At the end of the day when the Dow Jones Industrial Average (now poorly named) has gone up, journalists and pundits are quick to say why. Good earnings reports. Better unemployment numbers. And when the Dow is down, there too, is always an explanation. Concerns about interest rates. Poor weather in the spring. This seems revisionist theory. Once the day is over someone decides what historical event made it so. If the weather was reported like this, we’d skewer that profession less.
Two Approached to Planning
There are two approaches to brand planning: forecasting and reporting. In my brand planning practice I often talk about rearview mirror planners and side view mirror planners. I’ve even begun to talk about dashboard planners. All three classifications operate in reporting mode. But it is the “beyond the dashboard planner” that I enjoy and choose to learn from. Those who see and look into the future. Be you one? It’s scary. You may pizzle yourself if big money is involved. The best planners are about the future. They are not bound to repeat the future. They are create it.
A lot of ad agencies like to talk about culture. Creating culture. Many people in the business scoff that the notion. Not me. I’m all up in it. It’s daring, exciting and fulfilling. Creating a selling and buying culture is more than infusing new language into the lexicon. Where’s the beef? It goes deeper than that. That’s where anthropology meets brand planning. Where the past informs the future.
Peace.
PS. Is Weiner becoming more of a weiner or is it me?