What is Planning anyway? It used to be simple. "The planner brings not simply research, but also the use of data, into every stage of advertising development as a third partner for the account handler and creative team...involved with the central issues of advertising strategy [and be] honest and clear about consumer response without stifling creativity" (Pollitt) "At one extreme, there are the 'grand strategists', who are intellectual, aim to see the big picture, are a little bit above the fray, and almost economists. At the other are the 'advert tweakers', who peer myopically at advertisements, conduct group discussions, justify creative work to sceptical clients, and are almost qualitative researchers." (King) Whilst nobody can argue that these two legends are the founding fathers of our profession, the definition of what a ‘Planner’ is today is still up for debate. It shouldn’t be. Due to the marvelous change our industry has experienced, and will continue to experience, the definition of ‘Planner’ has morphed into a much-used, and sometimes much-abused, umbrella term for many a new role. Sometimes deservedly. Sometimes robbery. Titles and ‘specialities’ will always change but the core reason for the existence of our profession should not. What a ‘Planner’ is, and the impact a planner can have on a clients’ business, is worth defining. Because without common understanding and practice we risk doing to our own profession the very thing we would be the first to advise our clients against: diluting our own reputation and turning our back in the fundamentals that established us in the quest for growth. The fundamental reason a Planning and Planners exist is to be the expert on people so they have a positive experience with the brand to maximise commercial growth for our clients. Simply said but entertainingly more complex to achieve. And it can take more than one kind of planner to do so. View the definitive guide here