Three ideas.

●    Idea one.  Find the right moments.
We took this from a very sharp creative director we know -- Richard Cohn, Creative Director of Marketing at Showtime.

In a discussion on what is needed to make a brand successful, Mr. Cohn cited a quote from an old Hollywood Movie Director who said "A good movie needs two great scenes and no bad scenes". According to Mr. Cohn, "Too often people get caught up in too many details and think that if they polish up every nook and cranny of every room they'll have their house in order--the reality is that what really makes a difference is making sure you get the two or three very important things right --and chances are once you do that, everything else will fall into place"

Adopting it to fit branding, Fieldwork delineates the one to three things in which a brand or product can genuinely excel – identifies the reasons for the importance of those things – and maps out a way to deliver them.

Then what? We deliver a series of ideas that can be executed or created.

●    Idea two.  Listen to the right conversations.
We borrowed this one from a really smart person who gave us an interview --  Paul Duguid.

He told us this:  Business isn’t a rigid process. It’s a series of conversations between networks of people.

Fieldwork taps into all relevant networks and conversations, then recruit the critical players and thought-leaders to enter those conversations.

We enlist them to imagine a brand’s future. People who see beyond the present and can define what’s happening today, but also what’s up the road.

Who are they?

Sometimes they’re psychologists cued in to what makes people crazy angry or crazy happy. Other times it’s the coolest kids on the block. And then sometimes, it’s just the most trusted hair-stylist or bartender in town, the aging but observant craftsman, who earned their clientele the hard way. Listening to them better than anyone else in life.

●    Idea three.  There are many "truths." Leverage the intersections.
We stole that from Ted Nelson of Mullen, who helped us create this strategic discipline.

Our process then?

Fieldwork finds the intersections between "truths" by listening to the right conversations. In those intersections, we identify the one to three things necessary to create and sustain a great product or brand. We go out and document what we hear, then distill our findings into a combination of video, print, and oral reports. Between these reports and brainstorm sessions, we help develop strategies that can achieve “greatness,” whether for communication campaigns or product development.