We are starting a new series where we feature World Company Day (WCD) Signatories from around the world. We hope that these stories will encourage you, that you too can make a difference in your daily work. If you would like to share your stories, you can do so through our online form or via email to shapetheworld@consulusgroup.com
WCD speaks to Davide Nicosia, Founder-Chief Creative Director at Nicosia Creative Expresso (NiCE).
World Company Day (WCD): What do you do as a company?
Davide Nicosia (DN): We are a holistic creative agency, passionate about building brands people desire, through insights; brand strategy; innovation; graphic, industrial and in-store design. Our years of experience in prestige shapes our understanding of how to create value and more meaningful connections with consumers. We search for insights and bring ideas to life, instinctively connecting strategy with story-telling and craftsmanship to create a powerful brand vision. We blend the best of a boutique studio and an international agency, combining flexibility and agility with global reach and a deep regional understanding.
World Company Day (WCD): What is your purpose as a company and why is it important?
Davide Nicosia (DN): Our purpose is to help in creating a balance between the brand, product and its purpose. As a network of 100 multicultural creative staff, we are aware of human-kind’s needs and consistently contribute in helping people and businesses with the appropriate creative phase and all the brand-related tools. The best performance is seen when working with the global brand companies that manufacture and distribute consumer products. Our intervention is important and essential as we help to minimise waste in a very broad way while creating products in harmony with our environment. As part of our agency mission, NiCE is keen in minimising the usage of polluting ingredients that are needed in the making of protective primary and secondary packaging.In 2007, we were asked by Procter and Gamble HQ to help them in redesign their Pantene Hair Care brand. The main request had the purpose to help the Pantene brand regain a position as a category leader within the Haircare industry. NiCE developed a new revolutionary plastic bottle that used 15% less resins than their previous one. Such a simple intervention resulted in saving tons of material waste. Such a saving not only economically helped our client, but it was exemplary as it saved extra waste materials that would have ended up in the land fields. Ultimately, the brand became number 1 in its category and surprisingly quickly became number 1 in Japan in 2008 shortly after being relaunched.
World Company Day (WCD): Can you share a story that best describe the culture of your company?
Davide Nicosia (DN):Our design team consists of award-winning, progressive designers from around the world. We foster true collaboration by linking clients, partners and consumers directly to our creative team. NiCE believes in giving. No matter if it is a finanical contribution or the nurturing of a young talent or provide a scholarship to a talented student.
World Company Day (WCD): Share an example of how you are working with suppliers and partners to improve the state of the industry or the world?
Davide Nicosia (DN):Our multicultural team collaborates with our clients in an intense creative process to deliver the most innovative design, executed perfectly to the last detail. As designers, we dare to imagine the best possible scenario, product, package or environment, then take pleasure in delivering those dreams. This drive to exceed expectations in every project gives our client a significant edge over their competitors.
We also believe in partnership. NiCE continuously teams up with many companies that are related to consumer brands. NiCE has been a true creative force that introduced multiple inventions to many industries. I remember following up on newly imposed laws for packaging and their post consumer potential waste. Such a challenge allowed NiCE to introduce packaging for companies like Calvin Klein and Tiffany & Co. These innovations are still currently used.
World Company Day (WCD): Tell us a special moment when a customer gave you a feedback that helped you.
Davide Nicosia (DN): NiCE is contributing as a creative small engine but a brain behind the very large army of hundreds of thousands of people. It is a real disproportion when we compare our involvement within the context of the making of a brand. Our glorious moments are captured whenever we are called out by our clients or the media with regards for the excellent work we recently have done.
It was extremely special while visiting one of our big clients in Cincinnati (P&G HQ) and learning that we were awarded for the 3rd year in a row for being the most excellent creative agency. Knowing that they hire over fifteen thousand external agencies to help develop and create their brands, it made us feel like we won the Oscars.
The awards let us know that our contribution impacts billions of consumers around the world and as we help make these brands available to them, we understand that we are helping everyone.
World Company Day (WCD): What does your company believe in and why?
Davide Nicosia (DN): Respect, Wisdom, Excellence, Clarity and Value.
RESPECT: Apply diplomacy in all of your interactions. Identify the talents of your team members, and help them find ways to add value. Praise positive contributions. Be fair, and maintain high expectations: Everyone should meet deadlines, pay on time and contribute at the highest level of their abilities. Assign ownership, not blame.
Painstakingly protect IP and respect existing policies. Be on time. Be informed and informative. Share best practices. Every interaction is an opportunity to earn a new level of trust. Continually consider the environmental impact of your every move.
WISDOM: Identify experts and leverage their wisdom. Think before you do, say or write. Experience is the best teacher. Ask questions and be open to the wisdom of others. You will rarely encounter a problem that hasn’t been solved before. New challenges are opportunities to master new skills. Everyone makes mistakes; learning from them is a skill.
EXCELLENCE: Excellence is the goal; accept nothing less. Work smart and stay focused. Be persistent, passionate and fully engaged, and others will follow suit. Be agile and flexible: change your plans if it means preventing or solving a problem.
Don’t be afraid to share what you know or let your talents shine. Lead by example. Continually consider multiple perspectives. Know your tools and be innovative in their application. Work with care and speed; time is ticking. You are here to be excellent. This is your time!
CLARITY: Take notes. Communicate clearly. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t guess. Never start a project without mutual understanding. Follow an established communication structure. Define a champion (at P&G, their PACE). Share outcomes – negative or positive. Let simplicity be your goal, and common sense be your guide.
VALUE: You are the best! Understand the expectations, and plan accordingly with respect for time, price and quality. Invest wisely to avoid making sacrifices. Engage the best internal and external resources. Treat every project like it’s the most important thing you will be a part of. Be fair and consistent. Make your contribution exemplary and valuable.
NiCE people at MOVE PARTY
World Company Day (WCD): Why is world company day important?
Davide Nicosia (DN): It is a human team effort that reveals a continuous reward of existence and survival. Companies should attribute such a success to the magical orchestration of human nature and achievements that benefit any societies.
World Company Day (WCD): At the end of the day, how do you know if your company has contributed towards shaping a better world?
Davide Nicosia (DN): We understand that a consequence is a fruit of an action and the historical value of such an action attributes at our future and ultimately to our existence. We embrace both positive and negative consequences and diligently invest with the dream to create a better tomorrow to our new generations.
S A V E N A T U R E A N D N A T U R E W I L L S A V E Y O U
World Company Day is officially launched on 15th of August in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam as a world-wide initiative by Shape the World Conference.
Today, companies shape every aspect of our lives. From creating opportunities, influencing choices, managing resources of the earth, the way business is conducted can and should be for the greater good. This is why it is important to have an annual day to celebrate the good that companies are doing all around the world and encourage others to do the same. We invite all companies to join us and henceforth commit to building companies that will shape a better world and to advocate the United Nations to set aside 15th of August as World Company Day. More details and pledge here: www.worldcompanyday.org
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