Highlights from our Q&A with Ben Shaw, CSO at BBH LA
When Ben Shaw recently swapped BBH’s mothership in London for its LA agency to take up the role of CSO, we thought we’d missed the chance to invite him to one of our strategy events.
Luckily for us, relocating at the moment involves swapping the sofa for the kitchen table.
Read on for what makes a good strategist, a great strategy and what life’s like at BBH. Amongst other things...
So, errr, what’s LA got that London doesn’t, eh?
Moving to LA has mostly been a bit of an adventure. I’d been in one place for 12 years. Being head of strategy was my proudest moment, and I was still loving it in London. But BBH LA is still young, so we can have a big impact on building it. The proposition of working on the intersection of entertainment and technology is exciting and brings different opportunities. For example, in LA we get to do more project-based work. In London, I typically worked on specific clients for the coming months/years. It keeps you sharp. We've also got more pitches for tech and games brands. It’s also interesting that the BBH brand has a different reputation in LA and not heralded as much, it's still seen as a newer agency.
What is it that you love about this job?
The part of the job I love most is creative reviews and creative development. I always wanted to get in the industry because I wanted to do something creative and wanted to be paid for it. The ambiguity of being a strategist lets you enjoy many careers in one. As a strategist, you can do so many different things.
My ultimate reason for loving advertising is that we get to create something out of nothing and convince people to do something they may not have been doing otherwise.
You’ve been at BBH for, like, ever. What is it that keeps you around?
When I joined, BBH had a brilliant retention rate. it was 9 years, especially in senior roles.
That’s pretty unique. The reason is that we believe in good and nice. If you're nice, you fit in. If you’re good, well, people love working around good people.
BBH will always challenge you. It's been the core reason why I’ve stayed for so long.
People at BBH are also offered the same career progression within the company as what we typically see in the industry where – when you want to progress – you need to leave and go work for a different agency.
How do you know when to make a career move?
It's up to you to know what you want to do next. Typically two years are needed in the same role before making a career move. One year to figure out what to do + one year to smash it. Look at the two year increments and what they are going to be. All of that needs to add up to the bigger goal and needs to be realistic.
If you're your own talent manager, you know your value. Conversations become around value. Also, you need to know when you’re at the point that you need to leave. It also helps to have someone from outside the industry to discuss career steps with. I’ve always done that with my dad.
How does BBH approach writing briefs?
At BBH, we didn't have a formal process to write briefs until we looked at it 2 years ago. We put a process in place: the 'Zag process'.
First, we look at the audience, journey, product/brand, category. Then, we identify the ‘zigs’ (what is something everyone else is doing) and where the whitespace is for ‘zags’ (how can we do something differently). You can do that in a few hours or days/weeks, depending on how deep you want to get into it. It’s a top level approach, so it allows everyone to use it in the way that works best for them.
I also try to constantly re-articulate the problem. I write it down, do research and at the end of the day, write down again what I think the problem is now.
Oldie but a goodie… How do you find insights?
There is nothing new left in the world. That doesn't mean new insights can't be found. I'm convinced we can still find them. Watching comedy is one of the best things a strategist can do. Comedians observe things, point out the obvious and deliver it in a good way. Sometimes, pointing out the obvious is an insight.
Where does strategy add the most value in an agency?
Strategy should be leading agencies and pitches. That doesn’t mean it needs to be all about strategy. It just brings clarity and focus throughout.
It defines what needs to be done. The strategist’s role is to be the person who's constantly asking questions. They should also bring the energy in.
Differentiation vs Distinctiveness? Big difference?
As more and more research is done across all industries, it’s challenging to stand out. We often have this debate around differentiation and distinctiveness internally as well.
When you just go after distinctiveness, you constantly have to push. Because being distinctive depends on execution, which might cause work to not land sometimes. If you get to a differentiated proposition, your messaging will still come through as memorable, even if an execution doesn’t land.
Any advice on working with account folk?
You should spend more time with your account people than with your CD. Your account person should be your partner. They can help protect you in your career. If you help them grow their business, they’ll be helping you in return. When you have them on your side, they’ll vouch for you when it counts, e.g. appraisals.
Try to sit down with them at the start of the week or the day and talk about what you're trying to do and then figure out how you can both help to get it done.
Got any sick resources the community should check out?
A few newsletters and other rabbit holes of information that inspire me:
Salmon Theory (shout-out to GT’s own Rob Estreitinho)
Football, games and technology. Bring into work what you're interested in. Whatever it is.
I stopped reading COVID trends reports. Everything keeps changing rapidly anyway.
Thanks Ben!
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