As the regional advertising industry grows – thankfully – so do the number of ‘specialist’ agencies, positions and titles. It could be the result of the growth of specialized fields, be it digital or experiential marketing, or it could simply be the need to define roles further as advertising gets more integrated and, maybe, even more complex. In an attempt to demystify one of the titles we have seen around a lot in recent times, we turn to the chief strategy officers and directors of the industry: Amal El Masri, Chief strategy officer, J. Walter Thompson MENA; Rafic Kamaleddine, Chief strategy officer, TBWA\RAAD ME; Ian Dolan, Strategy director, PHD; Alexandra Reynolds, Chief strategy officer, Mindshare MENA; Tom Hardstaff, Regional strategy director, UM MENA; Antoine De Trogoff, Regional strategy and content director, UM MENA.
Definition
It’s a role that mirrors the external strategic ambitions of our clients with our internal talent, mindset and tools. In effect, it is man- aging our own brand strategy and success formula in an ever-changing environment. Flexibility and adaptability to evolving needs can meet with unintended resistance, so there is also a critical nurturing element to the equation – El Masri
The job description as used in agencies relates to multiple roles: one is heading the brand planning and strategy function, in which the CSO tends to work closely with clients to offer help with the support of the planning department, as well as working closely on new business. The other is an advisory role that consists of working with the other C- suite to look at the business environment and strategy – Kamaleddine
The role differs by company but my day-to- day role can probably be summed up into three core areas: strategy development, insight gathering and business development – Dolan
Most people assume a CSO focuses purely on strategic development, but the role should encompass the overall product offering. For example, if you have a weak research di- vision then defining the overall business opportunity and consumer insight becomes very challenging. Building an environment where creativity can thrive is also a key role of a CSO. Finally, executional excellence, which is our bread and butter, is very important. A CSO needs to ensure that the overall product delivery of the agency is market leading and constantly evolving – Reynolds
Clients will request the best thinkers from the agency to work on their business, but a good thinker is not enough at an agency level. However, good thinking delivered at all levels of the agency is crucial. The CSO is the guardian of the agency’s thinkingstandards by bringing in an approach that can be replicated across the board – De Trogoff Overarching long-term vision for the brands represented by the agency and for the agency itself. This role requires complete integration across platforms and a full understanding of clients’ short- and long-term objectives, while considering the core pillars of the agency’s whole approach – Hardstaff
On the distinction between planning and strategy
Planning is an integral part of the strategy community, but today’s requirements extend to wider strategy requirements to focus on thought leadership, technology and innovation, specialized practices and such – El Masri
In recent years, the two have become inter- changeable. In some agencies, you will find a head of planning represented by a planning or a strategy director reporting to the CSO, if the position exists. In such instances, the CSO has a regional role, while the planning or strategy director takes on a more local role in each office – Kamaleddine
A key element of my role is to take a ‘helicopter’ view on accounts, offering our planning directors and their teams a different perspective. As I am not completely hands-on with the day-to-day and client-servicing elements, I have time to think more conceptually about how we can help our clients find solutions. This often results in challenging existing ways of working, which sets the planning team on a different trail of thought – Dolan
Under adaptive marketing, we have roles called connection planners, who are responsible for joining the dots across the organization, media and channels. Strategists are more focused on deriving the business opportunity for the client. Their role is to work hand-in-hand with our research department, Mindsights, in order to delve into the brand, category and consumer – Reynolds
These are two different jobs; interior design is different from architecture, but they can- not live apart. The worst-case scenario is to see a beautifully designed home with cheap furniture, which I believe is the same when it comes to strategy and planning. Clients need an overarching approach with scale, longevity and creative thinking; but they also need someone to make it happen – De Trogoff
Planners work in the now; their approach and implementation on a new brief must be relevant to the target audience in that moment. As strategists, we must consider the long- term vision for the brand while supporting the planners with formulating data-driven insights. On a day-to-day basis, the planning team must focus on client servicing, while the strategy team will support the agency with growth and development, which includes new business – Hardstaff
The good things about the role
Seeking epic potential in everything we do – El Masri
The continuous challenges that keep the job fresh and interesting. At any given time, you are working on multiple brands in various categories, each with its own set of challenges and you have to add value and find solutions. You also have to keep your eye on the big picture. There are no set prescriptions and no ready answers; just plain hard work, extensive reading, analysis, building a knowledge base, applying critical thinking and making sense of things around you – Kamaleddine
The role really allows me to fire up my passion for challenging ideas, looking at problems in new ways and finding innovative solutions for our clients. Steve Jobs once said: “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” I firmly believe this and really do love what I do. I, also, thrive on diversity and really revel in participating in meetings, conversations or just casual idea-bashing sessions, which relate to very different brands and issues – Dolan
I face a new business challenge every day. No client brief is ever the same. I also love the fact that if I see a new product opportunity, I can take it and run with it – Reynolds
To ‘think’…we are more and more reactive in everything we do and to ‘think’ has become a luxury now. Knowing that I can make a dif- ference in a pitch by thinking differently and accurately while showing strong empathy to a client’s business to get to what’s essential and successful is very rewarding – De Trogoff
Strategy is an age-old philosophy, quoted by ancient kings, fearless warriors, and more recently, the inspiring Winston Churchill: “However beautiful a strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.” Some would argue that strategy has won wars too. The most exciting aspect is that we can read, absorb and adapt great ancient and modern- day thinking to our client’s business and marketing challenges. There are very few roles where this is the case and where you are encouraged to be creative. Deep down inside, I am confident that all strategists are creative directors bursting to be let loose on our brands – Hardstaff
The not-so-good things about the role
The biggest challenge used to be ‘change’. However, today, change has become such a given that the challenge is how early you recognize the need for it, how swiftly and boldly you can act upon it and how you can excite people to embrace it – El Masri
The ability to switch gears from one brand to the other while giving each its due level of support and thinking, and to always see the forest from the trees; that is the big picture as far as the agency is concerned – Kamaleddine
Time management is a major hurdle as I work with all planning teams. An average week could involve working on case studies, new business pitches, going through research, sourcing new technology or working with several planning directors on new briefs. With so much going on and such a diverse range of responsibilities, I need to plan my week well. It’s a constant and delicate balancing act – Dolan
All of what I have described above takes time and requires talent. Clients are increasingly looking for strong strategic and innovative thinking, but the challenge is that the existing team is already overloaded with the day-to- day business. Therefore, we need to recruit more of such talent, which isn’t easy and most often requires us to look outside of the region. We are trying to create new opportunities for our existing talent within the agency but pulling them out of their current roles isn’t easy – Reynolds
Since I head the branded content division, UM Studios within UM, my role is a bit hybrid. Right now, the biggest challenge will be to bring onboard more clients to invest in content. We know that content works, however, there might be a few skeptics and the challenge will be to convince the late adopters or reassure the early ones that it is the way forward – De Trogoff Differentiation and staying on point when the same data is available. Now, we can’t give away our secrets to overcoming this, but it is a huge challenge. Staying connected with the planning teams is also a challenge, as they move at such a fast pace on a daily basis – Hardstaff
