I’ve always been a huge fan of comedy in TV and film, and watching live stand-up. Only recently, though, did I think about why, and realized that the challenges and the process are quite similar to those in my day job as a strategist. A lot of comedy is based on observations of human behavior, pinpointing things that we recognize in ourselves but hadn’t spotted, then bringing them to life in a way that captures our imagination. Sound familiar?

18 months ago, I was given a course in stand-up comedy as a Christmas present, including a performance to a packed theatre at the end of the course.
As you can probably imagine, that night was scary as hell, especially the excruciating hour or so before I went onstage. But – once people started laughing at my material and the nerves settled down – it was truly exhilarating.

The course wasn’t really about helping us write material. Yes, they gave us tips, but basically, we had to do it for ourselves, about whatever we found funny. The course was mostly learning about performance: story, structure, delivery styles and techniques, audience interaction, etc.

So I had to come up with material, decide what was worth including, then structure it, tweak it, edit it down.
And of course I had to execute my thoughts. Perform them.
Luckily, I could apply some of my skills I’d picked up in my day job in strategy: how to create content that engages people, both in the eventual target audience but also your immediate target: your client and your creatives.

Looking back now, I realize it works the other way too; I’ve learned from comedy writing and performing. So here are a few areas of similarity that might improve your briefs and strategy decks, and maybe also the resulting content.

Be curious.
Question why people do things, why certain things happen the way they do. Don’t be afraid of stupid questions.

Know your audience.
Get under their skin. What drives them, moves them?

Small can become big.
Dig around in the small stuff that may seem unimportant – make it relevant and interesting.

Think laterally.
Look for paradoxes, unlikely connections. Ask ‘What if?”

Make choices.
You can’t do everything. Choose. Focus. This is the heart of all strategy.

Create the right context.
Context is everything – the right context can make something stand out, interesting, surprising, meaningful, powerful, challenging.
Don’t go for the obvious set-up, think laterally.

Edit.
Eventually, when you do get some interesting observations, stories, ideas… interrogate the hell out of them.
What’s keeping your audience engaged, and what’s distracting them?
What’s the killer line? And what do you need to set it up? Take out everything else.

Be true to yourself.
Find your style, your way of saying something. Learn from but don’t copy others.

So, if you’re a junior strategist, look out for good comedians, especially the ones who manage to capture interesting insights. Think about why they’re funny, and how they might have got to those memorable lines and how they’re delivering them.

I’ll doubt if I’ll persuade any comedians to start a career in strategic planning, but maybe some planners might use their skills and have a go at stand-up?

Meanwhile, I’m figuring out how to deal with the hecklers I get in my day job…

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Simon is a Senior Strategy Director at Blast Radius in Amsterdam. He’s also one of our featured Insiders here on Junior Strategy. Keep up with Simon on twitter @sneatestidson and be sure to check out his very first on stage appearance with Easy Laughs Amsterdam. 

I used to earn money as a journalist for a while. Back then I could spend a hard day with road workers carrying kilos of heavy melted asphalt and perforating roads with a ten-kilo hammer drill, because I was doing research on how women are taking over men’s jobs, and I was thrilled to dive deeper into the topic and experience all the pleasures of traditionally male careers on my own back. My back hurt like never before, and I could hardly move after my road-working experience. But the next day I went to a mountain-based regiment of the Israeli army to share quarters with female infantries for a while. I foot marched 10 km distances wearing a flak jacket and transporting some armory and learned to shoot a Kalashnikov together with other girls.

Today, I’m starting over in Strategy. I am not even nearly close to who Barack Obama is, but I feel it might be the right time to say to fellow strategists the same words he said to Americans, “We should talk more about our empathy deficit.” Mr. President and I, we mean it differently, though. Whereas Obama was speaking about affective empathy, our ability to empathize emotionally, share the feelings of another; I am aiming to talk about intellectual act of understanding and recognizing another’s beliefs, thoughts, and attitudes, a cognitive empathy.

Here is the difference. Affective empathy implies our biological ability to literally feel what another is feeling. The lighting of mirror neurons in our brain causes it. “If I’m observing you, your anger, your frustration, your joy, and I can feel what you are doing, the same neurons are going to light up in me as I am having this experience myself,” says Jeremy Rifkin, the author of The Empathic Civilization. Cognitive empathy, on the other hand, can be learned and mastered, and it involves a skill to know (rather than feel) another’s mental states. It is a perspective taking. A step into somebody’s world, like shooting a Kalashnikov with Israeli soldiers.

Talking theory, cognitive empathy is a kind of 2.0 version of the Theory of Mind.  When children reach 4 years of age, they start consciously realizing that other people actually have different thoughts than they do; different knowledge, opinions, and intents. Before that age children are not able to separate what they know from what others know. This is the Theory of Mind.

Cognitive empathy, in my opinion, goes a step further: It is the act of trying to actually realize a variety of different mental perspectives.

Applications of cognitive empathy can be spotted in professional fields somewhat related to strategy. Nobel George Orwell went tramping on the streets of poor East London. This experiment gave him “the whole literary materials he used for the rest of his life” (Roman Krznaric). Hunter S Thompson described certain phenomena only after he would have explored (passionately!) & experienced them himself. He has created the whole new approach in journalism and writing called Gonzo. You hear this subjective narrative in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and The Rum Diary.

“They asked me what I needed to get started. I said, a new car. They give me resources I need, and I give them a kick-ass commercial,” independent filmmaker Casey Neistat shares his experience cooperating with Mercedes. Neistat is a New York based filmmaker who entered the world of premium brands not as a director of commercials, but as a consumer who documents his experiences with a product and religiously reports them. It all started with Nike Fuel band: Casey produced the Make It Count video by spending the budget on travelling with the band on his wrist. The video has eventually got almost 9 million views! In his case, it is not just a familiar product trial. Neistat really does put himself in shoes of diverse types of people who eventually will use a product – and not in a one certain way, but in many different ways. Isn’t a rise of Gonzo advertising?

WPP strategy guru Jon Steel claims that he gave his planners unlimited vacations once a year. There were just two conditions when using the offer: Not to abuse the proposal and actually make an experience out of the vacation (no matter if it is a travelling, or taking karate classes). Steel said this allowed strategists to stay passionate and enthusiastic, as well as to work more efficiently during the year. In my opinion, it added another value by giving people an opportunity to immerse themselves into another roles for a while: to become a painter when taking a course in a local community, or a wild member of a tribe while travelling in South America. In the end, if you are lucky enough to work on a brand that sells Indian war bonnets, you will rock it.

Speaking seriously, though, I see many opportunities for planners to be ‘routinely’ empathetic.  We can start with the simplest one – if you are researching a butter brand, just go the a supermarket and see how fast you can find the product on a shelf, observe what kind of people choose it, ask a person on the counter if it’s popular among customers, and of course, buy it and try it. You can probably make some conclusions even by noticing how the butter spreads on the bread compared to the usual brand you buy. Finally, take a creamery tour on a weekend. And, of course, don’t forget about the brand personality – you can imagine what kind of a person your brand could be: What s/he would like, what music s/he would listen to, if you could meet her/him at a local bar. By creating this new ‘person’ you can take a brand’s perspective.

I am not saying Gonzo-principles should substitute data research. However, they can make your insights more vivid, lively, and warm.

Other options of empathetic approach can include expressing empathy to clients and co-workers: I like to have a lunch with Creatives and chat to PMs or QA analysts not because of the social norms, but because it gives me a deeper understanding what their world looks like from the other side of the agency room. I would not mind to switch roles with my colleagues for a day (to play a switch day like back at school). I strongly believe that eventually it cultivates amazing collaboration and makes working processes run smoother.

It does seem to be a simple truth now as I write it. But when was the last time you asked your friends why they love their sneaker brand, instead of Googling the answer?

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Yulia Yushchik is a junior digital strategist at Blast Radius Amsterdam. Before relocating to Amsterdam to become a planner, Yulia worked as a journalist in Moscow and Brussels.

Insight. It’s one of the most important words in the advertising world. Research is supposed to guarantee it and, in the hands of the experienced planner, it’s presumed to lead to propositions so potent, they cannot help but steer communications to greatness. But what does it actually mean?

The term has been refined and redefined for decades, but seemingly no clear-cut agreement can ever be reached. This leaves open the conclusion that very few have actually been insightful in defining the term insight – in turn making their insights less insightful.

Of all things, I think that University Challenge (for all the wrong reasons) may be able to provide the answer.

University Challenge, a primetime BBC Two quiz programme, devotes half an hour of our air-time to glorify the accumulation of knowledge. It is a show which praises upon high the combination of four individuals who have consumed, and can regurgitate, the most amount of information in 30 minutes. This is particularly interesting, because those deemed to be at the pinnacle of intellectual prowess, and those who marvel in their wonder, seem to have missed the point. Not just of the show, but of life in general.

By attaining more information, you should then be more able to understand the things that you do and the world in which you live. Based on this enhanced understanding, you are then (in theory) more likely to be able to dictate, control and influence the world in which you live, because of the wisdom you possess. Wisdom is the ultimate goal, not knowledge.

In an attempt to define insight; it is achieved when you have consumed such a varied amount of information that you too come to fully understand a particular subject. This wisdom enables you to offer unique perspectives on that subject, which can alter how other people perceive it. And as we all know, “to hate, to love, to think, to feel, to see; all this is nothing but to perceive” (David Hume), insight then enables us to dictate, control and influence the world in which we live, because we’re able to alter how people perceive it.

An insight, often formed by those with insight, is therefore the single piece of information which turns knowledge into wisdom. Ironically, this conclusion can be drawn most from the people who have managed to grasp it the least. I hope this insight into insight has been insightful.

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Alex Dobson is a market research account handler at Hall & Partners. He’s passionate about strategic thinking and is a keen challenger of conventional wisdoms in advertising. For more from Alex, follow him on twitter.

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Photo Credit: Retro Dundee / University Challenge

It was February and snowing. The water was an icy 4.6 °C and I was a moment away from getting into the lake with nothing on but a swimming suit.

I had prepared for this. First, I would allow the water to reach my knees. Immediately, my legs went numb. Second, I would emerge my body up to my chest as quickly as possible. Third, I would take a long, deep breath before I let the water reach my shoulders and then level up to my chin. As water covered my chest, panic struck my body.

I began taking short and shallow breaths, but oxygen wouldn’t reach my lungs. My body temperature was dropping at a dramatic rate, setting my entire body into shock. My rehearsed fourth rule, never be still, went through my head as I attempted my breaststroke. Again, my body wouldn’t respond. I had lost control. I couldn’t go back and I wasn’t moving forward.

I was going down!

Burning, sharp waves slammed against my face and my lungs filled with the ice-cold water. Gasping for air, I kept trying to catch my breath, but I just couldn’t.

I desperately tried to retrieve any information in my head about what to do. Being fully conscious, I understood all the scientific nuances of my condition. I had done my research. But still, I had no idea how to deal with the actual situation. My body was uncontrollably and undoubtedly on the verge of drowning and no amount of memorised rules and information would help me.

What took me a good few seconds to figure out was that it wasn’t about the knowledge; it was about adapting to a real situation as it happened. And that is an important lesson for a planner to learn.

Although my research made me aware of what I was doing and what would happen to me, it did not prepare me for the reality of the cold water filling my lungs, what 4.6 °C water actually feels like or the sudden burn of waves. And nothing else apart from getting into that water could have done that.

To breathe in and start swimming required me to adapt; to treat my knowledge as a guide and not an unquestionable set of rules. The same can be said about strategy development.

Research is there to draw insights and develop the outline of a picture, but the colours you paint it are up to you. Insights are there to guide you, not to set things in stone. When it comes to an innovative strategy, it isn’t just about how many books and blogs you read, how many process funnels and charts you follow, or how many focus groups you hold. You can only ever be certain up to a point, say 50 percent, that it will work when drawing upon theory alone. The other 50 percent comes from embracing and adapting your theory to the chaos you’ll operate in – You’re not going to know what it feels like until you unleash your proposition into the market. 

In other words, prepare as much as you can in the time given, but don’t overdo it; you can plan for the future, but you cannot predict it. Our industry is about embracing the cold water, so get in and see what happens!

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 Olga Savina is a fitness enthusiast and a strategic planner working for Blond Ideas Group. She has a website a you can follow her on Twitter.

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Photo Credit: kern.justin

So congratulations you made it through the first round: your resume successfully presented you as a suitable candidate for the job. Now you need to wow them in person.

Creating a great first impression and establishing a real connection is crucial. Smile, make eye contact, be enthusiastic, sit forward in your chair, use the interviewer’s name…. Be yourself, but be the best version of yourself you possibly can.

With so many job hunters struggling to even get an interview, it would be deeply frustrating to throw the opportunity away by saying something stupid when you get there, so here are a few things you should NEVER say……

1. “Sorry I’m late.”

It goes without saying that punctuality is crucial – being late wastes their time, and creates a bad impression. Check with them 12 or 24 hours before that the meeting is still going ahead on time. And, if you end up being late due to a genuine disaster, call ahead to warn them … So get a contact number or email for the person you are meeting.

2. “I want to start by saying, I really want this job.”

Why? Because you don’t know yet and it’s easy to see through false commitment. Instead, throughout the interview ask questions about what really matters to you: who you will work with, who you will report to, the scope of responsibilities, etc.

Interviews should always be two-way, and interviewers respond positively to people eager to find the right fit. Don’t be afraid to ask a few questions – but don’t take over completely!

3. “Do you always dress so formally here?”

Check out the regular dress code of the agency before you go (ask an employee, the recruiter or look at the website.) You want to make a professional first impression. My rule of thumb is to dress for a position several notches above the one for which you’re interviewing.

If you’re interviewing at a super casual creative agency, make sure whatever you choose is clean, ironed and professional — wait until you’re hired to show off your more fashionable, relaxed side.

4. “I’ll just take this call.”

It is not ok to take telephone calls, texts or snap chat during an interview. Turn your phone to silent. It’s rude and unnecessary for the hour you need to concentrate.

5. “Sorry I’m a little tired/hung over/sick today”

No kidding, I have had a candidate admit to a hangover in an interview – immediate fail! If the meeting is important to you, don’t party the night before. If you are tired, drink a coffee and perk up for the hour. If you are sick, mention it once, then forget it.

But, if you think you will sneeze and cough all the way through an interview, it will spread germs and create a poor impression, so call ahead to reschedule.

6. “What’s your holiday and sickness policy?”

It doesn’t look good if you are planning time off before you’ve even been hired.

Further, if you are asked “What do you expect to like most about working here?” never reply: the hours, the perks, the pay, lunchtimes, or the holidays.

7. “My previous job sucked.”

No matter how mind-numbingly boring previous jobs might have been, mouthing off about a previous boss or company is not only unprofessional, it reflects badly on you.
Your new employer will contact your former employer for references following an interview, so it’s never wise to burn your bridges. Or as Ben Affleck said in his Oscar speech “Never bear a grudge.”

8. “I didn’t know you had Nike as a client.”

Failing to do your research is a big mistake. Saying you’ve seen the company website is only marginally better. Read at all the elements of the website: stated values and objectives, news and people you might know. Then, search on the web and trade publications to see if the company has achieved anything noteworthy recently: whether an industry award, a new client or new office.
Finally, it’s also important to do some research into your interviewer. Look them up on the web, read their company bio and find them on social media. Understand if you have common experiences, friends or colleagues. Bring up something interesting (though not stalker-ish) in the interview.

9. “I don’t really have any hobbies or outside interests.”

A sad truth of interviewing is that few candidates are truly memorable, particularly if there are many applicants for a single job. Interviewers tend to identify people with a hook: “The guy with the crazy hair” or “The lady who did an Iron Man”.

Create your hook: it could be clothing (within reason), or an outside interest, or an unusual fact about your upbringing or career. Hooks make you memorable and create an anchor for interviewers to remember you by – just make sure it’s a positive one – not “The woman who was late and had to leave early” or “The guy who swore a lot.”

10. “I don’t have any questions for you.”

Another easy area to prepare for. Some ideas could be:

What would you expect me to accomplish in the first 60 days?
What are the common attributes of your best people?
What are a few things that really drive results for the company?
What do employees do in their spare time?
How do you plan to deal with… technological changes, competitors entering the market, shifting economic trends etc?
What do you like best about working for the company?
What is the growth opportunity like for this position?
What’s a common misconception about the company you would like to clear up?

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Caroline Watt is a headhunter based in London who specialises in placing strategists in the US and UK. She is regular contributor to Junior Strategy and you can find out more about her here.

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Photocredit: Deflam

It was a fairly common sight for me. The customer standing in front of an aisle, eyes glazed over, staring blankly at a wall of products. Gears turning. Their mind yearning for a differentiator. Something that made one brand stick out. Something that made their choice easier.

Eventually, something made them decide on one product. But what was it?

Before I started working in an agency, I spent almost seven years working in a grocery store. I lovingly refer to this period of my life as my time “in the weeds.” Looking back, I had no idea that my experience there would give me an advantage when I moved on to strategy and planning. But every time I have a problem that I can’t seem to solve with my standard research toolbox, I think back to the shopper, staring at the shelves and struggling to make a decision.

When I was working in the store, I would watch these shoppers and wonder what the deciding factor was. What clicked in their mind that made them choose the product they did? What made it stick out from every other product on the shelf? I would even ask them sometimes, although I got much more accurate responses (and less puzzled looks) by simply watching.

I learned that there are many, many factors, both conscious and subconscious, that can come into play, including, of course, advertising. But, more importantly, I learned that you will never discover what these factors are unless you go watch people interact with your product in the store. Watch them buy it. Watch them pass it up for a competitor or a generic. Watch them take it off the shelf, read the label, and put it back. And then think about why they are doing those things.

I also learned to look for the effects of successful and unsuccessful campaigns at the store level. I watched Old Spice go from a stale brand with four products on the shelf to a rejuvenated brand with a four foot section of shelf. I saw the painfully brief implementation of Sun Chips’ sustainable bags (that noise!). The short-lived popularity of various diets. The rise of Chobani Greek yogurt. I could connect the ads I saw and the stories I read with these real-time results.

Combine this real-time monitoring with a knowledge of how people are interacting with the product at the store level, and you’ve got a damn good understanding of why some campaigns keep brands afloat, and why some sink ships.

If this post does nothing else, let it serve as a reminder to planners everywhere to get out of the office every now and then. To stop reading the industry reports and the survey results and go to the store. (Or wherever it is that people are buying your product from.) Serve on the front lines and spend some time “in the weeds.” It’s refreshing to be able to step back and see that it all boils down to something very simple. All the research, the thought, the insights, the creative. It all comes down to that customer staring blankly at a wall of products and choosing yours.

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Joe Elliott is a brand strategy intern with Moses in Phoenix. He’s got a website and a twitter.
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Photo Credit: HckySo

Experience comes in all shapes and sizes. My first exposure to advertising came in the form of a senior seminar at my University. We had the opportunity to partner with Leo Burnett and General Motors to create a Gen-Y-focused campaign for GM Goodwrench service centers. I immediately gravitated towards strategy and ideation (and of course wanted to do some of the copywriting because who doesn’t want to secretly be a copywriter?), and was able to learn what exactly went into creating a new voice for a brand, one that would resonate with a certain consumer, and ultimately drive results. I was so lucky that my University had a course like this, because internships in advertising are hard to come by. Like, really hard. Like, most people who work in the industry couldn’t have dreamed of getting the top internships, hard. And I’d say we’re all pretty good at what we do! So if you happen to get an internship, it’s absolutely crucial that you blow it out of the water.

I’ve worked at a few agencies in Chicago and New York, and a consistent theme in my short career has been an interest in helping other young folks break onto the advertising scene – mainly because I know how tough it can be. This ultimately manifested in me helping lead an the amazing BBH Barn. It was incredibly eye-opening, being on the other side of things. So here, I will help equip you with some tidbits on how to be a kickass intern.

1. Do whatever you’re asked to do.

Sometimes a single project can change the outcome of your career. In my first internship, I was asked to do a lot of number crunching. It was grueling, at the time, and I often left feeling creatively starved. But that experience gave me a skill set I would’ve never developed for myself. And it’s helped me get every job since.

2. And more.

People really do notice those who go above and beyond. If you’re asked to pull some survey data, take a bit to see if you can derive some insights out of it. Attach it to an email with a few of your learnings. Or, ask if you can sit with your strategist friend while he/she digs through it. In the outrageously overused words of Steve Jobs, “stay hungry…”

3. Humility is a virtue. We know you rock. We hired you. But you’re still here to learn.

Junior talent in this industry is really awe-inspiring. I’ve met account folks who can work in Dreamweaver, make films, and run a successful blog. But when you’re an intern, you need to wrap your head around advertising. Which is a lot more than reading AgencySpy and Creativity. We can help you understand the nuances of the business, navigate client relationships, manage their expectations, and deliver really great, hole-proof thinking. And we are excited to help! As long as you’re open to it.

4. Do some soul searching before you arrive. Do you want to be a Strategist? Account Gal/Guy? Art Director?

Each role in the ad industry is very different, and there’s usually one that will feel right for you. This may change as you grow in your career, but at the onset, go in with a solid stance. If you’re really unsure, talk to anyone you know in the industry. Chances are they’ll know where you belong right away. And if you don’t know anyone in the industry yet, reach out to me!

5. Do your research. Who are your dream clients at the agency?

This requires a bit of soul searching, too. What pieces of business would you love to work on? Are you obsessed with tech? Are you a whiskey connoisseur? A car buff? See what your agency’s roster looks like before you walk in on your first day, and have an idea of the brands that excite you.

6. Discuss what you want to accomplish.

Set some goals for yourself and share them with the people in charge of your program. Be honest! I promise, they will try their darndest to make you happy. Remember that this internship program is also very important for them. They want the world to see and hear that their interns are thrilled. This is how they get the best talent knocking on their door.

7. Find a mentor and try your darndest to become their best friend. Their cool best friend. Not the kind that chews their ear off.

I can’t emphasize this enough. Mentors are so incredibly important at every point in your career, but especially at this point. Spend a few weeks feeling people out, and then find someone you can trust. Ask them to step in as your confidante and protector. This person will save you from working 20 hour days, make sure you get on the right projects, and introduce you to all the right people.

8. Be the kindest version of yourself.

Apologize if you make a mistake. Everyone makes them, and a heartfelt apology deflects more negativity than you know. Smile, say good morning, introduce yourself to someone you’ve never met. People respond splendidly to nice people.

9. Arrive early, stay late.

Even if you don’t have a ton to do, or you were out late (drinking?) with colleagues, it shows you’re committed and not afraid of crazy ad-hours. Of course, there are boundaries. Most times, there’s no reason to work all night. But always check in with you team before you leave, and make sure your loose ends are tied.

10. Curiosity is a huge indicator of success.

In advertising, specifically. Dig through old files, ask questions, sit in meetings, be a fly on the wall, and listen. Leave your phone and computer at your desk and go old-school. Take notes, write down any questions you have, and make sure you get answers later.

What are some of the greatest lessons you’ve learned from being an intern? Did I miss anything?

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Ambika Gautam is a strategist at Mother New York. She in a social media enthusiast, literature fanatic, and a lover of sweet treats. Catch up with her on Twitter at @ambika_g

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Photo Credit: Practical Owl

Leaving my first real creative strategy gig was heart breaking. I will admit I cried in my office – at the time in a printer closet I had lovingly turned in to the infamous “Nook on 9” of Energy BBDO’s Chicago office. I never had imagined leaving the agency and suddenly I wanted to spread my wings.

As a young pup in the strategy world, leaving Energy BBDO meant that I would be leaving the people I grew up with. And leaving family is never easy. I was consciously walking away from the smart minds that had taught me to count to ten before speaking; those who said read presentation decks backwards to find errors and the co-workers who I spent countless hours with on the editing room floor for pitch after pitch bringing our consumer to life through film.

The day I quit my first creative strategy job was a blur. I believe I rambled nothings to our CSO as I apologized profusely for making the decision to turn in my badge and pride of working for such an amazing company. I felt like a spouse who had been caught cheating. A scarlet letter burned on to my chest as I left the office.

The day I quit and the following days after I was fortunate enough to realize what, as a strategist about to enter a new agency in a more senior-role, are the things to value in your first strategy gig. There are four I’d like to share as you may contemplate leaving your first post.

1. Your people. When I quit, my first reaction was panic in that I would have to tell my family in the agency that I was moving on. It will be a natural reaction, now having gone through the experience of leaving an agency twice. You will sweat. You will get clammy. Hell, you may even cry. The most important aspect of any job in advertising are the roots you build with the people you spend nearly half your waking hours in a week with.

2. Your salary. When I quit, I was leaving for the opportunity and more money. The latter is a heavy sin that I readily admit would be something I would think about twice now. There is nothing you should value more than the agency that supports you. That someone is going to pay you to hang out with interesting people and share your thoughts about people, brands and the world. On quitting your first strategy job, make money your last priority. There will always be more money to chase, always.

3. Your work. When I quit, I was afraid I would lose my work. Not the tangible decks and briefs I had slaved hours over, but the pride and passion for what had been accomplished as part of a kick-ass team. It’s important to value your work in the moment; congratulate teammates on thinking big, write notes of encouragement to junior staff and always defend the work you know works.

4. Yourself. When I quit, I suddenly questioned if I was going to make it. Was I making the right decision? Am I ready for the challenges ahead? I spent hours speaking with my mentors behind closed doors looking for support and affirmation. For a brief moment, you will not believe in yourself. You will look your best friends and mentors in the eye and realize that your first strategy job is the most important. You learn who you are, you will learn to trust your instinct and learn to be proud of yourself and what you can do.

I always encourage junior staff that approaches me now about leaving a post to weigh the value of these four things before they decide to move forward. I challenge you to do the same.

Remember, regardless if you’re leaving your first job or your fiftieth – you’re always moving onward and upward.

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Eddie is a Senior Strategist at T3 (The Think Tank) in NYC. Say hey to Eddie by following his tumblr or find him on twitter @edrevis.

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Photo Credit: Abdulrahman

Full disclosure: I haven’t been doing this long.

Not nearly as long as the incredibly smart folks we’ve featured so far on Junior Strategy. But I’ve heard the stories. I’ve heard about the long nights in smoke filled offices as art directors and copywriters and production people worked tirelessly to sketch their ideas in pen and pencil, set all of their type by hand, letter by letter, and carefully mount all of it on pieces of black foam core. Sometimes only to have a creative director cut an idea to pieces and demand it be redone hours before a big presentation. Boards were slid into huge portfolio cases and hauled across town. There were no 60” monitors or PowerPoint presentations. There weren’t 25 slides full of research and data, explaining why this idea was the silver bullet. In those meetings, everything came down to a few pieces of black foam core and a handful of people. Not only did the work have to be great, so did the people presenting it. The human factor and the art of presenting those ideas played an equal role in triumphant success or miserable failure.

Technology has done wonderful things for this industry. Depending on who you talk to, some might even tell you that, thanks to technology, we as a collective industry, are doing some of the most creative work that’s ever been done. But while it’s helped, it’s also hindered. Over the years I’ve paid close attention in presentations. I’ve observed body language, intonation, and overall technique. And what I’ve noticed isn’t a lack of talent, but rather, a lack of effort. I’ve seen too many presentations go down without a single person getting up from their chair. Technology has become a crutch; an excuse to take the human out of the equation and, “Let the work speak for itself.” I think we’re selling ourselves short.

Two years ago at a PSFK conference in San Francisco, Eric Ryan, founder of Method Soap and former account planner, talked about, “the transfer of emotion” and its importance in selling your ideas. Scientifically, the transfer of emotion refers to, “a process in which a person or group influences the emotions or behavior of another person or group through the conscious or unconscious induction of emotion states and behavioral attitudes.” Anyone who’s ever spent any time around a group of little kids has probably seen the transfer of emotion in action. One kid cries, they all cry. One kid starts laughing, so do the rest of them. Emotion is contagious. Don’t forget that.

Eric’s speech had an impact on me, not as a strategist, but as a presenter. Whether you’re a strategist, a copywriter, an art director or an account manager, there’s a strong chance that at some point in the near future you’ll find yourself seated at a table full of people, eagerly waiting to hear what revolutionary ideas you’ve come up with. So get out of your chair, stand tall, make eye contact, move around and speak up. This is your opportunity to transfer that emotion; to make them feel what you feel. Channel Steve Jobs or Don Draper or Barack Obama. Do what you have to do to make sure your work doesn’t end up in your computer’s trash folder. There’s a good chance that you’ll only get one shot.

Sometimes I worry that the art of the client presentation is going the way of smoking in the office and foam core (not that I’d like to bring either of those back). If the young people in the industry don’t start taking pride in the way they present their ideas, how can we be sure that we’re doing our best work? How can we be sure that our best ideas are the ones that our clients want to execute? I challenge any junior strategist to consider your presentation technique, and look for ways to improve. Take advantage of every opportunity you have to speak in front of others, solicit feedback and try new techniques. Remember, when you feel something, the better the chances that they’ll feel something.

I’ll leave you with a story that Eric Ryan told during that PSFK conference:

Eric and the people at Method Soap realized pretty quickly that selling was really about the transfer of emotion. So recently, when the people at Target were scheduled to come to the Method office for a meeting, Eric and his partner, Adam greeted them in the elevator, dressed as furries, with the Rocky soundtrack on full blast. When the doors opened, they were pushed into the Method office where they were each handed a Ping-Pong paddle. The game was Ping-Pong and the deal was this: if the Target folks won, Method would name a product after them. If Method won, they’d get the prime shelf placement they’d been seeking with Target for months. Needless to say, you shouldn’t have any problem spotting Method next time you’re browsing the soap aisle at your nearest Target.

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Kelly Rupp is Planner strategist type who loves skiing, design, furniture, beer, menswear, high-quality published goods, Rob Delaney and getting things in the mail (except credit card offers). Currently strategizing for Liquid in San Jose, California.

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Photo credits: Empty theater.

Each month we’ll invite different strategists to respond to an open-ended prompt. This month it seemed fitting to kick-off the series with ‘How to Start.’

Run Faster

By Lauren Holden Kilbane

A young runner once asked Nike co-founder and University of Oregon coach Bill Bowerman, “How do I improve my times?” His answer: “Run faster.”

Don’t make things complicated. Get out. Go. Talk to strangers. Make new friends. Tap into old ones. No passion, no brilliance. Be curious, interested and ask good questions. Hi! is a nice place to start. Listen.

There are so many stories in this world. Let every person you meet know and feel that you are here and now to know theirs and see where they take you. Most will respond by sharing what really matters to them, helping YOU “run faster” with insight.

Lauren is a freelance creative director and strategist, specialising in copywriting and consumer insight. She is based in Portland, Oregon and works with clients globally. Find Lauren on Twitter @lmnopdx

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How To Start…and Never Stop

By Eddie Revis

Students and peers often ask me this question about how I started in strategy. I like to think that while I had to start at some point in my life – we all had to – I see the more important and valuable lessons coming from that I never stopped doing certain things once I started.

Start being insanely curious and never stop. You’ll feel crazy at times and that the world is collapsing in on you, but just go with it. You’ll find more interesting solutions to problems being crazy and passionate than you will trying to fit in.

Start breaking the rules and never stop. A portfolio of great work does not come from someone who followed the speed limit, stayed on their diet or only answered the questions they were asked. Cheat, sneak, and bend sideways. You’ll make yourself stronger so that when you do, you can break even the oldest rules.

Start listening (and really listen) to others and never stop. You may find yourself thinking that it is impossible that this person or that person has the solution to the problem you are solving for. If you start listening you’ll find yourself with thoughts and clues and strategies that your own brain could never produce.

Eddie is a Senior Strategist at T3 (The Think Tank) in NYC. Say hey to Eddie by following his tumblr or find him on twitter @edrevis.

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What Next?

By Simon Neate-Stidson

You’ve got the client brief.
You’ve tried the product, been to the store, browsed the category online, read the research, talked to people in the category.
What next?

The most important skill is learning to ask yourself the right questions, before you know if the answers are any good.
The most important questions: What are we trying to achieve?  What can I add that is genuinely helpful?

Strategy is about choices….what, when, how, why, etc.

So what are the choices on this brief?
What is a ‘given’?
Is it really?

Write down stuff, randomly, on a big piece of paper.
Audience insights. Product benefits and features.  Motivations. Points of difference.
Problems. Community bonds. Category conventions. Competitor imagery and taglines.
Conversation themes from blogs.
Most of all, think about Unmet Needs.

Look at the scribbles.
Use a thesaurus, Google Images, Wikipedia.
Add a few more.

Go get some fresh air, grab a sandwich.
Come back, add to the scribbles.

Look for connections between the scribbles.
Links, paradoxes, surprises.

Have some starter thoughts.
Look for the fit.
The RTB.
Is it a new thought, is it different?
Simple to understand? (For the team, not the consumer. It’s a brief, not a tagline.)
Interesting?
Creatively inspiring?

That’s how I start.

Simon is a Senior Strategy Director at Blast Radius in Amsterdam. He’s also one of our featured Insiders here on Junior Strategy. Keep up with Simon on twitter @sneatestidson

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Photo credits: Zen afternoon, Look Listen.