Last Wednesday in Sydney, ACA hosted an exclusive member-only evening with Mark Pollard – one of the global ad industry’s most respected strategists. He’s renowned for his no-nonsense approach, innovative frameworks, and boundless enthusiasm for the art of good strategy.
From his early days as a digital producer to his stints at agencies like Big Spaceship and McCann working for the likes of The Economist, Twitter, Facebook and The Wall St Journal, Pollard seen it all.
But it’s his work as the founder of the Sweathead community and his acclaimed strategy podcast of the same moniker that have cemented his status as a global thought leader. With over 20,000 members and 1.5 million podcast downloads, Pollard has built a platform that has seen a global audience of eager strategists follow religiously as he shares his insights on all things strategy and working in the field.
And share he did, kicking things off by reminiscing about his teenage years in Sydney and time spent working here and abroad. Beneath the lighthearted banter, there was a deeper message – Pollard’s appreciation for the international community of strategists, who he sees as a tribe of ‘nerds’ united by their passion for getting things right.
From there, he delved into the heart of his presentation, addressing a series of challenges and frustrations that he’s heard from strategists around the world. Chief among them was the pervasive issue of clients being too scared to take risks and make innovative work. He acknowledged that this is a problem that plagues the industry, particularly in the US, where short-term thinking and risk aversion often take precedence.
But Pollard didn’t just identify the problem – he offered practical solutions. Drawing on his extensive experience, he encouraged the audience to become clients themselves, leveraging their expertise to drive change from within. He also stressed the importance of competence and confidence, urging strategists to take a hard look at the quality of their work and not be afraid to advocate for their ideas.
He shared his own experiences navigating this landscape, both in the US and in Australia, and offered advice for maintaining a sense of self and creative fulfilment in the face of such challenges.
Ultimately, his message was one of resilience and self-care. He emphasised the importance of strategists carving out time for their own creative pursuits, warning against the dangers of burnout and the risk of losing one’s identity in the high-pressure world of advertising and marketing.
And with his trademark blend of humour, candour, and strategic acumen, he left the audience with a renewed sense of purpose, a reminder to keep up the training and development, and a roadmap for navigating the ever-evolving landscape of the industry.
Check out his podcast and Facebook Group here and make sure you take a page from his playbook, which, as he put simply: “Never stop sweating the small stuff.”
Mark Pollard: “What Thousands of Strategists Whisper (When You’re Not Looking)
- Capitalism is giving me the ick
- Clients are too scared to do interesting work
- I don’t enjoy my own work
- I have too much work and not enough time
- I love my job
- I don’t know if I want to stay in this industry
- My boss doesn’t develop us
- I don’t know what to do after strategy
- Everything is off brief
- Sometimes you don’t know when you are at the best stage of your career
Thank you to BMF for hosting this member-only event.
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If you’re a experienced strategist, junior planner, or even in account management and want to up your strategy game, check up AdSchool’s upcoming courses – Advanced and Core Strategic Planning, and Experience Design. More info at www.adschool.org.au