Services
Strategy &
Creative Partner
Starting with a problem or opportunity, our teams work hand-in-hand with clients in four key phases.
Purpose
It begins with why, of course. Why are we here? What is the problem or opportunity? Why now? What is possible? How will we quantify success? Who needs to be involved in making it happen? These questions are the all important inputs to a statement of purpose which must be fully understood at the outset of any work we do.
Truth
What is the insight or insights that should drive the solution and ultimately determine success or failure? What’s really going on internally, on the sales floor, in the factory or in the data centre? In this stage which increasingly harnesses the power of AI, quality in-depth analysis and then distillation into what we describe as “simple truths” is the flow we’re after.
How we work through these first two phases changes client-by-client and project-by-project, but is highly collaborative and typically includes some or all of:
- 1-1 stakeholder interviews
- Desk research
- Qualitative and quantitative market research
- Internal workshops
- Leadership briefings
- Collaborative work sessions with lead clients
Design
Purpose and Truth are designed to culminate in a solution, which we describe as “Design”. We call it that because, like a great architectural design, it contains both engineering and creativity. Put another way, it is a blend of science and art. This is often what sets Actually apart from a strategy consulting firm which relies heavily on data inputs but can fail to account for the human factor. Or from a creative agency who is often overly reliant on the power of an idea. We firmly believe both are needed.
The solutions we design can take many forms and in all cases we act as a partner to clients, working alongside their internal teams at every step of the way:
- Brand development
- Product ideation
- Customer experience design
- Culture change programs
- Leadership development
- External marketing campaigns
- Digital solutions
- Performance marketing
- Internal communication campaigns
Grind
We’ve all seen the cliches about success being a little bit of inspiration, and a lot of perspiration… but the fact is, they’re true! Our strong belief is that clients don’t engage us to come up with an idea and then walk away. They engage us to help deliver the growth that the idea is designed to spur, so it’s our responsibility to act as an ally all the way through execution and beyond. For that reason, we design any scope of work to include this phase, ideally as an embedded support to internal project teams, and always with the commitment to continuously reflect on all parts of the design and execution, never resting until we achieve the growth we’re seeking.
