Putting people first probably sounds the most bleeding obvious thing a planner has ever written. But while it may be, it's something we often forget. Great strategy, and great ideas, form a bridge between what people are interested in and what you as a company and a brand are interested in. I don't think there's any better example of this than Tate Tracks, probably my favorite bit of communication of the last five years.
This notion though of putting people first is increasingly important in a world where brands and ideas are abundant, and a culture that is increasingly participatory (Charles Vallance made the brilliant observation that we live in an uploading culture today rather than a downloading culture). This means you can create unfair advantage by creating ideas that are people, rather than product or media, powered.
As a planner we need to think about creating strategies that have an enthusiasm bigger than the brand or their category. A cultural mission, not just a commercial proposition. And we have to get better at designing gaps for people to fill in, play with and participate in rather than the finite, complete products that make up the majority of advertising.
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