Five skills you need to be a strategist

People in the industry often view the strategist and the creative as different animals. However, spend enough time with both of these individuals and you will come to realise that there are actually more traits that they have in common than there are things that divide them. For one, being a good strategist requires a strong dose of creative thinking and ability. 

Let’s examine each of these strategic skills in turn.

The best strategists tend to be both analytical and conceptual. On the one hand, it is the strategist’s job to examine and understand the client’s business scenario and marketing objectives, the competitive landscape, relevant consumer insights and key challenges – investigating and analysing evidence from multiple sources to help build a coherent argument for the strategic way forward. This is the systematic side to strategy, which postulates a reasoned solution to the task at hand. So because Consumer X thinks Y and not Z, the best way to reach Objective A is to communicate B and C about the brand.

However, to be purely analytical as a strategist is to miss out on the “magic” of strategy: its ability to captivate the client and inspire outstanding creative work. So as much as the best creative output is usually underpinned by a strong strategic foundation, it is also true to say that the most compelling strategic plans tend to be creative in their approach. 

The basis of strategy is understanding. And understanding is the result of inquisition. For this reason, strategists seek out not only to understand the WHO, to determine the WHAT and ultimately the WHERE, WHEN and HOW – but always to explore and probe the WHY: the motivations, the reasons, the conundrums. Why do consumers think or behave in a certain way? Why is the competition faring better in the marketplace?  

Why has the brand failed to reach its full potential? Why is the communication not resonating? And so on.

It is this incessant (bordering on obsessive) curiosity that captures the essence of effective strategic planning. Without proper insight, we run the risk of oversight and there can be no foresight. 

As the cliché states, the devil is in the details. This is especially true for strategists, since a fair chunk of our time on any project is spent addressing the intricacies and finer points – whether in terms of conducting research, analysing the facts, evidence and insights or compiling the actual proposal. However, it is very easy to get bogged down in “analysis paralysis” as a strategist, or to cross the fine line between writing a strategy that is solid and watertight as opposed to one that is too exhaustive, too executional or too tactical.

Against this backdrop, the true value of strategy lies in its ability to capture the so-called “bigger picture” for the client and the creative team – to provide pertinent and concise direction that inspires, while still leaving something to the imagination. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to the “right” details when compiling a strategy. 

This is an important one: adaptability. Our clients could be anyone from any industry and therefore we need to know their business almost as well as they do – and sometimes even better! We need to be able to demonstrate to the client that we are not only a supplier, but a valuable part of their business or marketing team as well. In effect, strategists need to be able to live in the world of the agency as well as the world of the corporate. Coupled with this, we also need to show an understanding of our clients’ customers. This requires not only research, but also the imagination and empathy to be able to put oneself in the shoes of a consumer who is often very far removed from one’s own personal reality.

The mark of a true strategist is the ability to switch seamlessly from one brand or product category to another, learning to become not only a “jack of all trades” but a veritable master of all of them as well.

Talented strategists all have one thing in common: the courage of their convictions. This includes being able to sell one’s work in the most engaging and successful way possible. Even the most seasoned strategists agree that it can be scary to present a new idea and convince a client that it is “right” for their brand. As noted, strategy is largely subjective and there is always more than one path that can be taken. And very often, the “big idea” is a product of the strategist’s intuition. Thus, it is vital to be able to present with passion and belief in the merits of the particular strategic direction that has been pursued. 

For more information, visit www.thestrategydepartment.co.za. Alternatively, connect with them on Twitter.