By a quirk of culture and history, it could be that China has arrived today where many other 'more developed countries' will arrive tomorrow.

We will have to become 'perpetual marketers', to learn to be channel and data planners without losing our human insight or creativity; to vastly increase the level of accountability and provide more relevant experiences for customers.

There will be an enduring role for the 'soft' side of planning. The piece that deals with meaning, identity and ideas. This is the slightly intangible piece that creative agencies hold at their heart.

By a quirk of culture and history, it could be that China has arrived today where many other 'more developed countries' will arrive tomorrow.