TBWA = Disruption.

Disruption is a tool for change and an agent of growth: a working methodology and a life view philosophy.

The word is difficult, uncomfortable but "Disruption" is not destructive. It is creation. Disruption is a means of creating something dynamic to replace something that has become static.

Disruption is the art of asking better questions, challenging conventional wisdom and overturning assumptions and prejudices that get in the way of imagining new possibilities and visionary ideas.

Disruption is a system for people who hate systems. Similar to the concept of open-source software development, Disruption has evolved and matured as communities around the network use, adapt and reinvent Disruption tools for specific market or client needs.

The methodology and process can be employed universally to answer just about any challenge that a brand or company may have. Disruption is not limited to marketing and communications but can be applied to deeper levels of an organization including products and services or the core business offering.

Through the course of a one or multi-day workshop, both client and agency engage in a series of exercises that are designed to explore a specific issue. Highly collaborative, strategic and creative in nature, these workshops facilitate actionable output. Using a selection of tools from our bank of over 50 diagnostics, we explore three distinct domains necessary for success: Convention, Vision and of course Disruption.

Conventions are the limiting definitions (either real or perceived) that organizations often unknowingly adhere to: aspects of communications, consumers, the marketplace and the company itself, that have always "been done that way.” By identifying existing conventions and asking “why” things are the way they are, we are able to overturn conventional thinking to the benefit of the company. Insights or hidden truths can subsequently be leveraged to help our clients define a fundamentally different vision of the future, one in which they have not only a greater share, but unlimited potential.

The vision becomes the guiding premise that opens an organization’s horizons, both in communication and action. In many cases, our clients have visions that are strong and future forward, but they haven’t been articulated in a way that translates to employees or consumers. A well-articulated vision inspires the people behind the brand, changing the way a company thinks and acts. It provides a rallying cry that propels the brand into the future. As Lee Clow says, “A brand is the sum of all its actions. Who it is, what it does, what the world expects of it… If the brand is passionate, honest and committed, innovative and, at the same time inspirational, if the brand is true to its history, its passion and true to itself, the world will love that brand.”

Disruption seeks to retire old, low-yielding ideas and launch new, highly profitable ones. A disruptive idea is quite simply the best and fastest way to overturn conventions and achieve a vision.

Over the past three years, TBWA\ has conducted more than 500 Disruption Day workshops for our clients around the world, including Apple, Standard Chartered Bank, adidas, Nissan, PlayStation, Pedigree and Whiskas. Each of these workshops identified new opportunities to redefine how these companies operate, what they offer and how they communicate.

Based on feedback from existing clients, we now ask potential clients to participate in a Disruption Day as part of the pitch process. It’s a fun and rewarding exercise for both the prospective client and the agency. Plus, the collaborative nature of Disruption helps both parties ascertain upfront whether they are a mutually good fit.

Learn more about Disruption
Buy the book "Disruption"
Buy the book "Beyond Disruption"