This one-week crash course teaches the essential elements needed to win a Strategy Lamp award: 1) An exceptional interpretation of the business challenge through breakthrough research and problem-solving leading to a compelling insight, 2) A coherent argument connecting the identified problem to the insight and strategic solution, and 3) Excellent case writing that tells the story of how the strategy and creativity led to breakthrough thinking in a way friends could understand. The course emphasizes defining clear objectives, combining multiple sources of data to find the "why" behind patterns, developing insights that provide something new about familiar topics, and showing how the strategy enforced creative choices in the campaign rather than just presenting brand strategies or effectiveness.

1. The one week crash course
To winning a Strategy Lamp

2. What it is
1. Exceptional interpretation of the business/brand challenge
2. Breakthrough research, thinking and problem-solving
that led to a compelling insight and creative strategy
3. Excellent case writing, creating a coherent argument
from problem, to insight, to strategy and idea/solution

3. What it’s not
An award for awesomely smart ideas
An award just for long term brand platforms
An effectiveness award

4. Let’s start our week…

5. Monday
The challenge:
Every story needs a hero.
And every hero needs a major challenge.
What’s yours?

8. Tuesday
The objective:
Judging strategy is looking at success through a rear-view mirror.
Clearly define your goal.
And what was needed to get there.

11. Wednesday
The data:
An observation is not yet an insight.
Wisdom comes from combining multiple sources of data to find
the ‘why’ behind the ‘what’.

13. Thursday
The insight:
A strong insight tells you something new
about something familiar.

16. Friday
The strategy:
Strategy is as much about what you do,
as about what you don’t do.
Show how your strategy enforces creative choices in the campaign.

18. Saturday
The idea:
This is not just about brand strategy.

21. The writing:
How would you explain your work to your friends?
Don’t talk marketing, tell how strategy and creativity
lead to break-through thinking.
Sunday

23. And, last but not least:
Ask someone else to read your case.
(someone that wasn’t involved).

24. Thank you.