Forum: What role does Strategy play in a creative agency?

This is a great article. Although we're not part of a creative agency, we should be asking questions like in the first interview. BUt our organization's silos make it hard to connect at a larger level...product content is separate from Presentation is separate from DigEx...

 But I think this mindset of curiousity, problem solving, holistic thinking and collaboration is something to move toward even if the progress is slow.  There should be a hub that holds everything together---makes sure all the pieces and parts are cohesive, intuitive and usable---and while I don't think our team is it, I would like to see us do our part to unify our face to the guest.

A girl can dream.

Go to article, Part 1

by Hector Leano, Razorfish

inShare2

Image courtesy of National Library of Scotland

Whereas “strategy” is often a dispersed responsibility within the different functions (e.g., Design, UX, Client Engagement, etc.) of most creative agencies, Razorfish is unique in that Strategy is a distinct practice within our larger client offerings. Though we often work hand-in-hand with creative, we believe our value-add goes beyond adding consultant-y buzz words like “value-add” to client presentations.

Since different clients have different needs, we wanted to share the perspective from our different team members across the US, asking them:

What role does the Strategy practice within a creative agency*?
*Don’t call us an “ad” agency. Topic for another blog post!

We are Curious George.
Tracy Yedlin
Mobile Strategy Director, Chicago

We ask questions.

We ask the questions to get to the root of the business problem. What keeps our partners up at night?

We ask the questions that others may not have thought about. What is the impact to the business? What does success looks like?

We ask the questions that no one else wants to ask. The tough questions that result in conversation, debate, and sometimes conflict.

We ask the questions of our Creative teams. Does this experience accomplish the goals set out in the brief?

We ask the questions on behalf of our target users. Will this experience drive value for our customers in a way that will drive value for the business and brand?

We ask the questions regarding what happens after this experience is build. What are we going to measure? How are we going to measure it? What is the optimization plan?

We ask the questions about the grout. How does this experience piece together with other digital and non-digital touch points? Is this experience scalable?

Setting the foundation for the business case and collaboration
Todd Thiessen
Strategy SVP, New York



There are four core functions for strategy

• Define the problem
• Set the vision
• Quantify the opportunities
• Prioritize the efforts

Strategy ensures the right issues are being addressed, sets the foundation for collaborative problem solving while pointing the team on the right path toward a larger vision and mission. These are elements of problem solving DNA while the issues may change (audience analysis, business planning, competitive scenarios) the core strategic emphasis stays the same

Depends on what you mean by “creative agency”
Robert McCutcheon
Strategist, New York

In a world where digital and traditional channels are merging, and doing is the new saying, what exactly is a creative agency?

Broadly speaking, it’s one of two things: (1) a traditional agency trying to build its digital capabilities, or (2) a digital agency trying to build out the competencies of a traditional agency.

The position of strategist in scenario #1 is to guide traditional creatives in embracing a changing environment, one in which a big idea and a :30 second spot are no longer enough to build strong relationships between an agency and its clients, and a brand and its consumers.

The position of a strategist in scenario #2 is to guide creative in breaking free of the constraints once placed upon digital agencies that merely executed on the big picture direction of a traditional agency.
Depending on where a particular agency is in its progress, strategy can be a very different thing. And that’s just at a campaign level. When you start talking about platform development, at a place like Razorfish, where we develop platforms and campaigns on integrated accounts, more and more our strategists are consultants, responsible for aligning the efforts of creative, user experience, media, and technology, with the goals of client’s business and the needs of its core customers.

Go to article, Part 2

by Hector Leano

inShare2

51st Highland Division planning for the battle of El Alamein. Image from The Scots at War Trust

Clients come to Razorfish with a pretty clear mandate: design and build superior digital experiences. What they miss however is that any effective user experience will touch on fundamental business (strategic) questions. Members of our Strategy practice have provided their unique view on the question: What role does strategy play in a creative agency?
Missed Part 1? Check it out here

***
Business value’s advocates inside the creative scrum.
David Charles
Strategy Director, New York


Occasionally, in an agency that has strong roots in user experience and creative, the “Business” part of the digital equation gets lost in the excitement of delivering a solution on the bleeding edge of design and technology. While Strategists are as much on the edge of the curve as the rest of the agency, our background and role tether us to the Business Value that must be delivered by the digital channel.  A good digital strategy must be built on four components:

• Audience Insight
• Brand Pillar
• Competitive/Industry Landscape
• Business Objectives

The role of Strategy is to ensure that any digital solution we deliver to our clients balances these components. To be sure, this approach doesn’t prevent us from being innovative, or ‘creative’; instead, it gives us the confidence to deliver innovative ideas that the client will ultimately buy into.

***
Connecting client goals with customer needs.
Daipayan “DB” Bhattacharjee
Sr. Strategy Manager, Chicago

On a broad level

• Developing a digital marketing strategy based on the client business goals, specific audience segmentation, personas, and overall market structure
• A business case that quantifies the investment and expected return on investment for the digital campaign
• A detailed roadmap prioritizing initiatives and associated measurement plan with specific success metrics (a.k.a., KPIs)

***

Leveraging broader tech + client industry insights to push the experience envelope.
Haven “Haven” Thompson
Strategy Analyst, New York

A big part of Strategy’s role is helping our Creative and User Experience teams understand what’s happening in the broader business landscape and the target consumer’s mindset. We stay on top of digital trends, analyze primary and secondary research, seek out fresh opportunities and ultimately set a vision that will enable our clients to engage with their customers in more inspiring and effective ways.