For marketing campaigns, for career progression, and for fox encounters, it’s good to have both.
We’ll start with the fox. The archetype of the fox as a trickster is ancient, global and lasting. From the ancient people of Peru who believed that the fox was a warrior who used his wits to fight, Kuma Lisa in Bulgarian folklore, Reynard in medieval Europe, Aesop’s Fable foxes and of course in UK children’s TV Basil Brush mischievous foxes are everywhere. Machievelli said “The successful prince must have the traits of both the lion and the fox. As the lion cannot protect himself from traps and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves.” Disney of course reimagined renegade local hero Robin Hood as a fox.
After a recent experience where I needed to evict some foxes (long story) it is easy to understand where the anthropomorphic idea of a distinct brand of cleverness characterized by guile comes from.
In my opinion it isn’t really cunning though. It is Chutzpah.
This essentially means brazen confidence, and a certainty that you can charm your way out of any infringement. For a definition of the yiddish term see the internet is full of definitions and examples including, (and I think we all know someone like this):
“A former sister-in-law borrowed a treasured item of mine to wear to an event and then wouldn’t return it. Two years later she wrapped it up and gave it to me for Christmas.”
In marketing a certain amount of Chutzpah can go a long way, and is evident in some award winning work. Campaigns that get an unfair share of attention for small outlay and drive sales. The IPA Effectiveness winner from KFC Australia where one franchisee in Alice Springs campaigned for a Michelin Star is a good instance of this.
Back to the fox situation. The pest control company that we called had no chutzpah to match that of the foxes and no strategy to benefit us. The company did have a clear objective which their experts acted on in every interaction. A clear and simple objective to make more money, for them. They showed us products that drove their margins, and delivered opportunities for them to grow their business, rather than to solve our foxy challenge. As a part of a network of companies, when our immediate problem did get solved (thanks to inventiveness, some smoked salmon lures and a lot of patience, 4 rescued fox cubs back with their mum), they upsold other unnecessary services from their network.
It doesn’t feel great, when you need solutions and all you get is sales patter and invoices.
In the world of marketing, where everything is changing fast, and agencies seem to be jumping to sell AI solutions, agencies need to provide a strategy for marketers to outsmart the competition.
Without strategy there’s just a bunch of tools and techniques to throw at the situation. A clear strategy will instead offer clear direction, prioritisation and control. It should define what to do first, and what not to do at all. Without a well-defined strategy teams will not know how to work together across silos and departments and be uncertain about their interdependent objectives and how their work contributes to the bigger picture. A clear strategy clarifies the mission and vision, helping everyone understand what success looks like and how to get there. And then, this sense of shared purpose fosters collaboration and collective responsibility, making it easier to track progress and measure achievements. Strategy also enhances efficiency by ensuring that resources—whether financial, human, or technological—are allocated and managed in a way that supports SMART goals for a stronger competitive edge.
It means that everyone in the team can be proactive rather than reactive. In a rapidly changing business environment, the ability to anticipate challenges and opportunities is more crucial than ever. Ultimately, strategy provides a framework for continuous improvement, innovation, and adaptation, ensuring continued resilience and relevance in a competitive world.
Strategy is crucial. A little bit of Chutzpah in addition won’t hurt.