Methodology
Behind the scenes. Ahead of the action.
Study. Plan. Question. Create. Implement. Understand. Question. Pivot. Implement. Create.
It’s hard to describe what we do because what we do is something special—we question everything. We put the “why” into everything we do. We turn every stone in our hands and wonder—how could this be different? We look around at a cultural ecosystem that’s constantly changing and understand how hard we have to work to keep up.
We’re not an “agency” in the traditional sense. But we do think about "agency” a lot—as in, how every campaign can put agency in the hands of the communities we’re building for. We build campaigns around that complex purpose—because we aren’t sitting around any longer. We need campaigns that live like we do—in different communities, with different people—giving everyone the opportunity to add their voice to a living story that’s just beginning.
That may be a rebellious way to look at things. But it shouldn’t be. Here’s how we do it:
This deep-dive into who you are and who you could be drives everything else that we build together. We feel an intense responsibility to get your story exactly right. The path to that story is different for every client, so we plan our discovery differently each time, and always with the input of your team. We talk to you, and we talk to people who aren’t you. We seek out industry trends, analyze your competitors and dig into human behavior.
We look below the surface and read between the lines until we understand the entire ecosystem of who you are and the stories you have that need telling. It may even become clear during the discovery process that what you thought you needed from us isn’t what you actually need—but our priority with everything we do is to make sure our work is WORKING for you, so we may recommend a pivot if that’s the case. Long story short: discovery makes the difference between getting lost in the crowd or being able to connect and make a real impact with people. These insights inform how we’ll shift and level-up your organization to motivate and connect to more people. They help inform everything from creative campaigns to your internal culture, and we’ll revisit them often to make sure we’re all staying true to our goals and direction.
If discovery tells us where to go, strategy is the map that gets us there. Your goals turn into steps. Your problems turn into solutions. Distinctive whos, whats and hows are strategically determined. A Black Sheep strategy is built from the ground up to reach the right audiences with the right information—whether it’s through targeted emails, social campaigns or collateral for a pop-up event. Strategy details HOW we’ll reach your audience and turn them into enthusiastic brand ambassadors that participate, invest and become champions for your message and your work. This is where we build the emotional doorway that allows people to connect to your brand and your cause.
Strategy tells you when to send emails and what they should say. It tells you where to find your community—or how to build one. It tells you which social media tactics will be effective and what kind of swag will actually make you “talk-able.” Strategy says when a new website is necessary. (Hint: It’s probably necessary.) Strategy solves problems, sometimes problems you didn’t even know you had. It’s the big picture as well as the nitty gritty, and it’s a bit overwhelming at first, but once it’s in place it will catapult you and your brand well into the future.
To have pointed, poignant creative, it must be rooted in strategic thinking and insight.
Good creative work sounds nice and looks pretty. But that’s not what we make. Our brands and campaigns go beyond pretty; they are designed to resonate on an emotional level and connect to deeper truths that move people—and we know they will because the strategic research we’ve done supports those ideas. This is where your brand or campaign becomes a system of its own, with typefaces and colors and personalities that powerfully connect with people by defining exactly who you are, what makes you strong and how their participation can make you even stronger.
It’s not just a logo, it’s a brand story. It’s not just key messages, it’s an ecosystem built around you, the things you care about and the people who can bring them to the world at large. We build unexpected creative touch points that inspire people to take action, building capacity around what you do. We’re convicted as hell about making the work work and the budget work—because every single thing we do from here on out needs to start creating the change we’re all so hungry to see.
Implementation
It’s in the implementation phase that everything comes to life and starts working for you. We’ve discovered. We’ve strategized. We’ve created. And now we release the product of all of that work into the world, press our foot on the accelerator and see more possibilities. From kickoff to launch, we’ve made sure every decision is strategic and in line with our goals, and that doesn’t stop here. We know the money you spend with us could have gone straight to the people you serve, and we take that responsibility seriously. It’s up to us (that’s you and your Black Sheep team) to make sure we’re not just getting the most out of the budget we have available, but that we’re going beyond “the most,” reaching more people than we could have ever reached alone. We connect people, places, things, dots. And when they’re all connected, there’s nothing that isn’t possible.
With so many pieces on the table, none of this will really work unless we give a damn about making sure it happens—from proactive check-ins to eye-catching schedules to building plenty of time for reviewing final content with you—we’re proudly A-type about managing every single project. We’ve got a finger on the pulse of everything you’re responsible for, everything we’re responsible for and how all of that is changing, down to the second. We employ a test, learn and apply mentality that takes a critical look at all these efforts and then fixes the things that aren’t measuring up. We keep you informed of the state of every project you’ve got moving with us, as well as what the work is accomplishing in our real and digital worlds. Each point of connection to your brand is handcrafted to inspire action, and anything less isn’t good enough.
