MarTech Interview with Scott Goodson, Founder and CEO of StrawberryFrog

Scott, you’ve led StrawberryFrog for 25 years, driving it to become a leader in purpose-driven advertising. Can you share with us your professional journey and how you’ve maintained such a strong creative vision over the years?
Ad Age Small Agency of the Year is StrawberryFrog for our purpose work. Nice trophy, but let’s talk about real impact. The world’s a dumpster fire of problems, and each one’s a golden ticket for companies to sell products while actually doing some good. Novel concept, right? Take SunTrust. We didn’t just peddle more banking products. We engineered the onUp Movement, turning financial stress into confidence. Result? New accounts skyrocketed, and employee loyalty went through the roof. This isn’t just feel-good fluff. It’s capitalism with a conscience. Blame it on my Canadian roots and Swedish career kickoff. Those countries are to social responsibility what Silicon Valley is to overvalued startups.

This isn’t just about solving problems. It’s about staying relevant in an industry that moves faster than a tweet during a presidential debate. StrawberryFrog’s been in the game for 25 years — the same month that ‘Baby One More Time’ album debuted from Britney Spears. That’s longer than most influencers have been alive. You don’t survive that long by playing it safe. We’re out here playing 4D chess.

In this game, you’re either the disruptor or the disrupted. StrawberryFrog isn’t here to be turned into frog legs. We’re here to make our clients rich and maybe save the world in the process. Now that’s what I call a win-win.

StrawberryFrog is well-known for its “Movement Thinking” approach. Could you explain how this philosophy has shaped the agency’s work and how it differentiates you from other agencies in the industry?
StrawberryFrog isn’t just another ad shop peddling jingles and billboards. Traditional ad agencies? They think they can solve everything with a catchy tagline and a Super Bowl spot. Many agencies are still pushing products like it’s 1960. StrawberryFrog is in the business of starting revolutions. We don’t just want eyeballs; we want hearts, minds, and TikTok feeds.

We’re mobilizing consumers and galvanizing employees. Our Movement Thinking™ isn’t just marketing; it’s a seismic shift in how brands connect with humans. Programmatic unleashes Movements, driving brand and demand with the precision of a heat-seeking missile. It’s like traditional creative advertising, but on steroids. In a world where cookies are disappearing, Movement let us focus on the ‘why’ not the who – which is the preferred way to identify and engage audiences in 2025.

While traditional agencies are high-fiving over short-term sales spikes, we’re playing the long game. We’re not just building campaigns; we’re building relationships that last longer than most Hollywood marriages.

And here’s the kicker: We’re not just making brands look good. We’re positioning them as catalysts for change that just happen to sell products. It’s not about being a corporate citizen; it’s about being a corporate superhero.
The result? Consumers don’t just buy the product; they buy into the brand. They’re not just customers; they’re disciples. And for our clients? They’re not just making money; they’re printing it.

In a world of ad agencies, it’s good to be a StrawberryFrog. Because in the end, it’s not about who has the biggest budget. It’s about who can start the biggest movement. And trust me, in that game, we’re the Goliath, not David.

In 2011, I brought the idea of Brand Movements to the world in a best-selling book called Uprising: How to Build a Brand–and Change the World–By Sparking Cultural Movements and it was about a novel idea behind StrawberryFrog’s original approach. Namely, using the principles of societal movements to build brand movements. Last year we wrote another book called  Emirates Movement “Hello Tomorrow“, Crowe “Embrace Volatility” which takes the idea of Movements to the next level. Basically it solves the huge problem companies have in activating their Purpose strategies.

It charts StrawberryFrog’s work is all about building movements, and we do this work both on the outside of companies (e.g., Emirates Movement “Hello Tomorrow”, Crowe “Embrace Volatility” as well as this Northwell “Raise Health” movement) and on the inside of companies engaging employees, often at massive scale (e.g., our work Walmart on engaging associates around their health and benefits in a new way), reducing attrition at Pandora with “Pandora Nation” additionally “OnUp” for SunTrust.

Recently, StrawberryFrog was named Creative Purpose Agency of the Year by Ad Age. What does this recognition mean to you and your team, and how do you think it reflects the impact of your work?
It means don’t rest on your laurels. It’s about the same thing that’s been important since man first entered the Fertile Crescent 10,000 years ago: faster, better, cheaper. The award for StrawberryFrog is for strategic and creative excellence. It’s also for results, results and results, In other words, positive business outcomes for our clients. For example, health systems now that the brand to admire these days is Northwell. And in consulting and accounting, the brand to admire is Crowe. And in jewelry the brand to admire is Pandora, especially under the leadership of Luciano Rodembusch.

The “Unstoppable Together” campaign you developed for Truist highlights the balance between financial knowledge and genuine care. How did you and your team arrive at this concept, and what was the process like working with Truist on this evolution in their creative strategy?
Truist is a purpose-driven bank. We work closely with them and together we come up with fresh ideas and brilliant creative work. I guess you can say that Truist and StrawberryFrog are unstoppable together.

You recently launched inplural, a transformation company focused on integrating brand purpose with company culture. What inspired this venture, and how do you envision it contributing to the broader goals of StrawberryFrog?
There is money to be made in solving problems. Each one of those represents an immense opportunity for companies and brands. Why focus on ideas the world does not need, when there’s good business in solving problems? What we are building – under the incredible leadership of the brilliant Daniel Gomez Seidel and his team of ex-IDEO heavyweights and other top-shelf talent – is a revolutionary innovation and transformation company for the world taking shape. inplural is about assembling the ultimate dream team – which Daniel assembles from across the globe customized to each client’s unique needs. Daniel Gomez Seidel isn’t just leading the charge; he’s rewriting the playbook. We’ve got more brain power and a plurality of talents than a Musk family reunion.

Inplural isn’t just another innovation lab. It’s where we’re cooking up the next big thing before the world even knows it needs it. We’re talking about new products, services, and experiences. This is what inplural does. We are the perfect combination for CEOs or CMOs or CXOs who want to reimagine a company and grow the business. It’s top shelf innovation and transformation and the very best creative advertising to release it.

Innovation seems to be a core part of StrawberryFrog’s DNA. How do you ensure that your team stays at the forefront of creativity and remains ahead of trends in an ever-evolving industry?
StrawberryFrog was born to challenge the domination and control of the advertising industry by the huge corporate agencies. At StrawberryFrog we believe that small is beautiful, and we’ve built a culture that’s all about attitude. When our people see a ball sitting in the middle of the floor, they jump in and take it down the field and score a goal. It’s a culture of initiative and ingenuity to solve problems, not loads of cash. Big corporate holding companies are expensive and slow, and do all the things that lead to bad creativity. There are thousands of agencies out there. Clients have an abundance of choice. And yet a majority of our clients come to us through referral or former clients coming to us with their problems that need solving.

We do what huge clients need and want, we just do it better than the dinosaurs. When Pampers wanted to overtake Huggies, we devised the ‘capture at conception’ strategy and designed a Pampers branded pregnancy calendar to engage prenatal parents. Boom 100,000 parents joined Pampers within the first weeks of knowing they were going to have a baby. How cool and effective is that? To come up with these ideas, we have to challenge ourselves and our own ideas, reimagine our world, and use new and better and smarter ways to engage. Our tight team of storytellers and designers and cultural anthropologists have the kind of relationships that welcome new thinking and aren’t fearful of it. They push each other to think in new and fresher ways. This is the culture of StrawberryFrog.

As a leader in such a dynamic field, how do you personally stay motivated and continually push the boundaries of creativity and purpose in your work?
I was born a curious person. It drives me, inspires me, and motivates me. I read lots of books – all sorts of books. This summer for instance I read 10 books. One of my favs was called “In Praise of Shadows’ and is a book about what it was like when Japan switched on electricity in the 1920s, and you are brought right into the experience of the author who explains how Japanese culture is designed around shadows, why they use gold in art work, and white face, and lacquerware. And how all of this changed with the arrival of western electricity. I just love these kinds of books that get you to think and appreciate how humans live. I also love to travel and experience the four corners of the globe. Usually my wife Karin and I drag our two sons with us. It also helps having two wonderful sons who are curious and over dinners they walk my wife and I through all the amazing things they are experiencing.

In your opinion, what is the most significant change in the advertising industry over the past decade, and how has StrawberryFrog adapted to meet new challenges and opportunities?
Some things change, some things stay the same.
Let’s start with change:
We started an AI agency earlier this year called Mach Won. Already, it has had a significant impact on how we work. I think it represents the greatest single opportunity for us and for understanding, shaping and engaging humans, and it is and will change the face of the industry.
Now, let’s look at what stays the same:
This is a business that is all about relationships, first, second and last.
What are the essentials to a lasting relationship with clients? What must they be?
– Honesty. Whatever happens, client and agency need to tell each other the
truth.
– Trust and mutual forgiving of mistakes, which are unavoidable on both sides.
– Absence of fear. Nobody can produce great work, under a Damocles sword.
– Acknowledgement of jobs well done.
– Mutual agreement that carrots produce largely better and more work than
clubs.
– Openness from wherever ideas come from. They often come from the client.
– Close involvement at the top of client and agency. The big picture must
constantly be clear to everybody.
– Nobody is permitted to waver in the belief of the essential values of the
brand.
– And finally, a sense of humor, which allows both sides to have as much fun as possible,
in the interest of outstanding commitment and work.

For those aspiring to make an impact in the world of advertising or purpose-driven work, what advice would you offer them as they embark on their journey?
Work at an agency where you can work closely with the founder. I can’t overemphasize how valuable this would be. I had the opportunity to work with a Swedish entrepreneur when I was young, named Nils Welinder. He was a most inspiring boss not only in what great advertising is, but also how to run an independent agency. I ate lunch with Nils once a month and I learned a lot.
My career in advertising has spanned over four decades, taking me across the globe from Stockholm to Toronto, Amsterdam to Singapore, and from Mumbai to Tokyo, São Paulo, and Dubai. This journey has been more than just a professional path; it’s been a tapestry of inspiring experiences and meaningful relationships. The longevity and diversity of my career have afforded me a wealth of experiences that few other industries could match. But more than the places I’ve worked or the campaigns I’ve created, it’s the relationships I’ve forged that truly define the richness of my career.

A recent example that stands out is when Adam Kerj, now the European creative head of Accenture Song, and his wife visited my wife Karin and me in New York City. Adam and I first met as young professionals, worked together, and have maintained a friendship ever since. This enduring connection exemplifies the unique personal bonds that this industry fosters.
Reflecting on my journey, I’m hard-pressed to think of another field that could have provided such a fulfilling and diverse career. The advertising industry has not only allowed me to explore the world but also to create lasting connections that transcend borders and span decades. It’s these experiences and relationships that make me grateful for the path I’ve chosen and continue to inspire me in my work today.

Before we wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share about the future of StrawberryFrog, your personal vision, or any exciting projects on the horizon?
Well, what you see today isn’t what you’ll see tomorrow or in the future, StrawberryFrog never stands still.

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