REFRAME
LEARNING TO
LEARNING TO
CREATED BY
JULIAN COLE
is a strategy consultant who works with brands and agencies to create world class integrated campaigns.
SAVANNAH SIMMS
is a junior strategist at Geometry based in Minneapolis.
MARCO DEL VALLE
is a strategist at Epoch in Bristol, and creator of the #30DaysofStrategy Challenge.
OVERVIEW
OVERVIEW
‘Reframes’ are a close relation to ‘insights’ in the world of strategy.
They help to reveal the world in a new way for our audience., that in the case of advertising hopefully leads to action.
This deck we want to explain what reframing is and how you can use it, with some great examples along the way.
-Marco, Julian & Savannah
Changing the perspective through which your audience sees your brand, in order to change their behavior towards it.
It can be used across the strategy process, whether defining the problem, uncovering the insight, or highlighting a benefit.
WHAT IS REFRAMING?
BUSINESS
CONSUMER
BRAND
THREE TYPES OF REFRAMES
Every good strategy lies on a strong foundation. By reframing the objective or problem the brand faces, you can ensure you’re starting on the right one.
Clients don’t think they have a problem at all
Clients are focusing on basic, executional issues
Clients aren’t sure what the problem is
Reframe Strengths�Show that your brand’s strength might actually be a weakness
Reframe the Problem
Show that your clients’ problem might be completely different from what it appears to be
Reframe the Objective�Show that your company’s real goal is different from their existing goal
BUSINESS PROBLEM
WHEN TO REFRAME
ROLE OF REFRAMING
The initial frame: In this example from HBR, the initial problem is that the elevator is too slow - a technical problem that leads to technical solutions.
The reframe: But you can reframe the issue from a technical problem to a personal one - it’s not that the elevator is too slow, it’s that the wait is annoying
The result: With this reframe, your solution space expands - covering things like adding music or putting in a notice board
Tip�Reframing the problem is useful when you (or your clients) are stuck - especially when the existing problem is leading to the same, cliched solutions.
EXAMPLE: REFRAMING THE PROBLEM
THE ELEVATOR PROBLEM
The initial frame: Downtown Dog Rescue started with a simple objective: get more dogs adopted
The reframe: But they stepped back and realized that what really mattered wasn’t getting dogs adopted - it was reducing the number of dogs without a home
The result: DDR reframed the objective from cure to prevention, leading to a new focus - helping owners care for their dogs better, so no dog gets put up for adoption in the first place
Tip�Reframing the objective is useful in cases where brands have very limited, prescriptive objectives (e.g. launch a Christmas campaign) or when their real objective is unclear (sales vs. premiumization vs. frequency)
EXAMPLE: REFRAMING THE OBJECTIVE
DOWNTOWN DOG RESCUE
The initial frame: Over the years, Nescafe had built up a strong association with convenience
The reframe: But they realized that consumers were starting to seek slower moments and quality drinks. Nescafe’s strength had become its weakness
The result: Because they’d reframed their strength, they were able to create a new one - creating subbrands that focused on slower, crafted moments
Tip�Reframing the objective is useful cases where clients are way too confident in the product, and don’t believe they have any problems
EXAMPLE: REFRAMING STRENGTHS
NESCAFE
2. CONSUMER
Reframing isn’t just about the problem - it can also be used as an antidote to see consumers in a fresh way and inspire exciting insights
Your consumers are heavily stereotyped (e.g. Millennials)
You’re working with an overhyped occasion
You’re struggling to find brand-new, revelatory information to create an insight
Reframe Your Audience�Redefine your consumers and their behavior in a different label
Reframe the Occasion
Show that an occasion/event means something different than what it usually does
Reframe Consumers’ Motivations�Show that your competitors’ strength is actually their weakness
CONSUMER �INSIGHT
WHEN TO REFRAME
ROLE OF REFRAMING
The initial frame: Sports brands have always taken inspiration from hardcore, competitive athletes
The reframe: But Puma decided to reframe athleticism from competitive to casual. Weekend billiards and darts players are athletes in their own right.
The result: Puma were able to unlock a new audience, making other sports brands look over-serious and pretentious in the process
Tip�Thinking about labels and metaphors can help show an audience in a new light. Try taking the common stereotypes of your audience and flipping them around.
EXAMPLE: REFRAME AUDIENCE
AFTER HOURS ATHLETE
The initial frame: Highways England wanted to inform people that tailgating was a major cause of road accidents
The reframe: But they realized that people didn’t really care about the safety issues of tailgating - especially when their peers did it proudly. So they reframed tailgating from a safety issue to an etiquette issue
The result: This reframe led to the Space Invader campaign, which showed that being a tailgater means invading other drivers’ personal space
Tip�Think about your problem through the lens of peoples’ deeper motivations - attraction, ambition, safety and see how that affects your brand’s mission
EXAMPLE: REFRAME MOTIVATIONS
HIGHWAYS ENGLAND - SPACE INVADER
The initial frame: Christmas is a very important occasion for many brands...and it’s a very cliched one as a result
The reframe: IKEA flipped the associations of Christmas - from a time of excitement to a time of worry
The result: This reframe led to the Silence the Haters campaign, which highlighted the worries families face about hosting others in their homes
Tip�Think about all the associations, assumptions and stereotypes about the campaign (brand?), and try to flip them
EXAMPLE: REFRAME OCCASION
IKEA SILENCE THE HATERS
3. BRAND
When your brand feels like a its lagging behind competitors, held back by its flaws, reframing can help turn those flaws on its head.
Your brand has a weakness it can’t seem to escape
Your competitors are superior to you in most conventional measures
Your brand blends into its category
Your brand’s category is commoditized
Reframe a Weakness�Show that your brand’s weakness is actually its strength
Reframe Your Product
Show that your brand provides something completely different than what it seems
Reframe Your Competitors�Show that your competitors’ strength is actually their weakness
Reframe Your Competitive Set�Show that your brand’s benefit in a completely different category
BRAND EDGE
WHEN TO REFRAME
ROLE OF REFRAMING
The initial frame: Avis was lagging behind its bigger, stronger, more powerful rival, Hertz
The reframe: Avis flipped its weakness into a strength - being smaller meant they tried harder, cared more, and provided better, more dedicated service
The result: Avis launched its iconic “We try harder” campaign, and went from losing $3.2 million to earning $1.2 million - the first time it had been profitable in more than a decade
Tip�This is useful when your brand is an underdog or an outcast in its field - look at your weaknesses and find the contexts, audiences, or moments where it could be a strength
EXAMPLE: REFRAMING WEAKNESSES
AVIS
The initial frame: For better or worse, McDonalds has always been a value brand - but when it comes to coffee, consumers look for quality
The reframe: McDonalds realized that other brands’ strength - being complex and crafted - was actually a set-back. It reframed quality as a question of simplicity, not expertise
The result: Mcdonalds launched a campaign that poked fun at “hipster” coffee brands, showing that great-tasting coffee can be simple
Tip�Look at the conventions and best practices of the category - and find the contexts, audiences, or moments where they could be a weakness
EXAMPLE: REFRAMING COMPETITORS
MCDONALDS COFFEE
The initial frame: The AA has never been a glamorous service. Insurance, breakdown coverage - it’s a necessary evil
The reframe: The AA realized that for the members who needed it most, they saw AA as an emergency service on par with police and fire rescues
The result: The AA adapted a core line of the “4th Emergency Service.” reframing it from a necessary evil to a social good
Tip�Look at how your key audience sees your brand. What are the real jobs/benefits the product provides for them?
EXAMPLE: REFRAMING PRODUCT
AA
The initial frame: At its core, Seedlip’s product isn’t anything new. It’s sweet, fruity - just like cordials and squashes (Innocent costs £2 per 750ml)
The reframe: But by reframing it as a non-alcoholic spirit, its competitor set shifts to artisan gins, immediately raising its price (£24 per 750ml)
The result: Seedlip hasn’t just reframed its category - it’s created a new one - tapping a new occasion and audience in the process
Tip�Question your brand’s category - where is it really playing? This is particularly useful when it comes to framing price and value
EXAMPLE: REFRAMING THE COMPETITOR SET
SEEDLIP
THREE LEVELS OF REFRAMES
BUSINESS
CONSUMER
BRAND
END
END
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