In this opinion piece, Paris Thomson founder and creative director of SIRAP explains why, contrary to popular belief, it is better for creatives to be capable of working with a range of clients and across verticals.
You’ve probably been asked a thousand times: So, what’s your niche? Whatever you do, whether you’re a writer, photographer, or designer, in marketing, PR, or content production, it’s natural to get pigeonholed. Lots of people genuinely believe that you can’t build a successful business working across a range of clients from different industries. Some will even tell you so; don’t listen to them! Specialising isn’t always the best way, and it certainly isn’t the only way to grow a successful business. Don’t discount a more textured lens for your business.
When I first launched my creative production studio SIRAP, I was constantly being asked whether we would specialise in x, y or z. Yet for me, I have found that working across a diverse range of projects, not only deepens the creative perspective we bring to our projects, but also the way in which we produce them. By specialising, you risk your creative lens narrowing into tunnel vision, which can potentially lead to complacency.
More is more!
I’m now a firm believer in broadening your expertise and skills as much as possible, especially in the early days, by working across as many different projects and industries as you can. Having a diversity of clients in your portfolio will help inform one approach from the next. It’s also a great way to challenge your thoughts and creative thinking, as well as generate and cross-pollinate new creative ideas for your clients.
Trust yourself, and that your work’s stylistic handwriting or specific way of doing things, will be consistent no matter who the client is or what you’ve been tasked with creating. If you’re just starting out, it will develop naturally over time anyway.
Curiosity breeds creativity
If you’re in any kind of creative industry, you’re already naturally curious. Being inquisitive and learning as much as you can about the industry in which your client is operating – their competitors, their customers/audience, and the landscape of their business – is equally important.
Drawing experience, inspiration, and ideas from what businesses in other industries are doing adds a dimension to your thinking and creativity that you simply can’t provide if you’ve narrowed your niche too much or too soon.
At SIRAP for example, during initial conversations with new clients, we always ask them what other brands they would position themselves alongside across varying industries. I will ask, “If you think about other categories such as the arts, hotels, travel, or even skincare, what brands would your product sit next to on the shelf?” and “Who are you already/who would you love to be collaborating with?”
This holistic consideration of a brand, trying to really tap into how they act, look, and feel, as well as their positioning and tone, helps us dig deep into our clients’ DNA quickly and effectively.
Gaps in your portfolio? No sweat.
If a potential client asks you for examples of work you have done in their industry and you don’t have anything specific to use as a reference point, don’t stress. There are some effective ways to address gaps in your portfolio outside of how you ‘sell’ yourself and your business in person, which is also important.
Imagine you’re talking to a client in the wellness space. Think laterally about your portfolio or highlight reel. What can you reverse-engineer into a pitch deck so that it includes images or sections of creative that might speak to the prospect’s brand? From the softness of a piece of ballet or something as sharp and refined as an incredibly designed piece of furniture, consider what you already have that they might draw inspiration from.
Any creative project is about eliciting some emotion from the viewer. Once you’re clear on what you’re trying to communicate, you can decide how you’re going to achieve that outcome. It doesn’t have to be a like-for-like perfect match if it’s still showcasing your client’s brand and representative of your unique creative handwriting.
In business, you’re never going to be everything to everyone, but diversifying doesn’t have to mean diluting. I’m living proof that anyone can build a successful business across a broad variety of projects, clients, and industries, while staying true to their own creative identity.
