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Can Account Planners be Communications Planners and vice versa?

Campaign posed this interesting question the other week. The conclusion of the debate was generally that they can't and that that's it, there are different skills and objectives involved in these very different jobs. That I took on board. Account Planning and Communications Planning, despite being planning roles of sorts, are different roles in the big wide marketing world. Account Planning is about ideas, Communications planning is about action. Account Planning is about deciding what consumers see, Communications Planning is about deciding where and how they see it.

So, we've established that much, but can good Account Planners be good Communications Planners? I think that's all down to adaptability and brains and getting it to work in another way. I don't see why I couldn't become a writer or an artist or a juggler! - If I practiced and got my brain into gear, why not? I guess whether I'd be good at those things is another question, but it depends on the individual person I suppose and isn't something that you can judge collectively as being definitively the case.

Hetton Brands

Ah! My home town of Hetton-le-Hole is a fantastical place! This is one of their many shops, which are all quite odd. I am still unclear as to what the Bankrupt Store is all about! I think it's where people sell their old stuff, but as it's closed, who can say? Maybe they've gone bankrupt too! Some other delights of Hetton include Jonny Whack's - your sandwich the way you want it, Supafly Wills Tattooz and Hetton Town Health and Boxing Club featuring an innovative use of media by Hetton Karpet Mill (they advertise on the front shutter!) Nice!

Maybe I should call the council and get these brands sorted out with some proper values and nice grammatical signage - or I might just leave them to it!

Campaign Comment Number 2!

Wow! I've made it into print two weeks running! Awesome! I have the longest comment too! I am upping the stakes, I am going to get on the letters page next. Watch this space...

How do brands stand the test of time?

I read this article the other day (http://www.brandchannel.com/start1.asp?fa_id=421) and found it super-interesting!

It's clear that there must be some links between global brands that have been consistently successful for many years. The article pares these links down to innovation, diversity, leadership and resiliency.

Innovation and diversity are the things that I would have expected - standing out from the crowd, bringing something new to the table, insight and intelligence - that sort of thing, but I have never thought about resiliency and leadership and I think those two go hand in hand really. A brand need a strong manager - someone that believes in it to guide it and push it forward. Brands can have allsorts of visions, but without someone actively striving to make it happen, it never will. As for resiliency, I think that comes with having strong internal glue, something that the management will be keen on sustaining should the brand be successful. If no one has faith in the brand internally, then what is the point? So, whatever happens in the market, whatever mistakes the brand happens to make along the way, as long as the team behind the brand is consistently committed to making it a success, then they can achieve anything.

The first Watfordian in Campaign!

My Watford brethren and I, graduates from the hallowed Watford Advertising Course, had a bet going as to who could get in Campaign first. Well, it was me! I had a comment printed this week! I am proper pleased!

I commented on whether ads are becoming more offensive - which I think they are. The culture has changed, so the bar has been raised. Opinions of what is offensive and what is not does differ though, from person to person, so even if advertisers get a good telling off from the ASA, it's not all bad. The brand is still in the limelight.

The stakes have been raised with the Watford lot however, there's now talk of headshots and getting onto the Campaign Best Dressed List 2008. Bring it on I say!

Join the debate everyone, it's the way forward!