Ilana Bryant is the Chief Strategic Office at StrawberryFrog, one of the most influential independent agencies worldwide. She was kind enough to answer some questions about planning, strategy, StrawberryFrog and internships. In Part I below, she discusses her agency and its take on planning.
In Part II, she will discuss internships, how students can prepare for a career in strategy and planning, and how to get noticed.
YouIntern: Thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions for our readers. Let’s get started. Can you give us your brief thoughts on entering the advertising industry?
Ilana Bryant: I think people in advertising often act as if they are in a kind of mythical fortress. They don’t give a lot of access points for people to get into the industry, and they think that the chosen few who deserve to be in it will somehow find their own way to break in. It’s an unnecessarily difficult process and the industry would benefit to make it easier and more meritocratic for those seeking a career in communications.
YouIntern: How do you think StrawberryFrog is perceived by students, by young people who want to get into advertising? Do you think there’s an established perception of the company?
Ilana: That’s an interesting question. I think we’ve been fairly good at communicating what the agency is about and the philosophy behind the agency. I think our PR and our website help project an image about how we work, our philosophy behind building brands, the kind of people we are. We want to encourage clients to come here, and if we can’t, we have photos of people around the office so that people get a feel for the vibe of the place.
YouIntern: What are some of Frog’s principles to grow client’s business, and help them reach their goals?
Ilana: We have two approaches, to brand building and developing creative work. Our philosophy is about creating cultural movements for brands, that is, harnessing the power of the fan base through shared brand values. Two aspects of achieving this are that (1) we try to have a role for the brand in culture that transcends the category and (2) that we believe that people need to interact with the brand, and it needs to live in people’s lives. We need to find channels so that people can act on the brand, so everything we do works holistically. Whether that’s a TV show, or a website, or a manifesto for a political party, we look at all possible channels. And that’s one of the best things about being independent is that we don’t have to sell anything except for the answer. And we’ll bring in someone who has the answer if we don’t.
In terms of the way we work to create these ideas, we have principles of collaboration in the way we work. We’re non-hierarchical, we have a team-based system, we attack a problem from all different perspectives from the beginning. The creatives can have a solution to the business problem, and the guy in the suit can have a great perspective on creative.
YouIntern: What about the ad that ran in Fortune, the t-shirt ad (link). Do you think agencies doing a good job of branding themselves, and think of this in two parts – (1) compared to the industry and (2) to students.
Ilana: I think ironically, agencies are really bad at communicating what they do differently. They are great at communicating how they differentiate their client’s brands and products but not themselves. I think StrawberryFrog and other agencies are part of a next generation of agencies that don’t have the names of the owners over the door. The StrawberryFrog name is based on a our philosophy as embodied by a small Amazonian poisonous frog – it’s small, but deadly and agile. And another aspect to it is that the actual Strawberry Frog is that it adapted and evolved so well that it doesn’t need to camouflage itself like other frogs. It’s bright red and blue. Also, it’s also memorable and quirky and goes against the old advertising agency convention of sounding like a law firm or an accounting firm. Surely, the communications business, of all industries, should look completely different.
YouIntern: What’s the role of planning at StrawberryFrog and how does it compare to other agencies?
Ilana: As I said, we have a project-based system, so all of the disciplines are integral to our process. Planning is very crucial because we solve such a wide range of business problems. So, we might be asked to create an entirely new media concept, as well as more conventional work, like repositioning a packaged goods brand. Unlike other agencies where strategists might step-in midway through, we practice what I call ‘free-range strategy’. We’re involved throughout the process. One of the first things we do is called a “FrogLogic session” where we identify the key issues and challenges for the brand. As part of the process, we have to find the cultural connection. What role could this brand play in people’s lives? And the planners can go out and do cultural research. We do trend research – though I hate the word trend, because it makes it sound like it’s coming and going – really we’re looking at big themes in culture. We like to do a lot of cultural research working with semioticians (who de-code communication and symbols), psychologists, sociologists and anthropologists. They give you unique insights on what’s going on in consumers minds and culture that people can’t tell you in a focus group.
