Greg Lemond is the only official American winner of the Tour de France (we'll leave out the discussions about a certain Texan).  He won it three times, even more impressive considering wins two and three came after being being shot by his brother in a hunting accident. He rubbed many up the wrong way because…

I was chatting to some friends this (actually face to face to face, yay!! Even though it was under a canopy and the rain was pouring down, it was ace). The discussion roamed far and wide, but there was a spirited difference of opinion on Game of Thrones. A minority thought the whole thing was…

I was looking at some old IPA diplomas for something or other.  I like many if these, they have so much value to spark thinking and it's obvious the writers have worked very, very hard.  That said,  I'm naturally nervous of encouraging planners to naval gaze, as the result is often clever rather than practical. …

The Account Planning Group has done a fascinating survey on how planners are feeling right now.  It's really worth a look to make up your own mind, but what struck me was the fact that nearly one 1 in 3 are less than sure they want to continue as a planner post-pandemic.  I couldn't tell…

When I used to race at swimming, we were always neurotic about managing form, peaking for the big races, not overtraining, the usual. What astounded me was the effect of holidays. Just a two weeks off and when you got back into the pool you were just rubbish. It would take at least the time…

"In my experience there's no such thing as luck". Obi Wan Kenobi. I'm no Jedi Master, but while I only agree with Obi Wan's statement up to a point (the fact I haven't won the lottery proves there are exceptions to his rule), his approach has something going for it.  Take sport. The point is…

When out for a socially distanced walk, from a 'social distance'  you're able to observe the other atomised bubbles of people. Their body language, facial expressions and, avoiding looking like a stalker, even a snippet of the conversation. Naturally, you'll chance upon serious discussion about COVID. However, there will be more banter, gossip, idle chat,…

There's a certain global FMCG powerhouse 'house of brands' company I've never worked for. I used to share a flat with someone I did though and used to hang with him and his work colleagues a lot. It was amazing how alike they were. I don't mean the usual diversity stuff. They were a broad…

I love the fact that Corona beer sales have gone up during the pandemic. I'm not sure there has been anything better to prove that much of what we do is about getting a brand front of mind – and it's really efficient to get there by aligning with what's happening in real life.  In…

I was told a good story about what happened when British planners first went to work in the US. I hope it's true. Apparently, loads of TV ads suddenly had dogs in them, because the cunning expats knew it was a great way to smuggle creative through research. Show Americans creative with dogs in it…