Only Dead Fish

Post of the Month - November 2021 - Nominations

Well it's time again to nominate your good reads for Post of the Month. If there's something that you've read over the past month that you thought is worth nominating do send me the link or leave it in the comments below and when I have a good list I'll put them all up for a vote. As usual I've listed a starting shortlist below but please do add to these - so my starting three posts are:

The Milky Bar Adult by Dave Dye

Brush your teeth: why we still haven't found work/life balance by Aparna Bangur

The Useful Human Truth: Nine Lessons from Joni Mitchell by Jim Carroll

Please do add to these nominations.

Post of the Month - October 2021 - The Winner

Delighted to say that it is Jessica Hagy's excellent post on The many gifts of awkward silence that has won this month's vote. Well done to Jessica who joins the hall of fame. My thanks to all those who nominated and voted.

Post of the Month - October 2021 - The Vote

Thanks for the nominations. So this month's vote is between:

Charts that don't change by Harry Guild and Dean Matthewson

The many gifts of awkward silence by Jessica Hagy

Creative brief writing by Will Humphrey

I want to believe in Ted Lasso by Laurie Penny

My Messy Brain by Winnie Lim

Culture: brought together, kept apart by Grant McCracken

And you can vote below:

Google Firestarters Episode 14: Jim Carroll

I was so pleased when Jim Carroll said that he'd record an episode of Google Firestarters. As the former Chairman of BBH London and now a brand consultant he has so many pearls of wisdom about planning, strategy, the industry and life, and his blog is a wonderful fusion of art, culture and strategic wisdom. And true to form, this episode features many fascinating stories, analogies and insights on topics ranging from why planners need a continuous stream of inputs, the value they can bring as outsiders, and how they should act as psychotherapists to clients rather than doctors - listening, looking for patterns and insights. He talked about the risks of an over-focus on efficiency (what he called 'windtunnel marketing'), how case studies don't lead to transformative thinking, and how marketing can sometimes concern itself too much with looking back at success and sideways at competitive activities. So much to digest in this one. I hope you enjoy it.

Don't forget that you can watch all of the episodes of Google Firestarters that have been recorded so far over here.

Post of the Month - October 2021 - Nominations

It's Post of the Month time again. So if there is anything that you've read over the past month that you thought was particularly good do drop the link to the post in the comments or send it to me direct. As usual I have a few starters for the shortlist that I've set out below but please do add to these and when I have a good number I'll put them all up for the vote. So my starting shortlist (note, I've included a Twitter thread here which is not my usual practice but I think it's worth including) is:

Charts the don't change by Harry Guild and Dean Matthewson

The many gifts of awkward silence by Jessica Hagy

Creative brief writing by Will Humphrey

Please do add to these nominations. Thank you.