Two Things | About Us | Understand the principles that drive our work. What it’s like to work with us What it’s like to work with us Five We make ourselves obsolete. We're in the evolution business, not the maintenance business. Our job is to set the conditions for success, strengthen your team through lived experience, and then hand your team the baton to the future. One We use creativity as a growth engine. We bring creativity back upstream —where it belongs—as a catalyst for change. It’s how we create strategy with soul, and products that feel both inevitable and new. What it’s like to work with us Foundational Creative Strategy Strategy Sprint 4 Weeks Opportunity Mapping Deliverable: Brand Audit, Product/Category/Cultural Research Core Team: Brand Strategist, Design Lead and Creative Director with support from Producer and Studio Design Team. Creative and Strategy oversight by Leadership Team. I. Insights + Creative Territories Deliverable: Presentation with findings and recommendations Creative Territory Refinement Deliverable: Revisions to Creative Territories based on feedback, Design Challenge Briefs to guide work, Recommended path forward II. III. Creative Strategy, Concepts + Rollout Comprehensive Project 12–14 Weeks Creative Strategy Development Deliverable: Brand Audit, Research + Insights Presentation, Creative Territory Presentation 1 + 2 (if needed), Design Challenge Briefs Core Team: Strategy Lead, Design Lead, Brand Manager/Producer. Creative Concept Teams (selected based on brief). Studio Design Team: Graphic Design, Part-time Researcher. Creative and Strategy oversight by Leadership Team. Concept Development Deliverable: Two Rounds of Creative Development, Brand and Product Marketing Concepts combined, Concepts fleshed out to match production considerations Comms Strategy and Pre-Production Deliverable: GTM Rollout Calendar, Production Recommendations and Budgets, Recommended Channel Prioritization and Measurement Recommendations III. II. I. Strategy + Creative Partnership Custom Retainer 6–12 Months Opportunity Mapping Core Team: Brand Strategist, Design Lead and Creative Director with support from Producer and Studio Design Team. Creative and Strategy oversight by Leadership Team. Insights + Creative Territories Creative Territory Refinement III. II. I. Timelines can be customized to clients needs and additional workload can be absorbed by dedicated team assigned to client’s business. Monthly Work-Plan Alignment with senior stakeholders to calibrate work to client's business. Custom Retainer option for more complex assignments. Two Things will generally follow its process working systematically through: Executional Advisory Strategy Sprint 4+ Month Commitment Two Things can oversee execution of the work if needed from guidance to establishing long-term plan. Includes: Production Oversight Strategy +Creative Consistency Budget Management Strategy Implementation Measurement + Research Methodology Analysis and Recommendations Future Proofing Identifying long-term partners Training and Handoff to client team Strategic Advisory Two things can engage as a strategic advisor to the board and/or leadership team on long-term strategy evolution. Includes: Performance Benchmarking Analysis and Recommendations Guidance on Org Design and/or AgencyRoster Customized options available Month-to-Month or Quarterly Ways we can work together Ways we can work together Strategic Discovery Innovation Roadmap 1 month Strategy
 Internal Audit Ambitions + Hypotheses
 Brand + Product Research (existing) External Audit Category Research (secondary) Culture Research (secondary) Opportunity Assessment
 Findings + Indications Opportunity Thesis Opportunity Territories Comprehensive Project Foundational Design 4–6 months Strategy Research Culture + Category + Product Findings + Indications Design Strategy Opportunity Thesis Design Territories Design Challenge Briefs Design Product Exploration Product Concepts Product Prototyping Product Design Product Vision + Roadmap Implementation Operations Organizational Design Recommendation Production Recommendation Go-To-Market Planning Rollout Strategy Channel Strategy Iterative Retainer Incubation Program 6–12 month cycles Strategy
 Research Culture + Category + Product Findings + Indications Design Strategy Opportunity Thesis Design Territories Design Challenge Briefs Design
 Product Exploration Product Concepts Iterative Co-Creation Product Design Product Vision + Roadmap Prototype(s) Iterative Co-Creation Validation Implementation Operations New Teams + Capabilities Go-To-Market Strategy Launch Vision + Roadmap Advisory Strategic Advisory Monthly or quarterly Two Things can engage as a strategic advisor to leaders and/or leadership teams such as BoD or Steering Committee. In this capacity Two Things provides strategic expertise on a focused set of innovation topics over time. Two Things can guide implementation and optimization of growth strategies to leaders tasked with driving innovation. Sample Advisory engagements include: Innovation Strategies Team Evaluations and Recommendations Organizational Design Curation of Vendor Rosters Performance Benchmarking Audits and Analysis Ways we can work together Strategic Discovery Innovation Roadmap 1 month Strategy
 Internal Audit Ambitions + Hypotheses
 Brand + Product Research (existing) External Audit Category Research (secondary) Culture Research (secondary) Opportunity Assessment
 Findings + Indications Opportunity Thesis Opportunity Territories Comprehensive Project Foundational Design 4–6 months Strategy Research Culture + Category + Product Findings + Indications Design Strategy Opportunity Thesis Design Territories Design Challenge Briefs Design Product Exploration Product Concepts Product Prototyping Product Design Product Vision + Roadmap Implementation Operations Organizational Design Recommendation Production Recommendation Go-To-Market Planning Rollout Strategy Channel Strategy Iterative Retainer Incubation Program 6–12 month cycles Strategy
 Research Culture + Category + Product Findings + Indications Design Strategy Opportunity Thesis Design Territories Design Challenge Briefs Design
 Product Exploration Product Concepts Iterative Co-Creation Product Design Product Vision + Roadmap Prototype(s) Iterative Co-Creation Validation Implementation Operations New Teams + Capabilities Go-To-Market Strategy Launch Vision + Roadmap Advisory Strategic
 Advisory Monthly or quarterly Two Things can engage as a strategic advisor to leaders and/or leadership teams such as BoD or Steering Committee. In this capacity Two Things provides strategic expertise on a focused set of innovation topics over time. Two Things can guide implementation and optimization of growth strategies to leaders tasked with driving innovation. Sample Advisory engagements include: Innovation Strategies Team Evaluations and Recommendations Organizational Design Curation of Vendor Rosters Performance Benchmarking Audits and Analysis Looking to partner with us? start a conversation → Opportunity Assessment Findings + Indications Opportunity Thesis Opportunity Territories 3. External Audit Category Research (secondary) Culture Research (secondary) 2. Internal Audit Ambitions + Hypotheses Brand + Product Research 1. 1 month Innovation Roadmap Strategic Discovery Core Team: Strategy Lead, Design Lead, Brand Manager/Producer. Creative Concept Teams (selected based on brief). Studio Design Team: Graphic Design, Part-time Researcher. Creative and Strategy oversight by Leadership Team. I. Comms Strategy and Pre-Production Deliverable: GTM Rollout Calendar, Production Recommendations and Budgets, Recommended Channel Prioritization and Measurement Recommendations III. Concept Development Deliverable: Two Rounds of Creative Development, Brand and Product Marketing Concepts combined, Concepts fleshed out to match production considerations II. Creative Strategy Development Deliverable: Brand Audit, Research + Insights Presentation, Creative Territory Presentation 1 + 2 (if needed), Design Challenge Briefs 4–6 months Foundational Design Comprehensive Project Dedicated Team: Strategy Lead, Design Lead, Brand Manager/Producer. Creative Concept Teams (assigned based on brief). Studio Design Team: Graphic Design, Part-time Researcher. Creative and Strategy oversight by Leadership team. I. III. II. Comms Strategy and Pre-Production Concept Development Creative Strategy Development Custom Retainer option for more complex assignments. Two Things will generally follow its process working systematically through: Timelines can be customized to clients needs and additional workload can be absorbed by dedicated team assigned to client’s business. Monthly Work-Plan Alignment with senior stakeholders to calibrate work to client's business. 6–12 Months Strategy + Creative Partnership Custom Retainer Two things can engage as a strategic advisor to the board and/or leadership team on long-term strategy evolution. Includes: Performance Benchmarking Analysis and Recommendations Guidance on Org Design and/or AgencyRoster Customized options available Two Things can oversee execution of the work if needed from guidance to establishing long-term plan. Includes: Production Oversight Strategy +Creative Consistency Budget Management Strategy Implementation Measurement + Research Methodology Analysis and Recommendations Future Proofing Identifying long-term partners Training and Handoff to client team 4+ Month Commitment Executional Advisory Advisory Formats Monthly or Quarterly Strategic Advisory Advisory Formats Executional Advisory Two Things can oversee execution of the work if needed from guidance to establishing long-term plan. Includes: Production Oversight Strategy +Creative Consistency Budget Management Strategy Implementation Measurement + Research Methodology Analysis and Recommendations Future Proofing Identifying long-term partners Training and Handoff to client team Strategic Advisory Two things can engage as a strategic advisor to the board and/or leadership team on long-term strategy evolution. Includes: Performance Benchmarking Analysis and Recommendations Guidance on Org Design and/or AgencyRoster Customized options available Custom Retainer Strategy + Creative Partnership 6–12 Months ↗ Creative Strategy Development Deliverable: Brand Audit, Research + Insights Presentation, Creative Territory Presentation 1 + 2 (if needed), Design Challenge Briefs ↗ Concept Development Deliverable: Two Rounds of Creative Development, Brand and Product Marketing Concepts combined, Concepts fleshed out to match production considerations ↗ Comms Strategy and Pre-Production Deliverable: GTM Rollout Calendar, Production Recommendations and Budgets, Recommended Channel Prioritization and Measurement Recommendations Core Team: Strategy Lead, Design Lead, Brand Manager/Producer. Creative Concept Teams (selected based on brief). Studio Design Team: Graphic Design, Part-time Researcher. Creative and Strategy oversight by Leadership Team. Strategy Sprint Foundational Creative Strategy 4 Weeks ↗ Opportunity Mapping Deliverable: Brand Audit, Product/Category/Cultural Research ↗ Insights + Creative Territories Deliverable: Presentation with findings and recommendations ↗ Creative Territory Refinement Deliverable: Revisions to Creative Territories based on feedback, Design Challenge Briefs to guide work, Recommended path forward Core Team: Brand Strategist, Design Lead and Creative Director with support from Producer and Studio Design Team. Creative and Strategy oversight by Leadership Team. Comprehensive Project Creative Strategy, Concepts + Rollout 12–14 Weeks ↗ Creative Strategy Development Deliverable: Brand Audit, Research + Insights Presentation, Creative Territory Presentation 1 + 2 (if needed), Design Challenge Briefs ↗ Concept Development Deliverable: Two Rounds of Creative Development, Brand and Product Marketing Concepts combined, Concepts fleshed out to match production considerations ↗ Comms Strategy and Pre-Production Deliverable: GTM Rollout Calendar, Production Recommendations and Budgets, Recommended Channel Prioritization and Measurement Recommendations Core Team: Strategy Lead, Design Lead, Brand Manager/Producer. Creative Concept Teams (selected based on brief). Studio Design Team: Graphic Design, Part-time Researcher. Creative and Strategy oversight by Leadership Team. Two We collide perspectives to create new ones. We work at the powerful intersection of strategy and design, business and brand, internal knowledge and external perspective. This is where insights collide, disciplines blend, and new possibilities emerge. Three We hunt for the roadblocks. Organizations don’t set out to hinder progress, but culture, structure, and process often do. We surface the obstacles unique to each company early and design around them—so bold opportunities launch in market, not die in decks. Four We build from the inside out. We roll up our sleeves to build alongside you—operating like an early-stage strike team to prototype, pressure-test, and launch new products.

Why it never works to build a marketing strategy and get other departments to buy-in later. You need to include everyone for exceptional work. Include the Critics, Naysayers and Roadblocks in the Process By Paulo Ribeiro Why it never works to build a marketing strategy and get other departments to buy-in later. We often get approached by an executive or department who wants to use our strategic expertise as leverage to convince another department to change how they Go To Market. The conversation will start with a breakdown of the business opportunity which is where things should start. But eventually the real friction will become clear. There is another department or leader who has different priorities or doesn’t see things the same way. Sometimes we’ll hear about it during the onboarding conversations or discovery but by the time we get to stakeholder conversations it will become clear that there isn’t internal alignment. To be clear, a lack of alignment by itself isn’t necessarily a problem. If managed productively it can be a strength in that different leaders have access to different data and priorities which can become the roots of a powerful new strategy. We absolutely NEED those tensions to get to a new strategy. But that is a different post. This post is about the doomed to fail assumption that we can develop the strategy in a silo and it is going to be so damn smart that the rest of the company will get onboard. We’ll unfurl the deck and they’ll follow the Piper because of the sheer genius of the ideas. They’ll see how thorough our collective work is and that will drive alignment and the company can move forward. Cue the end credits. That never works. back to insights → This assumption is almost always well intentioned. It is also almost always wrong. It is wrong because it assumes that what needs to happen is to convince another leader or department. A great brand strategy works across departments which means it needs to be aware of the challenges facing each department. I’m not writing this post to talk about how to make the work a treaty between departments. I’m writing this to dispel the idea that the marketing team, or product team or design leadership alone can figure out a new way forward and then deliver it to the other departments needed to implement it. Great strategy isn’t a compromise. Great strategy is aware of each of the stakeholders needs and finds a solution that will benefit the whole company because it solves problems in the order that they need to be solved. Often that means that one department’s priorities will need to wait in order for a more acute problem to be solved. That is how great teams function and you don’t get this kind of buy-in without including everyone with a stake in the decision. A few rules we operate by: A representative from each department that is critical to bringing a solution to life needs to be involved at each milestone. Disagreements need to be surfaced with all the relevant context. Lean into the uncomfortable because you might learn something. Don’t avoid it. We don’t move forward until there is commitment cross-functionally. BTW, disagreement is fine. But when a decision is made to proceed there needs to be universal commitment. Change in how a company Goes to Market requires cross-functional buy-in. Not after the ideas have been developed, but early.

Internal Agency + External Agency and the work still needs work. Paying 2X and Getting Less Than ½ By Paulo Ribeiro Internal Agency + External Agency and the work still needs work. Why do many clients literally pay TWICE for creative marketing that should be provocative and effective but is often uninspired and category-generic? It is rare to find a client side marketing team that doesn’t have internal creative staffing. At the same time most of those companies ALSO pay for new ideas or execution from an outside agency. Bean counters would expect that double the resources should create at least double the benefit. But the opposite is more often true. 3 REASONS YOUR CREATIVE ISN'T THAT CREATIVE A Tired Brief A business goal is a business goal. An inspiring creative brief that is going to lead to interesting, novel ideas that deliver on that business goal is a totally different thing. So many internal creative teams are briefed on business goals like: “We need people to understand our new technology. So let’s tell them about it.” And that habit extends to the brief that they deliver to the outside agency. This kind of brief hampers thinking right from the jump. A powerful creative brief is built on TENSIONS. Unresolved and contrasting issues give creative people space to play. Things like: The disconnect between a brand that is all about travel and exploration but constantly showcases its home turf. Or a brand built on the notion of innovation when the bulk of its sales come from a single product. Or the desire to build community while bots are plucking up all the limited edition drops. Yes these are real examples which is why they are so specific. Unpacking a very specific problem and then asking creative teams to solve for them is guaranteed to deliver ideas that at the very least don’t look, feel and sound like what your competitor is doing. An uncomfortable truth: your marketing challenges almost exactly match your competitors’. Every footwear company is working on the same problems: fit, traction, cushioning… This consistency of marketing challenge is true in most established consumer categories. It just is. To break through, you’ve got to solve for those challenges in a differentiated way. Leaning into unresolved tension is the best starting point to unlock a breakthrough. Not Enough Contrast in the Team Internal agencies don’t cut costs, but they institutionalize critical product expertise and this tradeoff is worth it. BUT, these internal teams are often made up of the brand’s hardcore fans. And this leads to organizations filled with people that have the same deep, but narrow worldviews values and ideas. They are too close to the thing to have unique or divergent ideas. The formula for interesting ideas in terms of staffing is that you need contrasts in all the ways. Different backgrounds, skill sets, interests and then you mash these people up because they will challenge one another and build different kinds of ideas, tools and stories. Blurred Lines This is the big one. Great creative talent is great creative talent. It’s real and let’s just call that a given. Some people are significantly better at creative ideas than others. But this is also true. The way to get to breakthrough creative ideas isn’t by having a single expert develop the one idea. It is…. By having many ideas. Great ideas are developed by generating tons of ideas and throwing away most of them. Every great creative director, inventor or storyteller will explain this in their own way. Ok, so what does this have to do with this post? back to insights → There is a proven setup that enables this to happen. A team of idea generators and a smaller group (sometimes just a single Creative Director) to edit and shape the best work from the options on the table. And when there are no good ideas on the table to redirect the idea generators. This is a solved problem! It has been solved for literally hundreds of years. Renaissance masters used this setup in their workshops, The editorial department of every great magazine did. Film studios have always sourced script ideas this way. From Pixar to Wieden+Kennedy to Lego the organizations that consistently spit out novel ideas use a version of this system. But a funny thing can happen when agency teams and client-side creatives mix and no one addresses the question. Who is generating and who is shaping? This shouldn’t be a controversy or uncomfortable discussion but if it doesn’t happen early it ends up being uncomfortable and often political. And the work suffers. It can work to mix teams from the agency and client side or have them each play a specific role. But it is critical that the person or team doing the creative directing is assigned and that it is assigned to people with the experience to do that. Too often hierarchy between the buyer and seller gets in the way of the buyer getting what they paid for. It’s ok to let the agency do the creative direction if they are best equipped to do it. It’s also ok for an internal creative director to do it. But have this conversation and have it early. There might be other reasons for stale marketing when there is serious investment being made but these stand out to us. While the playing field has shifted, the rules of the game haven’t. There are ways to make sure you get a solid return on your marketing investment. It's a simple conversation if you have it early. Two things that sum up what we are talking about. “You’ll never stumble upon the unexpected if you stick only to the familiar.” “When it comes to creative endeavors, the concept of zero failures is worse than useless. It’s counterproductive.” Ed Catmull, Creativity Inc

Two Things | Brookfield | The Wishing Forest | Developed a strategy to transform a B2B business into a B2C consumer experience. Experience our modern solution. Our challenge was to help transform a typically B2B business into a B2C consumer experience, attracting quality visitors from a variety of demographic cohorts: adults, young families, teenagers. Success was measured by a variety of metrics using the interactive elements as the playing field, including but not limited to: time spent at each activation, repeat visits, and dollars spent across activations. Regardless of holiday traditions, there are universal emotions that come with the season: Magic, Connection, Tradition, and Peace. Strategically, we took these and shepherded them into a simple, user experience brief: make moments of magic. Brookfield Properties, a behemoth of asset management, real estate, and infrastructure, primarily focused on B2B relationships and clientele in their shopping malls. The problem? Malls don’t exist to just serve the businesses and food courts, but rather the busy and excited shoppers stepping through their doors. And, malls at holidays? Overrun with decor and crowds only there to see Santa. A non-denominational, inclusive, and modern solution was needed. Client // Brookfield Properties Assignment // Innovation Strategy, Experiential Design, Digital Production, Retail Experience Design, Measurement Strategy A strategy to engage all ages during the busiest season. What they need today, is a new chapter in their story. One that is true to their adventurous spirit. But can speak to a broader, wider, more diverse audience. The interactive experience piloted in Holiday 2019 in two premium locations—Sono Collection outside NYC and Natick Mall in MA. Of the six installations proposed, four were used for the pilot with plans for national scaling in subsequent years. While the COVID-19 pandemic ultimately slowed the rollout, the rollout began again in 2022 across the US. Both the pilot and future installations included unique “groves” full of AR experiences, animatronic games, and interactive soundscapes. Though the experience and installations looked analog and nostalgic at first first glance, their embedded tech created organic moments of joy, laughter, and play. Highlights included the “Wishing Tree” for visitors to place wishes inside pinecone ornaments and have them whisked away to a huge LED chandelier; the “Holiday Bells Grove,” a 24 foot central bell where movement unlocks a symphony; and the “Whispering Wishes Grove” where dreams and hopes are whispered to the forest and transformed into sound and light. The interactive experience piloted in Holiday 2019 in two premium locations—Sono Collection outside NYC and Natick Mall in MA. Of the six installations proposed, four were used for the pilot with plans for national scaling in subsequent years. While the COVID-19 pandemic ultimately slowed the rollout, the rollout began again in 2022 across the US. Both the pilot and future installations included unique “groves” full of AR experiences, animatronic games, and interactive soundscapes. Though the experience and installations looked analog and nostalgic at first first glance, their embedded tech created organic moments of joy, laughter, and play. More than aesthetics, the Wishing Forest transformed how Brookfield could shift their lens toward their consumers rather than wholesale businesses, and arm their vast marketing team with the tools to drive quality, long-lasting engagement and impressions.

As an alternative to a traditional advertising agency, we take on brand transformation with the goal of improving marketing impact through robust strategy. What it’s like to work with us What it’s like to work with us One We use creativity as a growth engine. We bring creativity back upstream —where it belongs—as a catalyst for change. It’s how we create strategy with soul, and products that feel both inevitable and new. What it’s like to work with us Foundational Creative Strategy Strategy Sprint 4 Weeks Opportunity Mapping Deliverable: Brand Audit, Product/Category/Cultural Research Core Team: Brand Strategist, Design Lead and Creative Director with support from Producer and Studio Design Team. Creative and Strategy oversight by Leadership Team. I. Insights + Creative Territories Deliverable: Presentation with findings and recommendations Creative Territory Refinement Deliverable: Revisions to Creative Territories based on feedback, Design Challenge Briefs to guide work, Recommended path forward II. III. Creative Strategy, Concepts + Rollout Comprehensive Project 12–14 Weeks Creative Strategy Development Deliverable: Brand Audit, Research + Insights Presentation, Creative Territory Presentation 1 + 2 (if needed), Design Challenge Briefs Core Team: Strategy Lead, Design Lead, Brand Manager/Producer. Creative Concept Teams (selected based on brief). Studio Design Team: Graphic Design, Part-time Researcher. Creative and Strategy oversight by Leadership Team. Concept Development Deliverable: Two Rounds of Creative Development, Brand and Product Marketing Concepts combined, Concepts fleshed out to match production considerations Comms Strategy and Pre-Production Deliverable: GTM Rollout Calendar, Production Recommendations and Budgets, Recommended Channel Prioritization and Measurement Recommendations III. II. I. Strategy + Creative Partnership Custom Retainer 6–12 Months Opportunity Mapping Core Team: Brand Strategist, Design Lead and Creative Director with support from Producer and Studio Design Team. Creative and Strategy oversight by Leadership Team. Insights + Creative Territories Creative Territory Refinement III. II. I. Timelines can be customized to clients needs and additional workload can be absorbed by dedicated team assigned to client’s business. Monthly Work-Plan Alignment with senior stakeholders to calibrate work to client's business. Custom Retainer option for more complex assignments. Two Things will generally follow its process working systematically through: Executional Advisory Strategy Sprint 4+ Month Commitment Two Things can oversee execution of the work if needed from guidance to establishing long-term plan. Includes: Production Oversight Strategy +Creative Consistency Budget Management Strategy Implementation Measurement + Research Methodology Analysis and Recommendations Future Proofing Identifying long-term partners Training and Handoff to client team Strategic Advisory Two things can engage as a strategic advisor to the board and/or leadership team on long-term strategy evolution. Includes: Performance Benchmarking Analysis and Recommendations Guidance on Org Design and/or AgencyRoster Customized options available Month-to-Month or Quarterly Advisory Formats Executional Advisory Two Things can oversee execution of the work if needed from guidance to establishing long-term plan. Includes: Production Oversight Strategy +Creative Consistency Budget Management Strategy Implementation Measurement + Research Methodology Analysis and Recommendations Future Proofing Identifying long-term partners Training and Handoff to client team Strategic Advisory Two things can engage as a strategic advisor to the board and/or leadership team on long-term strategy evolution. Includes: Performance Benchmarking Analysis and Recommendations Guidance on Org Design and/or AgencyRoster Customized options available Custom Retainer Strategy + Creative Partnership 6–12 Months ↗ Creative Strategy Development Deliverable: Brand Audit, Research + Insights Presentation, Creative Territory Presentation 1 + 2 (if needed), Design Challenge Briefs ↗ Concept Development Deliverable: Two Rounds of Creative Development, Brand and Product Marketing Concepts combined, Concepts fleshed out to match production considerations ↗ Comms Strategy and Pre-Production Deliverable: GTM Rollout Calendar, Production Recommendations and Budgets, Recommended Channel Prioritization and Measurement Recommendations Core Team: Strategy Lead, Design Lead, Brand Manager/Producer. Creative Concept Teams (selected based on brief). Studio Design Team: Graphic Design, Part-time Researcher. Creative and Strategy oversight by Leadership Team. Strategy Sprint Foundational Creative Strategy 4 Weeks ↗ Opportunity Mapping Deliverable: Brand Audit, Product/Category/Cultural Research ↗ Insights + Creative Territories Deliverable: Presentation with findings and recommendations ↗ Creative Territory Refinement Deliverable: Revisions to Creative Territories based on feedback, Design Challenge Briefs to guide work, Recommended path forward Core Team: Brand Strategist, Design Lead and Creative Director with support from Producer and Studio Design Team. Creative and Strategy oversight by Leadership Team. Comprehensive Project Creative Strategy, Concepts + Rollout 12–14 Weeks ↗ Creative Strategy Development Deliverable: Brand Audit, Research + Insights Presentation, Creative Territory Presentation 1 + 2 (if needed), Design Challenge Briefs ↗ Concept Development Deliverable: Two Rounds of Creative Development, Brand and Product Marketing Concepts combined, Concepts fleshed out to match production considerations ↗ Comms Strategy and Pre-Production Deliverable: GTM Rollout Calendar, Production Recommendations and Budgets, Recommended Channel Prioritization and Measurement Recommendations Core Team: Strategy Lead, Design Lead, Brand Manager/Producer. Creative Concept Teams (selected based on brief). Studio Design Team: Graphic Design, Part-time Researcher. Creative and Strategy oversight by Leadership Team. Two We collide perspectives to create new ones. We work at the powerful intersection of strategy and design, business and brand, internal knowledge and external perspective. This is where insights collide, disciplines blend, and new possibilities emerge. Three We hunt for the roadblocks. Organizations don’t set out to hinder progress, but culture, structure, and process often do. We surface the obstacles unique to each company early and design around them—so bold opportunities launch in market, not die in decks. Four We build from the inside out. We roll up our sleeves to build alongside you—operating like an early-stage strike team to prototype, pressure-test, and launch new products. Five We make ourselves obsolete. We're in the evolution business, not the maintenance business. Our job is to set the conditions for success, strengthen your team through lived experience, and then hand your team the baton to the future. Ways we can work together Ways we can work together Strategic Discovery Innovation Roadmap 1 month Strategy
 Internal Audit Ambitions + Hypotheses
 Brand + Product Research (existing) External Audit Category Research (secondary) Culture Research (secondary) Opportunity Assessment
 Findings + Indications Opportunity Thesis Opportunity Territories Comprehensive Project Foundational Design 4–6 months Strategy Research Culture + Category + Product Findings + Indications Design Strategy Opportunity Thesis Design Territories Design Challenge Briefs Design Product Exploration Product Concepts Product Prototyping Product Design Product Vision + Roadmap Implementation Operations Organizational Design Recommendation Production Recommendation Go-To-Market Planning Rollout Recommendation Channel Recommendation Iterative Retainer Incubation Program 6–12 month cycles Strategy
 Research Culture + Category + Product Findings + Indications Design Strategy Opportunity Thesis Design Territories Design Challenge Briefs Design
 Product Exploration Product Concepts Iterative Co-Creation Product Design Product Vision + Roadmap Prototype(s) Iterative Co-Creation Validation Implementation Operations New Teams + Capabilities Go-To-Market Strategy Launch Vision + Roadmap Advisory Strategic
Advisory Monthly or quarterly Two Things can engage as a strategic advisor to leaders and/or leadership teams such as BoD or Steering Committee. In this capacity Two Things provides strategic expertise on a focused set of innovation topics over time. Two Things can guide implementation and optimization of growth strategies to leaders tasked with driving innovation. Sample Advisory engagements include: Innovation Strategies Team Evaluations and Recommendations Organizational Design Curation of Vendor Rosters Performance Benchmarking Audits and Analysis Ways we can work together Strategic Discovery Innovation Roadmap 1 month Strategy
 Internal Audit Ambitions + Hypotheses
 Brand + Product Research (existing) External Audit Category Research (secondary) Culture Research (secondary) Opportunity Assessment
 Findings + Indications Opportunity Thesis Opportunity Territories Comprehensive Project Foundational Design 4–6 months Strategy Research Culture + Category + Product Findings + Indications Design Strategy Opportunity Thesis Design Territories Design Challenge Briefs Design Product Exploration Product Concepts Product Prototyping Product Design Product Vision + Roadmap Implementation Operations Organizational Design Recommendation Production Recommendation Go-To-Market Planning Rollout Recommendation Channel Recommendation Iterative Retainer Incubation Program 6–12 month cycles Strategy
 Research Culture + Category + Product Findings + Indications Design Strategy Opportunity Thesis Design Territories Design Challenge Briefs Design
 Product Exploration Product Concepts Iterative Co-Creation Product Design Product Vision + Roadmap Prototype(s) Iterative Co-Creation Validation Implementation Operations New Teams + Capabilities Go-To-Market Strategy Launch Vision + Roadmap Advisory Strategic
 Advisory Monthly or quarterly Two Things can engage as a strategic advisor to leaders and/or leadership teams such as BoD or Steering Committee. In this capacity Two Things provides strategic expertise on a focused set of innovation topics over time. Two Things can guide implementation and optimization of growth strategies to leaders tasked with driving innovation. Sample Advisory engagements include: Innovation Strategies Team Evaluations and Recommendations Organizational Design Curation of Vendor Rosters Performance Benchmarking Audits and Analysis Looking to partner with us? start a conversation → Opportunity Assessment Findings + Indications Opportunity Thesis Opportunity Territories 3. External Audit Category Research (secondary) Culture Research (secondary) 2. Internal Audit Ambitions + Hypotheses Brand + Product Research 1. 1 month Innovation Roadmap Strategic Discovery Core Team: Strategy Lead, Design Lead, Brand Manager/Producer. Creative Concept Teams (selected based on brief). Studio Design Team: Graphic Design, Part-time Researcher. Creative and Strategy oversight by Leadership Team. I. Comms Strategy and Pre-Production Deliverable: GTM Rollout Calendar, Production Recommendations and Budgets, Recommended Channel Prioritization and Measurement Recommendations III. Concept Development Deliverable: Two Rounds of Creative Development, Brand and Product Marketing Concepts combined, Concepts fleshed out to match production considerations II. Creative Strategy Development Deliverable: Brand Audit, Research + Insights Presentation, Creative Territory Presentation 1 + 2 (if needed), Design Challenge Briefs 4–6 months Foundational Design Comprehensive Project Dedicated Team: Strategy Lead, Design Lead, Brand Manager/Producer. Creative Concept Teams (assigned based on brief). Studio Design Team: Graphic Design, Part-time Researcher. Creative and Strategy oversight by Leadership team. I. III. II. Comms Strategy and Pre-Production Concept Development Creative Strategy Development Custom Retainer option for more complex assignments. Two Things will generally follow its process working systematically through: Timelines can be customized to clients needs and additional workload can be absorbed by dedicated team assigned to client’s business. Monthly Work-Plan Alignment with senior stakeholders to calibrate work to client's business. 6–12 Months Strategy + Creative Partnership Custom Retainer Two things can engage as a strategic advisor to the board and/or leadership team on long-term strategy evolution. Includes: Performance Benchmarking Analysis and Recommendations Guidance on Org Design and/or AgencyRoster Customized options available Two Things can oversee execution of the work if needed from guidance to establishing long-term plan. Includes: Production Oversight Strategy +Creative Consistency Budget Management Strategy Implementation Measurement + Research Methodology Analysis and Recommendations Future Proofing Identifying long-term partners Training and Handoff to client team 4+ Month Commitment Executional Advisory Advisory Formats Monthly or Quarterly Strategic Advisory

As an alternative to a traditional advertising agency, we take on brand transformation with the goal of improving marketing impact through robust strategy. Two Things about working together: Advisory Formats Executional Advisory Two Things can oversee execution of the work if needed from guidance to establishing long-term plan. Includes: Production Oversight Strategy +Creative Consistency Budget Management Strategy Implementation Measurement + Research Methodology Analysis and Recommendations Future Proofing Identifying long-term partners Training and Handoff to client team Strategic Advisory Two things can engage as a strategic advisor to the board and/or leadership team on long-term strategy evolution. Includes: Performance Benchmarking Analysis and Recommendations Guidance on Org Design and/or AgencyRoster Customized options available Custom Retainer Strategy + Creative Partnership 6–12 Months ↗ Creative Strategy Development Deliverable: Brand Audit, Research + Insights Presentation, Creative Territory Presentation 1 + 2 (if needed), Design Challenge Briefs ↗ Concept Development Deliverable: Two Rounds of Creative Development, Brand and Product Marketing Concepts combined, Concepts fleshed out to match production considerations ↗ Comms Strategy and Pre-Production Deliverable: GTM Rollout Calendar, Production Recommendations and Budgets, Recommended Channel Prioritization and Measurement Recommendations Core Team: Strategy Lead, Design Lead, Brand Manager/Producer. Creative Concept Teams (selected based on brief). Studio Design Team: Graphic Design, Part-time Researcher. Creative and Strategy oversight by Leadership Team. Strategy Sprint Foundational Creative Strategy 4 Weeks ↗ Opportunity Mapping Deliverable: Brand Audit, Product/Category/Cultural Research ↗ Insights + Creative Territories Deliverable: Presentation with findings and recommendations ↗ Creative Territory Refinement Deliverable: Revisions to Creative Territories based on feedback, Design Challenge Briefs to guide work, Recommended path forward Core Team: Brand Strategist, Design Lead and Creative Director with support from Producer and Studio Design Team. Creative and Strategy oversight by Leadership Team. Comprehensive Project Creative Strategy, Concepts + Rollout 12–14 Weeks ↗ Creative Strategy Development Deliverable: Brand Audit, Research + Insights Presentation, Creative Territory Presentation 1 + 2 (if needed), Design Challenge Briefs ↗ Concept Development Deliverable: Two Rounds of Creative Development, Brand and Product Marketing Concepts combined, Concepts fleshed out to match production considerations ↗ Comms Strategy and Pre-Production Deliverable: GTM Rollout Calendar, Production Recommendations and Budgets, Recommended Channel Prioritization and Measurement Recommendations Core Team: Strategy Lead, Design Lead, Brand Manager/Producer. Creative Concept Teams (selected based on brief). Studio Design Team: Graphic Design, Part-time Researcher. Creative and Strategy oversight by Leadership Team. Many of our clients have some form of an internal creative department, innovation team and/or agencies - from strategic partners to executional vendors. We are well versed in assessing capabilities of the existing roster and augmenting them to execute on the appropriate strategy, but we will never limit our recommendations to what is possible with current capabilities. Some of our clients don't have any executional resources on their team. In these situations we'll set the strategy and begin a process of overseeing execution while iteratively bringing in the right mix of internal staff and external partners to ensure that you have a reliable team to match the strategy over time. We are Player-Coaches. We are in the transformation business, not the maintenance business. We take pride in helping our clients take giant leaps forward, not incremental optimizations. Our work ends when our clients have a clear understanding of the strategic opportunity, the lived experience from having gone through a cycle or two with our guidance, and the confidence among all critical stakeholders to continue to improve outcomes through iteration and new creative expertise. We make ourselves obsolete. Ways we can work together: Foundational Creative Strategy Strategy Sprint 4 Weeks Opportunity Mapping Deliverable: Brand Audit, Product/Category/Cultural Research Core Team: Brand Strategist, Design Lead and Creative Director with support from Producer and Studio Design Team. Creative and Strategy oversight by Leadership Team. I. Insights + Creative Territories Deliverable: Presentation with findings and recommendations Creative Territory Refinement Deliverable: Revisions to Creative Territories based on feedback, Design Challenge Briefs to guide work, Recommended path forward II. III. Creative Strategy, Concepts + Rollout Comprehensive Project 12–14 Weeks Creative Strategy Development Deliverable: Brand Audit, Research + Insights Presentation, Creative Territory Presentation 1 + 2 (if needed), Design Challenge Briefs Core Team: Strategy Lead, Design Lead, Brand Manager/Producer. Creative Concept Teams (selected based on brief). Studio Design Team: Graphic Design, Part-time Researcher. Creative and Strategy oversight by Leadership Team. Concept Development Deliverable: Two Rounds of Creative Development, Brand and Product Marketing Concepts combined, Concepts fleshed out to match production considerations Comms Strategy and Pre-Production Deliverable: GTM Rollout Calendar, Production Recommendations and Budgets, Recommended Channel Prioritization and Measurement Recommendations III. II. I. Strategy + Creative Partnership Custom Retainer 6–12 Months Opportunity Mapping Core Team: Brand Strategist, Design Lead and Creative Director with support from Producer and Studio Design Team. Creative and Strategy oversight by Leadership Team. Insights + Creative Territories Creative Territory Refinement III. II. I. Timelines can be customized to clients needs and additional workload can be absorbed by dedicated team assigned to client’s business. Monthly Work-Plan Alignment with senior stakeholders to calibrate work to client's business. Custom Retainer option for more complex assignments. Two Things will generally follow its process working systematically through: Executional Advisory Strategy Sprint 4+ Month Commitment Two Things can oversee execution of the work if needed from guidance to establishing long-term plan. Includes: Production Oversight Strategy +Creative Consistency Budget Management Strategy Implementation Measurement + Research Methodology Analysis and Recommendations Future Proofing Identifying long-term partners Training and Handoff to client team Strategic Advisory Two things can engage as a strategic advisor to the board and/or leadership team on long-term strategy evolution. Includes: Performance Benchmarking Analysis and Recommendations Guidance on Org Design and/or AgencyRoster Customized options available Month-to-Month or Quarterly Two things can engage as a strategic advisor to the board and/or leadership team on long-term strategy evolution. Includes: Performance Benchmarking Analysis and Recommendations Guidance on Org Design and/or AgencyRoster Customized options available Two Things can oversee execution of the work if needed from guidance to establishing long-term plan. Includes: Production Oversight Strategy +Creative Consistency Budget Management Strategy Implementation Measurement + Research Methodology Analysis and Recommendations Future Proofing Identifying long-term partners Training and Handoff to client team 4+ Month Commitment Executional Advisory Advisory Formats Monthly or Quarterly Strategic Advisory Dedicated Team: Strategy Lead, Design Lead, Brand Manager/Producer. Creative Concept Teams (assigned based on brief). Studio Design Team: Graphic Design, Part-time Researcher. Creative and Strategy oversight by Leadership team. I. III. II. Comms Strategy and Pre-Production Concept Development Creative Strategy Development Custom Retainer option for more complex assignments. Two Things will generally follow its process working systematically through: Timelines can be customized to clients needs and additional workload can be absorbed by dedicated team assigned to client’s business. Monthly Work-Plan Alignment with senior stakeholders to calibrate work to client's business. 6–12 Months Strategy + Creative Partnership Custom Retainer Core Team: Strategy Lead, Design Lead, Brand Manager/Producer. Creative Concept Teams (selected based on brief). Studio Design Team: Graphic Design, Part-time Researcher. Creative and Strategy oversight by Leadership Team. I. Comms Strategy and Pre-Production Deliverable: GTM Rollout Calendar, Production Recommendations and Budgets, Recommended Channel Prioritization and Measurement Recommendations III. Concept Development Deliverable: Two Rounds of Creative Development, Brand and Product Marketing Concepts combined, Concepts fleshed out to match production considerations II. Creative Strategy Development Deliverable: Brand Audit, Research + Insights Presentation, Creative Territory Presentation 1 + 2 (if needed), Design Challenge Briefs 12–14 Weeks Creative Strategy, Concept + Rollout Comprehensive Project Creative Territory Refinement Deliverable: Revisions to Creative Territories based on feedback, Design Challenge Briefs to guide work, Recommended path forward III. Insights + Creative Territories Deliverable: Presentation with findings and recommendations II. Opportunity Mapping Deliverable: Brand Audit, Product/Category/Cultural Research I. 4 Weeks Foundational Creative Strategy Strategy Sprint Core Team: Brand Strategist, Design Lead and Creative Director with support from Producer and Studio Design Team. Creative and Strategy oversight by Leadership Team. start a conversation → our point of view →

X? Twitter? The debate rages on. So what does this have to do with brand value and creative strategy? Find out how marketers can use X as a cautionary tale. Brand X's and O's By Paulo Ribeiro X marks the unforced error. And, what can we learn from it? What the hell does this have to do with the Active Lifestyle Business? Nothing. And everything. This spectacular implosion has everyone talking about ‘Brand’ and this gives us an opportunity to break down what a powerful brand is (and isn’t). From Linda Yaccarino, CEO of Twitter (really?!? Does anyone believe Elon’s ceded control of anything?): [Tweet from Linda Yaccarino] Um, ok…. First, let’s establish what we mean when we are talking about ‘brand’ An intentionally strategic focus that guides the services, experiences and messages from a company. The purpose of that strategic focus is to form an emotional connection in a consumer’s mind of what the brand’s values are. People align with brands that share their values. That emotional connection delivers real monetary value to the company. Actions speak louder than words (or images, no matter how well designed) Exhibit A: Many Nike sneakers and smaller brands are made in the same factories using the same materials with often very similar form factors. When the Nike sneaker is sold for $175 and a comparable Saucony sneaker (made in the same factory) goes for $105, that $70 difference is the real value of the Nike brand. The thing that makes the boneheaded Twitter to X shift so damn fascinating is that it was made by an absolutely legendary brand innovator: Elon Musk. Exhibit B: Every single move by brand Tesla, particularly in the early days, served as a master class in how to build a focused brand through consistent ACTIONS instead of through say advertising impression for example. Instead of car lots, Tesla’s were hyped in small ~1,000 sq foot footprints in malls. Forget test driving, many could barely hold a single car you could sit in. This yielded the amazing benefits of saving money on real estate and showing up in a completely differentiated way from the competition. Customers used iPad screens where they virtually designed their car, or signed up for a waitlist. Potential customers logging in from home had all the same tools and soon learned they didn’t even have to go to the mall. The waitlist highlighted scarcity (which is Luxury’s playbook to increase margins). They gave everyone on the waitlist sneak peaks and special content—allowing customers to feel special. And we all heard about it. The waitlist spawned rabid, vocal fans who snowballed the company’s marketing through word of mouth. They were not just buying a car, they bought into a movement. Elon as Founder leaned into even more audacious pursuits like designing the HyperLoop to ferry people between SF and LA in minutes and then gave away the plans (hello, PR mentions). He built a real rocket company, SpaceX, which generates endless PR, this in turn delivers credibility back to Tesla. The Tesla brand now has permission to enter into a range of businesses including some very expensive and technically complex ones such as home and corporate energy storage. All of this because of a singular brand focus: delivering the future of transportation. I could write for a month and not be able to adequately convey how good the bird logo is and how bad the X is. Full disclosure, I’m biased. My friend and former collaborator Martin Grasser Designed it. And Jack Dorsey co-signed with this. Agreed. Exhibit C: Twitter is a communication platform. A tweet is (was?) a short burst of information first 140 characters and over time added a bit of imagery and/or video. But always short, focused, timely communication flying around the internet. With this it's easy to see how that focused brand position provides permission to grow into sharing other types of timely information…or connections…or moving money. All of this focus was encapsulated in that elegant blue bird. Prof G estimates the current value being thrown away to be in the range of $10B (or more). Conversely, what is X? Well, it's everything they say. Right but what is it for? Everything. Ok, cool. When I need everything I’ll make sure to use that. For the next decade or so though, I’ll use products that have PROVEN their focus and expertise to me over time. I’ll make decisions faster where I don’t have to think too hard about their values or what they do well. In the outdoor arena brand identities (name, logo, etc…) like Patagonia and The North Face were intuitively appropriate (good enough for those demanding environments) AND over time they were imbued with meaning and carried that value. Dave Lane has a nice backstory about why the Dead Bird became arc’teryx’s logo. But he’ll be the first to say that they initially chose it as a logo because it was unlike anything in the market. But now… Well the dead bird is completely imbued with the credibility of intensely tested products with high design. Nike was an academic choice (and a bit obscure) choice when it came out, but it is now imbued with decades of performance and empowerment proof. Whereas, On Running’s proof of cushioning as good as running on air is more recent. In all cases these brands have value PRIMARILY because of the actions taken by the companies to prove their credibility in a focused way. And now, well let’s just say none of those organizations are dumb enough to throw that value away. A brand can launch with the advantage of a thoughtfully designed and wordsmithed brand identity and/or campaign (like the blue bird was for Twitter). But regardless of whether a brand got a headstart or not, the real value is created over time by consistency of actions. Brand equity is built and proven by a focused brand strategy. Recently, there hasn’t been any focus from the brand formerly known as Twitter. This will be fun to watch because if we all learn from mistakes, then we stand to learn quite a lot from a dumpster full of them. back to insights → [Retweet from Jack Dorsey, CEO of Square]

Generating smart ideas is *not* the hardest part of developing effective work. How it will be made determines the outcome. The Terrain is Unsettled and Varied By Paulo Ribeiro Generating smart ideas is *not* the hardest part of developing effective work. BREAKTHROUGH IDEAS AREN'T THE HARD PART Less than 20 years ago the line between the responsibilities of an outside agency and a client’s marketing organization were crystal clear. Client-side marketing handled marketing strategy, brief development, high-level budget allocation and often measurement. Their products were sold through very established channels (dealerships for cars, wholesale and to a lesser extent owned retail for apparel and shoes, Sports speciality and wholesale retail for equipment etc…). Even as e-commerce was starting to become the force it is today, channels were generally added one at a time. What a client paid agencies to do vs. what was executed in house was very consistent. Agencies handled all brand strategy, all varieties of creative development from identity to Super Bowl Spots, Event production, and agencies handled PR strategy and media planning and buying. Anything that fell under the umbrella of creative strategy, ideation or production was handled by an agency. And now? All of those agency formats continue to exist in some iteration, and there has been an explosion of additional specializations in e-Commerce, measurement, social, performance marketing, UX and IxD and on and on. While at the same time clients have brought many of the same disciplines in house to some degree. But there is no consistency to how and why. Internal creative capabilities on the client side are driven by the nuances of their individual industry, the inclinations of their leadership or sometimes for random legacy reasons. And then the vast majority also employ agencies to finish, up-level or supplement the work that they do in house. The Terrain is varied, uneven, and often difficult to map out. This has serious implications for how to make effective work. Generating smart ideas, as difficult as that is, is not the hardest part of developing effective work. The hardest part today is understanding the landscape of how that work might be made - outside, inside or shared - and developing customized work and Go To Market plans with that in mind upfront. Too often this upfront step is skipped which wastes everyone’s time (and client’s money). To be clear there is a huge difference between being an order taker and asking the client what solution they would like and giving them what they asked for and taking the time to really understand the landscape and come back with an innovative solution. The former isn’t strategic and is a watchout for any client who wants to do effective work. The first job today should be canvassing the playing field of capabilities, needs and expectations and mapping that overtly to the team setup on both the in-house client side and the outside partners. The moment is going to happen one way or another. Make that moment happen earlier and there is a greater chance for success overall. Wait to figure out what the playing field is, and one side of the equation is going to look irresponsible. I’ll let you guess which one. It starts with a messy playing field… Agencies are used to sharing creds and case studies. And clients, with the seniority to hire, are generally well-trained marketers but the truth of the matter is that they are slammed with an ever growing list of responsibilities. They don’t usually have the time to dig into whether or not the exact setup of an agency is a good key for the lock that is their specific needs. So they look at finished work, think to themselves “I want something like that’ and hope that their team’s can sort it out on the same timeline that the ideas are generated and produced. …Unclear responsibilities hurt the work quality… With creatives and strategists on the agency side and client side and a shared desire for everyone to ‘partner’ the line between idea generator and editor of ideas moves around. The client team’s bounce between being creatives and clients sometimes in the same meeting which is unfair to them and everyone involved. Both teams can lose motivation, while the work becomes a slog for all involved. Too bad. With clarity on process upfront: 1+1=3+, without it...well 1-1=0. …and ends with all that money spent on strategy and ideas being wasted. How often have you been in a meeting where good ideas from pages 20 through 87 of a presentation are completely ignored? Assuming the agency is solid and isn’t throwing shit at the wall to see what sticks, this is usually because the client’s are thinking: “That’s ambitious. We don’t have time to figure out how to make that thing with everything else we have on our plates. So we’ll compliment their clever thinking and just hope they don’t follow up.” The client is paying the agency to painstakingly develop new work but rarely do the teams talk about process in creative meetings because it's ‘not creative’, we’ll handle that in ‘production’. Marketing capabilities vary tremendously across client organizations. There is absolutely no consistency between what is in-house vs. outsourced in large companies. Developing breakthrough ideas is the easy part. Tailoring ideas to the unique shape of a client’s organization is where the real work is done. back to insights → The problem is that without that discussion upfront the vast majority of that work will ‘make a great meeting’ and never see the light of day. How creative is that?

Is your marketing stale? We use data, insights, and strategy to yield creative marketing tactics for outdoor lifestyle brands, giving you the best ROI and ROAS. Two Things to remember: 1. You can't spend your way to effectiveness 2. Ideas that stand out in message and format 1. You can't spend your way to effectiveness Media is a rigged game. Your brand has to break through or else it doesn't exist. 2. Ideas that stand out in message and format Structure follows strategy (not the other way around). Powerful insights from asking the right questions 1 2 C reative that stands out in message and format 3 A Go-to-Market plan that is nothing like the competition’s The best brands don't copy their competition. They lead. Two Things to remember: 1. You can't spend your way to effectiveness 2. Ideas that stand out in message and format 1. You can't spend your way to effectiveness Media is a rigged game. C reative that stands out in message and format 2 Your brand has to break through or else it doesn't exist. Structure follows strategy (not the other way around). Powerful insights from asking the right questions 1 2 C reative that stands out in message and format 3 A Go-to-Market plan that is nothing like the competition’s Powerful insights from asking the right questions 1 2 C reative that stands out in message and format 3 A Go-to-Market plan that is nothing like the competition’s Powerful insights from asking the right questions 1 A Go-to-Market plan that is nothing like the competition’s 3 The best brands don't copy their competition. They lead. start a conversation → case studies →

When outdoor brands follow a Silicon Valley playbook, magic happens. See how active lifestyle brands like Patagonia, Yeti, and arc'teryx succeeded. What Active Lifestyle Brands Can Learn from Silicon Valley By Paulo Ribeiro What does startup land have to teach brands way over in the active lifestyle space? Not everything. Not even most things, but there are a few really powerful ideas that if applied correctly can help a sleepy brand wake the hell up. FINDING PRODUCT-MARKET FIT In THIS classic post Marc Andreessen explains this fundamental concept and why it is so powerful for startups and particularly software companies. I’ve spent almost half of my career working in Silicon Valley and the other half working in very different business cultures (NY and PDX). But, there is much more to learn from one another than you might think at first… Generally Silicon Valley marketers don't understand brand strategy. Here comes the hate mail. As a pool they have depth in growth marketing, performance marketing, product marketing. All of the technical specialties are table-stakes, but they don’t really understand brand strategy as a group. Related: Marketing is often confused with Advertising as this post highlights. [Buried in the comments Seth sets the brand position straight] There is an amazing contrast of technical sophistication in SV with a lack of understanding of the creative arts. But, I digress. That isn’t the topic of this post. Most of the active lifestyle brands we’ve worked with found product-market fit decades ago. They don’t talk about it that way. But finding product market fit was a challenge that preceded the current crop of employees. Borrowing this notion can provide an incredibly helpful strategic framework for evolving their customer base and entering new markets. So many marketing briefs start from the assumption that the tactics are fixed, and maybe even the audience is fixed, so the only thing we can play with is the message. Which is crazy of course. But sadly it is the norm. Just because the core business operates one way doesn’t mean that each product line needs to go to market the same way. This is where the framework of Product-Market fit is super useful. Think of the market you are targeting as a ‘use case’ that can be defined by an audience and a behavior. And think of your product as the way you choose to serve that use case. By thinking about these as two variables the strategic playing field opens up significantly. But you have to tackle each of those assignments with clarity. Know which is which and play with each. Each of these two variables create opportunities to change the target audience definitions, the channels and tactics the creative briefs that generate new ideas. All it requires is borrowing a bit of wisdom from Silicon Valley. I said a ‘bit of wisdom’ they have blind spots too. 😉 CUSTOMERS VS. TARGETS These are two totally different things. We need to stop confusing them. As a marketer you should have a clear understanding of who your buying customers are. This might vary by business unit, product line and channel. There are so many tools at your disposal to paint a picture of who is buying your product via each channel whether direct or through retail partnerships, whether IRL or URL. The audience(s) that your marketing targets should also be clearly defined even if a significant portion of your spend is programmatic or performance in nature. If your customer and your target are thought of as the same thing internally, then good job! You’ve captured the Total Addressable Market and you aren’t needed any longer. Thank you for your service. I’m kidding of course but it's shocking how often this basic distinction is confused. The relationship between these two profiles are huge levers for marketing. Are they the same types of people? Are they vastly different? What is the relationship between the customers you have and the audience you wish to serve? What is the profile of someone who experiments and drives trial? What is the behavior of a loyal customer? If you don’t know then start your work with questions like these. Define hypotheses and test them. You’ll find that almost everything stems from starting to paint this picture. It's totally and completely cliche up and down the San Francisco Peninsula to talk about how many failed ventures entrepreneurs have been a part of. Why? Because of the widely held belief that you need to go big and if you fail then you LEARNED. It's so widespread that it has become a boring introduction up and down the SF peninsula. Baked inside of that overused backhanded compliment however, is a way of operating that many in the outdoor industry ignore thinking everything has been established. The weird thing is that this is not at all how many of their founders operated. Dave Lane and Jeremy Guard knew nothing about waterproofing jackets when they started Rock Solid Manufacturing in 1989. They just knew there was a better way to make a harness. Nor did they know the 140-million year old fossil that inspired their name change and logo (Arc’teryx) would become one of the most recognizable icons in outdoor gear—synonymous with quality and caliber. Yvonne Chouinard didn’t know much about business, in fact, he just wanted to find a way to keep adventuring . After setting up a blacksmith shop in 1957, Chouinard’s hand-made pitons quickly caught on like wildfire in the climbing communities. But in early 1989, the company—Chouinard Equipment—filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and the assets of the company were purchased by former employees…eventually forming Black Diamond Equipment . And Chouinard? Well, he kept climbing…so much so that after a trip to Scotland in 1970, he realized there was an appetite for high-quality clothing for climbers. And then one inspirational trip down to Argentina with the future The North Face founder and best friend Doug Thompkins, Patagonia was born. Roy and Ryan Seiders didn’t know their coolers would upend the market, they first wanted to build cool fishing rods and custom, aluminum fishing boats so they could keep doing what they loved outdoors. Instead, they found themselves frustrated with the cooler options available and sought to build the best, most rugged, protective cooler out there. Hello, Yeti . THIS Is a good example of embracing experimentation and failure today. We know for a fact that Nike has applied lessons learned from experiments like this to their subscription strategies. CELEBRATING FAILURE Flirting with failure is core to many active lifestyle brands’ origin. It should be core to their marketing strategies as well. TAKING RISKS Which is of course related to celebrating failure. Co-labs have become the default method of driving news for brands in this space. And no doubt there have been some really fantastic and unexpected ones Nike X Tiffany’s is a great example. But this is classic borrowed interest strategy. Which is not dissimilar from casting celebrities that come with their own followings in advertising. It works, but it's short lived. It drives quick hype and then it's over. REI put climbing walls in their stores over 20 years ago . Nike pushed virtual shoe drops starting in 2016. After the pandemic shutdowns we have an opportunity to reinvent how brands meet customers. Who will take the next leap to stand out from the herd? [Buried in the comments Seth sets the brand position straight] If your customer and your target are thought of as the same thing internally, then good job! You’ve captured the Total Addressable Market and you aren’t needed any longer. Flirting with failure is core to many active lifestyle brands’ origin. It should be core to their marketing strategies as well. back to insights → [Buried in the comments Seth sets the brand position straight]

We develop creative Go-To-Market strategies for companies to enter new markets, attract new audiences and develop new ways to serve their customers. Strategy We develop strategies for companies to expand their market. + Execution We build teams, culture and processes to operationalize that strategy over time. The Brand Transformation Agency We work with brands who need to build a new product, connect with a new audience or because their Go-To-Market approach needs an overhaul. Sample Engagements include: Designing innovation strategy and teams Internal creative teams Creative marketing for startups Brand experience and product design We’ve been responsible for some of the leading innovation and creative cultures in the US and have learned that the most impressive ROI is realized when a brand owns the work itself. Our engagements are designed with the goal of building a new capability within our client’s organization and we work towards that end in mind. Strategy We develop strategies for companies to expand their market. + Execution We build teams, culture and processes to operationalize that strategy over time. The Brand Transformation Agency We work with brands who need to build a new product, connect with a new audience or because their Go-To-Market approach needs an overhaul. Sample Engagements include: Designing innovation strategy and teams Internal creative teams Creative marketing for startups Brand experience and product design We’ve been responsible for some of the leading innovation and creative cultures in the US and have learned that the most impressive ROI is realized when a brand owns the work itself. Our engagements are designed with the goal of building a new capability within our client’s organization and we work towards that end in mind. start a conversation → working with us →

Your brand history is not your brand strategy, or your next marketing campaign. To be be effective brands need to evolve not remain stuck in the past. See how. Your Brand History is Not Your Brand Strategy By Paulo Ribeiro Why your brand’s past is not what your customers today care about. We work with many brands that have an illustrious history. The founder stories are often magical and brands do well to celebrate them. But too often there is an assumption that brand strategy IS the brand story. Let me share a thing that happens over and over again. We recently took a call from a former client who had moved on to another brand in the same category. They had a rich history abroad and were making significant investments in growing the brand in the US. Owned retail, product line extensions and a significant e-commerce push were all part of the brand. Brand awareness was well over 75% in their region and close to 95% in their home country (!). But awareness was well below 25% in the US. When we asked what their strategy was to position the brand in the US, they shared their origin story. That's it. To be fair it is a rich story, set in the 60’s and a continent away. No doubt it is a valuable brand asset but the brand’s history is not even close to a strategy to connect with today’s US consumers. Factions inside the company had decided that since brand awareness was the problem here that all that was needed to move the needle was just to tell Americans about the brand's history. They would produce some films about that history, buy the media and Americans would open their wallets. Um, where do I even start with this? The thing is that this kind of misunderstanding is contagious because it gives license to avoid the hard work of coming up with something new and powerful. It buys time, while wasting money. Who is going to blame an employee for celebrating the company’s history? A brand’s history is just a backdrop to a strategy that might cut through the noise and connect with people. What about the audience definition? What about their needs? How will the brand differentiate from the competition in terms of the CATEGORY context, the CONSUMER context and the CULTURAL context??!? If people made decisions on where to spend their money based on a brand’s origin story then Wikipedia wouldn’t be a non-profit. I was lucky to be responsible for Nike’s brand strategy for some years at Wieden + Kennedy. That gig demanded that you understand the history and figure out a new expression if you expected to keep your job. Every brief, every category, every year. Know where you came from and figure out something new. Before Serena Williams there was Prefontaine . He was the spirit of Just Do It. The wild child runner who was the face of a brand that was growing fast in running (but not much else). Nike wanted to expand to other categories. What the hell did Pre mean in basketball? Nothing. The movie AIR , which in addition to having Ben Affleck do the worst Phil Knight impersonation imaginable, tells the business story of signing MJ. This deal unlocked an opportunity for the brand that goes way beyond basketball - as big as that business was and now is. This shift proved that the power of the Nike brand wasn’t just embodied in a person, it was an idea. The idea? That the potential for achievement exists in all of us and it can manifest in so many damn ways. Pre - > MJ and then when Nike made it a mission to rip soccer from Adidas control -> in the Brazilian National Team and their Ginga style of play. They applied this strategy as they looked to dominate each category Tiger Woods in Golf , Roger and Serena in Tennis that is until she became Nike’s most powerful ambassador for all of sport . And then this strategy hit a wall with Skateboarding (see skaters don’t always follow superstars because, you know, counter-culture ) . Then the brand took a grassroots approach partnering with local skate shops and eventually quietly funding parks and tours. Holy shit, the spirit of JDI can live in concrete?!?!. Below is a JDI (Just Do It brand campaign) creative brief circa 2009 that is a great example of taking an existing brand and shifting its voice while staying true. There are myriad ways of doing this. This is just one example. [The Just Do It creative brief from 2009 which kicked off a search for a more inclusive brand voice.] This is the playbook. To define a brand in a multi-dimensional way so that the creative expression can change to connect with new humans in ways that they care about. This notion is so obvious, but it is an approach that is often ignored. The business landscape has become complicated, but simple truths remain. If you want to connect with people you have to meet them where they are. Yes it takes a bit more effort to do it right but we have a playbook to set that strategy in a way that will move the needle today. A year from now wouldn’t you rather look back knowing that you took the time to do it right? It's only money that you are throwing away when you skip the strategy. Only money, and time, and opportunity to connect beyond your current universe… A brand’s history is just a backdrop to a strategy that might cut through the noise and connect with people. This is the playbook. To define a brand in a multi-dimensional way so that the creative expression can change to connect with new humans in ways that they care about. back to insights → [The Just Do It creative brief from 2009 which kicked off a search for a more inclusive brand voice.]