Ever sat through a three-hour meeting where someone drones on about pie charts? Somehow, the strategy seems to have gotten lost in the PowerPoint sauce. We’ve all been there—slide after slide, wondering about the point. Did those strategy slides help lead to that creative idea?
Too often, strategy is treated as an end in itself—a parade of slides, graphs, and charts. To give the impression of a deliverable being met. “Look at how hard the agency worked on your brief! Look at all these slides! See how much sleep I’ve lost over your business.”
Strategy is not a set of slides to justify billable hours. It should be the compass it’s meant to be. Creatives often go, “I reverse engineer the strategy to match my creative idea. The strategist? They make slides to keep the client entertained—I don’t pay attention.”
Consider Coca-Cola. They sell cola. Every department—from marketing to HR to bottling to distribution—focuses on getting the product out the door. Period.
In our industry, the product is creativity. Strategy should support creativity, not distract from it. If it doesn’t drive the creative process, throw it out the window, and the strategist too.
Strategy as the creative catalyst
When done right, strategy is about creating a playground for creatives. Rules are set, the right players are in place, and the game is worth watching.
Consider what happens without a strategy: a brief to the creative team sounds like, “Here’s a forest. Find me the perfect tree. Oh, and it’s due tomorrow.” And we wonder why we’re on round 13 of the project.
A well-thought-out strategic brief turns the deliverable into: “Here is an oak tree. Now, build a treehouse that is fun and safe to accommodate my 9-year-old son and 3 friends.”
Start with clarity. Strip away unnecessary fluff and focus on the essentials. If it fits on one slide, it’s even better (it’s called a “brief” for a reason).
Ask three crucial questions: What is the core problem or unmet need of our audience? What is the brand doing to solve this problem? And only then, what are we saying to communicate this solution effectively?
It’s that simple.
Side note: Dear clients, creative agencies are here to communicate the message in the most creative, disruptive, inspired, and original way—full stop. The meat has to come from somewhere. You must articulate the problem or unmet need that your brand addresses before the agency is even called to the briefing. Your agency cannot invent a solution through creativity. It’s patently absurd. Also, saying “It’s not selling in Lulu Hypermarket” is not a tension!
Side-side note: To the client that’s reading this, I’m confident you are not guilty of this oversight. The above side note is for the ‘other’ clients.
Putting a new type of deliverable into practice
As you move forward, consider how your strategy informs the creative. It’s about guiding creativity in the right direction, providing a structure where it can thrive, and ensuring every decision serves the ultimate goal: creating work that connects, resonates, and inspires.
So, next time you’re tempted to add another slide and force out a deliverable, ask yourself: Is this creating a clearer, more compelling direction for the creative team? If not, maybe it’s time to put down the PowerPoint and have a conversation instead. Because the best strategy isn’t one that looks good on paper; it’s one that leads to good work.
To strategists and even the brilliant suits writing the strategic brief: fewer slides, more conversations. Spend less time perfecting presentations and more time crafting every word.
Think like a strategist and write like a lawyer.
By Sachin Mendonca, Chief Creative Strategist, YouExperience.
