Why a great young planner is always looking for trouble, and 9 other things I've learned at the Young Fame Academy at the Asian Marketing Effectiveness Festival 2013. 1. It's tough being a young planner. 2. Planning is about daily life, not advertising. 3. A great planner is always looking for trouble. 4. An Insight is a human truth. 5. Stand for something. 6. Look at Hollywood. 7. Strategy is a fancy word for what the f*ck are we doing. 8. Challenge the challenge. 9. Work inside out. 10. You got the best job in the world if..

1. 1ENERGIZE | CREATIVE AGENCY FOR EARNED ATTENTION | AMSTERDAM + SHANGHAI
WHY A GREAT YOUNG PLANNER IS
ALWAYS LOOKING FOR TROUBLE
AND 9 OTHER THINGS I’VE LEARNED AT THE YOUNG FAME ACADEMY
AT THE ASIAN MARKETING EFFECTIVENESS FESTIVAL 2013

2. 2ENERGIZE | CREATIVE AGENCY FOR EARNED ATTENTION | AMSTERDAM + SHANGHAI
1. ITS TOUGH BEING A YOUNG
PLANNER

3. 3ENERGIZE | CREATIVE AGENCY FOR EARNED ATTENTION | AMSTERDAM + SHANGHAI
YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT STRATEGY AND OBJECTIVES AND
INSIGHTS AND INNOVATION AND OTHER FANCY BUSINESS WORDS.
BUT WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?
CREATIVES HAVE A GREAT EXCUSE: THEY’RE YOUNG AND HAVE A
STRANGE HAIR STYLE, SO THEY MUST BE CREATIVE.
AS A PLANNER YOU NEED TO EARN THAT RESPECT FROM YOUR
CLIENTS. SHOW THEM THAT YOUR ADVICE IS THE BEST FOR THEIR
BRAND, NOT FOR THEM. DARE TO CHALLENGE THEIR WORDS
CONTINIOUSLY.

4. 4ENERGIZE | CREATIVE AGENCY FOR EARNED ATTENTION | AMSTERDAM + SHANGHAI
2. PLANNING IS ABOUT DAILY LIFE,
NOT ADVERTISING

5. 5ENERGIZE | CREATIVE AGENCY FOR EARNED ATTENTION | AMSTERDAM + SHANGHAI
BRANDS PLAY AN INCIDENTAL ROLE IN PEOPLES LIVES.
PEOPLE HAVE MORE IMPORTANT STUFF TO DO. SUCH AS LIVING
THEIR LIFE.
ITS EXACTLY THERE THAT YOU FIND YOUR INSIGHTS: DAILY LIFE.
GO OUTSIDE. TALK TO PEOPLE. AND ASK THEM QUESTIONS.
INSTEAD OF YOUR ADVERTISING FRIENDS.

6. 6ENERGIZE | CREATIVE AGENCY FOR EARNED ATTENTION | AMSTERDAM + SHANGHAI
3. A GREAT PLANNER IS ALWAYS
LOOKING FOR TROUBLE

7. 7ENERGIZE | CREATIVE AGENCY FOR EARNED ATTENTION | AMSTERDAM + SHANGHAI
A GREAT PLANNER IS NEVER SATISFIED. HE’S PROBLEM-BIASED.
HE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR TROUBLE. AND THINKS EVERYTHING
COULD BE BETTER.
PLANNING IS ABOUT SEEING WHAT ANNOYS PEOPLE. WHAT
MOVES THEM. WHAT IRRITATES THEM.
AND THEN TURNING THIS AROUND BY OFFERING A SOLUTION. A
RELIEF. A BREAK. A GET-AWAY. OR SIMPLY A WAY TO LAUGH ABOUT
IT.

8. 8ENERGIZE | CREATIVE AGENCY FOR EARNED ATTENTION | AMSTERDAM + SHANGHAI
4. AN INSIGHT IS A HUMAN TRUTH

9. 9ENERGIZE | CREATIVE AGENCY FOR EARNED ATTENTION | AMSTERDAM + SHANGHAI
EVERYBODY IS AN ATHLETE. (SO, JUST DO IT)
THE NIKE INSIGHT COULD NOT BE CLOSER TO A HUMAN TRUTH.
GOOD INSIGHTS CONSIDER THE BRAND, THE CATEGORY, THE
CONSUMER, THE CULTURE AND THE CONNECTIONS.
BUT A GREAT INSIGHTS TELLS US A TRUTH WE KNEW ALL ALONG.

10. 10ENERGIZE | CREATIVE AGENCY FOR EARNED ATTENTION | AMSTERDAM + SHANGHAI
5. STAND FOR SOMETHING

11. 11ENERGIZE | CREATIVE AGENCY FOR EARNED ATTENTION | AMSTERDAM + SHANGHAI
YOU NEED TO STAND FOR SOMETHING TO CONVINCE YOUR
CLIENT.
YOUR CLIENTS BRAND NEEDS TO STAND FOR SOMETHING TO
CONVINCE THEIR AUDIENCE.
BUT MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER YOU STAND FOR FITS ON A
PROTEST SIGN.

12. 12ENERGIZE | CREATIVE AGENCY FOR EARNED ATTENTION | AMSTERDAM + SHANGHAI
6. LOOK AT HOLLYWOOD

13. 13ENERGIZE | CREATIVE AGENCY FOR EARNED ATTENTION | AMSTERDAM + SHANGHAI
HOLLYWOOD MOVIE = SETUP + CONFLICT + RESOLUTION.
SAME INGREDIENTS, THOUSANDS OF MOVIES.
ADVERTISING IS NO DIFFERENT.
AS A PLANNER YOU OUTLINE THE SETUP AND THE CONFLICT.
THEN LET THE CREATIVES FIGURE OUT THE RESOLUTION.

14. 14ENERGIZE | CREATIVE AGENCY FOR EARNED ATTENTION | AMSTERDAM + SHANGHAI
7. STRATEGY IS A FANCY WORD FOR
WHAT THE F*CK ARE WE DOING

15. 15ENERGIZE | CREATIVE AGENCY FOR EARNED ATTENTION | AMSTERDAM + SHANGHAI
ONCE YOU’VE GOT YOUR LIFE CHANGING INSIGHT IN YOUR
BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED PRESENTATION…
ITS TIME TO TALK STRATEGY.
STRATEGY IS WHAT YOU DO WITH YOUR INSIGHT. AS A PLANNER
YOU MUST LOVE BULLET POINTS. SO USE THESE 5 FROM
MCCANN OR SOME OTHER 4A TO DEFINE YOUR BRAND STRATEGY:
1. SPARK (BRAND STORY)
2. SEEK (SERVICE & UTILITY)
3. SHOP (SHOPPING EXPERIENCE)
4. SELECT (PRODUCT EXPERIENCE)
5. SHARE (COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS)

16. 16ENERGIZE | CREATIVE AGENCY FOR EARNED ATTENTION | AMSTERDAM + SHANGHAI
8. CHALLENGE THE CHALLENGE

17. 17ENERGIZE | CREATIVE AGENCY FOR EARNED ATTENTION | AMSTERDAM + SHANGHAI
DON’T TAKE THE CLIENT BRIEF FOR GRANTED. FIND THE
QUESTION BEHIND THE QUESTION. AND DISCOVER THE REAL
CHALLENGE.
GO FROM CAMPAIGN GOALS (VIEWS/CLICKS/ETC) TO BRAND
GOALS (AWARENESS/CONSIDERATION/ETC) TO BUSINESS GOALS
(SALES/SHARE/ETC)
APPROACH EVERY BRIEF WITH THE HEADLINE OF YOUR AWARD
SUBMISSION IN MIND.
“HOW CAMPAIGN X DOUBLED OUR SALES IN A DAY”

18. 18ENERGIZE | CREATIVE AGENCY FOR EARNED ATTENTION | AMSTERDAM + SHANGHAI
9. WORK INSIDE OUT

19. 19ENERGIZE | CREATIVE AGENCY FOR EARNED ATTENTION | AMSTERDAM + SHANGHAI
THIS MIGHT SOUND STRANGE. BUT DON’T START WITH
CONVINCING THE TARGET AUDIENCE OF YOUR BRAND BELIEF.
INSTEAD, WORK INSIDE OUT.
CREATE BELIEVE IN THE AGENCY. THEN AT THE CLIENT. THE
MARKETING DEPARTMENT. THEN SALES. THEN CUSTOMER
SERVICE. ALL THE WAY DOWN TO OPERATIONS. THEN GO TO
PARTNERS. RELATED COMPANIES. VENDORS. THEN SLOWLY
FURTHER OUT. SELECT A BRAND AMBASSADOR. INFLUENCE KEY
OPINION LEADERS. ORGANIZE EVENTS. MOVE GRADUALLY TO
BIGGER AUDIENCES. AND THEN - WITH ALL THE SUPPORT OF THE
PEOPLE AROUND YOU - YOU WILL NOTICE THE MASSES HAVE
ALREADY BEEN REACHED.

20. 20ENERGIZE | CREATIVE AGENCY FOR EARNED ATTENTION | AMSTERDAM + SHANGHAI
10. YOU GOT THE BEST JOB IN THE
WORLD IF..

21. 21ENERGIZE | CREATIVE AGENCY FOR EARNED ATTENTION | AMSTERDAM + SHANGHAI
YOU’RE A PLANNER
AND GET PAID TO LEARN EVERYDAY