I went to see the doctor the other day. As usual, she got me to fill in a form about my weekly alcohol consumption. And as usual, I lied. Well, I didn’t lie as such. I ticked the box immediately to the left of the one I should have.
My agency recently moved a few miles in London from Fitzrovia to trendy Shoreditch. We’ve been here for three months now but the culture shock is only just beginning to subside.
To say Tesco is in a spot of bother at the moment is something of an understatement.
When I started writing these columns, I promised myself I wouldn’t stray into the world of agencies too much.
I have been going through a bit of an existential crisis lately. I suppose it is only to be expected at my age. But my recent choice of bedtime reading has not helped.
In my last column, I took a self-critical look at the discipline of planning. I asked some difficult questions about its role in the business of marketing communications. This time I feel compelled to issue something of a corrective: an unapologetic celebration of the role of the strategic planner in the communications process.
Tough times call for tough measures. So rather than gold-plating your marketing planning process with elaborate problem-solving methodologies, now may be the time to experiment with a little constructive conflict in the workplace.
Your company’s own story must be big enough to inspire people to tell each other more stories about your brand.
If consumers refuse to share their personal details because of fears over data privacy, then brands must pay for the information.
The work of a long-dead ad genius is a reminder that radical innovation rarely comes from workshops and away-days.
A new book on how our brains respond to different situations offers insight into the way people process marketing messages.
The creative industries in the UK can only compete with their global rivals if they receive the financial support to develop ideas.
Middle managers are often the first victims of cost-cutting. But thinning-out this management layer can be a short-sighted move. Middle managers are figures of fun. It goes with the territory. The conflicted behaviour that results from being sandwiched between the needs of a team and the demands of a boss is natural comic material. Watch […]
Winning awards entries teach us that good advertising not only makes brands more desirable, but also more available. The best awards ceremonies do more than give gongs to insecure and needy creative types. They draw together a database of best practice that practitioners – especially planners – can learn from. This sprung to mind when […]
Regaining the trust of consumers poses a tough challenge, requiring major behavioural change and a leap of faith in your staff. Over the years, Marketing Week has raised many weighty issues, not least the boardroom status of marketing, the future of curated media in a de-channelled world, and why the byline picture of Wally Olins […]