The Questions We Asked: JW Lees
The Questions We Asked goes behind our work and gives an insight into the issues or opportunities our clients were grappling with prior to briefing us. Sarah Dunning, CEO of The Westmorland Family, takes up the thread.
POV*: Plugging the boardroom into the frontline
It’s easy to think that cracking a bold vision for an organisation or brand will lead to success. The problem is that a vision, as the word suggests, is only a concept for the future. The hard part is turning it into reality. This can be overlooked and is often more challenging than agreeing the vision. For the last ten years, Squad has worked with clients to turn boardroom strategy into frontline creativity. This, our fourth POV piece, seeks to distil some of our learnings.
Solve the right problem
How the Oakland Athletics set a new American League record by understanding the problem they needed to solve. One of five stories that inspire and define our philosophy as a business.
Work in partnership not silos
Discover the collaborative song writing process of Lennon McCartney that not only revolutionised music but popular culture. One of five stories that inspire and define our philosophy as a business.
Move people with your vision
Why Bill Shankley made a switch to Liverpool FC’s kit that was so powerful it’s hard to believe it hasn’t always been that way. One of five stories that inspire and define our philosophy as a business.
Work like you’re making a movie
What Toy Story 2 taught Pixar about the importance of people over ideas. One of five stories that inspire and define our philosophy as a business.
Work in permanent beta
Why Jeff Bezos concludes every annual letter to his shareholders with: It’s still Day 1 of the internet and for Amazon.com. One of five stories that inspire and define our philosophy as a business.
Are you selling a brand or a product?
Whether to focus on promoting a product (or service) or the brand is a question that often comes up with clients. Is it better to focus on the attributes and benefits of the product? Or the ethos and values of the company behind it?
POV*: Using your people to build a great brand
When building brands, it’s common to think externally first and focus on customers to increase revenue. Yet the returns can come as much from inside the organisation as outside, through improved employee performance. Many of the brands we work with are now recognising this. We’ve seen that HR people are playing an increasingly important role in projects.
Get out of your depth
If you feel safe in the area you’re working in, then you’re not working in the right place. Go a little bit out of your depth. It won’t always feel comfortable, but that’s part of the process.
