10 November, 2015

Why Planners Need To Be Less Humble And More Out And Proud

By Emma Mackenzie

Planners need to make sure their work is being valued. It’s a worry from Angela Morris, chair of judging at the APG Planning Idol, that planners are hiding behind their humility.

“We need to make sure the value that we bring isn’t taken for granted,” she told B&T. “I think planning brings an enormous amount to the table and I think we need to make sure that agencies and clients recognise that value.

“I think we’re quite a humble group instinctively and perhaps we need to be a little bit more proud of what we bring to the table, and make sure that people do understand that and that they value it.

“You see that value that planners are wanted in all sorts of different agencies, and yet in terms of the industry conversation, planning is quite a quiet conversation. I think we should be proud of what we do and make sure that we don’t hide behind our humility.”

Morris further point out the planning industry’s media voice is rather quiet. “I don’t think you read enormous column inches about planners or by planners. And I don’t know why.”

Morris’s comments come two days before the winner of the APG Planning Idol is announced where up and coming planners are given a brief and judged on how well their plan a strategy around a particular client.

Some 54 entries were judged this year, with entrants from all sectors and agencies.

“I think it does reflect the fact that planning is actually appreciated and valued and alive and kicking from different types of agencies and not just the timeless, traditional big network agencies,” she said.

The continuing media fragmentation means planning, like everything else, is becoming more and more complex. However Morris said many millennials coming into the arena have grown up in this world and know the ins and outs.

“It really shouldn’t be too much of a stretch for them to bring that understanding of how people consume media and how comms works, because that’s something that is, I guess, natural to them,” she said.

However, she does note good planners are adaptable anyway, regardless of age and experience.

“I don’t think that they [millennials] have an advantage, but I guess for them it’s not that they have to learn new skills, just part of all of the set of skills they need to learn as they come through the industry.”

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