Wouldn't both be ideal?

As long as I’ve owned de Novo, I’ve struggled with how to answer the question of whether we’re a “creative” or “strategic” firm. Lots of agencies out there will tell you they are both. And TBH, we are both in a lot of ways.

But a marketing professional, department or agency should lead with one or the other. That doesn’t mean you can’t be excellent at both, but you will come at every problem with one dominant mindset—even if you have all the tools to develop the other. 

As a business person, I really WANT to say we lead with strategy. That feels like the expected answer. But in reality, de Novo will always approach a problem with creativity and curiosity first. Whenever I try to say otherwise, I’m quickly reminded that one of our core values is to “Trust Our Crazy Ideas.” 

Does that mean that we are only interested in crazy ideas and NOT the big-picture strategy? No. Crazy ideas tend to be big in scope and envision the successful completion of big goals and big results.

Crazy ideas are the starting point.

Creativity allows us to apply big thinking to our client’s needs and goals and then shave the crazy ideas down into a solution that works to solve the problem or drive the desired results. Strategy is what reminds us of the larger picture and molds our creative output into a game-changing solution for clients. 

We always begin with the client's goals, but our Collective Creative gives each solution the spark it needs to stand out against the competition and achieve previously defined goals. Applying a strategic lens allows us to validate and fine-tune our creative approach to ensure we meet long-term needs and build a foundation for future success.  

Need a few examples? Take a look at de Novo's work on our site. Every project featured began with a problem that needed to be addressed and solved.

Are you currently facing a problem in your business? Let's talk about it! After all, lunch meetings are always a solution in my book.