The first tip is something that's bugged me for the last decade or so, and one that really drove my decision to join GSP. Why do we separate 'creative' strategy from 'media' strategy? And, perhaps more importantly, why do we separate the people?
At the end of the day, account planners and media planners have used pretty much the same data for different means - one to look at the 'messaging' and one to look at the 'channel'. The reality is people engage with ideas, not channels or messages. This is increasingly more important in a world where brands are defined by how they behave not simply what they say.
So, my first tip is to think about strategic teams where account planers and media planners work together much like a creative team. They'll be similar enough to get along, but different enough that their output is greater than the sum of the individual parts. 'Doing a Bernbach' to the strategy group is one of the first things Derek Robson did when he arrived at GSP. It's one of the reasons I think why the agency's work has evolved pretty dramatically over the last five years and one of the main reasons I joined the agency. It's also I think a must do if we are to help get our mojo back. It helps create ideas that are media positive, not simply (and blandly) media neutral.
I couldn't agree more. Ideas and their executions depend heavily on the media channel as well as time and place. Lenght of copy shouldn't be the same for a billborad along a highway as in a newpaper ad (http://bit.ly/bIO6Fu)...
...by the way nice book list on the left.
Posted by: Flow Bohl | September 27, 2010 at 04:29 AM
I was going to start this comment with "I couldn't agree more" until I saw that the first commenter had nicked that line.
I worked at BBH in the late 80's and early 90's when it was a full-service agency and before Motive was spun off as a media (in)dependent.
I consider myself incredibly lucky to have learned my trade in an environment where media planning and creative idea origination worked hand in hand. Anyone who worked at the agency at the time will be able to point to several high profile campaigns that just wouldn't have happened without the addition of media thinking to the creative development process.
It was a blessing to be able to watch and learn from the likes of Richard Eyre, Iain Jacob and Kevin Brown adding value to creative briefings/reviews and pitches.
There is a significant gap in the education of account people and planners who, through no fault of their own, missed out on the days of creative/media full service.
It would be great if the demands of doing the best possible interactive work led to a renaissance of this kind of full-service thinking.
Posted by: Phil Adams | September 27, 2010 at 06:32 AM
Looking forward to the next installments. Siloing teams never results in good work. Wrote something on that earlier this year too in regards to creative (http://caffeinegoddess.blogspot.com/2010/01/new-creative-team.html).
Posted by: caff | September 27, 2010 at 07:37 AM
agreed!
http://farisyakob.typepad.com/blog/2010/08/cutting-clippings-and-musings-on-the-same.html
Posted by: faris | September 27, 2010 at 11:44 AM
Totally Ditto all comments above.
Time to dust off that "Polygamous Marriage" deck Gareth?
As a freelance planner, I work with content developers, media agencies, digital agencies, creative agencies and now PR agencies. It seems to work because I am not identified with a particular "silo".
Posted by: Rodney | September 27, 2010 at 02:20 PM