cheaper or whatever it is the client responds to in awarding the job.
I have always been a firm believer in truly knowing what you do, and what excites you - from that comes great work which, if you promote yourself well, brings a more exciting level of client.
The other way of thinking about it is: if you can't identify in your own business what is appealing to clients and sell that - then how do your clients know you can do it for them. After all, that is the commercial heart of the creative industry.
2. By on 04th May 2010 @ 2.59 PM
OK, all well and good for the bigger studios out there. What about the freelancer that needs to pay bills to get by, make ends meet. Sure, we all work and strive for the highly creative work that is on offer - but when you have to eat at the end of the week you are not exactly going to say no are you.
I think if you try to push boundaries with what you have got then you have more opportunities to get creative with your work. I honestly just think most studios are lazy... there is more often than not no ownership to the work, hence lacking the passion. This passion needs to be built into the teams, you can't just have an ethos and expect your staff to embrace it. Most employees just see their employer as a means to an end.
3. By Molte on 04th May 2010 @ 5.39 PM
Great article. I notice more successful local studios have quite generic descriptions of their process. I think it's marketing themselves inaccurately, but in a way that gets a 'yes' out of their clients. I guess it's in the interest of survival.
4. By MarkPollard on 05th May 2010 @ 4.45 PM
@ Marcus - completely agree. One word: Banksy. What he did wasn't cool before he did it. Now people sell walls he's left his mark on.
@ Dave - fair question. I still believe that an individual needs to have a point of difference. Well-promoted vanity projects can definitely help shape the future while still putting food on the table.
@ Molte - yes, it's a natural thing to do but I still believe in the long-term benefit of a strong point of view of what someone (or an agency) is good at.
5. By Molte on 09th May 2010 @ 12.51 PM
Completely agree with what you're saying Mark. In the interest of attracting the clients you want and knowing clients have come to you (or your agency) for your strengths sounds ideal. wearing an honest, accurate identity is the sort of optimism designers should embrace.
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