A reflection from WeThink CEO and co-founder, Patrik Thelin

Last month, we had the joy of celebrating WeThink’s 10-year anniversary, a huge milestone in a journey that I’ve had the honour of being on from the very beginning. Aside from celebrating, I took the time to reflect on how WeThink has grown since its birth, and where we stand in the vast world of advertising agencies. More specifically, I considered how agencies are defined by their features and the services they provide, and how WeThink should be viewed based on those distinctions. 

We are a boutique agency – that’s something I’ve always been quite sure of. More or less everything seems to apply to us when I search online for the features of a boutique agency. A team of less than 30 people? That’s us. The ability to provide custom communication solutions for different clients? Definitely. Flexibility in deadlines? Delivering creative power with adaptable budgets? Strong communication with our partners? Yes, yes and yes. With so much to love, we wear the badge of the boutique agency with pride. 

Blurring the lines

Despite the good name of boutique agencies, there’s an angle that comes up often when I read up on its definition: boutique agencies tend to work with small, local clients and are entirely different to full-service agencies. It isn’t clear if these ideas come from outdated understandings of boutique agencies or perhaps different cultural contexts, but we’d like to offer a rebuttal. 

At WeThink, 90% of our clients are global brands, to whom we offer a full range of services for their localised or international needs. And although we’d certainly consider ourselves a boutique agency, WeThink is capable of providing the same services as most full-service agencies, all with minimal outsourcing. Considering that, it seems fair to see ourselves as a boutique agency that breathes new life into the term – the boutique agency 2.0 if you will. 

Small but global 

So how do we manage to elevate what a boutique agency can do? Of course, a major factor is understanding that the team is key. Our agency is built up of colleagues who bring a wide range of experience and skill sets to the table. Having a strong level of internal communication allows us to use our talents to understand our clients’ needs.     

But it goes beyond the agency itself. Since WeThink was founded 10 years ago, we’ve held onto strategic partnerships that initially helped us strengthen our position as a full-service lead agency in the Nordics, but later helped us grow internationally. A combination of an agency made up of different nationalities (including colleagues that are native speakers of Nordic languages) with a local network of knowledge enabled us to assist clients in entering the Nordic market, whether they be locally-based or coming from abroad. 

But to remain a boutique agency and also have a global standing, a global network is needed. By having worldwide strategic partnerships, like we have with other independent agencies through CommUnity International, we can see further than we would through our local lens. Communicating with other independent agencies gives us great insight into local knowledge of other markets, which has become a key factor in keeping up with the global world. 

The world is changing – we get it

Taking the time to think about what it means to be an independent boutique agency is necessary in my eyes, because it reminds us that the landscape of (digital) marketing is constantly changing. Businesses all over the world are rushing to launch themselves into the global market, and how they go about doing so comes down to what kind of agency they think suits them best. 

In building a global brand, you of course want to work with an agency who can support all your needs, but you’ll still appreciate partnering with a down-to-earth team of experts who can offer you a single point of contact – and all that, WeThink can provide. 

Feel free to reach out to me if you’re interested in learning more about our approach to being an independent boutique agency.  

CEO and co-founder Patrik Thelin contemplates WeThink’s global output 

The other day I got to thinking – the world is chock-full of ways to approach being creative, what sets WeThink apart from the rest? I’d argue it’s the tool we’ve spent a decade perfecting: the Nordic mindset. Taking inspiration from our Scandinavian surroundings, Nordic thinking seeps into all our creative and digital communication solutions. 

But what is the Nordic mindset? To answer that, we might look towards the well-known Scandinavian exports: furniture, toys, art, architecture, sustainable living methods, to name a few. These products shape our view of Nordic thinking; seeing the elegance in a simple form of creativity, one that exudes modernism while evoking nostalgia. It pushes boundaries, but it’s also practical and self-aware. 

For most of the ten years WeThink has existed, Ghita Holst (my fellow co-founder) and I have been focused strategically on establishing our agency in the Nordic market. But lots has changed for us – after our first overseas client and campaign in 2019, we spent the pandemic exploring the potential of extending our reach outside the Nordics. And so far, it’s been a success! The strong relationships we’ve built with our many global partners are a testament to that.

It was through feedback from our global partners that I realised our special approach to communication solutions was powered by the Nordic mindset. In discussion with our creative director Thomas Bo Nielsen, we found that our unspoken philosophy is to put the idea first, meaning function comes before form. That may seem like a simple mantra to follow, but it’s exactly what makes our process special. Through always keeping in mind the story we’re setting out to tell, we allow that initial idea to shape our methods of storytelling, rather than the other way round. We work with insights in an analytical approach to ensure authenticity and relevance, ultimately capturing that elegant simplicity iconic of the Nordic way of doing things through creative precision.  

Based in a country that thrives off the export market, I see this agency as exporting a product of our own; Nordic-inspired creative solutions for our clients’ communication needs. Specialising in the export of our Nordic mindset has led us to success with 70% of our work happening outside of Denmark – in the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Germany, France, The Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland and Spain. And in some cases, clients have gone global with WeThink, letting us take charge of their creative and digital marketing strategies worldwide. Although our hardworking team hails from multiple walks of life, we come together to keep our export of Nordic thinking up and running, ready to take on new challenges from all over the world. 

Don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you’re interested in learning more about our Nordic mindset, and perhaps how it can help you. 

Where it all started

My first proper introduction to advertising was at Copenhagen Business School, during a course called ‘External Communication’. Of course, this wasn’t my first ever encounter with advertising – I’m from the generation where we’re fed advertising from birth – but it was where I learnt its many facets such as strategic planning, branding, and communication. And I was hooked.

Working with media in all shapes and forms

As a part of my education, I started an internship at Wavemaker, an international media agency group. Here I had the pleasure of working with talented and ambitious people within the field of online and offline media strategy throughout the entire customer journey. The internship led to a 4-year long journey working with international brands such as Netflix, Nordea, BSH & Siemens, among others. But I did feel like something was missing.

Moving people

For me, one of the best things about advertising is when a TV spot, a clever SoMe campaign, or even a bus ad moves people with great storytelling and creative execution. I’ve always been inspired by brands who’ve managed to build such strong identities that people can recognise and recall them within seconds. So I knew that at some point in my career, I had to work closer to this part of advertising. And that’s where WeThink comes into the picture.

The missing piece – WeThink

It’s important for me to keep growing my professional skills within strategic consulting in the creative and digital parts of advertising. I also want to be able to utilise all the knowledge I’ve gained throughout the years working with media planning and buying. This is why WeThink was a perfect fit for me – we work with a variety of brands and companies involved in everything from MedTech and software to unions and automobiles. The projects vary from building a brand identity to producing internal material, film productions, branding campaigns, and creative concepts. Being a part of the WeThink family for almost two months now, I’ve been delighted to spend my time surrounded by so many talented, fun, creative, and passionate people. I’m excited to see what the future at WeThink brings!

What’s been happening these past few months 

WeThink is committed to finding different ways to adapt our marketing prowess to the myriad needs of our global clientele. This year has been no break for us in reaching that high standard, and we have been met with a substantial increase in clients, all bringing with them a broad range of new tasks, challenges and opportunities. 

While on our journey to best utilise our expertise in deploying the Nordic mindset to the creative marketing challenges we encounter on a daily basis, we would like to offer a snapshot of the horizons WeThink has in sight after the past few months. 

What we’ve been up to

Among a growing list of new clients, we’ve had the pleasure of working with SellmerDiers – an up-and-coming sperm bank in Denmark, Aiways – a challenger electric car manufacturer, and NovoMar- a sustainable packaged seafood business based in the US.

Aiways

Getting the chance to coordinate with an electric car manufacturer in today’s environment is a big deal. Automobiles are the largest consumer category, and at the same time, people are increasingly switching to electric for convenience, elegance and sustainability. 

Aiways have chosen us as the sole agency of their brand in the Nordics, and we’ve been helping them in Sweden and Denmark by running ads on the Meta platforms – Facebook and Instagram – and Google, with more work to come in the way of solidifying the Chinese manufacturer’s position as an EV market competitor in Scandinavia.  

NovoMar

As an independent agency based in Denmark, we were presented with a unique opportunity to export our approach to Nordic thinking and design to the US, as we became the lead agency for sustainable seafood producer NovoMar, who were focused on an exciting new product launch in the US market. Helping NovoMar position this potential product in the retail market, the idea we came to for their new breaded fish bites was to be appealing to both children and their parents; tasty to the former, and healthy to the latter. 

In order to be “loved by kids and trusted by moms,” we created a bold, colourful and imaginative design for their breaded fish bite packaging, with variations for each of the three flavours. Our design included our playful cat-like monster mascot, who is always on the lookout for a tasty bite of fish, which would excite children while maintaining visual themes and information to ensure parents make the right choice for their little ones. 

SellmerDiers

Working with SellmerDiers has also been more than exciting, as we move on as their lead agency within the entirety of Europe. While donating sperm is a topic that some men may feel uncomfortable or confused about, we’ve gotten the special chance to help motivate young men to see past the taboo and recognise the great help it provides to aspiring parents with fertility challenges.

We have had the pleasure of writing copy for their websites, creating distinct visual ads to share on social media platforms and running a campaign to spread the word about sperm donation within major Danish cities. Our campaign proudly took home gold at CommUnity International’s C3 award show. 

Looking onward

Three different clients hailing from three different parts of the world focused on three vastly different fields – this is a taste of the world of marketing from our point of view. The ability to adapt to this large variety of clients and their contrasting needs is one of the essential strengths that makes WeThink the powerhouse that it is. 

If you’re interested in knowing more about the happenings at WeThink, don’t hesitate to get in touch! 

Jumping in and out of my comfort zone

After working in the fashion and music industry, matching brands and talents and mixing the job of project manager with being a YouTube manager at an influencer marketing bureau based in Copenhagen, I am enjoying contributing my knowledge to the skilled team at WeThink.

The last half year with WeThink,  I’ve been working with passionate clients on projects such as shooting a campaign for Share Now promoting their PEUGEOT E-208 car, contributed to Abbott’s new FreeStyle Libre 3 launch – the world’s smallest glucose sensor, and helping GE Healthcare to promote World Prematurity Day – reminding us of babies born too early and the health challenges they can face as they grow up. So, let’s say a variety of very different projects. And that’s what I really like about working at WeThink.

What’s in it for me?

For me it was important to grow my professional skills within strategic consulting in the creative and digital space and to be pushed out of my comfort zone to learn and grow in my career. During my previous job in the influencer marketing industry I worked primarily with strategic solutions based on organic posting and it was a natural next step for me to move on to working more creatively and strategically with digital communication across a variety of solutions.  

At WeThink we have an exciting client portfolio that includes a wide range of branches and new target groups to work with. I’m excited to continue working with such talented and ambitious people within the advertising industry and I look forward to gaining more knowhow and being a part of the fun and passionate WeThink family. 

It is very important to strive to be top of mind in the media channels where the people who find your offering relevant are spending most of their time. This of course includes the various online platforms where you can achieve brand awareness to underpin your company growth, especially in the digital age.

By introducing us to your vision and USPs we can understand your company’s needs and pain points. This way we can build and test the best target audience groups that fit your business, across different markets and stakeholders, as well as various technology needs.

Moving further into the digital space can be intimidating at a time when all industries around the world are in fast-changing transformations, and we don’t know where this rapid change will end up. But, the choice to jump on the digital trend train is critical. It is already departing.

We can mention a few steps you can start with to achieve your goals for the business. Let’s start with aligning the business model with your strategy.

It’s common that companies have imagined their future vision, but when they reach the point of execution, they fail due to a lack of resources and planning, which undermines their ability to translate the vision into action. We have teams with specialists who can assist you deliver growth and tangible results for your end-users and consumers, both B2B and B2C. We can create and develop your strategy, so your end-users’ experience and needs come to life and they are nurtured through their digital journey.

The biggest challenge is often to internally get everyone involved in the process. You wonder how to get the different departments, your management level and key specialists engaged in a strategic company project. WeThink can create a full visualisation of your strategy, including clear creative directions and the production plan to ensure that the execution aligns with the direction. We will drive this process for you and alleviate your stresses and doubts.

Our agency works extensively to unlock your business DNA. We gather information from each responsible area and work with these insights to make sure the strategy proposal achieves your vision.

The demand and competition are high out there. Selling a product or a service to a customer / end-user is the necessary focus. But keeping a clear line of sight on the fact that the end-user’s desire is to find solutions that can enhance their lived experience is what needs to be at the heart of successful business models and the strategies that make them successful.

References:
Forbes Thought Leaders
The Conversation, global edition

The Danish economy has been strongly recovering. We are growing and the future looks bright, but not everything is as it should be. If companies are to be able to keep up with developments, we must educate many more skilled workers – not tomorrow, but today!

Skilled workers have been crucial in keeping the economy going through the Covid-19 crisis. Skilled workers with the right competencies are the cornerstone of driving development in many industries. If we also factor in the green transition and digitalisation, we see the need for skilled workers growing.

 There is also a very pressing need for young people both with and without a high school education to understand that a vocational education (EUD) can be an alternative way to completing standard education.

Many of you are probably thinking, where do we start? There are many questions: What is our plan? What resources do we need? What should our processes look like? What are the internal and external changes that will affect our business?

As an advertising and marketing agency we have direct experience in the execution of a variety of different business models and approaches to selling products and services. WeThink can assist you to navigate your questions and formulate your plan.

Over the course of the last few years we all experienced a major shift towards doing more things digitally including, of course, the way we do business. We have experienced first hand how the difficult part of transformation is the execution of new approaches. So, if you have conducted some digital experiments, now is a good time to review the results and decide where it makes sense to continue to invest your time and money.

By looking at the data from your digital channels you can identify points of alignment between your strategy, your business model and your day-to-day execution. We can provide an outside perspective to help you to see the fit between your actions and your customers’ digital journey. We can also recommend additional actions, channels and platforms to consider in the context of what you are already doing.

A good recent example is the rise of TikTok as an advertising platform. We can see that advertising that is working well on other social platforms can be adapted and contextualised for TikTok to very good effect. Because it is a relatively new platform there is a moment in time where solid advertising outcomes can be achieved cost competitively.

Reach out to us and let’s see how we can support the digital transformation of your communication, marketing and advertising efforts.

References:
4 Steps to a successful business transformation 

Six big digital trend to watch in 2022