The Hidden Persuader

Is account planning effective?

According with Jeff Goodby, Co-Chairman da Goodby, Silverstein & Partners : "The profession of advertising account planning is in the midst of a deep crisis and could soon become irrelevant".

"Mr. Goodby complained that account planners were not sufficiently involved in the creative process. "I heard planners talk about being disenfranchised from ideas and people complaining that planners took the instinct out of advertising," Mr. Goodby said. "All this was really bad. It seems unlikely that this is just happening at my agency. We are one of the dyed-in-the-wool planning agencies.

While Mr. Goodby admitted that working with creatives was no easy task, he suggested account planners should try and change their demeanor. "Be less confrontational. Planners shouldn't decide whether the work is right or wrong; creatives hate absolutism and truth. There is a perception that we have to separate dead campaigns from live ones. Guide, don't judge. Planning is not an end, it's a means to an end."

Source: Ad Age