14 highlights from our Q&A with VCCP’s Nicky Vita
For this Q&A, we spoke with Nicky Vita, Joint Head of Planning at VCCP.
It was an incredibly honest chat, where we covered loads of stuff: why strategists need to build relationships with creative directors, the role of primary research, the importance of agency culture, and more.
Here are 14 highlights from our conversation.
1. Strategy needs time
We need to advocate for strategy, and for having the right amount of time to do it. This gives us the best chance to be able to influence the creative work in the best possible way. If this doesn’t happen at a management level, it’s harder for it to ever happen across the organisation.
2. Build relationships with CDs
When building relationships with creative directors, as with planners, there are different personality types we need to adapt to. Some may come from a defensive point of view, where they implicitly don’t trust you to add something valuable. Whereas others value a planner’s opinion from the start. It’s important to learn how to win trust with different types of CDs.
3. Be a creative partner
Irrespective of your background, think of how you can help creatives do their best possible work. Be a creative partner. If you are a creative thinker, that can be an advantage but don’t overstep your boundaries. Understand how teams work best. Some teams want loads of stimulus, others only want the proposition. Ask others who’ve worked with them. Work out what triggers them.
4. Quick research shortcuts
When doing research, it’s not always possible to have the fancy tools at your disposal if you don’t work at a bigger agency. Some easy enough cheats: System1’s research and free trials. YouGov for quantitative data. Julian Cole’s resources. Government population data. Field & Binet’s existing research online. Protein’s reports. Expert interviews. Twitter search for some qualitative nuggets. Store visits if you are in FMCG. Competitor reviews inside and outside the category. Or… just hit the streets and talk to people. It’s a bit awkward but can be invaluable (and your client surely isn’t doing it).
5. Invest in primary research
Clients tend to value more highly the things that they have to pay for. When making the case for doing primary research, clearly show the information you don’t have, and some initial hypotheses where you might fill the gaps. Often it can be more palatable for clients to know you can do that research in-house, while outsourcing the recruitment.
6. Research to explore, not decide
Big clients tend to already use or have access to a great deal of research. Which means that the potential challenge in this case is to get them to understand that research is there to explore, not necessarily to decide (classic ‘go/ no go’). It can be tricky with big or global organisations who they tend to use research to mitigate risk.
7. Good client instincts matter
Balancing the role for research works best when you have a client who has good marketing instincts, who aren’t afraid to be scared in the right way. Ultimately, the work should be evaluated on a few subjective measures: is it relevant? Is it unique? Is it memorable?
8. Agency culture is critical
Culture matters, both in the city and where you work. Advertising / planning London hasn’t always as open to outsiders but that has shifted massively over the last decade. Agency culture is critical but it’s also important to consider the value of team culture, because how your immediate team makes you feel about the work is really important. Related to this, having a good relationship with account management (in addition to creative) is also crucial - the best account handlers are strategic and can also be really brilliant at making the crap go away (enabling you to do your job).
9. Find the right recruiter
Getting a foot in the door is never easy. A good first step is finding the right recruiter - the best ones care about junior talent and are able to pitch you in the right way to different agencies. Meet as many people as you possibly can - it’s a great way to understand different agency cultures and to get a sense of where an opportunity might come up.
10. Find ways around blockers
If someone at work is a blocker, find ways around them. It might piss them off and you may feel like you’re throwing them under the bus but if this is a common behaviour from them, they may need to be called out (you may not be the only person struggling with them). You need to work out where you stand, or the things you will not tolerate. If the blocker doesn’t listen, find someone who will. There is power in groups.
11. Insecurity is ok
Loads of planners are inherently insecure. So much of our performance is based on intellectual output, and it’s easy to feel judged all the time. But it’s important to realise we often know more about the brand or consumer or category than anybody else in the room by virtue of all our research. At the same time, don’t be afraid to ask the dumb questions, because if you are thinking about them, chances are others are thinking about it too.
12. Strategy is a team task
Think of the strategic task as a team task: you can use others to get to the answers, as long as you lead the conversation with the right questions. Sometimes the job isn’t to come up with the strategy but to make sure there is one. And know that you can only do what you can do with the amount of time you have. If someone’s asked you to work on something, chances are it’s because they didn’t have the time to pick it up themselves.
13. Know your superpower
Some planners are great at the start of the strategic process, because they inherently open things up. Others are far better at the end of the process, as they help you close things down. It’s important to know where you feel you fall on the scale, and perhaps double down on that. It can become your superpower.
14. Partners, not competitors
What younger planners look for in agency culture: having a bigger stake in the work, or in the business itself. Knowing that what they are doing is valuable. Knowing that creative and strategy get along and are a true partnership, instead of a competitive relationship.
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