I've been droning on about the term for some time now, and I still believe it's raped a few times every day in my working environment alone, so I think this post by David Nottoli is pretty spot-on.
An insight is not of any use if it's that easy to find, because everyone and their dog will come up with the same strategy, there is no excuse for sloppy thinking in research (read the comments after the jump as well), nor is there one for sloppy work because there is nothing better to say...
Do an image search for consumer insight on Google and you even come up with directions for them:
This is what happens when everybody buys the same presentations, goes
to the same seminars, idolises the same people, and most of all: sticks
to the advertising sector to find inspiration. I don't remember where the
'planners should know something about everything and everything about
something' line came from, but it does illustrate the fact that
planning is about finding inspiration in lots of different places.
I couldn't agree more with on the insight debate. A beer client of ours want to base their communication entirely on the insight that "people drink beer with their friends". No shit, Sherlock.
Keep yer eyes open,
//E
Posted by: Eric S | 06 November 2006 at 10:36
Hi Yves,
I think it was Richard Huntingdon who said "planners should read weird shit". I guess this is why.
(btw: "read" might also mean visit, watch, discuss, collect etc.)
Cheers
Robert
Posted by: Robert Essenstam | 10 November 2006 at 01:01
Indeed, that's Richard's quote, and in my experience planners are the ones who already read weird shit. And if not, start asking some questions about what you want to be.
It's the clients, the account directors and managers, the ceo, the creatives,... that should read more weird shit too.
As opposed to (non-exhaustive rant ;-) prehistoric marketing literature which they tend to follow to the letter, award books bulging with single minde ideas (eugh), midlife marketeers pretending to be the new gurus,...
Posted by: ief | 10 November 2006 at 10:12