Brand and Account Planning
Risks come with reward. The courage to speak up comes first. Account Planners, for brands both big and small, suffer the trials of big idea strategies. The agency, and the client, want big ideas, huge ideas, viral ideas… but, they also want an escape route, a safe idea… a compromise.
Nothing remarkable has ever come from something boring. Yet I still see small ideas, safe play tactics and traditional thinking applied to brands that claim to want the opposite. Harley-Davidson can’t afford another safe play. I can’t wait to see what H-D does next, because big brands are often forced to make big decisions, and big sacrifices (like the axing of Buell from the H-D corporate bankroll).
PSFK is running a discussion and video series about planning and beyond: http://www.psfk.com/spur
For me, planning has always been about strategically implementing big ideas that stimulate brand activity. The future of planning is exciting, with so many new tools and consumers ready to engage (if they’re given the compelling reason to do so), radical tactics - online and one-on-one - will replace traditional ad agency creativity.
