From Jason Yagan,  Founder and Creative Director

As a young creative, I was often told that I had to choose a specialisation in order to get ahead in the industry. Perhaps that would have made for an easier career path, but as someone always looking to improve and learn, I was more interested in exploring fresh ideas to uncover new potential. When most people were zigging, I wanted to zag my way to solve the problem.

Because I didn’t quite fit the typical creative mould, I decided to start my own agency some 15 years ago. Little did I know the amount of change I would see in the industry, and the world, in the years that followed.

The age of ‘digital transformation’ came and went, and the way we engage with technology now is changing daily as is the way we communicate and interact. Furthermore, the things that inspire and motivate humans to act continues to evolve.

This evolution has only been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing businesses and brands across the world to adapt at unprecedented speed, ours included. 

Over the last few months, we’ve all had to face obstacles none of us could have predicted. Not only have we had to change where we work, but we’ve also had to adapt the way we work, how we communicate and what we say. It’s undoubtedly one of the most challenging periods I’ve faced as a business owner since opening Messy’s doors. 

But it’s also been heartening. Because it’s confirmed how advantageous our agency’s model is. It’s almost as though we were designed specifically to support businesses at times such as these. Our agency was built to succeed in rapid change. Our size, capability and ways of working have given us a track record of delivering innovative solutions by solving problems from all angles. And our buoyancy during the last few months has been less about what we are, and more about what we are not.

We’re not limited by traditional thinking. We’re not reliant on outsourcing expertise. We don’t operate in huge, siloed teams. This new type of agency we’ve created is ideal for this time because it’s all about efficiency, agility and quality. And this approach is something that businesses in many different industries should be looking to adopt now.

Because in today’s environment, brands can’t rest on their laurels or stick to the same old plan. It’s just not effective. It’s time to evolve and adapt or get left behind. And here’s where to start:

1. Embrace multidisciplinary teams and cross-team collaboration

A siloed approach may appear to be working for you, but is it achieving the best outcomes for your business? When departments are siloed, it generally decreases efficiency by slowing down processes and creating communication barriers. Projects simply take longer when multiple stakeholders in each division are involved and that immediate cross-communication isn’t there.

Creating multidisciplinary teams within your business and partnering with agencies who offer this allows you to tap into broader knowledge, expertise and resources that you previously would not have access to. The end result is better outcomes through collective collaboration – people from different teams – whether that’s internally or externally – working closely together to achieve a common goal.

Multidisciplinary teams allow you to tap into broader knowledge, expertise and resources that you previously would not have access to.

2. Agility and flexibility leads to better outcomes 

If the last few months have taught us anything, it’s that businesses that pivot quickly to overcome challenges are the ones most likely to come out on top. Now more than ever businesses need to be ready and able to do this going forward. Because 2020 has turned everything on its head. Attitudes have changed, and they’ll continue to do so for the foreseeable future as the world continues to adjust and we try to find the new norm. 

While many business leaders acknowledge that a more adaptable, flexible approach to working is valuable, it can be a struggle to effectively implement. This is why partnering with the right people is key. And for agencies, the scene is set to be more relevant than ever in supporting this agile way of working. That said, adaptability and multi-disciplinarian teams go against the traditional agency ‘franchise’ model, while specialist agencies simply cannot survive long in a state of flux. Businesses need to be looking for agencies and people that offer new ways of working.

For as Australia begins to reopen its doors and move forward, we must not forget that the world has changed. We must adapt to this, embracing innovative ways of working that allow greater efficiency while supporting the needs of people and business today. To find out more ways to adapt the way you work, check out our article on adapting your marketing plan.

Get in touch today to find out how Messy Collective can help your business.

From the Messy Communications team

Business is never without its curveballs. Employee changes, team restructures, financial difficulties, new technologies, changing work methods. The list goes on. Because, like life, there are never any certainties. And during times of crisis and change, the unknown causes unease. As a result, our instincts will tell us to batten down the hatches, stop all unnecessary activity and stockpile our resources. Businesses often try to brace themselves for what’s to come, even without knowing what that might be. 

However, freezing like possums in headlights is not always the best approach in the face of adversity. In fact, it’s businesses that are quick to adapt that are most likely to survive and prosper. The last ten years, which have been defined by disruption, are proof of this. And we can apply the lessons learned from other sources of disruption to navigate any challenges you face now or in the future.

Lesson 1: Repurpose your business assets

If one part of your business is no longer working, consider the assets and attributes you have that may be of use in the current environment. This could be anything from skills that exist within your workforce to physical assets such as refrigeration units, transport infrastructure or manufacturing equipment. There are some great examples of this as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, from H&M manufacturing medical gowns to local breweries making hand sanitiser. 

But this is nothing new. Fujifilm famously diversified its business in the face of digital photography by recognising that their ability to suspend or encase active ingredients in a thin film to prevent oxidation could be applied to pharmaceuticals and cosmetics as well. It was this agility that enabled it to survive, where its main competitor Kodak, who doubled down on manufacturing and promoting their original product, did not. 

Not only does repurposing your attributes provide new revenue streams but it also fuels innovation within your business. It also makes for great PR stories and in challenging times, these positive initiatives can create a lot of goodwill towards your business.

Lesson 2: Consider new ways of keeping your brand relevant

When a crisis occurs that affects your business, it’s not uncommon for it to impact the way people see your brand. Therefore, rather than switching off, think about how you can adapt your brand proposition to better suit the times. 

That’s because a good brand provides a business with a north star to follow, ensuring constancy and familiarity to its target market. However, it should not limit the business, particularly if change is happening at a rapid pace.

Therefore, consider how your brand can be reinterpreted to meet the changing needs of your business and your customer while remaining “on-brand”.

An excellent example of this is how Omo/Persil reinterpreted their iconic “dirt is good” tagline to address a modern issue. Real, outdoor play was being replaced with structured afterschool activities and increased screentime. Rather than continue to communicate a reality that was no longer happening – an idealist world of outdoor play – the brand instead released a hard-hitting film set in a high-security prison to highlight an alarming statistic: high-security prisoners got more outdoor time than modern kids. Thus, their age-old brand idea “dirt is good” became “dirt is necessary” and went on to create an online program to encourage more parents to let their kids play freely outside – keeping their brand fresh and highly relevant.

Lesson 3: Adapt to your customers

When your customers’ lifestyle is severely impacted, how does your business adapt to their new needs? The answer is simple – put the customer needs first. But this is far from being a new approach, with many businesses throughout history having to continually rethink their entire model to meet the ever-changing expectations of customers fuelled by technology.

In the early 2000s, Domino’s Pizza was largely known for its inferior product and was losing market share. To combat this, they not only improved their product but invested in eCommerce. They worked to deeply understand the changing customer expectations and created a whole range of digital tools such as their “Pizza Tracker” to improve their service delivery. They then used this to differentiate their brand.

While some lifestyle changes brought about by crisis or disruption may be temporary, your customers will still want to be able to access your services. By adapting the way you deliver them, you can reach them and demonstrate your deep understanding of their needs. Beyond that, it could also expose your business to new customers and markets. 

This could be as simple as modifying your brand communications to recognise the reality of your customers or adapting your operations to better meet their needs. Either way, it’s important to remember that businesses that keep moving and are willing to adapt when faced with a crisis are the ones most likely to survive and thrive. 

Download our free Adaptive Business Initiative resources to access more valuable tips or get in touch today to find out how Messy Collective can help your business.

From the Messy Communications team

While times of crisis or economic hardship can be tough on businesses, they can also be times when businesses can really flourish. Whether it be through a stroke of luck, a new opportunity or ingenious marketing, here are some brands that were able to capitalise on tough times in the past.

Groupon

The 2007-2008 GFC forced many consumers to cut back on discretionary spend. However, that did not mean they wanted to do without meals out, beauty treatments or experiences.

Enter Groupon, a deal a day website that provided great offers on non-essential services. It was during the recession that Groupon really took off and began their global expansion. It just so happened that their particular business model provided a much-needed avenue for small business to attract customers, as well as a way customers could still enjoy treats without breaking the bank.

What we can learn from this:

Just because people can’t have something doesn’t mean they don’t want it. While some businesses are naturally positioned to succeed in times of economic hardship, it doesn’t mean other business can’t apply this same philosophy. Therefore, it’s important for you to consider how you can adapt your business to deliver the goods and services people still want but can’t access.

Procter & Gamble

The Great Depression was tough on families; many often went without everyday essentials. However, Procter and Gamble, who at the time were predominantly focussed on the manufacture and sale of soap, came out of the Great Depression in a stronger position than they were before.

While soap is considered a mainstay item for most families, P&G still had to ensure it was their product customers were buying. To do this they started investing in new marketing avenues such as commercial radio. Famously, P&G created daily radio stories aimed at homemakers. This audience loved these ongoing sagas and regularly tuned in to follow along. By 1939, P&G was producing 21 of these “Soap Operas” and in 1950 they released their first television soap opera, The First Hundred Years.

What can we learn from this?

People love to be entertained, and the distraction is particularly welcomed when times are tough. More importantly, brands can’t just drop off the radar due to low demand. Brands who recognise the emotional needs of customers during times of uncertainty are more likely to win new, loyal fans in the process.

Uber

Lack of employment opportunities during the GFC left many people looking for new ways to earn. Coupled with advances in technology and social media, the sharing economy was born; allowing for people to use the assets and skills they had to make money at scale. Uber is a classic example of this, as is AirBnB and AirTasker.

This sense of independence also fuelled artisanal culture – i.e. the rise of microbreweries and distilleries, Etsy and farmers markets. While at first, these were the domain of millennial hipsters, as we enter this new decade these businesses have now become mainstream.

Download our free Adaptive Business Initiative resource to get more tips on improving marketing and boosting sales.

What can we learn from this?

When significant events happen there often comes a value shift in society. In the case of the GFC, people became aware of how much control big business had over everyday people. This shift in values has meant that people became open to taking an Uber over a taxi, booking an AirBnB over a hotel, and choosing a craft beer over the big brands. 

When facing a crisis, we only guess at some of the value shifts that will happen as a result. However, it’s important to keep our ear to the ground so we can react accordingly. Not only will this help your brand remain relevant but it could provide new opportunities for your brand to flourish. 

Get in touch to find out how Messy Collective can help you better connect with your customers.

From the Messy Communications team

Right now, there’s no such thing as business as usual. Since COVID-19 sent the world into a spin, companies have been forced to reset the clock and figure out new ways to keep things ticking over and customers engaged. Because people’s needs and attitudes have changed, and so too have their behaviours. And the businesses that adapt best to this new environment are the ones likely to come out on top.

While every business needs to make the right decision for their unique situation and the industry they’re in, if you are able to maintain your marketing (even if it is scaled back) you should. But it’s important to be strategic to ensure you get the most out of your spend. Here are a few things to keep in mind when reviewing your plan for the coming months.

1. Take a look at your digital ad spend

During tough economic times, digital marketing is often one of the first things to get the cut. And a study released by IAB Australia on April 6 is proof of that, showing that 78% of brands reduced or paused digital ad investment in March as a result of COVID-19.

However, is pausing your ads the best decision? Not always, particularly if the data is showing there are fewer advertisers in the race. Because less competition generally means a decrease in CPC and CPM. If this is the case in your industry, it means you have greater opportunities to reach your target audience more often for the same (or less) amount than you were investing before. There exists a unique opportunity for you to set yourself apart from the crowd. So, if you have something valuable to say, it’s likely going to be more cost-efficient to say it now.

2. Be thoughtful in your messaging

While things are starting to reopen it is still an unpredictable time. People remain nervous and unsure about the future. Be sensitive to this fact when communicating with your audience, acknowledging the current challenges and being empathetic and authentic. Your brand personality matters now more than ever – and it has the potential to make you stand out while building and fostering loyalty. The key is to craft messages that reflect the times and provide value to people. Be sure to monitor the social channels and online communities too so you can stay across your audience’s attitudes and the things that are important to them. If you feel your planned messaging is going to miss the mark, change it! Don’t wait and hope for the best.

3. Focus more on connection

Sticking to the same old plan isn’t going to work. People’s priorities and attitudes aren’t what they were this time last year, and now’s not the time to push for sales, particularly given the challenging economic state. People are spending longer on social media and are craving interesting content while things slowly move forward – so give it to them. Deliver content that showcases your brand values and personality and work on building genuine connections with new and existing customers. You can then nurture these people via different channels and, when the time is right, push them towards conversion.

Giving your audience something that they want can go a long way in improving sentiment towards your brand, building trust and ensuring you stay front of mind now and in the future.

Download our free Adaptive Business Initiative resources to access more valuable tips to help your business thrive in an ever-changing world.

4. More top of funnel content

If your digital strategy has generally relied on bottom-of-the-funnel conversion ads, it may be time to reconsider that approach if you haven’t already. Redirect your efforts into top-of-funnel activity that can drive new traffic to your site such as articles, videos, white papers and other pieces of content.

Even if you put minimum budget into the promotion of these, having quality content on your website is beneficial. Not only does it add more people to the top of your funnel, it can improve your SEO value and boost your Google rankings so more people can find you online.

5. Email marketing

Have you been leaning heavily on PPC or paid social for traffic and conversions while email marketing has been pushed aside? Now’s the perfect time to give email marketing some love. It’s one of the most cost-effective ways to engage audiences, making it ideal if your marketing budget has been slashed. Build new journeys, try out different creative and content, explore audience segments and personalisation, test subject lines. Take everything you learn about your audience during this time and use it to your advantage into the future.

6. Embrace digital

New consumer habits are being formed as we speak. People’s behaviours are changing and so too are the channels being used to engage them. Right now, offline marketing isn’t an option for many. Trade shows, in-store activations and other similar activities are all off the table, while major events are paused along with the marketing opportunities that go with them. Furthermore, OOH advertising is far less attractive for most brands given social restrictions keeping people off the streets, public transport and major traffic routes. 

You must focus on people’s new habits and needs and connect with them using relevant and exciting digital experiences. This could be anything from implementing an online shop, live streaming business workshops, hosting product webinars, running virtual community forums, augmented reality, interactive content, virtual reality, gamification, long-form video and so much more. The opportunities are vast – don’t be afraid to try something new.

There’s no escaping it – coronavirus is impacting everyone. The good news is that with every new challenge comes a new opportunity. If you’re willing to step up, rethink your approach and adapt your marketing for these unprecedented times, your business can emerge on the other side stronger than ever.

Get in touch to find out how Messy Collective can help you make that happen.

From the Messy Digital team

Want to know how the world’s best tech companies design their products? The secret is in the system.

Atlassian, Airbnb, Microsoft, and Salesforce are just a few of the highly successful businesses using design systems to create products more efficiently and improve the customer experience.

A design system makes a massive difference in how efficiently new products can be made by simplifying the design and development process. In short, a design system is a living library of assets that product managers, marketing teams, developers, designers and the wider organisation can refer to when creating digital user interfaces and experiences.

It’s an intricate ecosystem of colours, text styles, layer styles, components, icons, grids, fonts and guidelines around how all of the digital assets should be used and work together. This, in turn, saves time and eliminates inconsistencies in your brand experience.

Build products more efficiently

Companies choose to invest in design systems because of the cost-saving benefits and increased speed to market. In-house or outsourced designers and developers become more efficient, as they no longer need to spend time recreating assets that are already in the design system.

The design system is housed in a design system manager – an online, interactive resource that the product team can access at all times. By having all the rules and behaviours clearly defined in a system, decisions are made faster, the design direction is clear, and a consistent end-user experience is achieved.

Improve the brand experience

A design system ensures a consistent user experience across not just your digital space, but all your brand’s touchpoints. A good design system helps ensure there are no hiccups that can deter your customers from purchasing and all interactions with the brand become intuitive and fluid.

For best results, the design system should extend beyond the digital space to create a truly consistent and integrated experience.

How do you create a design system?

Getting started is no easy task, but the initial effort is worth the reward in the long run. The first step is to test and audit all the brand and digital components of a product or business, this highlights where the inconsistencies lie and identifies the key components to standardise. Once the disparities are fixed, clear rules and guidelines are created around how the assets are used and importantly, how they work together as a whole system. Rules and guidelines will ensure a consistently higher quality of brand messaging, design and development.

The design system is a single source of truth which gives everyone a common understanding. It saves immense amounts of time on design and development and ensures a great customer experience. No matter the size of your business, a design system is worth the initial investment.

With your product and brand in mind, ask yourself these questions:

• Are you happy with how efficiently products are launched?
• Are your customers having a consistent experience across all touchpoints?
• How much time and money could you be saving on design and development?

The answers could well be in a new digital design system!

Get in touch to find out how Messy Collective can help your business.

From the Messy Communications team

What does a strategist do? Do I even need a strategy? What will a strategy tell me that I don’t already know about my business? These are just some of the questions business owners will often ask when considering working with an external strategist or agency. 

This article aims to answer a few of the most commonly asked questions, outlining what strategists do, why strategy matters, and how strategic expertise and experience can make all the difference in creating a valuable brand, product, or marketing campaign.

1. A strategy helps you overcome challenges

Frustratingly, not every business problem has an obvious solution. Fortunately, behind every problem, there’s a human truth waiting to be uncovered. And it’s a strategist’s role to uncover this. In fact, it’s what they do best. Drawing on extensive consumer and industry research, they’re able to dig past the surface to get to the core of the challenges your business is facing and provide clear steps for you to overcome them. Furthermore, once this nugget of information has been identified, your team has the key to unlock new potential and make more informed business decisions going forward across all touchpoints. 

Strategy in action

Online healthcare booking platform, MyHealth1st, required a fresh approach to reposition itself and stand out from its competitors in an already flooded healthcare market. Before commencing any brand identity work, the Messy team carried out extensive desk research and a strategy workshop. This helped us to uncover a key insight – that many patients had preconceived ideas about the healthcare industry; mainly that it was, ironically, an impersonal industry. 

There was an obvious gap in the Australian market for a meaningful, patient-centric experience that extended beyond practice listings and appointments. So, we worked closely with the MyHealth1st team to create a cohesive and humanised brand that challenged conventional medical ideas, adopted a patient-centric approach, and worked to overcome those preconceived ideas and provide people exactly what they wanted. You can see more here.

2. A strategy informs what you say and how you say it

Imagine writing a letter to someone you didn’t know and trying to convince them that your product or service is exactly what they need. It’d be almost impossible. Because marketing is only effective when the communication is valuable, relevant and relatable to your audience. Without this knowledge, you’re basically flying blind. 

Through in-depth brand and audience analysis and consumer research, a strategist helps to bring your target audience to life so you can truly understand who they are; their day-to-day routines, their attitudes, their fears and pain points, their shopping habits, how they travel, eat and exercise, their lifelong aspirations. Creating a detailed persona based on qualitative and quantitative research makes it far easier for you to visualise who you’re talking to and map out what to say and how to say it.

Strategy in action

In 2019, Legal Aid NSW asked Messy to create a campaign that encouraged interdepartmental communication while promoting the value and importance of Legal Aid services to the general public. Before anything else, we focussed on gaining a deep understanding of their main target audience, Legal Aid employees. This involved hours interviewing them and researching attitudes across the industry, as well as facilitating a series of focus groups. In doing so, we were able to uncover key insights on what motivates them and deliver an engaging campaign that resonated with their personal values. You can view the ‘It’s What We Stand For’ campaign here. 

3. A strategy helps you to discover and define your ‘reason for existence’

A good strategist can help you and your team better understand your brand and business, working with you to uncover and articulate the values you stand for, your purpose, and your long-term vision – why you exist as a business and what it is you’re striving to achieve. This is invaluable to any organisation.

Download The Ultimate Sense Check for Your Business to learn more.

Having this clearly laid out not only helps to unify your team, but it also promotes greater engagement in employees by giving them a clearer understanding of how they’re contributing. Furthermore, these values are used to guide everything you deliver going forward, from your brand personality and tone of voice to your digital design, product design, campaign messaging, and more. 

4. A strategy is essential to brand building

As relevant as some features or benefits may be to your product, if they aren’t truly unique then adopting a product-led marketing strategy is essentially futile. In categories where this is the case, audiences will find it difficult to choose between products because of their perceived similarities. This is when brand building comes into play; it creates unique positioning in the hearts and minds of your audience. And the first step to ensuring this is done properly is a solid brand strategy. 

So, as you can see strategy doesn’t fit into a neat little box, nor should it be a nice-to-have add-on. In fact, it should form the basis of all areas of your business – brand, product, digital, marketing, messaging. Once a strategy is in place, you’ll be armed with the roadmap you need to achieve business objectives and give your customers exactly what they want.

Get in touch today to find out more and discuss your business and strategy needs.