A neon sign saying open

Working in the open with an established brand

By Kathryn Dingle 21 August 2019 3 minute read

Starting to work in the open isn’t easy.

There are a few things we have had to grapple with in the early stages. Below are a few of my reflections on the tensions that I’ve come across when moving into working in the open.

 

Reflections

Balancing brand guidelines and work that is in progress.

We are a consultancy that prides itself on delivery good quality, well thought through work. We aren’t used to thinking in the open, at least not publicly! Our content is organic, current and definitely not perfect! I hasn’t gone through the comms team and is usually a stream of my consciousness. If you add allowing external partners to contribute content without approval, then the conversation with the comms team is trickier, because the risks are much higher.

Making the most of your comms team when your work isn’t going through the comms team.

This requires a balancing act between making the most of their expertise, whilst also respecting their time when they don’t have control over our content. We have focused our time with the communications team on strategic thinking and branding. They have supported us with the overall vision for NPC Labs and key guidance on writing for different audiences.

Understanding that good enough is good enough.

As a team we are used to writing reports, blogs, presentations, training sessions, etc., that have been trialled and tested. We are now trialling and testing in the open. Personally, I find this exciting, but I can see why others shy away from it.

I’d love to hear if these experience resonate with you and if you have any ideas on how others could overcome these hurdles!

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