Focus, Clarity & Provocation: A Recipe for Strategic Success
Deutsch LA recently announced the elevation of five of its strategy executives. One of those was Samantha Petrossi, who was promoted to senior vice president group strategy director.
Samantha's strategic work for brands like Popeyes, Pizza Hut, Avocados from Mexico, Universal and Walmart+ has been featured on culture’s biggest stages, such as the Super Bowl. Each day, Samantha sets out to create work that not only breaks through, but also leaves a positive impact - and on the way she's most keen to work with creative teams who are open to 'jamming' about strategy, ideas and everything else in-between.
Intrigued to know about her approach to the art of strategic thinking, LBB's Addison Capper chatted with Samantha.
LBB> What do you think is the difference between a strategist and a planner? Is there one?
Samantha> It’s semantics to me. ‘Planner’ was the name of the job when it was founded. Today, ‘strategist’ is used more often because it captures the many responsibilities of a modern problem solver. I don’t really care what people call themselves (as long as they aren’t pretentious about it.)
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?
Samantha> A few historic campaigns come to mind for different reasons.
Snickers’ ‘You’re not you when you’re hungry’ because it centred around a deeply relatable human truth. Avis’ ‘We Try Harder’ because it owned a perceived weakness (being number two in the category) as their strength. Apple’s ‘Think Different’ because it tapped into people’s sense of self and created a magnetic force around the brand.
All of these campaigns are focused, brave and meaningful. It’s difficult to find examples of campaigns like this today because marketers have prioritised metrics over meaning. Bringing meaning back into advertising is a big part of my personal mission.
LBB> When you’re turning a business brief into something that can inform an inspiring creative campaign, do you find the most useful resource to draw on?
Samantha> Often, the business brief captures ‘the consumer’ in a flat one-pager that is centred around their buying behaviours. Or worse, a pen portrait of someone who is entirely fictional.
We must bring the audience to life in such a way that teams will understand and respect them. The most useful resource for this is simple: talking to real people. Qualitative, social listening, and immersion into their passions and pain points provides much-needed inspiration for creatives.
LBB> What part of your job/the strategic process do you enjoy the most?
Samantha> The psychology of it. Understanding people, thinking about why they do what they do, is endlessly fascinating to me. Also writing. Playing with words and finding the right articulation of an insight is weirdly fulfilling. And intuitive… you know when it’s right.
LBB> What strategic maxims, frameworks or principles do you find yourself going back to over and over again? Why are they so useful?
Samantha> I value strategies that are focused, clear and provocative. So, the maxims ringing in my head are ‘strategy is sacrifice’, ‘simplicity is brilliance’, and ‘playing it safe is the riskiest thing we can do’.
4Cs is my favourite framework because it’s so adaptable. But sometimes, strategists can struggle with landing a singular point when they have four different truths. So I coach them to use a simple tension framework that shows a clear centre of gravity.
That said, a framework is only as good as the thinking inside of it. And there’s no magical framework that will solve all the world’s problems. Sometimes, freeing oneself from any sort of a framework, and letting your mind wander, is what unlocks a true aha.
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?
Samantha> I love creatives who can drop their titles and just get in a room and jam. Jam about strategy, jam about ideas, jam about the team we want to build together. Creatives who will be honest with you when the strategy isn’t landing, but who also want your honest opinion about the ideas. This type of partnership is founded on mutual respect and open communication. If you don’t have that, it doesn't matter if you put strategic gold in front of them; they won’t be able to see it.
LBB> There’s a negative stereotype about strategy being used to validate creative ideas, rather than as a resource to inform them and make sure they’re effective. How do you make sure the agency gets this the right way round?
Samantha> I don't think using strategy to validate creative ideas is inherently a bad thing. Sometimes, the creative process unlocks a strategy that is even better than the one in the brief. As strategists, we have to check our egos and embrace serendipity when that happens.
That said, backing into strategy is problematic when it becomes the go-to method, or when creatives simply can’t (or won’t) stay on brief. The main issue it creates is one of effectiveness. If we’re clear on the objective and problem to solve, and agree on what is going to get us there (aka the strategy), but the idea lands in a completely different direction, how will we know that it works? It also creates unnecessary friction with clients, who often approve strategies before they are kicked off.
The best way to avoid this is two-fold. First, strategists should involve creatives in the development of the brief so they are fully on board. The briefing should never be a surprise to the creative director. Second, strategists should be involved in creative reviews early and often. Way before the official internal review, because at that point, it’s often too late to make a significant pivot in the work.
LBB> What have you found to be the most important consideration in recruiting and nurturing strategic talent?
Samantha> Curiosity, proactivity and resilience are the most important traits that I look for when recruiting.
Curiosity is the DNA of any strategist. People who question why things are the way they are, enjoy digging into the forgotten corners of the internet, pursuing random hobbies…that sort of thing.
Proactivity is important because it shows that you care. It’s inspiring to be around people who are compelled to create, not just because they have to, but because they want to.
Resilience is necessary because this industry can be tough; especially in the beginning. So I look for people who have a growth mindset and find the opportunities in the challenges.
Nurturing strategic talent is often about balancing left and right brain capabilities. The strongest strategists are equally logical and creative. It’s natural for people to skew in one direction or the other and struggle a bit when tasks fall outside of their comfort zone. Luckily, our brains are flexible and can adapt over time.
I also do a lot of coaching around soft skills. The workplace shift to Zoom and Slack has created a deficit in interpersonal communication. Things like navigating difficult conversations, preparing for meetings, working with creatives, setting performance goals, etc. are sorely needed.
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?
Samantha> In general, the focus on effectiveness is a good thing. Advertising is a big investment and strategists should be stewards of ensuring its success. That said, we can’t get so caught up in the measurement that we treat strategists like pure analysts. Strategy is both a science and an art. And, a strategy that only yields mediocre creative work (no matter how ‘effective’ it is) is still a bad strategy.
LBB> Do you have any frustrations with planning/strategy as a discipline?
Samantha> There’s a temptation to get distracted by the bright, shiny objects. And while trends can play an important role, what makes a strategy compelling doesn’t actually change over time. Rediscover the human truths that have always been, and will always be true. Look for cyclical patterns in culture as history tends to repeat itself. Crack open an advertising book from decades ago and see what you learn. We need to focus as much on what isn’t changing as what is.
