I’m really really pleased Rob has come up with a new Account Planning School of the Web assignment. It’s on H&M and to say it’s interesting and also dastardly would be an understatement. I actually want to write some thoughts of my own as I have a few answers, but I’d have to wait until the whole thing ends. Or bombard Rob with emails.
It’s a great thing. It had me thinking this weekend that when the thought of being a planner crystallised in my mind, it was APSotW that answered the question of ‘why be a planner anyway?’. It’s interesting, it’s tough, it helps you put your thoughts into order like nothing else and it’s also very rewarding despite what people might say. Well, the best thing is you never stop learning new things about pretty much everything. It’s like a muscle you have to keep exercising.
It made me wonder if in this day and age there’s a good way to answer the ‘do I want to be a planner?’ question. I think doing this assignment helps and is the ultimate answer. If you hate it as much as you love it, then probably yes.
I judged on the last APSotW about men and grooming trying to help Northern with a female perspective. It was a shock going from being the person that took part in them (badly) in the past to having an input on what other people have done. While it’s no ‘student becomes teacher’ scenario, it’s very weird to be on the other side of things and see germs of ideas forming and taking a life on their own: recognising when an idea is strong and when it needs more work. I need more work myself, but like last year’s winner says: it’s definitely the best school before any place might take you on as a (junior) planner.
