Saurabh has this interesting post on How to explain to your Nani(granny), what planners do...Do read it! A problem all of us face at some point/ all times...
However, for some time now, I have held a contrarian view on the subject...
Why do I need to explain what I do to my bua, or nephew the way 'planning' is...
Does a NASA scientist or somebody who worked on the 'Genome' project or a professional bird watcher do that. Maybe/maybe not...
Why this insecurity/ anxiety/ constant need to justify what we do? Lets Chill!
The more convoluted the world thinks our job is, the better - the sundry accusations of self-indulgence notwithstanding!
Well what do I say to my circle of influence/ dependency(currently)
To my father - National Planning Director(guess he loves the words -National and Director). He still hasn't fogiven me for not sitting for the IAS:-)
To my mother - consumer research bordering on psychology..she is a psychology prof!!
To my brother - even paced life, okay money, a career I am passionate about. Don't think these days he cares(he is 22 and at P&G)
To my wife - no need to tell, she now knows an equal measure and though she is in HR, at times she is quite analytical like a planner...read - little room to BS her!
To my distant relatives - neighbour to SRK. "I must be doing sth good" LOL
To my nephews and nieces. I make the ads you see on TV. Truth(part) well told:-)
To my friends in marketing. You have the money, I have the time/fun...
To my son. My office is as good as your play-school. The only time he loves his planner papa more than his mamma...But then I am lucky with my office design...
To my students/ any student...account planning is a sexy career. You do what you want. Even some creatives/creative types now want to be planners LOL
Lets enjoy the art-n-craft...
Keep it simple and yet mysterious...
Pensive and Passionate
Gyan and Guts
Power and Power-point
Sensitivity and Soft power
Strategy and Tactics
The more I think the more I feel, Account planning is a huge continuum between 'Being a Rockstar' and 'Being a loser'.
Any thots/ vehement disagreements/ convivial convergence on the last comment!!
9 comments:
I prefer to compare planners to spiders :)
What blogging does to planners
I think Planners are copywriters who can't work with art directors. :-) Jokes apart, I think Planners are creative people who prefer working alone.
avinash - can't say I agree with you! most planners that I know are pretty collab workers!
i just feel planners are people who are looking for right creative partners and a democratic agency set-up - not wedged by silo thinking.... at least I am:-)
I keep saying planning is what planning does.
Sort of a mindless functional description, without saying much. In more ways than one, planning is really about giving confidence to instinct.
Developing strategic instinct vs. insight, and fostering it in teams around the brand, if you like. My guess is that the real physical forces in life destroy anyone's raw instinct over time (lack money, time, resources, jobs, mortgages etc.)
It's really your job, yes, you Mister Smarty Pants planner to strike that fine balance between art and commerce. To give folks wings when they want to fly, to cushion their landing when they fall.
manish, you wrote good stuff!
iqbal, watch 'spider', a movie
starring the fine actor, ralph fiennes
avinash, you will like yorself in a 'zen monastry'
harshal, you are writing real complex comments...something akin to 'string theory of planning'
and my apologies to everyone, am just tripping!
Oh not at all, in fact, i wrote that, then went to shave and shower prior to stepping out on that sunday. Next thing, i realise is how pithy that must have sounded.
The more one looks at it, planning isn't directly measured by revenue and (or) creative output. So in a sense, it's a long term investment (which is also short term expendable!) - as a friend likes to put it.
In absence of any "measurement", it becomes almost imperative for all of us to try aiming for smaller, more human goals. Fostering confidence, maybe. Or just chipping away, and foraging for information. Synthesis, and so on. Just my way of thinking, i guess.
since iqbal was a creative and ubermaniam is one now, one question to both - what do you want from planning?
the other Q to all planners - if there is one change you want in the way planning is done what wud it be?
harshal, you are still writing complex comments...
What do I want from Planning? Better advertising.
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