Insights

Values and Desires

are two core forces that influence all of us. These elements, though separate, create magic when they unite within a brand. This convergence defines our target and its pursuit sets us apart from others in the impact sector. Values form our moral compass, propelling us towards a better world with principles like fairness and stewardship. Yes, these attributes can sway members of your community, but if you don’t tap into someone’s Desires, you miss out on igniting their passion and unleashing what moves them. Likewise, catering only to Desires might initially captivate an audience, but it eventually lacks the deeper sense of purpose that sustains loyalty. When both Values and Desires are combined, possibilities are boundless. That's our sweet spot.

Niche

is just another word for "targeted", "specific" or "exact". We invest effort in pinpointing the target market for each project, be it a corporate brand or a consumer product. Our approach involves tailoring our work to resonate with that specific demographic, and meticulous research enhances our confidence in crafting design and messaging. From our perspective, the real risk lies in producing uninspiring work that attempts to please everyone but excites no one. We prefer to captivate the audience that matters, even if it means others may cringe. Rather than diluting our impact, we embrace the power of resonating deeply with those who find our work truly compelling. If its "niche", than so be it.

Doing things Differently

is often seen as risk, not investment. In times of economic prosperity, the inclination is often to optimize and rely on established practices. Conversely, during economic downturns, there's a reluctance to venture into uncharted territory, often justified with the sentiment, "Now is not the time for trying out new things.” The question then arises: when is the opportune time to embrace change? The answer is straightforward. If progress is the goal, change is a necessity.

Knowledge

is a powerful brand attribute if shared properly. Brand experiences solely focused on social outcomes often fall short compared to those infused with cultural or educational content. There's a unique allure in knowledge, making it not only attractive but also highly shareable. When your brand is associated with valuable insights and information, it adds a layer of appeal, creating a more engaging and memorable experience for the audience.

Learning

is critical to change and growth. And there appears to be some fairly significant change afoot in Vancouver, with tactics to achieve greater housing affordability leading the way. This is quite refreshing as Vancouver has been somewhat guilty of celebrating the mistakes they have not made, rather than their bold innovations. The City’s efforts to avoid planning blunders have often translated into a reluctance to take chances, stifling urban design innovation. We see time and time again that when major decisions strive to please everyone, they end up satisfying no one. It's essential to strike a balance between prudence and a willingness to take calculated risks for genuine progress to thrive. Sometimes, we need to learn from our mistakes.

We are Experts

in conscious growth. In contrast to agencies specializing in a particular sector, we have always remained quite diverse in the areas we focus on. We find this approach advantageous as innovations in one area can be brought to bear in another. Where we do specialize, however, is in helping purpose-driven groups leverage their values to build stronger relationships with those who matter most to them. I guess you could say we specialize in impact.

Content

must come before tactics. Better engagement will come from better content, not better technology. There is a growing tendency to emphasize the method for content delivery rather than investing adequate energy in crafting the content itself. Our emphasis shifts towards refining substance, as superior content consistently outperforms innovative distribution. Don’t spend your time figuring out how to send the message before you have figured out the message itself.

City Building

needs to break out of its echo chamber. We believe that loving something and being proud of it - a city, for example - doesn’t mean that you can’t criticize it. It means that you should. When you’re deeply involved in something, it’s easy to see its flaws. It also means that you are in the best situation to do something about it. Progress cannot occur without criticism. And the best criticism comes from an invested person's realization that something needs to change. That investment brings insight, which propels criticism, which starts a dialogue, which ignites actions, which bring change. It’s a cyclical loop that needs to be repeated if we are to continue to move forward. Those who resist and ignore change are always the first to fight back against criticism because they know it is an agent of progress. You can often judge the value of your criticism by the degree of resistance it receives from these people. All that being said, criticism without action and criticism without dialogue - screaming your complaints into the wind and then walking away - are ugly things that get us nowhere. It’s selfish to think that only your opinions count. It’s foolish to think that you know better than everyone else. And it’s wrong to think that your solution is the only one that works. Criticism is the first step, but it must be followed up with action if we are to make a positive change in our environment.

Culture

is the manifestation of purpose in action. Where a robust and healthy culture consistently reflects its values, an unhealthy culture exhibits inconsistency and unpredictability. If the behaviour of a culture is not consistent with the promise of its brand, it signals the potential need for a reset on your underlying motivations. A clearly defined and understood culture provides leaders with a guiding principle to make strategic decisions that inspire their teams and resonate with their audiences. Without a culture-driven strategy, organizations struggle to convey how their actions differ and why they hold significance. Conventional strategic planning often starts with stating the mission and vision of the organization. However, without an emotional stance, a meaningful perspective, or a sense of passion and purpose, it is impossible to depict the future and engage others in the journey towards it. Enrollment is the missing piece in dysfunctional organizations. True enrollment means that individuals aren't merely working for a paycheck; they are driven by a shared dream for the future and a commitment to the culture they have collectively defined. Business strategies become more effective when rooted in culture. Leading with culture allows organizations to consider not only the rationale or principles behind their plans but also the emotional connection required to achieve their goals. In essence, inspiration prompts action.

Campaigns

are the perfect primer for brand experiments. Our team has recently completed three consecutive campaigns for the Alzheimer's Society of BC including an event-based fundraiser, an annual giving campaign, and an awareness campaign. Beyond marketing KPIs, our team paid special attention on the health of the organizational brand.

Change

happens, that’s a fact. Seasons remind us that change is a normal part of nature and we’re connected to this system, whether we’re tuned into that or not. Being aware of our connection to the natural rhythms of the season gives us an empathetic compass for better understanding where we are at. It guides our time spent focussed inward on discovery, learning and reflection or outwards in activation, collaboration and creation. A brand can similarly serve an organization. Rooted in unique values, a brand acts as a compass to inform decision-making around key business activities such as market positioning, new initiatives, staff hiring, marketing and engagement efforts. When things change within our business, we turn my attention back to our own brand to help us navigate the future with openness, trust and curiosity and clarity. This mindset, although not always easy, has served us well over the years. It has enabled us to connect with fantastic clients and realize amazing projects, fulfilling our mission to help organizations and groups connect better with others. So with connection in mind, how does your brand build new relationships and nurture existing ones? How do you express your culture in unique and meaningful ways? What does your organization want to be known for? Connection is the basis of evolution.

Values

matter... unless they don't. Many organizations, irrespective of their sector, proudly establish mission and vision statements alongside a set of corporate values. Unfortunately, these are often showcased while being fundamentally ignored. It is not that folks are purposely turning a blind eye to the corporate guide, it’s just that it is often fairly generic and pretty uninspiring. Despite the importance of unique organizational values, many groups tend to select from a pretty small list, usually made up of a combination of integrity, respect, collaboration, honesty, quality, or innovation. Such broad values often fail to encapsulate an organization's distinct essence and impact. The reality is that these terms are inherent aspects of good business that need no explicit mention in a set of values. Your values should reflect what you value. If possible, they should be yours and yours alone. Maybe they are a collection of individual words. Maybe they are concepts. Maybe they are poems or fables. The importance is that they matter to you and help support your larger purpose. - One of Virgin’s values is “Delightfully Surprising”. - AirBnB has “Embrace the Adventure”. - Patagonia believes in “Use business to Protect Nature”. In the end, well-defined core values play a pivotal role in establishing a connection and fostering loyalty with your audience. To secure enduring success and retain employees over the long term, it is imperative to establish and consistently adhere to certain non-negotiable company values. What are yours?

Branding

can learn from Architecture. They are both equally concerned with how people act. I would argue that the majority of Brand folks come from either a communications or graphic design background. For the writers, branding is a storytelling exercise where the focus tends to be on the message above all else. For graphic designers, brand is usually a collection of aesthetic decisions including logos, colours, images and fonts. If a process is too heavily dominated by one or the other you can usually tell, and in many cases achieving holistic brand experiences is the ultimate challenge. The leadership of Cause+Affect arrived into branding from architecture. This journey was unexpected but seems like a natural progression as we look back. For us, architecture was a playground for human interaction. And we were happiest when that playground was layered with some greater message, meaning and purpose. This led us to the design of branded spaces including restaurants, museums and gallery exhibitions, retail interiors, even airplanes. From there it was fairly straightforward to grow the brand experience from spatial to graphic design and writing, etc as most of these assets were already present within the spatial solution. See, we approach the design of a brand as a system of human interactions and experiences with many layers and scales, just like an architectural space. If you have created a good brand, you should be able to build it, feel it, touch it, smell it, live with it. Every touchpoint should impact your feelings and perceptions. These days, we don’t design nearly as many spaces as we used to. What we do now is more choreography. We work with companies and organizations to manifest the things that make them special and develop experiences that show those traits to the people that matter most to them. We still think as designers of space, but they’re cultural spaces. And they exist primarily in the mind.