Why should strategists do focus groups with real humans if AI-enabled synthetic focus groups can yield an equally powerful aha moment at a fraction of the cost?

That’s one of several challenging questions I explore with Ed Cotton, brand consultant and former chief strategy officer from Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners (BSSP).

For the past 25 years, Ed has been at the helm of strategic planning in NYC, leading strategy for a wide variety of brands, including Amazon, Apple, BMW-MINI, Chipotle, EA, LG, Nestle, Nike-Converse, Unilever, and Wal-Mart.

In today’s fast-moving marketing environments, where CMO tenures are shorter than ever, Ed sees a multitude of opportunities that AI can offer - speed, cost reduction, and more ways to connect the dots.

But at the same time, he worries that the combined pressure of smaller budgets and tighter deadlines are creating situations where strategists are afraid to get out of the office or out of their comfort zone.  

Some of my favorite aha moments talking with Ed include:

• How to overcome insecurity as a junior strategist
• Why big data can sometimes be misleading and doesn’t necessarily lead to more insights
• Which categories are most toxic for focus groups and what to do if you’re doing research in one of those categories
• How one of Ed's favorite hobbies helps him see the world with fresh eyes
• A valuable life lesson that Ed learned from a creative director when he was just starting out as a strategist

Show Notes:

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

Films (and books):

Ed’s favorite recent book: The Anomaly by Hervé Le Tellier

Annihilation - Movie Trailer (Here's the book)

Zone of Interest - Movie Trailer (Here's the book)

Campaigns

AirBnB Original Belong Anywhere Campaign Spot

AirBnB 1/2 Billion Guest Arrival Campaign Spot

Other Miscellaneous Musings

Ed’s Substack - Provoke

Ed's Podcast - Inspiring Futures