Special PR strategist Nina Richardson loves that there are lots of different right answers… all grounded in truth.
Nina Richardson has always been a fan of advertising – the kind of person who “never skipped the ad breaks”.
She was drawn to how creative work could speak directly to its audience.
But it wasn’t until she got hooked on the drama series Mad Men that the realisation struck: “Working in a creative agency would be so much fun.”
Luckily, not long after graduating university, Richardson came across a graduate programme at Special Group that got her foot in the door.
She rotated through a few roles, but the more she learned about brand strategy, the more she thought: “This is really what I want to be doing.”
Now a full-time strategist, no two days are the same.
“One moment I might be deep in desk research. The next, I’m mapping out strategic territories, writing brand manifestos or building mood boards.
“Some days I’m running focus groups or in-depth interviews. Other times, I’m co-leading client workshops or out in the field visiting retail stores,” says Richardson.
She likes how her boss Rory Gallery puts it: “A strategist is like the person standing on the ground, holding the kite. The kite is the creative idea that’s flying around – and you’re there to keep it grounded in truth, effectiveness and best practice.”
From insights to impact
It’s not quite been two years since Richardson joined Special, but she’s already contributed to several successful campaigns, including the award-winning ‘Export Ultra Cold Call Back Service’ for DB.
“One of the most rewarding things about the ‘Cold Call Back Service’ campaign was hearing people talk about using it on their summer holidays and seeing it become part of culture,” she says.
Richardson loves creating work that “feels like it can grow its own legs and walk off, live in the world and do its own thing”.
She also finds joy in connecting with people on the ground.
“I love doing qualitative research with real people, trying to get under the hood of what their emotional drivers are and what makes them tick.
“Earlier this year, I visited Fiji to do ethnographic research for a couple of different Fiji beer brands. We got to talk to people about what the beer means to them – but also about their lives, who they are and what’s important to them. That felt like a real privilege – to have that kind of insight into people’s lives,” she says.
The art of strategy
When it comes to strategy, Richardson takes a former colleague’s nugget of “being a magpie” to heart.
“Magpies tend to gather shiny things – bits of metal or jewellery – and bring them back to their nest. In the context of strategy, it’s so valuable to always be on the lookout for interesting insights, human truths or just things that surprise you… because you never know when they’ll come in handy.
“Strategy isn’t like maths, where there’s a really clear right answer. There’s a breadth of right answers, a breadth of wrong answers – and a whole lot in between.”
That’s why she reminds herself that being wrong isn’t failure – it’s part of figuring out what works.
“There’s a strategist I follow on LinkedIn, Joe Burns, who recently described it in a way I really liked. He said something like, ‘Strategy is the art of being temporarily wrong in pursuit of being eventually and surprisingly right’ – which I think perfectly sums it up.”
This story comes from NZ Marketing magazine issue 85, Dec 2025-Feb 2026. Why not subscribe? Get four issues a year for just $50 (including delivery) if you autorenew.
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