As VP of Creative here at BOLTGROUP, my job is to lead our team in designing and delivering compelling creative experiences. The goal is to build value in our clients’ brands, in their marketplace position, and in the products and services they provide. That goes a great distance beyond producing visually beautiful ideas to delivering truly effective solutions.

What do I mean by “effective?” These are solutions that powerfully drive home the unique purpose, position, and proposition of our clients’ brands.

These days there are lots of options in selecting a brand building partner. You can choose anyone from a local freelancer to a boutique agency to a large firm. What’s really important is to get it right. Easier said than done. To take the guesswork out of getting it right, you’ll want to choose a partner that employs a strong methodology—one that’s tried and true, as well as based in truth.

I love helping clients through this process because the BOLTGROUP methodology is one of our key differentiators. The fundamental ingredient? Truth.

We focus on a brand and its foundation at the outset of a project. We define, measure, clarify, and verify precisely what the communications should be built upon before we ever lift a creative finger. This creates a brand that is built on its foundational truths, home-grown from its culture. No spin, just straight shooting.

A brand—regardless of where and how it’s encountered—must be truthful. Today’s consumers have highly refined b.s. meters. Authenticity is vital, especially with the transparency created by the digital world. Not only that, authenticity helps attract the kinds of customers and followers you want—intensely loyal and happy to share their allegiance through ratings and word of mouth.

Here’s an example of branding authenticity. Recently we launched a recruiting campaign for one of our clients, FOX Rehabilitation. They wanted to attract prospective clinicians who were a good fit for their culture. To accomplish this, we pulled the curtains back and showed the target audience what it’s like to be  part of #TeamFOX. The communications vehicle was a series of “day in the life” videos that followed six FOX clinicians through a typical day. The videos were unscripted, so they genuinely showcased the FOX principles. As a companioin element, we created a quick online “Fit Test” to find out if there is mutual interest between prospecitive clinicians and FOX. It lets prospects in on what FOX believes through a series of simple questions.

We launched this FOX campaign in November and the results have been excellent. The reason is two-fold: good creative and true authenticity. People respond to that.

Promote your brand with truth. Lead with what you believe in. If you do, you’ll never be wrong. If you don’t, you may still get good creative—but without the direction and purpose that could make it great.