EMIRATES – TRY BETTER ✈️ 💀

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“Fly Better”… Unless You’re Applying for a Job

Emirates is one of the most globally recognised brands in the world.

Iconic aircraft.
Immaculate service.
Huge investment.
Endless awards.

“Fly Better” isn’t just a tagline. It’s a promise. A positioning that signals excellence, precision, care, and world-class experience at every touchpoint.

Or at least, that’s what we’re meant to believe.

Recently, I came across a role at Emirates that genuinely caught my interest. Strong brand. Global scale. Serious ambition. So I did what any modern candidate does. I clicked “Apply” on LinkedIn.

Broken link.
Runtime error.

Strange, I thought. Tech hiccup. It happens. So I clicked again. Same result.

Okay. No stress. I’ll go direct.

I Googled “Emirates Careers Australia”. The first result was the official Emirates Group careers site. I clicked through.

Another runtime error.

Not just one role.
Not just LinkedIn.
The entire Emirates Group careers experience was down.

The error message read like something from 2006:

“Server Error in ‘/Application’.
An exception occurred while processing your request.
Additionally, another exception occurred while executing the custom error page.”

For a global airline brand built on operational excellence, this was… wild.

To sanity-check myself, I jumped onto SEEK. Same thing. Multiple Emirates roles. Every single link broken.

At this point, curiosity turned into concern. Not for me. For them.

Because if I’m seeing this, hundreds or thousands of potential applicants are too.

So I thought, maybe I should flag it. Give them a heads-up. Do the decent thing.

Finding a head office number in Sydney was impossible. Despite the roles being advertised as Sydney-based, there was no obvious corporate contact.

Eventually, I landed on a general Emirates number via Google. The usual call tree followed. Flights. Bookings. Upgrades. Loyalty. None of it relevant.

After navigating my way through, I finally spoke to a customer service rep named Hamza.

I explained the issue calmly. All careers links are broken. No one can apply. Something is clearly wrong.

His response?

“I can’t help with that. You’ll need to go to the careers website.”

I explained again that the careers website was the problem…

He repeated himself.

I asked if he could transfer me to head office, IT, recruitment, anyone who might care.

“I don’t have those details.”

I asked if he could log it internally.

“I’ll tell my supervisor.”

No curiosity.
No ownership.
No urgency.

Just a very clear “not my problem” energy.

So I asked a simple question.

“Can someone follow this up and call me back? I’m genuinely interested in the role.”

No. Not. Possible.

I asked if I could log a formal complaint, knowing full well that complaints at least generate case IDs and accountability.

“No, you have to log that online.”

Online.
On the broken website.

At that point, the penny dropped.

This wasn’t a tech issue. This was a people experience issue.

And that’s the real problem.

Brands love talking about customer experience. Emirates especially. But there’s a blind spot many global organisations still haven’t clocked.

Your candidate experience is your brand experience.

Every potential employee is also a customer. An advocate. Or a detractor.

When your systems are broken, your teams are disengaged, and no one feels responsible for closing the loop, what you’re really communicating is this:

“We look polished from the outside, but we don’t care enough to fix what’s underneath.”

And here’s the kicker.

If this is how a brand treats people who are actively trying to join the business, imagine how many high-quality candidates quietly walked away.

No application submitted.
No feedback given.
No second chance.

Just a closed browser tab and a mental note.

For a brand that prides itself on excellence, that should be deeply uncomfortable.

Because “Fly Better” isn’t just about champagne and legroom.

It’s about systems that work.
People who care.
And experiences that feel intentional from start to finish.

Right now, Emirates didn’t just lose applicants.

They lost trust.
They lost advocacy.
And in my case, they lost a customer too.

Global brands take note.

Your reputation isn’t built only in the moments you design.
It’s built in the moments you overlook.

And people notice.

—

💀 🖤

Cheers,

DANIEL JACOBS
http://www.thecreativestrategist.com.au
https://www.linkedin.com/in/denialjacobs/
Melbourne, Australia

New Phone. Who Dis?

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We built mobile phones so humans could talk to each other anywhere.
Connection on the go.
Freedom.
Reachability.

Fast forward to right now…

Nobody actually wants to talk to anyone.

We’ve turned a device designed for conversation into a slot machine of distractions.
We text.
We scroll.
We shop.
We doom-dial ourselves into oblivion…
But the one thing we don’t do is pick up the phone.
#LOL

We’re “hyper-connected”, but emotionally detached.

Think about it:

  • People will order a couch on their mobile.
  • They’ll share a meme.
  • They’ll watch six hours of Reels about a guy making birria tacos.
  • But when you call them?
    They’ll stare at the ringing phone like it’s a debt collector.

This is what modern connection looks like.
Convenient. Sanitised. Controlled.
The illusion of closeness without the discomfort of actual conversation.

And brands still behave like it’s 2004.

“Call now!”
“Let’s jump on the phone!”
“Can we discuss this live?”

Mate, your audience doesn’t even answer their mum.

If you want someone’s attention today, you can’t assume the channel drives connection.

You have to earn the moment that makes someone open the message, watch the video, or hit reply.

The phone didn’t get worse.
People just got overwhelmed.
Connection didn’t die.
It changed shape.

The brands that get this… win.


The ones that don’t… keep wondering why no one called them back.

—

💀 🖤

Cheers,

DANIEL JACOBS
http://www.thecreativestrategist.com.au
https://www.linkedin.com/in/denialjacobs/
Melbourne, Australia

Hope and Belief: The Real Currency of Brands

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Let’s be brutally real…

Nobody wakes up in the morning and thanks a brand for saving their life.

Nobody cares that much. But people do wake up with hope. Hope for a better day, a better job, a better body, a better future. And belief is what fuels that hope.

The tension between hope and belief is where brands actually earn their place. People hope for change, but they’ll only believe in the ones who show them it’s possible. That’s not about pumping out another shiny campaign – it’s about credibility, action, and consistency.

Look at Nike. Nobody believes a shoe will magically make them a world champion, but people believe in what the swoosh represents i.e. the mindset, the grit, the possibility. That belief gives their hope fuel. Patagonia is another. They don’t just sell jackets; they give people permission to believe their purchase can align with their values. And then there’s Apple. You don’t buy an iPhone because you hope for a better screen. You believe in the bigger promise of creativity, connection, and status.

This is the real job of marketing: to bridge that gap.

To make hope feel less like a distant wish and more like a tangible step someone can take today. It’s not about brands playing saviour. It’s about brands being a vessel people can believe in long enough to turn their own hope into something real.

So here’s the challenge for us as marketers and strategists:

Stop selling the dream, start fuelling the belief.

Because without belief, hope fizzles out. And if you want people to give a fuck about your brand, you’d better be the one they trust to carry their hope just far enough to matter.

—

💀 🖤

Cheers,

DANIEL JACOBS
http://www.thecreativestrategist.com.au
https://www.linkedin.com/in/denialjacobs/
Melbourne, Australia

HOLY SHIT – I’M A (MARKETING) DAD…

What I’ve Learned (So Far) From Becoming a First-time Parent in a “World of Perfect Instagram Families” and Overpriced Fucking Sleep Sacks…

You can read every book. You can scroll every post. You can spend months prepping the nursery, watching endless videos on Tik Tok, YouTube and Boundless Babies Beyond….

—

With all the new-found knowledge in the world… none of it prepares you for the moment a tiny human arrives and changes everything you thought you knew about life, love, sleep, freedom, purpose… and yourself.

Becoming a first-time dad is fucking wild.

I’m still in it. It’s raw. It’s real. And honestly, it’s a headfuck.

You go from being an adult with a reasonably predictable life to a walking burp cloth who cries over a baby smiling for the first time (but also cries because she won’t stop crying at 3:47am after 12 straight nights of no sleep).

Your sense of identity? Shattered. Your confidence? Shaky. Your Spotify algorithm? Now 90% white noise playlists and The Wiggles’ back catalogue. I mean, I do try and fit a bit of Oasis, Jay Z and Fleetwood Mac in the mix to promote diverse music appreciation 🙂

But… this new world? It’s also magic.

It’s a whole new lens on life. A portal into the most profound kind of vulnerability, joy, fear and love you’ve ever known. And it makes you see the world differently — especially when, like me, you’re a marketer who’s made a career convincing people to want things they don’t need.

Because now… I am the target audience. And holy hell, this market is next level.

Welcome to the Parental Purchase Spiral™

Once your baby arrives, so does the avalanche of stuff; Bottles. Carriers. Sleep suits. Swaddles. White noise machines. Apps. Toys. Teethers. Night lights. Prams that cost more than your first car.

And you’ll buy them all.

Not because you’re shallow or easily influenced. But because you’re desperate. You just want to do a good job. You want to feel like you’re nailing it. Like you’re not going to screw this whole “keeping a human alive” thing up.

Marketers know this. The good ones don’t just sell you features – they sell you reassurance and aim to arm you with confidence to tackle this new role in your life. “This monitor will help your baby sleep through the night.” “This probiotic drop will help your baby poop better.” “This smart bassinet will basically raise your baby for you.”

And suddenly, you’re dropping $500 on a vibrating robot cot that makes you feel like you’re winning at parenting, even if it doesn’t actually change a single-damn-thing.

The Opportunity for Brands

Here’s where it gets interesting. Because yes, there’s a lot of noise out there. But there’s also massive opportunity for new players to come in and really connect.

Brands who get that this journey is emotional, messy, vulnerable and human as hell – not just “cute” and Pinterest-worthy.

Brands who ditch the judgment and perfection, and show up with empathy, humour, realness. The kind of brands that say:

“Hey, you’re doing your best. We’ve got your back.”

That’s the shift I want to see. Not just smarter products. Smarter storytelling. Not just more tech. More trust. Keep it raw & real. Make me a believer that you’ve walked in my shoes and truly fucking get it!

What I’ve Learned (So Far)…

  1. You will never feel fully prepared. And that’s okay. You learn on the job.
  2. Your relationship will be tested. Sleep deprivation is a beast. Communicate. Forgive. Order Uber Eats.
  3. Everyone’s got an opinion. Trust your gut.
  4. You don’t need every product. But you’ll probably try half of them anyway (hint hint for marketers in the customer journey in enticing trial > purchase).
  5. The baby doesn’t care if the pram was $200 or $2,000. They just want you to cuddle them and smell like milk.
  6. Marketing to parents is a delicate game. But if you get it right? You’re in for life.

As I’m writing this, my baby is giggling at me speaking these words out loud as I’m typing – like it’s the best thing she’s ever heard. I’ve got spit-up on my favourite black CDG Play T-shirt and I’ve struggled to finish a hot coffee in 4.5 months.

But I wouldn’t trade this season for anything. It’s hard. It’s messy. It’s beautiful.

And if you’re a brand trying to reach people like me, don’t just speak to the parent/s. Speak to the person/people who’s suddenly navigating this whole new world with wide eyes, wobbly legs, and a full heart.

We’re tired. We’re overwhelmed. But we’re listening.

Just make it worth our time.

—
Written during a 27-minute contact nap, between feeds, nappy changes and watching bubs develop her resting bitch face (prematurely)…

—

💀 🖤

Cheers,

DANIEL JACOBS
http://www.thecreativestrategist.com.au
https://www.linkedin.com/in/denialjacobs/
Melbourne, Australia

You Can’t Be Everything to Everyone

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These words have been ingrained in me as an important lesson – not just in the work that we do, but in the life that we live.

Too often, we get briefs with a “target audience” that is, quite literally… everyone with a heartbeat. “All Australians,” “Everyone living in Australia,” “Every parent,” “Every Gen Z….

Sure, for broad awareness-driven campaigns, this might make sense. But just like we can’t be everything to everyone in life, we can’t create ideas that will appeal to everybody. And that’s okay – because the most powerful ideas don’t need to.

The Power of Relatability

Great ideas don’t need to be for everyone; they just need to mean everything to someone.

I was watching an episode of The Rookie on Netflix recently. In this particular episode, the police were trying to talk a woman out of jumping off a bridge while holding a newborn baby. She had tragically lost her two-month-old to SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) and, in an extreme case of postpartum depression, had taken a baby from a hospital.

Now, as a newborn parent myself, this hit different. We worry about everything. We have this helpless little human who depends on us for survival, comfort, nourishment, and love. And yet, despite doing everything right, there’s still this unrelenting fear of SIDS, this invisible threat lurking in the back of our minds.

The moment in the show when the police officer showed deep empathy, connecting with the mother’s pain and trying to bring her back, hit me in a way I wasn’t expecting. As they slowly and calmly coaxed her into handing over the baby, and holding her gently (not grabbing her forcibly off the edge as usually portrayed…) Before I even knew what was happening, I burst into an immediate – albeit short-lived—cry.

Why? Because I felt it. It was real to me. It tapped into an emotion that lived deep within me.

System 1 vs System 2 Thinking

This reaction is a classic example of System 1 thinking, as outlined by Daniel Kahneman. System 1 is fast, intuitive, emotional. It’s what makes us react before we can rationalise why. It’s why I teared up before I even understood what triggered me.

Most advertising tries to live in System 2 thinking – the rational, logical, conscious part of the brain. This is where most product benefits and features sit. The problem? System 2 takes effort. It requires active processing. And most people just don’t care enough to engage with it unless they’ve already been emotionally hooked.

The best brands? They start with System 1. They create something that resonates so deeply with a core group of people that they don’t have to “convince” them – it just clicks.

A Lesson for Marketers:
Stop Trying to Be for Everyone

This is why strategic media targeting matters. Too often, brands and media agencies take the easy, lazy approach blanket coverage. They prioritise reach over relevance. But what’s the point of reaching everyone if you don’t connect with anyone?

Think about brands that get this right:

  • Nike’s “Find Your Greatness” wasn’t about elite athletes. It was about the everyday person pushing themselves.
  • Apple’s “Shot on iPhone” wasn’t about megapixels and camera specs. It was about real people capturing real moments.
  • Dove’s “Real Beauty” wasn’t about generic beauty standards. It was about challenging them in a way that deeply resonated with real women.

None of these campaigns tried to be for everyone. They were laser-focused on the right people – the ones who needed to hear the message.

The Real Measure of Impact

We spend so much time measuring ad success in numbers i.e views, clicks, reach, impressions. But what about impact? The kind that shifts perception, builds advocacy, creates loyalty?

An ad that reaches 1 million people but means everything to just 10,000 of them will always be more powerful than an ad that reaches 10 million but is quickly forgotten by all.

So the next time you’re faced with the temptation to be “for everyone,” ask yourself:

What if, instead, you created something that meant everything to someone?

Because that’s how you make an impact. And in the long run, that’s how you build a brand people actually give a damn about.

💀 🖤

Cheers,

DANIEL JACOBS
http://www.thecreativestrategist.com.au
https://www.linkedin.com/in/denialjacobs/
Melbourne, Australia

Why Frictionless Design at Point of Puchase: Feels Like Death by a Thousand Cuts 💀

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Self-service checkouts. Websites. Apps. These systems were designed to make life easier, faster, and smoother, right? Yet here I am, standing at a Woolworths self-service checkout, trying to do the exact thing the system was meant to facilitate: pay for my shit and leave.

But no. Life’s never that simple.

Welcome to the Self-Checkout Gauntlet (of Pain)

The self-checkout was meant to be my knight in shining armour. No lines, no awkward small talk with the cashier. Just me, my few items, and a beep-beep process to freedom.

Instead, I’m hit with a relentless wave of interruptions:

  • Are you a member?
  • Do you want to redeem points?
  • Do you want to round up for charity?
  • Do you want to round up your soul and donate that, too?
  • Do you want a receipt?
  • Would you like fries with that?

It’s not self-service. It’s a bloody interrogation.

In a world obsessed with “frictionless” experiences, we’ve ironically created friction at the most critical point: the moment of payment. The moment I’ve already decided, yes, I want your product/service. The moment I’m willingly handing over my money.

Why are we making the simplest part of the transaction the most difficult?

The Paradox of ‘Frictionless’

Somewhere along the way, businesses started equating frictionless with asking fewer humans to help you. But here’s the truth: true frictionless design isn’t about fewer humans – it’s about fewer hurdles.

At a self-checkout, I don’t want to make six decisions before I can leave with my groceries. I’ve already made my choices in the aisles. That’s it. Let me pay. Stop trying to sell me more shit at the finish line.

And don’t get me started on the barrage of pop-ups on websites. You know the ones:

  • “Subscribe to our newsletter?” (I haven’t even read your homepage yet.)
  • “Chat with us live!” (No, I really don’t want to.)
  • “Would you like to accept all cookies?” (Sure, why not? Take my data and my life.)

The Psychology We’re Forgetting

Marketers and designers preach the gospel of System 1 thinking – that instinctive, fast, subconscious decision-making process that helps us choose brands, click on ads, and buy things. But here’s the kicker: the same businesses that exploit System 1 to lure us in turn their backs on it when it matters most – the point of purchase.

At the self-checkout, in that moment of exchange, System 1 should reign supreme. My brain has already decided. But instead of a smooth, intuitive experience, I’m stuck wading through System 2 bullshit i.e. slow, effortful, conscious decision-making about points, receipts, and charity donations.

The result? Frustration. Irritation. And the likelihood that next time, I’ll think twice before returning.

The Bigger Problem: The Pain of Pop-Ups

Self-checkouts are just the tip of the iceberg. This issue is every-fucking-where. Take websites, for example. I can’t scroll down a homepage without being interrupted five times:

  1. “Join our mailing list!” (Let me breathe.)
  2. “Take our survey!” (Why should I care?)
  3. “Cookie preferences?” (Why is this my problem?)

The entire internet is a minefield of unnecessary interruptions. And every pop-up is a tiny dose of friction.

It’s death by a thousand cuts.

Here’s the thing: pop-ups, questions, and additional decisions aren’t inherently bad. But when they’re deployed indiscriminately – without consideration for context, timing, or user psychology… they sabotage the very thing they’re meant to support: a seamless experience.

The Lesson: Simplicity Isn’t Simple

Here’s the truth: the best-designed experiences feel invisible. They anticipate what the user wants, need no explanation, and remove hurdles – not bloody add them.

If you’re a marketer, a strategist, or a UX designer, ask yourself this:

  1. At the critical moment of exchange (the checkout, the “buy now” button), are you adding value or creating friction?
  2. Do your interventions serve the customer… or the business?
  3. Would you tolerate your own design?

Frictionless isn’t just about speed. It’s about respecting people’s time, effort, and decision-making capacity. And if you can’t manage that, your “easy” experience will feel anything but.

So, What’s the Fix?

The solution is simple – but not easy: empathy.

  • Think like a customer. Would you want to make six decisions before leaving Woolworths with a loaf of bread? Would you want to click through five pop-ups before reading an article online? Probably not. Walk in their shoes…
  • Design for the moment. At the checkout, the priority is speed and simplicity. Not upselling or data collection. Save those tactics for elsewhere in the journey. Don’t overwhelm peope.
  • Test your systems. Watch real people use them. If they groan, sigh, or abandon the process halfway through, guess what? You’ve failed. READ THIS AGAIN. Walk in their shoes.

Final Thoughts: Let Me Pay and Leave…

We live in a world obsessed with less friction. But if you really want to create a frictionless experience, start by removing unnecessary obstacles – especially at the moments that matter most. Let people pay for their groceries. Let them browse your website. Let them interact with your brand on their terms, not yours.

Because right now, all these “frictionless” experiences are doing is creating one massive pile of friction. And the only thing they’re achieving is driving people away.

So, for the love of God, stop asking me if I want a receipt. Let me buy my shit and go.

💀 🖤

Cheers,

DANIEL JACOBS
http://www.thecreativestrategist.com.au
https://www.linkedin.com/in/denialjacobs/
Melbourne, Australia

Framework Fetish: Why Strategists Must Think Beyond the Boxes 💀🖤

Photo by Tara Winstead on Pexels.com

xx

There’s this industry obsession with oversimplification.

We’re all about condensing, condensing, and condensing some more, as though brevity is always the soul of effectiveness… But what if, in our rush to simplify everything, we’re slicing away the very substance that makes strategy work?

Look, I get it… our job as strategists is to take the chaos and distill it into something that feels like clarity. To strip down the noise and keep things simple, actionable, and, dare I say, inspiring.

The ultimate goal is always to produce an output that’s brutally simple but majestically strategic, right?

Yet, here’s where it gets tricky. Lately, I’ve seen a growing trend of frameworks and “shortcut guides” that do more than just simplify… they fucking oversimplify. And in doing so, they’ve sparked a low-key civil war among strategists across the globe. A framework can be a powerful tool, sure.

But it’s just that: a tool. It’s not the whole workshop, and it sure as hell isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution.

As Ryan O’Connell, Chief Strategy Officer at Junior (ex Ogilvy CSO), once said: “What really matters is who’s using the tool, not the tool itself. Anything that stimulates great thinking can’t be a bad thing—as long as there’s great thinking behind it.”

The real magic isn’t in the framework, it’s in the strategist’s ability to look beyond the four walls of a template and see the full landscape. Sure, frameworks are fantastic for presenting complex ideas in a structured, digestible way, but when we start over-relying on them – especially the oversimplified ones, we lose the nuance. We lose the rigour. And let’s face it: sometimes the messy, arduous process is where the actual magic happens.

Let’s be honest here… our industry fucking loves hacking.

We love the idea of getting to the solution faster, trimming down structures, and finding ways to get to a “BIG IDEA” in half the time. In some scenarios, shortcuts are gold. Tight deadlines? Pitches? MVP startup launches? Sure, a hack might be exactly what you need to cut through. Being clever in a crunch can be a superpower. Sometimes. But not always…

But when it comes to long-term brand growth and creating something with lasting impact, hacks often become a fast track to nowhere. That’s where the rigour comes in. Sometimes, you need to let the process breathe. Let it marinate. There’s nothing wrong with taking the long road if it gets you to a place that’s both creatively explosive and strategically sound. You don’t have to find the end point in one brainstorming session. In fact, for more complex briefs, the real depth and clarity emerge only after you’ve waded through the mess.

And that’s the thing right – strategy often looks like a mess. But that’s because the path to clarity isn’t a straight line; it’s a tangled web of insights, thoughts, ideas, and counter-ideas.

The mess is the magic.

And honestly, the process isn’t something that should be explained to every peer across the agency or even your clients. That’s not their business. The only thing that matters? The final output. The recommendation. The quality of the thinking.

So, here’s a thought… let’s stop trying to turn strategy into something that can be hacked in a sprint session. Let’s embrace the complexity, respect the process, and have a little more faith in the rigour. At the end of the day, the best strategies aren’t the ones that were cut down and diluted for the sake of brevity. They’re the ones that stood the test of messy thinking and came out on the other side with a sharp, unforgettable edge. In the pursuit of turning chaos to clarity, let’s embrace the chaos more and use the best tool – our minds!

💀 🖤

Cheers,

DANIEL JACOBS
http://www.thecreativestrategist.com.au
https://www.linkedin.com/in/denialjacobs/
Melbourne, Australia

Ad Fatigue: When Your Brand Becomes the Digital Nuisance Everyone Hates…

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My niece, Maja, who was seven at the time, absolutely loathed ads. Her remark was clear and unmistakable: “Ugh, I hate ads.” The context? She was excited to show me something on her iPad, something she cared about and couldn’t wait to share… and then, right in the middle of it, a dreaded pop-up ad blocked her screen. It wasn’t just a minor inconvenience to her; it was a complete disruption of something she genuinely wanted to experience.

That got me thinking…

Advertising, at its core, is supposed to be persuasive. But when it’s interrupting someone – especially in such an intrusive way, are you really persuading them? Or are you just being forceful? The answer is pretty clear when a seven-year-old can’t stand the sight of an ad simply because it’s a barrier between her and what she actually gives a shit about.

The Problem With Interruptive Ads

Let’s talk about what happens when you interrupt people. Whether it’s YouTube, Social Media, or any other platform, the kind of ads that force themselves onto you without any context or value aren’t adding to the experience – they’re detracting from it.

When you’re intruding on someone’s day, you’re not giving them a reason to care about your brand. You’re just creating frustration. You might get the impression that brand recall is high because people are “seeing” your ads. But ask yourself this: Are they remembering you for the right reasons? Or are you simply the brand that annoys them, the digital billboard they wish they could swipe past?

On another side note – imagine if people could swipe for ads they likes or didn’t like (add to cart vs, fuck off from my life)… #Mind_Blown

Forcing your way into someone’s attention doesn’t mean they’re going to welcome you. It’s like crashing a party you weren’t invited to – you’re not there to add value, you’re just there for visibility. And when all you’re doing is shouting to be seen, you run the risk of being remembered as the brand no one wants to engage with.

When Interruptive Ads Can Work: The Exceptions

Now, there’s an exception to every rule. For instance, unskippable ads used in the right context like those raising awareness for an important social cause or charity can serve a greater purpose. If an ad is compelling enough i.e. if it’s telling a story that resonates or brings much-needed attention to an issue, it can break through the clutter. The difference? It’s not just about selling; it’s about serving a cause and in the process, it pulls people in emotionally. Ads like these can become impactful rather than intrusive, inspiring empathy and action.

So, What’s the Balance?

It’s all about building positive memories with your audience.

Take my niece, for example. The moment we walked into a Sephora or Mecca, she was buzzing with excitement. Why? Because the brands in those stores had already made an emotional connection with her. Her favourite influencers were talking about these products, and she had formed positive associations with them. That’s the key: those brands had built up goodwill over time, and they didn’t have to barge in unannounced on her screen to make their mark.

If you want people to care about your brand, you need to do more than just show up. You need to build fame, positive associations, and moments that actually mean something to your audience. You don’t want to be remembered as the brand that wouldn’t stop popping up…. You want to be remembered for offering something of value, something that makes people feel a certain way.

Because feeling is what ultimately drives behaviour.

Mass Market vs. Targeted

There’s always the question of balance. Do you want to be mass market and hit every eyeball you can? Or are you aiming to digitally target specific people, groups, or tribes? Either way, the key is in how you approach it. Are you creating entertaining, engaging content? Or are you simply shouting “BUY NOW” in the hopes that sheer repetition will do the job for you?

Yes, awareness is essential. But how you build that awareness will make or break the relationship you want to establish with your audience. People will remember how your brand made them feel.

So the question is: Do you want them to feel frustrated or fascinated?

Making Them Give a Shit

At the end of the day, your goal should be to make people give a shit about what you have to say. And that doesn’t happen through force. It has a higher chance of happening through connection, relevance, and timing. It happens by building fame in a way that resonates with your audience, not by being the constant ad they skip or groan at.

If your brand can do that i.e. if you can create memorable, meaningful experiences that get people talking – then you’ve won the “b-lottery”.

Not just their attention, but their trust. And that’s the kind of advertising that doesn’t just work -it lasts.

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NB: Feel free to reach out if you ever want to chat. I’m always open to meeting new people, sharing knowledge and doing better for our industry, the work and our community!

💀 🖤

Cheers,

DANIEL JACOBS
http://www.thecreativestrategist.com.au
https://www.linkedin.com/in/denialjacobs/
Melbourne, Australia

Clients, Cash, and Clout: The Three C’s of Strategy Leadership 💀🖤

Stepping into a Strategy Director (or even Head of Strategy) role can feel like you’ve been thrown into the deep end of the pool. But here’s the thing: there’s no handbook that can truly prepare you for the reality of leading a strategy team. Sure, you might find a few craft skill sheets and expectations, but the real lessons? They’re learned in the trenches, under fire, and, more importantly, in the war rooms where decisions shape the future of your agency and the brands you steward.

There are a whole heaps of peeps who have had more experience in this realm, but I’ve watched and listened and observed from some of the greatest minds and along with my own – have attempted to create some words of advice…

Welcome to Politics

Strategy isn’t just about crafting brilliant ideas or influencing them; it’s about navigating the complex web of agency politics. As a strategy director/leader, you’re now the face of your team, the voice in the room, and sometimes, the mediator in tough negotiations. Hostage negotiation skills? You’ll need them. You’ll be standing up not just for yourself but for your team, ensuring their ideas and hard work don’t get watered down in the crossfire of conflicting interests.

Be BFFs with Clients

Your clients are your greatest allies and, at times, your biggest challenges. Don’t just let the account leads be the only ones with relationships; form your own damn bonds – and get jiggy with clients. Understand their business, their pressures, and their dreams. The deeper your relationship with them, the more they’ll trust you, and the more leverage you’ll have to push through brave ideas and fight for strategic inclusion. Don’t forget to keep it real. It’s your damn job. #Be_Objective

Learn to Talk Money

This one’s a game changer… Strategy isn’t just about ideas; it’s about knowing how those ideas impact the bottom line. You’ll need to speak the language of money i.e. how to use it, how to make it, and yes, even how to break it when necessary. Understanding budgets, ROI, and financial implications will allow you to not only sell your ideas but also to upsell strategy and defend its value when budgets get tight. Does your agency have a ‘Strategy Degustation Menu’ of some sort? If not, create one. Not only will it benefit selling in Strategy to clients, but it will help you sell it internally across other departments i.e. “What the hell am I paying for”?

Upsell Strategy, Fight for Inclusion

Not every battle is worth fighting, but some wars must be won. As you transition from doing the work (Senior Strategist) to managing it, you’ll quickly realise that strategy inclusion in every project isn’t a given… it’s something you have to advocate and fight for constantly. Yes, I use the word “Fight” because so often it feels that way – especially in teams that don’t get Strategy, or value it, or see the opportunities (once again – it’s your job). Pick your battles wisely, but always be ready to defend the importance of a solid and impactful strategic foundation. No one can fight common sense. Although, you know what they say about common sense right? It’s not that common…

Lead vs Manage

This is a subtle yet powerful shift. As a Senior Strategist, you’re knee deep in the work, crafting ideas and decks. As a Director/Leader, it’s about managing the work and people – not just within your strategy team, but across other internal and external teams as well. If you’re lucky (or unlucky, depending on your viewpoint) to reach Head of Strategy level, your role shifts again. Now it’s not just managing the work; it’s about leading the work, managing workflows, budgets, expectations, and people. You may not always be in the trenches, but you’re in the war rooms, planning and talking strategy at the highest level. Remember, people don’t need to see your decks; they need to hear your words.

No More Imposter Syndrome

You’ve made it this far. Imposter syndrome? Toss it out the window. You’re here because you belong. Now it’s time to impose your personal take and brand on everything you do. Leave your mark, make bold decisions, and don’t be afraid to challenge the status quo. #You_Fucking_Got_This

Learn How to Let Go

At the end of the day, remember: it’s only fucking advertising. While our work can be impactful, it’s essential to maintain perspective. Don’t lose sleep over a deck that didn’t get presented or a campaign that got killed. Learn how to let go, because tomorrow brings another brief, another challenge, and another opportunity to create something great.

NB: Feel free to reach out if you ever want to chat. I’m always open to meeting new people, sharing knowledge and doing better for our industry, the work and our community!

💀 🖤

Cheers,

DANIEL JACOBS
http://www.thecreativestrategist.com.au
https://www.linkedin.com/in/denialjacobs/
Melbourne, Australia

The Dark Art of Ghosting: A Recruiter’s Haunting Silence

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Imagine wandering through the professional wilderness, drawn by the inviting glow of opportunities. Recruiters and talent scouts, like elusive specters, reach out promising a path to success. “Ghosting can be haunting for talent,” they say.

How painfully true.

In my journey through the career development woods, I’ve encountered these elusive recruiters—some friendly, some witty, and mostly (recently) from the Gen Z realm. They step into your professional life, promising the perfect role with banter and jokes, making you feel like you’ve entered a career fairy tale.

The story unfolds predictably: a call is pledged, a job description is sent, and then, bam! They disappear. Your follow-ups echo through the forest of unread messages and silent inboxes. How can a generation so fluent in emojis be so skilled at evading replies?

What’s perplexing is the indifference.

It’s like being promised a feast only to find an empty table. I’ve had interactions with these wizards of the professional realm, who, armed with knowledge gained from podcasts, seem to have missed the chapter on common courtesy.

This blog isn’t a complaint; it’s a call to action.

We need to spotlight this perplexing behavior. How can we hope to attract the brightest minds when we lure them in only to extinguish their enthusiasm?

It’s ironic that those in the business of managing people forget the human part.

For the architects of talent acquisition, here’s a gentle reminder: we’re not moths to be enticed by a flame and left in the dark. Our professional journeys are more than pixels on your screens; they are stories of aspirations, dedication, and dreams. Treat them with respect.

Let’s unravel this mystery, one ghost story at a time. In a world obsessed with professional ghosting, a little transparency is the antidote we all need.

Cheers,

DANIEL JACOBS
http://www.thecreativestrategist.com.au
https://www.linkedin.com/in/denialjacobs/
Melbourne, Australia