The Sound's guide to crafting a concept... that doesn't suck.

1. CRAFTING A
CONCEPT (THAT
DOESN’T SUCK)
The Sound Guide - Volume 1

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Welcome to the first monthly issue of The Sound’s Guide series.
Each month, we will be publishing a simple guide to the key elements we think people who want
to be good at Strategy, Innovation, and Research need to know.
At The Sound, we aim to be good at Strategy, Innovation, and Research, and this is how we do it.
This month we look at crafting a concept... that doesn’t suck.

3. Dear concept. I HATE YOU.
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At The Sound, we craft lots of marketing concepts for new
brands, brand extensions and brand positionings.
Sometimes the process is as smooth as a buttered Michael
Buble, and then there are the times it’s like watching Vice
whilst trying to feel good about the world (aka impossible).
So, why is it sometimes lovely and fun and easy yet so often hard
and horrible and riddled with conflict?
This week in our series of Sound Guides, we identify some of the
things you need to know about crafting a concept for qualitative
research and indeed beyond.

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What is a concept? Well, let’s start with what it’s not. A concept is not written in stone and
therefore ready for market. It is not the new ‘reality’ that we all have to adopt as soon as
its drafted or presented in a focus group. This means a concept doesn’t have to be perfect
or even possible. It can be imperfect and impossible (in fact that might even be better).
Rather a concept is a hypothesis to be tested and explored. It can be as wrong as buttering
Michael Buble but actually, it doesn’t really matter. What does matter is that the concept
generates a deep and meaningful response and allows the research process to explore new
territories and avenues. We would rather research concepts that are violently rejected than
concepts that are largely inoffensive and provoke no debate. Basically we want concepts that are
more Pussy Riot than Michael Buble (this is the last time we will mention Michael Buble. Promise.)
So relax, be experimental, be bold...
WHAT IS A CONCEPT anyway?

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Big ideas tend to be mobilizing and perhaps disruptive - exactly the kind of things that
most people want their brands to be.
If it’s a small idea, a brief thought if you like, what makes you think the idea will generate big
volume? The best concepts are big ideas, with the brand solving a genuine human problem.
In fact, even the smallest innovation should be able to be laddered to a big human idea (in our
humble opinion). For example, just asking people to dunk an Oreo in milk could be viewed as a
big idea if it’s laddered to bonding time between child and parent. It’s not just about a wet
cookie anymore, is it?
So make sure your concept feels like a big idea. If it doesn’t, start again.
BIG IDEAS ONLY please

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Storytelling is little bit like big data. Everyone seems to be obsessed with it, but
no-one really knows quite what it is or why we need to care.
We need to think about storytelling when we write concepts because people engage
with stories, they relate to stories, they learn from stories, and they pass on information
through stories...
Storytelling is key to writing a concept that generates a discussion and insightful
response. So try and think of your concept as a means of telling a story (if you use The
Sound to generate your concepts, the entire workshop or innovation process will be
based around storytelling, but that, as they say, is another story...).
So, imagine your concept as play or a movie: set the stage with the big idea, make the
brand the hero, and ensure the reader feels like they've been saved / redeemed /
gotten the girl/boy.
TELL ME a story

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This may be a shocker, but, in general, people don’t care about brands as
much as brand managers or agency people.
So, as an aside, please stop asking “what do consumers think about brands?” The
answer is, “they don’t.” Firstly, they’re ‘people’ and not ‘consumers,’ and secondly,
they think about their life, relationships, dreams, health, hopes and fears. And
generally, they don’t tend think about these things through the lens of brands and
branding. The reality is that some brands help them live their lives and facilitate
moments of escape, happiness, love, connection, victory, satisfaction etc... and
some brands don’t.
So when it comes to creating a concept, you need to think about people first and
your brand second (yes even within the context of your brand concept). If you do
this, people might just appreciate that you understand them and are trying to
deliver something for them (rather than your CMO).
POWER TO the people

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First up, we need to draw the reader in. We need them to see
a headline that gets their attention (see above).
Then, we need to start with a sentence, written in the first person,
that seeks to connect at a broader human level and has some kind
of tension within it that introduces the problem the brand will
ultimately solve. No tension, then no role for the brand to play...
For example “I love writing brand concepts, and they’re are really important
part of my job but sometimes I get so stressed out writing them that I go home
all grumpy, my partner hates me, and I can no longer make sweet love.”
Now this is a big problem that needs to be solved...
THE BETTER THE CONCEPT, the better the lover

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OK, we’ve drawn them in, shown them we understand their life, and presented
a problem that needs solving. So, now we need to solve it in a way that’s
persuasive without being ‘douchey,’ compelling without being ‘salesy.’ In other
words, no one in a group should read this and say, “that was written by
someone who works in marketing...”
Next, we need to describe the product’s functional attributes so the reader begins to
see how our amazing product is going to solve this real and genuine problem (that
we made them focus on in the opening sentence).
For example, we might say something like, “At The Sound, we try and make concept
generation kind of fun and painless. We facilitate face-to-face and online approaches, where
consumers and experts tell stories about their lives, the future, brands and products, and then we
turn these into provocative brand ideas that disrupt categories and move people.” Actually, this
does sound like it was written by a marketer, doesn’t it? Oh well, no one’s perfect...
SOLVING THE lack of love

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We’ve set the problem, we’ve solved the problem
functionally, and now we need to wrap it all up with a bow
and sign off with something that evokes emotion and
makes people want to do something (like buy the product).
We need to finish our concept with a rallying cry if you like.
This needs to be big and bold and exciting and catchy.
Something like, ‘Make Concepts Not War’
THE money shot

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SO NOW YOU NEED TO READ IT THROUGH
AND IF IT’S BORING start again...
The better the concept, the better the lover
I love writing brand concepts, and they are a really important part of
my job, but sometimes I get so stressed out writing them that I go home
all grumpy, my partner hates me, and I can no longer make sweet love.
At The Sound, we try and make concept generation kind of fun and
painless. We facilitate face-to-face and online approaches, where
consumers and experts tell stories about their lives, the future, brands
and products, and then we turn these into provocative brand ideas that
disrupt categories and move people.
Make Concepts Not War

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SO GO WRITE
a concept…
Thank you for reading the first of The Sound Guides. We hope you enjoyed the experience,
and please come back next month when we’ll be publishing the next slightly offensive, but
never boring, guide to strategy, innovation, and research.
Remember, no matter what anyone tells you, insight is art.
Go on, contact us at info@thesoundhq.com. We’d love to hear from you!

13. V A N C O U V E R | N E W Y O R K | L O N D O N | T O R O N T O | C H I C A G O | M U M B A I
W W W . T H E S O U N D H Q . C O M

14. IMAGE REFERENCES
SLIDE SITE
1 http://futurecontent.co/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/marketing-white-board.jpg
3 http://sites.psu.edu/siowfa15/wp-content/uploads/sites/29639/2015/12/frustrated-boy-studying.bmp
4
http://www.ufunk.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/lego-art-marco-sodano-1.jpg
http://www.reddotad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Mere-Kraft-Featured.jpg
http://adsoftheworld.com/sites/default/files/images/matchbox_fly.JPG
http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1569659/images/o-DOVE-REAL-BEAUTY-facebook.jpg
5 http://ciphermagazine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Big-Idea-photo-final.jpg
6 http://static.srcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/Scary-TV-American-Horror-Story.jpg
7 http://sharpeye.london/product/all-power-to-the-people-image-black-white-canvas-print
8 https://d12vb6dvkz909q.cloudfront.net/uploads/galleries/27625/the-notebook-4.jpg
9 http://internationalschoolparent.com/wp-content/uploads/man-couple-people-woman-1024x683.jpg
10 https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/60/1d/cb/601dcb0c3d633e00791c0fb258c82215.jpg
11 http://www.entwellbeing.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/speech-therapy-articulation-vs-phonology-therapy.jpg
12 http://gallery.yopriceville.com/var/albums/Free-Clipart-Pictures/School-Clipart/Quill_and_Ink_Pot_Transparent_PNG_Vector_Clipart.png?m=1433761424
14THE SOUND
THE SOUND GUIDE - VOLUME 1