Travels

It's been a while since I posted anything. But then there has been a lot going on. New team members, new business opportunities, new bathroom at home!

I've spent too much time on aeroplanes getting ready for the next thing on my to-do list. My back still has not forgiven me.

During this time though I have spoken at a couple of conferences. First there was the In-Store Expo in Chicago. Not my best effort, but it went OK and the content was well received.

Second, I was lucky enough to go and see my friends at Cawley Nea\TBWA in Dublin. I presented at a great breakfast session they host with a session entitled Turning Shoppers into Buyers.

This was a great session and it was rewarding to have the opportunity to share some of the U.S. perspective that I have picked up with a European audience.

Since my last post there has also been the Planning-ness conference in San Francisco. Wasn't able to be involved or even attend myself, but was able to send Shin from our team. He had a great experience by all accounts. He gave the rest of the team an overview at an off-site we had a couple of weeks ago and it sounds like it was great session for those up and coming. Some useful presentations are out there on slide-share from various U.S. planning luminaries. All praise to Mark Lewis of DDB in SFO for getting it up and running.

Brilliant Brand Back Story

We all have a back story of some kind. Sometimes it's really productive to nip up into the brand attic, rummage around and dust off the entire thing, then tell it in an engaging, compelling, one-take kind of way. That leaves you with something like The Man Who Walked The World ...



Brilliant!

Word Clouds

Great tool this for creating a word cloud. Very useful.

2009 Planner Survey

Results are now available. Once again, Heather LeFerve has administered, analysed and published a global survey of the planning community and how things are going in our roles. You can get the findings here.



I'm a bit late publishing this myself as it's been the busiest summer ever.

The 2009 survey builds on those of previous years.

Great Metaphors

Metaphors and analogies are often used by us planners in our day to day life to help convey and simplify ideas, thoughts and concepts.

This is a fantastic ad from Luvs that uses a rather unnerving metaphor to convey the feeling of bringing a second child into the home.



Brilliant stuff.

Academic Thoughts Pitching

Interesting piece on the 4A's website that I was pointed towards today. Written by Jodi Lisa Smith, Ph.D at the University of Texas, Austin it makes three recommendations for agencies that could help agencies when pitching.

1. Build a Cohesive Agency Team - make sure everyone on the pitch team has time to bond and they like each other. Clients can spot people who've never worked together or who don't like each other.

2. Avoid Spec Work Like the Plague - don't give away your ideas for free. Trouble with this, is that all agencies have got to agree to do this at the same time. There will always be someone willing to give it away in the hope of winning the business.

3. Insist on Collaboration Meetings - completely agree. The best experience and then client relationships start out with collaboration between both parties.

Not sure that it needed to have much research but it's a useful reminder. And I agree completely that New Business is all about control. So in order to maintain control, a few points that can come in handy.

1. You have to invest in your own success. Be it time, research, whatever.
2. Use qualitative research creatively.
3. Meet - spend time with the prospect, and stay a meeting ahead of the competition.
4. Make sure your presentation room is right for you to be successful. How is it dressed? How can you work it?
5. Make sure your presentation is designed to win.
6. You've got to present winning strategy and creative (kind of obvious I know)
7. Practice. Then again. Then again.
8. Don't leave logistics to chance - have them perfectly planned.
9. Manage who sits where and present with a variety of media
10. Finish on a high note. Don’t just stop.

I'm sure there are plenty of others as well that would help.

TRON Returns

Disney is finally bringing us a second installment of TRON. Given the incredible technology and effects incorporated in the original and the cinematic technology advances since, I'm guessing this has box office success stamped all over it already. I hope that someone is working hard on all the pre-launch campaign work as this lends itself to greatness. Can't wait.

Is My Mac Becomming a PC?

Have you noticed how the top right bar of the Mac OS interface is starting to look a lot like the bottom right of Windows?

Here's a PC I have at home...



And here's my MacBook Pro from work...



Hmmmmm.