Would you believe it Crow Friends, the summer holidays are over, the inbox fills up again, and suddenly Christmas doesn’t seem quite so far away?

Attention turns to what still needs to be delivered this year – and, increasingly, to what next year needs to look like. Plans need writing. Research needs commissioning. Strategies need sharpening. Portfolios need sorting. And leadership teams need to agree what really matters. It’s an important moment.

But it’s also an easy one to get wrong, because when time is short and there’s a lot to do, the temptation is to add more. more projects, more priorities, more activity, more things to put in the plan.

At The Crow Flies, we think the opposite is often needed: step back; work out what’s really going on. Decide where you can make a difference. And be ruthless about what matters most. That’s what this Autumn Crow Chronicle is about. Five considerations for the run-in to Christmas – and the run-up to 2027 – on making better decisions about research, strategy, planning and portfolios.

No crystal balls or 47-point frameworks. Just a few questions worth asking before the year gets away from you. Because good brand building isn’t about fitting everything in, it’s about knowing what matters enough to leave everything else out.

Here’s our latest Crow Chronicle on the topic – short read: Crow Chronicle