evening meetings

APG Evening Meetings

APG evening meetings stimulate, challenge and inspireRefreshments beforehand at 6.30pm, start at 7, finish about 8.30. 

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The 2010 season of APG Evening Meetings kicked off in April with a great talk by John Grant.  Around 200 people attended to hear John speak about 'Pro-Social Media', just one of the themes from his recent book 'Co-Opportunity'.  He examined how social media can be used for the common good, picking up on themes such as co-funding, buyer-power, social learning and Slactivism.  With examples of pro-social media in action – from Pepsi’s refresh site to Quiet Riot – and a lively Q&A session, the night gave us all much food for thought and set a high bar for future talks this year.

John Grant has kindly posted a copy of his presentation on slideshare, follow this link: http://www.slideshare.net/greenormal/pro-social-internet-by-john-grant-to-apg?from=share_email  Video of the talk is at http://vimeo.com/accountplanning

Dave Trott's talk was enjoyed by all present, and the video has been added to the APG Vimeo site. Dave Trott on the Art of Persuasion (in ten parts) http://vimeo.com/13063716 

We've been looking forward to Rob Clark's talk (was to have been in July) but he’s been called to Australia with work commitments.  He's still keen to come and talk to us and we hope all goes well for the new date! (22nd September)

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Postponed to September - Wednesday 22nd September 2010

Rob Clark – Growing Global Entertainment Brands

Some of the biggest international brands today aren’t found on the shelves of our local Sainsbury’s, nor can they be ordered at the click of a mouse. Instead, the brands that are creating column inches and that elusive word-of-mouth are to be found in the world of entertainment.  But how does managing a global entertainment brand compare with managing an fmcg brand?

Rob Clark is President of Worldwide Entertainment for Fremantle. He's responsible for spotting, nurturing and managing global entertainment brands – and the talent within them – across more than 150 markets worldwide. 

As the fourth series of 'Britain’s got Talent' enters its final stages, Rob talks about how the show became the global phenomenon it is today; and how it would never have taken off had the team not taken a step back and identified what was truly at the heart of this brand.  He’ll also explain how understanding the similarity between the role of 'Family Feud' and that of Horlicks in a recession helped re-launch the show.  And why the next big brand in entertainment can be as surprising as crushed fruit in a bottle.

He’ll be speaking at our evening meeting on 19th May.

Date and time: Wednesday 22nd September 2010, refreshments 6.30pm, presentation at 7pm
Venue: to be confirmed (central London)
Admission: APG members no charge. Non-members 10pounds at the door (receipt available).
Booking: please email so we know the numbers steve@apg.org.uk

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Wednesday 15th September 2010

Gemma Calvert on Neuroscience

As we understand more about how human beings really work, old ways of thinking are challenged and new models and methods to understand consumers emerge. Neuroscience is a field which has produced such leaps in understanding over the past decade - yet at the same time has led to heated debate amongst advertising and marketing practitioners. But how much do you really know about developments in neuroscience? 

Gemma Calvert has a unique career blending an academic background in Psychology and Brain Imagery with years spent in the marketing industry. She has over 15 years experience in the commercial application of modern brain imaging methods for marketing and manufacturing, and set up her company Neurosense in 1999. Gemma will be talking to the APG about the theory and application of neuroscience, particularly in the area of brands and marketing, and will help us get up to speed with the latest learnings and developments. In October Gemma will take part in our panel debate, 'Head, Heart or Herd' (see below).

http://www.neurosense.co.uk/index.html

Date and time: Wednesday 15th September 2010, refreshments 6.30pm, presentation at 7pm
Venue: to be confirmed (central London)
Admission: APG members no charge. Non-members 10pounds at the door (receipt available).
Booking:  please email so we know the numbers
steve@apg.org.uk

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Wednesday 6th October 2010

The APG Panel Debate: Head, Heart or Herd - how do we best understand consumers?

Science and consumer thinking evolve. New models emerge explaining how and why consumers do the things they do, and new techniques arise to better understand them. But there's still no real consensus: if anything, there are more views than ever as to what makes us all tick. 

We've assembled a panel to discuss the ins and out of the various ways to understand consumers: 
 
John Kearon - Chief Juicer at Brainjuicer
Gemma Calvert - Founder of Neurosense
Mark Earls - Herdmeister
Rory Sutherland - IPA President
Nick Southgate - IPA Behavioural Economics consultant

The issues that will be debated include.....

  • Should we believe that humans are rational and know their own minds? Or are they 'differently rational' and need to be observed to be really understood?
  • Should we take learnings from neuroscience and look literally inside their heads? Or go the other way, forget the individual and look at the herd as a whole?
  • Does the answer lie closer to home with a little more empathy and self-awareness?

Date and time: Wednesday 6th October 2010, refreshments 6.30pm, debate 7pm. 
Venue: to be confirmed (central London)
Admission: APG members no charge. Non-members 10pounds at the door (receipt available).
Booking: please email so we know the numbers steve@apg.org.uk

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Tuesday 4th of May 2010

Dave Trott – The Art of Persuasion

Dave Trott is amongst the best-known names in advertising. He’s responsible for a string of memorable campaigns, has worked and studied on both sides of the Atlantic and has run some of London’s most successful agencies.

His approach to advertising combines everything from the tough New York "punch-on-the-nose" approach, to philosophy and lateral thinking: but always with the aim of being different and standing out from the crowd.

Taking inspiration from a wealth of experience, his successful blog and the recently published "Creative Mischief", Dave will talk about his take on the art of persuasion. From predatory thinking to binary briefing - essential nuggets for anyone in advertising.

Dave's blog is at  http://www.cstadvertising.com/blog/  and he's talking to us on 4th May.

Date and time:  Tuesday 4th May 2010, refreshments 6.30pm, presentation at 7pm
Venue:  Wallacespace, 22 Duke's Road, WC1H 9PN
Admission:  APG members no charge. Non-members 10pounds at the door (receipt available).
Booking:  Please email so we know the numbers steve@apg.org.uk

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John Grant - Pro Social Media

Holiday Inn London Bloomsbury, Coram Street, WC1N 1HT (Booker and Turner Suite) 6.30 for 7pm on 14th April.

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Barack Obama - millions of participants enlisted to create their own political campaign
John Lewis - a business model that inspires business and political leaders alike
Kiva - transforming the concept of 'charity'
Refresh - Pepsi's massive crowd-sourced charity platform

These cases illustrate the growing movement within media towards more open systems, greater collaboration and experiments in co-creation.  And perhaps even a new operating model for society, organisations and brands.

John Grant calls this movement "Co-Opportunity", and it's the title of his latest book on social media, social ventures, social change movements and social innovation.

And on 14th April he will discuss one aspect of Co-Opportunity, namely Pro Social Media.

Using examples based on his own adventures in pro social media such as Tweehive (the Twitter bee colony), the work of Tamsin Omond (independent MP candidate extraordinaire), and We20 ("hold your own G20 meeting"), John will discuss how by harnessing new technology and social media consumers can - and in many cases already do - take an active part in shaping brands, culture and society.

John was a co-founder of St. Luke's and is author of four other books: 'The Brand Innovation Manifesto', 'The New Marketing Manifesto', 'After Image', and 'The Green Marketing Manifesto'.  His clients include Department for Transport, IKEA, ING, Innocent drinks, Royal Mail, and Unilever.

You can follow his blogs at
Co-Opportunity http://www.coopp.net/ 
The Green Marketing Manifesto  http://greenormal.blogspot.com/ 

Date and time:  Wednesday 14th April 2010, refreshments 6.30pm, presentation at 7pm
Venue:  Holiday Inn London Bloomsbury, Coram Street, WC1N 1HT (Booker and Turner Suite)
Admission: APG members no charge. Non-members 10pounds at the door (receipt will be provided).
Booking: Please email so we know the numbers steve@apg.org.uk

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Adam Morgan – New Thinking On Challenger Brands

Date:  Tuesday 12th May 2009 
Venue:  TBWA, 76-80 Whitfield Street, London W1T 4EZ
Admission: APG members FREE.  Non-members pay 10pounds at the door

Adam Morgan is the author of the seminal book 'Eating The Big Fish', the story of how challenger brands can take on market leaders.
 
'Eating The Big Fish' is arguably the most influential work on brands and advertising.  Adam’s ideas of challenger branding and lighthouse identities and looking beyond your category for inspiration have entered the language of the industry and shaped every planner’s thinking.  Ten years after the original publication, Adam has written a second edition of the book, which looks at the many different types of challenger brands today.
 
Adam gave us a fascinating insight into his new thinking about challenger brands.

You can find more information on the Eatbigfish website www.eatbigfish.com   For a chapter download, look on this page: http://www.eatbigfish.com/press.html   or open this direct link:  http://www.eatbigfish.com/the_challenger_stances-_current.pdf 
 
You can email Adam at  adam@eatbigfish.com  

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How To Win an APG Award

Date:  Wednesday 8th April 2009 
Time:  6.30pm 
Venue:  BBH, 60 Kingly Street, London W1R 6DS

Click here to download summary of the meeting (pdf 1MB) 

Olivia Johnson, Planning Partner at Hooper Galton, is an APG Gold winner and was on the shortlisting panel in 2007.  She will explain what it takes to get your paper shortlisted.
 
Craig Mawdsley, Joint Head of Planning at AMV, won an APG Gold and the Grand Prix in 2007.  He will share with us his Top Tips for writing a winning paper.
 
Rachel Hatton, Planning Director at BBH, will introduce the session.  Rachel will be chairing this year's shortlisting panel.
 
All welcome, and free of charge, but please email so we know who will be attending   steve@apg.org.uk  

Click here for more information about the 2009 APG Creative Planning Awards  
 

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Sir John Hegarty on "The importance of Taste in marketing"

Date:  Tuesday 2nd December 2008
Time:  drinks from 6.30pm, presentation and Q&A 7pm to 8pm
Venue:  Holiday Inn, Coram Street, London WC1 1HT  (see below for map)
Big turnout:   We're expecting a big turnout -- make sure you're there early and catch up on your networking!

Sir John Hegarty is the Worldwide Creative Director of BBH, the advertising agency he started in 1982.  In his esteemed career he has won a wealth of awards, including the D&AD President's Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Advertising Industry; and has created some of the most memorable and ground-breaking advertising campaigns in recent history, including work for Levi's, Audi, Lynx and Johnnie Walker.  His creative achievements are beyond parallel and his considerable talent was recognised in the Queen's Birthday Honours in 2007, when John received a knighthood.

Sir John will speak on the subject of Taste in Marketing.  His talk will focus on key themes such as the importance of confidence and the value of style in creating iconic brands that stand the test of time.

Entry is free, and open to APG members and non-members, but please email so we know the numbers steve@apg.org.uk

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Location of Holiday Inn (NB it's not exactly under the arrow)
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Holiday+Inn+London+Bloomsbury&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=11.771131,28.125&ie=UTF8&ll=51.5255,-0.126128&spn=0.005727,0.013733&z=16&iwloc=A

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Embedding sustainability in strategy

Speaker - Eugenie Harvey, Co-founder, 'We Are What We Do'

Date:  Tuesday 4th November 2008
Time:  Drinks from 6.30pm, presentation and Q&A 7pm to 8pm
Venue:  Wallacespace, 22 Dukes Road, London WC1H 9PN

http://www.wallacespace.com/22dukeroad_map.html

Eugenie Harvey is co-founder of the movement We Are What We Do, and a sought-after speaker.  She will explain the ethos behind We Are What We Do, which is the simple idea that to change the world for the better
 
small actions X many people = big change
 
And she will tell us about the partnerships that We Are What We Do have built with brands:
- Sainsbury's (the "I'm Not a Plastic Bag" initiative with Anya Hindmarch, and more recent initiatives)
- Starbucks
- Nokia
and others.
 
Eugenie's talks are inspirational on a personal level as well as being inherently brand relevant.   Indeed, it would be irresponsible for anyone planning brand communication and brand behaviour to miss this opportunity to hear from someone who is helping define individual and corporate social responsibility for the 21st century.
 
We Are What We Do are also publishers of
 
"Change the World for a Fiver"
"Change the World 9 to 5"  and
"Teach Your Granny to Text and Other Ways to Change the World"
 
which they sell to support the movement's work. 
 
So bring a fistful of fivers to stock up with some responsible gifts!
 
Entry is free, and open to members and non-members, but please email so we know the numbers
steve@apg.org.uk

The We Are What We Do website is at  http://www.wearewhatwedo.org/

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What can Planners learn from Military Strategists? 

Date:  Tuesday 7th October 2008
Time:  Drinks from 6.30pm, presentation and Q&A 7pm to 8pm
Venue:  Wallacespace, 22 Dukes Road, London WC1H 9PN 

The similarities between planning advertising strategy and planning military strategy are remarkable.  No surprise then that we in the marketing community use "war games" to plan for expected competitor launches, modelled on the way the military prepare for invasions.  This talk will explore military strategy in theory and practice and you'll have the opportunity to probe for examples and approaches which you can adapt to improve your strategic approach to advertising.

Our speakers, Phil O'Grady and Bruce Park, will:
 
-- descibe how the MoD turns the national defence policy you read about in the papers into strategies with deliverable goals and objectives;
-- explain the art of taking this strategic direction and turning it into military campaigns;
-- give actual examples from recent and historical military campaigns;
-- show how "information" is used to gain competitive advantage over an opponent (e.g. messages to undermine the opposition's forces or sideline the opposition leadership or Government).

Between them, Phil O'Grady and Bruce Park have over 35 years experience in the Armed Forces, with responsibility for campaign planning and developing military strategy.  They are now senior consultants for Deloitte specialising in Public Sector and Defence. 

Entry is free, and open to members and non-members, but please email so we know the numbers steve@apg.org.uk 

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What's it like to be a Planner in different parts of the world?

Date:  Tuesday 2nd September 2008
Time:  Drinks from 6.30pm, presentation and Q&A 7pm to 8pm
Venue:  JWT, 1 Knightsbridge Green, London SW1X 7NW

Guy Murphy, Worldwide Planning Director at JWT, gave us some answers ... click here for his presentation (powerpoint 650KB)
 
While the roots of Account Planning are in London, the most fascinating parts of the world for Planners are increasingly outside the UK. The consumer cultures of China, Mumbai, Tokyo, Sao Paulo and Moscow are more dynamic and thrilling than England has ever experienced. Increasingly clients are looking to the developing markets for future growth and those planners who know how to manage brands there will become the most sought-after.
 
But where to go?
-- Is the US too conservative in its advertising?
-- Is Brazil just beach-volleyball Planning?
-- Could I ever understand consumers in China, given the cultural differences?
-- Isn't India too obsessed with those MBAs?
 
And, most importantly, what are the salaries like?

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Social Networking - the opportunities for planning

Date:  Tuesday 24th June 2008
Time:  Drinks from 6.30pm, presentation and Q&A 7pm to 8pm
Venue:  NB owing to volume of response, venue changed - not BBH - we will be at Wallacespace, 22 Dukes Road, London WC1H 9PN  http://www.wallacespace.com/22dukeroad_map.html
 
 
Social networks are as old as mankind itself, although it seems the establishment of public on-line social networks like Facebook and Myspace have awakened planning to the opportunity of influencing "word of mouth".
 
Aidan Connolly, CEO of Idiro Technologies, talks about on-line social networks are a conduit to true social networks; and how influencers of social networks are not necessarily the high spenders or early adopters which planners and marketers automatically target.
 
He will demonstrate how brands can identify ideal influencers; and present a case study that shows the increased effectiveness of targeting "key influentials".   He'll also look inside the social networking crystal ball to identify the opportunities that social networking may present in the future. 
 
Aidan has made his presentation available (powerpoint 2MB) ... click here.  You can contact him at aidan.connolly@idiro.com 

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Planning that creates outstanding Content ideas

Date:  Tuesday 29th April 2008
Time:  Drinks from 6.30pm, presentation and Q&A 7pm to 8pm
Venue:  NB new venue! Guoman Hotel, Charing Cross -- do not go to BBH

For venue location map go to   http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=guoman+strand+london&ie=UTF8&ll=51.5074,-0.128341&spn=0.011699,0.029011&z=15

Creative output in recent years has become increasingly diverse in response to the explosion of new media channels and the drastic changes in consumer purchase behaviour and brand interaction.  In this new world it is as likely that creative ideas will inform strategy as it is that strategy will guide creative development.

Mark Boyd, Head of Content at BBH, will share his thoughts on how Planning needs to operate if it is to survive in this new environment.  He will talk about how BBH changed the planning process on Vodafone and Audi and show how strategic thinking can be adapted to lead to great content. 

Entry is free, and open to members and non-members

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11th March 2008 - The planning magic needed to win an APG Gold Award
  

Find out first-hand what planning magic is required to win a gold in the APG Creative Planning Awards. Gold trophy winners Craig Mawdsley (AMV.BBDO), Gavin May (BBH) and Richard Storey (M&C Saatchi) will present their winning papers to show you the planning thinking that brought success in the 2007 APG Awards, and there'll be the opportunity for you to ask questions. 

Craig won the Grand Prix for Sainsbury's in the Service Brands category; Gavin won a gold for Lynx/Axe in Multi-market; and Richard's gold was for Lucozade Sport in the Product Brands Over £3m category.

Entry is free, open to members and non-members

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2007
John Grant on "Planning Green Marketing"  15th May 2007

"Green Marketing" is arguably the single most important strategic debate of our time.  As a Planner can you afford not to have a point of view?   John Grant leads a discussion on some of the major environmental themes that are impacting marketing and communications today; from the pitfalls of "greenwashing" to the interconnection between newly-emerging green values, green innovation and activating customers to take green action.
 
John was co-founder of St Luke's and is now a marketing consultant with clients such as Ikea and Coca Cola.  He is the author of The Brand Innovation Manifesto; The New Marketing Manifesto (1999); and After Image (2002).  His latest book is entitled The Green Marketing Manifesto.

Come and join the debate!

Venue: Bloomsbury Holiday Inn, Coram Street, WC1, in the Booker and Turner suite. 

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"Poetry and Planning'  with Paul Feldwick 8th March 2007

Paul discussed how poetry can reveal for planners some aspects of what we do in the ad business that we may not have fully appreciated.  Including...
 
~  the nature of the imaginative or creative process, and how to encourage it
~  the possibilities of language – sounds, rhythm, rhyme, incantations, spells, laments….
~  how words can be used to create feelings and evoke all five senses
~  the power of ambiguity (and even nonsense) – the multivalent image
 
Paul Feldwick started his career as an account executive and became one of BMP's and London's most highly regarded planners.  He went on to run the hugely successful planning function at BMP and over the years increasingly worked for DDB as a global network, developing a global framework for planning advertising and helping to found DDB University.   He was Convenor of Judges for the IPA Effectiveness Awards in 1988/90, and has written and lectured extensively on how advertising works and brand equity, amongst other things. His book, What Is Brand Equity Anyway?, was published in 2002.   Paul has also been Chairman of the APG and the AQR, and is a Fellow of the IPA and of the MRS.

click here for Paul's summary         click here for Paul's Fine Frenzy manifesto

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Megan Thompson - "Your M&S"  13th February 2007 

Megan Thompson from Rainey Kelly won the IPA Grand Prix for her Marks and Spencer paper.  What she learned from planning the "Your M&S" campaign.

~ how a national institution fell from grace
~ marketing in a beleaguered corporate climate
~ behind the scenes at the "Your M&S" campaign
~ writing the Grand Prix Paper - lessons learned

Date:  Tuesday 13th February 2007
Venue:  RKCR, Greater London House, Hampstead Road, London NW1

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Jon Steel - The Perfect Pitch. 17th January 2007, the biggest-ever APG meeting !

Over 300 bookings meant a last-minute relocation to a bigger venue for Jon Steel's talk about some of the key themes from his book 'Perfect Pitch'.
 
Jon's amusing and challenging talk delighted his audience.  He elaborated on two areas that he believes inhibit our ability to think creatively (and therefore win pitches).
 
First - too much focus on 'professional' analysis and logic, overpowering the importance of 'experience' and intuition in the development of creative ideas.  
 
Second - the way in which so-called professionalism and use of technology has eroded the art of great presentations.
 
Through a hilarious powerpoint re-creation of Churchill's 1940 'fight them on the beaches' speech, Jon highlighted the absurdity of business's predilection for use of powerpoint to tell the story.  He touched on other thoughts he has about new business success (such as getting rid of new business directors!) before taking a range of questions from the floor.
 
Thanks to all those who joined us at the Holiday Inn, Bloomsbury, and of course special thanks to Jon.
 
The APG events team
 
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