Commissions
Five ways teams sit with us. Each shape names the rhythm, who is in the room, and what is written down.
Rain on the window and a quarter plan still pinned from last season. Commissions are how we describe the length and depth of that bench time — not retainers quoted in numbers, but shapes agreed in writing before work begins.
A first shaping
Two weeks, one marketing lead in the room, one written architecture sketch returned. Rhythm: three sessions at the bench, final note on the last Friday. Arrives as a brief and reference folder. Leaves as a one-page architecture and a list of recommended next steps. Fits when a team senses misalignment but lacks language to describe it.
A campaign build
One season, weekly reviews, architecture through launch comms. Marketing lead, product owner, and creative partner attend on a set cadence. Each week ends with written notes. Arrives as a season brief and channel history. Leaves as the full document set listed on the home page. Fits when a launch date is fixed and the spine must be built from scratch.
A season of channel work
Twelve weeks focused on orchestration and proof supervision while direction holds steady. Channel owners join for format reviews. Arrives with signed direction and unsettled channel plans. Leaves with orchestration pack and release calendar. Fits when creative is settled but execution drifts across teams.
A launch run
Four to six weeks on launch communications and proof ladder only. Internal comms lead joins from week one. Arrives with near-final assets and an unsettled roll-out order. Leaves with timed comms plan and approved release pack. Fits when production is largely complete and release discipline is the gap.
A standing advisory bench
Monthly half-day reviews across a quarter. No production ownership — reading, marking, and writing short advisory notes. Founder or marketing lead attends. Arrives as ongoing campaign material. Leaves as annotated proofs and a quarterly summary letter. Fits when a team has execution capacity but wants an external read.
Every commission begins with a short letter naming shape, rhythm, attendees, and deliverables. Changes mid-season are written as amendments, not assumed in conversation. That is how scope stays legible for both sides.
A first shaping often leads to a campaign build; a launch run sometimes precedes a standing bench. We do not pressure teams to upgrade. The letter simply records what was agreed. If a shaping reveals that only orchestration is needed, the commission letter says so.
Who sits in the room matters. Architecture sessions need the person who can approve audience definitions. Direction sessions need whoever owns brand judgement. Launch runs need internal comms. We list required roles in the letter so missing attendees are visible early, not discovered on proof day.
Written deliverables are listed by name — not "strategy deck" but "campaign architecture document" or "channel orchestration pack". Named documents are easier to archive and easier to hand to the next agency if seasons change.
Commission shapes are not ranked. A standing advisory bench is not a lesser engagement; it is the right shape when a capable team needs an external read without surrendering execution. Conversely, a campaign build is not always the answer when a two-week shaping would surface the real gap.
Payment terms and commercial arrangements are outside this site entirely. They appear only in signed letters between the studio and the client. What appears here is the craft shape — the rhythm of sessions, the names of documents, the people who should be present — so you can judge fit before any commercial conversation.
Hybrid commissions combine shapes across quarters: a shaping in Q1, a launch run in Q2, advisory bench through Q3. Each quarter gets its own letter amendment so scope stays visible.
When a commission ends, we write a closing paragraph naming documents delivered and where they live in the client's drive. No mystery folders.