StratFest 2022 Shows That Both Strategy and the 4A's are Reinvigorated

At the hybrid event, with a packed audience physically present, the ad agency community focused on what strategy means in a post-purpose-driven world. (Purpose still matters, but it's now pretty much table stakes and must be completely authentic and relevant as audiences are smarter and more than ready to take brands to task through social media if viewed as inauthentic.)

Yael Cesarkas, Vice President Executive Strategy Director at R/GA, who appeared on a key panel focused on the post-purpose era, emphasized the need for companies that wish to be viewed as "purposeful" by consumers to look inward. "If purpose is not built-in through operations, supply chain and HR, then marketing is not the first place to start," she said. "How are we paying the ones we hire? Are we closing the equity gap?

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"Our imperative lies in focusing on the whole operations of our department," she continued. "Are we taking on clients whose views we are aligned with? Are we flowing media budgets through cancerous environments?"

Albert Thompson, Managing Director of Digital Innovation at Walton Isaacson, feels the priorities between marketing and advertising are currently misaligned and that brands that don't course-correct will feel a consumer backlash. "Human beings need purpose as a North Star ideal. It doesn't scale and is not easily monetizable," he said, adding that marketers must be in the purpose business.

The new consumer is going to write the rules. They are apt to think, "'We are going to fact check you, and if you're not authentic in your purpose, we are going to cancel you, create memes about you and then fire you,'" Thompson warned.

Another panel, "Is Our Obsession With Data Killing Creativity?" attempted to put the modern advertising world's relationship with data in perspective. The consensus was that yes, the obsession with data has adversely impacted creativity, in part because it has impacted the ad units themselves. Orlando Wood, Chief Innovation Officer at System1 Group and author of Lemon and Look Out, noted that advertising and the way that spots are created have moved away from  brand-centric and right-brained (which is responsible for sustained attention, a.k.a. branding). Now it's in a predominantly left-brained narrow, linear and transactional mode.

"Data is a wonderful thing," Wood said. "It's widely accessible and helps us shape arguments. However, it's driven advertising styles that have changed for the worse. There are now more short, sharp cuts.

"There has been a loss of dialogue and music, all of which is leading to real problems in the ability to capture and hold attention," he added.

Tim Maleeny, President & Chief Strategy Officer at Havas North America, said he sees the pendulum swinging back to creativity and a balanced mix of art and science. Part of the problem with data relates to the misconception that advertising is about targeting, he noted. "Finding somebody is not the same as engaging somebody," he asserted.

The day of the conference the stock market fell by over 1,200 points. In a similar way, the next few months will likely be confusing and volatile. There will be enhanced pressure for marketers to drive down costs and justify advertising expenses, as is typical in a down economy. However, as study after study has shown, those brands that are able to remain strategic and innovative in this hopefully limited period -- even if their primal inclination is to pivot strictly towards efficiency -- will reap the rewards as we inevitably come out of the down cycle.

But Wait, That's Not All

Over my career I've been privileged to attend many 4A's conferences. While they are all content-rich, more often than not the issue of talent retention comes up. I always found that somewhat ironic, as the rooms were always filled with predominantly older, more experienced professionals. I always wondered -- especially as the topics centered around digital transformation -- why agencies weren't funding (and utilizing as an incentive) younger, less experienced (née less cynical) employees to attend. So, I was pleasantly surprised to see a good mix of younger professionals and experienced strategists attend StratFest 2022.

The 4As is the trade body that represents the interests of the agency world. Over the past few years, other organizations that represent the seller/media/marketer side of the world have actively pursued and welcomed agencies to join their organizations. That's all good. However, there are times when the interest of the buyer and the interest of the seller are not aligned.

A strong industry trade body, such as the 4A's, is critical to the well-being of the industry, and it should be supported in both membership and event attendance, especially in a hybrid world. It was great to see a new generation of advertising professionals doing just that.

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The opinions expressed here are the author's views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillage.com/MyersBizNet.