INNOCEAN Essay0like

Think Big. Act Small.

Greg Braun (ECD, IWA)

Greg Braun is the Executive Creative Director at IWA, where he provides creative vision, leadership and inspiration for the agency’s national brand, digital, social and retail work. His approach sets the tone for innovative, integrated, sales-driving and award-win

“INNOCEAN Essay” will carry a series of columns written by our own INNOCEAN colleagues. This free essay will allow us to explore the writer’s personal life, in addition to his or her perspective on creativity, global marketing trends, current issues, etc. In this issue, Greg Braun, ECD, INNOCEAN Worldwide Americas, discusses his take on corporate philosophy.

We have a new mantra at INNOCEAN Worldwide Americas(“IWA”). Think Big. Act Small. The meaning of the first half, Think Big, should be a self-evident call to arms. It means we have to bring our biggest and best ideas to work every day. We need to envision profound possibilities for our clients, the kind that our competitors don’t or just simply can’t.

Think Big is also a potent maxim for our clients. It inspires them to draw upon the deep talent pool at IWA. Think Big resonates with new clients as well because we have the resources in place today to onboard multiple large clients, simultaneously. In terms of growth and impact, Big is what we are designed to achieve.

So how do we achieve big results?
We act small. Act Small is the second half of our mantra. It might sound counterintuitive. But, the effectiveness of acting small is undeniable. Why? Because acting small empowers each of us to be nimble, efficient, spontaneous and exciting. In effect, those are also the attributes that embody great and effective work.

At INNOCEAN, we have the resources of a large network. But, we don’t have the stifling financial restrictions of a holding company. Said in a smaller way, we are independent. That means we answer to no one but our clients.
We had a lot to prove. And we need to continue to prove our model works harder every day. We have accomplished what no other agency in the USA has been able to achieve in partnership with Hyundai Motor. In just 5 years, Hyundai brand consideration has increased 48%. Sales increased 85%. Market share is up 70%. Beyond that, Hyundai has remained #1 in customer loyalty for the entire tenure with IWA.

Those results have not only impressed new clients, but they also reflect our growth. In the last two years, we’ve grown the amount of brands we work with: Alpina Greek Yogurt, See’s Candies, Vans, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, NRG and FJ. Our mantra and our focus are providing a robust foundation for enduring partnerships. Clients find our approach relevant to their businesses. After all, they are under increasing pressure to do more with less.

Think Big. Act Small. It’s more than a catchy phrase. By acting small we are staying true to our entrepreneurial roots as well as our namesake, INNOCEAN, an ocean of innovation. It’s been said that innovation is born of necessity. Clients need more innovation than ever. Consumer engagement demands innovation. Growth demands innovation. If we are to achieve big results for our clients and, by extension, ourselves, we must always know how to think and act.