Written by our junior, mid-level, and new-to-the industry team members, this series offers an unfiltered look at advertising through the eyes of the next generation. From first‑brief insights to behind‑the‑scenes stories, The Briefing Room captures the energy, curiosity, ingenuity, and hard-learned lessons that drive advertising careers forward.
Before joining Copacino Fujikado Advertising, I worked on the in-house marketing teams at two smaller brands (meaning I worked directly for the brands rather than for an agency). On those small teams, working in marketing meant doing a little bit of everything. A typical day could include planning an email campaign, updating a website, coordinating a partnership, designing a flyer in Canva, or helping launch a new product. That range of responsibilities gave me a firsthand look at how marketing connects to nearly every part of a business. This perspective became even more valuable when I moved into a specialized media role at an agency.
While in-house and agency roles both have their pros and cons, my time working in-house continues to shape how I approach agency life. Seeing both sides taught me to look beyond my individual role, understand the business behind the brief, and make life a little easier for my clients.
One of the biggest changes when I moved from in-house marketing to an agency was going from doing a “little bit of everything” to focusing exclusively on media. In house I was a Marketing Coordinator, then Marketing Manager. As a Media Strategist at Co, I have been able to build much deeper expertise in media strategy, planning, buying, and reporting. Although we strongly value integrated campaigns and work closely with other departments, my role is naturally more streamlined than it was in-house.
Because I have worked on so many different parts of marketing, I still tend to think about how all the pieces will work together. A media plan does not exist on its own. The creative needs to work for each placement, the website needs to be ready for the traffic we are sending to it, and channels like email and social should support the same message. I may not be the person responsible for all those pieces anymore, but having done them before helps me understand what other teams need, ask better questions, and make stronger media recommendations.
The brands I worked for in-house were very different from the clients I work with now, so the specific business knowledge does not always carry over. What does carry over is an understanding that there is much more happening behind every marketing request than what appears in the brief.
By the time a brief reaches an agency, it may seem like a straightforward assignment. In reality, it is often the result of many internal conversations, competing priorities, budget limitations, and rounds of approval that the agency never sees.
Now, when I receive a brief, I try to understand not only what the client is asking for, but why they are asking for it and what they ultimately need the work to accomplish. I may not know every detail of a client’s business, but my in-house experience reminds me to ask more questions, look for the larger context, and think about whether a recommendation will actually work within the client’s reality. We know that the strongest recommendation is not always the biggest or most exciting idea. It is the one that helps solve the client’s real business challenge.
Another lesson I carried over from in-house marketing is that the person sitting across from the agency is rarely the only person our recommendation needs to win over. I like to say that agency life is a customer service job, but our clients have clients too. They may need to answer to coworkers, managers, company owners, leadership teams, or other departments, all with different priorities and ideas about what marketing should accomplish.
Working in-house showed me how much can happen between receiving a recommendation and actually moving it forward. Our client contact may need to gather feedback, work through internal politics, answer questions, and defend the investment before anything is approved. By the time that feedback makes its way back to the agency, we may not have seen all the conversations that shaped it.
Remembering this helps me approach feedback with more empathy and think about what our clients will need after the meeting ends. A strong recommendation is not very useful if it is difficult to explain, approve, or execute. My job is not only to share what I think the client should do, but also to clearly explain why, acknowledge the tradeoffs, and give our client contact the information they need to get others on board.
My path into agency life was somewhat different, as many marketers begin at an agency and later move in-house. I took the opposite path, and I’m glad I did it this way. Working in-house taught me how marketing supports the broader business, while agency life has allowed me to deepen my media expertise and learn from specialists across multiple disciplines.
Having experience on both sides reminds me that a successful campaign needs to do more than look strong in a media plan or presentation. It must connect with the client’s larger marketing efforts, support meaningful business goals, and be realistic for their team to approve and execute.
And for those just starting their careers, my advice is to keep an open mind about where you gain your early experience. Your first role does not need to be your dream position or align perfectly with your long-term goals. Every opportunity can teach you something and help you grow. Focus on trying new things, building a range of skills, and staying open to where those experiences may lead you.
Jessica Doy joined Copacino Fujikado in 2024 as an Associate Media Strategist and has since been promoted to Media Strategist. During her time at the agency, she has led media strategy for clients including Sound Transit, King County Library System, and A to Z Wineworks. Before joining Co, she worked in-house in brand marketing and PR, experience that continues to shape how she approaches strategy and client partnership. Her favorite part of agency life is the opportunity to work across a wide range of industries and continually learn something new.
