Is the sharp rise in the number of strategy blogs which comment upon brands and communications a threat to the traditional and well established approach of the professional strategist? Does it undermine the need for data and measurement? Does it encourage a 'shoot from the hip' approach to finding great strategic answers? Or perhaps strategy blogs are the future? They create community, they train people, they inspire. Is a Head of Planning without a blog out of touch with modern planning thinking?

John Lowery (pictured), Chief Planning Officer at Grey will go head to head with John Grant, co founder of advertising agency St Luke's, to address such questions and will continue this debate which initially started on Adliterate, an online strategy blog. The online debate attracted hundreds of responses and incited many strong views particularly from those of Lowery and Grant who have agreed to put their money where there mouths are and thrash this out at the IPA event.

Lowery said: “One thing I noticed as I hyperleapt from one planning blog to another was an almost total lack of quantification of anything anyone said, at all. To that extent I thought perhaps one could make a case that blogging is killing planning, or at least planning as I know it. It’s not enough to have an opinion. Anyone can have an opinion. The difference between a planner and an enthusiastic amateur, is that the planner’s opinion is informed by fact.”

Grant said: “John Lowery & several supporters argue for basing assertions on fact and against empty opinionated notions. His proposition is that blogging is killing planning. On what factual basis does he make that claim? I'm assuming of course that planning isn’t dying. So nothing can be killing it. But I'd like to hear some evidence either way.”

If you are interested in hearing more evidence too, attend the debate on Thursday March 29 2007 from 6pm-9pm at the SCI, 14-15 Belgrave Square. Tickets cost £15+ VAT for members and £30 +VAT for non-members. For further information and to buy tickets please contact Adah Parris on adah@ipa.co.uk or on 020 7201 8239.

To view the initial online debate, please click here: Adliterate: Is blogging killing planning?

The IPA Strategy Group has also set up its own blog. It is open to all those wanting to debate the future of strategy and provides details of past and future IPA strategy head-to-head debates. To access the site, please click here.

Here at creativematch we have our very own blogging section for those who want to air their views to a creative audience. It is also possible to add pictures, videos and sound to your digital journal. Click here to go to our blogging section and set up your own blog. Read our article on why we think blogging is the business by clicking here.

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