When it comes to bringing a brand to market, every marketer has the right to go with an off-the-shelf solution. No one can fault them for doing so. Traditional marketing firms are easy and efficient. They provide ideas that everyone can be comfortable with. But there’s a reason bouillabaisse doesn’t come in a can.

It takes the mind like that of a great chef or architect to develop ideas that force customers to see a brand with fresh eyes. They aren’t in the business of growing potatoes or hammering nails. They are alchemists gaining inspiration from the varied sources, pulling them together into the perfect mixture of emotion and meaning to affect people in profound ways. They aim to disarm and comfort. They add purpose and pleasure to things so fundamental as food or shelter.

But the only way to do this — the only way to turn a physical experience into a visceral one — is to first understand the desired consumer experience and work backward. Sounds simple enough. But sadly, most marketing firms are more concerned about growing a better potato or making money from the hammering of nails.