It's that time! It's Planners Survey time!

Heather LeFevre's 6th annual Planner Survey is out.

This survey is sent out to planners throughout the world (last year we had 1,217 responses) and we are hopping to reach 2,000 this year!  

This survey has grown over the years and become very important in the community, as it helps paint a picture of the planning panorama.  

Ever wondered... 
- Am I getting paid fairly? 
- Who are the important movers and shakers of the industry? 
- What are the trends moving the profession? 
- How often are others folks changing jobs and why? 
- How can I break into Planning?  

The survey will help you understand these issues and much much more... So spread the word planners: email, post, blog and tweet away.  

You can take the survey here: http://bit.ly/chSKNE  
And sign up to receive the results here: http://bit.ly/drxz0O  
Last years results: http://bit.ly/mntdG


Also thanks to Heather for letting me be part of the Survey Team and play, it's real exciting!

island outliers

Most of us have seen the Internet gain a very dominant role in our lives over the past decade, so it is hard to imagine a life without it. We have accepted that the oh-so-powerful web will write the present and future of our modern societies.

However there are some who live outside, I am not talking about those who cannot access or understand the technology but those who choose a life free from it.  

connections planning in action

Connections planning´s rep has been put on the spot, first it was a boom and now some question its existence and survival. I am for taking things with a pinch of salt but I also believe in balance, so I wanted to share these examples that have caught my eye during my new commuting routine in Madrid.

In my opinion both are a great case in point of connections planning, seamlessly fitting products and services in people´s lifestyle, parting from the following data: Madrid is the city with most public transportation commmuters in the country (50% vs a 21% nation average).

"I'm @ Contemplation"

This recent El País article talks about a new trend, an obsesssion with the question WHERE (no longer the "HOW of the first half of the 20th century, or the WHAT of the golden age of pop, nor the WHEN of the revival age") and it got me thinking about the importance of geo-localization, its implications and consequences.

• Beyond cell phones. Most people still think of "cell phones" when they hear the word mobile. We could break free from this, go past the container and start thinking about the "cloud", seamless easy independence and the greater consequences for our everyday lives. In this aspect I really like the work that Jan Chipchase is doing for Nokia in understanding the intersection of culture and technology.

mediatic enigmatic

Why do channels Antena 3, Neox and Nova, which have totally different content and audience, share media scheduling and buys? Si alguien sabe el porqué, por favor explicádmelo porque no tiene ningún sentido en mi cabeza...

Let me explain, the three channels seem to be synchronized, so not only they get commercial interruptions at the same time they also get THE SAME ADS. So a financial services spot is running simultaneously in three channels where people are watching:

ARCO 2010

For those of you who couldn't attend I wanted to share a quick note with my impressions and finds from the contemporary art fair this year.

• Technology has an indisputable influence, both in the process of art creation and as part of the piece itself. Check out artists like Fernando Gutierrez, Boredomresearch (UK) and Daniel Canogar. With his use of computers, led screens, fiber wires and lights the last deserves at least a mention on Wired.

If (what we knew as) "minority sports" are BECOMING MAINSTREAM... does it mean that traditional sports become then fringe?

If snowboarding (and other extreme sports -and for that matter some music genders as well) are becoming the norm within youngsters, what will those who need deviation seek?

If A turns B, then B becomes A? Or maybe something entirely different? B2 or C?

the art of imitation?

Wasn’t advertising the business of creativity and invention? Aren’t ads supposed to entertain and surprise?

What do you think of these ads that are exact copies of music videos?


Original Sour video HERE.

3 countries in 2 months, an update

I have travelled accross the world in the past months, from San Francisco to Taipei, to Madrid, in the search of the very elussive dreamed-planning position. I have finally settled down in Madrid, Spain. I will be staying here for a little while as I have been invited to join Sra Rushmore in the role of Strategic Planner. Quite exciting. So far so good, so much culture hopping has not yet translated into culture shocking.

As I get settled and slowly crawl my way back into this blog, don´t be surprised at mentions of weird brands or if I start mumbling strange words in another language. It´s all part of the fun.