Our Point Of View
This is our little thinking space. We write about insights, briefs, branding, and creative work. Sometimes it’s smart. Sometimes it’s weird. But always honest. We update it every month. Keep scrolling down for older posts.
ISSUE #001 | May 2025
Good Ideas Aren’t Enough to Win a Brand’s Heart
Ideas are just the beginning. What truly makes a brand say “yes” is deeper than a deck.
The Harsh Truth
You can have the smartest idea in the room, but if it doesn’t solve what the brand is really feeling, it won’t land. Great ideas don’t just win awards, they win alignment.
It’s Not Just About Creativity
Clients are looking for relevance, timing, confidence, and vibes. They want to feel safe in your thinking and your process. They want to see themselves in your ideas.
What Actually Wins:
_Strategic empathy
_Clear storytelling
_Flexibility without losing your edge
_The sense that you’re not selling a concept, but a partnership
Real Talk
We’ve lost pitches with better ideas. We’ve won with simpler ones. The difference? Chemistry and clarity.
When a Brief Feels Off, Say It. Then Save It.
Creative misalignment is a cost. Honesty is cheaper.
The First Red Flag
You’ve read the brief three times, and something just feels… off. It’s either too vague, too rushed, or sounds like five stakeholders were trying to say five different things. The instinct? “Udah lah, kita cari ide aja.” But wait! Don’t build on shaky ground.
Why Saying Something Matters
Pushing forward with a misaligned brief is like designing a house with the wrong blueprint. You’ll end up revising, re-explaining, and rethinking everything halfway. That costs time, trust, and energy. Catching it early means you’re not just a creative, but a collaborator.
How to Reframe Instead of Revolt:
_Start with empathy: “Can I check if we’re solving the same problem?”
_Offer clarity, not critique: suggest a sharper re-articulation of the challenge.
_Find the emotional core: what’s the real tension the brand wants to ease?
_Speak their language: bring the logic, but anchor it in brand relevance.
From Misbrief to Masterstroke
We’ve been in projects where the original brief didn’t survive the first brainstorm. But by realigning early, the final idea hit harder, ran smoother, and got way more love, both from the client and the audience.
Alignment isn’t about making everyone agree. It’s about making sure everyone’s aiming in the same direction.
What Makes a Campaign Stick in People’s Heads?
Some campaigns are watched. Some are remembered.
The best ones are felt.
It’s Not About Being Viral
A lot of brands aim for shareability. But stickiness? That’s a different beast. It’s not just about how far your campaign travels. It’s about how deep it lands. A viral video might get a million views. A sticky campaign stays in someone’s brain and makes them think about your brand a week later.
Stickiness Is Emotional, Not Just Clever
Clever copy or cinematic visuals can catch attention, but what makes it linger is emotional relevance. It’s when someone sees your work and says, “That’s so me,” or “That’s exactly what I feel.”
Recognition beats novelty. Always.
How to Make It Stick:
_Start with a human truth, not just a creative trick
_Create tension and payoff: the viewer should lean in, then feel seen
_Design for repeatability: moments, formats, or phrases that people want to echo
_Make the brand part of the solution, not just the logo at the end
The Sticky Effect
We’ve seen campaigns that people still reference years later, not because they had the best budget or the biggest name, but because they hit something real. Stickiness isn’t magic. It’s memory, multiplied by meaning.
If people can feel it, they’re more likely to remember it. And if they remember it, your brand stays top-of-mind long after the scroll.
Why Hire a Freelance Creative Squad Instead of Building In-House?
The flexibility you want. The firepower you need.
The Cost of Going In-House
Building an internal creative team sounds ideal, until you’re dealing with monthly salaries, hiring timelines, inconsistent workload, and team fatigue. Creative needs come in waves. But payroll? That’s a straight line.
Freelance Squads Are Built for Agility
A curated freelance creative team gives you the skills you need, when you need them, without the long-term overhead. They can embed fast, adapt quickly, and bring a diversity of experiences that most in-house teams simply don’t have the bandwidth for.
What You Get When You Go Squad-Based:
_Plug-and-play creative brains that get your brief fast
_Fewer layers, faster execution
_Cross-industry insights from people who’ve worked on brands you’ve heard of (and some you haven’t, but should)
_People who care like owners, not just employees
We’re Not Just Hands, We’re Heads
Hiring a freelance team doesn’t mean you’re outsourcing thinking. At Teman Akrab, we generate ideas, not just execute them. We help shape campaigns, not just color them in.
So the next time you’re debating in-house vs out-of-house, ask: do you need full-time creatives, or the right creatives at the right time?
When Should an Agency Bring in a Creative Backup Team?
Spoiler: Before it’s too late.
The Breaking Point is Closer Than You Think
Your team’s working overtime. Pitches are overlapping. That one client brief that “shouldn’t take long” suddenly grew teeth. Deadlines stack, quality slips, and no one’s really saying it but everyone’s tired.
This is when most agencies call for backup.
It’s also when it’s almost too late.
Why You Shouldn’t Wait for Burnout
Bringing in an external squad shouldn’t feel like defeat. It’s a power move. You’re protecting your core team while bringing in trusted firepower that can plug in fast, align fast, and ship fast.
The earlier you bring in outside support, the more strategic their contribution becomes. You don’t just avoid burnout. You make room for better ideas.
How to Know It’s Time:
_Pitches are coming in hot, and you’re reshuffling creatives like Tetris blocks
_Timelines keep slipping because “we’ll fix it in post”
_Internal teams are overbooked but the brief is too important to pass
_You want a fresh outside-in perspective without the politics
What a Backup Squad Brings:
_New eyes, no baggage
_Speed without sloppiness
_A safe pair of hands that also knows how to think
Teman Akrab was built for exactly this. We’re not here to take over. We’re here to plug in, help out, and get things moving again.