How Not To Plan

Today I listened to a recorded presentation by Les Binet and Sarah Carter, the authors of a new book called “How Not To Plan”.

Their interest is in things that didn’t work in planning advertising, because strategic failures offer the best lessons. Or at least, better lessons than awards-entry cases that have been re-touched more than a Dior ad in Vogue magazine.

I’m not going to replay it here because it is best heard directly from Binet and Carter, in their own voices. 

That said, here are a few of their reference points worth noting: 

Don’t worry about alienation because consumers are “just not that into you”.

The customer journey around making and eating a ham sandwich is not complicated. And doesn’t need to be made that way through misplaced rigor in experience journey mapping. 

We should worry more about “wear in” more than “wear out”. Most ads are under-delivered compared to their potential.

Prioritise effectiveness. Efficiency can come later. 

Look it up, don’t make it up. Why not learn from others’ mistakes? Ignore the rules at your peril. 

To start in a pure place, ask yourself "What is the best way to do X?" Don’t use research to prove something that you think you know already.

Get out more. Make study trips into the real world. Understand that digital research has strong/deep biases. 

The book is published in association with the APG … 

https://www.apg.org.uk/publications-hownottoplan

読んで　ください！

The webinar is available on the WARC website … 

https://www.warc.com/content/paywall/article/warc-webinars/how_not_to_plan/124374

聞いて　ください！