WAMA wraps up 2024 with final breakfast by addressing the elephant in the room (strategy)
WAMA closed out their breakfast series for the year with an honest discussion on strategy. Matt Oakley, Chief Strategy Officer at 303 MullenLowe, played host and kicked off by acknowledging the mystery that surrounds strategy and promising with the panel to dispel the “hot air” myth that accompanies it. And dispel they did.
The panel had some rich insight into what makes strategy so valuable. Moonsail’s Senior Digital Strategist Bradley Scott (also known as Scott Bradley thanks to having two first names) opened up the convo by encouraging the audience to think of strategy as collaborative process – with their teams, their clients and their audience.
Taryn Hare, Executive Manager of Brand and Customer Strategy at Bankwest, described strategy as an accelerator for a business, setting the focus and enabling companies to get out front. Appeal to both logic and magic in its creation, she encouraged.
Hannah Muirhead, Founding Strategy Partner for the newly formed Chapter Brand Leadership, spoke to the ability of a wholly endorsed strategy to transform a business, admitting that the ones she was proudest of being behind were the simplest and subsequently most powerful.
The panel agreed that the key skills of a good strategist were the ability to communicate with anyone, storytelling, a radical interest in humanity and committing to the long-term play. Finally, the courage to ask stupid questions to find the best outcome.
Rene LeMerle, WAMA Chairperson, said: “In a homage to the leading lights of strategy (the people and the approaches), this morning’s panel reinforced the importance in getting it right from the top down.
“The investment is in simplifying, centralising and socialising insight-led directional thinking. And the magic happens when you’re interesting….and you get it right.”
When asked for their final takeaway, the panel added:
“When it comes to crafting strategy, force the rigour of simplicity.” – Hannah Muirhead
“Think of strategy as a license to do great work.” – Taryn Hare
“Go to your local library and learn by reading whatever you can get your hands on.” – Bradley Scott (unexpected given he reassured us that he was in fact, the youngest member on the panel)
And that’s a wrap. WAMA will be back with their breakfast series next year so get in touch and let us know what you want to learn about. We’re all ears…
Written by Ashley Broadway.
