A few paraphrased notes from Gareth Kay’s talk at The Connection Planning Conference. Gareth talk alot about how the conventions of account planning need to shift to create “brand energy”. Along with Adrian’s thought that we’re now in the business of creating brand interactions, these points felt like concise and pointed ways for us to explain our work to those not initiated to connections planning/context strategy.

1. We still develop magic bullet communication that’s one-dimensional. Brands are being seen as increasingly similar
   and we therefore need to develop more “energy” around a brand.
2. Stop delivering messages start creating energy that connects brands and people together with meaningful.
3. As account planners we should be more enthusiastic about business, spending less of our time on insights, more time with company and understanding their beliefs and point of view.
4. Help our brands have a social mission, not just a commercial proposition. Make them interesting or useful, better yet be both.
5. Don’t try to attract people, create a puzzle that people put together.
6. Do more than one thing. Doing or saying simply one thing as a brand is one dimensional. Even worse it’s a dangerous gamble (for a brands success).
7. Get out of the message distribution business relying on expected media: Quoting recent NYtimes article “Were not in the business of keeping media companies alive, we are in the business of connecting with people.” nyt 10.4.07.

Sorry Gareth, if I misinterpreted or misquoted anything here ;) Let me know.

POSTSCRIPT: HA! Well I suppose I could have saved us the trouble and waited for Gareth to post the real deal. His full presentation follows:

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