Surprise me…use me…surprise me…use me

Now you may be surprised to hear that we do at times have divergent opinions within team Zephyr. Never more so, it seems, than when we get into the debate of convention versus invention.
In the blue corner, convention, and the argument that functionality must be adhered to so users are fully enabled to act quickly and effectively. With convention they are in a familiar environment and don’t have to work too hard to achieve what they – and you – want them to achieve.
The consequence of following convention and doing it well is that your brand stands as an equal amongst peers and is welcomed to the pack. Your brand isn’t ridiculed as an oddball freaking everyone out with its weird new ways.
In the red corner we have invention and the desire to do something different. On a very base level wanting to be different stemming from a desire to stand out but on a more optimistic level building on a belief that, by doing something different, new heights can be achieved. Every convention, after all, must have been an invention once. If it’s a good invention, people quickly get over their surprise and just get on with it.
The challenge, always of course, is combining the two strategies in response to any given brief, helping a brand to cut through and away from the pack but ensuring certain conventions remain as a safety net. You have to resolve where you’re going to put the emphasis.
However, in the red corner – this author – will leave you with this to muse: How often is a brand best off just following the pack and saying ‘me too’.