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February 15, 2006
Branding is a Wicked Problem
For anyone who’s been involved in a brand consulting project or a complex business issue, the concept of the “Wicked Problem” is a fascinating one.
Coined by Horst Rittel, a Wicked Problem is one for which each attempt to create a solution changes the understanding of the problem. In brief, Wicked Problems cannot be solved in a traditional linear fashion, because the definition of the problem continues to evolve as new hypothesis are developed and put forth.
Because the understanding of the Wicked Problem evolves the longer you work to solve it, finding an acceptable solution requires powerful processes for getting everyone on the same page. According to Rittel, Wicked Problems always occur in a social context - the wickedness of the problem reflects the diversity among the stakeholders in the problem. For instance, in our experience, the more complicated the brand, the greater the diversity and the higher the stakes for each individual involved in the process.
Some specific aspects of problem wickedness include:
1. You don't understand the problem until you have developed a solution. Indeed, there is no definitive statement of "The Problem." The problem is ill-structured, an evolving set of interlocking issues and constraints.
2. Wicked problems have no stopping rule. Since there is no definitive "The Problem", there is also no definitive "The Solution."
3. Solutions to wicked problems are not right or wrong, simply "better," "worse," "good enough," or "not good enough."
4. Every wicked problem is essentially unique and novel. There are so many factors and conditions that no two wicked problems are alike, and the solutions to them will always be custom designed and fitted.
5. Every solution to a wicked problem is a "one-shot operation," every attempt has consequences. You can't learn about the problem without trying solutions.
6. Wicked problems have no given alternative solutions. Therefore, it is a matter of creativity to devise potential solutions, and a matter of judgment to determine which are valid, and which should be pursued and implemented.
Indeed, it sounds like virtually all brand- and marketing related projects for complex organizations are about solving wicked problems. And this, of course, is what makes our business – the business of brand and marketing consulting – both so fascinating, and so difficult. Because at the end of the day, it is our passion, our talent and our intellect that drives our creativity, and our experience that drives our judgment.
Unfortunately, the concept of the Wicked Problem underscores something that we’ve always known, and experience anew each time we start a new engagement. Though processes and systems for solving Wicked (and branding) Problems do help – we have several that have proven their usefulness – every solution is fresh, new and entirely relevant only to the situation at hand.
Posted by MCorp. at 15.02.2006 08:43 | Permalink