Is Strategy or Creative More Important in Advertising? EP35

Episode 35 Transcript

Welcome to the Marketing Combat Podcast. name is Jason Donnelly and today we are going to be talking about something that's been fought about for generations. I'd like to introduce you to the man who's going to introduce it. Tell me all about what we're fighting today. Mr. Chris? Thanks, Jason. We are talking about strategy versus creativity.

If you're new here, the marketing combat podcast is basically a fight to the death about certain topics in marketing. Somebody has to take one position, the other person has to play devil's advocate, even if they don't want to, even if they don't believe that what they're saying, but they have to play devil's advocate. And so today we're gonna talk about strategy versus creative. And I'm gonna take the standpoint that creative matters more than strategy, way more. In fact, many people have heard me say that strategy is like underwear.

You don't really need it. It's a nice to have. My God, is that a real thing that you've said? Yeah, it is. my God. 100%. That is my quote. So if you see it on the internet, it's me. Don't let it attribute to anybody else but me. So strategy is like underwear. You don't really need it. It's a nice to have. Like, trust me, if you get into a car accident, you're going to want to have underwear. If you like, you know, if you're wearing a dress like I usually do and there's a windy day, you're going to want some underwear. But underwear is like strategies only good for when you're in trouble.

when you have no good reason why that creativity exists or why you're doing certain things. But this is why think creativity is more important or like when you don't need strategy is that a lot of times things move extremely fast in the internet world and in the advertising world. So by the time you've worked out your strategy, you have figured out all the angles, gotten all the insights, the moment is usually passed. It's changed.

things have changed, the world has changed, the cultural has changed, the zeitgeist has changed. And so if you're not, if you're spending all your time on the strategy side and not the creative side, the executional side of like actually getting great creative out there, then you're missing opportunities to actually get into the zeitgeist, do something that's that.

could capture attention. And so this often has a lot of issues within advertising is that we spend a little bit too much on strategy and not enough time actually executing the creative and just doing things that are entertaining, interesting, moving the needle that way, making our brands look good, feel good. And I would say that that's where we've lost the plot sometimes is that we spend too much on the data and strategy side, trying to map out things and make things perfect. When in reality, those are just safety nets.

Those are just, we want to make sure that we've done this the right way. like, you know, it's basically checking a box for some corporate person that doesn't have the balls to greenlight the creative work because they need to have 50 slides analyzing their entire brand, analyzing the market when all that moment has passed before we've even shot or directed or produced anything that should be out in the world.

So it's a save their own ass sort of thing. Did we check all the, know, dot all the I's, cross all the T's? And usually, like, that's why a lot of stuff fails creatively is because they spend too much time in strategy. That's it, Jace. That's what I'm saying. What do you got to say? I think after this episode, we need to have a sit down and talk about this.

I think that strategy is insanely important as a creative, as a writer, as a creator, whatever. I think that you wouldn't be making the content that you make without a strategy to begin with. You're not going to decide that you want to say X, and Z without there being a reason behind it. So I think that all great creatives, all great creativity stems from the strategic base at the very beginning of it, whatever that.

thing is if you're trying to go against another brand, if you're trying to say, this is why you're going to buy our product, if you're going to put a social video out to sell something, there has to be a reason that you do it. And this brings us to the point of go back and watch our episode on the KFC Believe in Chicken ad. There's not an ounce of strategy behind that ad. It's just awesome creative. I put the wrong emphasis on the wrong syllable again. It's just awesome creative, but it's just entertainment. It's not...

strategically doing anything. It's just something that people want to watch, which I think is awesome. And I, like I've said in that episode, I've watched it a ton of times, but there was still strategy is the reason that the creative works so well. If you're hitting on a pain point, if you're hitting on something that the consumer is looking for, if you're hitting on just something that you you've done for like social listening or whatever that strategy strategic

reasoning is the reason the ad will blow up the reason that the ad will actually make the needle move is because it's strategic thinking and the last thing that I have to say is strategic first creative it's not strategic strategy versus creative it's it's a beautiful symbiosis I cut myself this weekend it's a symbiosis of strategy and creativity working together at speed to create great content so end of the day I don't really agree with a lot of things that Chris said

But I think that, thank God, I think that they work together to be creative. And I think strategists are some of the most creative people I know. So yeah, I think that strategy is the base of how creativity works best. that's what I'm gonna... That was well said. That should be on your quote. We'll have to rewind that in right now, because I think that should be on the walls, the walls of the agency. Chris's quote.

Strategy is underpants. Jason's quote. think working together with strategy and creativity is the way that we make.

Great content. Yeah, but you're probably right. So listen, are you team Jason team strategy or you team Chris Kubbernus creativity? Let us know in the comments. Let us know in your review. We would love to hear from you. Obviously your reviews help us grow the show, help us grow the listenership and get this great content out to more people, which is what we want. We do this in our, you know, our time, our work time. Jason spends a shit ton of time.

making sure that these podcast episodes go out to you guys. So if you do like this and you want it to grow, which I think you do, then please leave us a review. Let us know. Tell your friends, tell your mom, tell your dad, and we will see you guys in the next one. Thanks for tuning in. I've been Chris Kubbernus. I'm your mom. Thanks, goodbye. bye guys.