S2 EP4: Strategy from the Client Side

Welcome to Planner Parley, a show where we come together under a flag of truce to talk about small agency planning. Planner Parley is brought to you by the 4A's (The American Association of Advertising Agencies).

This week, we’re seeing if the grass is greener for strategists that have gone client-side. Carrie Riby, director of marketing at Black Button Distilling, and Inga Grote-Ebbs, brand director at FIFCO USA, join John Roberts, CSO at Truth Collective – all from Rochester, New York – to share what the view is like from the other side of the relationship. With one in four strategists considering a career move towards the client side, we’re learning what it’s all about and what it means for small agencies.

Key Takeaways:

• Understanding the needs and behavior of the audience is still the name of the game
• Strategy has a different meaning for agencies and clients
• Agencies and clients are not on opposing sides, but come with different perspectives
• The best work comes when there’s a partnership
• The “brief” problem – navigating gaps, approaches, and the handover