Helge Tennø: Strategic Director and Digital Planner at digital agency Screenplay in Oslo, Norway.
Helge gives us a review of the book which introduced him to planning and to this day still provides him with great value.
Jon Steel: Truth, Lies and Advertising (1998)
When I was given the opportunity to work as a planner I was the first one in
the agency and had no senior planning department or planner showing me the
ropes.
It was a clean start, having to jump in and self teach myself the subject and
produce an understanding of what I wanted this role to be and do for my agency.
I had to start building processes, models, tools and generate ideas. In other
words, I needed to learn a great deal in a short time. The book started my
exploration through several excellent resources introducing a very complex
subject.
Truth, Lies and Advertising gives a magnificent overview and introduction to
the field in a non-complex language which is easy to understand for people with
a different first-language than English. At the same time I didn't want to copy
or fall into a too narrow definition of what planning is, and I felt that Jon
Steel's introduction was broad enough to allow for personal interpretations and
ideas along the way.
The book still provides valuable insights and works as a resources I routinely
check for quotes and ideas. Finding it includes the best introduction and quick
understanding of the daily routine and work I do as a planner.
