2013-08-30 12.56.06 copy_edited-1.jpg
2013-08-30 12.56.06 copy_edited-1.jpg

ABOUT ME


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ABOUT ME


I AM A NEW YORK-BASED INDEPENDENT STRATEGIST.

MY THING

Sharp and fearless thinking for messy business and marketing problems.

BACKED BY

A long track record of working independently with companies that are redefining what’s possible.

A background in clear-eyed, evidence-based, no bullshit, British-trained strategic thinking.

SPECIALTIES

Big messes: muddled thinking, too much information, not enough insight.

Tough cases: brands under attack, categories is turmoil.

Low interest categories: any category can and should be interesting.

Beyond communications: fixing upstream problems upstream.


RECENT PARTNERS

WHAT I’M GOOD AT

Defining a brand's cause, fight, story with a sharp, provocative edge.

Getting to ideas fast. I distrust insights that need six weeks of research to get uncovered.

Using human language to get at human truths, not marketing jargon or business-speak.

Uncovering interesting stories hiding in spreadsheets or stacks of folders.

WHAT I SUCK AT

Large teams where everyone has a say. I go quiet in rooms with 20 people talking over each other. Maybe because I grew up in a large family?

Standard brand templates with their endless tweaking of words. Trying to decide between 'refresh your life, every day' or 'refreshing vitality, daily' - shoot me.

All-day meetings. Does anyone enjoy them?

Working all the time. R&D is important, not just for corporations but for people. That’s why I only work eight months a year. The other four months are 'lab time' - time to make stuff, volunteer and learn new skills.

things I do

Brand positioning work
Business + innovation strategy
New business pitches
Communications strategy + creative briefs
Audience deep dives
Competitive analysis

Quick turnaround qual and quant research


RESUME


RESUME


EDUCATION

SCHOOL OF VISUAL ARTS (New York)Master of Fine Arts in photography 

OXFORD UNIVERSITY (Oxford, UK) - BA/MA in philosophy, psychology and physiology 

 

JOBS

JWT (New York) - Group Strategy Director 

BERLIN CAMERON UNITED (New York) - Partner/Chief Strategy Officer

FALLON MCELLIGOTT BERLIN (New York) -  Senior Strategist

BARTLE BOGLE HEGARTY (London) - Planner 

 

AWARDS

Three gold Effies, one silver and one bronze Effie, one silver Jay Chiat award, a bronze IPA Effectiveness award and a silver APG/UK award.

 


MY STORY


MY STORY


I grew up in a large family in a small village in the South of Germany. It’s lovely there, but I knew early on that I had to get out. I was punk, I was goth, I was shy, I was weird, I dropped out of high school. Working in a pants factory got old really fast, so I went on a German game show, made some money and ran away to London - note on pillow, early morning train, that kind of departure.

With no qualifications, no connections and dodgy English my career prospects were limited. I worked in fast food places and cafeterias for a couple of years, then decided to step up my game by learning to type and do shorthand. Working as secretary for a few years gave me the confidence to think about picking up my education. I took evening classes for a year and did my A-levels (SATs). I did pretty well, and got accepted by Oxford University, where I studied psychology and philosophy. 

And then BBH London offered me the only trainee planner spot for the year. Which takes us to the beginning of my official résumé.

It’s a bit of an unusual bio, I’ll admit, but I thought it’s worth mentioning. I’ve learned a lot in those poverty years, the years of doing minimum wage jobs, where I was just another inarticulate foreigner.

Empathy - if you're forever on the outside you're forced to figure out how the rest of the world thinks and feels

Fearlessness - realizing that the only way to create change is to make big bets

Humility - respecting people from every walk of life, because they could be me, and I could be them

Gratitude - even when things are bad, it's not scrubbing toilets for three dollars an hour

Optimism - dreaming big has yet to let me down

Resourcefulness - good with spit and duct tape

 


INTERESTS


INTERESTS


In no particular order

Fungi: I sequence fungal DNA and I have my own home lab where I do polymerase chain reaction and gel electrophoresis. I lecture on fungi and citizen science. I’m also currently the president of the New York Mycological Society and a board member of FunDiS, an organization focused on fungal conservation.

Art - Did I mention I have a master's degree in fine art, with a specialization in photography (done at SVA a few years ago)? I keep up to date what's in New York's galleries, museums and alternative spaces. I also make art - I've had group and solo shows of my work in galleries here and in Europe.

History - I'm a bit obsessed with 20th Century history, especially the World Wars and the post-war period. I have read endlessly about it and done personal research and a photographic project. It's also the reason I'm a volunteer for Selfhelp, an organization that takes care of Nazi victims living in the New York City area.


SAY HELLO


SAY HELLO


Let's talk - whether it's about a specific project or just because.

sigridjakob at gmail.com