Refering to a post I did some weeks ago, I want to refresh the think about how to canalise information.
It's our mission in the ad industry to do this with our clients’ information/brand. But the problem we are struggling with is the threadbare phrase: information overload. In the position of a planner or as a market researcher you are struggling with a massive amount of information as well. Finally, you face two questions.
a) Which channels do I have to use to get informed?
b) What information is relevant?
I tried to figure it out for myself, in order not to overload my colleagues with useless facts.
10 channels I use regularly:
1. family/friends
2. colleagues
3. city and environment
4. newspapers
5. supermarkets
6. radio
7. news on telly
8. bars/cafés
9. russelldavies.com
10. tube/bus
Some things might be missing. Of course, I use the internet a lot. But there are only a few sites that really have an impact, compared to the people and real life around me.
But that just leads us to the second question: What is relevant?
I'd say "impact" is also a useful criterion to answer that question. Many experiences I made that changed my way of thinking were related with a kind of fear.
One example is my first visit of Brixton in 2003. I have to add that I had just moved to London. Before I lived in other big cities in Germany, but nothing compared to London. So, it really depends on someone's heritage what is frightning you. (And soon I got used to it.)
Another example was reading the interview with Jonathan Meese – see below. A third point is signalising its arrival, as I am reluctant to do it – my first interview for this blog.
I don't know wheather this made a point at all. A third question still needs to be answered: How do we implement the facts we gathered, in the process of creative planning?
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