Strands of Genius: Tim Brunelle + Christmas Gifting Trends Report 2024
featuring: an interview with our guest editor and a research report
Welcome to the Bonus edition of Strands of Genius! On Fridays, we’ll be publishing interviews from our guest editors, and sharing a research report. Thanks for being along for the ride. Oh and by the way, you look great today :)
:: STEAL THIS THINKING | RESEARCH REPORT ::
The festive season is here, and now is the perfect time to understand the evolving landscape of gifting. That’s why Microsoft has created Your holiday season marketing playbook 2024.
:: DIVE IN | THE INTERVIEW ::
TIM BRUNELLE, CREATIVE ENTREPRENEUR/EDUCATOR - FREELANCE/MCAD
>> Tim Brunelle, guest curated Strands on December 19th 2024. Read it here.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and what keeps you busy. How did you end up doing what you’re doing today?
I grew up among artists and entrepreneurs. My father was a part of establishing Minnesota Opera (as Music Director), and he also founded VocalEssence, a choral arts performing organization which thrives today. My mother worked as a florist for 40+ years and remains a fine arts painter. That context growing up suggested creative endeavors, so I got a degree in Jazz from the University of Cincinnati. But I learned two things: 1) I'm not that great a drummer, and oh, 2) there's a world called advertising where I might fit in even better. I've been a copywriter and creative director in St. Louis, Miami, Boulder, Boston, New York and returned to Minneapolis a while back. I've been fortunate to lead large creative teams inside agencies and marketing orgs through the evolution of the Internet, social, mobile and now AI. As an entrepreneur, I've co-founded four businesses. And I try to make sense of it all through teaching and writing, the former starting 20 years ago at Emerson College, Boston. I've been a part-time adjunct at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design within the Creative Entrepreneurship program since 2008. I've been writing on the Internet since at least 1994, but we didn't call it blogging until much later and now it's a newsletter. Today I call myself a Generalist. I'm curious about how we can blend marketing, entrepreneurship, in-house agencies, brand creative and generative AI into useful, remarkable outcomes.
What excites you most about what you do?
I love figuring out novel, audacious solutions to vexing problems. I appreciate the challenge of the fog—that space idea must people enter at the beginning of every assignment. I admire the tenacious process of craft and production. And maybe what I really enjoy most is figuring out how to describe all of the above in a way that's useful and encouraging. We simply don't have enough creativity at work in our world.
What beliefs define your approach to work? How would you define your leadership style?
I believe creativity is fueled by curiosity, craft and courage—and it’s the most effective way for organizations to unlock and achieve audacious goals. In other words, it's a business with systems and philosophies we can depend on. And emotions! But I also believe leading creative teams doesn't have to be filled with drama; and is typically more successful when leadership isn't emotional.
What has been the most rewarding project you’ve worked on and why?
I was fortunate to spend eight years collaborating with all kinds of generous, inventive people on Volkswagen's "Drivers wanted" campaign. It stands apart for me because 1) The teamwork between agency and client was almost seamless. We understood, respected and demanded great outcomes from each other. 2) We got to work in a time of incredible cultural change as the Internet was becoming real. That context provided so many amazing opportunities. 3) We found and developed a wonderful, expansive brand voice. My first project on the campaign was a showroom brochure for the New Beetle. I was freelancing for the agency at the time. I wrote the words, they disappeared into the design machine and months later someone handed me the printed piece. Maybe two words of my original copy had been changed. It's so rare when your creative voice aligns with a slew of other voices, and a diverse range of work hangs together as one.
We are big believers in diversity -- Not only because we believe in equality, but because we also think it’s better for business. How do you frame these kinds of conversations, both internally and with clients? Is there an emphasis on action, or are the conversations really more about communication?
I wonder if an even more effective way to think and talk about diversity is to avoid using the word itself and instead begin with outcomes. Some of the most effective design thinking came when the word "design" wasn't a part of the conversation. People tend to like it when performance moves up and to the right. We all seem to prefer prosperous and stable outcomes. How can these situations occur more often? Well, turns out when we employ a wide range of perspectives and experiences, when we listen to voices we perhaps haven't historically listened to, all kinds of valuable insights appear—and we're in a much stronger position to achieve the results everyone wants. I've found appealing to the outcome tends to elicit a greater adoption of diverse hiring, inclusion, et al than focusing on the act or mandate of diversity.
Switching gears a bit, how do you find time to balance personal interests with your career? Do you believe work/life balance is possible? Anything you’ve implemented that you recommend that others try?
I'm in the "if you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life" camp. So my problem is it's 11:28pm and I'm responding to your query, and enjoying the process rather too much. Each of us has to find our own path. I'm trying to figure out if my disposition towards "work" is innate, nurtured, mutable? Thank goodness for therapy, a spouse, kids, family and many friends who see me for who I am and encourage more well-rounded behavior. If there's a secret, it's probably a willingness to be very curious about yourself, beginning with the premise there's a lot which could be improved!
What’s your media diet? Where do you find inspiration?
You mean aside from TikTok? I can't decide if that platform is the greatest or worst invention. I subscribe to at least 20 newsletters covering creativity, arts, AI, strategy, entrepreneurship, politics, technology. Newsletters have been my main source of insight the past three years. And podcasts. I listen to five or six religiously, and a few others sporadically. I wander over to Bluesky and (to a lesser extent) Threads every so often - but they lack the spark and community I found in 2007 Twitter. I am not a YouTube subscriber, but sort of wish I was. Here's the thing—I am direct about inspiration. It has become a scheduled, organized task. So I'm not waiting for inspiration to wander by; I program specific time to capture and record inspiration based on the work in front of me.
What’s the best piece of advice/knowledge you’ve stolen, and who/where’d you steal it from?
The drummer Chester Thompson (Zappa, Weather Report, Santana, Genesis) said something like, "Practice and learn all you can, then forget it, and play what you feel." That's at the heart of improvisation. My favorite course in college was Improvisation. What you learn practicing improv is how important it is to have a wide, diverse and accessible set of experiences—and the muscle memory to recall any of it at a moment's notice.
You can keep in touch with Tim on LinkedIn.
If we can ever be of help to you, even outside of a formal engagement, please don’t hesitate to let us know.
rockON,
faris & rosie | your friends over at geniussteals.co
(still want more? @faris is still “tweeting” while @rosieyakob prefers instagram stories)