Finding Strategic Ways to Shrink the Fight Against Competitors

Rachel Fletcher is business director at Craft Media London, who loves tackling client’s problems head on, delivering clear comms strategy that works. She has honed her planning skills on some of the biggest brands in the UK across telco, FMCG, entertainment and retail.

Since joining Craft in 2021 she has worked across multiple accounts, leading the agency vision in creative planning and client partnership.

LBB> What do you think is the difference between a strategist and a planner? Is there one?

Rachel> When you boil it down, they are both problem solvers, but strategists set the vision (the what and why) and planners make it happen (the how). The two work hand–in–hand and should both be led by the same consideration set - a brand’s ambition, their role in culture and how best to respond to their audience’s needs.

Coming from a specialist comms agency, there is plenty of room for both and I believe you cannot have one without the other. Strategists can inspire and form the direction of something, while planners can take this brilliant strategy and translate it into innovative and effective communication plans.

LBB> And which description do you think suits the way you work best?

Rachel> I’m a planner through and through. I love taking direction from a comms strategy and turning it into something tangible that lives in the real world.

I also enjoy getting into the nitty gritty detail that planning allows you to do - you often have to get quite creative when the answer isn’t straightforward.

LBB> We’re used to hearing about the best creative advertising campaigns, but what’s your favourite historic campaign from a strategic perspective? One that you feel demonstrates great strategy?

Rachel> The recent work from PUMA is really cool. I might be biassed given I’m training for the London marathon at the moment, but it’s clear that the campaign is rooted in a directional consumer insight - that running will give you a high like nothing else.

PUMA have also recognised the importance of building a brand in a category where some of the big players have lost distinctiveness and there is increased competition from smaller, more unique challengers. This in turn has unlocked its greatest marketing investment to date.

I’m intrigued to see more of the work as it comes out and the direction the comms plan takes. I’d like to see it turn up in the right environments and work with the right talent / ambassadors that will get noticed by runners.

Running is just the first sports discipline that it will be uncovering throughout this campaign that is set to continue into 2026. I’m curious to see if PUMA can get it right for a second time!

LBB> What part of your job/the strategic process do you enjoy the most?

Rachel> I love getting stuck into an audience. Whether it’s identifying an audience for growth or challenging a client on who they think they should be speaking to, understanding your audience is crucial and can make or break your strategy.

Learning what makes an audience tick and what gets them to notice something is a planners’ superpower. I lean on multiple data sources to give me a more nuanced view of my audience’s needs and behaviours.

LBB> What strategic maxims, frameworks or principles do you find yourself going back to over and over again? Why are they so useful?

Rachel> At Craft, we work with a lot of challenger brands that do not have the biggest budgets in their category, so we find strategic ways to ‘shrink the fight’ and create an unfair share of attention.

As a comms planner, this presents a really interesting opportunity to try and outsmart competitors. It can take the form of focusing in on an underserved audience or only activating in comms channels not typically used by the category.

LBB> What sort of creatives do you like to work with? As a strategist, what do you want them to do with the information you give them?

Rachel> Collaborative ones! Typically, comms (specifically paid media) and creative can be kept quite separate until a campaign becomes executional, but when the two disciplines are brought together early on in the strategic process, is where the magic can happen. It’s particularly rewarding to see creative work developed out of audience insights and with the comms goals in mind.

As a comms planner, being kept close to creative development can be a game–changer when it comes to more detailed planning. It allows you to design a comms plan that will help make the creative famous, and what creative doesn’t want that?!

LBB> What have you found to be the most important consideration in recruiting and nurturing strategic talent?

Rachel> I look for people who are naturally inquisitive and bring a different perspective to the table. This comes from casting a wider net to ensure we reach people of different backgrounds and who have different experiences.

It’s important to create an environment where new talent feel comfortable and are encouraged to have an opinion. There is always more than one way to get to the answer and talent should feel confident to explore their own way in.

LBB> In recent years it seems like effectiveness awards have grown in prestige and agencies have paid more attention to them. How do you think this has impacted on how strategists work and the way they are perceived?

Rachel> It puts an even greater emphasis on having a robust measurement framework in place from the outset. This will set yourself up for success knowing you have taken a rigorous and logical approach to measuring the key performance indicators across brand, behavioural and business metrics.

Reviewing past entries is also a great way of understanding the level of detail needed to enter effectiveness awards in the first place.

LBB> Do you have any frustrations with planning/strategy as a discipline?

Rachel> It can often be overlooked in media agencies, with not enough time or importance allocated to it. It is easy to be distracted by media efficiencies and chasing the greatest number of eyeballs possible. It’s also something that is not taught widely, making it harder for new talent starting out.

LBB> What advice would you give to anyone considering a career as a strategist/planner?

Rachel> Have an opinion. It can feel scary to put yourself out there at first, but bringing a new perspective to something based on your own experiences, what you have read / watched / listened to can be extremely valuable.