TWO IMPORTANT THINGS OFF THE BAT:
I’VE GOT SOMETHING SPECIAL PLANNED FOR V100. I’M GONNA PUT TOGETHER A LITTLE ZINE OF “THE BEST OF THE PAST 100 EMAILS” – BUT I WOULD LOVE YOUR INPUT… Is there anything I’ve shared in the past 2 years (woah) that has really stuck with you, helped your work, or generally brought you some degree of joy?
IF SO, PLEASE LET ME KNOW BY emailing me at alex@stratscraps.com or just drop a comment
I think this is gonna be a long one. Email might cut it off, so if you can’t see all the way to the end monster, you can view the full issue on substack.
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On with the show
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Does anyone else live somewhere between “If they had listened to me, none of this would have happened” and “I have no idea what I’m doing.” ??
There are countless charts and diagrams outlining the different skills a planner should be capable of to reach the next “rung” –but one that doesn’t get talked about enough is “the ability to make things happen.”
That applies in all directions.
The ability to get creative to see why some feedback is worth addressing.
Or to get the account team to back up creative.
Or to ask for more time when needed.
But most importantly, I think we serve a huge role in getting work to the point of production.
We shouldn’t, but it seems like we do.
And I don’t know how to improve in that arena because it is entirely dependent on the politics and context of the agency and client.
But I need to get better at it. Because – and this seems obvious saying it now – just telling people what will work best doesn’t achieve nearly as much as it should.
So I find myself saving a lot of this type of material… Which is really just academic procrastination.
ANYWAY, HERE ARE SOME SCREENSHOTS/LINKS/DIGITAL CLUTTER
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THESE THINGS ARE BASED AROUND THE THEME OF PLAY
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Love this:
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I don’t typically like these “Why x is like y” posts… And I’m not a big "drake guy” (in taste or archetype)… But this was a decent write up using Drake to illustrate the fundamentals of Why Brands Grow
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Here are some links and scrnshots related to Play:
Designing for Social Interaction in Open-Ended Play Environments (link)
MIT Press Collection on “Playful Thinking” (link)
Play Matters (Book, link)
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Which got me thinking about stuff kids do.
Which led me to my new research and insights personal credo:
Look for the world under the rocks
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Speaking of research: this is the kind of research I love; extreme unpacking of the mundane through curious eyes:
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How to make sense of any mess is a book, but the author has also made the entire text available for free online. Here are some screenshots, but I’m honestly inclined to buy the book simply bc she is giving it away for free.
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I know this is applicable to Strategy, but not sure exactly how:
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Why I’m afraid to monetize any hobby:
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Yet another StratScraps thought diagram that is interesting but absolutely should never be presented to others. This is input, not output:
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A pleasant non-sequitur that came out of being lonely during the pandemic: I Miss My Bar
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A WELL ARTICULATED EXPLANATION FOR WHY I ADVOCATE FOR BREAKING RULES, CAUSING CHAOS AND GOING AGAINST THE STATUS QUO.
…..
Is this a good idea as far as professional growth and career advancement?
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SUPER IMPORTANT THING THAT WON’T IMPACT CLIENT’S REQUEST FOR MORE “SOCIAL FIRST THINKING”
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PUBLIC SILLINESS IS THE BEST
WEEKLY MONSTER
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Or, you can always buy me a coffee.