The planning, creative and broader marketing community uses insights or an insight to get to ideas that will solve their marketing or business problems. This is a brief exploration into the definition of the insight.
Strategic Planning & the Importance of Consumer insightsKaren Saba
A high level presentation shedding light on what Strategic Planners really do at creative agencies and the importance of consumer insights in the world of planning. It is an interactive presentation with a 'Guess the insight' section at the end.
Please feel free to download, improve, and share the credits.
This is the presentation that I gave to the Young Planners at Cannes 2014. The data herein is taken from survey distributed through @cheiluk, @yellif and @cr
A Planner's Playbook - Everything I learned about planning at Miami Ad School...Sytse Kooistra
After being in advertising for 4 years, I needed some new guidance and inspiration as a strategist. And that is exactly what I found: I spent the summer of 2013 with 17 other (soon to be) planners from all over the world attending the Account Planning Bootcamp at Miami Ad School New York.
Thanks to the 38 industry heroes and instructors that shared their knowledge and coached us in those 3 months, I learned more than I ever could imagine about planning.
'A Planner's Playbook' is my attempt to summarize all that wisdom in 30 short nuggets (or plays, to stick with the metaphor of a playbook) and share it with you. I left out all the difficult frameworks and models and kept in simple by just stating, in my opinion (and in that of my instructors), what a planner should be and do.
Enjoy reading.
An insight is NOT an observation - it explains why, rather than just observing that people do something. Is a new Point of View that’s immediately recognizable. It must be cause AND effect - insights prompt effect. Insights are things that other people think of, then you immediately wish you had!
This presentation was nominated at the Brilliant Presentation Awards 2013. In this slideshow, I brought together key approaches towards insight in advertising creation process. You may learn: why do we need to find and understand consumer insights; what is a consumer insight; why it's so important for brands; how to find real consumer insights; know the pathway towards insight; insight verification; how to be insightful; case studies on insight building.
Strategic Planning & the Importance of Consumer insightsKaren Saba
A high level presentation shedding light on what Strategic Planners really do at creative agencies and the importance of consumer insights in the world of planning. It is an interactive presentation with a 'Guess the insight' section at the end.
Please feel free to download, improve, and share the credits.
This is the presentation that I gave to the Young Planners at Cannes 2014. The data herein is taken from survey distributed through @cheiluk, @yellif and @cr
A Planner's Playbook - Everything I learned about planning at Miami Ad School...Sytse Kooistra
After being in advertising for 4 years, I needed some new guidance and inspiration as a strategist. And that is exactly what I found: I spent the summer of 2013 with 17 other (soon to be) planners from all over the world attending the Account Planning Bootcamp at Miami Ad School New York.
Thanks to the 38 industry heroes and instructors that shared their knowledge and coached us in those 3 months, I learned more than I ever could imagine about planning.
'A Planner's Playbook' is my attempt to summarize all that wisdom in 30 short nuggets (or plays, to stick with the metaphor of a playbook) and share it with you. I left out all the difficult frameworks and models and kept in simple by just stating, in my opinion (and in that of my instructors), what a planner should be and do.
Enjoy reading.
An insight is NOT an observation - it explains why, rather than just observing that people do something. Is a new Point of View that’s immediately recognizable. It must be cause AND effect - insights prompt effect. Insights are things that other people think of, then you immediately wish you had!
This presentation was nominated at the Brilliant Presentation Awards 2013. In this slideshow, I brought together key approaches towards insight in advertising creation process. You may learn: why do we need to find and understand consumer insights; what is a consumer insight; why it's so important for brands; how to find real consumer insights; know the pathway towards insight; insight verification; how to be insightful; case studies on insight building.
60 Minute Brand Strategist: Extended and updated hard cover NOW available.Idris Mootee
This book includes the very latest thinking on branding and brand strategy. It has been published in different many languages and use by top global brands to train their brand managers. New updated hard cover version is not available from Amazon May 2013
Pls view in full screen mode. Published in more than 5 languages.
A presentation on the much confusing area of insight development specifically in relation to the area of marketing communications.
What is an insight, why useful and how can they be created
How to Create a Killer Creative Brief with Wild AlchemyUnited Adworkers
United Adworkers had the honor of hosting Lynette Xanders with Wild Alchemy to share her incredible knowledge and insights on "How to Create a Killer Creative Brief". For more information about Wild Alchemy and Lynette Xanders, visit WildAlchemy.com.
50 planners to watch in 2014 - The Planning SalonJulian Cole
Twitter list of the 50 Planners - https://twitter.com/emma_hines/top-50-planners/members
thanks @emma_hines and @E_for_M
50 planners to watch in 2014 was picked by The Planning Salon.The list is a mix of the top planning talent from across the globe as well as the next generation of planners. The list has diverse mix of planners from big markets like London and New York to emerging markets like Athens and Cape Town.
The Planning Salon is a platform for all planners around the world to meet and learn from our industry's greatest minds. It was started in 2013 to showcase some of the biggest stars of the industry, guests such as Gareth Kay, Rob Campbell and Heather LeFevre. Check out the interviews here; http://theplanningsalon.com/
Jonathan Lee, Managing Director, Brand Strategy, and Ken Allard, Managing Director, Business Strategy at HUGE, gave this presentation at "Ambidexterity 2," the VCU Brandcenter's Executive Education program for account planning on June 24th at the VCU Brandcenter in Richmond, VA.
The key to attracting your ideal clients more easily is to be known for a BIG idea. An idea your clients use to produce results in their lives/business.
In this webinar you'll learn:
• Which of the Four Big Ideas is best suited to you
• Create a context that takes your performance to new levels
• Invent the rules that make you an expert in your field.
I was sifting through some old files of mine and found this guidebook I put together for my junior planners when I was still working in Korea.
The presentation deck might be a bit old (it's in 4:3 format), and slightly more tailored to how I saw the state of strategy & planning in Korea, but a lot of its content should still hold true today.
Hope you enjoy the read!
This is a presentation that I gave to a USF Masters of Business Administration class on Brand Planning for Clients. My hope was to share some thoughts with the future generation of clients on planning, positioning, relevance and new product development.
Top 10 Planning Departments in Advertising ShortlistJulian Cole
For more strategy resources sign up to Planning Dirty at https://www.planningdirty.com/newsletter
A common problem for planners moving markets is understanding the best agencies to work for. With a great list of international planners in the Planning Dirty newsletter group I thought I would ask the planners who they thought was the best agency to work for.
I compiled the first 10 agencies for the shortlist by analyzing the planning (IPA, Effies, Jay Chiats) and creative awards (Gunn Report) from the last three year looking at the agencies that consistently perform well.
I am making a shortlist of 20, so would love to get recommendations on agencies that you think should make the list.
Next week on the newsletter through an anonymous vote, I’ll put out the poll and report back the results. Sign up to the Planning Dirty newsletter to vote and get the best planning tools and resources fortnightly. bit.ly/PlanningDirty
A few of my top-of-mind takeaways from this year's Planningness event. Be sure to check out my original piece for more context and details: bit.ly/1sbEu6n
In his most recent book, To Sell Is Human , bestselling author and management thinker Daniel Pink explores the changing nature of sales in today's market. He equates selling to people with "moving" them, or facilitating an exchange of--for example--products, time, and talent. To be successful, salespeople will need to adopt a new approach.
60 Minute Brand Strategist: Extended and updated hard cover NOW available.Idris Mootee
This book includes the very latest thinking on branding and brand strategy. It has been published in different many languages and use by top global brands to train their brand managers. New updated hard cover version is not available from Amazon May 2013
Pls view in full screen mode. Published in more than 5 languages.
A presentation on the much confusing area of insight development specifically in relation to the area of marketing communications.
What is an insight, why useful and how can they be created
How to Create a Killer Creative Brief with Wild AlchemyUnited Adworkers
United Adworkers had the honor of hosting Lynette Xanders with Wild Alchemy to share her incredible knowledge and insights on "How to Create a Killer Creative Brief". For more information about Wild Alchemy and Lynette Xanders, visit WildAlchemy.com.
50 planners to watch in 2014 - The Planning SalonJulian Cole
Twitter list of the 50 Planners - https://twitter.com/emma_hines/top-50-planners/members
thanks @emma_hines and @E_for_M
50 planners to watch in 2014 was picked by The Planning Salon.The list is a mix of the top planning talent from across the globe as well as the next generation of planners. The list has diverse mix of planners from big markets like London and New York to emerging markets like Athens and Cape Town.
The Planning Salon is a platform for all planners around the world to meet and learn from our industry's greatest minds. It was started in 2013 to showcase some of the biggest stars of the industry, guests such as Gareth Kay, Rob Campbell and Heather LeFevre. Check out the interviews here; http://theplanningsalon.com/
Jonathan Lee, Managing Director, Brand Strategy, and Ken Allard, Managing Director, Business Strategy at HUGE, gave this presentation at "Ambidexterity 2," the VCU Brandcenter's Executive Education program for account planning on June 24th at the VCU Brandcenter in Richmond, VA.
The key to attracting your ideal clients more easily is to be known for a BIG idea. An idea your clients use to produce results in their lives/business.
In this webinar you'll learn:
• Which of the Four Big Ideas is best suited to you
• Create a context that takes your performance to new levels
• Invent the rules that make you an expert in your field.
I was sifting through some old files of mine and found this guidebook I put together for my junior planners when I was still working in Korea.
The presentation deck might be a bit old (it's in 4:3 format), and slightly more tailored to how I saw the state of strategy & planning in Korea, but a lot of its content should still hold true today.
Hope you enjoy the read!
This is a presentation that I gave to a USF Masters of Business Administration class on Brand Planning for Clients. My hope was to share some thoughts with the future generation of clients on planning, positioning, relevance and new product development.
Top 10 Planning Departments in Advertising ShortlistJulian Cole
For more strategy resources sign up to Planning Dirty at https://www.planningdirty.com/newsletter
A common problem for planners moving markets is understanding the best agencies to work for. With a great list of international planners in the Planning Dirty newsletter group I thought I would ask the planners who they thought was the best agency to work for.
I compiled the first 10 agencies for the shortlist by analyzing the planning (IPA, Effies, Jay Chiats) and creative awards (Gunn Report) from the last three year looking at the agencies that consistently perform well.
I am making a shortlist of 20, so would love to get recommendations on agencies that you think should make the list.
Next week on the newsletter through an anonymous vote, I’ll put out the poll and report back the results. Sign up to the Planning Dirty newsletter to vote and get the best planning tools and resources fortnightly. bit.ly/PlanningDirty
A few of my top-of-mind takeaways from this year's Planningness event. Be sure to check out my original piece for more context and details: bit.ly/1sbEu6n
In his most recent book, To Sell Is Human , bestselling author and management thinker Daniel Pink explores the changing nature of sales in today's market. He equates selling to people with "moving" them, or facilitating an exchange of--for example--products, time, and talent. To be successful, salespeople will need to adopt a new approach.
Talent is Social: Helping Your Dream Job Find YOU via Social MediaEric Weaver
Alternate title: how to use social media to help your perfect job find YOU.
Synopsis: We live in a world where recruiters are overwhelmed and time-starved; where Google is the front door to finding what you're looking for; and where the traditional job search approach of Spray and Pray has little efficacy.
This is a modification of the presentation I did for PR4People. Audience: anyone looking for a job or wanting to have the best job find THEM in the future.
ripplemark Egypt's 'Be A Good Person' Culture Code Omar El Sabh
We're ripplemark Egypt, a 'Self-Learning Digital Organization'.
As an agency, we truly believe that an organization with a strong culture is an organization that can thrive. Culture aligns everyone on norms, values and motivations that become the driving force of a group. Culture is how everyone should act with no supervision.
Title: "Few tips on how to run your first Product Discovery effectively."
Product Discovery is a powerful approach that helps us to learn, validate and create truly valuable products. But, when we run this process for the first time we can feel overwhelmed and lost. Although that's completely normal it can lead us to wrong conclusions about the customer problems and therefore potential ideas on how to solve them. During the presentation, Michał will provide a few hands-on experience tips and thoughts that will help you run valuable product discovery and avoid mistakes he's made in the past so you don’t have to.
For the last 10 years, Michał has developed a few educational platforms and mobile apps, run a few startups. He also took part in the Product Discovery process and Growth Phase of D2C e-commerce brand related to healthcare and productivity. He is also an instructor at Polish Product Management Academy where he teaches about Product Discovery and Innovation Development. He puts great emphasis on the data-driven, experimental approach, teamwork, and falling in love with the problem you are trying to solve.
Apply the science of decision making to improve the effectiveness of your communications. This is helpful for web sites, brochures, political campaigns, and all forms of advertising and communication. Get a competitive advantage in your communications.
In this innovative book Jürgen Salenbacher shares his unique personal coaching method designed to develop creative thinking and innovation. The method, which originated as a career management tool, can be used by anyone who wishes to explore what they have to offer the world. In five succinct chapters Salenbacher reveals how to use brand positioning methodology to discover where to go next
Our latest white paper shares new global research based on 7000 employee surveys in the US, Brazil, UK, Germany, Australia, Singapore and China, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. We look at questions like: Can anyone be creative? How do employers build creative cultures? Is playing at work the answer? What are the business rewards of inspiring creativity—and the risks of failing to?
We are proud to announce our twenty-sixth Innovation Excellence Weekly for Slideshare. Inside you'll find ten of the best innovation-related articles from the past week on Innovation Excellence - the world's most popular innovation web site and home to 5,000+ innovation-related articles.
People 2.0: Working in a 2.0 World. Talk given at "Make The Most Of What You Know" conference run by the Intellectual Assets Centre in Edinburgh 1st December 2009.
How to Manage Creative People – Top Tips from the ExpertsWebdam
We know why you’re here.
You manage creatives or at least you want to, and they’re a tough bunch to figure out. As much as you might want to sometimes, you can’t just treat them like everyone else. – they’re different and they do important work that the rest of us simply can’t replicate with any sort of quality.
So let’s figure this thing out: communication, motivation, criticism – the whole nine yards. To help us out with that, we called in dozens of the most incredible art directors, creative officers and brand managers on the planet. They were gracious enough to give us a little insight into how they get such impressive results from their creative teams.
And now we’re sharing that good stuff with you. Enjoy!
Digital marketing is the art and science of promoting products or services using digital channels to reach and engage with potential customers. It encompasses a wide range of online tactics and strategies aimed at increasing brand visibility, driving website traffic, generating leads, and ultimately, converting those leads into customers.
https://nidmindia.com/
It's another new era of digital and marketers are faced with making big bets on their digital strategy. If you are looking at modernizing your tech stack to support your digital evolution, there are a few can't miss (often overlooked) areas that should be part of every conversation. We'll cover setting your vision, avoiding siloes, adding a democratized approach to data strategy, localization, creating critical governance requirements and more. Attendees will walk away with actions they can take into initiatives they are running today and consider for the future.
10 Video Ideas Any Business Can Make RIGHT NOW!
You'll never draw a blank again on what kind of video to make for your business. Go beyond the basic categories and truly reimagine a brand new advanced way to brainstorm video content creation. During this masterclass you'll be challenged to think creatively and outside of the box and view your videos through lenses you may have never thought of previously. It's guaranteed that you'll leave with more than 10 video ideas, but I like to under-promise and over-deliver. Don't miss this session.
Key Takeaways:
How to use the Video Matrix
How to use additional "Lenses"
Where to source original video ideas
Mastering Local SEO for Service Businesses in the AI Era is tailored specifically for local service providers like plumbers, dentists, and others seeking to dominate their local search landscape. This session delves into leveraging AI advancements to enhance your online visibility and search rankings through the Content Factory model, designed for creating high-impact, SEO-driven content. Discover the Dollar-a-Day advertising strategy, a cost-effective approach to boost your local SEO efforts and attract more customers with minimal investment. Gain practical insights on optimizing your online presence to meet the specific needs of local service seekers, ensuring your business not only appears but stands out in local searches. This concise, action-oriented workshop is your roadmap to navigating the complexities of digital marketing in the AI age, driving more leads, conversions, and ultimately, success for your local service business.
Key Takeaways:
Embrace AI for Local SEO: Learn to harness the power of AI technologies to optimize your website and content for local search. Understand the pivotal role AI plays in analyzing search trends and consumer behavior, enabling you to tailor your SEO strategies to meet the specific demands of your target local audience. Leverage the Content Factory Model: Discover the step-by-step process of creating SEO-optimized content at scale. This approach ensures a steady stream of high-quality content that engages local customers and boosts your search rankings. Get an action guide on implementing this model, complete with templates and scheduling strategies to maintain a consistent online presence. Maximize ROI with Dollar-a-Day Advertising: Dive into the cost-effective Dollar-a-Day advertising strategy that amplifies your visibility in local searches without breaking the bank. Learn how to strategically allocate your budget across platforms to target potential local customers effectively. The session includes an action guide on setting up, monitoring, and optimizing your ad campaigns to ensure maximum impact with minimal investment.
The What, Why & How of 3D and AR in Digital CommercePushON Ltd
Vladimir Mulhem has over 20 years of experience in commercialising cutting edge creative technology across construction, marketing and retail.
Previously the founder and Tech and Innovation Director of Creative Content Works working with the likes of Next, John Lewis and JD Sport, he now helps retailers, brands and agencies solve challenges of applying the emerging technologies 3D, AR, VR and Gen AI to real-world problems.
In this webinar, Vladimir will be covering the following topics:
Applications of 3D and AR in Digital Commerce,
Benefits of 3D and AR,
Tools to create, manage and publish 3D and AR in Digital Commerce.
Unleash the power of UK SEO with Brand Highlighters! Our guide delves into the unique search landscape of Britain, equipping you with targeted strategies to dominate UK search engine results. Discover local SEO tactics, keyword magic for UK audiences, and mobile optimization secrets. Get your website seen by the right people and propel your brand to the top of UK searches.
To learn more: https://brandhighlighters.co.uk/blog/top-seo-agencies-uk/
How to Run Landing Page Tests On and Off Paid Social PlatformsVWO
Join us for an exclusive webinar featuring Mariate, Alexandra and Nima where we will unveil a comprehensive blueprint for crafting a successful paid media strategy focused on landing page testing.With escalating costs in paid advertising, understanding how to maximize each visitor’s experience is crucial for retention and conversion.
This session will dive into the methodologies for executing and analyzing landing page tests within paid social channels, offering a blend of theoretical knowledge and practical insights.
The Pearmill team will guide you through the nuances of setting up and managing landing page experiments on paid social platforms. You will learn about the critical rules to follow, the structure of effective tests, optimal conversion duration and budget allocation.
The session will also cover data analysis techniques and criteria for graduating landing pages.
In the second part of the webinar, Pearmill will explore the use of A/B testing platforms. Discover common pitfalls to avoid in A/B testing and gain insights into analyzing A/B tests results effectively.
Search Engine Marketing - Competitor and Keyword researchETMARK ACADEMY
Over 2 Trillion searches are made per day in Google search, which means there are more than 2 Trillion visits happening across the websites of the world wide web.
People search various questions, phrases or words. But some words and phrases are searched
more often than others.
For example, the words, ‘running shoes’ are searched more often than ‘best road running
shoes for men’
These words or phrases which people use to search on Google are called Keywords.
Some keywords are searched more often than others. Number of times a keyword is searched
for in a month is called keyword volume.
Some keywords have more relevant results than others. For the phrase “running shoes” we
get more than 80M relevant results, whereas for “best road running shoes for men” we get
only 8.
The former keyword ‘running shoes’ has way more competition from popular websites to
new and small blogs, whereas the latter keyword doesn’t have that much competition. This
search competition for a keyword is called search difficulty of a keyword or keyword
difficulty.
In other words, if the keyword difficulty is ‘low’ or ‘easy’, there won’t be any competition
and if you target such keywords on your site, you can easily rank on the front page of Google.
Some keywords are searched for, just to know or to learn some information about something,
that’s their search intention. For example, “What shoe size should I choose?” or “How to pick
the right shoe size?”
These keywords which are searched just to know about stuff are called informational
keywords. Typically people who are searching this type of keywords are top of a Conversion
funnel.
Conversion funnel is the journey that search visitors go through on their way to an email
subscription or a premium subscription to the services you offer or a purchase of products
you sell or recommend using your referral link.
For some buyers, research is the most important part when they have to buy a product.
Depending on that, their journey either widens or narrows down. These types of buyers are
Researchers and they spend more time with informational keywords.
Conversion is the action you want from your search visitors. Number of conversions that you
get for every 100 search visitors is called Conversion rate.
People who are at different stages of a conversion funnel use different types of keywords.
Come learn how YOU can Animate and Illuminate the World with Generative AI's Explosive Power. Come sit in the driver's seat and learn to harness this great technology.
A.I. (artificial intelligence) platforms are popping up all the time, and many of them can and should be used to help grow your brand, increase your sales and decrease your marketing costs.In this presentation:We will review some of the best AI platforms that are available for you to use.We will interact with some of the platforms in real-time, so attendees can see how they work.We will also look at some current brands that are using AI to help them create marketing messages, saving them time and money in the process. Lastly, we will discuss the pros and cons of using AI in marketing & branding and have a lively conversation that includes comments from the audience.
Key Takeaways:
Attendees will learn about LLM platforms, like ChatGPT, and how they work, with preset examples and real time interactions with the platform. Attendees will learn about other AI platforms that are creating graphic design elements at the push of a button...pre-set examples and real-time interactions.Attendees will discuss the pros & cons of AI in marketing + branding and share their perspectives with one another. Attendees will learn about the cost savings and the time savings associated with using AI, should they choose to.
Videos are more engaging, more memorable, and more popular than any other type of content out there. That’s why it’s estimated that 82% of consumer traffic will come from videos by 2025.
And with videos evolving from landscape to portrait and experts promoting shorter clips, one thing remains constant – our brains LOVE videos.
So is there science behind what makes people absolutely irresistible on camera?
The answer: definitely yes.
In this jam-packed session with Stephanie Garcia, you’ll get your hands on a steal-worthy guide that uncovers the art and science to being irresistible on camera. From body language to words that convert, she’ll show you how to captivate on command so that viewers are excited and ready to take action.
SMM Cheap - No. 1 SMM panel in the worldsmmpanel567
Boost your social media marketing with our SMM Panel services offering SMM Cheap services! Get cost-effective services for your business and increase followers, likes, and engagement across all social media platforms. Get affordable services perfect for businesses and influencers looking to increase their social proof. See how cheap SMM strategies can help improve your social media presence and be a pro at the social media game.
2. I’m Umar, a Strategist from Toronto.
I always wanted to know how the planning and creative community defines an insight.
I found some answers online and also asked some of the smartest people for their
contributions.
What follows are all the definitions. Some have been paraphrased, others are direct
quotes.
There are no predictions and nothing is going to die.
Click away!
Hello
3. in·sight
The capacity to gain an accurate and deep understanding of someone or something:
The dictionary definition
4. Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature…what compulsions drive a man,
what instincts dominate his action…if you know these things about a man you can touch
him at the core of his being.
Bill Bernbach
Founder
DDB
Human Nature
5. Why is a good insight like a refrigerator? "
Because the moment you look into it, a light comes on.
Jeremy Bullmore
Executive Director
WPP London
U.K.
Illuminating
6. An insight is an astonishing disclosure about people, the category or the wider world.
Richard Huntigton
Director of Planning
Saatchi & Saatchi London
U.K.
Astonishing
7. For me an insight is simply defined as understanding ‘why’ rather than the what. Why do
people think the way they think or do the things they do…as opposed to what they
actually end up doing. That said, I also don’t believe there is such a thing as one single
insight – they can come from anywhere-but despite that, It's still about the why rather
than the what.
Rob Campbell
Head of Planning
Weiden + Kennedy Shanghai
China
Why
8. The best way I can describe "insight" is to give you an example of the difference between
a fact, an observation and an insight.
FACT: People tend to feed their pets twice a day.
OBSERVATION: They tend to feed them at breakfast and dinner time.
INSIGHT: People feel guilty eating in front of their pets.
Kevin Drew Davis
Chief Creative Officer
DDB
Canada
Not a fact or observation
9. There are many kinds of insights in our business but the kind that gets me most
excited is those that inform creative ideas. They can be observations about behaviours,
pearls of wisdom on the human condition, or simply universal truths that help define
people, culture, and human race. The danger is trying to pick just one. Great work is full
of insight. In order to be insightful you must ask a lot of questions. Especially the
question "why?". For example, once you identify the trend or behaviour, ask "why?".
Once you understand the motivation, ask "why?". Riff the creative on that, and you will
be unstoppable.
Collin Douma
Global Account Lead
OMD Worldwide New York
U.S.A
Why & Observations
10. For context, my advertising philosophy is “Simply, tell the truth”. Therefore, an insight, is
a truth. Perhaps unknown. Undiscovered. Or perhaps known but not levered. For me it
has to be something more than an observation, it has to be actionable. It has to cause
the audience to think about the brand or category differently than they have thought
before, or ever.
Bob Shanks
Managing Partner
GRIP Limited
Canada
Known but not levered
11. I hate that word [insight], actually. It should be a good word, but it has been bastardised
and rendered impotent (some wit once described it as something which is blatantly
obvious to the man on the street but news to the marketing department). My take now is
that, as a planner, my primary responsibility (my client, if you like) is to the truth. The truth
about the product, about the audience, about the company, about the task at hand. Not
myths, conventions, insights or wishful thinking, but the truth. In an age where "just ads"
don't work, the truth sets us free. It gives us relevance and salience. We have two jobs:
define the real business problem and to find the relevant truths which will assist us in
solving it. That's what needs to be on a brief (like the old get/to/by).
Jason Lonsdale
Executive Planning Director
Saatchi & Saatchi Sydney
Australia
Truth
12. If insight refers to a moment of illumination, it is a transitory experience. A new way of
thinking about a problem is only new for a short term. Today's Aha! moment, if it is any
use, is tomorrow's received wisdom. This should tell us that insight is not an important
goal in itself, but a means to an end. All insight is provisional, anyway. One moment of it
leads to another, and they should lead to visions, decisions and actions.
Paul Feldwick
Consultant
Former Worldwide Planning Director DDB
U.K.
Means to an end
13. Other than ‘strategy’, ‘insight’ is one of the most over and mis-used words in agency
world. There’s a difference between ‘I’ve found some stuff’ and ‘I’ve found an insight’.
Insights are unspoken human truths, truths the subconscious recognises when it sees
them. One of the best ways to find them? Start with something that seems obvious and
keep asking ‘Why?’ and ‘What if?’.
Mark Pollard
VP Brand Strategy
Big Spaceship New York
U.S.A
What if
14. An insight is less to do with revelation more to do with realization. Insight happens at a
slower speed, it’s like thinking in slow motion, when you notice something. When you
notice that you are noticing something. It’s the noticing that you are noticing, that is the
insight, more of a realization than a revelation. An insight is something that is weird-
normal. Unlocking creativity through weird-normal.
Tracey Follows
Chief Strategy Officer
JWT London
U.K.
Weird-Normal
15. An insight on its own is merely a human truth that someone internally identifies with and
connects to. An actionable insight for marketers is when that human truth is melded with
some kind of undefined creative expression or act that -- when done successfully --
somehow serves to elevate a brand. Why does this happen? Simply because the insight
and the creative expression coming together have contributed to something 'smart.'
Consumers recognize this 'smart truth' and then instinctively think that the people at the
company behind the brand are smart. And then the consumer gives them money.
Stephen Steck
Senior Planner
Publicis Toronto
Canada
Must lead to smart
16. It’s thinking in slow motion.
Ed Morris
Director
Ratling Stick London
U.K.
Slow motion
17. When it comes to how I think about insight, I love the Arthur Schopenhauer quote: "
"The task is not so much to see what no one yet has seen, but to think what nobody yet
has thought about that which everybody sees.” "
"
So often, we use insights to frame up our presentations: insight #1, insight #2. And
often, these are nothing more than observations. There are slides out there with
statements like: "Mom sometimes likes to do things other than wash the dishes." Painful.
An insight is an "aha" moment. The "I never thought of it like that" expression that turns
data into possibilities. More often though, the job is a matter of being insightful
throughout the process rather than providing some perfectly packaged pearl of wisdom.
Heather Leferve
Group Planning Director
Crispin Porter + Bogusky Miami
U.S.A
Being insightful throughout
18. Insight is the advice of an expert fisherman: instead of trolling the bottom of the river and
dredging up garbage, insight tells you which bait to use to hook the right fish directly to
your line.
Jason Theodore
Creative Director
Publicis Modem Toronto
Canada
The right bait
19. Insight is a quality possessed by people. You want to hire planners who are insightful. But
they will not ‘uncover’ or ‘land on’ or ‘find’ insights for you, because that is not possible.
The best they can be, is insightful on your behalf.
Farrah Bostic
Consultant
The Difference Engine New York
U.S.A
Insightful people
20. As Farrah has pointed out, there's no such thing as AN INSIGHT - a reified object of
insightfulness: [Remember - there's no such thing as an insight - they are a kind of
reified strategic currency we use as an industry, no doubt useful but not technically that
kind of noun, there's no THING called an insight, insight describes a quality or process
of developing a deep and intuitive understanding of something.] "
"
But to define them in a useful way for our purposes you often end up with that unspoken
human truth idea, which is fine. "
"
To round that out I would say an insight is a deep penetrating observation or
interpretation thereof that unlocks growth and provides inputs into strategy and a launch
pad for ideas. A good insight is fresh, deep, focused, and directional.
Faris Yakob
Principal
Genius Steals New York
U.S.A
Penetrating Interpretation
21. A key discovery that could yield tangible, marketable and meaningful opportunity if
applied.
Laurie Dillon Schalk
Strategic Planning Director, Digital
FCB Toronto
Canada
Key discovery
22. To me an insight reveals or uncovers itself when we seek to understand the true nature of something.
It could be a situation, a person, a product, a brand and therefore there can be many varied insights. "
"
What I believe is important when we find one is that it be "surprising" and when I say surprising I
mean you kinda smack yourself in the head when you find it but it's not intuitively obvious at first so
you need to probe enough or find ways to uncover or reveal the true nature of something etc. "
"
Often I've seen insights which aren't truly insights but are so often facts...if it's that obvious and easy
to find than to me it's usually an observation or a fact but rarely an interesting insight. There are many
types of insights as I've expressed above so to me it's choosing which insight e.g. product? brand?
human? etc. can be the most impactful or valuable given the problem we're trying to solve for.
Cybelle Srour
SVP, Group Digital Planning Director
Energy BBDO Chicago
U.S.A
Surprising
23. Forget Insights, figure out the needs.
Nick Hurst
Planning Partner
adam&eve DDB London
U.K.
Needs
24. I think of an "insight" as a truth that hasn't really been told before. Louis CK is good at stripping away
the BS and telling the truth. I guess that makes him "insightful." Or just awesome. Seems to me, the
best folks in this business tend to search for the truth as well. Because they know truth makes the
most powerful communications. It's what connects with people. And they also know that advertising
is only noticed if it's different. So they hold themselves to expose the truth in provocative ways. All of
this leads to insight. The process is not always pretty, but when it works you get to a great message.
When it doesn't, you get predictable, shitty advertising. Where I'm going with this is that creative
briefs don't need some kind of amazing, jaw-dropping "what's the insight?" section. Briefs just need to
start a team down the path toward exposing the truth. "
That means giving them a juicy problem to solve. The planner should focus on defining what that
problem honestly is, that way the creatives can focus on answering it as honestly as possible. "
Problem: People think Detroit is dead and gone. Insight: Imported from Detroit
Dave Burg
Head of Planning
Roundhouse Portland
U.S.A
It’s about the problem
25. A big discovery that changes market conversation.
3 types of insight:
New News – something you had never seen before.
New Perspectives on something the client thought they knew reframing/re-expression.
Recalibration of the clients world view with the customers worldview.
John Griffiths
Principal
Planning Above and Beyond London
U.K.
Changes market conversation
26. A fresh observation that unlocks creativity.
An insight is not obvious, fiction, ad copy, a strategy statement, occupied territory or
tagline.
Bud Caddell
Partner
Undercurrent L.A.
U.S.A
Fresh observation
27. I’m sort of obsessed by the everyday, everything has to be grounded in the everyday, and
finding the truth in any mission, finding the truth in any strategy as a motivation and as a
place where we can actually go to and get people to do something.
David Droga
Creative Chairman
Droga5
Comes from the everyday
28. To me an insight is any piece of information or knowledge that reshapes how we see a
situation. To be useful, it has to reshape our perception so that we can see opportunities
that weren’t visible before.
Adrian Ho
Partner
Zeus Jones Minneapolis
U.S.A
Reshapes perception
29. When you don't have to sell it, because they want it.
Sounds generic?
It isn't. It's insight.
Kathy Kohn
Founder Kohn SAMI
Former CCO henderson bas kohn
Canada
No selling required
30. Insight excites.
It ignites intuition.
It is relevant, distinctive and immersive.
Duncan Bruce
President & Chief Creative Officer
Publicis
Canada
Excites
31. An insight is something that you didn’t know before."
Something that may change the way you think about the problem."
Dave Trott
Chairman
The Gate London
U.K.
Didn’t know before
32. Truth that hasn’t been revealed in a way you want it.
Brett Channer
Chief Creative Officer
Red Lion Publicis
Canada
Truth
33. An Insight is a penetrating vision into the heart of things. It reaches beneath the surface
and outside of conventional boundaries to grasp the essence of what must be done. It
isn’t advertising’s “Big Idea”. Rather it is that ‘aha!’ moment when you can state, simply
and succinctly, what a brand needs. Without insight it is impossible to move forward. It
is a combination of creative thinking and analysis, intensity, intuition, knowledge, data
and imagination.
Bertrand Cesvet
Chief Strategy Officer
Sid Lee
Penetrating vision
34. Insight is a feeling, you kinda know it when you feel it.
It’s a disturbance in discourse – An insight creates a new way of thinking that was
impossible before, allowing us to express what was previously inexpressible.
Truth is usually boring. Truth is too late. If something is so well established to be
understood as true then chances are your competitor has already nicked it. Insights
don’t need to be deep, don’t go deep, go across. Don’t be monolithic.
Andy Davison
Head of UK Practice
Flamingo London
U.K.
Disturbance in discourse
35. A revelation. Something that makes you go, 'fuck me, I never thought of it that way’ -
That's interesting.
Lucy Goode
VP Planning
Publicis Montreal
Canada
Interesting
36. A good insight is like a cocoon, lots of butterflies can come out of it.
Caitlin Ryan
Executive Creative Director
Kamarama London
U.K.
Cocoon
37. Let’s reclaim insight as a way of looking and thinking, and take it off its pedestal of
unhealthy attention and worship. If our efforts are to be relevant, we of course need an
understanding of the outside world to be brought to bear upon the creative process.
However, our measure of its value should not be whether this input is an Insight or not.
But whether it is a) true and b) useful.
Martin Weigel
Head of Planning
Weiden + Kennedy Amsterdam
Netherlands
A way of looking & thinking
38. The thing that tells us why we’re doing what we’re doing or did what we did.
David Wielding
Head of Planning
PHD
U.K.
The thing
39. Insights are illuminating; they exist in a prenatural state waiting for the right context to
reveal their preternatural value.
Esme Rottschafer
Senior Planning Director
Publicis Toronto
Canada
Waiting to be revealed
40. An insight is not simply an obvious piece of information. "
It needs to feel like a revelation, something that genuinely sheds new light on your business issue.. "
It is not just a 'consumer insight' although it could still be (People eat breakfast cereal as a late
afternoon snack), it could be something you uncover about the brand (Stella was originally made for
Christmas), about how people shop (men's shower gel tends to be bought for them by women),
media (new parents talk to each other in the early hours on Google Hangouts to feel less isolated) or
even culture (young people are responding to austerity with contradiction - hard work ethic and
greater irreverence). "
But an insight isn't enough, it needs to be actionable, something a business can utilize - that means
rich hooks that unlock great creative work, great NPD, great media and, most importantly, a real
marketing problem, a role for communications that will directly affect a business problem, not just
brand scores.
Andrew Howell
Planning Director
PHD
U.K.
Not obvious