The Overthinkers

Facing the reality of one's own mediocrity can sometimes be daunting, if not crippling. But caught between honesty and imposter syndrome, dealing with it head on can be a useful way to mature in your career. Sometimes it can mean working it out and getting ready to learn again, others it may simply mean realising imperfection is not a fatal flaw - just a normal one.

It's a recurring theme that if we were really good at what we do, we probably wouldn't be working in advertising - let alone in an ad agency. And so it's not unusual to hear the refrain that the best creatives tend to pursue a career in the arts, whereas less talented ones would go into advertising. So what two strategists have to say about it? Is it fair to the talent of ad creatives? Or is it just another example of our industry's inferiority complex?

Advocates of brand purpose often treat as a given that brands should take a stance on cultural crises and the debates that stem from them. Sometimes brands are even blamed for not taking a more active voice. But is it really their place, and will brands really make that much of a difference? This week, Rachel and Shann discuss why it's important for marketers to keep track of what's happening in society, but might always be obligatory to be "part of the conversation".

While this topic exudes scents of false dichotomy, it is also the opportunity to reflect on the balance between ambitions that might sometimes be in conflicts. Ultimately, marketers are both in the business of delivering the right message and delivering the right now. So sure, a combination of the two is best, but if you were to choose, which would you pick?

There is no denying the essential role of creativity in marketing. But there has been a lot of talk about the struggling health of creative shops over the last decade. Industry veterans like Martin Sorrell seem pretty convinced the future doesn't even require much of what used to define them in the past. Meanwhile, media agencies have been playing a bigger role in driving communications plans, often at a good intersection of data, media partnerships and production. But is there really a dynamic benefiting media over creative? And would that even be beneficial to our industry?

There has been a lot of discussion about long term brand build and short term activation in the last few years. We've engineered our thinking around this opposition where one does a specific job the other doesn't deliver, or at least not as well. This week, we explore if performance marketing (search, e-commerce, programmatic etc.) can be a good vehicle to build a brand, and if yes how?

We're seeing a lot of products popping up with pretty polished brand identities and that try to fast track the value of their branding. This week, we are joined by Ana Andjelic, strategy executive and author of “The Business of Aspiration”, to discuss (and sometimes even debate a little!) what makes a brand a strong asset to a business.

Many big names in our industry are professing the death of brands. Their value is, in their opinion, waning with the crash of mass broadcast, hurt by the easy access to reviews, and a general direction towards the product more than the brand. This week, Rachel and Shann discuss why brands are more likely here to stay.

The recruitment and promotion process in advertising tends to reward outlandish claims. Sometimes, fitting in the narrative of the moment can help fast forward one's ambitions. But is that really a requirement? Is there a role for honesty and provocations that go against the accepted norms?

Agencies like to remind the world they're a talent business. But as competition for talents gets fierce, are they really set up to win the best? Rachel and Shann share their unfiltered views on what's happening to our business, and whether agencies can still retain, or even attract, talents.