• by Fern Siegel , Yesterday

Fuse Create has upped Jacquie Kostuk to group strategy director. She joined the agency in 2021 as director, creative strategy.

Kostuk will be working on various accounts, including Soles4Soles, based in Nashville, Grenade, a U.K. protein bar company, Gay Lea Foods and Maestro Dobel, a premium tequila.

Before joining the Toronto-based agency, she spent seven years at Grip as a creative strategist. While there, she worked on Yum! Brands (Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut), Acura and RBC. (Grip is now Dentsu One.)

At Fuse Create, Kostuk has been key in building out the agency's social strategy and influencer marketing for various clients. “Jacquie’s promotion reflects not only the impact she’s making across the agency, but also where we’re heading,” said Jon Crowley, senior vice president-head of strategy. 

In her new role, Kostuk sees particular challenges for brands, including using AI as a tool, rather than an answer.

Her approach to advertising? “The definition of an ad has become ambiguous. Bringing a campaign to life should look different on TV, Twitch and TikTok. I am particularly passionate about unlocking that thinking to scale across owned, earned and paid media. It can be a stunt with a heavy earned media push or a vocal TikTok mascot. Either way, we need to help clients navigate solutions that meet their consumers where they are — or risk getting lost in the noise,” she told Agency Daily.

“Brands have become obsessed with recreating the visual meme of the day, but so have their competitors,” she adds. “It's better to focus on on moments, memes or specific trends that align with your brand’s values and identity. It doesn’t need to be everything to everyone!”