Toronto, August 19th, 2020

With headquarters in Toronto, Jam3 is a design and experience agency that partners with forward thinking brands from around the world.

The agency specializes in creating highly advanced, experiential works in both the advertising and entertainment industries, helping companies from strategy, to ideation, to execution.

By merging unique interactivity with detailed design, Jam3 produces engaging digital stories that incorporate everything from live action, animation and sound design to coded particle systems and complex 3D engines. All the ingredients that a company might need to create innovative interactive experiences.

Jessica Clements is the Head of Strategy at Jam3. In an interview with TIA, she described her career in the digital sector in different companies from around the world, while looking at possible future challenges due to Coronavirus.

Jessica also reflected on her work at the agency and on what makes them stand out from the crowd.

Tell us about your personal journey. How did you find yourself working as Head of Strategy at Jam3?

Ough…that’s a big question. What’s the max word count here?

I guess I should start by explaining my background: I’m a product and service designer specializing in research, strategy and innovation. If you had told me 20 years ago I would have ended up here and in this field I would have thought you were crazy.

I originally did a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting at the University of British Columbia. After working in the industry for a few years, I did an MBA in marketing and strategy at the Schulich School of Business. My plan was to gain the marketing expertise to launch and grow a theatre company. While doing my degree, however, I kind of fell in love with strategy and the ability to apply my interest in human behaviors to a business context.

After graduating, I went overseas to live in London, England. At this time, digital was just becoming a thing. Companies were just starting to recognize that this was an important channel. (I know…it’s crazy to think about that now). I wish I could say that I was smart enough to predict the future and jump on the trend…. but I remember being apprehensive about entering a career in digital. All of my classmates were taking, what appeared to be, more secure jobs at traditional consultancies. Nonetheless, I was intrigued enough to take a job as a strategist with a large digital agency. It was probably one of the best decisions I have made in my life.

During the years that followed, my career grew in unexpected ways in response to the ever changing and developing practice of experience design. My focus went from website design, to customer experience design, to service design in a relatively short period of time. In addition, digital went from being an afterthought or a line item in the IT budget, to being the central component of many clients’ customer engagement strategies. Inadvertently, I had landed in one of the most influential and exciting fields in modern history. What a freaking fluke.

After a decade working overseas with some of the best agencies in the world, I returned to Canada and was on the lookout for a company that could compete at the same level as my past workplaces. When Jam3 reached out I had to pinch myself.

Please describe what’s a regular week like usually at the agency

I’m going to give the age-old answer to this question. There is no such thing as a regular week at Jam3. My weeks are incredibly varied. This is largely due to the fact that we are a project-based company and help clients design and build everything from products and services; AR and VR experiences; events and activations; campaigns; innovative storytelling; and more. At the highest level though most of my weeks involve some project-based work, planning and scoping of new efforts, and supporting team members in honing their craft.

Name a challenge your team is currently facing.

As expected, I think some of us are feeling a bit isolated. This has led to the company doing a number of different social activities each week. We’ve done everything from house tours, to pub quizzes, to live yoga. You name it, we’ve probably tried it.

In your opinion, what’s the most important factor that leads companies to create successful digital experiences?

Curiosity. Curiosity for what audiences are doing; what’s driving their behaviors; what they want/need; what others are doing in the marketplace; and how new and emerging technologies can be used to enhance the experience. I think it goes without saying that curiosity is directly linked with having the right people. You need the right people who are driven by a desire and passion to explore and act on the above.

Once COVID-19 is finally over, what trends or issues do you believe will be the most challenging in the future?

I think there will be a big divide between those who want to continue to work from home, and those who want/need face-to-face contact. I imagine there will be some tensions between these groups and some from the latter may feel that those who stay home are not investing as much in workplace relationships. This may cause strong cliques to form, which obviously isn’t good. Companies are going to have to think hard about how to mitigate damage to their cultures.

What are you currently doing to make sure you stay ahead of your clients?

This is simple. Listen. Listen to what is going on the world, and most importantly, what others in the organization are talking about. I’m surrounded by some of the most curious and engaged individuals on the planet (Like really. That’s not an exaggeration). I’ve come to accept that I could never uncover even 1% of the content that we collectively surface. So instead of trying to lead the pack and be the most aggressive reader out there I rely on our shared slack channels (as well as other social media channels) to identify interesting news and information to consume.

In addition, to ensure we collectively stay ahead, we are developing expert knowledge communities consisting of 3-4 individuals who will track trends related to key focus areas and share insights across the organization at regular intervals.

Do you have any recommendations for startups that look for digital transformation but their budget and resources are limited?

Hire people who are willing to learn on the job and don’t hesitate to roll up their sleeves and do whatever activity has to be done. In fact, I think that’s good advice for any company, no matter the size or financial position. In this industry, things are changing so fast that if your people aren’t flexible you’re not going to survive.

Can you outline three of the most crucial skills any senior strategist should possess?

The ability to conduct research and investigate a problem space; the ability to synthesize information and identify key opportunities to design around; and the ability to craft a clear and compelling narrative or argument for a pathway forward.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

It’s not really advice, it’s more of a mantra: If you aren’t failing some of the time; you aren’t pushing the limits of what you’re capable of.

Can you name a fun-fact people would be surprised to learn about you?

I loved Shawshank Redemption so much when I saw it that I rewound it and watched it again immediately. It’s like a 3-hour film! I had never done that before, nor have I ever done that since. The scene in which Andy locks himself in the office and plays the opera over the loud speaker still gets me.

Thanks Jessica!

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