Peach Natividad on Making Sense of the Chaos

Peach Natividad is an energetic communications strategy leader with nearly 20 years of experience in market creation and strategic planning across various industries. She is an experienced brand accelerator, architect of change, connector of people and technology, and global visionary with local culture expertise.

She is recognised for her pragmatic approach to changing consumer behaviour and consistently pushing creative boundaries to build both brands and businesses across the region. A magna cum laude graduate of the University of the Philippines, she holds several mini MBAs from Marketing Week, the UK, and a Professional Master Course in brand strategy from HOALA Institute, Spain.

Peach sat down with LBB to discuss why good strategy evolves through the creative process, as well as her advice for those just starting their careers in strategy.

LBB> What do you think is the difference between a strategist and a planner? Is there one?

Peach> It really depends on the agency or the country. Strategists sound more business like, planners sound more made for advertising. I feel like planners are more about comms and channel thinking, while strategists are more about making deliberate choices around human behaviour. Personally, I do both – I plan the work and scheme for impact.

LBB> Which description suits the way you work best?

Peach> Definitely strategist. I like to zoom out before I zoom in. I start with business, people, culture, and context, then narrow it down to a strategy that will make communications actually land. It’s kind of like doing anthropology in Keynote.

LBB> We’re used to hearing about the best creative advertising campaigns, but what’s your favourite historic campaign from a strategic perspective?

Peach> I honestly don’t have a single favourite, and that’s kind of the point. Every great campaign is great because of its context. What worked for Dove in 2004 wouldn’t work for Nike in 2025. I get more inspired by the thinking behind them than by the finished work.

LBB> When you’re turning a business brief into something that can inform an inspiring creative campaign, what’s the most useful resource you draw on?

Peach> I start at two extremes. One end is raw human instinct – the stuff that hasn’t changed since cave days: belonging, pride, fear, the need to be seen. The other is how those instincts show up now in trends, memes, or micro-fads. Same primal drives, just wearing new outfits. The trick is connecting both ends so the work feels both timeless and timely.

LBB> What part of your job or the strategic process do you enjoy the most?

Peach> That moment when the chaos finally makes sense. You’re swimming in data, contradictions, and weird client asks… then suddenly, it clicks. That one human truth that ties it all together.

LBB> What strategic maxims, frameworks or principles do you find yourself going back to over and over again?

Peach> I’m a big believer in ‘The Long and the Short of It’ – you can’t have sustainable growth if you’re only chasing spikes. Brand building and activation need to dance together. I also come from the Mark Ritson school of marketing (literally, I took his mini MBA) so I’m grounded in the basics: segmentation, targeting, positioning. It sounds textbook, but it’s shocking how often we forget the fundamentals.

And of course, a lot of my thinking is shaped by the nature of the Filipino. We’re a nation of contradictions: collectivist but status-driven, emotional yet pragmatic. Understanding that duality helps me frame strategies that actually resonate here and not just look good on a global template.

LBB> What sort of creatives do you like to work with?

Peach> The ones who treat a brief like a trampoline, not a cage. They question, they banter, they throw curveballs… and then they turn an insight into something that makes people feel something. I like curious creatives who don’t just take strategy as instructions, but as inspiration. Even if it’s something they say no to.

LBB> There’s a negative stereotype about strategy being used to validate creative ideas, rather than to inform them. How do you make sure the agency gets this the right way round?

Peach> Honestly, I don’t see anything wrong with that. The best answers are usually formed together. Just like strategists can be creative, creatives can be strategic. Strategists don’t have a monopoly on solving the world’s problems, or even brand problems. Good strategy often evolves halfway through the process, when new ideas or perspectives spark something better. It’s not about who sent the deck first; it’s about where the work gets to in the end.

LBB> What have you found to be the most important consideration in recruiting and nurturing strategic talent?

Peach> I tend to hire with the team in mind. I’m not just looking for the best individual strategist. Instead I’m thinking, “What does a high-functioning strategy team need right now?” People have different strengths: some are brilliant at insight-hunting, others are great at framing, some just have killer instincts. I hire so that, together, those strengths complement each other. The goal is a team with multiple perspectives and approaches, not clones of one “perfect strategist”.

LBB> In recent years, effectiveness awards have grown in prestige. How do you think this has impacted how strategists work and are perceived?

Peach> It’s made us more accountable. Strategy can’t just stop at a clever deck anymore – it has to connect to real business results. That’s great. The only danger is turning strategy into KPI theatre. The trick is to measure impact without losing the soul of creativity.

LBB> Do you have any frustrations with planning or strategy as a discipline?

Peach> Oh, so many. We can get trapped in our own cleverness. There’s a lot of jargon, trend-chasing, and overcomplication. Sometimes we mistake decks for ideas. Strategy should make things clearer, not heavier.

LBB> What advice would you give to anyone considering a career as a strategist or planner?

Peach> Read memes like they’re market research. Listen more than you talk. And remember that the best strategies aren’t the ones that sound smartest, but the ones that make the work feel right.