We are excited to present Wayne Lotherington who specialises in understanding what happens in the brain which leads to creative thinking. He has an advertising background, so will also offer relevant techniques on how to make your brain think laterally, even when you are in a rut. These techniques can be applied when coming up with creative ideas,  innovation, workshop techniques or simply when you need to view a problem in a different way. 

Anyone who needs to think creatively including clients,  planners, account service and ofcourse creatives, will benefit.

APG & AWARD Members – Free
Non Members – $10

Contact kate@communicationscouncil.org.au for tickets
or RSVP on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=591426770#!/events/317778804931314/

BATTLE OF BIG THINKING returns in 2012 with more inspirational speakers, creative thinking and big ideas. APG Members are invited to take advantage of member tickets and join us ringside in March.

Battle of Big Thinking features on Day 2 of the annual Circus; Festival of Commercial Creativity. This year Circus includes Masterclass sessions focussing on the practical application of creative and strategic skills. This will include a Strategic Planning Masterclass with BBH Directors Kevin Brown & Nick Kendall – Turning intelligence into magic.

Tickets on sale soon. 

Here are just some of the big thinkers lined up for 2012:

James Hurman,Planning Director, Colenso BBDO	Satyajit Das, Author & Financial Consultant
Tim Costello, CEO,World Vision	Marcus Westbury, Director ReNew Australia

Sudeep Gohil, Chairman, APG Australia & Executive Planning Director / Partner, Droga5 Sydney was here in India recently to officially kick-off the APG India chapter along side Siddharth Loyal, Head, APG India and founder, Trium Advertising & Marketing Consultancy (a member of the NetworkOne.)

Said Sudeep, ‘The APG is driven by passionate and interesting planners around the world to provoke unexpected thinking for business and brands. With the expansion of APG into the vibrant and exciting world of Indian advertising and communications we look forward to many more interesting conversations. Over the coming years we hope to be able to offer some support from across the Indian Ocean.’

Said Sarah Newman, Chair, APG UK and global planning partner, Ogilvy, ‘We are delighted that another APG is shortly to be launched in India. It promises to be an energetic and progressive group of people dedicated to serving the intellectual and strategic needs of Planners and Strategists and we wish them well’ .

Said Siddharth, ‘I am very excited on becoming a part of the APG here in India and the plan is to give account planning a wider appeal, make it more inclusive and help inject fresh blood into the system. For starters, we are in the process of setting up a core committee for APG India (an eclectic mix of top industry leaders and young planners) who will work very closely with me in formulating the core objectives for APG India including, help craft the framework for India’s first ever creative strategy awards (scheduled for mid 2012) and also a platform for people to engage, deliberate and debate.’

There will be some big announcements coming in the next few weeks, including the official launch of APG India and in the interim, please feel free to mail Siddharth at sidloyal@apgindia.co.in to become a part of APG India.

Alex Ryan (MediaCom) has taken out the 2011 APG Planning Idol Title.

You can check out photos from the award night here

Alex’s winning strategy was rewarded at the Award Presentation at Sydney’s Ruby Rabbit last night, with more than 90 in attendance. Seventeen finalists contested the APG Planning Idol title with final presentations made this week to a panel of judges including Rangan Srikhanta, CEO of One Laptop per Child. The judges were unanimous in nominating Alex for the top honour.

This year’s contestants were tasked to create a strategy for One Laptop per Child Australia. Rangan Srikhanta, CEO of One Laptop per Child, joined the judges in congratulating the winners and said:

“One Laptop per Child Australia is delighted to see the APG Planning Idol come on board to tackle our organization’s challenge of raising awareness of the critical need for educational facilities in regional Australia. The finalists demonstrated an excellent understanding of the immensity of the challenge and I was impressed with the depth of the research and strategic insights they showed. Alex’s solution provided strong insight and a creative and unique approach.”

Alex’s strategy capitalized on dormant loyalty reward points to unlock funds for One Laptop Per Child, working around the insight that people’s capacity to care is limited by their capacity to give financially.

Alex has won a return trip to the 4A’s Strategy Festival in the US in 2012, the 2011 Festival is being held this month in New York. Catherine Mellon (Droga5) and Hayley Parker (Meerkats) both received a highly commended distinction for their approaches which demonstrated well articulated strategies, robust research and measurement considerations.

Sudeep Gohil, APG Chairman commented: “We were really pleased to see so many entrants this year, including many from non planning backgrounds. The standard was high and the winning papers all demonstrated a clear strategic idea at the heart of the solution, with a strong platform for creative executions. He added: “The aim of the Idol program is to build awareness of the role of planning and hopefully inspire a few bright young minds to join the discipline. Well done to all the entrants and thanks to their agencies and colleagues for supporting them.”

The aspiring Idols faced a panel of judges including Rangan Srikhanta and Sudeep Gohil, in addition to Sandy Oldham (Sandy Oldham), Howard Parry- Husbands (Pollinate), Ryan Richards (DDB), Anna Barnwell (BMF & previous Idol winner) and Naren Sanghrajka (Droga5).

Entrants faced the following challenge:
There are over 300,000 primary school-aged children living in remote parts of Australia who do not have access to opportunities many of us take for granted. Sadly, as our modern society becomes more connected – the gap grows wider still. Remote children lack the opportunity, not the capacity to learn. One Laptop per Child (OLPC) Australia, is helping these children engage in their own education and connect to a wider body of knowledge by providing them with a purpose built XO laptop for learning. The challenge is not just in highlighting OLPC Australia has a solution to this problem, but in moving people, businesses and/or Government to actively give their support.

This year’s Idol had 52 entrants from five states, and 17 finalists. APG Planning Idol is generously sponsored by advertising and marketing recruitment specialist Sandy Oldham Consulting.

The Call for Entry was launched with the help of the team from The Hallway.

Join the party to celebrate the 2011 APG Planning Idols.

Great ideas are rewarded and creative thinking shines at the APG Planning Idol award night. See who takes out the top honour in response to this year’s challenge to raise the profile of One Laptop per Child Australia.

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You’re invited

Thursday 6 October 2011 
Ruby Rabbit, 231 Oxford St Darlinghurst
Drinks and canapés from 6.30pm – 9.00pm / Award presentation will start at 7.15pm

RSVP by 30 September
APG & AWARD Members – $45 BOOK
Non Members – $69 BOOK
With thanks to our supporters, One Laptop per Child and Sandy Oldham Consulting

Congratulations to the Finalists 

• Hayley Parker
• James Pick
• Candice Pendergast
• Catherine Mellon
• Hugh Munro
• Henry Kember
• Alex Ryan
• Cassie Tanner
• Tobey Duncan
• Mark Krebs
• Corvette Cross
• Jacqueline Nunns
• Natalie Skovron
• Michaela Brown
• Vickie Hewes
• Bridget Bussell
• Lilian Sor
• Jon Deves

Use of Research in Awards submissions

I’ve judged a lot of planning awards over the years, and in providing feedback to both entrants and audiences, I have often found myself lamenting the lack of good research in the entries.

What do I mean by good research?

1. Good research is all about asking the right questions. Great planners ask questions that others have previously failed to ask.
2. Good research then helps to solve difficult problems. It can help to bring a business problem to life, and by embracing individuals from the real world as partners in the process, it can help to suggest a solution.
3. Good research does not have to be expensive, or sophisticated. It simply has to answer an important question. Some of the best research I have ever done cost little or nothing; without a budget all I had was creativity. (and creativity is as important in research as it is in developing advertising ideas or TV programming.)

And how should you use it to set apart a paper?

1. The best papers tell stories, and good research can help you in weaving your story.
2. At every step, a reference to research – both formal and informal – can help to strengthen your case. Think of it being like a summing up in a trial – an attorney will make a key point and cite a piece of evidence to support his or her point.
3. Ask a question, then use research to help answer it. The process doesn’t have to be laborious – in fact, simple references are often more effective in such situations. If you’ve got pictures from your research, or props of any kind, make use of those. It’s all about bringing it to life.
4. By the end of your paper, the reader or audience should have the impression that your work is built on a really solid foundation. You have answered their questions before they have asked them, and made it impossible to argue with what you’re saying.

Jon Steel, Chief Strategy Officer, George Patterson Y&R

There is no magic solution for winning Planning Idol.
What may help, as you finesse your entry over the next two weeks, are these tips from the judges:

Research
Judges will be looking for entries that have interrogated the problem in a thorough and considered manner. Show you’ve done your homework – everyone is likely to have access to the same documents online, what have you done differently in the research stage?

Objectives
Define the problem and opportunity – spend time really working out what the problem or opportunity is. Then you’ll be halfway to solving it and setting clear objectives.

Strategy
Show your smarts – what’s your killer insight that no one else has seen or articulated so eloquently?

Execution
You will need to convince the judges that the strategy is readily executable, include recommendations for creative execution.

Results
Judges will be looking for an understanding as to how the effects of the campaign should be measured in order to determine its effectiveness.

Tell a story
Tell an engaging story – the judges will have a lot of papers to read, make sure yours stands out as a good read.

And yes, it is subjective. There isn’t a formula for guaranteed success; merely the opinion of the respected jurors that we have chosen to help us to select the winners.

2011 Entry Details

Get all the details, entry form and judging criteria and get your entry in by 15 August 2011.

You must be an individual member to enter. Not a member?
Join up today and get a copy of the APG Creative Strategy Award book

As this year’s entrants prepare papers, a look back at what won and why, uncovers some helpful hints for aspiring Idols.

 
2007

The brief – Combat the growing threat of Ice in Australia.
Charity Partner – Inspire Foundation

Winner – Mollie Hill
Highly Commended – Aisea Laungaue
Highly Commended – Rob Dougan

2009

The brief – Every night 32,000 people under the age of 24 are homeless. How would you position the issue and use communication to address youth homelessness in Australia.
Charity Partner – Oasis

Winner – Anna Barnwell
Highly Commended – Meredith Simpson

2011

The brief - Move people, businesses and Government to actively support One Laptop per Child
Charity Partner – One Laptop per Child

XXX

Korea is a particularly interesting case given the rapid rise of K-Pop and its enormous popularity in the Asian youth market. Korean group Big Bang’s Tonight recently became the first K-Pop album to chart in the US Top 10. International producers are taking notice.

Austrade this year identified Korea as its top market of interest for cultural and business development grants, Korean motor vehicles are ubiquitous and the dedicated cable Korean TV is watched by over 300 million viewers in 32 countries. All this reflects a rapidly gathering international interest in all things Korean.

To further explore the K-Pop phenomenon and how it is transcending culture and language, The Communications Council is holding an informative event including Korean food, music and conversational insights into this burgeoning market.

Dirk Anthony, SBS director of audio and language content together with strategy and planning manager, Thang Ngo, are both K-Pop converts. They will discuss the relevance of this particular cross cultural pollination in a marketing communications context and what implications it holds for marketers, advertisers and anyone working working in a commercially creative industry.

Thang Ngo said that Korean cars, culture and fashion were already spreading through the world like wildfire.

“K-Pop is at the forefront of Korean culture. As it hits Australia, marketers can be riding this wave,” he said.

The event is being held this Thursday at Hotel CBD, corner of York and King streets, Sydney at 6.30pm. Further details are available here.

Article courtesy Australian Creative 31 May 2011

APG announces new look committee for 2011/2012xx

APG announces new look committee for 2011/2012

Following an impressive response to their recent call for nominations, the Account Planning Group (APG) today announces a diverse line up of creative and media agency representatives to join the committee.

This will be the largest committee since the APG began in 2004, with the diversity of members reflecting the changing face of planning and its dynamic role in marketing communications.

The incoming members include Carrie Booth (Strategy Planner Host), Fabio Buresti (Planning Director 3 Drunk Monkeys), Lucy Cochran  (Senior Strategy Planner AJF Melbourne), Cat Collins (Strategic Planning Director Droga5), Gareth Cooper  (Head of Planning BMF), Ben Hourahine (Head of Strategy Amnesia), Tom Donald (Planning Director The Works), Georgia Thomas (Strategy Director Ikon), Thomas McGillick (Strategy Planner JWT), Jon McKie (Managing Director/Planning 303) and Ben Shepherd (Commercial Director Sound Alliance).

An ambitious agenda for 2011/2012 includes work on the APG Ideas Exchanges, the APG Awards and Planning Idol, the Battle of Big Thinking and APG membership.

“We’ve had a great response from a broad variety of experienced agency people making this one of the largest APG Committees to date.  They’ll be working across different portfolios but are all committed to providing new opportunities for planning talent and to raising the profile of strategic thinking in our field,” said Chairman Sudeep Gohil.

“The new committee members all have a passion for planning and creative thinking in business, which will ensure we keep up the momentum APG has had in the past 7 years of its existence.”

“It is great to see planning talent from both small and large agencies come together to provide APG with input and ideas. We welcome them and look forward to working with them,” said Daniel Leesong, CEO of The Communications Council.

The new representatives will be joining existing APG members Emily Hoskins (Apparent), Matt Walters (Head of Planning Clemenger), Jules Hall (Managing Director The Hallway), Craig Hunter (Blacksheep) Russ Mitchinson (Planning Director DDB and APG Vice Chairman) and Sudeep Gohil (Executive Planning Director/Partner Droga5).

Be in the industry you’re in – join the APG 
Membership of the Communications Council includes APG and is open to anyone with an interest in strategic planning. Membership includes invitations to regular industry events, networking opportunities and planning resources. 

9 June 2011