We’re more than just another consultancy. We are founding partners of byTheNetwork, an award-winning, global network of 34 independent agencies; covering 34+ key markets worldwide.
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We’re more than just another consultancy. We are founding partners of byTheNetwork, an award-winning, global network of 34 independent agencies; covering 34+ key markets worldwide.
There’s something to be said about using imagery to convey words—as they say a picture tells 1000 words.
There’s also something to be said about using strategic prototyping to enhance your storytelling. When it comes to captivating your audience, harnessing the power of emotion is key.
Stakeholders are time poor. They don’t have time to read through a strategy deck, or even an executive summary of a strategy deck. Strategic prototypes can be a short-cut if you’ve got a window of 2 mins to persuade a decision-maker.
Research shows that approximately 70% of organisational change initiatives fail, primarily due to lack of stakeholder buy-in and support.*
A strategic prototype is a tangible representation of a strategic initiative or idea. Its goal is to help stakeholders visualise and understand a concept which would be harder to explain in words.
Instead of relying on abstract ideas or theoretical discussions, strategic prototypes bring ideas to life through visual concepts and interactive demos.
Strategic prototypes help to:
By bringing an idea to life through a prototype, you can condense multiple concepts into a single artefact, making it easier to understand.
Take embedded insurance for example—it’s a complex concept to understand. To make it clearer, we created a strategic prototype, showcasing a chatbot-driven experience that streamlines insurance renewals using existing user data. This helped stakeholders see how a traditionally cumbersome process could be simplified and reimagined for the future.
As Einstein said, “Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.” Strategic prototypes can spark excitement by making ideas feel real. When stakeholders see their brand or product brought to life in new ways, it creates an emotional connection. This excitement can build momentum, encouraging key decision-makers to get on board and champion your strategy.
They are also a low-cost way to imagine the possibilities of emerging technology. Take this prototype, for example. To showcase our strategy for boosting customer engagement and reducing food waste, we built a quick prototype demonstrating how an AI-powered meal planning app could work.
Creating tangible prototypes during the strategy phase gives clients a strong foundation to build on. Refining, tweaking, and expanding an idea is much easier than starting from scratch. With a strategic prototype in hand, creative and tech teams can jumpstart the ideation process, speeding up concept testing and technical planning.
To bring our vision of an AI persona chatbot to life, we designed a prototype demonstrating how staff would log in and interact with the interface. This served as a key reference point for shaping discussions with the development team.
Strategic prototypes aren’t just design luxuries—they’re powerful tools that help everyone understand and align on the strategy.
When crafting your next strategy, look beyond the slide deck and bring your ideas to life through strategic prototypes. This creative approach can help bridge the gap between vision and reality, driving broader organisational buy-in making it easier for leaders and teams to align and take action.
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