Today we lost a hero, a visionary, an incredible mind.

Steve Jobs has always been an enigma. He changed the way we work (otherwise our entire lives could have been  as disappointing as Lotus Notes). He’s changed the way we connect. He gave us what we needed before we knew we needed it. While he was never known to “crack” what we generally refer to as ’social media,’ he gaves us the means to do it. He was the most incredible strategic and creative mind our generation has ever known.

I’m looking at my social feeds this evening and am completely awestruck at the impact he has had on the creative community. Yes, I used to work at Chiat/Day, the home of Apple advertising and it has an enormous impact on many of my friends lives (and my own)–regardless if we worked on it or not. But it’s bigger than just Chiat. Our advertising world has been shaped by the innovation of Jobs and Apple. We could not do what we do without his technology. We would not be building apps, creating our digital experiences and amazing broadcast spots, playing with Instagram, sharing our lives the way we do without his vision.

He changed the game of advertising — with a little help from his agency of course. He had the guts to take the risk. Buy work that wasn’t conventional (hello, 1984?) The Think Different ad got me into advertising. On my toughest days early in my career, it KEPT me in advertising. It gave me hope that one day, maybe I could help make something that would make me feel the way that did. That’s what good advertising does: grabs you in a way you’d never expect, hugs your heart and makes you want a piece of whatever they “got” at any cost. So here’s to the crazy ones.

Beyond just what he helped create, was the attitude and the swagger that he brought to the world of technology. Before Apple, one could argue that technology was looked down upon many as just another “nerdy pursuit.” Technology was for “them” not “us.” Apple made technology desirable. Who wanted to be a suit PC when you could be the smart-assed Mac?

While the physical manifestation of the “Mac” persona may be true-yes, many of us wear our funky sneakers and tote our iPhones as if they were actually attached to our bodies–what’s beneath the surface is probably even more fundamentally true. We all live to be the pirates. We want to have strong opinions, bold ideas, a don’t f*ck with me attitude and perseverance to survive even the worst moments. We want to be curious and live in a world of wonderment. One where anything and everything is possible…

My favorite part of his Stanford address is this. I’ve read it several times this evening and to be honest, it’s inspiring me in this moment to follow my heart.

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

Stay hungry. Stay foolish.

Rest in Peace Mr. Jobs. And thank you.

– Steve Jobs narrating the timelessly incredible Think Different ad:

Click here to view the embedded video.

First of all this sounds far more morbid than it should. ***This is not for when you die*** (well, I guess it could be…but I assume you have a few more things going for you outside work).

I have this firm belief that when you start at a new job you have to set your intentions. It’s not just a clean slate for starting a new “McJob,” it’s a beginning of a new chapter, but as any good strategist will tell you, you kind of have to know what you want the ending is going to be before you start the book.

Yes, things change. Ideas evolve, assignments shuffle and expectations evolve. As they well should. But if you force yourself to really think about what you want to get out of the experience you’re entering it sets your own expectations. I find it a handy tool and wanted to share.

Since I’m in the habit of oversharing anyways, here is my (personal) planning eulogy:

• “she changed the way I think about what “planning” does/is capable of as a discipline”
• “she challenged me to think in a way I never thought to go before”
• “she was a little unrelenting in her desire to make things better and make people feel like they were important parts of the process”
• “she’s a person I can look up to, this is (visibly) her passion. she has a lot of integrity in what she does and believes in making great work”
• “she was a lot of fun to work with — made the workplace more enjoyable”

The other thing this exercise does is focuses you on the “right” thing–takes it away from the silly stuff. The politics, the meetings and brings it back to what’s most important. The people. The work. The journey.

There have been a onset of fabulously provocative articles written lately on what constitutes a good/innovative/new “idea.” My favorite is last weekend’s NY Times article (that has been RT-ed endlessly) The Elusive Big Idea. Elegantly written and very smart. While I don’t agree with every element of it–it’s a bit too cynical even for cynical little me, essentially postulating that nothing is an idea anymore because we’re so inundated with information, I do believe there are some really relevant pushes against any one who works in the “ideas business.”

There was a time where we had incredibly evocative thinkers: from Gore Vidal to Steven Pinker to Noam Chomsky, who dreamed and thought BIG…there was room for interpretation and formulating elaborate hypotheses and form thesis’ and opinions. At the time, there was value (monetary and respect) in being able to be a big thinker. Flash forward to today where we tend to thrive on very rational, numbers driven, easily monetized smaller “ideas” or thoughts. The desire for the bigness of idea tends to fall less in the public eye.

So we’re all a bunch of idiots now?

Not at all. Culturally, we’ve just evolved to value something slightly different. Something easier to process. But it doesn’t necessarily make it right.

If you work in advertising, some of this post-enlightenment era academic speak may be vaguely striking a chord…

We’ve all heard it, “Down with the big idea! They are expensive and arduous! (I agree). “Think smaller” is definitely a smart thesis in and of itself (the ever-awesome Gareth Kay describes in his excellent presentation Think Small). But when we focus solely on the small, do we run the risk of losing a little bit of the magic?

I’m currently reading Sir John Hegarty’s book “Hegarty on Advertising.” He talks a lot about “magic.” Yes, I believe it’s a bit of the old ad world’s self-importance speaking, but I can’t help but be a little inspired by his mantra. There IS an element of inspiration that I believe that this industry can bring. At it’s best, it has the power to make people FEEL something. It’s not to say that small is unfeeling, but there’s still a truth and value to bigger emotional provocations that can lead to really smart work.

Brands vie for that elusive place in a consumer’s heart. Be useful. Absolutely–it’s the smartest way to a consumer’s heart today. But we can’t forget that as a brand you also have the power to be something they love…and that’s where I believe there’s still room to play with BIG ideas that come from big, thoughtful places.

So planners, take yourself to a place where you aspire to think like a Betty Friedan or Stephan Jay Gould. It’s not an ounce of bullshit big idea talk–quite the opposite. Smart, well crafted thoughts that ladder up to this crazy thing called an idea.

Here’s the Canadian coming out of me…do we live in a world that can embrace both? Big emotional ideas, that have small, smart and utility driven elements? Maybe? Examples?

Pictured above, three of the smartest and loveliest in the biz, that I happened to be able to catch up with one awesome evening in London. Thanks @melex @patsmc @dddiana for your mugs.  ;)

Gender equality and advertising…a story we’ve all heard (unfortunately) nearly ad nauseam. I wish it could be just *done* with already. We’ve heard many points and counter points, watched panels come and go where women are fiercely underrepresented, watched plenty of episodes of Mad Men and then the “IRL” experience of my (short) five years in the business I can confidently say, yes it’s still a problem.

Enter the past year or so, prominent figures in the industry like Edward Boches and Cindy Gallop, taking the problem on head on, and Farrah Bostic providing a “go-to” list for women to serve on speaker and judging panels (as well as potential mentors and beyond). Strong, incredibly smart women continue to lead agencies the way forward in an increasingly forward thinking industry. But we all look at the “main events” of our industry and it’s the same (albeit lovely) faces. Check out the hashtag #toomanywhitemen for some colorful debate at any time.

So why oh why does this persist? Many far more interesting, smart people have sounded in on it and I’ll add my two bits worth. It’s deeper than an awards show, it comes from the place of truly asserting and “joining the big boys table”(never forget your spot AT the table as Sheryl Sandberg so elegantly shared in her TED talk). There’s always an ounce of fear when it comes to stepping up in this way. The spotlight (which I hate to even use that term) is a hard one for many women. Humility is ESSENTIAL in this industry. Being kind, fun and humble is the only way to be–however this can’t be confused with quiet, meek and lacking confidence. Throughout college I took classes in gender equality in the workforce, completely fascinated by the double standard every woman faces when in any sort of position of power. The delicate balance between traditionally “feminine” qualities (generally being kind, lovely and maternal) and the way that can play in sharp contrast to what “wins” in the business world (strong, ball-busting ways). Err to far either way and no one will hear your voice.

There are ways forward. I believe very strongly in the idea of learning from other strong females (which is why it’s so important to be on these speaking and judging panels): mentorship and support is one of the most valuable things we can provide and be provided with. I feel incredibly blessed to have the MOST incredible women to look up to and share problems/stresses/ ideas/happy moments with (many of these amazing ladies to be found here and of course the owner of the list @melex) Awesome organizations like SheSays are standing up and the industry is listening. It’s not an easy or short road but we’re getting there. Would be incredible to see the “big award shows” (ahem, like the one we’re all just spinning off of now: rhymes with “mannes”) be completely fairly represented. Not because of us having to “push” it there, but because it was a natural fall out from the prominent figures rising to the top of agencies AND the spotlight.

If you have not seen this talk I mentioned earlier, sit yourself down immediately and watch:

Click here to view the embedded video.

First time I saw the film Art and Copy, about a year ago, it changed my perception of advertising. At the time, I found myself a little disillusioned with what the industry was, where motivations were and what I was doing. The movie (if you’re unfamiliar) is a retrospective on the greats of the advertising world. Very beautifully done, with a rousing cast of inspiring characters. From George Lois to Dan Wieden + David Kennedy (just inducted into the Art Directors hall of fame today) Jeff Goodby, Rich Silverstein and Lee Clow. All such visionaries in their own respect, set an amazing course and continue to inspire us. The film weaves their stories into a single tale of the “advertising” world through the eyes of those who tell the stories.

A year ago, I watched this movie with such wonder-awestruck and doe-eyed all I wanted to do was join them on this journey. Today I watch it and it makes me just a little uncomfortable. It’s an amazing retrospective, it feels almost eerily historical. In a world of such progressive thinking and “newness” I find myself asking “what is our story?”  Times have changed, yet in so many ways we haven’t quite changed with it. Are we still telling their stories? They set a magnificent stage and I just don’t know if we’re moving it the way they once did.

And it’s not to dog on what’s being done, I live in this world–we’re all working hard, making great work happen whenever we can. Everyday, small battles are won in places across the country. Daring projects, new ways of thinking and trailblazers are finding their voices. But there’s also that nagging voice of complacency that echos halls everywhere, cloaked in the “I’m thinking outside the box” mentality. Newsflash: there is no box.

How might our industry respond to (to quote Lee Clow) ”creative people rising up” again? There will always be so many forces working against us- clients, internal politics, ego and beyond, but I believe success is contingent on a great leaders taking a chance the way these guys and gals did. Discovering, fostering/growing and ultimately allowing those people lead is where the magic will happen again. I don’t believe it necessarily has to come from a giant agency context. I would predict smaller, more innovative (to use an overused word), provocative shops will yield some of our brightest new talents. Made by Many, Poke, Sid Lee, but to name a few could be the “next” agency story. Who knows, but it’s not going to be about “where” but “when” and “who”…

This post isn’t about answers (sorry). It’s about the growing list of questions. And demands we MUST place on ourselves. Who will BE the next “legend” in the industry? Will the next title of movie be “Forming of Voltron”? (I certainly hope so!) Are we carrying on the legacies that our agency namesakes started by taking this art to a new level? And ultimately, are we making them proud by reinventing their legacies?

Hard to believe, but Planningness is already on the books for another year. Thanks to everyone who joined us out in Brooklyn and Denver for a fun filled two days of planner-y goodness. It would never have happened without the vision of Mark Lewis and Claire Grinton. It is truly a labor of love for all of us–we hope that you left with some new friends, new ideas and loads of inspiration.

Hope to pull together a full (ish) report on Planningness as I did last year, stay tuned in the next week or so for that little ditty.

Overall Impressions

Our speakers and participants simply rocked. Proud to say that Planningness truly brings the best and and brightest in our little industry. One of the things I loved seeing was the evolving voices of those who I’d met last year. Confidence and solid thinking/inspiration echoed through the rooms, every year it’s going to get better and better. Opinions flying, raucous laughter, f-bombs dropping all over the place–the passion in the room was infectious to say the least.

Great example was from Edward Boches talk on the evolving agency. Mr. Tim Malbon and team had some very unique ideas as to what this “new agency” might look like–cat burglars and secret societies? Yes please. (BTW this little presentation started with a musical segue from the A Team–extra points for showmanship and creativity guys):

Click here to view the embedded video.

Six quick lessons I walked away with (Note: I didn’t get a chance to sit in on ALL the awesome presentations in their entirety so please sound in!!)

Create ideas of social value versus just thinking of things to toss into “social media.” Focus in on behaviors in the social space rather than the “channel” it resides in. Mark Earls reminded us of that little thing called social influence–which fuels the “how” of social media. Propagation planning teaches us the value of taking an idea beyond a single tactical execution to a much bigger proposition, built of smaller parts that work together to tell that magical story.

We should all know how to code. Or at least know what code is. Won’t lie. I’m not ready to write my own code–but if I had some more time (and able to sit still for Noah’s full brillz presentation) I think I would have gotten there. It’s a skill that we need not because we’re going to be amazing coders, but because we need to A) appreciate the technology B)know how it works so we can help educate our agency partners and clients and C) know how/when we are creating the best experiences for our brands.

Technology is effing amazing. Now this sounds trite, but spend a bit of time with Chris Heathcoate’s presentation and I think you’d be hard pressed to think anything else. We truly are limited only by our imaginations…it’s inspiring to think of the POTENTIAL. We have an arsenal of new tools–it’s like being an artist with a whole new palate of colors! Kid in an arduino candy store…

Act small. I think many of us were a little jealous of the culture of rapid prototyping and ridiculously agile of Made by Many. Working at the speed of culture and technology requires a new way of framing problems and their contingent solutions. It’s not going to suit every agency model, but it certainly works for these guys and gals. Being a little less precious with the single-mindedness of an idea is critical to making agile work.

Agencies are evolving. But it certainly isn’t easy. Traditional agencies are trying to go “digital”. Digital agencies are trying to offer up the traditional “buffet” of offerings. This puts us all in a slightly strange place of no one quite knowing what to do. The only real “solve” at this point is to try lots of stuff. Some will sound great on paper, but in practice will be near impossible. The key is to try different iterations of teams; T-shaped, pear-shaped, whatever the case may be! The point is that we need to have a balance of voices in the room–it could be a trifecta of smarts that lead strategy (a communications planner, a digital strategist and a brand strat), could be a technologist, planner, creative combo. Any way you slice and dice it, you have to get the right problem solvers in the room for the problem at hand. Easier said than done. I know.

Making truly engaging presentations is an art. While this wasn’t an actual “subject” at Planningness, this lesson was implicit throughout the couple of days. In this planning-ish world we are truly lucky to have some amazing role models when it comes to making fantastic presentations. Engaging through humor, getting people out of their seats and playing with the ideas you’re presenting, eye contact, audience involvement, intensity. Passion is infectious. Be genuine to your topic. Be genuine to yourself…the rest is gravy.

“@thinairchi: Mark Earls has the room at #planningness dead silent – its that good!”

Finally many of the presentations can be found here (thanks @Thinkdoer) http://thinkdoer.com/planningness-presentations-aka-621-slides-of

Cheers, see you all next year!

There is much to be said about social content right now. And rightfully so. “Social media” is huge right? Surely you’ve heard its bigger than porn on the interwebs these days… However, I’d love there to be more talk around content that’s inherently social (ah, the strategist plays with semantics and word order. Nasty. Apologies).

There’s a deck I’ve been trying to finish for about 6 months now about social ideas, but I think the problem I’m having “finishing” it is that I don’t have an answer as to how one goes about making it happen. At first I was mad at myself (dammit Thas, why can’t you just articulate this??), finally I’ve reached a place of acceptance. I don’t have an answer, perhaps no one does. It’s like trying to answer the stupid question “how does something ‘go viral’” (vomit). The challenge is how do you create something of social value?

I do believe there are a few things that are truths. One could be that we’re not losing the “storytelling”–rather we’re going to a place where we allow people to become the tellers themselves. That said, I don’t believe it’s purely “go make your own story”–like the crowdsourcing TV ads to the masses–I think it’s about making a story that people want to be a part of. Write themselves into in whatever capacity is most appealing to them. The challenge is now not only “make people listen by being utterly disruptive”, but make people want to become a PART of your brand story. And if somehow you can layer in how your friends/peers are a part of the story as well, all the better.

Carpe Diem Daily, challenges participants to write the narratives of their lives through interesting, consistently thought-inducing questions. I love this campaign. It’s little and quiet, but I adore the idea. I believe it a small and mighty one. And utterly simple.  For the self reflective and slightly overly cerebral types (ahem) it’s fab. But moreover, it’s about seeing others sharing their daily thoughts and stories that enrich the way I see the days events. It’s quite lovely. Love today’s question: if you could sail anywhere, where would you go? <mind drifts off>

Challenge yourself and your brands to include people (authentically) into participating in your story. Not just a comments section on a youtube video of your TV spot. Take it a step further and build them into the story or how it’s told. Or just leap out and do this.

Image found at 20X200. Go out and buy it immediately. http://www.20×200.com/art/2009/05/untitled-lets-get-lost.html

After reading a few provocative, smart articles today on job titles and the growth of hybrid roles in all sorts of industries, I’ve been inspired to throw in my two bits-worth. Mr Boches offers up some great thoughts on job titles, as does this great Fast Company article on the rise of the hybrid thinker. Both articles do a great job of articulating some fundamental problems we have in the old business model of linear thinking and A-B-C sequential progression.

When we start in school, we’re all hybrid learners/thinkers–we are expected to do/understand everything (math, science, literature, art, etc). As we develop we are pushed and prodded to become “one thing”. The reality, is the world no longer requires you to BE one thing. Planning is one career path that happens to be intriguing because this hybrid nature should be intrinsic. Not so much about being good at a “single” thing, but about being curious, diverse and open. However, much of the time as an industry we fall back on the simplicity of silos to help organize and at times, monetize the value of our job.

I’ve been lucky enough to encounter a number of “hybrids” in my life. Sometimes they take on a couple of titles (and a couple people’s work load to boot). Other times they find themselves living in departments that you wouldn’t “normally” find them. All times, they are doing phenomenal work that blurs the lines and silos. And yet, it’s always hard for us in an agency setting to acknowledge and embrace the awesomeness that they bring to the table. Why? Because we’re not set up to be multidisciplinary. We’re set up to look at one role. One task. Evaluate. Repeat. Fundamentally flawed.

The world has become more “bendy”. With this bendy world, titles become less meaningful–which is not to say that you’re not working your tuchas off to get to the next skill level (and of course more $)–but they mean less when it comes to what actually gets “done”. The challenge for companies today is to find these chameleon like folks and create spaces that they can thrive in. It’s not the easiest thing to do, but I wholeheartedly believe that it’s just these folks who will push our industry (and many other industries!) forward.

Even if you don’t find yourself an “official” hybrid, that doesn’t mean you can’t play. Today we have wiggly roles that sometimes will roll over into each other. Don’t be afraid to play and push boundaries of what your business card says.  That said, humility is massive in this new world. You don’t know it all. Check the ego at the door and move forward as a team.

My challenge (and sincerest hope) is that agencies come to realize that the days of single department “owning” a part of the process are numbered. We all own the end product if we do our jobs right.

Kumbaya.

I’ve been lucky enough to garner a bunch of new friends thanks to a great friend/mentor’s kind mention at Boulder Digital Works. I’ve also had some awesome interns/students to work with and they often ask how I got into the biz and how I navigate the advert world. I’m hardly a seasoned vet, but I do have a few things that seem to have worked  for me, and hopefully there’s something interesting in here for you.

Pay attention in class: I fell into advertising in grad school. Stumbled on an agency in a text book, followed up with my professor, who had a contact there and next thing I knew I was working there. I realize this isn’t always easy, but there’s something to persistence/perseverance and having a great rapport with peers and professors. No apples needed, however be prepared to work your tuchas off.

Seek out mentors/support group: I found my “groove” in advertising when I found my little tribe. They didn’t necessarily live within my agency’s walls. I found a bunch of people in the course of living in the twitterverse, going to conferences, going on interviews, friends of friends and beyond. Their energy, drive and genuine passion for the work smacked me over the head and I never looked back. Celebrate your successes (whether or not you work together) and be there for each other when things aren’t going to plan.

Meet with your mentors: I was lucky (very, very lucky) to be able to sit down with a lot of people I respect and admire one-on-one. After about the 30 seconds of being awestruck, I quickly saw how easy they were to talk to, and how genuinely excited they were to talk to a genuinely interested person. Always be respectful of their time, ask good questions (go prepared) and be yourself.

Be prepared for the unscripted surprises. I had an incredible interview with a super cool planning director that totally reframed the way I look at my craft. I didn’t get the job (I’ll get to that), but in retrospect those 2 hours chatting away was potentially the most valuable to my career. He made me think hard about what motivates me as a planner and moreover as a person. Asked great questions that made my head spin, but I was in such a warm, friendly space that I could answer openly and honestly. I’ll never forget that interview. Everyday I push myself a little harder, there’s a bit of me that wants to be more like that guy.

Rejection sucks. But you WILL survive. I promise. It doesn’t feel like it at the time, but you do. The amazing interview I cited before ended up in a rejection that left me feeling like my insides were torn out. It sucks. You feel like there will never be another (sound like a nasty break up yet?) But then you realize, there are more. And then a great opportunity comes up and it all works out. You just have to work for it. And not let the rejection crush you. It’s a part of the process.

Net-net. It’s not easy, but it certainly ‘aint impossible. Use your smarts. Let your passion show. Be genuine. Keep your eye on your prize.

Happily ever after…

image via http://gapingvoid.com/ (one of my absolute FAVORITES!)

OK, everyone and their mother has probably used this as a title in a post.

The new Old Spice work has inevitably all of us chatting about in our agency walls. Good, bad or overhyped, the experiment is advertising gold (or Titanium, whatever). In my mind, there is absolutely no disputing the genius of the original advert (I’m on a horse), but this expression has really taken on a life of it’s own. Within my own “twitter land” it was hard to find a tweet that wasn’t about Old Spice the past two days. Yes. Old Spice. Amongst jaded, angry advertising/marketing professionals. We too are mesmerized by the man in a towel.

What Ian Tait and his brilliant team at W+K have done so beautifully (as described on copious news sites: Fast Company, Read Write Web and many many more) is orchestrate (da-dah-dahhh) an incredible social idea. Take something funny–an incredible television asset (with some one very funny) and make his voice come to life and truly interact with the audience-empower them to step into the proverbial shower with this guy. Giving an idea legs. And a towel. I think it’s left many, many of us wishing we thought of it first.

And the understated smarts of the piece is there is no “microsite” or “hub”  being used. It’s using existing spheres- youtube and twitter– and creating an incredibly agile piece of communication art. I think this is what makes this so awesome. Using the tools at hand–people (user generated content), a very smart influence strategy–answering Ms. Milano and Mrs. Kutcher is a marketing trick, a damn good one.–existing mediums and a great character to make something just a little magical. Sorry cynics, these guys got me.

Well done w+k. Well done.

Click here to view the embedded video.