I remember a proposal pitch 15 years ago, as we were trying to entangle the various drivers of value creation in a long term gas purchase and supply agreement. We were finally selected not because of our knowledge, but because of our creativity. I remember the client telling us, with a sense of humor, that it might even be helpful that we knew nothing about the gas industry!
In a more demanding market, such a win would be less likely today, as we need to bring both industry relevance and innovative approaches. Unlike some of our competitors, we still like to staff most projects with at least one "young talent" who does not know the industry at all—and partners are consistently impressed by the impact of such an approach.