The Stephen King Planning Cycle

Source: JWT Planning Guide, Stephen King, 1974

Some days it can feel like account planners have become glorified strategic setup writers. Today’s agency world of more-for-less and too-little-time, sometimes means we have to work through the Stephen King Planning Cycle out of order. But we can’t skip it. This framework is so foundational to bringing a truthful understanding, rigor, and storytelling to our brands for effective growth. I find now more than ever, that this level of strategic state of affairs is often skipped or assumed. And yet with a more crowded marketing landscape, never has it been so important.

For the original JWT planning guide http://bit.ly/2w5SQ29