Key Takeaways from StratFest 2023: Celebrating Strategic Bravery

Embracing Creative Chaos

The central theme of StratFest 2023 was the recognition that brilliance often emerges from the chaos of creative exploration. Marketers and strategists were encouraged to break away from conventional thinking and embrace the messiness of experimentation. In an era of constant change, adaptability and risk-taking are essential. The AI workshop with the Pulsar team revealed some out-of-the-box ideas on how to market coffee using provocative Dall-E inspired images (think rabbits in out-of-space enjoying a cappuccino) as a trigger for those wild ideas that cut through and stay etched in our brain.

Culture trumps everything

Dr. Marcus Collins emphasized the importance of cultural relevance in brand strategy. Today's consumers seek brands that not only understand their cultural context but also reflect it authentically. Brands that resonate with cultural values, beliefs, and lifestyles can establish stronger connections with their target audiences. This requires a deep understanding of the cultural nuances that shape consumer preferences. When you get it right, in the words of Jony Ive, Apple's, former Chief Design Officer, it is seen as the "strangely familiar".

Making Creativity Contagious

Joan Colletta, Senior Director of Global Marketing Transformation at McDonald's highlighted that the craft of creativity requires intentional steps to ensure it thrives - from making a business case, to ensuring a common creative language to allowing creativity to own its own space and then spread like wildfire. The McDonald's "Raise Your Arches" campaign captured this brave process – and it was brilliantly contagious as everyone in the commercial marched to the beat of the Arches and consumers followed in glee!

Strategic Bravery Means Action

The heart of impactful work highlighted lies in strategic bravery. Speakers and attendees alike emphasized the importance of taking risks, pushing boundaries, and challenging the status quo. Strategic bravery is the driving force behind groundbreaking campaigns and innovative solutions. For example, the Truth Initiative's "Depression Stick + Breath of Stress Air" campaign, partnering with Mojo Supermarket, used humor and reverse psychology to address the very serious nicotine addiction issue among teens. Strategic bravery is a bold and innovative mindset that drives organizations to take calculated risks, challenge conventional norms, and embrace change fearlessly. It involves visionary leadership that empowers creative thinking, values resilience in the face of failure, and aligns strategies with purpose-driven goals.

Pushing the Envelope of Possibility

Innovation has many faces and sometimes it is about having the guts to experiment and simply sing for your supper – as Tim Leake - Founder & CEO, Lightbulb and Jeff Tan, TEDx Speaker and a fellow Aussie, showed us how as they transformed the typical PowerPoint show into a musical duo act that not only drew supportive laughter from the crowd but sparked a group singalong – we just needed the beach campfire to complete the look!

So sometimes strategic bravery is simply asking "why not?", strutting your stuff and having both the bravado and humility to say, "I did it and grew from it". It is a balancing act of conviction, fear and the exhilarating high of jumping into the unknown. For strategists, that is the craft – keeping your eyes wide open and eyes wide shut – for magic often lies in between.

DEI as Truth Teller

In Vaseline's "See My Skin" campaign, a pressing issue is confronted head on – the lack of diversity in dermatological imagery. Born out of Vaseline's mission for "Equitable Skincare for All," this campaign isn't just about user experience; it's about equity. Elaine Tan, Vice President, Director, Brand at Edelman, shared with me that research shows that less than 6% of image-based search results depict skin conditions on people of color, leading to higher mortality rates for conditions like skin cancer. "See My Skin" introduces a groundbreaking search platform dedicated to skin of color. The Vaseline and Edelman team created the world's most diverse medical image library, vetted by dermatologists, and connected users with real-time dermatologist access. Within two weeks, it garnered 6,000 visits and created 3.1 million equitable skincare experiences. This campaign epitomizes Vaseline's commitment to inclusivity and the transformative power of strategic, purpose-driven initiatives. Bravery with purpose and tangible outcomes.

StratFest 2023 reminded us that the marketing and advertising landscape is in a constant state of evolution with AI igniting new possibilities and new challenges. Antonio Lucio, one of our industry's most acclaimed CMO and Principal & Founder of 5S Diversity, reminded delegates that to stay ahead requires fluency not just across the craft of marketing and tech, but also across the language of the P&L and the imperatives that keep CFOs up at night. To thrive in this dynamic environment, marketers and strategists must be willing to challenge norms, embrace diversity, harness technology, and, above all, be strategically brave. As the industry continues to redefine itself, the lessons from StratFest 2023 serve as a compass guiding us toward a future defined by brave humans and our ever-intelligent machines all working to make a dent on our brand's ambitious trajectory – one bold idea at a time.

Photo at top: Raquelle Zuzarte, Marla Kaplowitz and Elizabeth Paul at StratFest 2023.

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