The old model—sell services, hope for chemistry, win on creativity—is fading.

The new model—sell solutions, define the problems you solve, who you solve them for and the value clients receive.

This is not a rejection of creativity. It’s a reverence for its purpose.

Because the real magic happens when creativity meets accountability. When ideas are... See more

Consistently placing business questions at the core of research helps anchor efforts, grounding clients and enabling them to see the applicability of this work. This shouldn’t be difficult, as cultural analysis and semiotics answer a full range of business problems and can seamlessly plug into teams, which enables cross-functional alignment and... See more

Better” Positioned: If everyone else is writing about the same problem, you can flip the problem on its head to be seen as something radically different. For example, if there are a million guides all titled “How To Get Your First Client As A Freelance Photographer,” you can position yourself differently by reframing the problem: “Freelance

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1. You Have to Be Faster and Smarter Than the Client.
   
   The only reason to hire an outside partner is because they bring something the inside team doesn’t. If your agency is figuring it out as they go, they’re not an asset—they’re a liability. Clients don’t have time for your learning curve. They want a team that’s already fluent, already moving,

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