BRAIN POWER VS DELIVERABLES: Should the “now” take precedence over the “why”?

Deliverables aren’t everything when it comes to getting your project completed. While deliverables will give you a tangible item to consider within the broader context of your project, the deliverable is only the result. For a successful outcome, time and brainpower have gone into designing and creating the deliverable. Clients should make an effort to recognize the brainpower and creativity that has gone into the project as a whole, instead of getting bogged down in just deliverables.

What is a deliverable?

A deliverable could be defined in several ways. It is an element that fits within the broader scope of a project. Deliverables are both tangible and something provided by an agency. A website, article, PDF, or graphic are all examples of deliverables. While deliverables are essential to project completion, they aren’t the only thing that has gone into ensuring the project is a success.

Deliverables don’t manifest out of thin air. Someone had to use their time and brainpower to create and design the deliverable before giving it to the client. When it comes to a project’s ultimate success, it is the outcome of the deliverable that is key.

What are outcomes?

Outcomes in project management are the ultimate consequences of time investment, brainpower, and the project deliverable’s impact on the job. In essence, outcomes - the end-result of the brainpower that has gone into the project - are business benefits.

Why do clients often fail to recognize brain power over deliverables?

With brainpower and outcomes vs. deliverables, it’s easy to see in theory how these two things are different and why it’s essential to focus on one over the other. But it’s human nature to want to see immediate returns on investment, i.e., in the form of a tangible item. Unfortunately, the “now” can take precedence over the “why,” or big picture with a project. Also, it’s easier for clients to show their superiors that they’ve gotten something for the project with a tangible item to show them.

For clients, it’s so easy to lose sight of the big picture with a project due to a range of different factors, some of which may be high-pressure and stressful. Companies often lose sight of their “why,” let alone the purpose of a big project. Agencies often hear things from their prospective clients like, “We needed a company brochure yesterday,” or “last week was when I needed that eBook.” When agencies hear this, they often react in a knee-jerk fashion, cramming a bunch of design and development deliverables into a short period. But this comes with many risks:

• The deliverables will not align with the brand’s core values

• The brand will not be well-positioned with deliverables that aren’t well-thought-out

• Target personas will not be adequately defined

• Deliverables may not be functional or offer emotional benefits 

When clients get bogged down in deliverables, they risk losing the main objective of the project. Time and brainpower must take precedence. For projects of small and broad scope, the process must be valued over tangible items.

The end.

PURPOSEFUL CREATIVITY: Brands Must Find Their Why and Prioritize It

A purpose-driven brand is a successful brand. In today’s highly competitive business world, how do you stand out from the crowd? Modern consumers care about more than just your products and services. They want to work with brands that have found their “why” and are prioritizing it. Taking your brand to the next level of success means finding a sense of purpose - a purpose that makes a strong connection with your audience.

The “Why” is Important

Your brand’s “why” or purpose, will have a significant impact on how consumers view your specific company within the wider marketplace. Ultimately, a brand’s “why” becomes the ethos of its success. How you determine your “why” and market that purpose should align with who you are, and the spirit of your company. This definition or purpose is the driving force behind the connection with your ideal customer. Build a better brand when you define your unique “why.”

Brand Purpose: A Definition 

At its core, brand purpose is your reason for starting a business and what you and your company stand for in the first place. Sometimes, brand purpose is referred to as a “North Star” or “why.” Your “why” is the heart of your brand purpose, but that’s not all. Brand purpose is also about how you serve not just your customers, but your greater community. What are the unmet human needs your brand can fulfill?

When determining your brand purpose, it’s best to look at the matter holistically. How does your company represent your core values, and create value for your target audience, partners, and community? Purposeful creativity and North Stars boil down to how everyone touched by the company thrives together.  

Prioritize Your “Why” for Greater Results 

In the end, you’re brand is serving people with real needs and desires. Having a well-defined brand purpose will make your company stand out from the crowd and speak to your target audience and the community members you serve. People are drawn to the fact that their purchase can do more than simply get them access to the goods and services they want. Your brand purpose will make them feel like an integral part of something much more significant. With a brand purpose, you:

• Demonstrate that your brand is more than its products

• Show customers that your brand thinks beyond the next advertising campaign

• Inform customers that your brand goes beyond merely turning a profit, but wants to make a difference

We’re living in a post-consumerist age, where people are far more conscious about the products they buy and the companies they do business with. Consumers want brands to do more than just sell products or services. They want brands to stand for something bigger than their bottom line.  

Brands that inspire, believe in something, and make a positive impact in the world will reach a greater level of success than companies without a brand purpose. By prioritizing your “why,” you’ll forge a greater connection with your core audience, and build lasting relationships with your customers.

IS FAILURE THE QUICKEST PATH TO SUCCESS?

Fail Until You Can’t Anymore: Why Failure is the Path to Success

We’re taught to dread the big letter “F” from the time we are six years old. Before we even learn to tie our shoes, society is hammering into our heads that failing is one of the worst things you can do. But no matter how anguishing it can be, failure is the tried and true path to success. For business owners, especially, failure is not something to fear, but something to embrace.

Why is failure a problem?

Failure isn’t the problem. A person’s response to failure is where the problems start. No one is born wise or knowing how to make the best decisions in all situations. People are limited by their own experiences of the world and the information they have on-hand at a particular moment in time. Failing is inevitable. But another issue with failure is the way society views failure and those who fail.

A lot of shame goes into the word “failure.” People may be embarrassed to analyze failure and go into denial about it or avoid the topic altogether. Another issue is that people will get a sense of schadenfreude, and ridicule those who’ve had some success, but have made mistakes. Their accomplishments are minimized, while their failures are magnified. But getting wrapped up in negative emotions hampers a person’s ability to use a failing experience to their benefit, either their own personal mistakes or as a witness to someone else’s.

What are the consequences of how society views failing?

People are obsessed with avoiding failure, no matter what. This is one of the reasons why helicopter and snowplow parents exist. Failure becomes the big bad wolf that everyone must protect themselves and their loved ones against. The shame, ridicule, and embarrassment of failure when someone attaches a lot of emotional baggage to it can become too much. But when you’re able to move past the emotions and baggage associated with failure, you can see how failing can sometimes be the best thing to happen to you. If not, it’s impossible to grow, take risks, and become the person you want to be.

Why is failure a good thing? 

Failure is how someone builds confidence. People become confident when they do something, persevere, and eventually succeed. Also, failing gives people valuable learning opportunities. Failing, and seeing how to pivot your strategies keeps life interesting, and encourages self-sufficiency too. These benefits are incredibly useful to adults, children, and entrepreneurs.  

Is failure the quickest path to success?

Yes, it is. Failure is not the enemy of success, but comfort is. When someone stays in their comfort zone, they stagnate. Stagnation is the death knell of a company and personal growth too. Instead of avoiding failure, companies should learn to embrace it instead. For brands, failure shows you weak spots or holes in your skillset that you’ll need to refine. In this way, failure helps your company grow. The faster you fail, learn from your mistakes, and take action, the quicker you will succeed in business.