What is strategic planning, what is truth, what is the role of strategy in the connected world?

1. THE ROLE OF
STRATEGY
WHERE ARE WE GOING AND HOW DO WE
GET THERE?

2. WHAT WE’LL COVER
Understanding Strategy
Strategy, Truth and Ethics
The Strategic Process
Strategic Thinking Style
Our Holistic Process (Discussion)

3. WHAT’S YOUR
UNDERSTANDING?

4. SOME WAYS TO
CONSIDER STRATEGY
Strategy is the internal response of an organization to the demands
of the external environment from a general point of view.
It’s creating a truth based map of the outside world and where
you’re going within it.
It’s an informed logic for making one set of choices rather than
another.
It’s a container for decisions and ideas.
It’s a start point for creativity

5. STRATEGY VS TACTICS
If one thinks of strategy as a block of marble, then tactics are the
chisel with which a master operates, in creating works of (chess) art.
- Tigran Petrosian, Chess Grandmaster, 1963-69

6. STRATEGY, TRUTH & ETHICS

7. OLD SCHOOL, MANIPULATION

8. NEW SCHOOL, RESONANCE

9. RESONANCE & CONNECTION
HARNESS TRUTH

10. THE POWER OF TRUTH
Steel holds that consumers are the
be-all end-all of all advertisers’ efforts
and advertising in itself is the means
to get to them.
The consumer is the core, the heart,
the very substance of advertising.
He laments the fact that many times,
due to the inability of clients and
agencies to strike a balance between
creativity and commercialism, the
consumer aspect is ignored and this
proves unhealthy for the campaign.

11. BUT WHAT IS TRUTH?

12. UNIVERSAL TRUTH
= MYTHS, ARCHETYPES
Dreams, passions, values and
beliefs swirl around in our collective
unconscious.
They are an essential part of
storytelling (myth) and are tapped by
advertising
Something we can all relate to and
can all agree are true

14. UNIVERSAL TRUTH
= MYTHS, ARCHETYPES
Myths:
Shared human stories, collective truths
Myth transcend cultures, races, religions
Archetypes:
The true characters in the myth
Shared human characters and roles
A source of common human identification
E.G: the Hero, the Magician, the Ruler, the
Explorer, the Outlaw, the Mother, the
Father, the Fool, the Wise Man

15. GLOBAL RESONANCE
A MODERN LEDGEND

16. THE EXPLORER
ARCHETYPE

17. THE OUTLAW
ARCHETYPE

18. THE WARRIOR (US COWBOY)
ARCHETYPE

19. CONSCIOUS HUMAN TRUTH
= INSIGHTS
An “insight” for advertisers is a truth hiding in plain
(conscious) sight.
“All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered.
The point is to discover them” (Galileo)
Great advertising makes these discoveries; it finds these
insights.
And a lot of intuitive people in the business dig deep into our
culture, attitudes and product benefits to uncover insights.

20. A FOOD THAT MAKES YOU
STRONG AND POWERFUL

21. AN ENERGY DRINK THAT HELPS
YOU IN THAT CRITICAL MOMENT

22. A RUNNING SHOE THAT
ENCOURAGES YOU TO GET OUT
AND RUN

23. TRUTH, LIES AND
ADVERTISING
In spite of universal and human truths, the advertising industry
often seems underhand. Why?
Because some in the business choose to lie, twist or pervert
truth to satisfy a perceived “higher goal” e.g. the bottom line, a
quick sale, a flash of attention.
Breaches of truth are bad for the society, advertising industry,
business and consumers.
And are very risky in this more social era of transparency and
empathy

24. BERNSTEIN’S
PERVERSION OF TRUTH

25. WEB 2.O SOCIETY
ARE NOT NAÏVE
Truth resonates, connects and develops relationships
Lies stink, alienates and creates interpersonal disconnect
Good strategy, is a wise strategy that observes the wider impact
It builds long term relationships for mutual benefit
Bad strategy, may seem clever but be inherently foolish
It may achieve a short term tactical goal,
but bears a huge risk of backlash

26. THE STRATEGIC PROCESS

27. THE STRATEGIC FLOW
1.
Get informed through data and research
1.
Find the human truth or need (insight)
2.
Build a truth-based map that unites business objectives with
human insight (planning)
3.
Use the plan to inform the creative/development process,
ensuring it meets both business objectives and addresses
the overarching human insight
4.
Leverage live data to tweak and optimize tactics in real time

28. CLEAR THINKING
SMART STRATEGY
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Timebound

29. THINKING
STRATEGICALLY
Strategy is a process of asking questions, finding answers and selecting the
information most relevant to the overall goal
Where are we now?
What is our business context & current goal?
What is our surrounding socio-cultural landscape?
Who are we serving?
What does their world look like?
What is our people focused purpose?
What problem can we solve?
What need can we fill?
How do we get there?
What tactics should we employ?
How do we measure success?

30. STRATEGIC
FUNNELING
Social/Cultural Trends
Brand Vision/Mission
Business Goals
Insight
Strategic Plan
Creative & Technical Visions
Tracking & Optimization

31. STRATEGY & THINKING STYLE

32. STRATEGY
AND MINDSET
Let’s discuss:
What processing
modes do you pay
most attention to in
your daily roles?

33. STRATEGY UNITES
THINKING STYLES

34. THE BRIDGE
OF INSIGHT
Strategic Goals Inform everything
Reductive
Thinking
Information
Editing
Expansive
Thinking
Idea Selection

35. REDUCTIVE VERSUS
EXPANSIVE THINKING
It’s important to know what type of thinking to use, depending
what process you are in.
Let’s discuss:
• What type of thinking is brainstorming?
• What type of thinking is concept selection?
• What type of thinking is campaign optimization?

36. OUR HOLISTIC PROCESS

37. DEVELOPMENT FOR
DIGITAL
1. Find the human truth
2. Build a strategic plan
3. Creatively imagine
4. Technically Manifest
5. Optimize

38. DISCUSSION
How can we best integrate the strategic, creative and
technical processes?
Example: Big Spaceship, New York