So… how do we get results?
We have supported teams to transition to creative ways of working to overcome barriers and unleash energy and talent. Below are just a few examples of how…
Wargaming in highly competitive markets
We design and deliver Wargaming for brands that not only want to secure their market position but also build their value by understanding and pre-empting competitor initiatives and reactions in highly competitive industries.
Assess likely competitor moves and develop plans to mitigate or benefit from these
Stress test current strategies and planning in the most competitive marketplaces to ensure alignment and preparedness
Creative and powerful strategy, planning and activation ideas enabled by cutting-edge Design Thinking divergence-convergence thinking and mindsets
Foster ever closer understanding of consumers and other stakeholders to create a competitive advantage through traditional, social, AI and other sources of insight
“Wargaming… helps companies in highly competitive industries understand the reactions of competitors to changing market conditions and take these into account when developing their strategy.”
University of Karlsruhe
Empowering Lego’s creativity
Proud to support LEGO in its quest to be a leader in creativity across its brands and channels. LEGO leads the pack in driving creativity
Supporting the Lego Marketing Academy work to bring creativity and discipline to teams working with Agency colleagues
Sharing applied creativity best practice, creativity as a skillset
Delivery of online capability to the Lego Marketing teams
Designing A&E for better outcomes
Change in a complex NHS environment for better patient flow and care.
In 2021 and 2022 we supported the Royal College study days to helping A&E doctors update their skills around how to drive change that improves the performance of A&E departments. We did this on our own time, because improving the NHS is important to everyone.
Growth for Leaders
Top global brand in soft drinks looks for growth – and we were able to help.
We supported our soft drinks client by
Challenging the assumptions
Find ways to get closer to consumers & shoppers
Made cross-functional work
Enable co-creative mindsets
Putting in capability for better planning
Getting the margin back into Mackerel, Mandarins and Meatballs
Growing a billion-pound food company out of a low margin world.
We helped a national brand & own label food company to find new ways to grow through a range of inspiring innovation possibilities. Our approach was cross-functional, co-creative and intense because shareholders needed change rapidly!
We set up the process to craft ideas which for future growth for the Board to review and act on.
Ideas emerged which could increase profit by over £100m
New business models – leveraging existing assets but meeting consumer needs better
New channel development – making tailored products available at the right moment and place
New technology – plant-based products replacing meat as an alternative
Asset reallocation – leveraging existing manufacturing capability in higher margin areas
Value-added - through branding, communication and innovation on existing brands
Peppermint that refreshes the soul
Pathfinder brand caring deeply about planet and people aims to grow with purpose and sustainably.
We support the strategic planning for this fast growing brand whose values are truly different. Summerdown has demonstrated that putting people and planet first doesn’t limit growth.
We supported this brand in the following areas:
Strategic growth planning for the UK and abroad resulting in an actionable Staircase
Channel identification – defining the ‘where to play’ for brand with a specific aims and a well defined target
Positioning and Proposition development for a brand that crosses categories
Organisational support across clear values and culture defined by the leadership
No greenwashing here. Just thriving.
Frozen food in the des(s)ert
Middle East frozen food company creates, grows and innovates the hottest brands in frozen food!
Channelling and directing young talent to create structured tested growth plans. We approached this project in two parts:
1 . Innovation process on track
Consumer-first. We set up a program of listening and observing, in-store and out to base innovation on rigorous insight
Growth Staircase. We brought data, stimulation and even AI to create an innovation staircase with the team which is currently being rolled out
2. Building capability
Our focus is to embed skills and ways of working that outlast our projects. We set up a Marketing Academy capability program for teams
We introduced Capability frameworks and development plans for each part of the team
Primed to innovate
Re-designing a global team. Moving innovation teams from a brand focus to a portfolio one is a great way of finding all category opportunities for growth.
Our challenge was to work with support teams transitioning to Portfolio driven innovation – at pace. We worked co-creatively to review new:
Organisation - optimised for a new approach to innovation with the right people in the right places with aligned roles
Processes - across new portfolio innovation teams fine-tuned and linked to KPIs
Ways of working - across regions and between new teams roles were agreed
Resources - of people, money, and information needed to quickly innovate around Portfolio
Skills – identifying and planning for the new skills sets required for newly created roles
Masters of the Global Duty Free Channel
Re-designing the Duty Free organisation that puts the traveller at the centre in Global Spirits group.
A global Spirits re-design their Duty Free marketing organisation to make the most of post-Covid opportunities. We lead this project.
Our focus was to understand exactly how and where the company could engage with travellers across their ecosystem, and build the organisation around this – to deliver a brand experience to delight!
Our work defined over 150 value elements needed to delight travellers, delivered by 15 core drivers and enablers. With a clear understanding of this, we were able to support the development of a outstanding team – best in class perhaps across all categories at Duty Free
The Italian Job
Well loved Italian brand deserving to grow sets out an invigorating and bold strategy to lead its category
The food brand needed an overhaul of its strategic positioning…because it was lost and being beaten by own label brands.
We supported the team to craft big brave new consumer-centred strategy that is bold, daring and authentic.
The steps included:
Defence plan to stop volume slide
Shopper and consumer closeness program
Onsite Brand room
Segmentation of the category
Repositioning the brand
Sustainability for Big Plastics!
How do you become a leader in sustainability when you are also a leading global plastics company?
We supported their Project Management Office – to craft a roadmap towards Sustainability.
We bought new ideas and approaches to help structure and deliver their ambitious zero CO2 and sustainability program in a challenging commercial environment.
We unleashed the creativity of teams into ‘communities of action’, organised around the journey towards sustainability, cutting through the paralysis, and unblocking teams.
Although a complex engagement, Design Thinking approaches played a key role in supporting the team to cut through and present new ideas to the organisation.
