San Jose Is Thoughtful

The Opportunity

Our Understanding of the Opportunity

The challenge is not simply to communicate. It is to make the message relevant, human, and actionable for the people of San Jose.

01
The Challenge

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02
The Audience

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03
The Objective

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04
What Success Looks Like

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How We’d Approach It

A collaborative process that turns audience insight into thoughtful creative work and measurable results.

  • 01
    Research

    Understand the audience, behaviors, barriers, and cultural context.

  • 02
    Strategy

    Define the campaign direction, messaging, channels, and success metrics.

  • 03
    Creative Development

    Develop concepts, visual direction, content, and campaign materials.

  • 04
    Activation & Optimization

    Launch the work, monitor performance, and refine it based on results.

Our Work

Very few people are passionate about clean energy or sustainability.  And nobody gets out of bed to look at advertising.  But a Stanford PhD in behavioral science recently told us that she'd never seen more effective campaign work.

Getting Attention. Making the issues accessible. And then driving action. This is what we do, at School of Thought.

Selected Video Work

A selection of video work showcasing our approach, storytelling, and campaign execution.

Switch Is On
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SFE
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SVCE
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Cisco
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What Our Clients Think.

“They are a year ahead of anyone else when it comes to electrification…“

— Kiristi Wilkins. Senior Director, PG&E. (10 year client)
Brick building exterior with black-framed glass doors and windows, featuring a hanging sign that reads 'School of Thought' against a clear blue sky.

“You never get the B-team and they are never Yes Men.“

— Matt Curtis. CMO, Milliman.  (14 year client)
Man in plaid shirt talking and gesturing while sitting beside a woman typing on a computer keyboard in an office.

“School of Thought helped us build consensus across a diverse coalition, and has worked tirelessly to create positive change in California. School of Thought’s work is exceptional. Clients can expect a responsive, creative partner that goes the extra mile.“

— Panama Bartholomy. Executive Director, Building Decarbonization Coalition
Motivational sign on a wooden surface against a brick wall reading: 'Good things come to those who work their asses off and never give up.'

"You and your team should be very proud of the excellent work done.  In my 30 years at this gig, I can honestly say your agency’s work is among the best I’ve ever seen."

— Kate Kelly. Director of  Marketing, Sonoma Clean Power
Man wearing glasses pointing at video editing software on a desktop computer screen beside a second monitor showing a CureSeq and Cancer webpage.

"I have truly enjoyed working with School of Thought on our  ad campaigns. They have a never-ending supply of creative approaches to address complex topics that educate and inform our audience."

— Pam Leonard. Deputy Director of Marketing and Communications, SVCE
Two men in an office with exposed brick walls; one wearing a white hat reclines in a chair with feet on a black filing cabinet, the other sits at a desk with a computer.

"SOT is scrappy and nimble— you expect that from a small shop. What’s perhaps surprising is the caliber of their brand strategy and creative. Fortune 50 on down, these guys will deliver."

— Shannon Riordan. VP of Brand, iShares.
Two people on a sandy beach filming a sunset over the ocean with a camera mounted on a slider.

Let's do the best work of our careers together.