Whimsy & Fancy

Introducing Will Humphrey

Friends,

I hope that all is well with you and yours, and that this e-mail finds you on a boat with shoddy connection, in the tropics, three months after I sent it.

A couple of updates before we go-go

• I just got back from Transylvania - in fact, that is the reason why this newsletter comes to you slightly later than normal (I got home at 2:30am, started the day with an early meeting, and I am now writing this) - and it was an absolute blast. A wonderfully arranged conference with a list of speakers that would rival any US event, set against a backdrop of mountains, vineyards, and meadows. What is not to like?

• The talk went down a storm; both the energy in the room during the presentation and the feedback after have been bonkers. Obviously beyond happy with that, so stay tuned for the upcoming online version exclusive to subscribers.

• Today, we begin the inaugural Strategy in Praxis summer sessions with an amazing first guest writer: Will Humphrey. The newsletter is split in such a way that the main text is available for everyone, with additional practical takeaways available to premium subscribers below the paywall.

  
  Now, let us get straight into it.

The importance of whimsy

Why the ornamental is essential for good strategy

In a sentence, I think whimsy, and the act of being whimsical, is vital to successful strategy; whether that’s selling the strategy or coming up with it in the first place. I think too many strategies focus too much on what they believe to be logical and linear, and not enough importance is placed on the imaginative and unknown.

As a clichéd English undergrad, let me share the definition:

“The quality or state of being whimsical or fanciful – ‘the designer's new line showed a touch of whimsy’… whimsical and related nouns whim and whimsy all ultimately derive from whim-wham, a noun from the early 16th century that originally referred to an ornamental object or trinket. Later whim-wham, with its fun sound, came to refer to a fantastic notion or odd fancy.”

But who are you, and why should I care?

I am a strategist by training and background. I came into the commercial world armed with an English Literature degree (an increasingly rare beast these days) and a love of ephemera and pub quiz knowledge.

This led to spending fifteen years working in assorted ‘bits’ of communications strategy; from brand to CRM, to digital, to even a short stint in PR. A year or so ago, I changed sector, moving into new business strategy for McKinsey. Note that I’m not a consultant per se, but I’m still firmly grounded in strategy.

It’s been a little bit of a learning curve, but whether I work somewhere with more of a left or right brained approach, I think there’s something which unites them all, and I’d be delighted to share it with you.

To start, I’ve a few key questions to ask that will help turn the seemingly whimsical into an essential for your strategy.

A) What’s become ornamental?

What have your clients or the sector forgotten about? What still has value which has been overlooked? What’s no longer sexy, but can now be realised (think QR codes in 2019) due to a new use-case?

There’s a huge amount of value in looking at the assets your client has, thinking about how they might be re-deployed; whether it’s a brand mascot, a piece of real-estate or anything particularly memorable. Alternatively, is there something outside the client’s organisation which they’ve dipped a toe in but haven’t fully explored that’s now able to be realised?

B) When was the last time the business was whimsical?

Most clients aren’t Pixar. Whimsy is in short supply when it comes to most new product or service launches. When a business is, it’s worth understanding what led them there. What stood out versus the sector? What did they take inspiration from? Why didn’t they continue doing that? That latent conservatism can be derived from some form of corporate body-language that understanding the extremes will help explain.

It’s also worth noting that this can be looked at through any strategic lense; from CapEx spend to internal workforce initiatives right through to how communications have evolved.

C) Do they currently invest in whimsy?

Investments in whimsy could be anything from consumer panels to ethnography, to incentivising new ideas at the AGM. It should be very far from Simon Sinek’s magic circle or De Bono’s hats – it’s not magical thinking, it should help underline that they’re willing to listen to perspectives from within and outside the walls of the business.

Understanding how much budget is apportioned to learning things, whether that’s where and how customers love the brand – as told by front-line service agents – right to spending money to get closer to the next generation of buyers. If they do that, but then don’t act upon what they find out, well, then, you have a focus for your strategy; unblocking the organisation.

D) What’s the most whimsical outcome for your strategy?

Going full blue-sky a moment (please bear with me) - what feels like a dream? What would have to happen for it to become real? What makes it dream-like? Considering why you (and potentially others in your steerco or organisation) think of it as whimsical is always worth unpacking, as it may help explain internal barriers and motivators which you can speak to when developing your strategy.

This should be grounding out a potential future, and understanding the underlying drivers behind that, not beanbags at dawn.

So, how do you answer each question? I’ve four tips that’ll help. I’d love to hear if you find them useful.

1) Understand how people come into your market (and adjacencies)

When people are thinking about whatever it is you sell, how do they first enter? Is it via a price comparison site, or forums like Reddit, or trusted recommendations? If you know this, you can experiment with different, whimsical mechanics – from rewarding your most loyal buyers to brokering a different, unexpected partnership.

2) Lead with context, rejecting any notion of ‘a journey’

People are not linear and logical. Something might happen and prompt a thought which leads to someone buying a garden strimmer. Could you create that moment? For example, are there PR tactics which will encourage playful use of your products and services? Or is there a product feature that you could bring back?

People don’t logically go from A to B. They rely on vastly different elements of your category to help them consider a purchase. What is the current context, and could your business help people see the lighter side?

3) Do some, not all the thinking for people

There’s a dopamine hit associated with filling in a crossword puzzle, or even doing a join-the-dots that makes people feel smart, and more attached to what they’ve just done. So it is when working with customers. Few people ever said they loved a movie because it was clear; instead, they loved it because they felt more personally involved.

Nowadays, there’s a tendency to pre-digest tasks we want customers to perform, to say nothing of ‘saying what it is’ in advertising copy. Please, shy away from that. Your ads and presence needn’t be too opaque, but there should be some form of interaction that assumes a certain level of understanding and gives people space to think for themselves. Could you bring back a ‘trinket’ that people know, or, better yet, create one today? This positive friction will make your business and brand more robust.

4) Consider the prototype

Typically, prototypes are decried as expensive, hard to obtain items. But why is that a problem? Why can’t you encourage your people, both staff and current customers, to share what they’d like to see more of? Why can’t you release limited versions? After all, it worked for Nokia, turning what was a niche concern of their business into the bulk of their revenues.

Don’t be too quick to write-off failure, either. What’s the lesson prototype a, b and c teach the business? The only crime is creating something and not learning why the market didn’t like it. Much like the point before, you must leave space in your strategy for people to respond to – not just creating the most optimised washing machine that just does the job. Brutal efficiency is very easy to take for granted. You could say that certain manufacturers, with their very annoying memorable washing machine finishing tune/s, really understand the importance of whimsy and whim-wham.

I hope you enjoyed this little musing on the value of whimsy. You never know; the seemingly inconsequential and ornamental could have massive implications for your business.

Thanks for having me, JP.

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