thought leadership
Welcome to our blog …a space designed for Fifteen4 news, advice, commentary, storytelling, and well, how our entire team of leaders think. Here is where we keep all the content that gives you a clearer picture of who we are, what we do, how we think [about the industry we love] and the many ways to tell a brand story, without resorting to buzzwords like “data-driven paradigm shift” or “brand story.”
don’t fear the pivot: when scope changes are actually an opportunity
You’ve kicked off a project. The strategy’s locked in. Timelines are rolling. Everyone’s aligned. And then—something shifts. Maybe a new stakeholder weighs in. Or the product messaging evolves. Or feedback reveals an unexpected direction. Suddenly, what started out as...
don’t fear the pivot: when scope changes are actually an opportunity
You’ve kicked off a project. The strategy’s locked in. Timelines are rolling. Everyone’s aligned. And then—something shifts. Maybe a new stakeholder weighs in. Or the product messaging evolves. Or feedback reveals an unexpected direction. Suddenly, what started out as...
Rushing the Creative Process: What It Really Costs
It’s a familiar scenario: the deadline moved up, the budget got tighter, or a new priority landed in your inbox—yesterday. Suddenly, what started as a strategic creative initiative turns into a race against the clock. We get it. Deadlines are real. Timelines matter....
Why the Smartest Work at First Round NYC Had Nothing to Do with Headcount.
At First Round NYC 2025, what struck me wasn’t how different each agency was in scale, but how remarkably aligned they were in their pursuit of clarity, originality, and strategy-led branding. From global agencies like Collins and Wolff Ollins to nimble shops like...
We’re Not Just a Vendor—We’re a Creative Partner
If you’ve ever worked with a transactional agency, you know the drill: you send a brief, they deliver a file, and that’s that. Maybe the work checks the boxes—but it doesn’t spark anything. There’s no insight. No energy. No sense that they’re truly invested in your...
Project Manager or Therapist? Sometimes Both.
Ask any project manager in a creative agency, and they’ll tell you: their job goes far beyond tracking timelines and managing deliverables. Yes, PMs are the glue that holds complex projects together. But they’re also the first to step in when tension arises, the...
What Storytime Taught Me About B2B Marketing
Inspiration can come from the most unlikely of places. Architecture, paintings, nature... and yes, even children's books. As the parent of a book-loving toddler, I find myself immersed in the world of children's literature daily. Sometimes it's the same story on...
Attention Spans Are Short (And My Toddler Just Proved It)
I'm sitting at my kitchen table on a chilly Thursday afternoon, wrestling with the challenge of writing about video and animation while recovering from a family bout of Norovirus. Ms. Rachel's voice blares from the TV, my toddler punctuates the background noise with...
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thought leadership
Thoughts, opinions, education...things that will make your professional life better.
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podcast
Every episode of the branding world's greatest podcast: The Design of Experience.
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news
The latest happenings within and around the agency.
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culture
Employee and office musings. Usually humorous, always feel-good.