Nicolas Chidiac

Why Strategy is choosing something really hard to do Scott Galloway used to teach brand strategy at NYU and I asked him what single piece of advice he would give his class His reply was surprising Find something really hard to do that your competitors will struggle to replicate I hadn't quite thought about that but it makes sense. What is the hardest thing you can do that your competitors can't do? We applied this logic 5 years ago at System1 We decided rather than just testing our customers advertising we would test every advert in the market. This was enormously expensive and technically challenging but created something that can't easily be copied. Scott's next point was how you react once you launch. He explained that his nose is misaligned after getting punched in the face as he had no way to react to a much shorter but more agile boxer. Always think ahead to your competitors likely response. This episode of Uncensored CMO is packed full of Scotts usual hard hitting advice, controversial takes and amusing anecdotes. The most uncensored episode yet! It was enormous fun to record live in front of an audience and I hope you enjoy the result!! See comments for links James Gregory Kerry Collinge Andrew Tindall

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Yesterday I posted some advice for those just starting out in advertising. But there are also those in the industry who are like a good roast chicken - well seasoned. There are a lot of changes happening in the industry, and that brings with it a lot of questions and doubts. Some want to reinvent their careers, some are stuck in the middle wanting to climb to the next level, and others are asking - “What the f*ck do I do now? “ I've been coaching a number of people who fit into the above categories. Following on from my thoughts for those just starting their careers, this is my advice for those already well into their journey. Here are 10 things I’d suggest. Some points are similar to my advice for those just starting out. 1. The day of the one-trick pony is coming to an end, or, it has already ended. Be a triple threat. In the theatre world a triple threat is someone who can act, sing, and dance. No, I'm not suggesting you become a Broadway act, just have more than one skill up your sleeve. 2. Adopt a ‘creator’ mindset. Being able to think, create, and make will become an invaluable asset. 3. Build a personal brand. Cringe all you want about this, but if you want to stand out in a crowded market, with fewer opportunities, it will be one of the smartest moves you make. 4. Make LinkedIn your publishing space. And maybe back it up with a secondary social or blogging platform. Get your thoughts and POV out there. This is an extension of your personal brand. Nobody is out there looking for you, you need to help them bump into you. 5. Stay relevant. Don't be left behind. Stay on top of culture, trends, changing consumer behaviour, technology, music, and more. 6. Understand AI, don’t ignore it. It’s not going away. You don't have to become an expert, but you need to know what it can and cannot do. 7. Find mentors. You’re never too old to keep learning and evolving, and you’ll never know everything. 8. Stay creative. Sounds obvious, but many creative people forget to continue being creative. Comfort zones are the enemy of creative careers. 9. Never let your ego be your spokesperson. Sure, you may have done some great things in your career…but a little humility goes a long way. 10. Make sure it's still fun. If it's not, find out why and get to work addressing it. Many people are reinventing their creative careers right now, so you're not alone. It's never too late to restart. But it's a bad time to stay in a holding pattern. “Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes and having fun.” – Mary Lou Cook … I have spots open for my one-to-one creative coaching. I work with Creative Directors (current & aspiring), Creative Founders, people wishing to establish their own micro-agency and those at a career crossroads. DM or email for details - chantcreative@gmail.com … ®️©️ 🤘 ⚡ … #creativedirector #advertising #creativecoach #creativity

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CMOs in the spotlight. Some takeaways from Gail Horwood. “Ideas are ideas only until they get executed.” • Reinforced that execution is what gives ideas real value—without follow-through, creativity is just theory. “Planning and pre-planning is key.” • Stressed the importance of investing time upfront to set clear goals, roles, and timelines. “It adds time at the beginning but saves you a lot of time at the end.” • A call for strategic discipline: thoughtful prep prevents chaos, revisions, and missed opportunities down the line. Novartis Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity

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I’ve been working with the team at Springboards.ai for just over a year now - but I’ve known Pip Bingemann and Amy Tucker for close to two decades, as friends, collaborators, and fellow strategists. That long-standing trust and shared curiosity is exactly what powers this kind of work: bold, timely, and grounded in the belief that better questions lead to better futures. They’ve always been the kind of thinkers who don’t just keep up with change; they challenge it, shape it, and keep asking the questions that move things forward. Many of us use LLMs daily for research, for speed, for early-stage thinking. But how often do we actually stop and ask: can they think creatively? Today, that question gets a proper stress test. A global coalition of creative and marketing bodies - 4As, Advertising Council Australia, APG, D&AD,International Advertising Association, IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising), and The One Club for Creativity - led by Springboards, has just launched the first-ever creativity benchmark for LLMs. It’s designed to test the creative muscle: idea generation, lateral thinking, and the kind of problem-solving that underpins great, unexpected work. Think “Tinder for ideas” - you swipe through model responses and choose what feels strongest or most original. But this isn’t just a test. It’s a collective build. The more people who participate, the sharper the data becomes. We’re not just measuring creativity, we’re mapping it. Across industries, disciplines, and instincts. To do that, we need a broad, rigorous, and diverse set of creative minds involved. So if you’re curious which LLM thinks most like you, or if you just want to help shape the way we evaluate creative potential in this next chapter, dive in and take the test. CreativityBenchmark.ai Let’s find out what these tools are really capable of, together.

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We’ve entered the era of manufactured authenticity. ⭐ Brands talk like people. ⭐ People act like brands. Everyone’s “real,” and nothing feels real anymore. In the race to look relatable, brands have learned to stage imperfection — messy captions, blurred photos, “unedited” campaigns that took 12 hours to art direct. The result? Audiences don’t trust “authenticity” anymore. They trust consistency. Luxury, hospitality, and culture brands need to understand this: ✔️ Authenticity isn’t a style — it’s a behavior. ✔️ You can’t design it. You can only prove it, over time. In 2025, the brands that will stand out aren’t the loudest or most “human.” They’ll be the ones that stay real when nobody’s watching. 👉 Do you think “authenticity” has lost its meaning in branding? #BrandStrategy #LuxuryBrands #Marketing #CulturalInsight #DesignThinking #CreativeLeadership

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A media plan is like a tailored suit. When we present it in oversized buckets, which in this context means presenting it in broad, general terms, it feels off-the-rack. Clients lean in when they see the stitching: the thoughtful placements, the strategic sequencing, the why behind the what. It's not just a part of the plan; it's the backbone that convinces our clients of its value. Detail is not just a part of the plan, it's the essence of it. It's what reassures our clients and team members about the thoroughness of our work. Strip away the detail, and you strip away the perceived value.  (i.e., there is no bucket of social; even Zuckerberg calls Instagram a "discovery-entertainment space"). Nuance isn’t noise; it is proof of our industry expertise.

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A recent Massachusetts Institute of Technology study estimates that of the $50B spend on Generative AI to date, 95% of the companies will never see any ROI. At Inspired Thinking Group (ITG), we believe this is due to the wrong focus. I heard a quote this week that brands are "looking to spend big on AI" when they should be "looking at big spend to apply AI." I could not agree more. In this article in partnership with LBBonline - Little Black Book, we look at how to deploy Operational AI to Know your consumers and what to make; to Flow content through a connected, AI-enabled ecosystem for consistency and efficiency like the Storyteq CMP; and to Grow the organisation through an investment in training and change management. I would welcome your thoughts.

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Brands face two major challenges: content overload with low impact and outdated, siloed production processes. Production is key to solving both problems. By combining creativity with performance-based insights, production teams can craft content that truly works, streamline processes, and drive innovation—ultimately helping brands unlock real value. 

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