With a very short lead time, Rogers & Cowan was tasked with developing new engagement initiatives for its client—a universally recognized sports team. Focusing on mothers, the challenge before the group was to develop a media-worthy initiative that would prompt moms to attend games with their kids.

Rogers & Cowan brought in DefCult to design and lead a three-hour, onsite ideation lab. Lab leaders Elizabeth Hinckley, a former public relations executive, and Kevin McGeehan, a teacher and former cast member of renowned improvisation group The Second City, aimed for a fast-paced and energizing lab experience that would yield actionable results. Following an introduction to design thinking and game play, the team quickly delved into empathy research, interviewing mothers about their experiences at similar sports and entertainment venues. Next, the group learned how to define its audience’s needs, closing the session with a rapid-fire creative brainstorm and leaving with a number of exciting possibilities for the client.