Thanks to Carl Adam at Berghs ad school, the Planner Advice series is now available as a PDF.

We have reached the end of Advice for the next-generation planner series where Russell, Aki, Faris, Heather, Holger, Merry, Pete, Patricia, Victoria, Paul, Nina and Matt has given us their different perspectives on what it means to be a planner. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Feel free to share your [...]

I want to tell you about something inspirational; something that has inspired me and might inspire others. I toyed with art, imagination, insight, curiosity. Even love.
But given these are recessionary times, I came up with money.
Does this seem like a grubby and uninspirational theme? If so, this might be part of the problem. Planners do [...]

1. Don’t think in advertising – but in solutions
Our work is less and less about ads. But about connecting to consumers through idea. Ideas, that offer solutions to something that is relevant in their lives.
2. Get inspired by the best.
A lot of great planners put their knowledge online. Have a look at the blogs of [...]

The planning advice series isn’t over just yet, but as we speak Carlos, a Brazilian planner and blogger is translating the blog series into Portugese: Conselhos para os planners do futuro.

Hone your skills in the three “I’s” – Insights, Ideas, Inspiration.
Learn what a great insight is and never stop looking for them. Everywhere you go and in everything you do, there are insights waiting to be found. Don’t miss an opportunity to spot them. If you’re not sure what a great insight is, see this post [...]

1.
Don’t do it. Seriously. If you have what it takes to be a good brand strategist, then you probably have what it takes to run a microcredit operation that can bring thousands of people out of poverty, or be an investigative journalist, or make organic goat’s cheese. Any number of things that will almost certainly [...]

What advice would I give the next generation of planners? To misquote one William Jefferson Clinton,  for me, it’s about the data.  Using data to inspire and illuminate, not simply evaluate or quantify.
For the first time ever, we know exactly what people want. Not what people tell us they want in focus groups or tracking [...]

Be global
This is quite a simple one.
The Planner of the future will need to be more Global not just in experience but in outlook and orientation. Obviously clients are going in this direction which means its where the income stream is. But more significantly this is the way the world is going. We will [...]

(Some Rather Bossy) Advice for the next generation of (student) planners
1.
Read. Feed your Head. Think about what it means to you personally. Discuss with others. (This’ll get you smarter faster – why try and reinvent it all again from scratch? Just build on it in your own style and using your own experiences. It’s all [...]