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We’ve already been asked a few times by clients… ‘What would a 100% Virtual Strategy Studio look like?’ Ok, it’s probably not like the image in this picture. Unless of course, maybe it is? It does look kind of fun. But that isn’t the issue.
What this virtual studio is like to work with is the part that really matters.
To be honest we don’t have a fully formed idea of the destination in mind. That’s part of what makes the whole thing so interesting. And right now we’re focussing on building the underlying brains that will underpin everything.
But we do have some ideas. We think the traditional self serve SaaS approach in insight is broken and we need to start again with a new model.
Used in the right way generative AI technologies can help get us to a better place. Here’s what we have in mind…
The toughest challenges
The problem is… tech solutions are typically a race to the bottom… faster, cheaper and only able to answer the most basic questions within narrow frames of reference
The Virtual Strategy Studio will take on the most demanding of client challenges… across category & brand growth strategy, innovation and comms strategy. The ones that require great data, insightful understanding and breakthrough thinking. A single place to go to get the answers you need by pulling together what you need from across data sources and areas of expertise.
This isn’t the direction most technology and generative AI applications are going. The focus tend to be more on enabling and accelerating existing processes, fine tuning small pieces of the puzzle rather than giving the big picture.
We want to take a step back and ask the questions ‘if we totally reinvent how agencies work based on new technology where can it take us?’
World class insight & thinking
The problem is… it’s hard to find the best human brains, to have the budgets to hire them and then have their undivided attention on your questions and project
To take on this big strategic challenges the Virtual Strategy Studio would need to deliver insight and thinking at least as strong as the best agencies of today, or even better. We realise that’s a tough benchmark and sets a really ambitions vision. But that’s what makes it so exciting.
Ok, it’s hard to see how this goal is even possible if you look at the results you get from tools like ChatGPT. But even from the experiments we’ve already run we believe it is possible. The underlying technology of LLMs is capable of so much more than the chat experience implies. It’s about combing the power of the models with deep industry expertise and getting them to work together in harmony.
Scale, quantification & numbers
The problem is… you normally have to choose between robustness and numbers vs richness and depth of insight. It’s very hard to get both
The Virtual Strategy Studio would need to combine the quant and the qual of the insight and strategy world seamlessly, just as a really good human agency does.
These are traditionally two very differing disciplines. But the ability to analyse rich text and image based datasources at scale allows us to bring them together in ways never seen before. We see a future where its possible to move effortlessly between the validation and the depth and richness with breakthrough thinking underpinned by a clear evidence trail.
Again this is an area where exposure purely to qualitative chat based tools can mislead about the potential of generative AI. Employing the capabilities of generative AI using structured frameworks and at scale opens up a new world of possibilities.
Service, NOT software
The problem is… software is just another tool to pay for and for people to learn (or ignore!) It fragments data and knowledge into increasingly isolated silos
I’ve got a theory that the whole insight SaaS model is broken. Self service software was supposed to be a panacea, but seems to be creating more problems than it solves, for clients and the providers. The supplier side model is broken and being supported by VC money (Ive got commercial data that supports this, but that’s for another post).
However the rejection of self service software is a key principle of the ONE Virtual Strategy Studio Vision. There will be no subscriptions, no self service software, no user interface, no dashboards (thank God!) You would interact with the Studio in the same way you do any human agency… via email, messaging and ultimately by video call. Proposals, research, presentations, thoughts and ideas passed back and forth between client and virtual agency.
And importantly all of the data, knowledge and expertise needed to solve any challenge is all in one place, not spread across multiple pieces of software. Insight teams and decision makers can get direct access to the support they need to solve their toughest brand growth challenges.
Fast & iterative
The problem is… Traditional approaches aren’t just slow. The commitment in time and resources send you down paths it’s very hard to course correct from
The Virtual Strategy Studio would operate at great speed, with highly complex processes across data collection, analytics, strategy development, storytelling and ideation happening in hours.
And this would be an iterative process, not linear. The different models would work together, building off each other’s work and fine tuning over a virtual feedback loop. If the project needed to course correct and take a new direction it would be possible with negligible impact on timing and costs, as many times as needed.
So the pace of delivery would fit naturally with the cadence of the human clients for which the agency was working. (Yes we have no plans or desire to develop 100% virtual clients.) This could be incredibly fast where just a quick hit of insight and strategic thinking was needed, or an ongoing working relationship over months where more of a partnership is required.
Priced for wide application
The problem is… great insight and strategic thinking is currently reserved for those times when time and budget allow for the investment. Many decisions go unsupported.
The Virtual Strategy Studio would be more cost effective than a human agency, but not with the goal of running strategic budgets down. Our goal would be to help clients apply high value insight and strategy work to projects across the spectrum of size and complexity.
That way we could help raise the bar on decision making across the board, not just for the high ticket projects that get agency focus today.
Fun to do
The problem is… Insight and strategy is hugely valuable, but it can often be dry and boring. Something people have to do to tick a box, not something they want to do
The Virtual Strategy Studio would fun. We just think that’s the way it should be. If you’re going to reinvent the insight and strategy agency world then why not do it in a way that engages people. That draws people in and makes them be a part of it because they want to be, not just because their job demands. Become a Netflix, Amazon Prime or Disney+ of the agency world (in a good way).
Perhaps this is the most ambitious goal of all. But we have to try.
In short the Virtual Strategy Studio experience needs to be something truly transformative that can revolutionise the worlds of insight and brand strategy.
It’s the thought we keep returning to. It’s exciting and it’s scary at the same time. But it’s going to be fun too. We hope you join us for the journey.
