Second Place
First let’s start with second. Why put “second” as part of our name? This doesn’t align with the old classic marketing trope – first is better, right? For us, no, because we are support. With Second Stage Consulting, your business always comes first. Our stake is only to make sure we provide you with the information and solutions that drive your business forward. We are second to you.
Second Stage
Now let’s get technical and deeply metaphorical. In SCUBA diving (our passion), the second stage or regulator, is the essential part of your dive gear. In short, it’s a hose with a mouthpiece from the air to you. Hoses generally only function in one direction. You can get something, or receive something, but never at the same time. However, with the second stage all aspects of breathing are regulated through one simple mechanism allowing you to both breathe in and out.
Communication moves in two directions too. Breakdowns often happen somewhere in between breathing in and out, like listening or speaking, and thinking or acting. Communication sometimes needs the function of a regulator, a second stage. We help ensure the exchange of communications are balanced and smooth.
Second Phase
With the advent of Second Stage Consulting, we are moving into a second stage in our business life, in essence, a second phase or turning a page in our careers. We aren't leaving behind years of experience, but we are changing how we approach the industry as a whole.
Our philosophy is the same across services.
No one fondly remembers team projects.
Something, or someone wasn’t working yet your grade was impacted. Too many hands or voices. Things got messy. Did you know then how much of your work life would be spent on team projects?
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Every team’s challenge is to consistently connect with clarity and efficiency. Uncovering and resolving these opportunities can be hard because fear and honesty are sometimes at odds.
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Second Stage Consulting is an outside point-of-view whose only objective is to identify advertising and marketing team process opportunities and provide solutions. We hold discreet interviews with all parties, ensuring all voices are heard; we conduct process audits; and we provide custom plans to make your projects better.
Our philosophy starts with our name.
Making great work.
Everyone has an opinion when it comes to advertising and marketing. No one is wrong. No one is right. At least not until the data comes in, and by then, it may be too late. This is where experience and sound creative judgment come in.
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Whether in a strategic planning role or managing a team, we always view our contribution to the creative process as additive, even when subtracting. Why? Because in some circumstances, eliminating elements can actually improve the impact of the main idea.
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Second Stage Consulting supports bending the rules of branding and communication where it makes sense to make powerful work.
