From Insights to Action: The Bridge Between Strategy and Execution

August, 2026.- Planning is about uncovering the insights behind behavior—understanding who the audience is, what they believe, and why they make the decisions they make. Engagement Strategy takes those insights and turns them into action. Amy Restko made the move from Planning to Engagement Strategy because the agency needed someone who understood the role and was ready to evolve it into a truly omnichannel discipline.

In this interview, Restko discusses the fundamental difference between these two disciplines. Engagement Strategy is the bridge between strategy and execution. If we are not thinking holistically about the customer journey, marketing can feel like a bombardment of disconnected messages. Engagement Strategy is about bringing those touchpoints together to create an experience that feels seamless, relevant, and genuinely helpful.

Restko also addresses what happens when behavioral insights get rejected by legal or medical review. It is usually not the insight itself that gets rejected, but the content or creative expression developed to address it. Research becomes incredibly valuable to show how patients want information communicated. The most productive approach is partnering early with medical, legal, and regulatory teams.

On the most important skill young healthcare strategists are missing, Restko points to critical thinking. AI has made it easier than ever to generate ideas and recommendations, but it is also very agreeable. Young strategists need to be comfortable questioning what they are seeing, challenging assumptions, and recognizing when something sounds right but is not actually useful.

1. From Planning to Engagement Strategy: You made a “bold step” moving from Planning to Engagement Strategy. What’s the fundamental difference between these two disciplines, and why did you need to change roles to do the work you wanted to do?

The biggest difference between Planning and Engagement Strategy is how each discipline helps move the audience along their journey. To me, they’re really two sides of the same coin because both start with a deep understanding of the audience. Planning is about uncovering the insights behind behavior—understanding who the audience is, what they believe, and why they’re making the decisions they make. Engagement Strategy takes those insights and turns them into action. It’s about reaching people with the right message, in the right channel, at the right moment to help guide them along their journey. It’s the bridge between strategy and execution.

I made the move because our agency needed someone who understood the role and was ready to evolve the department into a truly omnichannel discipline. I was also becoming increasingly interested in the full customer experience.

Today, we have access to more data and more ways to engage people with personalized journeys than ever before. But if we’re not thinking holistically about the customer journey, marketing can feel like a bombardment of disconnected messages. Engagement Strategy is about bringing those touchpoints together to create an experience that feels seamless, relevant, and (hopefully) genuinely helpful to the customer.

2. Behavioral Insights in Healthcare: Healthcare marketing is heavily regulated and risk-averse. Where do behavioral insights most often get rejected by legal or medical review, and how do you fight for them without losing the battle?

In my experience, it’s usually not the behavioral insight itself that gets rejected, it’s the content or creative expression developed to address that insight.

Healthcare marketing is highly regulated, and rightly so. We need to ensure that every claim we make is accurate, supported by evidence, and aligned with the label. The challenge is translating complex clinical data into something meaningful and understandable for patients and healthcare professionals.

That’s where research becomes incredibly valuable. If we can show how patients want information communicated, what questions they’re asking, where they’re confused, or even what they’re searching for and asking AI tools, we have a stronger foundation for discussion. Instead of arguing for a creative idea, we’re bringing evidence about audience needs and behaviors to the table.

I’ve found that the most productive approach is partnering early with medical, legal, and regulatory teams. When everyone is aligned around helping people understand the information they need to make informed decisions, it’s much easier to find solutions that are both compliant and effective.

3. The IncubATor Sessions: You created a professional development initiative to help junior strategists explore behavioral science, AI, and innovation. What’s the single most important skill young healthcare strategists are missing today that you’re trying to teach?

If I had to pick one skill, it would be critical thinking.

AI has made it easier than ever to generate ideas, recommendations, and answers, but it’s also very agreeable. Young strategists need to be comfortable questioning what they’re seeing, challenging assumptions, and recognizing when something sounds right but isn’t actually useful.

Great strategists know where to focus their attention. They know what matters most, what can be left out, and where to push for deeper understanding. Having access to more information doesn’t automatically lead to better decisions…you need judgement. AI is an incredibly powerful tool, but you need curiosity, critical thinking, and discernment to help turn information into meaningful strategy.

4. Psychological Safety Initiative: You’re an active leader in the agency’s Psychological Safety initiative. In a high-stakes healthcare environment where mistakes can have serious consequences, how do you balance psychological safety with accountability for error?

I actually think psychological safety and accountability go hand in hand.

Psychological safety is about creating an environment where people feel comfortable speaking up, asking questions, admitting mistakes, and challenging potential issues without fear of repercussions. In a high-stakes environment, that’s incredibly important because the earlier we identify an error or concern, the better the outcome for everyone.

When people don’t feel safe, mistakes are more likely to go unspoken or be discovered too late. When people do feel safe, there’s greater transparency, stronger collaboration, and more accountability. The goal is to create a culture where people take ownership, learn from mistakes, and work together to prevent them from happening again.

5. Omnichannel in Healthcare vs. Consumer: Healthcare omnichannel strategy has unique constraints (privacy, compliance, fragmented data). What’s one omnichannel tactic that works beautifully in consumer marketing but fails every time in healthcare?

One tactic that works beautifully in consumer marketing but often breaks down in healthcare is the automated “cart abandonment” follow up.

In retail, if someone browses a product or leaves something in their cart, a brand can quickly follow up with an email, text, ad, or discount to encourage a purchase. That approach doesn’t translate cleanly to healthcare. An “abandoned cart” might be an unfilled prescription, a treatment page visit, or a request for support, all of which can involve sensitive health information.

As a result, healthcare marketers have to be much more thoughtful about how they use behavioral signals. We need to design around privacy, consent, channel permissions, and compliance from the start.

6. Clio Health Champion (formerly Clio Health Innovator) to PM360 ELITE 100: You’ve won multiple industry recognitions. Which award or recognition meant the most to you personally, and why—not the biggest name, but the one that signaled you were on the right track?

It’s hard to beat the Clios. Going to the Clios was a major career moment for me because I remember being in college, looking through the winning work and award submissions, and realizing that’s the kind of industry I wanted to be part of.

What made the recognition even more meaningful was the reason I was nominated. It wasn’t for a specific campaign or business result. It was for helping inspire the people around me to think creatively and innovate. Of course, receiving the award itself was incredible, but I felt especially proud that the recognition was tied to the impact I was having on my teams.

It reinforced how much I enjoy helping others do their best work and creating environments where great ideas can thrive. That experience gave me the confidence to lean further into leadership, which ultimately led me to my current role.