WHO WE ARE
UPSTREAM is a front-end innovation consultancy that helps leaders build vision and process for disruptive innovation. We help leaders pinched between executives asking “What’s Next” and execution teams that need to launch tomorrow. Our experienced team originates from the worlds of design, research, brand strategy, marketing, and media technology to deliver impact across silos.
HOW WE ARE DIFFERENT
DISRUPTIVE FOCUS: Most innovation firms look backward to innovate forward, creating incremental improvement of existing offerings. We look at brand elasticity, or how far a brand can stretch to cover new products and markets, along with cultural and technological trends to define new business and new futures. From this future vision, we define the actions a business can take this quarter, next year, and 5 years out to disrupt markets and radically grow.
SYSTEMIC VIEW: Design firms predefine solutions as a new physical or on screen product. Marketing firms predefine solutions as new communication architecture. Advertising agencies predefine solutions as a new campaign. Research firms predefine solutions as a specific tool or technique. We’re solution agnostic. We understand that business outcomes are best achieved through holistic solutions, unique to your organization, that deliver seamless consumer experiences.
BUSINESS MODEL: Whereas most brand, design and advertising firms depend on a factory model that exploits large teams of inexperienced professionals, we’ve deployed an ownership model that thrives on proven leadership and consistent results. This model attracts the best experienced talent in the region.
WHAT WE BELIEVE
The world has changed and the practice of innovation must change. Isolated offerings are no longer enough. A connected and transparent world demands that businesses design and deliver consumer ecosystems, not parts. Radical growth is created by disruptive ecosystems that integrate product, service and community concepts to extend value propositions into the broader context of life and drive customers to ideal behaviors.
We believe that the greatest human problems represent growth opportunities for brands that have the vision to embrace them. As innovators and design thinkers, we believe that good design is about solving the right problem, and that innovation creates the most impact when addressing causes instead of symptoms. Established brands possess the resources and channels to affect these causes. We believe brands can generate impact and growth by understanding the journey an individual takes to a new state of well-being, and building ecosystems that serve roles to help move people through that journey.
WHERE WE DWELL
