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Hi, I'm leaving Citi in 2 months.It's hard to make this decision. I have an offer from a small startup.In citi, my previous experience was not considered and was reskilled to different tech which is the reason for change.I don't like to exit citi. As I like the company so much.But considering my current knowledge,I am in the middle of the sea.I am afraid now that the new company's offer would be revoked due to this recession?Or can I take back my resignation in citi before the last working day.Is this wise decision?
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I was a junior strategist in the 1990s and data understanding and knowing where to find data was critical then
I believe 'conceptual' strategists e.g. brand, experience, innovation will be required to provide more concrete output - whether it be measurement reports, bigger research pieces that can be repurposed elsewhere or get in the weeds of whatever strategy they're informing. Whenever there's talk of a recession, clients need to trim resources and it becomes a luxury to afford strategists that solely provide guides/frameworks. That's why you see plenty of titles like creative strategists or U/X strategists etc. Strategists have to think and do/produce. In the past couple of years, I've been in several freelance roles where I was expected not just to guide the strategy but literally get all the way down into the fully fleshed out output e.g. for a retail rebrand, I got to the point of working with the clients' architects to draw up the store blueprints and literally in discussions about where fixtures should go. It was interesting but kind of insane because I was so busy and exhausted from being pulled into every task. FYI, my role was officially a brand strat. Similar with a DR gig, I was in trade meetings discussing stock paper density for their mailers. Brand managers on the client side don't want to deal with it and expect the brand agency to make sure every little aspect stays on-brand. It could be just my luck and experience though.
We will import more people from consulting backgrounds until we realize we’re getting their table scraps.
Agreed the purely conceptual strategists will be gone but in their place will be creatives who think in systems and how to build them.
But you know at the end of the day a smart curious person who can write well and think critically is always going to be valuable to clients.
Oh and it will get harder for juniors to succeed. Too much tacit knowledge and clients won’t pay for juniors. Same challenge as biglaw.
The buzzword ninjas seem to be fading away though
I only hire people who can do more than one kind of strategy well (brand, digital, comms, retail, CX, etc.). They also have to have quantitative data skills and an ability to read and understand an annual report. This makes them unstoppable whether we’re writing growth plans for CEOs, marketing plans for CMOs, or tactically solving how to bring ideas to life.
Data understanding is a future must have. How to procure, how to use. That’s the biggest difference
This question sucks
Count me for “This question does not suck"
Integrated strategy is key as clients and scoping are tightened up. Being able to scale across comms, brand, and creative strategy makes you a strong asset. Also seeing CX strategy emerging more strongly.
It depends a bit on your category. In pharma, for example, you need to understand much more about the science, competitive intelligence, M&A, R&D etc. I think behavioral science and heuristics will fall out of vogue. I also think the strat leaders of the future must be adept at client service in ways they weren’t before.
If you’re asking this as an MD that’s good, because you’re assessing the right discipline
Yeah, I don’t see behavioral science going out of vogue. Unless you are talking about people doing it wrong.
1) A stronger understanding of data, where to find it and what CAN be done with it. They will really need to be partners with analyst teams and statisticians and start thinking like data scientists 2) Technology - not so much “the role it’s playing in people’s lives,” but rather how blockchain, AI, Machine Learning is changing how we understand consumers and consumer behavior. 3) Cultures - I do not like the fact that as diverse as the consumer landscape has become, “millennial” is still a synonym for white males. There will need to be a better understanding of how cultures are blending and informing the mainstream. 4) they will have to understand how to plan across disciplines 5) Design, like how to you apply the principles of ux to non digital spaces.
@HOS1, Brand Strategists write growth plans for CEOs? Can you expand on this? That sounds more management consulting territory honestly. Just curious how this has played out in your experience.
My agency is part of a consultancy. It plays out well actually because we’re able to bring the “where to win” recommendations into creative ideas.
Brand development as a core business strategic asset is being used by management consultants without the understanding of consumer empathy. Brand strategy will need to develop the skills to design & evaluate business models.