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Recession is not the problem, by Hannah Brown I was asked to write some words for Sharp Stick on how to survive a recession. Indeed, I began with some thoughts on what and how planners should be doing in these troubled times. The reality is, of course, that there are no golden rules or pearls of wisdom - even from me - and there are even fewer guarantees. However, you shouldn't let this worry you too much. Not only is planning the most interesting of jobs, but it is also probably one of the most secure in the current environment. Planning should come into its own in a recession because incisive strategy is the thing that transforms and consolidates brands' fortunes. Planners are well placed to protect and develop revenue streams for their agencies and to deliver both rigour and strategic innovation to clients. This, combined with the inherent transferability of the planning skill set, puts planners in a very strong position going forward. The issue is not whether there are jobs for planners - the continuing number of situations vacant should be testament to that - but rather the dearth of quality planning. Before you all threaten me with acts of mass violence, hear me out. It would appear that all is rosy in the planning world - the number of entries at the APG awards is the highest ever, the demand for planners is being maintained if not growing and many people from other disciplines would love to jump the fence and join the team. But it seems that the underlying reality is not so good. Too many planners rely on creative instinct or market intuition rather than grounding their conclusions in solid foundations. Too much planning appears to be the result of expedient thinking rather than genuinely innovative approaches to problems and too many planners seem to believe that being bright is of itself enough. It isn't. The best way to defend yourself from the ravages of a relentless market place is to put your foot on the pedal, learn hungrily and deliver a product whose quality and value is self evident. The author of such work will be appreciated, lauded and most importantly, continuously employed. This is not so much a call to arms rather a plea to defend yourselves with the most powerful weapon you have at your disposal; your talent. Produce outstanding work and bar commercial meltdown, which none of us can influence or control, not only will you survive the recession, my bet is that you will prosper. (c) Account Planning Group 1995-2002
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