Jamey Hardesty is an experienced healthcare strategist and client relationship manager with over 10 years of experience across multiple categories including rare and ultra-rare diseases, hematology/oncology, and cell and gene therapy. He currently leads strategy at Jack Health, a specialty healthcare practice within Jack Morton.

LBB> What do you think is the difference between a strategist and a planner? Is there a difference?

Jamey> In practice, it gets complicated. In terms of scope, reach and intent – absolutely. From an agency perspective, strategists primarily focus on the near-term and short-term goals and KPIs related to specific briefs to drive campaign execution. They do a lot of jumping between programs, preparing the details and pulling them through, focusing more on specific audiences/campaigns/outcomes.

I see strategic planners as those who are at the forefront of the brand and act as the “leaders” who align and set the long-term business and marketing vision and goals together with the clients. This requires a deeper dive at the business level.

But the lines are blurring more than ever. It’s nearly impossible to activate and move an audience without first understanding the client’s business. And that requires strategists to be comfortable with data and research and to understand what makes a business tick – not just people.

The best strategists and strategic planners are those who can combine the two.

LBB> And which description do you think best describes your way of working?

Jamey> As a healthcare strategist, I’m not sure where I fit in… I live to help clients turn business problems into customer solutions through great storytelling and experiences.

Sometimes that means putting on my hat as a creative strategist, and other times I can use my analytical/scientific side to turn a problem on its head and look for a new perspective on a familiar challenge. This can be challenging in terms of timelines and budgets.

Nevertheless, it pays off when we get the chance to build a better relationship with our clients and their companies, both in terms of our strategy and creative work.

LBB> We are used to hearing about the most creative advertising campaigns, but from a strategic point of view, what is your favourite campaign from the past? One that you think demonstrates an excellent strategy?

Jamey> I was originally supposed to choose a campaign around healthcare, but given the many important issues in the world, I’m drawn to work that goes beyond the immediate focus of a single campaign and addresses broader, impactful issues that resonate on a deeper, more human level.

The campaign, which I noticed as very good when it was released, but could be released again today and would be EVEN BETTER, is Chipotle’s “Back to the Beginning” Campaign.

The centerpiece was a two-minute stop-motion animated film telling the story of a farmer and his family moving from sustainable free-range farming to the perceived benefits of commercial farming, seeing the impact on his family, his land and his animals. Then he decided he didn’t like those results and wanted to go back to what it was supposed to be – sustainable farming. And all while Willie Nelson sang “The Scientist” by Coldplay.

It was beautifully done.

It contained a simple and relatable message. And when you bought the song on iTunes, they donated 60 cents to sustainable agriculture through the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation. It was incredibly ambitious work for a brand that truly lives its values ​​in every aspect of its business. That message resonates even more today as sustainability initiatives have become increasingly important.

If I were Chipotle, I might consider picking this one up for another trip!

LBB> What resource do you find most useful when you want to turn a business brief into something that can serve as the basis for an inspiring creative campaign?

Jamey> When working in healthcare, there is nothing better than the insights gained from primary research and first-hand experiences of patients, caregivers and providers.

In recent years, however, the ability to access large, robust data sets has transformed our understanding of the human behaviors that drive the consumption of health and wellness products and services.

Tools like YouGov’s bespoke polls and the latest generative AI innovations like ChatGPT, Waldo and Gemini have revolutionized real-time learning and expanded the reach of social listening. As an IPG DXTRA Health agency, we also benefit from IPG Health’s resources, which scale our data and media capabilities.

Our internal CORE research and insights team also enhances our ability to quickly tailor information to new business and organic customer opportunities.

LBB> What part of your work/strategic process do you enjoy the most?

Jamey> I enjoy unraveling a new challenge that looks like a spider web. When you look at a huge vertically integrated healthcare services company or a pharmacy services technology and provider solutions network, it’s easy to throw up your hands and say “nope.” But in the midst of these challenges, there is innovation.

It takes people who can take the complicated and turn it into something that is relatable, understandable and maybe even funny – emotional – something with personality.

LBB> What strategic maxims, frameworks or principles do you always come back to? Why are they so valuable?

Jamey> I’m very interested in human behavior. I love that marketing can do more than get people to buy something. It can get someone to act or think differently. As someone who works in healthcare, the real KPIs I care about go beyond a campaign and are about outcomes. How can our actions – directly or indirectly – put people on a path to better health?

Chip and Dan Heath wrote a great book – The Power of Moments. In it, they lay out a framework that I often refer to, showing the power each of us has to create moments of upliftment, pride, insight and connection – whether in our professional or personal lives. It’s a great read for anyone who wants to know what it takes to create the right environment, make connections and change behavior. It’s one of the reasons I truly believe in the power of experiential marketing to move hearts, minds and behaviors.

LBB> What kind of creatives do you like to work with? As a strategist, what do you want them to do with the information you give them?

Jamey> I often say that strategy is a team sport, but there are good creatives and then there are Cannes Lions creatives. And Cannes-level work requires chemistry. The kind that you build when you work closely with someone for a long time. That’s the ultimate partnership. And I think there’s often a belief that you can just put pieces together and play and it’ll work, but that’s the only way to get good enough work.

Creativity is the lifeblood of an agency and I remain convinced that our work is focused on creating the most exceptional creative campaign and experience we can.

While there is a lot of strategic and tactical work that needs to be done to maximize campaign success, if your creativity is weak, no one will pay attention to you, even if you have the best strategy in the world.

LBB> What do you think is the most important consideration when recruiting and developing strategic talent? And how has COVID-19 changed your thinking on this?

Jamey> Strategy can be full of ups and downs and you have to be ready for that challenge. Over a decade ago, I was fortunate to have other great strategists and mentors around me who nurtured my career. The agency environment was very different to today. The commitment to learning and development and work-life balance are significantly better.

While work dynamics have improved in many areas, if you asked most strategists about the biggest challenges of their role, they would probably cite the siloed nature of their work and the lack of time to do it. When you consider the rise of strategy influencers on LinkedIn, there are no places left where there are no voices to make you feel like you don’t know anything anymore.

It’s no wonder that most strategists fall into one of two categories: the walking, talking imposter syndrome or the see no evil, hear no evil, fear no evil category. Neither of these is quite right.

And I think that’s because we don’t always manage to give people the freedom to think and develop ideas together. Isolated thinking can lead to wild digressions – all strategists know that!

So my advice is that if you’re leading a team of strategists, make it your top priority to make sure the strategists know they’re on the same team and that it’s OK to be vulnerable and admit you don’t have all the answers. Nobody knows everything. Strategy is – and should be – a team sport: less ego, more support.

And believe me, you can still be the archetypal outlaw, renegade, and magician you want to be, while still having all the doors open to you and revealing a little of your secret sauce.

LBB> What advice would you give to someone considering a career as a strategist/planner?

Jamey> Please do it. And do it the way you believe it should be done. We are in a time when so much is changing in our industry – for the better.

Agencies have always been the first port of call when looking for a creative playground to explore big ideas and be a provocateur. And while it’s not always pretty, it’s like anything. When we turn away from something because we don’t like the way it looks, we’ve given up on what made us fall in love with it in the first place.

Agencies are still incredible places to do great work, as long as young, talented and curious people want to come in, be disruptive and challenge the way things are done. After all, advertising agencies have always been places of rebellion.

We enabled unbridled creativity and innovation by deliberately doing what was different. That spirit still exists for those who seek it. And there is no function more willing to jump in the deep end and play provocateur than Strategy.

So come along… everyone is welcome.