What role will Planning play in the future?

I was at the Account Planning Group (APG) meeting last week for our monthly get together hosted by Google at their London HQ. This month it was the turn of two senior industry figures (Paul Feldwick and Giles Hedger) to offer their opinions on the future of advertising and in particular to answer the question, “How does advertising work in the 21st Century?”.

Paul offered up a view of modern digital advertising that’s out of balance with the ‘rules’ that have previously existed, and within which people were previously happy to consume advertising in return for content and information that was either entertaining or informative. The trade off between magazine editorial and press advertising is a prime example. Paul argues that too much of the new wave of digital advertising ignores this exchange or ‘trade’ between consumer and advertiser and in doing so fails to deliver anything that conforms to any of the accepted models for successful advertising communications. Online display ads that interrupt the user and are sought to be measured through click-through are a mistake, and should probably be planned and measured as an awareness tool in much the same manner that other advertising takes a long term view of its effects, he suggests.

Meanwhile, Giles offered a view of modern advertising practise that’s hurtling towards a kind of doomsday reckoning because of the process that has been set in motion to create ever increasing levels of complication and difficulty in the ways it’s created and served up. His view took a very scientific comparison, incorporating ideas around entropy, multiplicity and velocity that were both fascinating but also mind numbingly difficult to comprehend.

What I felt at the end of all this, in part touched upon by the two speakers, was that planning’s contribution, more than ever, is to understand people, their nature and how brands can influence human behaviour effectively. The best strategies are created quickly, based upon knowledge or understanding, with the capability of being evolved or changed as they unfold – what I’ve heard referred to as ‘deliberate’ and ‘emerging’ strategies. We can’t simplify the complexity of the age in which we live and operate, but by understanding what matters most to the people we want our advertising to touch, we can remove distractions and layers that are irrelevant. In doing this, I believe we can bring insight and meaning to the challenges we face and effectiveness to the work we create.

If you’d like help with planning and strategy to take your brand forward contact peter.batchelor@lawcreative.co.uk