“Strategic Planning is critical to the creative process and although it doesn’t get a fair share of the limelight, the work behind the scenes is recognised and valued by the creative department.”

Reilly describes Koena as being calm, methodical and as having a good mix of intuition and a curious mind fuelled by data-driven decision making. “He is a rare breed who is equally comfortable partnering with clients to develop a business and brand strategy whilst also inspiring creatives with a human opportunity and a springboard from which big, integrated work can develop.”

Net#work BBDO MD Gau Narayanan says that the role for strategic planning has always been important in the agency but as complexity increases, the role that strategic planners need to play is becoming more and more important.

“We need to more deeply engrain strategy into the creative process as we start to develop more complex, integrated campaigns for our Clients. Strategists need to think about the audience, the message, the medium, the channel and also the moment and Tebogo is already driving this behaviour in the agency,” says Narayanan.

Koena maintains the agency philosophy that strategic planning should be at the centre of the creative process. “Keeping it simple but insightful, and understanding that strategy is a means to an end is important for strategists as well for the discipline itself. I see the partnership with the creative department as fundamental to our success, and we have seen results over the past 18 months. Rather than a relay in which the brief is passed down the line, I like to think of it as a double helix in which strategists and creatives work closely and iteratively to develop the brief and the work together,” comments Koena.

“And as we learn more about how people make decisions, with more marketing myths being disproved, the importance of the human opportunity and how to drive behaviour change becomes even more crucial. Using Neuroscience and Behavioural Economics, the BBDO network is pioneering a path to uncover how to elicit a response and the role for communications to stimulate the right behaviour. I am excited to help drive this in our thinking and to ensure that the creative work we produce works for our clients’ bottom line” adds Koena.

“The strategy department at Net#work BBDO has been a prominent force behind the success the agency has enjoyed over the past 18 months. With a raft of exciting new account wins such as Virgin Money Insurance amongst others, and a great haul at local, regional and global creative and effectiveness awards, it’s been an impressive period,” concludes Narayanan.

For more information, visit www.networkbbdo.co.za. Alternatively, connect with them on Facebook or on Twitter.