Through the years, we have developed a keen understanding of what ingredients go into our best relationships.  We’d like to share that learning here to help inform your review of firms.

We’re here to do breakthrough work.
Years ago, a competitor admitted that at least 80% of its work was never shown. It was done to “pay the bills” while the better 20% was touted as the indication of the firm’s ability. This firm grew relatively large and quickly sold to one of the industry roll-ups. While the owner made out like a bandit, the firm no longer exists and left virtually no legacy.

We’re not here to perpetuate the status quo or become a factory spewing out cookie-cutter strategy and derivative design. Instead, we look for clients and teams with the genuine desire to disrupt their category with breakthrough, original thinking. This takes courage. That might sound easy, but courage takes vision. It means becoming a champion of ideas when the safer path looks tempting. It means having the confidence in each other to push boundaries without fear of the unknown.

A word about budgets.
Sound brand strategy and breakthrough design is one of the most efficient elements of the marketing mix. Front-loaded investments amortize across years of successful brand building. But, it must be viewed as an investment and not merely a cost. Accordingly, while we work aggressively to minimize budgets, the experience level of our team precludes us from competing with budget-driven firms. This is also an issue when we’re approached by start-ups: when they need the most, they have the least. But, we have had success in trading fees for equity when we see fit to invest.

In all cases, we work to be open, fair, and all-inclusive in our budgeting to eliminate upselling and surprises.

Every great partnership is based in mutual interest.
Relationships work best when you want your partner to succeed. The work flourishes when this philosophy is shared.

Tips for reviewing firms.
Do a preliminary audit of the firms you find interesting. Look at their work. Assess their culture. Think about your culture and what kind of firm would fit well. Does your culture embrace being challenged? Or is the safe route the right choice? Does your culture work well with independent firms, or does it value large, layered agencies? Do you burn through agencies and, perhaps, need to focus on the internal process before going outside? This first pass is critical. A lot of reviews include a wide swath of agency types and almost always result in hiring the type of firm the company has always ended up with. So, save time and don’t string along firms that are a poor fit with your culture.

Please respect how much effort goes into preparing and presenting a proposal. Only get proposals from the short list of finalists—not more than three firms.

If you want to see spec work (work done for free), please reconsider that idea. Ethical practices in the branding industry dictate otherwise. The best work is done in an open, collaborative environment with unfettered immersion. This is why Addis Creson does not participate in competitive shoot-outs.

Last, our favorite proposal request is simply a list of issues and questions you face. Rather than presupposing a list of final deliverables, simply share the problems and let each firm come back with an approach of how they might solve the problem and the tools and deliverables they’d use. You might think you need one thing and, if given the latitude, a great partner might recommend an entirely different idea that solves the problem more effectively or efficiently.

To better understand how we might be able to help you, please contact:

Reception: 510 704 7500