‘Spur’ from Redscout — a discussion and video series about planning and beyond

Redscout introduces SPUR, a discussion and video series about brands, strategy and innovation. The first five episodes will provoke and inspire the world of account planning. Many of us at Redscout come out of planning — feeling our skillset should apply not only to communications, but also to the world beyond. We couldn’t help but notice that there is a conflict between what “planning” wants to do, what planners really do, and the simple truth that “planning,” as we know it today, might best be practiced outside the advertising community.Planning was conceived as the thinking behind creativity. But the conventional planner has become a caricature: thinking in an ivory tower and post-rationalizing the doing of others. But today – as the industry, agency, and world-at-large have evolved – the definition of planning, and its future, is unclear.We sought to objectively flip planning on its head: ask the hard questions, uncover the real value, and challenge planners to put their thinking into action.

So we talked to a representative set of practitioners: the planning elite, the planning rebels, and the planning newbies. Some come from traditional agency roles and others work in the periphery.

(As it happens, a lot of them happen to have accents. What does that say about planning in this country?).

We hope to inspire some good conversation. Here is a taste of what’s to come.

SPUR participants include:

• Douglas Atkin, Writer; Partner & Chief Community Officer of MeetUp.com
• Devika Bulchandani, Chief Strategy Officer; McCann Erickson
• Dan Cherry, Managing Partner, Director of Brand Strategy; Anomaly
• Piers Fawkes, Founder; PSFK
• John Gerzema, Chief Insights Officer; Young & Rubicam
• Heidi Hackemer, Senior Planner; BBH
• Robin Hafitz, Chief Strategic Officer; Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal & Partners
• Sally Jones, Founder; Tangerine
• Gareth Kay, Director of Digital Strategy; Goodby & Silverstein
• Hank Leber, Founder; Agency Nil and Associate Planner, McKinney
• Domenico Vitale, Founder; People, Ideas & Culture
• Freya Williams, Global Planning Director; Ogilvy Earth
• Paul Woolmington, Founding Partner; Naked Communications NY, Global Partner of Naked Communications

Following the series teaser, released today, four episodes will launch every 2 weeks, and the fifth and final episode in January.

• Tuesday, November 3: Is Planning Impotent? Overcoming Account Planning’s Identity Crisis
• Tuesday, November 17: What Makes a Good Planner? Talent Specs and Extra Credit
• Tuesday, December 1: Are We Just Glorified Researchers? The Myth of the “Voice of the Consumer”
• Tuesday, December 15: What is the Real Value of Planning? Agency Politics and Client Perceptions
• Tuesday, January 5: What is the Future of Planning? Thinking as Doing

For further information, contact us: spur@redscout.com and redscout.com