Both sides of the coin

I tend to stick up for the strategists in organisational communication: no matter how good the media, it's useless if it doesn't derive from the right plan to create the right outcome.

So I sometimes get it right back in the neck - 'without the outputs, plans are useless'.

And of course it's absolutely true. Communication is only ever going to be effective if we have both the ying and the yang - great planning and great execution.

Thankfully, I still get involved in both, and was quite excited to receive my copies of law firm CMS Cameron McKenna's Solve. This is the firm's client publication - designed to be an awareness-raising light read aimed at current and prospective clients. It's just one part of a well-designed marcoms mix, and also plays well internally with the partners and staff.

I hadn't written a publication for a law firm before, but the client was able to give me a clear brief and strong context of what their business objectives are; how marketing was helping to deliver these goals and the niche where this publication fitted in. Essentially, their culture is about building relationships, and Solve helps reveal the human side of the firm and the law it deals with.

They're very pleased with the result - and so am I - a tactical tool that I think is well executed.