The Overthinkers

We often talk about strategy and creative, yet client services are often the ones running the show and taking the top leadership position. To discuss what it takes to be an account leader, and whether it's right for them to take those business leadership roles, we are joined by Marina Biglione, Managing Director at Ogilvy NY.

As talent ebbs and flows in incestuous fashion between agencies that are increasingly large in size and geographic footprint, establishing an agency culture seems like a rare oddity. How are agency cultures established, and how can they be built in this day and age?

The debate over acquisition vs loyalty has rocked the marketing industry over the past 10 years. While loyalty is everywhere, how it is managed has raised a lot of question. But as we see the rise of digital ecosystems, are the rules changing?

For a while, subscription models were all the rage. Now, ad-supported is making a comeback. Is one better than the other, and what considerations should businesses take before going for one or the other (or, both)?

Generative AI is this year's buzzword. But unlike those who preceded it, the applications are wide and many, capturing a lot of people's imagination. This week, we discuss how the technology might change the way we work and do business in the world of advertising.

Advertising is increasingly a young person's game. Are the hardships of parenting one of the reasons why? And could advertising agencies approach this differently? Rachel and Shann share their thoughts as two new parents facing the reality of mother and fatherhood.

Bud Light experienced pretty severe backlash after putting the face of influencer Dylan Mulvaney on its cans (and on TikTok). As the brand tried to explore its new identity away from what it called "fratty humor", did they make a strategic mistake or were they just not prepared enough for what happened afterwards?

Snake oil salesmen, grifters, poseurs... There doesn't seem to be a shortage of people abusing our aspiration for what's shiny and new and our disdain for what's established ("everything has changed! Listen to my miracle solution!"). Is that really an issue in marketing, and are we, as a profession, more prone to it?

Twitter Blue has not been the success Elon Musk needed to defend the value of the social media giant - at least not yet. What has been plaguing it, and does it have a path forward?

We know how important business transformation is in consulting circles - it's on everyone's lips and every 10K filling. Considering how much change happens around us, it seems it would be a natural state of being, and yet, most times it's just a failure. Why is it so hard to transform when change is the norm? Note: apologies for Shann's audio track, it seems something went a little wrong during th...

Every now and then, we see agencies having years of success with a client. And yet, inevitably, one day the client calls a competitive pitch. Is that a fair practice? And even if it is, is it a situation where the client has more to lose than to gain?

Whether it's working on a category you don't consume nor like, or doing tasks that aren't your cup of tea, is it still possible to be good at what you do? And is it even advisable?

If ChatGPT can write better than a copywriter, are people going to lose their jobs? Or is AI going to be the new standard for mediocrity, bringing a golden age where we strive for more? This week we wonder how much AI will impact our jobs, in the short and long term.

Attention has (finally?) become a key topic in advertising over the last few years, inserting itself in the media debates around viewability. But before we start trading it, what exactly is attention, and is it really necessary for advertising to work? We're joined by Pranav Yadav, CEO of Neuro-Insights, who shares his perspective from the vantage point of neuro science and what happens in the bra...

Authenticity seems to be on every CMO's lips. Apparently the new kids on the consumer block are obsessed with it. But is it really possible for a brand to be authentic? And is it even part of the contemporary brand's must haves? Let us overthink this!

We like to think our work is pretty harmless, but what if marketing was only a form of propaganda, not the other way around? Does that make us more likely to do bad things? Is it harder to do right? Classic overthinking episode this week!

Strategists are often introverts, and meetings can be harder to navigate - especially those large sessions with countless stakeholders. Are there ways to better stand out and say the right thing, at the right time?

Almost 3 years into the pandemic, we've had plenty of opportunity to shift our work to a remote approach. Clearly strategic planning has not ended, but does remote work make it harder, or less effective? Does it reduce the role of the planner in the process, or does it reinforce it?

Of all practices in the boardroom, marketing tends to be one of the most opinionated about other people's work. With constant commentary on what is or isn't good marketing, it's not uncommon for passionate opinions to turn into aggressive (sometimes even abusive) takes. Is that specific to marketing? And what's driving it? People being assholes or natural dynamic of a very public output? This week...

Joined by Farrah Bostic and Adam Pierno, co-hosts of In The Demo, a podcast that looks at how cohorts of people are best researched, understood and addressed, we discussed the failures of the demographic segmentation and how to build marketing plans for more meaningful audience groups.

The tech industry, which has come to dominate most of ad spends, has been facing some headwinds lately. Does that mean the tech Goliaths' struggle is good news for all the advertising Davids? Or could they take them in their swirl?

Some organisations have clear marketing guidelines and principles, others just go with the flow. Which ones are more likely to have an edge?

While still limited to its ice cream division, the decision to take a breather from purpose in favor of product superiority signals that cracks are showing in the purpose marketing chapel. Does it mean the edifice is coming down? Or simply that Unilever and co went a little too far?

Are all strategy just replicas of existing ones? Is it even a necessary objective of strategy to be original in and of itself? And if not, does that mean the job of strategy could be easily automated?

With layoffs sending shockwaves in the tech sector, what does that signal for the marketing industry? Are we likely to see problems, or could this be a welcome reprieve after years of those companies draining the talent pool?