The Overthinkers

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?

Twitter and Facebook experiencing headwinds, calls to rein in their effect on mental health, declines in ad spend... It's a rough patch for social media platforms. But does that mean we're witnessing its downfall, as someone have claimed? Or is it more of a correction?

A lot of people make the switch from one side to the other. In this episode, Rachel and Shann share their experience working across both sides of the pond - and touch on the blending of in-house agencies.

Free speech or advertising, Elon's gonna have to choose. Considering he first started with an open letter to advertisers, he seems to care, but is he the right person to fix it?

Long working hours are often the norm in ad agencies - not that they're unique in that regard, but one thing people often describe after leaving them is a greater ease to balance things out. Can agencies get better at this - and should they?

It's very fanciful for agencies to introduce themselves to the world with a flashy "planning framework" of their own concoction. But as we basically keep relabelling the same principles over and over, is there really much worth in trying to create their own?

With the recent passing of legendary ad-man and founder Dan Wieden, Rachel and Shann ask themselves what it would take for a contemporary ad-person to leave a mark as big as the likes of Widen and Kennedy did - and whether there even is someone with that profile right now. A chance to discuss how those kinds of legacies are created, and if they're even that necessary in the first place.

Big milestones today: The Overthinkers turns 3 with this 150th episode, and marks its 200,000 listens to date. To celebrate, we bring the man that we pretty much owe this podcast to, Mark Pollard. Not only did he introduce us, he also inspired us to make our own thing. And this will be the topic this week - at some point all of us ask ourselves what life is like beyond the work we do in ad agencies. During this hour, we went pretty deep and personal about our fears, our joys, our stresses, and our achievements as the three of us took forks in our careers. This obviously comes from three strategists, but probably reflects a wider sentiment across other specialties. Thanks again for listening for all those years, and if you're new, welcome!

Understanding culture - whether to fit in or to define it - is a fairly common exercise in strategic planning. What does that cover? What are the pitfalls? And is it really an obligation to succeed?