Category: The day job
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As you may have noticed, I've much of life has involved sport and swimming in particular. Much of who I am is because of the pain, joy, disappointment, surprise, setbacks, victories, exhilaration and challenge of being a serious athlete. But it never came easily as a young junior. There were others who didn't have to work…
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Life isn't always fair, working in an agency is no exception. If you're a suit, it isn't easy to be the one who always does most of the jobs everyone hates. Maybe if you're a planner, it can be frustrating that you don't really make any decisions, you can only influence them. For most outside the creative department, it can sometimes see…
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I've never been complete convert of replaying consumer insight as the basis for communications, sometimes information about a brand, or leading behaviour rather than following, can be far more powerful. However, you can't escape understanding what the barriers are to people doing what you want. The more you understand what's going on in their real lives, the better. Brands that resolve…
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I grew up doing a lot of retail stuff. Three supermarkets, one purveyor of furniture, beds, white goods…I've done a bit. Not all of it was pretty, but itwas never dull. Having a certain marketing controller call you a twat on the phone at 7pm for getting the wrong price in a script, only to…
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I have one suit and that's it. It's a good one, bought for my wedding. It's cut to be quite fitted, it makes me look taller. Every now and then it gets trotted out for other people's weddings, christenings and the like, but that's it. But I love wearing it, it's nice to dress up…
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Rob's Account Planning School of the Web post is up. Not only is it a cracker, there's even some free advice on how to develop thinking about brands. Great stuff. Good luck. If you're wondering what the hell I'm talking about when I mention "School of the Web" go start here.
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The never un-Birkenstocked, ever wise, Rob Campbell is generously doing the next round of Account Planning School of the Web. It will be up Wednesday 18th. You should have a go.
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These are dark times, which has brought into sharp focus something I've been observing for a while now. Agency/marketing/planningish blogs rarely discuss the bad times, the dark side of working in an agency for planning types/ Things go wrong. I'll wager that a fair amount of blog authors have have more than fair share of…
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There's rigour, hard decisions and lots of hard work required when thinking about strategy but, ultimately, good ideas come from feeling, daydreaming, watching, scribbling, abandoning and retrieving. It's never completely linear, there are many logical progressions with lots of lateral intuitive jumps and more retracing of steps than most of us like to admit to…
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Let's be clear, having an insight about how your audience is behaving, what they need,what's really bothering them is priceless. But you won't get that from the statements of the obvious masquerading as 'trends' many will try and feed you. For example. You can't move right now for sparkling reports telling you people feel a…
NORTHERN PLANNER 