Why, how, what?
We love digital craft and for craft you need tools. Our tool is the Sterce Model, a model that makes you think about who you are and what is happening around you. From here, you can set goals and strategies. In our section on the Sterce Model, we walk through this tool in full. This week, we start with the core of the Sterce Model: 'why, how and what'.
The sequence of why, how and what doesn't come out of the blue. Simon Sinek introduced this new thinking model after his research into why some brands are successful and why others are not. You have to think from your passion: why does your organisation exist? What do you actually believe in? That's your why! Only then comes the how and the what.
Why why why
That's all well and good, but if we're going to stay in the 'why' phase of toddlers, why not start by asking why 'why' is so important in establishing your brand? If we go a little deeper than the model you see everywhere, there is a very logical explanation for this.
Why why why is so important
You could divide the brain into three components: the neocortex, the basal ganglia and the limbic system. The neocortex is responsible for thoughts. Think about processing language, rationalisation, logic and planning and is activated when asked a 'what' question. The basal ganglia and limbic system are responsible for feelings: emotions, loyalty, trust, decision making, habits, learning and behaviour. These are activated by a 'why' question. You know those moments when you do something or find something because you felt it would be fun or useful? Probably most of your daily activity. Then the limbic system is the one responsible! Do you buy an iPhone because you looked up the specs all the way through and compared it to other phones (what) or just because your gut says it's a fat device (why)? Or because you identify yourself with the Apple brand and what it believes?"
From emotion to thought
Take a moment to forget these complicated terms again. While doing so, remember that there is a biological reason why 'why' is a higher priority than 'what' or 'how'. So start with 'why' to respond to emotion. Later does come those 'how and what' questions to explain the 'why'. That does not mean, by the way, that ' how and what' are less important.
Sterce application
We too look at ourselves from the why. In practice, this then looks as follows:
What do we actually believe in?We believe in creating extraordinary results together.
How do we achieve this?Through a mix of enthusiasm, passion, craftsmanship and a touch of whimsy.
And what do we actually offer?We are a partner who, together with the client, sets objectives, translates this into an online marketing mix (websites, intranet, Facebook/Twitter campaigns, Adwords, etc.) and achieves extraordinary results.