HOW ORIGIN SOLUTIONS MAP
TO CLIENT NEEDS
Transformation vs. Service-Based · Engagement Logic · Deal Patterns
TWO SOLUTION TYPES
Every ORIGIN engagement falls into one of two categories. Knowing which one applies determines how we scope, staff, and deliver.
Transformation
The full AUDIT → FIX → GROW cycle. ORIGIN diagnoses the current state, builds the strategic and operational foundations, and scales the client’s growth. This is the complete value chain — strategy + brand + technology integrated under unified governance.
Characteristics:
- All three phases (AUDIT → FIX → GROW)
- Multi-stream delivery: Strategy, Brand, and Technology
- Engagement model: Build & Operate or BOT
- Duration: 12–27 months depending on model
- Requires dedicated POD with Team Lead
- 3-level governance is mandatory (Steering Committee, Project Control, Project Delivery)
- Client typically lacks internal capability or is building it
When It’s the Right Fit:
- Client is corporatizing, preparing for IPO, or undergoing major restructure
- Client has no internal marketing/growth function (or it’s broken)
- Multiple interconnected problems: brand + digital + marketing all need work
- Client wants business outcomes, not just deliverables
Service-Based
A specific deliverable or service stream. ORIGIN solves a defined problem without running the full transformation cycle. The scope is bounded, the timeline is shorter, and the engagement model is lighter.
Characteristics:
- One or two phases (typically FIX or GROW, sometimes AUDIT only)
- Single-stream or dual-stream delivery: website, brand strategy, CRM setup, campaign execution
- Engagement model: Build or Build & Guard
- Duration: Build 3 to 6 months, bounded. Build & Guard 6 to 12 months, renewable.
- Can be delivered with lean POD or shared resources
- Governance is lighter (Project Control + Project Delivery, Steering only if needed)
- Client has internal capability or an agency handling the rest
When It’s the Right Fit:
- Client says “I need a website” or “I need a brand strategy” or “I need a mobile app”
- Client has an existing agency but needs strategic direction (Build & Guard)
- Budget is defined for a specific project, not open-ended transformation
- Clear scope, clear deliverable, clear exit
THE STRATEGIC REALITY
Most Service-based engagements reveal Transformation needs. A website project uncovers a brand problem. A brand project exposes a CRM gap. Every entry point is a potential transformation relationship — the question is whether the client is ready and the budget is there.
DECISION FRAMEWORK
When sitting with a prospect, these questions determine the solution type and engagement model:
01 · Do They Have Internal Capability to Execute?
- Yes, and they just need a specific deliverable: Service-based → Build
- Yes, but execution is drifting from strategy: Service-based → Build & Guard
- No, and they don’t want to build it: Transformation → Build & Operate
- No, but they want to build it: Transformation → BOT
02 · How Long Do They Want ORIGIN Involved?
- 3–6 months (one-time project): Service-based → Build
- 12+ months (ongoing, indefinitely): Transformation → Build & Operate, and Service-based for Build & Guard
- 18 to 27 months, depending on when the client team reaches maturity: Transformation → BOT
03 · Do They Want ORIGIN to Execute or Govern?
- Execute: Build, Build & Operate, or BOT
- Govern: Build & Guard
04 · What’s the Scope of the Problem?
- Single problem (website, brand, CRM): Service-based
- Multiple interconnected problems: Transformation
- They don’t know what the problem is: Start with AUDIT → then recommend
TYPICAL DEAL STRUCTURES BY ICP
Real Estate
- Most common: Transformation (Build & Operate or BOT)
- Entry: project launch branding, corporate rebrand, or digital transformation
- Pattern: single project entry → reveals portfolio-wide needs → evolves into full engagement
- Decision maker: CEO, VP Marketing, or Development Director
ICT & Technology
- Most common: Service-based (Build) or Transformation (Build & Operate)
- Entry: brand strategy, website, or growth marketing
- Pattern: fast decision, clear scope, performance-driven expectations
- Decision maker: CEO, CTO, or VP Growth
Public Sector
- Most common: Service-based (Build & Guard) or Transformation via consultancy SubCo
- Entry: consultancy referral or direct executive relationship
- Pattern: long procurement cycle, governance-heavy, multi-year relationship
- Decision maker: Director General, Under-Secretary, or CMO
Consultancies
- Most common: white-label execution arm under the consultancy, which holds the prime contract with the end client
- Entry: consultant needs execution partner for awarded project
- Pattern: SubCo relationship, project-based with extensions
- Decision maker: Partner, Principal, or Engagement Manager
ENTRY POINTS VS. FULL RELATIONSHIPS
Understanding the difference between what gets the foot in the door and what the full relationship looks like is critical for pipeline management.
What Gets the Foot in the Door
- “We need a website for our new project”
- “We need to rebrand before our IPO”
- “Our agency isn’t delivering — we need someone to oversee them”
- “We have a strategy from BCG but no one to execute it”
- “Our digital marketing isn’t generating qualified leads”
What the Full Relationship Looks Like
- AUDIT reveals brand, digital, and operational gaps across the organization
- FIX builds the strategic and operational foundations
- GROW activates campaigns, platforms, automation, and content
- ORIGIN becomes the client’s embedded growth partner (Build & Operate) or strategic guardian (Build & Guard)
- Relationship extends from months to years
Upsell Paths
- Website → Brand: The website project reveals the brand strategy is weak or non-existent. Scope expands to brand strategy + visual identity.
- Brand → CRM: New brand needs infrastructure to activate. CRM setup, marketing automation, and lead generation enter scope.
- CRM → Campaigns: Infrastructure is ready. Now it needs fuel — performance marketing, content, ABM programs.
- Campaigns → Transformation: Results prove the model works. Client commits to full AUDIT → FIX → GROW across their organization.
- Build → Build & Operate: One-time project proves ORIGIN’s value. Client decides to outsource the function permanently.
RED FLAGS: WHEN TO WALK AWAY
Not every lead is an ORIGIN deal. These signals indicate a prospect that will waste time, drain resources, or damage the relationship:
- Budget mismatch: They want full transformation but have a freelancer budget. If the budget doesn’t match the scope, it’s not an ORIGIN deal.
- No executive sponsor: The person we’re talking to can’t make decisions or secure budget. Without C-suite backing, transformation doesn’t happen.
- No clear vision: The organization doesn’t know what it wants to become. Without a transformation mandate or strategic direction, there’s nothing for ORIGIN to build toward.
- “Just need a logo”: If the ask is purely tactical with no strategic context, they want an agency. We wish them well.
- Price shopping: They’re comparing us against freelancers or low-cost agencies. We don’t compete on price. We compete on integration, governance, and outcomes.
- No transformation mandate: They’re maintaining the status quo, not building something new. ORIGIN exists for transformation, not maintenance.
- Scope without commitment: “Can you do a proposal for everything and we’ll decide later?” — this is a fishing expedition, not a deal.
THE RULE
If the organization is not undergoing transformation, if budgets are not committed, if the execution gap is not painful enough to solve, and if there is no clear vision for where they’re going — it’s not an ORIGIN deal. Move on.
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Test your understanding of ORIGIN’s ICPs, solution types, and deal patterns.