Tuesday, December 4, 2007
"Evolving from an ad-centric discipline to an idea-centric discipline."
My latest guest is Rob White from Zeus Jones.
From the Zeus Jones Credentials:
"Rob White. Was most recently President of Fallon. Rob’s background is strategy. Trained in London, he was one of the first strategic planners in the U.S., working at Chiat/Day Los Angeles for clients like Energizer (the bunny campaign) and Nissan. Rob joined Pat Fallon and his team, and built the planning discipline from scratch at the agency, ensured that this strategic planning practice was built into the core of the business, and played a key role in the rapid growth of the agency through the 90’s. Appointed president early in 1999, Rob focused on the evolution of the company on a number of fronts: a holistic approach to brand solutions, global solutions, media re-engineering and digital branding. "
This is a question that has been asked over and over, but I think needs constant answering. What is account planning?
For the purpose of definition, "account planning" is the discipline in a marketing or advertising agency responsible for bringing a consumer perspective to the table at all points in the process - from setting strategy to ideas to execution to tracking effects and figuring out the next cycle of work.
Where do you think planning is heading?
The trend, at least in mature planning markets like the UK and US, is for planners with good strategic skills to find other outlets for their work - at progressive clients like nike and apple, at consultancies like McKinsie, at media and media related companies (such as Naked or even the big guns like Universal) and in their own shops (Red Spider being the first of now many such examples). Account Planning, inside agencies, is evolving (and needs to evolve) from an ad-centric discipline to an idea-centric discipline.
How would planning be different if the web would have never been invented?
Planning is ultimately a marketing discipline, rather than an advertising one. Changes in marketing emphasis necessitates change in planning.
What makes Zeus Jones different from other planning agencies?
Zeus Jones is not really a planning agency. Most planning agencies are selling strategy or a strartegic process or both. We sell strategic ideas built on our "actions speak louder than words"
philosophy - we call this "marketing as a service". Strategy is bundled with ideas. We don't take on strategy- only assignments unless there is a reasonable opportunity to get involved in the ensuing actions stage.
Why do you think we should concentrate on designing interactions for a certain brand, instead of designing communications?
We believe actions speak louder than words. Communications is about words - telling people things. We believe if you create meaningful and valuable interactions with customers and prospects, you are more likely to see behavior changes (more loyalty, trial or whatever). Not only that, the right interactions get talked about, and word of mouth is the most powerful type of communications.
Please comment on this Steven Spielberg quote: “Why pay a dollar for a bookmark? Why not use the dollar for a bookmark?”
Steven's a smart man. Pleosc
From the Zeus Jones Credentials:
"Rob White. Was most recently President of Fallon. Rob’s background is strategy. Trained in London, he was one of the first strategic planners in the U.S., working at Chiat/Day Los Angeles for clients like Energizer (the bunny campaign) and Nissan. Rob joined Pat Fallon and his team, and built the planning discipline from scratch at the agency, ensured that this strategic planning practice was built into the core of the business, and played a key role in the rapid growth of the agency through the 90’s. Appointed president early in 1999, Rob focused on the evolution of the company on a number of fronts: a holistic approach to brand solutions, global solutions, media re-engineering and digital branding. "
***
This is a question that has been asked over and over, but I think needs constant answering. What is account planning?
For the purpose of definition, "account planning" is the discipline in a marketing or advertising agency responsible for bringing a consumer perspective to the table at all points in the process - from setting strategy to ideas to execution to tracking effects and figuring out the next cycle of work.
Where do you think planning is heading?
The trend, at least in mature planning markets like the UK and US, is for planners with good strategic skills to find other outlets for their work - at progressive clients like nike and apple, at consultancies like McKinsie, at media and media related companies (such as Naked or even the big guns like Universal) and in their own shops (Red Spider being the first of now many such examples). Account Planning, inside agencies, is evolving (and needs to evolve) from an ad-centric discipline to an idea-centric discipline.
How would planning be different if the web would have never been invented?
Planning is ultimately a marketing discipline, rather than an advertising one. Changes in marketing emphasis necessitates change in planning.
What makes Zeus Jones different from other planning agencies?
Zeus Jones is not really a planning agency. Most planning agencies are selling strategy or a strartegic process or both. We sell strategic ideas built on our "actions speak louder than words"
philosophy - we call this "marketing as a service". Strategy is bundled with ideas. We don't take on strategy- only assignments unless there is a reasonable opportunity to get involved in the ensuing actions stage.
Why do you think we should concentrate on designing interactions for a certain brand, instead of designing communications?
We believe actions speak louder than words. Communications is about words - telling people things. We believe if you create meaningful and valuable interactions with customers and prospects, you are more likely to see behavior changes (more loyalty, trial or whatever). Not only that, the right interactions get talked about, and word of mouth is the most powerful type of communications.
Please comment on this Steven Spielberg quote: “Why pay a dollar for a bookmark? Why not use the dollar for a bookmark?”
Steven's a smart man. Pleosc
Labels: interview
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