Artificial intelligence, automation, in-housing, fragmented consumer journeys and mounting pressure to deliver measurable results are forcing agencies and brands to rethink not only how they communicate, but how they organise creativity itself. As media becomes increasingly data-driven, the real competitive advantage no longer lies in technology alone, but in the ability to combine strategic thinking, cultural understanding and creative ambition in ways that drive long-term business growth.
Few people have a broader perspective on this transformation than Joanna Lawrence. As the Global Chief Strategy Officer at Havas Media Network and President of this year’s Creative Media Excellence Drum Jury at this year’s Golden Drum, she works at the intersection of media strategy, innovation and business effectiveness.
In this exclusive interview, Lawrence reflects on the structural challenges holding the industry back, why agencies must evolve to remain indispensable, and what it really takes to build media ideas that are brave enough to make an impact and strong enough to deliver lasting business value.
At Havas Media Network, you lead the Global Media Creativity Council. What have you learned about fostering creativity across different markets, cultures and teams?
It takes time but the effort is worth it! And the people really matter. Brilliant ideas take great commitment to come to life so finding the people across the network who always bring energy and inspiration to others is crucial.
With media increasingly driven by data, automation, and performance metrics, where do you see genuine strategic creativity still having the most impact on business growth?
Strategic choices in the short and long term. What are we doing differently and what are we choosing not to do and why based on the business impact those choices effect?
What is the biggest structural barrier that stops brave media ideas from being approved and scaled?
The bravest media ideas almost always connect many different types of expertise, so they inevitably require involvement from a broader set of stakeholders or a new way of working across teams and partners. All of this takes time, a shared vision and a commitment to collaboration, even when the route ahead isn’t clear.
As more brands build in-house media capabilities, what do you think agencies must fundamentally do better than clients themselves in order to remain indispensable?
In-housing takes many different forms but wherever resources sit, agencies need to bring clients the voice of the consumer – the customers they don’t yet have data on and inspiration from beyond the category. Clients value agency partners bringing the outside in when it genuinely opens up game changing creativity and innovation.
You draw inspiration from gaming, fashion, and emerging youth culture—how important is cultural fluency in ensuring media strategy actually translates into business effectiveness today?
As much as we all know the importance of a robust and representative sample size, I also draw inspiration from seeing how my teenage kids and their friends consume media and interact with brands in their everyday lives. It’s a great reminder to go beyond the data and explore what is driving new behaviours.
In a world obsessed with short-term performance metrics, how do you protect investment in media strategies that may not show immediate ROI but are critical for long-term brand growth?
This is one of our most frequently asked client questions, rooted in competing priorities and metrics. Having a holistic effectiveness framework and experimentation agenda that is aligned with the business strategy, commercial teams and the CFO is a critical start point.
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