What we used to sell holds immense value—bold, forward-thinking creativity. But we became a mirror of convention. Through studying the science we allowed ourselves to become formulaic. Creativity has always been and will always be our greatest lever for growth. It is the overstretch. The outreaching hand. It doesn’t follow convention—it creates new ones.

In our industry, we are obsessed with putting things into neat little boxes. Tidy definitions aid the sell and give our egos hills to die on. You’d know this already if you’ve had to stomach a debate amongst strategists on Twitter.

Change is a constant. A universal law. All barriers will crumble, and all empires will fall. The inevitability of change isn’t in question. What should be in question is what is the right change, how big or small should it be, and how fast can it happen? We are in the business of change. We sell it, craft it, and if all goes to plan, we make it happen. In the discipline of strategy, we aim to present change in simple forms, taking complex systems and entities and framing what needs to happen to them for them to be more successful.

There is a quiet intelligence surrounding simplicity. It doesn’t demand attention but it gets it nonetheless. Less is more. Less to see. Less to think about. It requires nothing of you. No effort at all. We like the simplicity of beautiful minimalist-designed interiors that no family could live in — or the serene and empty lives of mountaintop monks who wouldn’t know a TikTok from a Tic Tac. We like these things because they are uncluttered. Unspoilt. Uncomplicated. But these things aren’t part of real life. They are not representative of the world the rest of us live in.

It’s deeply frustrating when people don’t understand you. You are clear on your perspective because it has been built upon a lifetime of experiences. However, without the context of your entire life and thoughts, all anyone has to go on is your communication. How you present your thoughts or opinions is all most people see. Your words rest on the knife edge of other people’s ability to empathise.

After I graduated from university, I visited two of my childhood friends in Bristol. We hadn’t seen each other in a few months, so at the time we treated the visit as somewhat of a reunion. Naturally, we quickly got into sharing our plans for the future. It was time for us to all start our careers and become serious people. Having studied Psychology, one friend was pursuing education. The other shared a love of film with me and looked to television as a way into the industry.

At this point, I’m sure you’re probably wondering, “what the hell has this got to do with brands?” Ok, that’s a fair question, but let’s return to the purpose of mental models. They aren’t guides, they’re useful reference tools that we can use in parallel fields to evoke differentiated thinking.

I’ve made a bullshit-proof creative brief template that will hopefully help people write briefs that aren’t full of nonsense nobody gives a shit about.

The battle for our souls rages on. Our industry continues to be in flux over what works for brands, but more interestingly, what works for us.

The recent research published by Peter Field and the IPA exploring the effectiveness of brand purpose marketing campaigns has come under scrutiny, as it appears to draw conclusions that many felt simply weren’t there. Indeed, the data actually seemed to conclude the opposite when analysed fairly.

I’ve been mentoring a number of incredibly interesting young people attempting to find their way in our industry recently, and all of them had pretty much the same questions.

Most of which focused on the key characteristics of junior Planners/Strategists, and how they might make you more employable in a fiercely contested world.

I’ve tried to break down my own personal view of what is important to me.

I’ve already lost a lot of you and I haven’t even said anything yet.

That’s how strongly people in strategy feel about the words “brand purpose”. How the hell did we get here, and why are we still talking about this?

Well, I’m going to try and unpack what I think brand purpose is, what it isn’t, who can use it, and why the intentions behind it are still important and worth thinking about.

It isn’t about the work.

It isn’t about awards.

It’s about feeling like you’re growing into a fuller, richer person.

That you’re learning something every day.

That you’re teaching something every day.

That when you leave, you will be a better human being than when you started.

I’m talking about culture.

Nobody likes a know-it-all. Or do they?

In our industry, know-it-alls are sometimes called Planners.

I’m a big fan of stupid questions.

And by stupid, I’m referring to the questions we often think of as too obvious to ask.

“Shouldn’t you know this already?”

Well, perhaps I do. Perhaps others in the room don’t.

Creative thinking often feels miraculous, like our thoughts are plucked from the ether.

However, the creative process itself is often ordered.

With the right inputs, the output will reveal itself naturally.

This year has taught me a great deal about perspective.

It’s felt at times like someone watching a movie scene at double speed. Like an overfilled pan, boiling over. It’s been overwhelming and difficult to step back from.