Fifth Focus: Creative Strategy Lead Alice Thompson

Get to know our creative strategy lead

By Esra Gurkan

April 2021

We always want to ensure any campaigns we execute at The Fifth are interesting, authentic and relevant. That’s why we need the help of our Creative Strategy Lead Alice Thompson who helps to make this possible – but how does she do it?

Here, Alice tells us how she’s spent her first six months at the agency and shares with us what she wants to see done differently in the influencer space…

What was it like starting a new job in the midst of a pandemic?

Easier than I anticipated! I think the main challenge is connecting with the new team in short bursts rather than sitting next to them all day like you usually would, so the trick has been regular team calls, often just to chat about non-work stuff.

Sum up what you do at The Fifth in the shortest sentence possible.

Make sure our campaigns are based on interesting, true and relevant insights.

Could you give us a bit of context on that?

I’d say it’s a mix of making sure we stay true to the brief, the brand and the audience and also giving the creative teams something to work with that gets them going. 

What attracted you to the role in the first place?

I love the balance between being creative and rational. I really like getting to understand how people feel and what they do (especially when things are changing so quickly), and taking that and making it into something fun or useful.

Since joining The Fifth, what has been your biggest learning?

That there is so much potential for creativity with influencer campaigns, beyond the typical ‘product placement’ type posts. Also, I think that we can tell so much about people from the influencers that they follow – there’s a reason that people engage with them and it’s because they know what their audience wants to see.

What have you been able to bring from a traditional creative agency to influencer marketing?

I think the thing is that both creative agencies and influencer agencies produce content – it’s just that it’s sometimes created in a slightly different way. I think applying the same methods and strategic thinking about what the audience needs and what the brand stands for is essential, and is what I’ve been able to carry over.

What would you like to see done differently in the influencer marketing space?

I’d like to see it get a lot more creative and edge further into the content space. And also I’m loving that influencers now are embracing a more honest and ‘real’ approach. I hope we see more of that and I hope it forces brands to do the same.

Has a particular influencer-led campaign that stood out to you recently?

I loved the Zoopla campaign last year where they got creators to build forts in their homes and write home listing-style captions for them. I thought it was really clever and fun as we were all stuck inside and our homes became such a huge focus.

What would be a dream campaign or brand to work on? 

I always think that the brands that you don’t expect to be fun to work on turn out to be so it’s hard to say! I’ve got an idea for a chocolate campaign though so I would love a chocolate brand.

Which content creator are you loving following at the moment and why? 

I really like @young_emperors because they do fashion content a bit differently. It feels quite fun and like they don’t take it too seriously. Business Director Charlie Ross at the Fifth also introduced me to @mamasstillgotit this week and I love her! She’s so clever with her videos and so funny – every post is like a mini TV show.

Also my long-time go-tos for info (for very different reasons) are @twicethehealth for fitness advice and @cocktailchap for cocktail recipes.