“We always search how to leverage digital and tech”
Los Angeles, 9th May, 2019
Bold+Beyond (B+B) is a Consulting and Digital Creative agency. Its business model combines business consulting and creative work 50/50, to generate effective growth and value for its clients.
Julien Subit, Founder and CEO at B+B points out, “Our vision is to create ideas and solutions based on a deep understanding of our client’s industries and organization. We consider marketing and digital as an investment, thus we focus on ROI and real value.”
With offices in Los Angeles and Paris, B+B’s team of 20 strong profesionals is split in three departments: Branding, Digital and Advertising, providing services such as Business Strategy, Go-To-Market, Brand Strategy, Brand Content, Data Science, Website and Apps, Paid Media and Social Media.
“We serve a wide range of companies,” says Julien, “from innovative start-ups to global Fortune 500 firms and have delivered more than 1,000 engagements at 200+ clients.”
We wanted to learn more, so we asked Julien about B+B’s discovery and creative building process.
What is discovery process and what is it used for?
Discovery is a fact-finding process to learn more about your client and its objectives. For us this is a key phase in the beginning of a new partnership.
During this step, we uncover the client needs and objectives, define the company’s DNA and unique competitive advantages, identify the challenges, determine the leverages and desired results which will be used to create value from the core.
The specialty at B+B resides in the fact that we work during the entire process with experienced consultants specialized in the client industry to create effective value.
Deliverables includes Business Analysis Deck, Strategy Presentation, Road Map, and Notes, to name but a few.
How long can an entire discovery modelling process take?
It really depends on the client industry and profile. It can take from two weeks to three months depending on the project.
For example, if you are supporting a Fortune 100 firm in its digital transformation, the implication for the companies is both challenging and sensitive which requires more time to guarantee the right execution.
On the other side, the process with an innovative start-up might be faster due to two reasons, first the necessity to quickly go to market and the value in (always) testing new solutions. The second one is that we’ve been helping start-ups for the past 10 years now and have access to a whole set of data and insights.
Does your agency have a particularly building process? Can you please describe it?
Business consultants and creatives work separately to define what would be their own strategy. In a second step, we confront all the recommendations and challenge the assumptions.
On the business side, this step allows us to identify the key industry codes and pain points we need to manage.
On the creative side, it allows us to guarantee that all our ideas and solutions are based on the company’s and brand’s DNA. During the execution phase, both consultants and creatives work hand in hand even sharing the same desks.
Another important step, is the technology input. In the creative process, we always search how to leverage digital and tech, to spread and engage with the audience. This unique process guarantees us to (almost) always hit the spot.
Could you please list some of the questions you ask on the discovery process?
The questions are usually divided in three categories: the business, the brand, and the data.
• How would you describe your company’s DNA? What makes you unique?
• What do you think your three key differentiators are compared to your competitors?
• Which products or services provide you with the most growth and profitability?
• What are the key results you want to reach?
• Why do you want to achieve this specific project or go in this specific direction?
• On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being urgent, where are you right now with wanting to achieve your desired result?
• What were the three most important events in the last 12 months?
• How would you describe the brand identity? What are the brand values?
• What is your core target and why?
• Could you provide us with the data for XYZ?
How difficult is it to convince clients they should pay for this service?
Most of our clients come from referrals or word of mouth which, (we must admit) makes it easier. However, I can see from experience that this is a recurring question and always a challenge for agencies, especially new ones. I think it’s key to take the time to explain your process, define the objectives and explain why you need those key steps to create growth. Every client wants to create value and is ultimately looking for growth.
Sharing your references and results with your clients brings you to explain how you achieved them.
A concrete example is HUM Nutrition who received the Forbes awards in the Online Marketing category for increasing its quarterly revenues by +30% on social media. You don’t reach that kind of results without a deep understanding of your market, audience, and a strong strategy.
What challenges do you face today in your agency in this respect?
Half of our job is to gather the best talents in the world. It’s in our DNA, we are a 100% result-oriented. To perform you need the best people and the best specialists.
In today’s world the market is extremely competitive. Tech giants like the GAFA have the capacity to hire a User Experience designer for more than $300,000 a year, or $1,250 a day – which would imply for an agency to charge at least $2,000 a day, which might look expensive for a client.
To face this challenge, the entire team receives a bonus compensation based on effective results. It guarantees a complete determination to reach objectives, above and beyond… so everybody is happy!
How do you explain what you do for a living to a child?
We help people to grow their business.
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
I started my career in Finance. I spent two years in Merger & Acquisition and three years in Private Equity. I love to understand businesses and how to help them grow. If I had to make a wild choice, I would definitely say venture capital.
Where do you live? What makes your city special?
I live in Los Angeles now. I spent 30 years in Paris, which is, for sure, one of the most beautiful cities in the world and has an amazing culture. However, LA is the only place in the world where every culture is represented and living together. The value that comes with that is astonishing!
Where do you go if you want to get inspired?
To get inspired I go online, for sure! I know that might sound basic, but it works for me. I also love Contemporary Art, and would definitely recommend the Broad Museum!
Where do you relax?
I love running and boxing in Santa Monica, chilling in Malibu with a good book and of course Netflix!
Thanks Julien!
By Geny Caloisi.
genyc@topinteractiveagencies.com
Follow Julien Subit on social media:
LinkedIn
Follow Bold+Beyond on social media:
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