Tuesday 8 April 2008

Emperor's New Clothes

I love this quick presentation by Anil Dash. There's something pernicious about the powerpoint effect that for many clients goes something along the lines of 'for each change of slide' we are getting agency value-for-money'. No it's not, its illusory value.

5 comments:

  1. I'm so with you on this Charles as I wrote here ...

    http://robcampbell.wordpress.com/2006/08/31/a-picture-tells-a-thousand-charts/

    Not only do too many clients think your agencies value is in direct proportion to the the number of powerpoint slides you present, but they deem 'added value' as stuff you will do for free, rather than stuff that has an inherent value on the operation of their business.

    I once asked a client for some 'added value' on a product they were trying to sell me ... funnily enough they couldn't relate to what I was saying, haha!

    Quality should always shine over quantity, but sadly too many people's attitude is that volume = value, so it's getting harder and harder to prove that a potent, pragmatic idea is better than 1000 slides of waffle ... but then when you have management consultants and planners forgetting their job is to simplify and do all they can to complicate, what can you expect?

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  2. Note how Rob proves his point by using 4 paragraphs to say he agrees with you. He did that deliberately.

    Didn't he? ;O)

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  3. He did didn't he. He's like that ad for BBDO. He can type and slurp and blog and email and field telephone calls all while running an international business. We are mortal compared to Campbell I tells ya John.

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  4. I have a 70 slide powerpoint presentation to explain why you are absolutely correct Charles, ha!

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  5. Ahh, the joy of powerpoint karaoke. I've done this with geek events a lot, just realised how much fun it could be at an agency event!

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