Notes from The Road

Strategists occupy a tricky space in agency world, wedged between account service and creative. We’re under constant pressure to deliver brilliant strategic thinking that inspires our clients, while providing a fertile direction for the creatives to exploit. Oh, and it has to work its arse off. The perfect stories we all read in case studies…

A close friend of mine sadly lost his brother, Michael, a few weeks ago. He told me about a handwritten note that Michael kept on his fridge as daily inspiration. It said, ‘Do the hard thing’. This resonated with me to my core and is something I’ve always believed in. Also known as the thing…

Some of the work I’m most proud of never saw the light of day. It died at the final research hurdle, or worse, it got remade into something forgettable. I know I’m not alone. As a trained researcher and a fan of spending time with real people in the real world, it took me a…

There’s a word cropping up in briefs, and at last – AT LAST! – it’s not pivot. It’s seamless. Things need to be seamless, you see. Seamless and easy and convenient until, presumably, the point we’ve convenienced and seamlessed and perfected ourselves out of natural resources and a liveable climate. That’s a whinge for another…

As a young strategist, I moved from Amsterdam to London to help my career and learn from the best. In the birthplace of planning, I often felt impressed (and intimidated) by senior strategists showcasing their intelligence. I didn’t always understand what they were saying when they quoted Nietzsche to explain their strategies or drew parallels…

Mark Ritson will tell you that advertising makes up about 6% of a marketer’s remit, which means 94% of their focus and energy is elsewhere. As a planner, our job is to be that focus for our clients and ensure that the investment they make in their ad spend is the most effective it can…