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What creative strategy is and where a new creative strategist starts

The job of a creative strategist (find the highest-leverage thing, not "make more ads"), Evan Lee's three altitudes (org → team → individual), Emily Hickey's first principles (algorithm ads are a creative game, winners win, small tests) and the "what decision will this research make?" rule.

Updated 2026-10-24·4 sources·ad-creativecreative-strategymeta-adspaid-socialfundamentals

What creative strategy is and where to start

TL;DR

  • Creative strategy is not endless execution (briefs, making ads). The job is to find what has the highest leverage for the brand and put all energy there.1
  • Work top-down through three altitudes: organisation (what matters most to the business) → team (volume, people, creators needed) → individual (actually making ads).2
  • On algorithmic platforms the targeting is solved; creative is the competition — the ad that drives a higher purchase rate wins the impression.3
  • Winners win: a few products, headlines, creators and formats drive most results — get 5x out of them before hunting for new ones.4
  • Without a stated diagnosis (“the why behind the roadmap”) you have testing, not strategy.5
  • Before any research ask: what decision will this help me make? If none, close the browser.6

Details

Day one as a strategist (Evan Lee, Motion). The common mistake is making 25 ads straight away or recreating whatever the CEO sent at the weekend. Slow down and learn the business first.1

  1. Org altitude — ask leadership what the most important thing for the business is; get on the same page, because it anchors everything.2
  2. Team altitude — how much volume is needed, who does what, how many creators.2
  3. Individual altitude — only now dive into creation. Keep asking “which altitude am I operating at?” and jump up when the business needs it.7 Done right, the strategist becomes the person connecting leadership with the individual work.2

The hook is the highest-leverage creative variable in direct-response ads (Evan’s bootcamp quiz answer, ahead of social proof, creator talent and editing) — see Anatomy of an ad hook — three jobs, layers, and fit-in-then-stand-out.8

Emily Hickey’s first principles (Chief Detective, ~$1B Meta spend).9

  • Algorithm marketing is a creative game. Meta already knows who is in market for a $300 sweater; it decides whether your ad deserves the impression, mainly by purchase rate vs the ad next to it. “The algorithm is the house — it takes your money either way.”3
  • Winners win (asymmetry). Best products often do 60%+ of revenue; one headline (e.g. “glow” in beauty) can be a business. Brands wrongly abandon heroes out of internal boredom.410
  • Small-scale tests are a metal detector for those winners — see The Motivator Map — hero product, value-prop testing, why buy vs why believe.10
  • Specificity (spearpoint marketing). “A dress that looks great on everyone” sells nothing; “I’m self-conscious about my arms and wear this all day” sells. Her sound-bath friend’s events filled only when positioned “for anxiety and depression”.1112
  • Brand and awareness matter for 100-year brands.10

Strategy needs a diagnosis. Dara Denney: a 1–2 sentence statement of the connective tissue behind everything on the creative roadmap — how to find it is in Diagnosing an ad account's creative gaps before producing new ads.5

Research needs a decision. Sarah Levinger: having lots of organised swipe files is not knowing what to do; every piece of research should change what you build, how you frame it or who you target.613

Disagreements / caveats

  • Evan and Emily frame the job from different seats (in-house strategist vs agency CEO) but agree: understand the business/customer before producing volume.
  • “Hook is everything” (Evan) vs “messaging matters more than format/visuals” (Dara, Iterating on winning ads and the weekly hook-testing cadence) — compatible: the hook is where the message lands.

See also

Footnotes

  1. What Is Creative Strategy? The Foundations Every Creative Strategist Needs | Evan Lee, Motion @ 00:00 — Evan Lee ↩ ↩2

  2. What Is Creative Strategy? The Foundations Every Creative Strategist Needs | Evan Lee, Motion @ 01:32 — Evan Lee ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  3. Emily Hickey's "Motivator Map": The Creative Framework Behind $1B in Meta Ad Spend @ 06:25 — Emily Hickey ↩ ↩2

  4. Emily Hickey's "Motivator Map": The Creative Framework Behind $1B in Meta Ad Spend @ 07:13 — Emily Hickey ↩ ↩2

  5. I Made 10,000 Ads, Here's What Works Right Now (in 2026) @ 02:21 — Dara Denney ↩ ↩2

  6. Customer & Audience Research for Ads: Sarah Levinger's System For Winning Creative @ 04:38 — Sarah Levinger ↩ ↩2

  7. What Is Creative Strategy? The Foundations Every Creative Strategist Needs | Evan Lee, Motion @ 03:07 — Evan Lee ↩

  8. What Is Creative Strategy? The Foundations Every Creative Strategist Needs | Evan Lee, Motion @ 04:38 — Evan Lee ↩

  9. Emily Hickey's "Motivator Map": The Creative Framework Behind $1B in Meta Ad Spend @ 05:37 — Emily Hickey ↩

  10. Emily Hickey's "Motivator Map": The Creative Framework Behind $1B in Meta Ad Spend @ 07:59 — Emily Hickey ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  11. Emily Hickey's "Motivator Map": The Creative Framework Behind $1B in Meta Ad Spend @ 09:33 — Emily Hickey ↩

  12. Emily Hickey's "Motivator Map": The Creative Framework Behind $1B in Meta Ad Spend @ 10:19 — Emily Hickey ↩

  13. Customer & Audience Research for Ads: Sarah Levinger's System For Winning Creative @ 01:31 — Sarah Levinger ↩