It’s hard to say no to a cute kid selling chocolate to support a good cause.

It’s hard to say no to one more glass of wine when you’re with great friends and you have a designated driver.

It’s hard to say no to one more minute outside on a gorgeous day.

And for us, it’s hard to say no to clients when they desperately desire logos, business cards, print materials, or websites. But sometimes we do say no, and here are some examples of when. We hope the “why” is implied, but we’re happy to explain.

We say no (“no, nay, never!”) when clients:

• want to create pieces that they have no discernible use for;
• focus time and money on marketing materials that are not appropriate for their target audiences;
• are blowing their marketing budgets on a sole big-budget deliverable instead of getting decent coverage across key marketing channels;
• want to completely overhaul logos that have recognition with their target audiences;
• consider redesigning their websites exclusively to take advantage of cool new tech; or
• begin to revamp their marketing content without identifying or re-analyzing their differentiators.

So we’ll say “no” and won’t blithely take precious marketing dollars to create items that aren’t in the best interest of overall success. And sometimes we will say “not right now” to help you find the answers you need to more wisely invest in marketing. It’s rejection with love—love for our craft and for our clients. But don’t be afraid to connect with us—we’ll only say no if that’s what you really need to hear.