Where do the best insights come from? For Kate Rush Sheehy, Chief Strategy Officer at GSD&M, it’s not always based on what people say or even what they do. Sometimes, it’s about what they don’t say or what they don’t do in certain situations.Sometimes, it’s about having a sixth sense or some feral intelligence.In this episode, Kate shares her unique approach to uncovering brand-defining insights, from analyzing who shows up to a focus group (and who doesn’t), to asking clients the kinds of questions most agencies shy away from.We explore the social-first strategy that helped Crocs become a Gen Z phenomenon and the cultural nuance behind Corona’s “La Playa Awaits.”Some of my favorite aha moments from our conversation include:How Kate builds bridges between performance and brand marketingThe social-first shift that helped Crocs go from cringe to cultural iconThe difference between Jibbitz, Fibbitz, and “ugly shoe” theoryHow a deep dive into Mexican X (aka Twitter) led to Corona’s new creative directionThe AI technique Kate’s team uses to pressure-test strategic ideas before they present strategic and creative workSome valuable lessons Kate learned about human nature by working in restaurants and retailShow Notes:Below are links to inspiring ideas that came up during our conversation.Books:Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros Who Knew? by Barry DillerCampaigns & Videos:Dept. of Veterans Affairs (work in partnership with the Ad Council: The Question)Southwest Airlines: That’s a Big FlexCorona: La Playa Awaits

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