Computer Arts

SPRING 2017 pearlfisher

computerarts.creativebloq.com

MOLLy ROWAN HAMILTON

KRIsTOFFER FINK PARuP

strategists

Molly and Kristoffer are

part of Pearlfisher’s Strategy

division and work with

clients to develop their

brand vision. They have been

at the agency for two years

and one year respectively.

MASTER BRAND STRATEGY

Our second video sees strategists Molly Rowan

Hamilton (pictured) and Kristoffer Fink Parup

walk through how the Strategy division works

at Pearlfisher and reveal some of the tools and

techniques they use to get to the heart of a brand.

1. Look to the future to see the present
   “the big question always is: ‘what do you
   want your brand to become ultimately?’”
   argues Kristoffer Fink parup. “‘Where is it
   10 years down the line and why is that so?’”
   by asking this kind of open question he
   adds you can reveal the deeper thinking
   behind a brand as well as any underlying
   issues or blind spots. “We might have
   a different opinion about what’s going to be
   relevant how the industry is shifting and
   we can have a conversation about that.”


2. Engage in informal conversations
   interacting with clients on a conversational
   level feels less like an interview and helps
   humanise the process. “often clients will
   express things they don’t necessarily
   realise they’re expressing” observes molly
   rowan Hamilton. “ideas and solutions can
   just come about and it’s our job to see
   them and extract meaning.” When it comes
   to challenger brands in particular she
   continues it often helps to start by asking
   what their competitors are doing wrong.


3. understand the brand’s trajectory
   pearlfisher works with challenger and
   iconic brands and everything in between:
   “We map brands out on their trajectory
   upwards towards iconic” explains parup.
   “of course once you reach iconic status
   there’s still competition – it’s not like some
   kind of nirvana where no one’s going to
   touch you.” it can still pay to have that
   scrappy challenger mentality to shake
   things up and parup gives virgin as a great
   example of that.


4. Tailor strategy to market position
   Depending on where a brand is on that
   trajectory the goal of the strategy is
   different. “For a challenger brand you
   need to know what to challenge and how”
   Hamilton points out. “For iconic brands it’s
   more about nurturing – understanding why
   people love you and cherishing that to keep
   you as iconic as you possibly can be for as
   long as possible.” often she adds people’s
   affection for a brand originally stems from
   its original challenger mentality.

Strategists Molly Rowan Hamilton

and Kristoffer Fink Parup share

the tricks of their trade

FOuR RuLEs OF

BRAND sTRATEgy

WATCH THE VIDEO NOW AT

http://www.bit.ly/ca265-pearlfisher

Above and right: the design
language pearlfisher created for
non-alcoholic beverage seedlip
is influenced by the distillation of
natural ingredients informed by
herbal remedies of the 17th century.