The Planning Lab

For your viewing pleasure

Thanks to Carl Adam at Berghs ad school, the Planner Advice series is now available as a PDF.

For your viewing pleasure

Thanks to Carl Adam at Berghs ad school, the Planner Advice series is now available as a PDF.

Advice for the next-generation planner: end

We have reached the end of Advice for the next-generation planner series where Russell, Aki, Faris, Heather, Holger, Merry, Pete, Patricia, Victoria, Paul, Nina and Matt has given us their different perspectives on what it means to be a planner. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Feel free to share your comments, reflections, ideas, points of view, etc. 

Advice for the next-generation planner part 12: Matt Willifer

I want to tell you about something inspirational; something that has inspired me and might inspire others. I toyed with art, imagination, insight, curiosity. Even love. 

But given these are recessionary times, I came up with money. 

Does this seem like a grubby and uninspirational theme? If so, this might be part of the problem. Planners do not centre themselves sufficiently around money. It’s to do with our natural sensibilities; we are more likely to be frustrated novelists than frustrated accountants. 

Imagination, empathy and clarity are cornerstones of our art. But they are (of course) just means to an end. Account planners are money making machines. They exist to make their clients money. They are the bridge between a creative endeavour and an improved balance sheet. They are better placed than any other advertising discipline to achieve this. 

Agencies sometimes talk about channels that “sell” (such as DM) and channels that “build the brand” (such as advertising).Is this meant to mean that advertising doesn’t sell? Perhaps it builds a great image for a bankrupt company. Perhaps what is meant is not that advertising won’t work, but that it is intended to have some kind of vague “long term” sales effect. But how can advertising have a long term sales effect without a short term sales effect?

People who say “the purpose of advertising is to build image” risk not giving a proper reflection of how advertising is intended to make money. It makes the client think you don’t really care about business in general (or, worse, their business in particular.) Perhaps subconsciously a lot of us don’t really believe that our advertising will make money. In these cases, talk about “brand image” is comfortingly woolly. It absolves us from responsibility.

The ways of spending money used to be simple. You did some advertising. Sometimes it made money, sometimes it didn’t. And sometimes you didn’t really know. But now there are lots of different ways to invest. Lots of different ways to make money (or to waste money).

With more alternatives, the issue now is not even whether you make your client money; it’s whether you make them more money than the other alternatives they have available. 

The winners over the next ten years will be those who come not just with wonderful ideas, but with sound financial arguments as to why and how these wonderful ideas will make their clients money. They will have a theory about exactly how they aim to make money for their clients. Not just in ten years time, but in one year’s time. I have seen the future, and it has a spreadsheet. 

Have the right frame of mind. Judge everything against whether you really think it will work. You might come with a wonderful insight, you might have cleverly turned the problem on its head, you might have produced a clever twist worthy of an APG Grand Prix. But it might just not be right. If you’re a good planner, you can probably argue pretty effectively that black is white. It is important to step back from time to time and remember that it isn’t. 

Treat the client’s money like your own. (Not literally; this is embezzlement). Be careful with it, don’t waste it, spend it wisely. This means putting in place a strong, logical financial argument. It also means using your gut feel: if this were your money would you actually spend it on what you are suggesting? If the answer is “no”, you might be doing something wrong. 

Here’s something to try. Try doing the job for cheaper. (Because this is what someone else will be trying to do.) Halve your budget, set yourself the same sales target, and see what you come up with.

In this case you’ve got to be rigorous. You can only make money if you influence behaviour. Your starting point must be getting people to do something, rather than getting them to think something.  New users or existing users more often? Instead of what? Where, when, with what, with whom? You know the drill.

 

Monetise this behavioural shift. How many people do you have to get to do what how often in order to meet your objective? Is this sufficient to justify your spend? If not, think of something else. 

Now give yourself a media budget of zero. Okay, now give yourself a media budget of minus £1m. This means the solution is not just a piece of brand communications but a way of generating money in its own right. What would this look like? Communications that people are willing to pay money for? Service initiatives that are not really communications ideas at all? What fun you’re having already.

Trying to make money and save money for your clients is actually a brilliant way to spark the imagination. After all, capitalism is based on this premise.

Generating revenue means being different. Saving money in communications means boxing clever. So “money” prevents lazy solutions. It spurs us on to better things. Which is why I thought writing about it might be an interesting theme.   

Matt Willifer is Head of Planning M&C Saatchi and Chair of UK APG

Introduction

Part 1: Russell Davies

Part 2: Aki Spicer

Part 3: Faris Yakob

Part 4: Heather LeFevre

Part 5: Holger Schneider

Part 6: Merry Baskin

Part 7: Pete Heskett

Part 8: Patricia Mcdonald

Part 9: Victoria Kaulback

Part 10: Paul Isakson

Part 11: Nina Rieke

Part 12: Matt Willifer

Advice for the next-generation planner: end

We have reached the end of Advice for the next-generation planner series where Russell, Aki, Faris, Heather, Holger, Merry, Pete, Patricia, Victoria, Paul, Nina and Matt has given us their different perspectives on what it means to be a planner. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Feel free to share your comments, reflections, ideas, points of view, etc.

Advice for the next-generation planner part 12: Matt Willifer

I want to tell you about something inspirational; something that has inspired me and might inspire others. I toyed with art, imagination, insight, curiosity. Even love.

But given these are recessionary times, I came up with money.

Does this seem like a grubby and uninspirational theme? If so, this might be part of the problem. Planners do not centre themselves sufficiently around money. It’s to do with our natural sensibilities; we are more likely to be frustrated novelists than frustrated accountants.

Imagination, empathy and clarity are cornerstones of our art. But they are (of course) just means to an end. Account planners are money making machines. They exist to make their clients money. They are the bridge between a creative endeavour and an improved balance sheet. They are better placed than any other advertising discipline to achieve this.

Agencies sometimes talk about channels that “sell” (such as DM) and channels that “build the brand” (such as advertising).Is this meant to mean that advertising doesn’t sell? Perhaps it builds a great image for a bankrupt company. Perhaps what is meant is not that advertising won’t work, but that it is intended to have some kind of vague “long term” sales effect. But how can advertising have a long term sales effect without a short term sales effect?

People who say “the purpose of advertising is to build image” risk not giving a proper reflection of how advertising is intended to make money. It makes the client think you don’t really care about business in general (or, worse, their business in particular.) Perhaps subconsciously a lot of us don’t really believe that our advertising will make money. In these cases, talk about “brand image” is comfortingly woolly. It absolves us from responsibility.

The ways of spending money used to be simple. You did some advertising. Sometimes it made money, sometimes it didn’t. And sometimes you didn’t really know. But now there are lots of different ways to invest. Lots of different ways to make money (or to waste money).

With more alternatives, the issue now is not even whether you make your client money; it’s whether you make them more money than the other alternatives they have available.

The winners over the next ten years will be those who come not just with wonderful ideas, but with sound financial arguments as to why and how these wonderful ideas will make their clients money. They will have a theory about exactly how they aim to make money for their clients. Not just in ten years time, but in one year’s time. I have seen the future, and it has a spreadsheet.

Have the right frame of mind. Judge everything against whether you really think it will work. You might come with a wonderful insight, you might have cleverly turned the problem on its head, you might have produced a clever twist worthy of an APG Grand Prix. But it might just not be right. If you’re a good planner, you can probably argue pretty effectively that black is white. It is important to step back from time to time and remember that it isn’t.

Treat the client’s money like your own. (Not literally; this is embezzlement). Be careful with it, don’t waste it, spend it wisely. This means putting in place a strong, logical financial argument. It also means using your gut feel: if this were your money would you actually spend it on what you are suggesting? If the answer is “no”, you might be doing something wrong.

Here’s something to try. Try doing the job for cheaper. (Because this is what someone else will be trying to do.) Halve your budget, set yourself the same sales target, and see what you come up with.

In this case you’ve got to be rigorous. You can only make money if you influence behaviour. Your starting point must be getting people to do something, rather than getting them to think something.  New users or existing users more often? Instead of what? Where, when, with what, with whom? You know the drill.

Monetise this behavioural shift. How many people do you have to get to do what how often in order to meet your objective? Is this sufficient to justify your spend? If not, think of something else.

Now give yourself a media budget of zero. Okay, now give yourself a media budget of minus £1m. This means the solution is not just a piece of brand communications but a way of generating money in its own right. What would this look like? Communications that people are willing to pay money for? Service initiatives that are not really communications ideas at all? What fun you’re having already.

Trying to make money and save money for your clients is actually a brilliant way to spark the imagination. After all, capitalism is based on this premise.

Generating revenue means being different. Saving money in communications means boxing clever. So “money” prevents lazy solutions. It spurs us on to better things. Which is why I thought writing about it might be an interesting theme.

Matt Willifer is Head of Planning M&C Saatchi and Chair of UK APG

Advice for the next-generation planner part 11: Nina Rieke

1. Don’t think in advertising - but in solutions.

Our work is less and less about ads. But about connecting to consumers through idea. Ideas, that offer solutions to something that is relevant in their lives.

 

2. Get inspired by the best.

A lot of great planners put their knowledge online. Have a look at the blogs of the smartest (see more on Plannersphere etc.) You will gain great input. And have a chance to interact. Look to work at the best and most famous agencies and companies with the people you  admire most. If you don't make it right away, try again. And again. It is worth it. Do not waste your time at mediocre places. Especially not early in your career. Learn from good case studies. Try “reverse engineering” from existing communications – what could have been the message? Practise!

 

3. Have a broad view.

Planning is about thinking smart and connecting facts and insights in a way that is hopefully new, different, relevant and successful. Interact with interesting people - not just ad guys. Read stuff. Some planning books are good, the apg awards offer further insights. But apart from that: read other stuff. Watch films. Talk to people. Get out there into life. And connect with real people - they might have interesting stuff to say and have quite a different perspective on life, brands and communications.

 

4. Be protective of good stuff.

Often it  is not about being the "advocate of the consumer" but the "advocate of the idea". Take research as what it is. Another way to gain insights. And nothing more. A lot of times people will not recognize a brilliant idea. Learn to deal with researchers and results. And how to best care for good ideas that need to survive pre-tests. There is lots of stuff you can do. Involve consumers at the right stage - in the early phase to gain insights and clarity on how they might understand issues. When testing ideas learn how to be sneaky and beat the test methodology. Regarding innovations or communication ideas - more often then not research or lesser skilled researchers kill ideas.

 

5. Be visionary and realistic at the same time.

Don’t take it personal if the client does not buy into your strategy, the account person is telling you to be less bold in your presentation, or the creatives are annoyed by a creative brief that has been signed of by the client already. Get a clear understanding of the role planning is having in your agency/ company as well as for your clients or for a specific project. Take it as a game, enjoy the politics if you can handle it or steer clear of it from the beginning. It is not always about the best and truly right solution.

 

6. Team up - planning often is a group effort.

It is never "we against them". In case you are working in a communications agency your work will only get better if you have close relationships with your collegues. This might sound simple - but some planners love to hide out and come back with a finished brief, being discouraged that it does not hit off with the team right away.  It is not always the planner that has writes the great message or brief by him- or herself. planning is a way of thinking - and can be done by any smart person on your team.

 

7. Do not just be right, be interesting.

With all the stuff planners come up with – creative briefs, presentations – facts, insights and data of course needs to be accurate. But it is not always the message that  is 100% right, that hits the spot but the most interesting. So: be right, but do not stop there. Remember: planning at best is not merely giving direction but inspiration.

Nina Rieke is Senior planner and founder of Burobraun, and former Senior planner at Springer & Jacoby and Jung von Matt.  

Introduction

Part 1: Russell Davies

Part 2: Aki Spicer

Part 3: Faris Yakob

Part 4: Heather LeFevre

Part 5: Holger Schneider

Part 6: Merry Baskin

Part 7: Pete Heskett

Part 8: Patricia Mcdonald

Part 9: Victoria Kaulback

Part 10: Paul Isakson

Part 11: Nina Rieke

Planning advice goes south

The planning advice series isn't over just yet, but as we speak Carlos, a Brazilian planner and blogger is translating the blog series into Portugese: Conselhos para os planners do futuro.

Advice for the next-generation planner part 11: Nina Rieke

1. Don’t think in advertising – but in solutions
Our work is less and less about ads. But about connecting to consumers through idea. Ideas, that offer solutions to something that is relevant in their lives.

2. Get inspired by the best.
A lot of great planners put their knowledge online. Have a look at the blogs of the smartest (see more on Plannersphere etc.) You will gain great input. And have a chance to interact. Look to work at the best and most famous agencies and companies with the people you  admire most. If you don't make it right away, try again. And again. It is worth it. Do not waste your time at mediocre places. Especially not early in your career. Learn from good case studies. Try “reverse engineering” from existing communications – what could have been the message? Practise!

3. Have a broad view.
Planning is about thinking smart and connecting facts and insights in a way that is hopefully new, different, relevant and successful. Interact with interesting people – not just ad guys. Read stuff. Some planning books are good, the apg awards offer further insights. But apart from that: read other stuff. Watch films. Talk to people. Get out there into life. And connect with real people – they might have interesting stuff to say and have quite a different perspective on life, brands and communications.

4. Be protective of good stuff.
Often it  is not about being the "advocate of the consumer" but the "advocate of the idea". Take research as what it is. Another way to gain insights. And nothing more. A lot of times people will not recognize a brilliant idea. Learn to deal with researchers and results. And how to best care for good ideas that need to survive pre-tests. There is lots of stuff you can do. Involve consumers at the right stage – in the early phase to gain insights and clarity on how they might understand issues. When testing ideas learn how to be sneaky and beat the test methodology. Regarding innovations or communication ideas – more often then not research or lesser skilled researchers kill ideas.

5. Be visionary and realistic at the same time.
Don’t take it personal if the client does not buy into your strategy, the account person is telling you to be less bold in your presentation, or the creatives are annoyed by a creative brief that has been signed of by the client already. Get a clear understanding of the role planning is having in your agency/ company as well as for your clients or for a specific project. Take it as a game, enjoy the politics if you can handle it or steer clear of it from the beginning. It is not always about the best and truly right solution.

6. Team up – planning often is a group effort.
It is never "we against them". In case you are working in a communications agency your work will only get better if you have close relationships with your collegues. This might sound simple – but some planners love to hide out and come back with a finished brief, being discouraged that it does not hit off with the team right away.  It is not always the planner that has writes the great message or brief by him- or herself. planning is a way of thinking – and can be done by any smart person on your team.

7. Do not just be right, be interesting.
With all the stuff planners come up with – creative briefs, presentations – facts, insights and data of course needs to be accurate. But it is not always the message that  is 100% right, that hits the spot but the most interesting. So: be right, but do not stop there. Remember: planning at best is not merely giving direction but inspiration.

Nina Rieke is Senior planner and founder of Burobraun, and former Senior planner at Springer & Jacoby and Jung von Matt.

Planning advice goes south

The planning advice series isn't over just yet, but as we speak Carlos, a Brazilian planner and blogger is translating the blog series into Portugese: Conselhos para os planners do futuro.