Planning is mediation?
Jason has posted about the role of a planner within an agency – that of a kind of client mediator.
I share Jason’s view that Planning is about creating great work that works. But while Jason thinks it should be all about the planner-client relationship, I’m more in favour of a value-added ‘helping wherever you’re most needed’ approach.
Maybe its a London/regions thing, or maybe its just a case of horses-for-courses (or planners-for-projects).
Hiya,
Thanks for the link. Just to clarify, though, I wasn’t saying that planning should be “all about” the relationship, just that we’re in a great position to take on this role of ‘trusted provocateur’. Of course, this is but one of our roles -yep, we absolutely need to be adding value, to be sifting, to be inspiring…
Cool. Glad we agree then!
I found a nice quote from the plannersphere (I’ll put a link in my sidebar) on what Planners do:
Planning varies from agency to agency due to agency capabilities and philosophies about research but at the heart of the matter is the need to make sure advertising is made the right way for the right people.
I’d substitute ‘communications’ for ‘advertising’, but I like it.
It is good, and you’re right to change the wording… this entrenched “advertising is the answer, what’s the question?” mentality is one of my pet peeves, and seems to be way more prevalent in London agencyland than it was back home in New Zealand, where we were still ‘full-service’, so media (in its widest sense) was at the heart of all strategic & creative conversations. But the circle does seem to be turning, thank god
gemma, that’s the best definiton I’ve seen yet
‘helping where you’re most needed certainly sounds pertinent for one or two person departments.