MY PROCESS
Creative Direction, Strategy, Product/Apparel Development, and Brand Identity
Creative Direction, Strategy, Product/Apparel Development, and Brand Identity
Research
Successful strategies are built on a foundation of comprehensive research. I employ a range of discovery activities to gather critical insights:
- Market Analysis: Conducting in-depth studies of industry trends and competitive landscapes to identify opportunities and threats.
- User Research: Engaging with target audiences through surveys, interviews, and focus groups to understand their needs, preferences, and behaviors.
- SWOT Analysis: Evaluating strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to inform strategic planning.
- Brand Audits: Reviewing existing brand materials, messaging, and market position to identify areas for improvement.
- Data Analytics: Leveraging data to gain insights into user engagement, sales performance, and market trends.
- Journey Mapping: Creating detailed maps of the customer journey to identify touchpoints and pain points.
- Heuristic Analysis: Assessing the usability and user experience of digital products to identify areas for improvement.
VISION, STRATEGY, DESIGN
A well-crafted strategy addresses the key challenges facing an organization, product, or team and provides a focused, realistic plan to overcome these challenges. My approach includes:
- Business Objectives: Defining clear, measurable goals that align with the organization’s vision.
- User Needs: Identifying and prioritizing the needs and desires of the target audience.
- Core Strategies: Developing key strategies that drive the business forward.
- Minimum Viable Products (MVPs): Creating prototypes to test concepts quickly and efficiently.
- Digital Roadmaps: Planning the development and rollout of digital products and features.
- Brand Identity Development: Crafting compelling brand identities that resonate with target audiences.
- Design Principles: Establishing guidelines to ensure consistency and quality across all creative outputs.
- Content Models: Defining content structures that support strategic goals and user needs.
- Information Architecture: Organizing content to enhance usability and user experience.
- Process and Workflow Design: Creating efficient processes for design, development, and production.
cREATIVE DIRECTION AND PRODUCT / APPAREL DEVELOPMENT
Leading the creative process from concept to launch involves several key stages:
- Concept Ideation: Generating innovative ideas that align with brand values and market trends.
- Design Development: Creating sketches, prototypes, and final designs for products and apparel.
- Collaboration: Working closely with designers, developers, and stakeholders to ensure alignment and quality.
- Iteration and Feedback: Refining designs based on feedback and testing to ensure they meet user needs and business goals.
- Production Oversight: Managing the transition from design to production, ensuring quality and adherence to timelines.
- Launch Planning: Developing and executing comprehensive launch strategies to maximize impact and engagement.
optimization
After launching a product or campaign, continuous optimization is crucial for sustained success. This involves:
- Performance Monitoring: Using analytics to track key performance indicators and measure success.
- User Feedback: Gathering feedback from users to identify areas for improvement.
- A/B Testing: Testing different versions of content and designs to determine what works best.
- Content Testing: Evaluating content effectiveness and making necessary adjustments.
- Iterative Improvements: Implementing changes based on data and feedback to enhance performance continuously.
PROJECTs I'M PROUD OF
- Influencer Apparel Campaigns for CAA Sports:
Developed and launched tailored apparel campaigns for prominent influencers, leveraging their unique brand identities to drive engagement and sales.
Developed and launched tailored apparel campaigns for prominent influencers, leveraging their unique brand identities to drive engagement and sales.
- NIL Store Merchandising Platform:
Revolutionized athlete merchandising by creating a platform that supports nearly 9,000 athletes, generating significant revenue and enhancing brand visibility.
Revolutionized athlete merchandising by creating a platform that supports nearly 9,000 athletes, generating significant revenue and enhancing brand visibility.
- Illinois Men's Basketball Pop-Up Activation:
Made history with the first NIL pop-up store in Chicago, driving substantial engagement and sales for Illinois men's basketball.
Made history with the first NIL pop-up store in Chicago, driving substantial engagement and sales for Illinois men's basketball.
- Meta Athlete Merchandising Integration Campaign:
Integrated Meta’s tools with our athlete merchandising platform to streamline sales and enhance the user experience.
Integrated Meta’s tools with our athlete merchandising platform to streamline sales and enhance the user experience.
- Nike Students Run Chicago Marathon Campaign:
Directed creative efforts for Nike’s marathon campaign, creating impactful designs that resonated with participants and supporters.
Directed creative efforts for Nike’s marathon campaign, creating impactful designs that resonated with participants and supporters.
- Chevrolet Discover the Unexpected 360-Degree Media Campaign:
Led a comprehensive media campaign for Chevrolet, enhancing community engagement and brand visibility.
Led a comprehensive media campaign for Chevrolet, enhancing community engagement and brand visibility.
- 2020 Census Integrated Campaign:
Developed creative strategies for the 2020 Census campaign, significantly increasing participation and awareness.
Developed creative strategies for the 2020 Census campaign, significantly increasing participation and awareness.
- Snapchat Geofilter Campaigns:
Created engaging geofilters for high-profile events, driving social media engagement and brand awareness.
Created engaging geofilters for high-profile events, driving social media engagement and brand awareness.
- Urban Champs:
Launched the first private label brand within the NIL Store, providing athletes with innovative apparel options to monetize their personal brands.
Launched the first private label brand within the NIL Store, providing athletes with innovative apparel options to monetize their personal brands.
- Revolutionizing Student Sales: CRM System for Campus Ink Student Designer Program:
Developed a comprehensive CRM platform to enhance sales tracking, onboarding, and training for student designers, significantly boosting program efficiency and performance.
Developed a comprehensive CRM platform to enhance sales tracking, onboarding, and training for student designers, significantly boosting program efficiency and performance.
PROJECTs I'M PROUD OF
Steven Farag - CEO at Campus Ink
Campus Ink is a custom merchandise & apparel company located in Chicago & Central Il. We print apparel for organizations on campuses across the country. Campus Ink recently received an investment from Mark Cuban, to launch an NIL merch platform that supports nearly 9.000 athletes + 75+ universities.
This recommendation is not for any typical employee at Campus Ink, as Broc was the first student that I hired in 2015 after launching the company. It’s not every day where an individual works for you as a freshman in college and spends the next decade helping you grow your company.
Broc came to us as an energetic, passionate, and eager creative wanting to get his hands dirty and learn everything about our industry. Spending time on the production floor between classes, answering calls, fulfilling orders all while learning design and sales shows Broc’s dedication to a craft and commitment for going above and beyond. In Broc’s undergrad He sold nearly a quarter million dollars of sales, and helped launch our Student Design & Sales Program. That program today has over 250+ students generating $4 million dollars on 50 campuses.
Broc spent time creating a curriculum that empowered other students to learn both design and sales. It was important to Broc to recreate his college experience, and therefore we made the decision to teach students both sides of the business. Over the years the program was turned into a 6 week curriculum with instructional videos, courses, and assignments to help train students. Meanwhile, Broc personally oversaw 90+ reps at any given time. If we look at Broc’s tenure at Campus Ink, he has touched the lives of hundreds of students who are all very special to him.
Aside from creating the program, I tasked Broc with several other special projects to help propel our business forward in the sports industry. Broc took the seat as interim creative director of the company to create original artwork for schools and athletes. Today there is an entire department dedicated to creative and original work for athletes on every college campus that has made college athletes nearly $1 million dollars in earned profits. Broc has been by my side through the roller coaster of a small business turned venture back company. When Broc came to work full time, I knew that someday his time would come to turn the page. That day is now here and I can’t recommend Broc enough for a role within your organization.
Campus Ink is a custom merchandise & apparel company located in Chicago & Central Il. We print apparel for organizations on campuses across the country. Campus Ink recently received an investment from Mark Cuban, to launch an NIL merch platform that supports nearly 9.000 athletes + 75+ universities.
This recommendation is not for any typical employee at Campus Ink, as Broc was the first student that I hired in 2015 after launching the company. It’s not every day where an individual works for you as a freshman in college and spends the next decade helping you grow your company.
Broc came to us as an energetic, passionate, and eager creative wanting to get his hands dirty and learn everything about our industry. Spending time on the production floor between classes, answering calls, fulfilling orders all while learning design and sales shows Broc’s dedication to a craft and commitment for going above and beyond. In Broc’s undergrad He sold nearly a quarter million dollars of sales, and helped launch our Student Design & Sales Program. That program today has over 250+ students generating $4 million dollars on 50 campuses.
Broc spent time creating a curriculum that empowered other students to learn both design and sales. It was important to Broc to recreate his college experience, and therefore we made the decision to teach students both sides of the business. Over the years the program was turned into a 6 week curriculum with instructional videos, courses, and assignments to help train students. Meanwhile, Broc personally oversaw 90+ reps at any given time. If we look at Broc’s tenure at Campus Ink, he has touched the lives of hundreds of students who are all very special to him.
Aside from creating the program, I tasked Broc with several other special projects to help propel our business forward in the sports industry. Broc took the seat as interim creative director of the company to create original artwork for schools and athletes. Today there is an entire department dedicated to creative and original work for athletes on every college campus that has made college athletes nearly $1 million dollars in earned profits. Broc has been by my side through the roller coaster of a small business turned venture back company. When Broc came to work full time, I knew that someday his time would come to turn the page. That day is now here and I can’t recommend Broc enough for a role within your organization.
Jose Rennard - Creative Director
As a Creative Director, I have had the pleasure of working with and managing Broc Thompson as a Digital Art Director within the creative department. I have been consistently impressed by both Broc's attitude towards his work and his performance on the job as well as his knowledge of various digital platforms, their strengths vs. limitations when developing great concepts against strategy.
A combination of young spirit with an old soul allowed Broc to develop a productive working relationship with both our clients and our staff while working remotely with team(s) on both coasts.
Broc possesses solid design and ideation/cncepting skills which have enabled him to create compelling work with limited information. He also has the analytical skills to diagnose problems and devise viable solutions. His ability to remain unflustered during frenzied periods like new business pitches or tight client deadlines proves his ability to work well under pressure.
A great person and team player, Broc would be an asset to any team, creatively + strategically!
Matthew Pahl - Executive Creative Director
I managed Broc directly for about 2 years while he was a Campus Sales Manager for University Tees. I was always impressed by his ability to not only grasp new concepts quickly, but to also critically think, analyze, and innovate. His drive and ability to exceed performance goals is second to none. One trait of his that always stuck out to me was his selflessness in all situations. He effectively led a team of 8 at the University of Illinois to #1 in sales at a company that is on over 300 campuses nationwide. I couldn’t help but notice that he not only excelled personally, but made everyone around him more successful as a byproduct of his mentorship and guidance. Broc has been and always will be about the team. That’s something you can’t teach. It’s instinctual for him. He consistently brought in new clients and closed ~136 deals while accumulating ~$130,000 during his time at UTees. If you’re looking for someone who can not only get the job done but make a positive impact on your entire company culture and employee productivity right out of the gate, Broc is your guy! I will miss working with him each day but excited for his future career whoever is lucky enough to hire him.
As a Creative Director, I have had the pleasure of working with and managing Broc Thompson as a Digital Art Director within the creative department. I have been consistently impressed by both Broc's attitude towards his work and his performance on the job as well as his knowledge of various digital platforms, their strengths vs. limitations when developing great concepts against strategy.
A combination of young spirit with an old soul allowed Broc to develop a productive working relationship with both our clients and our staff while working remotely with team(s) on both coasts.
Broc possesses solid design and ideation/cncepting skills which have enabled him to create compelling work with limited information. He also has the analytical skills to diagnose problems and devise viable solutions. His ability to remain unflustered during frenzied periods like new business pitches or tight client deadlines proves his ability to work well under pressure.
A great person and team player, Broc would be an asset to any team, creatively + strategically!
Matthew Pahl - Executive Creative Director
I managed Broc directly for about 2 years while he was a Campus Sales Manager for University Tees. I was always impressed by his ability to not only grasp new concepts quickly, but to also critically think, analyze, and innovate. His drive and ability to exceed performance goals is second to none. One trait of his that always stuck out to me was his selflessness in all situations. He effectively led a team of 8 at the University of Illinois to #1 in sales at a company that is on over 300 campuses nationwide. I couldn’t help but notice that he not only excelled personally, but made everyone around him more successful as a byproduct of his mentorship and guidance. Broc has been and always will be about the team. That’s something you can’t teach. It’s instinctual for him. He consistently brought in new clients and closed ~136 deals while accumulating ~$130,000 during his time at UTees. If you’re looking for someone who can not only get the job done but make a positive impact on your entire company culture and employee productivity right out of the gate, Broc is your guy! I will miss working with him each day but excited for his future career whoever is lucky enough to hire him.