"If I had eight hours to cut down a tree, I’d spend six of them sharpening an axe" Abraham Lincoln

Over at Plannerliness they’ve found this article from the RAC Foundation on happy drivers. Being cynical and British, I was also drawn to this report on how noisy environments drive UK people up the wall. Common annoyances include noisy car engines, car alarmsand noisy DIY. Doesn’t this grumpiness feel so wonderfully British? We rule. Imagine…

I liked this statement from a local, Leeds PR company. It’s got a strong opinion and you get an idea of what they like. But hold on, they’re human! There’ll be some days when their heart’s not in it and they’ll just do okay. They do operate on payment by results basis, but who’s to…

If always had a soft spot for Morrissey. I like the way he’s never really changed all these years, he’s always had this endearing mix of searing honesty and, well, daftness. Many of his songs show a real insight into people’s lives. ‘Hold on to Your Friends’ is a prime example and has never been…

It’s useful to get another point of view on things, so Here’s a great observation from The Scamp about the odd practice of celebrity ads that need a super to tell you who the celebrity is. I’d never really thought about that. That’s what I like about working with creatives, they question everything and don’t…

When I did the The APG Training Network I quickly noticed was how nice planners are, from juniors to directors. You won’t find a more self effacing, genuine and generous bunch of people. So maybe I shouldn’t be so surprised that people have been kind enough to bring this blog to a wider audience’s attention.…

This was the drive to work this morning. Fields and hills all the way. That’s one good thing about living where I do. Another is the quieter roads, early mornings are a dream. I used to be a pretty good junior swimmer, which meant the thrill of seeing the world at  young age. On the…

Thanks to Russell Davies the Staufenberger Repository has published Stephen King’s 1974 JWT Planning Guide, along with a vintage Jeremy Bullmore speech. They’ve already said how relevant this stuff is now, and far better than I ever could. It’s refreshing to be reminded how important experience is though. We all seem so ready to worship…

Over at Plannerliness they’ve found an article on ethnography. It’s the practice of using anthropology to find the gaps in people’s lives – and then filling them. Another great example of using research to say something new, instead of simply playing back what an audience already knows.  You can read the full article here.

Here’s a link to Oxy’s UK website (kids’ acne products). There a great co-creation idea where they show you their ad, and asks if you can do better. If you enter your idea, there’s a laptop to be won. They’ve realised that young people think grown ups don’t get them, so they have an advisor…