Does your client say they “already have brand strategy”? 🤔 Don’t stop there. In this episode, Nika breaks down the big myth that brand strategy = brand positioning—and shows how there’s a whole world 🌍 of strategic work agencies can deliver after a brand positioning is set. Drawing from her experience with global brands 🌐, Nika walks through the three levels of brand strategy—foundational, executional and activational —and explains how you can confidently offer strategic services 💼 even when you're not the 'original' strategist. From sub-brand development to tone of voice guidelines 🗣️, this episode will expand your idea of what's possible. 🔑 In This Episode:• The difference between brand strategy and brand positioning 🧱• Three levels of strategy work you can offer 🎯• Examples of strategy deliverables you can deliver: tone of voice 🗣️, creative principles 🎨, brand world thinking 🌟, content strategy 📝, and more 💡 Nika’s Tip:Once a brand has positioning, the real work begins. Brand strategy lives far beyond a pyramid on a page. 🔗 Resources & Links:🎧 Episode 7: [How to Sell Strategy to Clients Who Just Want Design] 👉 Join the email list: nikaworlund.com 👉 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikaworlund 👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nika-worlund/ 👉 Book a 30-minute Q&A: https://www.nikaworlund.com/1-on-1-coaching

You’ve got a strong portfolio 💼, a clear area of expertise 🎯, and a steady stream of clients 💸. But what if you want out of the category you’re known for? Maybe you’re the go-to studio for tech brands 💻, but you dream of branding restaurants 🍽️. Or you’ve done a ton of CPG work 🧴, but want to land a hotel project 🏨. Pivoting into a new industry is something every agency faces at some point — and it’s absolutely doable. In this episode 🎙️, I break down the classic 6-step new business strategy 📈 that helps independent agencies move into new categories intentionally — and I share some hard-earned lessons from my agency days (including a very expensive pitch trip to NYC that flopped in the first 5 minutes 😬). What You’ll Learn: ⭐ Why betting on just one industry is a gamble—and how diversification builds creative resilience ⭐ The smartest way to “fake” experience in a new category (and why 'stepping stone' projects are your secret weapon). ⭐ How to effectively stalk your prospects on LinkedIn ⭐ How to lose a small fortune playing the New Business game ⭐ The hidden purpose of a chemistry meeting (hint: it’s not design) ⭐ Why 'working loudly' is more important than a perfect website Want more strategic design tips? 👉 Join the email list: nikaworlund.com 👉 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikaworlund 👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nika-worlund/ 👉 Book a 30-minute Q&A: https://www.nikaworlund.com/1-on-1-coaching

In this episode, I cover six mistakes I see all the time—in independent studios, freelancers, even junior strategists inside agencies. They’re subtle. But they scream to clients: “This person’s not thinking strategically.” These are small things—like skipping intro slides or over-describing your design—but they quietly undermine your authority. Luckily, they’re easy to fix. You’ll learn: Why skipping “intro slides” is the biggest red flag there is The difference between design executions and brand ideas How to stop oversharing like a design school grad How to frame concepts so clients don’t ask for 10 more And why emailing your work is a surefire way to sabotage your pitch If you’ve ever walked out of a client meeting thinking, “Why didn’t they get it?”—this one’s for you. Want more strategic design tips? 👉 Join the email list: nikaworlund.com 👉 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikaworlund 👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nika-worlund/ 👉 Book a 30-minute Q&A: https://www.nikaworlund.com/1-on-1-coaching

Feeling like an impostor when it comes to presenting brand strategy? You’re not alone. This episode is your pep talk, history lesson, and practical guide all rolled into one. What you’ll learn: Why strategy was originally part of the designer’s job — before it got siloed into a separate role in big agencies. Two powerful facts that will make brand strategy (and strategists) less scary. Two simple hacks you can use right now to present your strategy confidently and ditch the fear. Connect with me: 👉 Sign up to my newsletter at nikaworlund.com/ 👉 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikaworlund 👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nika-worlund/ 👉 Book a 30-minute Q&A: https://www.nikaworlund.com/1-on-1-coaching

🎙️ In this episode of Design Frameworks, I unpack the rise, fall—and unexpected evolution—of brand purpose in modern marketing, brand strategy and design. If you're building brands from the ground up, leading positioning work for clients, or rethinking your own agency’s approach to storytelling, this episode gives you the context and tools to decide how (and if) brand purpose fits into your strategy today. What You’ll Learn: 💸 How Unilever’s brand purpose strategy shaped the last decade of marketing and advertising 💣 Why brand purpose became overused, misunderstood—and how to avoid the same mistakes 💼 How consumer benefit positioning is replacing social purpose in today’s top-performing brands 💥 The difference between Brand POV and Brand Purpose—and which one fits your client best ✍️ My go-to framework for small, scrappy brands with no media or activation budget Resources & Links: 👉 Want more practical brand strategy tips for design studios and freelancers? Get them straight to your inbox by signing up at nikaworlund.com/ 👉Sign up for my upcoming 60-min live workshop: How to Go from a Design Studio to a Strategic Design Agency: 3 World-Class Strategy Frameworks at nikaworlund.com/workshop 👉 Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikaworlund 👉 Find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nika-worlund/ 👉 Want personalized guidance? Book a 30-minute Q&A with me, and let’s map out how you can level up your strategic skills. Schedule here: https://www.nikaworlund.com/1-on-1-coaching

In this episode, I offer a surprising reframe on the idea of “dream clients.”🦄 Those beautiful case studies you see on The Dieline, The Brand Identity, or the Pentawards? Most of them didn’t start with a sexy brief. They began with ordinary clients—generic names, undifferentiated products, and uninspiring brand worlds. The difference? The agency made them dream clients 🌈. I share real examples of turning underwhelming briefs into standout brands through strategy—proving that the✨ magic often comes from the creative process, not the client. Whether you’re freelancing or leading a growing studio, this episode is a reminder: don’t wait for the perfect client.🍀 Make one. You'll learn:💡 Why even the most successful brands often start out unremarkable💡 How to guide clients toward brave, business-shifting decisions💡 How case studies can help clients see what’s possible for their brand Resources & Links: 👉 Want more practical brand strategy tips for design studios and freelancers? Get them straight to your inbox by signing up at nikaworlund.com/ 👉Sign up for my upcoming 60-min live workshop: How to Go from a Design Studio to a Strategic Design Agency: 3 World-Class Strategy Frameworks at nikaworlund.com/workshop 👉 Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikaworlund 👉 Find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nika-worlund/ 👉 Want personalized guidance? Book a 30-minute Q&A with me, and let’s map out how you can level up your strategic skills. Schedule here: https://www.nikaworlund.com/1-on-1-coaching

In this episode, we talk about how to position strategy in a way that even clients who don’t know what strategy is are eager to buy it. Based on my Free Guide Stop Giving Away Your Strategy: Write Proposals That Get You Paid, this episode offers practical advice on how to position and price strategy—plus how long things usually take. You’ll learn 🚀: - Why even small clients and brands are willing to invest when strategy is framed the right way - What language to use in a proposal so clients immediately see the value - How to structure your strategy process in a clear, sellable way - How to talk about timelines and deliverables without overpromising - How to price of strategic thinking Resources & Links: 👉 Join the waitlist for my upcoming webinar: Fast-Track Brand Strategy Blueprint for Designers and learn the exact process behind the first three client presentations that should always come before the design—so you can get sign-off every single time. nikaworlund.com/workshop 👉 Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikaworlund 👉 Find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nika-worlund/ 👉 Want personalized guidance? Book a 30-minute Q&A with me, and let’s map out how you can level up your strategic skills. Schedule here: https://www.nikaworlund.com/1-on-1-coaching

In this episode, we dive into the hot topic that’s been shaking up the design industry—last week's release of ChatGPT-4o’s advanced image generation and what it means for designers, copywriters, photographers, and strategists. I break down the hard and soft reasons why AI won’t replace human creativity, how to position yourself beyond what AI can do, and the strategic thinking skills that will set you apart. Plus, I share practical steps you can take tomorrow to prove your value to clients and future-proof your career. In this episode you'll learn: - How AI is impacting four creative trades: copywriters, photographers, graphic designers, and strategists. - What each trade can do to protect its craft. - What AI will always struggle with—based on how it's designed—is exactly what you need to double down on in your craft. - The key strategic skills you need to stay ahead. Resources & Links: - Join the waitlist for my upcoming webinar, Fast-Track Brand Strategy Blueprint for Designers, and learn the strategic skills that AI can’t replicate. This proven framework, used at independent studios and with freelance designers, will help you ask the right questions, think beyond AI-generated solutions, and create brands that stand out in a rapidly evolving industry. https://www.nikaworlund.com/workshop - Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikaworlund - Find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nika-worlund/ - Want personalized guidance? Book a 30-minute Q&A with me, and let’s map out how you can level up your strategic skills. Schedule here: https://www.nikaworlund.com/1-on-1-coaching

In this episode, we dive into the ethical blind spots in the brand design process (in particular, packaging and visual identity design). While design has the power to shape perceptions and influence consumer decisions, it can also mislead and deceive if not approached thoughtfully. We talk about the fine line between creativity and manipulation, showing how designers, without a strategic framework, can unknowingly contribute to unethical practices. Through real-world examples, we show how design can subtly mislead or manipulate, and how a strategic approach can help avoid these pitfalls. In this episode you'll learn: - The hidden power of design: How design influences consumer perceptions and choices, often bypassing logical thinking to shape subconscious beliefs about products. - The ethical responsibility of designers: Understanding the impact of design decisions, including how misleading design (e.g., greenwashing, healthwashing, pseudoscience, self-care trend, etc) can deceive consumers. - Real-world examples: Insights from practical experiences, including working with brands on issues like sustainability, animal welfare, and packaging decisions, to demonstrate the need for ethical design choices. Resources & Links: - Join the waitlist for my upcoming webinar Fast-Track Brand Strategy Blueprint for Designers, where I’ll share the framework I used at independent studios and with freelance designers that helps you ask strategic questions confidently, and create brands that find a real need in the world. https://www.nikaworlund.com/workshop - Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikaworlund - Find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nika-worlund/ - Want personalized guidance? Book a quick 30min Q&A with me and let's figure out how you can start your own journey to becoming more strategic: https://www.nikaworlund.com/1-on-1-coaching

In this episode of Design Frameworks, I’m breaking down why classic Color Theory doesn't help your design thinking. While it tells how colors influence emotions, it ignores cultural and commercial context, ie. category codes—which are what really matter when choosing colors for a brand. You’ll learn: ✅ Why Color Theory is outdated for branding ✅ How to audit Category Codes to make smarter color choices ✅ The real questions to ask when selecting a brand color Resources & Links: - Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikaworlund - Find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nika-worlund/ - Join the waitlist for my upcoming webinar: https://www.nikaworlund.com/Fast-track-brand-strategy-blueprint-for-designers - Want personalized guidance? Book a quick 30min Q&A with me and let's figure out how you can start your own journey to becoming more strategic: https://www.nikaworlund.com/1-on-1-coaching

If you’ve ever felt like strategy is an intimidating world reserved for 'genius' strategists, this episode will break that myth. I share my personal story of faking it till I made it in the creative industry and debunk the idea that strategic thinking is something you have to be born with. I reveal everything — from how I used to Google every single word on the briefs I received to how access to old decks on the agency's strategy server became my best teacher. We'll talk about how strategy is simply thinking before doing — something you already do as a designer — and how you can start charging for that thinking. You’ll learn: - Why you don’t need complicated frameworks to be strategic - The three key steps to becoming more strategic: guidance, Google, and grit. - How imposter syndrome shows up in strategy — and how to push past it. Resources & Links: Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikaworlund Find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nika-worlund/ Join the waitlist for my upcoming webinar: https://www.nikaworlund.com/Fast-track-brand-strategy-blueprint-for-designers Want personalized guidance? Book a quick 30min Q&A with me and let's figure out how you can start your own journey to becoming more strategic: https://www.nikaworlund.com/1-on-1-coaching

In this episode, we kick off the Design Frameworks series, diving into brand strategy tools and whether they actually work for independent designers and studios. Today’s focus: Brand Archetypes—the classic framework introduced in 2001 by Margaret Mark and Carol Pearson, inspired by Carl Jung’s 12 archetypes (like the Hero, Lover, and Jester). We explore: - Why big brands used archetypes—to differentiate portfolios (think Dove as the Caregiver vs. Axe as the Hero). - Why they fell out of favor post-2015—because modern brand personalities need more nuance than "We're the Lover." - What works better today—defining a brand’s personality with pointy adjectives rather than relying on broad archetypes. So—should you use archetypes? ✅ Yes—for big companies managing multiple brands to avoid overlap. ❌ No—for single-brand projects, where specificity and originality matter more. The key takeaway: Don’t default to archetypes—use them thoughtfully. Your brand’s personality should be multidimensional, not a one-note cliché. 🎯 Want to learn the frameworks top agencies actually use? Join the waitlist for my upcoming training at nikaworlund.com. Have questions? DM me on Instagram @nikaworlund or find me on LinkedIn as Nika Worlund.

In this debut episode, I dive into a hot topic I discuss with my design clients all the time: why big agency brand strategy often fails when applied to smaller studios. Big agencies—think Wieden+Kennedy, Interbrand, or Pentagram—craft strategies for Fortune 500 giants, where every move impacts global markets and investment portfolios. Their method is rigorous, data-heavy, and slow-moving by design. But when this same approach is repackaged for independent studios, it often feels unnecessary, and out of touch with the needs of fast-moving businesses. I break down three key reasons why this happens: 1. Big brands demand economic stability: Strategy at this level is built to justify risk and protect your pensions. 2. The complexity of legacy brands: The more assets a brand has, the more careful and layered every change must be. 3. Productized frameworks: Big agencies systematize their approach to scale, but these rigid frameworks often feel like overkill for smaller studios. If you’ve ever felt frustrated by traditional strategy decks that don’t inspire or add value, this episode is for you. Hit play to learn how to approach strategy in a way that actually works for your studio and your clients. If you’re interested in adding brand strategy to your proposals in a way that’s realistic for independent designers or small studios, head over here: https://www.nikaworlund.com/opt-in If you have any questions or opinions to share on the topic, please DM me on Instagram at @nikaworlund or find me on LinkedIn as Nika Worlund.