World of Warcraft is roughly the same size as the Death Star There are 28 billion UK coins in circulation, worth £3 ½ billion Boring audiobooks don’t help you get to sleep. They have to be a bit thrilling – although its OK if the writing is terrible ‘dongle’ and ‘waggle’ are funny words Rhopography … Continue reading Interesting things from Interesting2008
Tag: Account Planning
We’re going to Lon-don, to Interesting2008
So I’m off to London for Interesting 2008 tomorrow, held again at the lovely Conway Hall. If you’re going too, please come over and say Hello. I’m really looking forward to it – last year’s Interesting was brilliant and yes, very very Interesting too. I’m also slightly nervous as I’m taking one of the mini … Continue reading We’re going to Lon-don, to Interesting2008
soggy sarnie design
I’ve been charging up and down the M1 a lot recently and have therefore been sampling the delights of Moto’s service station network. They’re in the process of rebranding their cafeteria offering to EDC – The Eat and Drink Co. Looks great, huh? Well, it looks great in isolation and probably looked fab presented on … Continue reading soggy sarnie design
experience at the expense of creativity?
My Dad has always claimed that the older and more experienced you get, the less truly original and creative ideas you are likely to come up with. It makes a lot of sense when you think about it. As you enter “we tried that in 1994 and it didn’t work” and “well, it went perfectly … Continue reading experience at the expense of creativity?
Trust me, I’m a Planner
I’ve been thinking a lot about Trust recently. In an planning/agency context, there’s a lot of Trust needed, between Planners and their Account Directors (please involve me but don’t try and micro manage my relationship with your client) and between Planners and their key client contacts (I really do have the best interests of your … Continue reading Trust me, I’m a Planner
There is no ideal
I’ve been thinking a lot recently about whether there is an ‘ideal’ way to structure a Planning department. Of course, I’ve come to the conclusion that just as there isn’t an ‘ideal’ agency model, there isn’t an ‘ideal’ Planning department structure to fit it. Looking around the net, Russell Davies has been posting about whether … Continue reading There is no ideal
Alternative job titles for a Planner (Account, Strategic or otherwise)
Seeker of Insight Chief Post-Rationaliser Head of Desk Research King/Queen of google Master of Disguise Director of Negotiation Futureologist Data Analyst Librarian Voice of the Consumer NPD Consultant Market Researcher Brainstorming Trainer Freelance Journalist Senior Vice President of Brief Writing
Generalist or Specialist? Whose responsibility?
I was having a chat with someone with decades more agency experience behind them than me yesterday about integrated agencies and their evolving role. His take was that the problem was that an integrated model required Specialist account managers (DM, Advertising, PR etc.) but Generalist account directors who could advise their clients across multiple disciplines/specialisms/channels. The snag … Continue reading Generalist or Specialist? Whose responsibility?
toolbox – the gift that keeps on giving
One of the most valuable gifts I've ever been given at work was from the retiring planning guru, who bequeathed me a powerpoint document containing every chart he'd ever used. I don't think I realised at the time just how useful it would turn out to be, both for those 'how do I show this insight in … Continue reading toolbox – the gift that keeps on giving
Sheep and feigned incompetence
There is a great article by former APG chair Merry Baskin subtitled 'what do account planners do exactly'. My favourite excerpt reads: In general, planners are not very well organised. Tidy minds tend to move in a linear fashion, rather than laterally. And while some may feign incompetence so they don't get stuck delivering proofs to … Continue reading Sheep and feigned incompetence