“What do you do?” This is undoubtedly the most asked question at happy hours.
Or, at least, at the ones at which your best friend invites also that colleague of his who really wanted to grab a beer.
The most spontaneous answer would be: “Well, you know, I’m trying to survive, like anyone else”. Despite being drained by the long day, and only willing to focus on enjoying the happy-hour chill, your brain comes out with: “…marketing strategy for businesses that want to improve their customer communication. And you?”.
My joie de vivre whenever I hear "And what do you do in your life?".
Giacomo is an architect.
Well, sure: your friend works in the constructions sector. What else could he possibly do? Giacomo’s answer leads the way for the unloading of all work-related bad blood. He starts telling me everything about the engineering miracles in this new flat complex.
He knows the construction company, where they’re going to place the building, and the materials that the builders would like to use. But: “I mean, you see, we don’t even know who they want to sell the flats to. Wealthy families… what does that even mean? Nobody knows anything about those families”. I think we are in the same boat here.
The humble Brand Strategist too often lacks the same puzzle pieces.
Brand Strategists in their natural habitat while they collect missing puzzle pieces.
I try to cheer him up by telling him: “Well, you can try to think about which kind of space different families would want. I’m sure you’ve already done similar projects that worked well in the end.” Giacomo smiles.
And I double down: “Anyway, you’re right. The architect should know everything about this new flat complex. Even the reason why other housing solutions are considered to be preferable.” Giacomo is taken aback: “Even that? Well, I guess you have a point there.” And he goes on telling me about how incompetent the construction company is and how hard it is for him to design buildings and rooms…
I would like to pose him a strategically philosophical query: “Giacomo, just one question: why should the flat complex be built there? What’s its purpose?”.
"Giacomo, why should the flat complex be built?" Giacomo:
