The courage to defy best practices
Clients ask for a rebrand that looks like no one else, then fear creeps in. Calvin Ross Carl on why that moment calls for the courage to push harder.
Summary
Calvin Ross Carl describes a moment that happens with almost every client. During brand strategy, the client says again and again that they want a dramatic change, that they don’t want to look like anyone else, and that the rebrand should be shocking and truly distinct. Then the fear of risk creeps up. Calvin sees that as an important moment for both sides: a reminder to push harder and remember that the whole point is reaching real distinction. It takes courage to remember that innovation only happens when you defy best practices.
Highlights
- Clients often ask for a rebrand unlike anyone else’s.
- Fear of risk creeps in as the work gets real.
- That moment is a cue to push harder, not retreat.
Key insights
Cold feet are predictable
The gap between wanting distinction and executing it shows up on nearly every project.
Push when it matters most
Calvin treats the moment of doubt as the moment to recommit to why the client hired an agency.
Detailed analysis
This story grounds Calvin’s argument in agency life. Everyone agrees on distinctiveness in the abstract, but when the work becomes real, best practices start to look safer. Calvin’s point is that the doubt itself is the signal: it shows the work is actually different, which is exactly what the client asked for.
Conclusion
When fear shows up, that’s the work getting real. Push through it.
We usually start doing brand strategy with a client. We’re diving deep into the background of the company, and the client says they want a dramatic change, and they keep saying this over and over and over again. They don’t want to look like anyone else. They don’t want to look like any competitors. And they really want it to be shocking and stand out and be truly distinct as soon as this whole new rebrand launches.
You can see the fear of the risk kind of creep up. And I think that’s a really, really important moment, because that’s usually where, internally for them and for us, it’s a reminder to push harder. To remember why we’re all there—why they’re paying us, essentially—which is to get them to that point of distinction from others.
That’s maybe a little bit hyperbolic, but it’s just been something that we’ve really stood by. And I think it takes a lot of courage to remind ourselves that innovation only happens when you defy best practices.