Rocking routine

Routines that keep us sharp

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Every day at 1:30 PM, right during that familiar post-lunch dip, we have a fixed moment for studio questions. And yes, every Thursday at 1 PM (again, digestion time), we hold our weekly studio meeting. Wondering what “the studio” actually is? Don’t worry, we’ll get to that in a moment.

In addition, every Friday we wrap up the week with the same set of questions on Slack to evaluate and prepare for the next one. And every Monday at exactly 9 AM, we see or hear each other to kick off the week. On the first Monday of every month, we host a new work lunch meeting, where we share our latest work with one another.

SOPs also no longer hold any secrets for us. Standard Operating Procedures is a fancy term for a step-by-step guide: we document how to handle recurring tasks in detail, so colleagues can easily look them up—or so you can quickly get back on track after a long break.

It might sound boring or repetitive, but trust us: there’s already plenty of rock ’n roll in the content of our work and our planning. That’s exactly why we need these fixed routines—they create more space for creativity.

“There’s plenty of rock ’n roll in our work. That’s exactly why we need solid routines to stay creative.” -Margo Cockmartin

Smart tools, strong workflow

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Plant a Flag is not just a creative marketing agency—we’re also deeply into technology. Web design and web development are a key part of what we do, which means new tools are always tested with enthusiasm.

Some of these tools have become real favorites: Slack (think of a smarter version of WhatsApp for internal communication), Front (our surprisingly handy email tool), 1Password (for all those passwords), and of course the simplicity of Google Drive and Docs.

While these tools make our work faster and more efficient, it ultimately comes down to the people who use them. And that brings me to the famous “studio” you were curious about.

At Plant a Flag, there are four core profiles:

• strategists (think Stratego—they define the direction of the marketing plan)
• designers (from birth cards to full brandings and web designs)
• copywriters (yes, the ones writing blogs like this)
• developers (the cool kids who understand HTML and config, and make sure your website ranks on Google)

The studio? That’s our designers and copywriters—the creative core of our agency.

At Plant a Flag, we combine structure with creativity, allowing us to work both innovatively and efficiently. Our routines, together with the smart tools we use, form the backbone of how we operate.

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