GiGi Downs’ Post

I have greatly enjoyed recent conversations via Talk To A Creative Director https://lnkd.in/gCVtwnBN Special thanks to Jami Mullikin for sharing the page months ago. Talking to creatives and leaders outside my network has been a helpful exercise. I cannot recommend it enough. Everyone has been generous with their time, attentive, and gracious with their advice. The first person I talked to was Harun Zankel who offered lessons from his diverse experience. He suggested a path of “small bets” to find creative paths forward through ideation, iteration, and testing to find something to “scale” into more developed projects. https://ha-za.com Chris Perrone asked me questions about my experience and sought to better understand my professional talents and interests. His curiosity and wisdom broadened my thinking about developing new skills for the future with the resources I have now. https://lnkd.in/gNZvE_xc It is rare interactions with a stranger on a Zoom call feel uniquely personable, but Louis Wittig's enthusiasm made talking about career challenges feel easy. Louis provided me with more books and online resources to further develop conceptual thinking. His irresistible optimism is seen radiating throughout his work. https://lnkd.in/ggWbYcBs Recently Janine Perry referred me to tons of resources for creative strategy research and explained her experience "making things more thoughtful" by finding insight between the lines. Janine provided much-needed clarity for me in ways that made her talents clear and enviable.  https://lnkd.in/gTehGRv5 Kenny Friedman is passionate about creating a better culture of leadership across the creative industry. We talked at length about the Ai arms race and its impact on our industry. We both agree Ai adoption will create a lot of "noise" and mediocre work, but Kenny suggested Ai can be a force multiplier for early concepts and ideation as timelines continue to shrink. https://www.fpokenny.com David William Scott has done big things but took the time to encourage me to find ways to add depth to my portfolio projects to better tell the story of how I think and work. David was positive and encouraging and clearly values fostering relationships among clients and colleagues. https://lnkd.in/gTHRex5Q

Never underestimate a green creative strategist or leader. Hot take, they may even be your best asset. As a working Creative strategist and creator, here are the three things I'd recommend to any hiring manager, team lead, or creative director: 1. Make space quarterly for an unconventional creative campaign that allows the marketing and creative team to marry their findings and get a little weird with it. While most companies do not wish, let alone, cannot afford to spend money on a creative trial, I'd argue that you're actually allowing for a creative reset within your company, which always lends a plethora of both + updated user research and insights on performance AND + new ideas for future campaigns, language, web, audience engagement, and even products. 2. Creative teams will always produce 'more' when they're a "team", rather than relying on ONE head creative mind. Not only does it scream burnout, but it screams inevitable repetition; even if it's subconscious. 3. Pay. For. The Art. In a time of writer's strike, the ever-devalueing of creative geniuses and clever copy plagiarism; understand that more than ever; big, loud, and risky creative strategy, ideation, and creation HAVE to be worth something monetarily. If you're in the business of oversaturated media-focused platforms, your creative should be far from formulaic and willing to push boundaries and ideate new concepts that are true to your company and your company alone. It can be easy to recycle the same idea again and again. And it can be easy to get burnt out as a creative in a creatively competitive space when dollar signs and company longevity feel like they're on the line; Pressure can be great for the creative mind; it can also be detrimental. Curious to hear your hot takes.

I've come to the conclusion that managing a brand is like being the DJ at a wedding where everyone thinks they have the best taste in music. 🎶 Everyone from every function wants to chime in: Sales is requesting the classic hits (because, you know, they never get old), while Tech is pushing for the latest EDM tracks (because “innovation”). And then there’s Finance, whispering from the back about the budget, subtly hinting that maybe we could just hum along to save costs. 🤑 HR is on the sideline, coaching us to “maximise existing resources” and raising an eyebrow at every request for new headcount – because apparently, we’re not all burning the candle at both ends already. 🔥😅 And oh, the Legal department! Where creative ideas go to get a reality check. Any concept that passes through them comes back so polished for risk, it loses its original shine. 📉✨ Meanwhile, every person with an Instagram account fancies themselves a social media expert, dishing out advice on how to 'go viral.' 📱💫 So, the comms/brand/marketing team ends up trying to mix a track that keeps everyone on the dance floor without turning it into a musical food fight. 🎧 As we get to the end of the week, here’s 🥂 to all the comms/marketing/brand managers juggling suggestions, expectations, and the subtle art of explaining to HR why sometimes, just sometimes, we might need an extra pair of hands before everyone’s on a one-way trip to burnout city. And all the while, navigating the sea of 'expert' social media advice and the maze of legal constraints! 🙃 In the end, we all want the brand to hit those high notes and leave a lasting impression. So, let’s keep the party going, one track at a time! 🎉 Disclaimers: Ok, some exaggeration in there. But hey, all you marketing and comms people, IYKYK! Give me a thumbs up if you relate! 😉 #BrandManagement #CorporateDJ #TeamWorkMakesTheDreamWork #JustAnotherDayAtTheOffice

Let's talk about the bane of every strategist's existence: post-rationalisation. "We've done some great work, and now we need to explain what the strategy was." If that sounds crazy to you, I'll let you in on a secret: every agency strategist does it sometimes. The ones who say they never have are lying :) It happens because, for a range of reasons - some valid, others infuriating - sometimes work gets done in the wrong order. At the end of the day, strategy is there to get us to the right answer more quickly, more confidently, and less painfully. But instinct can lead you to exciting places too, and our industry is a creative one. It's really important to be intellectually honest. If something doesn't make sense, it's a strategist's job to say it and challenge it. But I actually think post-rationalisation is a really useful skill for strategists to possess. It teaches you to connect the dots between ideas and observations. Spotting those connections is a huge part of our jobs. So is telling stories. Just keep it rare. #strategy #creative #storytelling

I’m building an agency in my own way. This is how. 👇 This month, it will be one year since I decided to take Cause Fokus to the next level and build it out into an agency. Before that, it was just me working as a consultant on my own. I hesitate even using the word agency because it gets such a bad rap. Words I (and probably, you) associate with agencies: ❌ Burnout ❌ High employee and client turnover ❌ Poor communication ❌ Unclear processes ❌ Hierarchy The way I'm building differently to avoid those negative connotations: 👉 People-first, client-second. If you say 'yes' to clients all the time and overburden your staff, everyone burns out. That's why before I started saying 'yes' to more clients or to additional projects with current clients, I put more effort into building good systems and training my team well. (This takes a LOT of time and patience - more than I thought. But it's worth it.) Don’t scale at the expense of your people. Think about the long-term. #Agency #Founder #Culture

"We're afraid our creatives will get bored and leave us." This is one comment I hear from agencies when I talk about focusing their business on just a few service areas or a market segment. I also hear... “We’re afraid of a diet of just one thing.” “We’re afraid that focus means we’ll be passing up new business; we never want to turn down business.” All normal thoughts and common first reactions. However, these reactions are based on a faulty mental map because what succeeds in business is: focus. The benefits of focus are: 1 - Having clear criteria for identifying the types of clients who want you for what you do best. 2 - A stronger win ratio in new business because you’re playing to your strengths. 3 - Clearer hiring standards for the kind of people you need to deliver on your strategy. 4 - A self-promotion program based on a meaningful, unifying theme. 5 - More pricing leverage because you’re offering differentiated services. 6 - Clearer direction for how you should spend your limited time and resources. 7 - A more efficient and effective operating model that enables you to produce better work faster and at a lower cost. The takeaway is that agencies that develop a focused business strategy find it easier to run their business and become more profitable. And the focus helps them produce better work, which also helps with recruitment, employee morale, and retention. #advertisingagency #adagency #agencyleadership #agencymanagement #agencyowners #marketingandadvertising #marketingagency #digitalagency #agency #agencies #agencygrowth

Finally, agencies are recognising the need for experience, wisdom and connections. Last year was the worst time for myself and so many colleagues in a sea of uncertainty and being ‘over qualified’ for certain roles. As Gareth Moss states in this article - many agencies are seeking senior creative talent to achieve growth in 2025! This is so true and I am feeling very optimistic about setting up a creative growth consultancy in this positive upturn across the board. #seniorcreatives #experience #growth #creativebusiness #growthconsultancy #creativeagencies #mmhcreativegrowth

5 reasons why marketers and brand leaders should not choose We are Duffree: 1. If you're a fan of slow communication and rigid hierarchies, we're not for you. We insist on being direct and personal. 2. Don't pick us if you want a one-size-fits-all team. Our annoying habit? Tailoring our talent to fit your project perfectly. 3. For those who prefer stale, rigid ideas, we're a terrible choice. Our creativity, production and adaptation flexibility might be too fresh and agile. 4. Do you love getting less for more? Then, we might disappoint you with our cost-efficient quality, which gives you more bang for your buck. 5. If you're looking for a partner who can't handle everything from A to Z in creative #storytelling, steer clear—we're compulsively comprehensive. Embracing horizon views and innovative spirits at the heart of our #creative #production hub. Comment or DM if you would like to know more reasons! :)

I asked my creatives group today “what’s the biggest how do I… stuck in your head right now?” The answers were huge How do I find the bigger clients to grow my business that still align with me/my style of work How do I get freedom in my work while being financially stable and thriving? How do I most efficiently find aligned clients who are ready for the work and dont see investment as a barrier How will I get my freedom but still make money and not lose clients How do I get clients for consistent work Sound familiar? These are MASSIVE questions we ask ourselves kinda like what do I want to be when I grow up right? But these are the questions that take up massive space in our heads and actually stop us doing anything big or brave or out of our comfort zone. The “how” is not the question. The question is what is the smallest bite I can take out of this question? Eg. How do I most efficiently find aligned clients who are ready for the work and dont see investment as a barrier Big bite  🤯🤯 Small bite  ➡️ which clients that have be had previously would I like my inbox to be filled with research  ➡️what does efficient mean to me? Where can I start workflows for this?  ➡️ what does aligned look like to me and how can I start marketing this in language people understand? See how much easier this is. Take control. Break it down. Be the CEO 

Are you tired of losing clients? Maybe your agency should take a deep dive into your culture. No matter how good your technical skills are, the right culture can make or break your client relationships. Think of culture like your agency’s personality. A strong culture helps you: ✔️ Align with clients on values ✔️ Encourage staff to go above and beyond ✔️ Create better communication But how do you build a great culture? It starts at the top: 👨💼 Leaders who live your values 💻 Hiring for culture fit 👥 Fostering collaboration, not competition 👍 Open communication channels But it doesn't stop there. Be open to feedback and consistently tweak your processes to make sure you're staying true to your agency's values. When your culture is great, clients will stick around through thick and thin. ✉️ If you’re looking for help with LinkedIn branding, organic content marketing or any other content services, feel free to drop a DM or send an email to aishwaryaholla.official@gmail.com ☎️ If you’re looking for a 1:1 consultation call, then feel free to book a call using the topmate.io link in my bio. Follow my profile Aishwarya Holla for more! ✨ #branding #agency #contentmarketing #business #marketing #socialmedia #content #linkedin