Category: The day job
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I realised the other week how much my job doesn't consist of talking about advertising. By advertising, I of course don't mean the old fashioned 'above the line' thing, just ways of making people want the thing your selling. But whatever you want to call it, planners don't do a right lot of it next to…
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I'm in the middle of reading Pies and Prejudice by Stuart Maconie. Not only is it fun, he manages to get an incredible amount of detail into everything. Really worth looking at if you want to understand what people are like Up North – and if you're a planner in London, isn't that essential?…
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I did something I haven''t done for quite some time, moderated some focus groups. It's not my favourite way of researching stuff I have to admit, but you know what? Groups are still a pretty good way of finding stuff out. Don't take everything at face value, watch for when everyone is agreeing to fit…
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I thought it was time to get back to some planning craft stuff, it's been a while. Now we've done creative briefing already, but I thought it was worthwhile looking at propositions in more detail. I think it's important because it's always the part of the brief the creative reads first – to the point…
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To fill the thick silence between people who have only just met there is often the most dreaded question in small talk: "So what do you do?" If you work in advertising, this question is to be dreaded. You'll get: 1.The armchair creative geniuses who love to pound you with reasons why they don't make any…
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Rob Campbell's posted the results to the Account Planning School of the Web. You should read it because: The submissions are really good. The advice from the reboubtable Mr C is useful to all. Rob's a bald planner like me (but considerably more succesful).
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The Edge Questionnaire asked in 2006, 'What is your dangerous idea?'. Something dangerous not because it's false, but because it might be true. It was posed to the worlds best thinkers, ergo not to the likes of me. Nevertheless, here's some dangerous ideas, not completely things I've thought of (as if!) but things I think about don't always…
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Considering this blog is at least a little bit about advertising I've just realised how odd it is that I've never posted about favourite ads. I avoid talking about other people's work if I can help it, without knowing the background, who really made the decisions and what the objectives were I don't think it's…
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What follows is stories of blokes trying to attract women. Both come from my time as a student. Both have something to tell us about brands and social networks. The first concerns me, or the me I was back then. Shy, odd, and wonky (no change today). Fortunately, one of my best friends happened to be…
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There's two juniors planners where I work, Dave (Dave Mortimer younger sibling of Famous Rob) and Martin. I'm not sure I like the term 'junior' planner, your either planner or not, some have done it for a little longer, that's all..but there you go. Poor Dave get's quite a bit of grief from me. On…
NORTHERN PLANNER 