Beyond the obvious: how our “3 reasons why” framework challenges complacency in financial services creative

Three concise “reasons why this works” for every idea. That’s what we come prepared with when we present thinking to our Clients—clear, focused statements that anchor the conversation around why we believe a concept works.

Not three customer‑facing claims—three internal reasons why we believe the idea earns its place in the room. It’s a forcing mechanism: one reason can be a happy accident, five look like a grocery list, but three demands ruthless clarity.

What the reasons achieve

They focus the conversation. Instead of debating colors or copy, we talk about impact. They travel. The entire team can speak from and build to the same place. And they expose weak spots. If Reason Two feels like a stretch, we know where to tighten before production.

How we build the list

We start with strategy, plain and simple. Each reason must trace back to at least one of three sources:

• The core customer tension. If the idea doesn’t ease friction or spark desire, it won’t earn attention.
• The business objective. Whether the goal is applications, funded accounts, or active usage, the concept has to move a measurable needle.
• A differentiator, not just a decorator. We call out the creative twist that makes the work impossible to confuse with look‑alike noise in the feed.

Everything else—historical context, internal politics, legacy copy—goes in the parking lot until it proves its worth.

Why do we cap it at three?

• It sharpens the strategy. If we can’t distill the thinking into three crisp points, the idea isn’t ready. Trimming the list forces us to isolate what actually matters and ditch everything else.
• It sparks the right dialogue. Three reasons show the logic without burying our Clients in details. They see exactly why and where we’re planting the flag—and can push or build from those points instead of debating surface‑level tweaks.
• It keeps the focus on relevance. A concise rationale ensures we’re solving the real challenge, not admiring our own cleverness. Anything that doesn’t advance the goal gets cut.

How it elevates the work

No two concepts earn the same rationale. Sometimes a reason is anchored in a fresh customer insight; sometimes it points to a performance learning we’re evolving, or to an unexpected white‑space we’ve uncovered in the category.

What’s more, it helps teams stay aligned. Strategy, copy, and design agree on the precise why behind each concept before pixels or words start to multiply. It also helps to keep conversations ruthlessly focused. We show the thinking that matters, keep decisions tight, and move on. And . because every reason ties directly to the challenge, the work moves forward without side quests or unhelpful detours.

In practice, a reason might:

• Surface a single tension the idea resolves
• Connect the concept to something that’s already resonating in‑market
• Highlight a distinctive creative mechanic that helps the work stand apart
• Explain how the execution ladders up to a bigger goal or KPI

The point isn’t to follow a template—it’s to prove we’ve done the homework and to give everyone a clear, shared jumping‑off point for discussion. Plain language, zero fluff, and always in service of ruthless focus.

Clients tell us the three‑reason rundown makes decisions faster and feedback sharper. They’re no longer wading through a swamp of slides hunting for the “why”—it’s on page one, in normal language. And because the reasons are easy to repeat, the idea holds its shape as more voices join the room.

Try it yourself – next time you are looking at a piece of creative – see if you’re able to name three concise reasons why it would work. If you can’t, ask yourself if the strategy behind it is right.