Welcome Back!
We’re thrilled by the response to our first newsletter and appreciate all the great feedback about what you’d like to read about in future issues. Keep those suggestions coming VENN Growth Collective
PERSPECTIVE
How Strategy Rekindled My Love for Creativity and How It Can Boost Your Business Too
Being a creative director has been a wild ride, filled with amazing opportunities and challenges. I've helped global brands grow and navigated the fast-paced world of advertising. But as I climbed the career ladder, I realized I was drifting away from what I loved most – the hands-on creative work.
I missed dreaming up big ideas, building brands, and crafting campaigns. The spark that fueled my passion was fading, and I knew I needed a change.
Five years ago, I joined VENN as a Working Partner to get back to the creative work I love. This decision turned out to be one of the best I’ve ever made. At VENN, I discovered the magic of creativity – what I like to call the "VENN of Strategy and Design." It’s like mixing peanut butter and chocolate; two great things are even better together.
At VENN, strategy isn’t just a step in the process; it’s deeply woven into everything we do. We dive deep into understanding our target customers – their motivations, behaviors, and journeys. We study the competition and pinpoint what makes our clients unique.
But what sets VENN apart is the fluidity between strategy and design. I work closely with my working partners on research, strategy and planning to identify the best opportunities for our clients. Together, we blend right-brain creativity with left-brain logic to create campaigns that truly connect with people.
This approach has been a game-changer. Our campaigns aren’t just visually stunning; they resonate deeply with audiences. Seeing a concept come to life, knowing it’s built on a solid understanding of the client's needs and aspirations, is incredibly satisfying. This method brings clarity, focus, and a stronger connection with the target audience, often more efficiently and cost-effectively.
My passion for creativity has been rekindled through strategy!??It's a reminder that sometimes, stepping away from the traditional path and looking at things through a different lens can lead to rewarding experiences.
This integrated approach doesn’t have to be exclusive to consultants. Businesses can (and should) blend strategy and creative exploration to maximize their brand’s performance. Here’s how:?
By blending strategy with creative exploration, you can maximize your brand’s performance and create campaigns that truly resonate.
ClIENT SPOTLIGHT
ONE FROM THE ARCHIVES - Wusthof
As we prepare to celebrate our seventh anniversary, we are reminded of our very first client – the German housewares company, Wusthof. VENN partnered with the senior management team and family members of this 210-year-old brand to identify it’s unique and ownable positioning as the “Craftsmen of the World’s Finest Cutlery.
” In a category where off-shore production is common, even at premium price points, VENN developed a brand promise of “Made in Germany. Always.”
This engagement is where we first developed VENN’s Scenario Planning FrameworkSM which we have since applied to dozens of clients. After exploring and bringing to life a range of scenarios for consideration and comparison, the growth strategy and strategic plan indicated both a need and an opportunity for this pioneer in the premium knife category to enter the super-premium category for the first time. Seven years later, Wusthof remains the standard of fine knives – in the kitchens of the best chefs and in the homes of amateur cooks around the world.?
领英推荐
#CLIENTLUV
NEW CLIENT ANNOUNCEMENTS
We’re proud to announce the newest roster of brands who have joined the VENN family of clients over past few months. Look for news about this work in future editions of Accelerate.
Brand Positioning, digital collateral development, tagline creation, identity modification and website design for this completely new type of marketing services “Connective.”
STUFF WE’RE OBSESSING OVER:
????A kaleidoscope?of Creativity: For anyone who makes their living creatively, this documentary from director Ron Howard is a must see. And for those too young to remember the ubiquitous genius of Jim Henson, you’re in for a treat. if you’re old enough to remember, there’s a lot, including some really out-there art, that you’re unlikely to have seen (did you know the Muppets were regulars on the first season of SNL)? Stream on Disney+
????Now Playing in the Office: All the raves coming from Broadway about famed choreographer Justin Peck’s adaptation of Sufjan Stevens’ 2005 album, “Come on Feel the Illinoise”, has us nostalgic for an album that many (including us) consider the most groundbreaking of this century. While the play, transcends the “jukebox musical” in favor of something more reminiscent of David Byrne’s “Utopia”, the source material is an aural celebration of equal brilliance. Beyond the winking title (IYKYK), lies a masterwork that mashes classical, rock, jazz and show-tunes to create one of the most transcendent concept albums of all time. If you’re a long-time fan of this homage to the City of Big Shoulders give it another listen. And if you don’t know it, check it out. You’ll thanks us.
????Monteblanc + Wes Andersen Collab – We can’t quit watching the mini movie and spots the wunderkind director Wes Andersen created for this seminal brand to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the company’s signature pen. Simultaneously laugh-out-loud funny and eerily on-brand, this inspired approach to marketing starring the director and regular collaborators Jason Schwarzman and Rupert Friend has breathed new life into one of the world’s oldest luxury brands. Andersen even designed a new pen – “The Schreiberling” (German for “the scribbler”) and inspired a line of luxury goods that promises to extend? Monteblanc’s relevancy for into the next? century. No small feat considering how comparatively less frequent one handwrites anything these days. Andersen works makes you want one! Check out the film here:
ABOUT VENN
Founded by four marketing industry veterans, VENN Growth Collective is a unique hybrid of management consulting practice, branding agency, and advertising firm that differs from traditional agencies in three distinct ways. First, we help businesses grow and brands thrive through our proprietary co-creation-based approach to deliver deeper, more expedient insights and strategies. Next, our?Working Partners leverage their more than 100 years of combined experience with Fortune 500 brands to create distinctive, compelling solutions specifically for the Middle Market. And finally, our carefully curated Collective of highly experienced specialists, from a cross-section of strategic and creative disciplines extend our capabilities further, with none of the junior staff, expensive offices or other overhead.