"Planner Wrap-up Panel" - AP Conference Post

Suzanne Powers who kicked off the conference, hosted throughout, and kept things going wrapped up the conference with a few planners in the Planner Wrap-up Panel.

Here are some of the key themes of the conference as pulled out by the panel:

• Conversations - don't plan against things that are bad (reacting), plan for things
• Doing - putting stuff out there for people to participate in, planners as producers
• We are cultural inventors and innovators, existing within a certain time
• We are storytellers that light up the marketplace, not just the agency, by making a story inspiring
• Getting people involved - interacting and dialogue
• We don't always have to have the answer, but we do have to ask the right question

I would add to that list:

• Brands need to have a point of view instead of relying on the idea that there is a unique selling point
• The digital realm is still not understood by all planners and measures need to be taken to get more involved, be organic and flexible, and use the digital world as an opportunity to get our brands talked about more
• Becoming a part of the conversation is essential in today's marketplace - help mold the conversation, help start conversations, help redirect negative conversations
• Look at the entire marketplace instead of just the world according to your category
• We must be more nimble and must act quickly, especially in the digital age
• Innovate or die

That's the end of my notes but I will be pulling in a few other sources to go over some of the other sessions I didn't get to attend. I hope you enjoyed sharing my journey to the 2008 AP Conference.