The100: Nicey-nicey ads, real strategy, and nessecarily [sic]

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No such thing as ‘strategic planning’

Roger Martin, Professor Emeritus at University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, shares more valuable ideas on strategy & planning in a 10 minute video than I thought possible, including: 

A strategy is an integrative set of choices that positions you on a playing field of your choice in a way that you win. Strategy has a theory […] here’s how, on that playing field, we’re going to be better than anybody else […] Planning does not have to have any such coherence […] and no specification of a way that is going to accomplish collectively some goal for the company.

There is also a great case study on Southwest Airlines (04:05 – 06:33). I could listen to him forever. 

Avoid debate, have conversations

How Minds Change is a new book from David McRaney. And he’s been kind enough to summarise how to change someone’s mind in 10 steps (PDF). Amazing.

The problem with most arguments is that we often aren’t actually arguing, because our definitions of the terms aren’t the same as theirs.

It would be my book recommendation for the month, if I did such things. 

Seriously?

The UK government is urging businesses to cut marketing spend. The mother, father and extended family of ill informed initiatives. I can’t write down anymore of my thoughts on this because they won’t get through the email filters ? 

So here’s Gareth Turner, Head of Marketing at Weetabix, on why it’s such a bad idea.  

Basic. Simple. Do-able

Russell Davies released another video on presenting and presentations (p/w: ruth).

The trick is to not be the best presenter in the world, it’s to be a bit better than other presentations/presenters.

His 3 points (always use 3, apparently ) are make it big, keep it short and have a point. And he says we don’t have to be all showy, you just need basic, simple, do-able things (there’s that 3 again). 

Getting creative about defending creativity? 

Since Cannes Lions a few weeks ago, lots of articles have appeared about creativity. (If you know someone that went, they may have just about recovered from the compulsory wine drip that happens throughout ?)

Ben Kay in marvellous form on how all the nicey-nicey ads came to dominate the awards.

Jamie Elliott in defence of adland’s creativity following a debate on whether agencies have an outmoded view of creativity. 

And finally, researchers from Ohio State University have identified a new approach to teaching creativity based on the narrative method. It’s apparently more suited to volatile environments and could yield bigger leaps in innovation. Pray, do tell more.

Zoom has killed serendipity

I recently wrote about how hybrid working can offer tremendous benefits, if companies can deal with the challenges:

…assess the best conditions for an employee to do their job, rather than worry about their time seated at their desk.

And finally

Can you spell ‘necessarily’ at the first attempt?

Turns out Nobel prize winners also don’t know things. 

The importance of beauty
This lovely thread on why beauty matters, and how it has been destroyed by “usability” is well worth a look – though I’d argue it’s more been destroyed by cost-cutting/templatization and a lack of care.

It’s all in the eyes?
And while not in the Beauty Category perhaps (but who am I to judge), this on how Henry vacuum cleaners became an accidental design icon is great.