Alum Joe Nio Shares Creative Brief Insights with Students
Alum Joe Nio (Strategy, 2000), Chief Strategy Officer at 21GRAMS, returned to the Brandcenter last week to lead a creative brief workshop for second-year students.
Drawing on a career that spans agencies like Highdive, FCB Chicago, Leo Burnett, and VSA Partners, Joe encouraged students to approach problems, insights, and solutions with fresh perspective. His advice included:
- Find the enemy: Name what’s standing in the way
- Go 5 whys deep: Get to the universal human truth
- Inspire a leap: Build a world around the idea
- Great brands are great stories: And great stories have tension
Known for leading with curiosity, empathy, and breakthrough creative thinking, Joe left students with tools to sharpen their strategic storytelling.
Thank you, Joe, for sharing your time and expertise!