THE PLAYMAKER

Sean McDonald Global Chief Strategy Officer, Partner Rethink #1 Planner

Given the pace of change in markets and consumer behaviour, have you evolved your approach for identifying new solutions?

We’re always evolving how we do this. Rethink is a one word business model, so we’re always seeking a better way. The truth of the matter is that people often tout the power of data and stop there, missing the opportunity to find the stories behind the data. You can only get there by talking to people and learning from them. I think we do our best work by focusing on the stories behind the data and making them useful, actionable and inspiring.

When it comes to understanding consumers, what post-pandemic shifts are key to factor in now?

Before the pandemic, there was a lot of industry conversation around the overwhelm people face due to the amount of content they can and do consume. That continues to be true but, increasingly, people are learning there’s a lot to filter out based on credibility, trust or worth. Putting brands in a position to be relevant in that continues to be important. Being superficial won’t cut it.

What combo of training, skill set and background is the most successful when it comes to new planners? I think it’s important to reframe that question and take some of the pressure off the planner. I spend more time thinking about what environment I can help create to put people in a position to succeed so we can accommodate and help grow lots of people with diverse backgrounds and varying levels of experience. If we do that successfully, we can find people who want to grow by working collaboratively with other people. If that happens consistently, we can help grow the pool of talented planners in the industry. That’s the goal.

What makes a planner great?

I firmly believe that our job is to be the steward of the solutions we deliver, not the source of them. It’s not for you to know or develop the answer alone, and lots of people think it is. If you embrace being the steward you will inherently be more curious, more collaborative and less inclined to the bias we all carry with us.

What work or project did you admire most from the previous year that neither you nor anyone else at your agency worked on?

Broken Heart Love Affair did something I thought was really smart in their “Immortal” campaign for the ROM. They’ve created an “immortal” membership that can be handed down for generations. I thought that was a great representation of their overall idea for the brand, something worth talking about, and can also work as a fundraising opportunity. Really smart.