I've been mucking about with a couple of Squidoo Lenses for a few weeks. It's been much fun. I've built one for the Planning School and one about Radio 4. There are another couple in the pipeline but they're not much good yet. Have a look and let me know what you think.
Russell, seeing as you are rightly devoted to Radio 4, and with your Newsnight thing, I should probably tell you that I've been on the Today programme a few times.
Once to talk about our website (What Brand Are You?) and once to talk about Dasani.
Posted by: Ben | December 07, 2005 at 11:21 PM
as a junior account planner, i can only thank you very much for this. it's much more than just a "cheat-sheet", it's a great tool i have been looking for for a very long time.
Unfortunately, in Romania (the country i come from), account planning is at a very early stage in development. Although more and more agencies understand the need of an account or a strategic planner, very few overall actually have such positions or departments within their organization, since such people are very hard to find. Practically, even those who ended up handling planning and strategy nowadays haven't got an actual backgound in this - they were experts in marketing or media planning or client service (not that that's bad, but what i'm saying is that they're learning the thing themselves, and it's gonna take a while until they become trainers). Needless to say we don't have a school of planning whatsoever, nor can we find specialized books too easily. And the consequence is that there are almost no junior positions for account planning in my country. I just got lucky, cause i started as a copywriter and after a while, the creative director handed me a copy of Jon Steel's "Truth, lies and advertising" and told me i had to start learning the "art of account planning", cause they're offering me the position for the commentaries i had made along the time, but they have nobody to teach me more.
So, for me and for all the people in my shoes, you are not only a real help, but a real bless ! :) It's great to know there is somebody you can learn from after all, and who is also willing to teach. Thank u! Thank u! Thank u! And keep up the good work, cause you're doing one hell of a job !
diana
Posted by: Diana | December 08, 2005 at 09:22 AM
Ben - very exciting. Did you feel that Today forced you into an adversarial position that didn't really reflect what you really thought? Because that's how they always seem to me.
Diana - many thanks. Glad I can help. Thanks for saying thanks.
Posted by: russell | December 08, 2005 at 10:33 AM
Apparently everyone is good at advertising!
Posted by: Rob Mortimer | December 09, 2005 at 12:43 AM
Yes they do try and coerce you into saying something controversial when often nothing controversial needs to be said.
I've always been interviewed by Ed Stourton and he's very nice.
Posted by: Ben | December 09, 2005 at 02:42 PM
Russell, as the respected squidoo lensmaster for Radio 4, can we share your views on the threatened demise of the UK Theme, the stalwart sound of British resolve on cold mornings?
Posted by: kenny | January 26, 2006 at 03:59 PM
kenny,
Interesting question. Personally, I'd be upset to see (hear?) the UK theme go. It rewards you if you happen to get up early and reminds me of my days doing paper-rounds. But, if it signals the beginning of some Radio 4 brutality which will lead to the demise of Moneybox, Any Questions/Answers and Loose Ends then I'm willing to accept that.
Posted by: russell | January 27, 2006 at 09:33 PM
...and Gardener's Question Time.
Posted by: russell | January 27, 2006 at 09:37 PM
I'm with you on the culling of the sick programmes of the herd - I would certainly add Veg Talk, Quote Unquote and Moneybox Live (worst gig I ever went to) to that list.
And why do they edit all the funny bits out of Loose Ends?
Posted by: kenny | January 31, 2006 at 11:15 AM