It might be tempting when you’ve got a great idea but finding problems to fit a solution rarely works well, says Ashgrove’s Terry van Rhyn

I first came across the phrase ‘finding a problem to fit a solution’ during my third year at university. One of my lecturers, Colin Emsle, had written a short piece back in 1980 that explored this very idea.

At the time, it seemed like an interesting academic exercise: a neat way of describing how people sometimes bend reality to suit their pet theories.

Fast forward a few decades, and I find myself in the advertising world, watching teams of otherwise sensible people (me included, on occasion) do exactly that.

We dream up a clever solution – a shiny new campaign mechanic, a killer headline structure, a data tool that promises to “change everything” – and then go rummaging around for a problem it might solve. It’s the marketing equivalent of buying a bow tie and then organising a formal dinner so that you can wear it.

Let’s be honest, agencies love their toys. Whether it’s a new bit of tech, a fresh creative format, or simply a tagline that feels too good to leave on the cutting-room floor, the temptation is strong to declare that this is brilliant, we just now need to make it fit.

And so, the reverse engineering begins. Suddenly, what started as a vague brand challenge morphs into a ‘trust issue’ or a ‘lack of differentiation problem’ because it conveniently matches the solution that we already fancy. We pat ourselves on the back for being insightful when, in truth, we’ve just played matchmaker between an imaginary ailment and our favourite cure.

The danger, of course, is that customers don’t live in imaginary worlds. They live in the messy, complicated reality of choice, habit, and perception. If our campaigns don’t address their actual needs or tensions, no amount of cleverness will save them.

The better route – and the less glamorous one at first glance – is to start with the problem. Always.

Spend time listening before leaping. Customer research, competitor audits, data deep-dives, conversations in shops, even eavesdropping in pubs – all of it matters. The goal is to understand what’s really holding the brand back or what opportunities genuinely exist.

Once the problem is clear, define the battleground. What’s the tension we’ll tackle? Which competitor narratives do we want to dislodge? What do we want customers to believe about us that currently they don’t? This step is about clarity, not cleverness.

Only then do we set the creative team loose. This is where magic happens: when ideas are rooted in something real, they don’t just dazzle – they resonate. They feel inevitable, as if they couldn’t have been anything else.

This discipline is especially vital when positioning a brand. A brand’s positioning is its compass; it shapes not just the next ad campaign, but every decision for years to come.

Get it wrong by forcing a problem to fit your solution, and you saddle the brand with a story that never quite rings true. It becomes an uphill struggle every time you brief a new campaign. But when positioning grows from a genuine tension in the market – a belief, a fear, a desire – it gives you a platform that feels authentic and enduring. Every campaign afterwards becomes an echo of that truth.

Think of it like home improvement. Imagine going to B&Q and buying an expensive power tool because it looked irresistible in the shop (I’m often guilty of that), and then coming home determined to use it, whether or not your house actually needs fixing. You end up drilling holes in perfectly good walls just to justify the purchase. That’s the “solution first, problem later” approach.

The better approach is starting with the real issue: the leaky tap, the sticking door, the wobbly shelf. Diagnose what’s wrong, then pick the right tool to fix it. Suddenly the work is purposeful, the tool earns its keep, and the house is better for it.

Marketing is no different. Don’t go knocking holes in your brand just to show off a shiny idea. Fix what really needs fixing.

Which brings me back to Colin Emsle and his 1980 essay. What struck me then – and still does today – is how timeless the observation is. In business, in politics, in marketing, people still fall into the trap of twisting problems to suit the solutions they already love. It’s human nature.

But in advertising, where budgets are finite and competition is fierce, that habit can be fatal. Our job is not to indulge our favourite ideas; it’s to help brands find clarity and resonance in a crowded marketplace. And that starts with having the discipline to ask: what’s the real problem here?

So yes, shiny ideas are wonderful. We should cherish them, celebrate them, and chase them down with gusto. But let’s not forget: a solution without a problem is just a vanity project. A solution to a real problem, however, is where brands win, agencies thrive, and customers actually care.

And that, I suspect, is exactly what Colin was trying to tell us all those years ago.