Thin Planning

I was judging some awards yesterday and it really struck me how many entries seemed to be pictures of a problem that someone (probably a client) had identified. Taken in the round, there seem to be relatively few agencies trying to get under the skin of the problem, of the consumer and make a creative leap. Instead they're relying on a bit of data planning or segmentation to mechanise their way to a solution. Of course, this means planning has to be too thinly spread across the industry. Most agencies have a planner, but it has to be a token gesture, on this evidence. I beleive Nike once specified thier agencies sent a planner and a designer to briefings - the 'creative team'. Perhaps the industry needs to realise that it needs planners at breadth and depth if it's going to make work more interesting (and award winning), and thereby make the industry look better, and prevent the brain drain to other sectors like banking.

Flickr fun stuff

First off, Planning Eye has just accepted its 100th member, a planner from Kyoto (hope you don't mind me grabbing the image, Akiyo?). This isn't just a place to grab images for presentations, or to give insight into other places, but is starting to become an exchange of ideas and networking. I only know 18 of these folks personally, and a few more by 'e-' so I think it's terrific everyone's found it and joined in. Onwards and upwards

Secondly, someone found a copy of the creative brief image posted there some time ago. Apparently it's the only creative brief on Flickr found with the search term 'creative brief' - does that make it a Flickr-whack? Have we invented a new form of playtime?

Other Planning Types?

A question really. I've noticed on Planning Eye that we have 75 planners but 2 or 3 folks are urban planners. I think that's quite interesting as their role is probably fairly similar to an ad planner - understanding or predicting a person's behaviour or perceptions when presented with an 'environment'. Maybe closer to digital planning.
I wonder what other industries have planners? Architects? Artists? And what their scope of work looks like? What tools do they use? If you're one, get in touch?
Perhaps it would be cool to have a planners-of-the-world unite wiki or something. Maybe a meta-coffee-morning?

Planning types

Is blogging killing planning? this is the post from IF! today.

We were at last night's industry prizefight in which two heavyweights of the plannersphere sparred without either managing a knockout blow.

The debate, sparked by this now infamous post, raged over the motion that blogging was killing planning. In the 'yes' corner was Grey London's John Lowery, wearing what can only be described as an outrageous jacket. In the 'no' corner was John Grant, founder of St Luke's and wearing his qual research shirt with 'Yes, No, Maybe' plastered over it.

John Lowery kicked off the debate with a well put together speech. The central tenet of his argument being that whilst planning blogs spewed out ideas and idle pontification they lacked the intellectual and statistical rigor that the discipline requires. He also argued that many planners, particularly the more junior were likely to fall into the trap of introspection.

John Grant's argument wasn't a direct answer to Lowery's, Instead he argued that there was no way of measuring the effect of such a new medium on the discipline of planning. Grant also pointed out that the 'advertising' industry was doing itself no favours by attacking a medium that threatened it very own existence.

Once the opening salvos had passed the debate moved into a more ideological territory which harked back to the dawn of planning; on the one side those who believed that numbers were the key to good planning, whilst the other argued that great creative ideas could be honed for target audiences in focus groups. Whilst Lowery represented inspiration coming from solid data, Grant argued that clients needed something to push them beyond this: ideas that took their brand further.

Does this go to a deeper root - a generational one? Are younger, newer planners of the idea-first variety, and older ones from the 'let's start with the Nielsen' camp? It's certainly my impression, which is why I like generalists - planners who can come at things from both paths. And that's because client cultures vary and seem to gravitate towards different planning approaches (or more accurately, sometimes planners have to find a way to get traction). John Grant won.

Dear Campaign

Thought I'd send this to Campaign letters in response to their article on DDB integrating its planning department.

Now, don't get me wrong. I love DDB planning. I hope it's not patronising to say that there are at least 2 planners there I'd hire tomorrow if I could. But it does amuse me when Campaign announced the radical reorgaisation of a big blue chip network agency planning department. Obviously, it's nice to see planning at the centre of integration. But there are many smaller, more agile and independent agencies who have been doing interesting things for ages, without the fanfare.

At Chemistry, we have spent 3 years hiring planners with core skills in direct, digital, brand and advertising, and they learn (through training, direction and, frankly, just working together) the skills of the other. The result is a blended, ideas-centric, solution-neutral planning function that punches well above its weight in client reputation surveys.

So, maybe we are entering a new era of integrated planning. Or maybe what I'm really railing at is Campaign's epiphany, or apparent limited interest of what's going on outside the top 10. But I blow a raspberry at the networks who are just now getting it. And welcome the competition of course.

I've been tagged, and I'm actually secretly quite touched. Thanks Luca. I think the rule is that I have to tell you 5 things you don't know about me, and tag 5 others. This reminds me of a little exercise we sometimes use in brainstorms - 2 truths and a lie. Although I'll try not to lie.

I also like the idea of putting everything in lists. I ought to have made a resolution to write all my entries and presentations in lists of ten.

Anyhow, 5 things.

1. I used to travel A LOT. Like 120 times a year. I miss it, I really do.
2. I have a pathological hatred of uniforms and most of the people who wear them (I used to have to wear a suit)
3. The best ad ever was for the Homeless Association of New York, with homeless people singing lines to New York New York. I wanted to cry.
4. I think I have IED - Intermittent Explosive Disorder. It's sort of a trendy new thing to justify flying off the handle. Rudeness, injustice and people who don't think for themselves get my dander up.
5. I hardly ever watch TV and have no idea who the soap characters are or know anything about popular culture, like which band is sleeping with which supermodel. Which is probably a terrible admission by a planner, but I just don't care about it.

That was hard, actually, as I try to be as superficial as possible (is that no 6?).

And I hereby pass the baton to:

Richard. Polymathic colleague who takes nice pictures.
Russell, who I knew before he became famous.
John, for his help and thoughts and ideas.
Nathan, who knows about digital stuff. Go on, ask him.
Bogdana, who flies the flag in Romania.

Pictures. Lots of pictures

I'm super-impressed about the number of planners and planning type folks and planners from other industries who have joined Planning Eye group on Flickr. People are posting pictures of all sorts of things that I'd never have taken, and see things I'd never look at. It's wonderful to know what's exercising planning minds around the world.

The thing is I want to do something with all this stuff. The web is wonderful but people have to find it. It's the people who are involved who are seeing things. I think I might produce a booklet or somesuch and give a copy to all the planners and creatives I know. Don't know what good it would do, or what they'd do with it, but it seems like a nice idea.