See the Good

It’s been seven years since we officially codified the behaviours our agency strives to embody with our colleagues and clients. At the time it was part of a bigger agency rebrand where we looked closely at a number of official and not-so-official elements of our playbook. There had always been one part of The Outpost Code that didn’t quite fit with the others. One idea that seemed out of place. And not us. It was telling people what not to do instead of what to do. And to be honest, it was setting the bar way too low. So as part of our annual business planning process we decided it was time to throw it away and write a new, better one. We love the organic way in which this bubbled up, and how this new part of our Code has become the single most important behaviour that captures the spirit of how we want to work each and every day:

See the good.

We are 'glass half full' people. We strive to bring positive energy and optimism to our work and relationships, even when it's difficult.

These three words are very powerful. We work hard to make sure that our people understand the two dimensions to this important phrase.

Firstly, it is of course about being positive as much as possible. A good friend and long-time client once remarked that there are two types of colleagues at work. Those that bring energy and positivity to every room they are in, and those that suck the life out of every single meeting and conversation. We hope that one of the things we can promise clients is good people who will bring positive energy, not drama, to our working relationships.

Secondly, in the health and wellness space, the words speak to the importance of understanding deeply what our clients’ brands do for the people that prescribe them and take them. Quite literally, Outposters must intentionally seek out and discover the good in our clients’ brands. Simply put, we know we do our best work when we invest in acquiring a passionate and well-informed perspective on the subtle and not so subtle ways that a specific medicine, medical technology, or preventative measure like a vaccine, can change the course of peoples’ lives.

It is certainly true that doing great advertising, design and media work in healthcare can be very rewarding. You can draw a direct line between telling a brand’s story well and people living happier, healthier lives. But oh what a difference it makes when we can match our clients’ understanding, belief and passion for why they do what they do.

That is truly seeing the good, the Outpost way.

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