PSFK Conference London III: random thoughts

After an entire day of such interesting stuff, I left the PSKF Conference
last Friday feeling twitchy. I’m not quite sure about my own views on everything that was said and discussed that day. Most of it has been mysteriously hidden and lost into my unconscious mind and I guess I’ll have to be patient and accept the fact that it will start to pop back again at any time. I’m sure this is going to be a well blogged and talked about conference (I have seen some stuff already) and I know blogging about it almost one week after is not proper web 2.0 timing. But, still, I think it can do no harm exposing here some initial random thoughts.

This is just the beginning…

It wasn’t too long ago when people were talking about green and sustainability issues as something as distant as teleportation. People would talk and talk, not much would be done, and those who would really get into doing something would be seen as “boring green people”.

It wasn’t too long ago also when anthropologists were only intellectuals given lectures at Universities - lectures most of the students didn’t really understand why they had to take. (I have a degree on International Relation and anthropology was one of the obligatory classes I had to take. I was in love with it, but in Brazil most of the people didn’t quite understand the use of it, and I guess I could blame it on the teachers and school who weren’t keen enough to show its importance).

It wasn’t too long ago planners were just planners. Seating often alone in their tables, struggling on some Nielsen report, trying to understand why some numbers weren’t responding positively when all the pre-testing and focus groups had gone so well.

But now green is the new black; anthropologists are future tellers and planners can be creatives…

Having spoke with some of the attendees later that Friday evening, I couldn’t help but sensing a feeling of restlessness. Somehow there was no doubt about all the amazing things that we have been exposed too, but also there was this uncomfortable sensation of something missing. That’s because no answers were given.

I remember feeling the same way last year at Brazilian’s APG annual conference. Interesting things, interesting thoughts, instigating panels and subjects, but then what? So what are we doing? What is the advertising momentum? Where are we heading?

No answers…

It is definitely a moment of changing, not just pure changing, because life changes everyday. I’m talking about transformation. It is that moment when some people are talking about it, less are doing something about it and many are finding it not so exciting. But we are still in the pipeline, trying to work our way around. Discovering new territories, new things… Still understanding.

Sometimes it is not about getting answers. It is about instigating the mind. Simply, realizing that big elephant in the room.