The Musings Of An Opinionated Sod [Help Me Grow!]

“Too many planners have the ego and pretention of Bono, but at least the Irish fuck does stuff rather than just talks about them”

Brilliant stuff.

You should be chairman of the APG because what you are talking about are issues that are affecting the long term value and role of planning from client, creative, agency and industry perspectives.

What I like most is that you’ve somehow made it that any planner outside of a central advertising city or district can feel elite to their big city brothers and sisters. You’re the Michael Moore of planning. 🙂

You might be bordering on generalizing in some parts but overall what you say is fair yet pragmatic at the same time. How does that work?

When any discipline becomes exclusive in order to raise their profile and commercial value they run the risk of concentrating their efforts on what they want to say rather than what their audience wants or needs to hear.

Andy’s comment about who isn’t featured in the video is especially pertinent but not as pertinent as the words spoken by Piers who, with the greatest respect to the other celebrity talking heads, has encapsulated the commercial and creative problem with planning (and to a lesser extent, the communication industries as a whole) with more clarity than everyone else.

There are parts in this post where I may have some alternative views but they are minor and don’t deviate from the fundamental issue you are raising regarding the planning discipline, from training to output, as a whole.

Good work Robert.

You don’t agree with everything I am saying in this post George? Bang goes your Christmas card.

I’m not going to say anything until a few more people have commented but I hope – like yesterdays post – it stays on topic and attracts some new people making some new viewpoints.

One thing I will say is that I have nothing against the people featured on the video – my post has little to do with them – it’s more about the seemingly elitist attitude and approach a lot of planning and planners now have that is bothering me though Andy’s comment about who was featured [or ‘wasn’t’ as is the case] in the clip is a great one.

“best things you guys did was expose me to other industries use of planners, even when they went under different names”

so why the fuck did you act like a 5 year old girl being denied a pony ride when we kept telling you where we were going to send you?

so this is your admission we were right is it? couldnt of done you too much good, your iphone is still riddled with fucking flaws. 🙂

cock

ugh – i was content to be behind the scenes watching things unfold and observe but then you said “new viewpoints” which sends me into a “must respond” mode…

the video – i dont understand any of what is being said apart from the first chap and john gerzema – and i also dont understand what a planner is (well yes i do know what it is – but i dont understand how a planner becomes a professionally recognized and reputable planner if we are currently ALL standing in a “financial crisis” – unless that was the planners plan – if so – WHO DOES THAT???) on the same hand i dont understand how one could be under a contract as a creative either – and the whole planners complaining that creatives arent doing whats expected out of them in the time given – well if youre the planner – isnt that your problem? (im speaking in general here – hope none of you take offense…)

what i personally feel and am unfortunate to have to experience on a day to day basis – being a creative individual has attracted me a lot of recognition but rewarded me with a lot of unappreciation (sorry i guess im going to be creating a lot of words as i go along here…) – i find that there are far too many people swimming around in search for originality and an idea thats better than slice bread but are unwilling to help one when its staring at them right in the face. why? because they didnt come up with it themselves.

but surely they already accepted that they were not in a position to come up with an idea which is what spurred them in search for one from another…

i dont know what i call myself amongst rob and the other folk on this blog – what i do know is that since meeting rob – i havent felt the need to silence my urges to do things in fear that i would alienate myself even further from my surroundings – i just do them as and when i am compelled to – it may not be accepted or attract the results one would hope it does but at the very least it comes directly from me.

the originality that people seek – well its actually really simple – 9/10 in the past few months ive been observing (in pain mind you) the answers are right in front of their faces. but people (like the ones in the video minus first chap and gerzema) have overcomplicated the solutions by thinking (or planning?) that the answers must be of quantum physics level and must be from a person that studied in oh could it not be possible that one could be of intellectual and academic equivalent despite not having a piece of over priced paper to prove it?

“how do you know then?” – well if that person is placed in the same surroundings – isnt that proof enough? (and by my saying that – is proof that answers are right in front of them) – i may have gone overboard with my viewpoint – sorry

but! my final rant is this: i think there needs to be a real understanding and appreciation for those who dare to speak up and out on ideas and thoughts that come from the real within – especially now – those that think the one that dares to speak up and out are seeking to gain – well of course they are – thats why they dared to do it – if they didnt why would they bother right? and if they gained – well isnt that fair play to them since they dared to in the first place?

you know rob i could go on and on and on – back up my arguments with a bajillion philosophical theories and principles – case studies and examples – but uhh – i have a few days left to finish my THIRD masterpiece haha!

much appreciated for the opportunity to speak!

fuck em. Planners. It is great to u care for the wider planning world Rob, but in all the time I have been exposed to your views, you have been going on about this. and nothing has changed. So take their clients, money and women and make you and yours wealthy. and if you do become chairman Mao, why not of a new thing instead of the APG? that way one can redefine the rules and definitions of what a planner is, and you could then see how few would adhere to your way of seeing, put a bullet in the issue and feel no remorse what so ever when you (again) take all their money and clients. You have been to kind to long ( as we both know).

(to kind for to long towards bullshitters I meant to say. Including me of course (in the bullshitter group, not your group of people who care 🙂 )

Sometimes it staggers me that there are planners out there who don’t want to get involved or try things or even keep learning.

We don’t have to be the smartest people in the room, we have to be the most curious, the most inquisitive and empathetic.

how do you know when youre a planner? and where does one go?

thats every man in the world. what if youre a woman?

You cant shift units if youre stuck in a silo.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/fuck

who is that scarecrow with the yellow hair and the pout?

Thank god I found myself an investor instead of a Planning Director. I do all my planning gigs from my new restaurant in Mumbai now. Ha. :D.

People who reads this blog when visiting Mumbai are most welcome to my restaurant.

Will mail you the details. 😀