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A good CD will work with alongside the Planner/Strategist as their trusted partner. Akin to an Art Director working with a Copywriter. A CD who is siloed from their Planner can get the job done, but the work won’t be as good. Just like a Copywriter who doesn’t concept with their Art Director can get the job done, but the work won’t be as good.
The partnership between CD and Planner means the CD can help make sure the strategic discoveries are creatively actionable. Unless the Planner used to be a Creative, most Planners have a left-brained POV and need a bit of nudging from a right-brained person to actually get to something creatively inspiring. I don’t think the CD needs to literally sit in research sessions, but they should definitely be present during stakeholder workshops and reviews as the Planner’s partner. A Planner–CD team. It also helps build rapport with the stakeholders and helps with creative approvals down the road.
This is not required at a lot of agencies, though. So you’ll see plenty of CDs not even bother. And this is a big reason why their clients reject work so often.
Work with strategy on the brief. Planners may own it, but you need to make sure it’s good, and something you want to hand creatives.
I used to work at an agency where my CDs workshopping the brief was built into our our project timelines. Similarly when we had big campaign projects all the CDs were very involved in the strat development. Obviously strat would lead but CDs were always reviewing and providing feedback. Now that I’m at an agency that doesn’t do that I see what a huge difference it makes.
Echo what CD1 said, the end product is superior when everyone is working collaboratively from the beginning.
Rising Star
If CDs do those things, what does strat/planning do then?
I don't think the CD is responsible for the doing of those tasks. That's what planners and strat do. They do those things and start putting together a strat/brief during which they workshop with the CD on the insights and ensure it's workable for the creatives. The CD can choose to be at the focus groups or meet with stakeholders but they have their own responsibilities and this seems to be doubling up.
That's my understanding or imagination.
Creative 1 nailed it. When Planners can be trusted to do it right, Creative is more than happy to let them do their thing.