The document describes Square Holes' DUCKS approach to helping clients through strategic growth, brand building, and shifting hard to budge behaviors. The DUCKS approach involves 5 steps - Define the mission, Uncover the consumers' world, Conceptualise the consumers' story, Killer ideas are imagined and implemented, and Strategic growth is monitored and celebrated. Square Holes uses design thinking and human-centered design principles at each step to provide agility, inventiveness and tailored solutions for their clients.

1. Define
the mission
4 Killer
ideas!
Strategic
growth
Uncover the
consumers’ world
Conceptualise
the story
5
2
1
3
Square Holes has a warm heart,
creative head and simple vision to
“help make the

2. What’s with the Square Holes ducks?
While the answer to why Square Holes has rubber ducks as a mascot is that there
is likely no reason. The answer to the question ‘how does Square Holes help clients?’
can be best explained by our quirkily named yet simple and powerful DUCKS
approach to consumer insight.
Built on Design Thinking and Human-Centred Design, DUCKS provides agility,
inventiveness and supports clients in strategic growth, brand building and shifting hard
to budge behaviours.
Define the precise mission;
Uncover the consumers’ world;
Conceptualise the consumers’ story;
Killer ideas are imagined and implemented;
Strategic growth is monitored and celebrated!
We typically recommend partnering on an ongoing basis, with the process and budget
tailored to each unique and special client from around $20,000pa.
Contact Square Holes on 1800 038 257 or read on to learn more
about DUCKS…
1
2
4
5
3

3. Draft mission process.
Mission finalised – ready to go.
Confidential discussions with CEO, and key
management / directors.
Mission workshop (to define and refine the mission,
challenges, ideas, audiences, approach, measures of
success, reporting needs and other critical outcomes).
‘Hello’ meeting / coffee.
Define: v. to state the precise meaning
This is critical. If you don’t know precisely where
you are heading, or what you are looking for, you
will surely get lost along the way.
Is it increasing revenue or market share, entering a
new market or shifting hard to budge behaviours?
Vague objectives are not enough, and are the short
cut to disappointment.
Square Holes works with clients to crystallise the
mission and sub-objectives, explore early ideas and
to ensure the team is supportive and excited.
1
Define the mission
On to Step 2. Prepare to dive!
Indicative cost: $2-10K+
Indicative time: 1-3 weeks

4. Uncover: v. To reveal new evidence
It is only with empathy for the consumers’
world – loves, frustrations, behaviours,
unmet needs, category gaps etc – should
you apply creativity in generating insights
and solutions.
Square Holes first reflects on lessons
learnt and what is already known, then
we uncover new evidence, explore,
record and measure what was previously
unknown about the consumer.
2
Uncover the
consumers’ world
Speak to key stakeholders, suppliers and influencers.
Collect survey, sales, CRM, web
and other quantitative data.
Observe, experience and converse with real
consumers, in their homes and the places they go.
Identify ideas and trends (own brand, within
category, aligned categories, unaligned categories
and broader business / consumer context).
Review existing research, data, strategy, plans etc.
It is time for Step 3. Hooray!
Indicative cost: $8-90K+
Indicative time: 3-8 weeks

5. Conceptualise: v. to form a concept or concepts out of
observations, experience, data, etc.
With a swag bag of recordings, data, observations,
experiences, photos, videos, more data, notes and
more, it is now critical to step back and breathe... ahhh.
Yet, without much hesitation, a compelling consumer
story will be painted by Square Holes to illustrate key
concepts and priority opportunities.
3
Conceptualise
the story
Statistical and other analysis to find patterns and models, and
cross-match findings across different sources. Left brain analytical
thinking with a dose of right brain creativity.
Deliver the story to the client.
Create a concise and compelling evidence based story tailored to
client needs via traditional reporting through to video and dynamic
outputs (as defined at Step 1).
Brainstorm and debate the early insights and exciting opportunities
building on the revealed evidence, intuition and experience.
Accumulate and reflect on observations, experience, data etc.
Prepare for Step 4. Woohoo!
Indicative cost: $2-20K+
Indicative time: 1-4 weeks

6. Killer: ad. impressive or formidable impact
With the consumers’ story understood, Square Holes
works with the client to unleash the creative juices to
develop ideas that will achieve the mission.
Everyone involved, don’t hold back!
Then we document, prioritise, prototype, evaluate and
assist with launching the big ideas.
4
Killer ideas
Document and prioritise the ideas generated, including fit with mission,
consumers’ story, define quick wins and areas needing more planning etc.
Evaluate the prototyped ideas via consumer and internal testing, and
assessment against consumers’ story and mission.
Assist with preparing the brief to prototype priority ideas via client team,
external creative and other agencies and/or Square Holes manage
using their powerful network of awesome agencies, consultants, media,
designers, developers and freelancers.
Think Tank workshop starting with telling of the consumers’ story, then
allowing the team to generate as many ideas as possible with the consumer
and mission in mind. Be respectful, remove hierarchies, do not judge.
Record session via video and other mechanisms.
Launch killer ideas.
Next stop Step 5... 4, 3, 2, 1, 0 ... Blast off!
Indicative cost: $2-20K+*
Indicative time: 3-12 weeks
*excludes idea prototype development and implementation

7. Strategic: ad. essential in relation to a plan of action
Hold on tight, but do not forget the mission.
Tweak it, but don’t ignore it.
Square Holes monitors and reviews the progress.
We assist with evolving the strategy and are on the
look out for emerging trends and opportunities.
Learn from the mistakes and embrace these on
the next mission.
Congratulations! Go back to Step 1.
5
Strategic growth
Meet regularly to discuss and debate opportunities to adjust
and refine strategies as necessary to increase impact, including
identifying new evidence and lessons. It is important to
continuously reflect on emerging trends and priority opportunities.
Workshop on the lessons learnt, celebrate the glory and ponder
‘what will the next mission be?’
Critically and constructively monitor and report against mission
and measures of success (set at Step 1), via quantitative (sales,
survey, google analytics etc) and qualitative data, observations
and experiences.
Indicative cost: $6-60K+ per annum *charged monthly
Indicative time: On-going through year

8. It is not about
the destination,
but the journey to
help make the

9. Define
the mission
4 Killer
ideas!
Strategic
growth
Uncover the
consumers’ world
Conceptualise
the story
5
2
1
3
Square Holes
State Winner – Consumer
Insight, 2010, 2012 2014.
2010, 2012 2014 Awards
for Marketing Excellence