I have to thank Kory Kirby, my homie and the publisher of my next book, helping me take it from concept to reality, for turning me on to the idea of Maieutics and the socratic method in brand strategy.
Maieutics comes from the Greek word for “midwifery,” but it’s about delivering ideas instead of helping birth babies. It’s the Socratic approach to pulling out insight through smart, intentional questions, much like the socratic method in brand strategy, not lectures or prescriptions.
In other words, it’s about exploration and curiosity, a deep-dive creative process not unlike Columbo’s method of getting the guilty to give up the ghost and rat themselves out. This aligns with the socratic method in brand strategy I’ve adopted.
My approach to brand strategy is based on maieutics. But I didn’t know that. I just knew I wanted to dig deeper than anyone else using the socratic method in brand strategy to get the essence of the answers.
Maieutic Brand Strategy is my discovery-driven approach that draws out the brand’s ethos and truest expression from within the organization or founder, rather than imposing an external identity. As the strategist, it makes me a partner in revealing clarity, not just delivering solutions.
It also shows an open mind and a philosophical mindset to strategy. Coming with spec or solutions up front, which I have observed a lot of strategists do, is the opposite. Thinking you’ll impress the client with your prowess. It may impress some, but this approach does not work.
When you start with questions, you often end with answers.
