Taking Agency: Reflecting on the start of 2022
All of nature turns inward for winter, and we humans are no exception. Returning home for the holidays is our hibernation: we gather, rest, and reflect on the past year before digging into a new one. We resolve to do better by taking this time to define our best intentions.
Intention is not synonymous to promise. Without strategic forethought and planning, mindless attempts at anything result in fruitless labor. Be it your exercise routine or building your business, set a SMART goal. Though your original investment may feel egregious, meaningful value accrues over time. This measurable value is sure to exceed any initial stakes. At brandRUSSO, we make promises rooted in what make our brands unique. What makes our brand unique today is how we’ve adapted for 2022.
2021 was not without its challenges, so we made a habit of rising to the occasion. Here are the 3 best lessons we’re carrying into 2022.
When it comes to office fashion, the laws have changed.
The days of elastic waistbands have come and gone. There, we said it. The leggings that once felt like a freeing #WFH option now feel like sad pajamas. While we know a Mad Men-era look would fit a branding agency, we’re more casual and modern –but with an edge. According to Forbes, we’re on trend.
Many meetings can be emails.
Hot take: the collective relief after a meeting cancellation is just as good, if not better, than a late-night impulse buy. It’s the best! You never know how valuable half an hour can be until you land a free one unexpectedly. Will you knock out tasks on teamwork? Run an errand? Doomscroll on Reddit?
Go ahead. Make their day. Plan ahead, cancel that meeting, and shoot an email. In a hybrid world, it’s the most efficient move you can make.
Mark your target…and target your market.
When in doubt, review your research. When we get writer’s block (or graphic designer’s block, or programmer’s block…) the answer is always simple: look at the Razor Branding. It’s how we form the foundation of our clients’ individual voices, and like a compass, it leads us to where our clients’ brands want to go.
Promise in Positioning
The image of the suited-up shark in the branding agency is ubiquitous and glamorous, but not entirely accurate. We’re attuned to the needs of our clients and their audiences because we get to know them. Making a successful advertising campaign is no longer about cut-throat decisions or dramatic upheavals of branding strategies.
A successful advertising campaign is rooted in a deep understanding of who we are working with, be it in person or on Zoom. Allowing small acts to demonstrate our reliability is how we build trust and loyalty. The time, effort, and empathy we’ve ingrained into our relationships, both inside and outside of the office, made 2021 a year to celebrate.
As the first month of 2022 comes to an end, we can rest assured we are positioned for an exciting 2022. That is, we can rest assured, but we’re not resting. On that note, we hope all of you – our clients, colleagues, friends and family – have as many reasons to look forward to the remainder of this year as we do.
What’s your strategy? We’d love to hear it.
