So you want to write a great brief? Excellent, here are some ideas on what to include:
1 – Ask how the agency will ensure that they are baking inclusivity and justice into your project.
2 – Talk about the business problem you have to solve.
3 – Talk about why you need to solve this problem now.
4 – Talk about what you already know and have already tried.
5 – Be clear about your risk tolerance – does this project absolutely have to work or are you prepared to gamble big (for a bigger result and also no result)?
6 – Share what your initial thinking is with regards to tactics, but don’t be dogmatic. A good agency will help you answer your question in the best way.
7 – Talk about when you need the findings implemented by – not when the project needs to report by.
8 – Ask the suppliers about how their values have impacted previous work for clients – rather than just asking if an agency has done exactly the same work you need.
9 – Ask about exactly who will be doing the project. Write this into the contract.
10 – Don’t put out briefs without giving a budget. Time is literally the lifeblood of agencies.
11 – Be clear about who will be making the decision internally and how and when you will decide.
Do these, and you’ll get the best agencies pitching for your work. And they’ll love you for it.
Too often in research, we start with the idea of validating our approach works. But what if we started from the position that nobody actually needs your product? You can download the deck too.
A while back, I heard a former civil servant (Michael Barber) talk about complex policy decisions and how he would present these to Government Ministers.
He said decision makers were always time-poor. On top of this, the policies were almost always complex to understand. And the ramifications of a poor decision could be life-threatening.
One of the key tools he used to bridge this gap was graphs. To show the trade-offs. To describe the trajectory (from/to) and the personal and organisational transformation that would occur, depending on the decision taken.
Here is a graphic showing how YOUR learning journey with Outrageous works, and how we will move YOUR teams and organisation from awkward silence in insight research to profitable, inclusive practice. Ready to light the fuse? Book a call today.
We recently caught up with Celine Verheijen from Defence for Children and ECPAT. We talked about the work we did together and what it was like working with Outrageous.
We’ve been thinking about ‘change’ and ‘activism’ and how these words attract and repel in equal measure.
Thing is a lot of people working inside organisations have things they want to change. These can be small things. They could be massive things that impact the whole organisation, a whole community, or society at large.
I think people feel quite powerless to make these changes. Indeed they feel dispirited. Why does it have to be like this? And is using the phrase activism disempowering rather than empowering for the majority of people?
If our end goal is to create more change more frequently, for more progressive ends, as I sit here in the car I wonder if it’s actually about thinking ‘personal legacy’?
Is it in fact saying to people “let’s help you work out what matters to you and help you to do work you can be proud of?”
Because I certainly know there’s been work I’ve done that I haven’t wanted to tell people about. Work or jobs that I felt ashamed about.
There’s also been so many projects where I couldn’t wait to throw open the doors and tell the whole world “hey I did this”. Or even better “wow look at what we did together”.
I think there are a huge number of people working right at this very moment who are wishing RIGHT NOW for a little bit more meaning in what they’re doing.
People who want to achieve something bigger than just their own personal gain. People who want to change something that they can be proud of.
On Tuesday, we introduced you to Elodie Roy, one of our awesome accomplices here at Outrageous, as part of global network series. Well, today we wanted to introduce you to Sabine Koppe, another awesome Outrageous accomplice.
Berlin-based Sabine was recommended to us through others in our network and it was immediately admiration at first Wiener Schnitzel (please excuse the pun).
Sabine has brought an exorbitant amount of skills and knowledge to some of our most important projects. Most recently, a project all-around nature-friendly schools.
Just like Elodie here are some fun facts about Sabine,
She sorts her library after colors.
She always falls asleep during watching movies – no matter which movie. Thus her friends always laugh when she ask’s if they want to go to the cinema with her.
She is a super fast reader. She read Nino Haratischwilis “The Eight Life” (For Brilka) 934 pages book in just two days.
She use’s her research skills to explore topics that interest her in her home life. The most interesting exploration is one that she started about two years ago. It is about how to live life in a regenerative way. It brought her to WOL, The Yale course “The science of Wellbeing”, the regeneration and post growth movement, structuring days differently and setting different priorities, Presencing and Social Presencing Theater, Somatics, Breathwork, Kundalini Yoga, Tantra, Surviving the Future and so much more.
She once rode standing on a horseback. (It was at a circus. She says it was terrifying to be pulled out of the crowd. She had a security rope to catch me – and on which they eventually pulled her from the horses back sending me flying around the arena. To quote Sabine “Maximum awkwardness.”
She once climbed the Großglockner during a conference in East Tirol. It was one of the most exhausting – but at the same time exhilarating experiences in her life
I am unsure. I don’t how to write this. But here goes:
Anyone else feeling that communities are becoming glorified sales funnels, rather than about genuinely connecting and helping people?
I am conflicted because I am in some brilliant communities, but also want a different world.
A world where anyone can change the world. A world where anyone knows how to use the mindsets, tools and tactics of insight research to create real, smell-able, definable change.
I want a world where people have the skills, knowledge and support to allow people to change the things they most passionately care about.
The changes don’t have to be big and flashy. They could be so small, yet be transformational for small groups of people.
– What if we could better serve carers dealing with anger arising from dementia or stroke?
– What if we could persuade ‘the board’ to take a stand on racism and misogyny in the charity sector?
– What if we could get a new safe road crossing for the local school?
– Or persuade the UN to ensure the genuine protection of children during peacekeeping missions?
The things we could achieve together, could transform lives. And it would be just the start.
We believe that people who (may not even) identify as activists knowing how to do research means change for the good.
We could broaden the range, and depth, of the people who start to use research. We could bring people into the industry who are as diverse as the research participants we seek to understand.
But communities too often seem to want a tame group of customers, ready, willing and able to jump into a master class.
What if a community was about changing the world first. And if people chose to then work with people in the community, that was a side effect, not the main reason?
We believe anyone should be able to change the world. We want to get the tools and confidence into people’s hands to make this happen.
Sick of hearing us talk about the Amsterdam IIEX conference yet?? No???? Good I’ll carry on.
We connected with so many interesting people there from so many different countries and cultures. In that we realised something.
Having a global community is one the most important assets of any organisation.
People who’ve got your back in all corners of the globe it’s truly awesome.
In a recent project working we worked with ECPAT a global network of children’s charities, funded by a giant US grant-making foundation, Oak.
Throughout this project we spoke to thousands of people, in multiple languages that would have been near on impossible if it wasn’t for our global network.
That’s where we met Elodie Roy! The co-founder of Oriosity. Elodie is one of our amazing global researchers and you NEED to meet her to!
And to get to know her a little better here’s some fun facts..
– She’s recently discovered paddel tennis and got addicted to this sport. If not in the office or playing with the kids, she’s probably on a court. 🏓
– The first time she went to spend 2 weeks with my Spanish pen-friend’s family, she didn’t speak a word of Spanish. She left home with a dictionary and a paper with basic, life-saving sentences like “I am thirsty” or “I want to call my mum”. Over the years, she felt so deeply in love with the people and the culture that she settled in Málaga. 🇪🇸
– She’s a huge fan of the Christmas spirit and you can sometimes hear her kids sing carols in July. 🧑🎄
The overturning of Roe vs Wade was painful. Painful for women. Painful for people who’ve had abortions or might decide to have one in the future. Painful for America.
Yesterday was a blow to progressives. Who knew progress wasn’t always moving forward.
Now it appears that the Supreme Court may want to go further in unpicking other incredibly hard fought legal precedents. All because of dogma and intolerance, rather than jurisprudence.
Daisy Doba and I are just back from speaking at a market research conference (#iiexeurope). Our topic was ‘Why brands also now need to be activists’.
Little did we know that 24 hours on, brands big and small, would be called on to do exactly this in the most full on way.
So here’s what we said then that brands, agencies and nonprofits might consider:
1) ask your staff what they feel and think, RESEARCH!
2) encourage your staff to speak out on social, on the streets, in debates, the media. Unleash your staff.
3) if staff get arrested for abortion activism, pay bail (h/t Beth Thoren and others)
4) pay special attention to those staff who don’t speak up. Those from different backgrounds, the lowest paid, those in your supply chain. Some will be hit far harder by the #roevwade reversal.
5) research with your customers. Find out where they stand.
6) decide what your firm’s position will be and communicate this internally and externally. Be consistent.
7) share your profits, donate
8) share your social media platforms to amplify the ‘voices seldom heard’ (h/t Theo Francis)
9) connect activists to powerful people you know. Share your privilege.
10) engage in politics and activism yourself.
11) Men, take action. You can get a vasectomy. I have.
This is no time for brands to go silent.
It’s critical brands, nonprofits, charities, Bcorps read the room. Even if you think and say “we don’t DO politics”, this decision shows that politics can still DO you in profound and unexpected ways.
Ps- for context, we regularly do 7/10 of these and are working on the other three.
“You and your brother in law, you’re the ones who are going to change the world.”
These were some of the last lucid words my dad said before he died last year.
At the time these seemed like a platitude, a passing comment. But the more I’ve reflected the more I realised that this IS what drives me as we are building Outrageous.
We believe passionately that the world is not fair. We know that huge inequalities and injustices prevent people from unleashing their awesome.
I mean isn’t it crazy that people are more afraid of cyclists than fossil fuels? That people can’t be themselves? Or love who they love? Or are stuck at home because they can’t access the bus?
We stand for the people and groups who challenge the system and stand up. The activists. The truth tellers.
Our Activist Legal Fund will divert a portion of our sales to fund the legal fees of arrested activists.
Our research for clients will power them to light the fuse on tackling social injustice.
We stand for those who want to use their organisations for good and demand better. Those who not only want to understand their supporters and customers. But to delight them. To energise like them never before.
We train charity teams to do this research themselves. So they can have the skills, knowledge and confidence they need in-house.
We do research projects. Qualitative research at scale. All without a loud mouth called ‘David’ ruining the session for everyone else. David? Put a sock in it.
We believe in the power of rest, Warhammer and pizza. We are building a business that is explicitly anti-racist, explicitly anti-patriarchy, pro-neurodiversity and disability.
We are a four day business. Changing the world faster demands lots of rest.
Who knows what will happen. All I know is that I miss this guy. And the guy in the cap.
I’ve been around guns my whole life. Always unwillingly.
I’ve been in the Army cadets; I’ve gone to clay shooting events; I have been to people’s houses who proudly display their rifles; where people mention, in hushed tones, that there’s a locked shotgun cabinet somewhere in the house.
I was scared then. I am scared now.
We do not need guns. We do not need them around homes. People should not be able to buy and own elite grade assault rifles, handguns, or any guns.
Yes, it is a restriction on liberty. But so is wearing a mask to protect others in a pandemic. So is a seatbelt while driving. So is not selling beer to youngsters.
There are certain things we just don’t do. This is one of them.
What the HECK do you ACTUALLY know about ‘your’ charity’s supporters, donors & campaigners?
In fact, were they ever ‘yours’ at all?
People, (donors et al), are situational, complex, wear masks, have shifting allegiances. They’ll be extremely loyal to you for a decade. And then move on, without warning, to the next big, shiny thing.
Some in the charity sector believe you should never ask ‘why?’
-> Because people don’t know what they want.
-> Because people can’t tell you what they do want (other than love, life, free Wi-Fi and the occasional free latte at the coffee shop).
Thing is this ‘why?’ question is a foundational piece of your charity’s success:
-> Why are my staff here?
-> Why are major donors donating to us not another charity?
-> Why are direct debit donations down but monthly support up?
-> Why are my service users so dissatisfied?
The purists will say oh but the quant data, the financials. We’re drowning in data. Analytics. Dashboards. Reports. This is where the answers lie. THIS is the truth.
But these will only tell you what. And will only explore the past. All the data in the world can’t tell you why.
Purists will say well qualitative (why) research is 🐴 💩. Small numbers of people. People lie.
But again this is wrong. Now qualitative research can be done at scale, with numbers even your board can get behind.
Qual research is NOT about taking your people at their word AND IS about interpreting what customers really want and need. And this takes researchers with skill, experience, and confidence.
If you are leading Marketing, Comms, Campaigns, Fundraising or even a charity, ‘why’ is about to become the most important question you’ll ask in the next 18 months.
Nothing will matter more.
This means market research. This means qualitative data at scale. This means answering and understanding people’s why.
It will guide your every decision. It will consume you. It will become your obsession. Goodness this sounds like a French perfume advert.
At Outrageous, we are obsessed with ‘why?’
We are a micro-SWAT team of activist researchers.
We hate long PowerPoints and dusty reports.
We believe charities need to ask more why questions.
Why?
Because ‘your’ people will only stick with you if you understand them. And if you help them.
When people (never) ask me; Patrick, what are your top skills? I would softly tell them:
– BBQ
– Following North America’s perennially least successful sports franchises (Cowboys, Leafs anyone?)
– Building Brio trains with our junior dragon (pictured)
– Using insight training and research to tackle stubborn, awful inequalities that prevent people from unleashing their awesome.
– And running Outrageous’ ‘Light the Fuse’ podcast.
Thing is, a bit like that massive pile of train and track (in the picture), Light the Fuse is about how change happens. And it can be chaotic.
Each week, me and my co-host Daisy Doba, real talk. Fair and balanced? No way.
It features:
🦄 designer diapers
🤣 swearing
🐰 laughter
🔥 amazing revelations from considerate and wonderful guests
💯 political rants.
🐗 It is DEFINITELY not safe for work.
We bring together activists, brands, marketers and inspiring people to discuss how to change the world faster. And we love it.
We want the world to be better. Now. And we’re gonna tell you straight. In just 30 minutes each week.
It’s also how we explore what we like and don’t:
😡 Research that sits festering on a shelf? Not for us.
🤬 Beige offices where dreams go to die? Nein Danke.
🥶 Teams asked to do research themselves without having the skills, knowledge and confidence? Maverick, you are too dangerous and can’t fly on my wing.
That’s why we are over the moon that Light The Fuse is the podcast sponsor for the wildly professional and slick Insights Marketing Day in Amsterdam this coming June.
If I asked you why do you use LinkedIn, you’re likely to say something along the lines of “to grow my network and find new clients.” Well you’re not wrong but there is so much more to it than that.
Because Linkedin is not just ALL about reaching out to clients. Instead, think of LinkedIn as a crucial part of your awareness building for your brand or organisation. With the occasional dose of sales activation (here’s what we do and how we can help you) thrown in.
It is not. NOT. Repeat after me. For pitch slaps.
It can be tough sometimes to find the right people to connect with, to follow, to comment on (sporadic) posts, and to engage with.
But I have some advice for you; be bold!!!
Create content that will shock your audience (in a good way of course). Make them say s**t that’s cool, I need to work with them!
Think about how can you help people? What problems can you solve for them? What measurable, appreciable gains can you get for them?
Gone are the days of cold selling and connecting with randomers just for the hell of it. Use LinkedIn as a way to develop relationships and trust with the people in your network.
THEN you can move them down “The Sales Funnel” (or the ‘human relationship helter-skelter slide’ as we like to call it) and convert them into sales for your org.
It has been 4 years. Over 200 instances. I have finally finished therapy. God what an awful way to spend time and money. What a vital way. What a privilege.
When I started this journey, I was convinced that “six weeks and I’ll be done.” I even said this to the therapist. But I knew that things were much deeper than that. The evaluation meeting had seen me in tears for the whole 40 minutes.
It is easy to see the surface and think; generic white bloke, public school educated, the network, all is good. But the reality is that beneath the surface I was hurting in lots of ways. Ways that impacted my self confidence, my self view, my ability to engage with others.
And it was inter-relations with others, this inability to trust, that was what convinced me that I needed to talk, needed to listen.
It is tempting to say that this was a linear route to success. But I can tell you it wasn’t.
There were many times when I thought about quitting, and not going to the session. I’d text the therapist and they’d say to me, “this is when you MOST need to come, see you in an hour.” I always went.
I felt like an imposter at times. But I have realised there is no hierarchy of trauma, grief. We are each in our own private struggles. Comparing ourselves to others, distances us from those we need to get closer to. To heal.
I look back and remember very few of the individual sessions. But I do remember these concepts:
– The physical body keeps a tally of all the mind has been through.
– We all wear masks. The key is to put them on at the right times.
– When the emotional tank is too full, there is no space for new emotions and so you have to understand those long standing questions and queries in order to move on.
– Change externally is possible. But it starts with the mind.
– Don’t fear feelings. Fear ignoring them. Or making them the only reality.
If you can and are considering therapy, I’d say do it. I know just how lucky I have been. I know my privilege has made this possible.
It has transformed my view of my self, and I now feel ready to help unleash others’ awesome and change the world faster. Both things that felt too difficult, just four short years ago.
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I’ve been around guns my whole life. Always unwillingly.
I’ve been in the Army cadets; I’ve gone to clay shooting events; I have been to people’s houses who proudly display their rifles; where people mention, in hushed tones, that there’s a locked shotgun cabinet somewhere in the house.
I was scared then. I am scared now.
We do not need guns. We do not need them around homes. People should not be able to buy and own elite grade assault rifles, handguns, or any guns.
Yes, it is a restriction on liberty. But so is wearing a mask to protect others in a pandemic. So is a seatbelt while driving. So is not selling beer to youngsters.