Where do the best insights come from? 

For Kate Rush Sheehy, Chief Strategy Officer at GSD&M, it’s not always based on what people say or even what they do. Sometimes, it’s about what they don’t say or what they don’t do in certain situations.

Sometimes, it’s about having a sixth sense or some feral intelligence.

In this episode, Kate shares her unique approach to uncovering brand-defining insights, from analyzing who shows up to a focus group (and who doesn’t), to asking clients the kinds of questions most agencies shy away from.

We explore the social-first strategy that helped Crocs become a Gen Z phenomenon and the cultural nuance behind Corona’s “La Playa Awaits.”

Some of my favorite aha moments from our conversation include:

• How Kate builds bridges between performance and brand marketing
• The social-first shift that helped Crocs go from cringe to cultural icon
• The difference between Jibbitz, Fibbitz, and “ugly shoe” theory
• How a deep dive into Mexican X (aka Twitter) led to Corona’s new creative direction
• The AI technique Kate’s team uses to pressure-test strategic ideas before they present strategic and creative work
• Some valuable lessons Kate learned about human nature by working in restaurants and retail

Show Notes:

Below are links to inspiring ideas that came up during our conversation.

Books:

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros 

Who Knew? by Barry Diller

Campaigns & Videos:

Dept. of Veterans Affairs (work in partnership with the Ad Council: The Question)

Southwest Airlines: That’s a Big Flex

Corona: La Playa Awaits