Gravity Integrated Marketing

Inclusivity in an exclusive market: why luxury brands should call on creators for content

2017-11-22T18:07:00.000+00:00

Originally published in The Drum Luxury Special

Written by Danielle Grogan, Copywriter

It was only last month that thousands of us tuned into Versace’s Facebook page to witness an historical fashion moment, live on our newsfeeds. The much-anticipated show was a lot smaller in scale compared to the huge, glitzy productions of previous years. Despite this, social allowed inclusiveness to an otherwise exclusive event.

The past few years have represented a step change in the way luxury brands approach digital advertising. In a market that makes money on the very nature of its exclusivity, luxury brands have previously felt put off. However, many have started to shift their budgets to digital. According to Business Insider, the luxury industry spent over $1 billion on digital ads in 2016 globally, up 63% from 2013, while spending on magazines declined 8%.

However, in order to really embrace the potential influence of digital and social, luxury needs influencers – or creators to give them their preferred title. Whatever you call them – it’s the people people listen to before they make purchases, especially when it comes with a hefty price tag.

The consumer is changing

People don’t trust brands. This isn’t new news – people have always trusted their peers over brands with sales targets. But when it comes to luxury products this is even more pertinent. As there are no product benefits, advertisers are essentially selling the feeling of desire. Traditionally this would manifest itself in half-whispered words, abstract colours or intense eye contact. But today’s consumer can see through that – so much so that McDonald’s are now using these tropes to parody launch a hamburger. To engage today’s consumers, luxury needs creators to help them drive desire in a more authentic way.

The way we shop is changing

Online reviews, makeup tutorials, even the apps we use are changing the way we shop. According to Mintel, 74% of consumers use social media when making a purchase decision. You only have to scroll through Instagram to see how social media is adapting to suit a more seamless shopping experience. Immersive stories draw us into an emotive experience for longer; while “Paid Partnership” posts signpost when we’re seeing an ad from our favourite creators. More practical functions like swipe to shop and shoppable posts mean you barely need to leave the app to spend.

Advertising is changing

The good news is that luxury marketers seem to be cottoning on. According to The New Face of Luxury report by Econsultancy and the Fashion and Beauty Monitor, 73% of luxury brands surveyed are active within influencer marketing. However, the report doesn’t fail to note that these departments are in their infancy, suffer from budget constraints and still worry about exclusivity of their luxury products. But now is not the time to lose faith in the influencer model. We can no longer ignore the ad-free way people are choosing to consume content. And it’s not just ad blockers and Netflix; the launch of YouTube Red will mean subscribing to watch content without ads – something I’d likely do and I write ads. Enter Creators: the perfect partner for your luxury brand.

Creators provide authenticity and aspiration

The reason we can relate to creators is because we see something of ourselves in them: perhaps they’ve come from a similar background, represent our core values or just have the same hair colour as us. As a luxury brand, if you can enlist a creator that is the living breathing embodiment of your brand, then you’ve broken down the fourth wall. Creators make the aspirational lifestyle more achievable for average Joes, which makes them more likely to buy luxury. It’s a year round opportunity that doesn’t depend on occasions, seasons or flashy TVC’s. Additionally, much like being a celebrity in the 90s, being an influencer is very aspirational in today’s world. Gen Z are telling careers advisors all over the country that they want to be a “YouTuber” or “vlogger/ blogger” when they grow up, while many of my fellow Millennials are hustling to become one themselves.

Creators can produce high quality content, fast

Most luxury brands will be put off by creators “authentic amateur” status. But typically, they needn’t worry: despite being more accessible or authentic than traditional celebrities, creators are professional, often have their own dedicated teams supporting them, and are experienced in working with brands. Ultimately, they are able to deliver high quality content very quickly, and come with their own media. Most creators are ultimately extremely slick, broadcasting businesses that know their audiences and their output better than anyone. It’s actually agencies and clients that are slowing things down, with our endless rounds of amends and multiple points of contact, according to influencer powerhouse Lilly Sing (@IIsuperwomanII).

Creators are seen as trendsetters

Some final, perhaps unsurprising stats relevant to luxury brands: 77% of Gen-Z* said they trust their favourite creators and see them as the trendsetters more so than brands. Less surprising is that trendsetters with a smaller following have a bigger influence. In fact, Kim Kardashian’s conversion rate is worse than a banner ad. If you think about it, it makes sense. Smaller followings mean its easier to be super targeted when it comes to passion points – so you could end up using more than one influencer for the launch of a new seasonal wardrobe for the fraction of the price of one Kim K. This is exactly what Tommy Hilfiger did in 2015 with their Hilfiger Island campaign, using 8 influencers across fashion, lifestyle and photography to target different passion points and trends with one campaign. Their reward for using creators in an original way? 16 million impressions and 442% ROI. Not bad for a bunch of amateurs.

*http://maherjaber.com/shift-in-consumer-trust-influencer-videos-drive-purchases-study-finds/

Seeing things in a positive light

2017-09-13T14:03:00.002+01:00

By Andrew Roberts, Managing Partner

(originally published in BITE magazine)

The inimitable Woody Allen famously once said “I am at two with nature.”

It seems he is not alone. Biophobia, or an aversion to nature, is increasingly common amongst generations raised with iPads, Netflix and Grand Theft Auto.

What’s more, statistics from the Environmental Protection Agency suggest that adults spend 93% of their lives inside buildings or vehicles. We’re spending more and more time under what Richard Louv calls “protective house arrest.”

This is worrying for a number of reasons. As human beings we are programmed to seek connections with nature which have a huge importance on our health and well-being in the modern world.

Related to this, the World Health Organisation expects stress related illness, such as mental health disorders and cardio-vascular disease, to be the two largest contributors to disease by 2020. Unsurprisingly, this diminished connection to nature and the ubiquitous presence of technology means we have less opportunity to recuperate our mental and physical energy.

Research has shown that by incorporating direct or indirect elements of nature into our lives, it’s possible to reduce stress, blood pressure and heart rates, whilst increasing productivity, creativity and self-reported rates of well-being. But how can we escape a self-imposed ‘biophobia’, if these are the unavoidable conditions of modern living?

A simple way to reconnect with nature and reap the positive benefits is exposure to natural daylight. Daylight is proven to be essential for our health; it has a positive effect on our circadian rhythm and helps balance our hormonal levels of serotonin and melatonin - important hormones linked to mood and sleep.

It’s therefore no coincidence that mindfulness – the zeitgeist wellness movement of our generation – focuses on light as a key tenet of its philosophy. Those practicing mindfulness believe that “light has always symbolised the Life Force behind all creation.” In other words, light has always been an important part of the human experience, associated with power and positivity.

With so brands using positivity in an abstract manner, subject to different personal interpretations, we thought it would be interesting to explore how light could be used as a metaphorical manifestation of positivity.

Hyundai is a South Korean car manufacturer that epitomises positive, forward thinking. They are one of the 3 big ‘chaebols’ (family owned conglomerates) in South Korea, a country that has leapt from being one of the poorest countries in the world to a developed high-income country in just one generation. Hyundai’s philosophy ‘New thinking, new possibilities’ reflects this, and means they are constantly challenging convention and pushing boundaries. They are forward thinking, but with an understanding of their responsibility to customers, society and environment.

They believe in the call to arms of ‘together for a better future’ and making the impossible possible: optimism is at the core of their beliefs. Over the past 9 months we have distilled this optimism by using the positive effects of light and nature in two key campaigns.

#TwoMoreMinutes

During the dark month of January, a few minutes of light are added to each day. Winter is a time when it can be a struggle to get natural daylight – the nights are longer and darker and the mornings colder and greyer. British Seasons have an impact on people’s health: around half of us reportedly suffer from a vitamin D deficiency, which can lead to thyroid problems and brittle bones, and on a psychological level, can cause Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). In light of this, these two additional minutes of daylight do not seem inconsequential.

As an optimistic brand that celebrates innovators, Hyundai celebrated the #TwoMoreMinutes we gain in a unique content series. Collaborating with four inspiring and optimistic people: tech journalist Becca Caddy, clean energy entrepreneur Carlton Cummins, outdoor filmmaker Tom Reader, and Hackney City Farmer Chris Pounds, we explored how each individual embodied what it means to be optimistic in different ways, in a bid to inspire the same optimism in Hyundai’s social audiences.

Results:

It worked: our audience felt inspired to make the most of even the smallest amount of sunlight in a typically “blue” month. We saw engagement and interest double on Instagram and Twitter in January, and the #TwoMoreMinutes content were the best performing posts against the Hyundai monthly social calendar on all channels.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W3hbegA328

#before7

As a follow up we focused on the optimism of summer. The summer months mean longer, brighter mornings, which make it easier to get out of bed and get a head start. Research showed that the successful innovators of the world were already doing this: from Benjamin Franklin, who famously rose at 5am and asked “What good shall I do this day?” to Tim Cook’s eye watering habit of checking emails at 3:45am. If inspirational innovators are doing this, why shouldn’t we make the most of the light summer mornings, too?

This was the perfect opportunity for Hyundai to inspire people to break from a daily routine that keeps them from nature. By focussing on 7 key individuals that make time for their passions already by Creating headspace, getting ahead, finding a passion, feeling energised or inspired or simply enjoying life and staying healthy. The #before7 campaign was a highly visual inspiration piece that used sunrise as a strong motif. We challenged our audience to do something that sets them up for the day before 7am over the summer months, exploring their passions and feeling the positive benefits.

Results: The campaign is currently live, but the response so far has been positive, with over 300 people sharing their own experiences of seizing the day #before7. Our hero film also captured the attention of 417k viewers, prompting 107 to spread optimism to their followers.

bit.ly/beforeseven

10 Lessons learned over 10 years running my own agency

2017-09-07T09:36:00.000+01:00

From humble beginnings working in a small dusty room on the 3rd floor in Covent Garden with a couple of cheap Toshiba’s and one founding client who you’re unlikely to have heard of. To a lovely studio on the South Bank, with a talented team of 30 producing award winning work for some amazing brands including Hyundai, Glenfiddich, Allianz, Hendricks and Miracle Gro.

Sounds sweet, however it’s been one hell of a roller coaster ride and as we pass a significant milestone I felt the need to share some lessons I learned along the way. Sometimes we got it right and other times we did it the hard way.

Gravity Thinking has actually lived in two very different phases. The first 5 years working with investors and the next 5 years as an independent agency. Which leads me nicely into the lessons learned in the early years.

1. D.I.Y.

Wiser people told us this from the outset however we didn’t have the experience or perhaps confidence to go it completely alone. Although having investors can be a foot up it also means that from the outset you are potentially compromising your vision to deliver against someone else’s. This means that you run the business differently and don’t take the risks you should. Generally, this means a focus on net profit over an investment in talent.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing however if I had my time again I would probably wait until I had the experience to go it alone rather than take on investors. You could look to choose those investors more wisely than we did ensuring an aligned vision and plan however there will always be a compromise.

2. Have you really got what it takes?

Starting, growing and managing an agency is way tougher than working within one and tougher than you could imagine. The learning curve is incredibly steep, the pressure intense and the effort needs to be unwavering. The compromises and sacrifices you make for your family, friends and yourself are significant. Long hours, canceling holidays, working whilst on holiday, letting friends down at the last minute, weight gain etc… You need to think very carefully before making the decision as it doesn’t impact just yourself.

I was incredibly lucky. My family have been extremely supportive and my friends incredibly understanding. They all appreciated why I was doing it and that I needed to do so. The main reason for this is that I talked to them about it and kept them informed as to my progress. This connected them in part to my journey in the early days and made them more understanding of the compromises they also had to make.

3. From A to B via C, J, X…

You start the business with a water tight business plan and commercials that you have meticulously planned for months. Pouring over the information and data late at night and early in the morning. And you repeat this each year. However, rarely does this plan turn into a reality and you need to be able to bend and flex considerably in order to take advantage of the opportunities and overcome the challenges that you face.

At times our focus would change almost daily which is tough when you’re an organized suit who likes to plan ahead, however it’s important to have a flexible mind set and approach. Most importantly you need to remain relevant and differentiated in a crowded market and over the years, I am extremely proud to say, that our proposition as evolved ahead of the curve to achieve exactly that. From traditional digital formats and early adoption of social platforms to culturally connected innovative work that’s never been done before.

4. Your priorities are not your priorities

We often focus on what’s immediately in front of us and get confused about the most urgent tasks being our priority. Rarely is this the case. The day to day often gets in the way of the real priority which is forward thinking and tasks that will make a difference in 6 to 12 months’ time.

The classic example is new business where you’re too busy delivering a campaign for an existing client that you neglect picking up the phone and speaking to potential clients. Another is focusing on the tasks that you enjoy rather than those that are important. Did we spend too much time thinking about what we’d call ourselves and not enough time on the new business plan detail? For sure. Did I use to spend a lot of time making loads of money on a spreadsheet rather than getting out there and meeting people? Absolutely. Take time to think about and focus on what’s really important and plan the time to do it.

5. Get a good night’s sleep

In my career, I’ve met way too many charlatans. Those people who talk a good game but really don’t get it. They’ll sell you whatever they can to make a few quid or simply do as their told when they know that if it were their money that’s not what they’d do at all.

Work and live life with integrity as it’ll pay back in the long term. People who liked you, respected you and trusted you will turn up again in your life and have a positive impact. We’ve turned down client briefs that we didn’t think were right. We’ve stopped working with clients where the value exchange was poor. We always try to have honest conversations no matter how much it hurts at the time. Be honest, be open and be yourself. This way client and other relationships will flourish.

Going independent was the greatest single step change on the agencies performance over 10 years. We saw a 50%+ growth in revenue in the first year and have been growing steadily since crica. 30% year on year. Why was this? A few reasons actually…

Our timing was impeccable and we had a bit of luck. As we bought ourselves out of our final investment relationship we managed to grow one of our clients significantly – a client we continue to work with today.

The empowerment to make decision and take calculated risks paid off in spades. We stopped focusing and worrying about monthly net profits and started to run the business on a quarterly basis based on growing revenues and in turn investing in talent.

The personal motivation to make it work (the safety blanket was gone) created a new injection of energy and focus within us and the wider agency. We were the keepers of our own destiny and that felt amazing. Another reason to do it yourself from the outset.

6. Liberate yourself – as above.

7. Your people are what matters most

A lot of agencies I’ve worked in and observe get this wrong and we’ve certainly made mistakes along the way. Our people are the most important thing within our business because it’s them who create the magic and make it happen. If you can focus time and effort on the team then it will pay back – great people equals great work which in turn equals clients being happy and wanting to work with you.

Over the last few years we’ve invested in a talented Senior Management Team who are able to focus time and effort nurturing and supporting their teams. We have a Personal Development Plan process that ensures everyone is clear and focused on their own development. We have been told that we have one of the most attractive benefits packages in London. We’re still on the journey and don’t get it right every time however with our focus on talent we’re making real progress.

8. Take the knocks but remember to celebrate success

When you invest so much of yourself in something it’s impossible not to take things personally. Someone who doesn’t appreciate your work, a candidate who doesn’t accept the job, a client who doesn’t want to work with you… when you believe so much in something and others don’t it can be hard to take. You need to be resilient and move on quickly as wasting emotional energy and dwelling gets you nowhere.

On the other hand, you need to celebrate all the successes and milestones along the way. For me I have an ambition and when I achieve it I will celebrate, everything along the way is a stepping stone to that moment. So, I need to be careful to understand that my stepping stones are other people’s achievements and ensure that I appreciate and celebrate those moments with them.

9. What goes in dictates what comes out

I have always believed in this philosophy. I was never the smartest or most talented person in the industry however I moved through the ranks quickly because I was willing to go the extra mile and work harder than more talented and smarter peers. That effort resulted in a higher standard of performance across the board.

When you run your own agency, this philosophy is even more pertinent and as your own boss you need to be disciplined with yourself. It’s certainly not about mindlessly working into the early hours and weekends. However, it certainly is about working long, hard and focused hours on what is going to make the biggest impact within your business. You also need to remember that your whole team, all 30 of them, are looking at your behavior and taking guidance from it. Therefore, the need to lead by example and expect of others what you expect of yourself is crucial.

10. You don’t know it all and never will

One of the most empowering things about running your own agency is that you’re the boss now. No one to manage you, tell you what to do, you can do it your way. However, with that comes a pit fall of thinking that you’re right all the time and know it all. I can guarantee that you never will.

Surrounding yourself with trusted advisors and taking the time to listen is crucial. We have implemented a Senior Management Team who have a strong voice and platform to use it. Since going independent we have had a Non-Exec on the board to provide guidance and mentoring. We have had paid for consultants and experts assist us with specific tasks such as systems and process. We have also spent a lot of time talking to friends and colleagues in the business having honest conversations and getting invaluable advice. Connect, listen and learn as much as possible.

I hope you have found my lessons both interesting and useful and that some of the lessons I have learned can accelerate your own ambition should it be running your own business. For me it has been a cathartic experience and one that has enabled me to understand that we have learned and achieved more than we credit ourselves with.

There are a lot of people to thank however Claire, Andrew, Michaela, Ben and Martyn spring to mind specifically. Each of you have had a significant impact both professionally and personally. Thanks for your support and / or bringing your talent and energy to table.

Here’s looking forward to the next 10 years.

If you’d like to add lessons and your pov then I welcome comments below #alwayslearning

Loving the brand

2017-03-27T09:50:00.000+01:00

For decades marketers have been told by all the greats to ‘Love the Brand’. Why bother?

It’s simple: if you love the brands you work with, you’ll produce better work. The long hours won’t seem so bad.

But how many agencies really do it? I’d wager few go beyond trying the product once. And, 3 months into my role at Gravity Thinking, I’m delighted to say that I’ve found am agency home that really does love and live the brands.

Whilst I type this I am watching our Creative Director, Martyn Gooding, attempt to levitate a bag of Tyrrells popcorn on a drone through the office. What’s he doing? “Trying to create a crisp delivery system that captures the delighted faces of the recipients”. I smile.

It’s also the week after The Botanical Boys visited us and we immersed ourselves in the joy of urban gardening. Why? So that when we work on the Scotts Miracle-Gro brief we’d actually had soil under our nails for the first time since childhood. So we thought differently about the brief. So we had a connection with the product beyond reading the brand guidelines.

The same week I took part in a Remy Martin master class to learn about the glorious process of making Cognac, from their very own cellar master Baptise Loiseau. Why? Not only because it’s a glorious thing, but so that I could compare it to the Whisky making process that I learned from the Glenfiddich Global Brand Ambassador, Ian Millar, years before. I want to know how our category talk and present themselves at such events.

Our diaries are booked up with Farm Trips so we can plant the humble potato for Tyrrells, Distillery trips so we can experience the whisky being made by our Glenfiddich client. We’re seeking out the best Gin bars in London for Hendrick’s and visiting the Science Museum to meet Robots. It’s actually part of our day job. #ToughGig.

This weekend I’m off to a Top Secret location to observe a new car under scrutiny at research groups for Hyundai. And then I’m off to a gig, where – by the way – I’m wearing a t-shirt we had printed with a trendy Black Magic logo on the front. Just so if anyone asks I can talk about the latest urban potting soil. Thanks to our connections planner Shelly, this soil is also the reason why half of the agency windowsills are bursting with plants.

There’s energy at Gravity Thinking that just drives people to do more; to want to know more and want to discover it for themselves.

So I come back to my original question: do we love the brand at Gravity Thinking? Yes we do. And Why? Because we are curious and we believe it makes our ideas better. And it’s fun!

AVOIDING THE SHIT AND FINDING THE MAGIC AT SXSW: DAY FIVE

2017-03-14T22:43:00.000+00:00

BRAND: DANCING WITH THE TECHIES

Every year dozens of brands descend on Austin to show their innovations and ride on the coattails of the festival. This year was no exception. I have already written about Gatorade and their work with sports teams and Sony's excellent 'WOW Factory' but plenty of other big brands were in attendance. As it was the final day I thought it would be good to tell you about a selection:

IBM was one of the biggest with a huge hall showcasing IBM Watson's capabilities with beautiful data visualisations and added services that targeted cyber crime and provided genuinely useful info to groups including teaching and rural communities. The AI beer was a particular favourite with long lines of people looking to see what Watson recommended to them as their most suitable type of beer. All of it was fascinating but it did feel like a bit of a 'one trick pony' albeit a very clever one !

Esurance, Bud Light, DELL, Mazda and Adidas have been in attendance for the last few years and every year I ask myself why they are here - from running a sweepstake type game in return for data (err spam) to giving out screen printed posters and lounges with free beer and networking space to VR experience to a series of yoga classes it all felt like badging rather than genuine involvement.

Levis were here for the first year - appeared to be genuinely adding value at their outpost. Celebrating the intersection of music and style with innovation in partnership with Google and Rolling Stone they showed unique collaborations and DIY customisations.

Armani were in attendance pushing their glass and sunglasses frames showcasing a collaboration with 5 film makers across the World showing 5 short films shot in 5 cities in an interactive dome www.filmsofcityframes.com/Sxsw. the displays allowed us to manipulate the images and create our own montages and then watch the films. It felt indulgent but to their credit they appealed to the intersection of the film and interactive sections of the audience and the result was as you would expect stylish and on balance additive.

TECHNOLOGY: CAN COMPUTERS MAKE FILMS?

Every year in Cannes Saatchi and Saatchi run a new directors Showcase and with the 25 anniversary coming up Team One at Publicis decided to look forward 25 years into the future of directing and ask the question of whether in the future would a director be human or a computer ? To investigate this they created a music video that was completely conceived, directed, filmed and edited by a computer.

CONCEPTION

Integrating a number of different off the shelf algorithms, and a muse EEG to connect algorithms and humans and Watson to tell them what the emotion should be. Emotional synch was connected at the same times so data = emotion to ensure the artists intention is aligned to the what the computer output.

DIRECTION

Used the algorithm MS Rinna and shalbeen, a Japanese algorithm to determine character, location, actors, wardrobe etc. In essence every question that would be asked of a director was answered by a computer.

CASTING

Rene told them the type of person and they used Effectiva facial recognition to find the actual person. During the casting they attached the EEG and captured data, interestingly they all had a favourite but not their choice - the computer chose the same person !

FILMING

The action was filmed using a computer to drive the drones, in planning this worked brilliantly however the reality of wind and radios signals meant it didn't work on the day so they followed the flight paths that the computer had decided.

EDITING

For editing they used the algorithms from personalised video companies that stick photos and videos together and then a program that looked at the beat of the song, the content, the movement, the emotional data from the song. In addition they in-putted other music videos that followed similar song cadence. The computer created thousands of versions in a minute - the very first version understood the narrative, the characters and delivered a sequence that made sense to the song

RESULT

In all honesty they all agree it was not a great video (C+) With the main issue being that they couldn't feedback to the computer easily. The final version was placed in the reel amongst all the other entries for new directors without people knowing However sadly it was pulled at the last minute as deemed not good enough.

The overall conclusion appears to be that a machine is capable of executing this in the future and in a compressed timeframe however the output at the moment is elemental - who knows what the future brings though !

CULTURE: IDEAS ARE KING

Ideas are the lifeblood of SXSW, there is a pitch on every corner, in every bar and on every stage so it was hugely interesting to hear Mike Maples, a prodigious investor and Scott Cook the inventor of Quicken talk about how they assess and come up with ideas.

The first piece of advice was perhaps the most relevant to SXSW, it was the ability to be able to pivot and screw up everything you have done to date without regret. Pivoting is not always because of failure it can also be relevant when the unexpected happens, indeed this was what Mike said he loves - hidden surprises as they often offer huge opportunity. The best examples he shared was Instagram that started as a location based gameplay but they found that most people were using to share photos, Paypal is another, it started as a means of transferring money between palm pilots (which were big back then) then an email from an eBay seller asking to put their logo on her page got them thinking it exploded on eBay and the rest is history. Scott Cook shared that Quicken was originally built for consumers but found out that the majority of their customers were businesses using it hence Quickbooks was born.

Peter Thiel said the great entrepreneurs find secrets and then go for it and see it through, the question of how do you find this secret was debated. The answer is to avoid confirmation bias ie not to look for what confirms your existing beliefs, look for what surprises you, savour it and use it. They shared a great leadership technique, think about asking teams "What have you learned that surprised you ?

In such competitive spaces all companies are dealing with close competitors, their advice was not to focus on the competitor but instead focus on your customers so you innovate forward. Quicken was given as a great example of knowing the customer better and as a consequence developing a better product. As an investor in Lyft Mike Maples said his advice to them was to focus on being the best version of itself not focusing on competing with Uber.

When developing new ideas they advised to always focus on the ideal not small changes and used the example of the Japanese Bullet train. They didn't focus on shaving off 30 mins they embraced the concept of thinking completely differently, in essence, don't see limits and don't see walls.

Lastly perhaps the best advice of the session was from Mark Maples who rallied against one of the key phrases you hear a lot in tech - 'fail fast fail often', he said it was too easy to use this as an excuse for failure and lack of effort. Instead his advice is to take risks and fail that way - exert yourself to the maximum and if you then fail you know you did your best!

WILDCARD: DON'T MESS WITH CINDY

It is not often you meet a billionaire entrepreneur who is female let alone dressed in bright pink - Cindy Whitehead in her talk "Sex bias and $1bn"

Coming from a large pharma background she founded Sprout Pharma to investigate new pharma based ideas and in 2015 came across a fascinating stat that drove her next venture. She found there are currently 26 sex help drugs for men and 0 for women. This set her off looking for a solution and found that a German pharma company had developed a drug that was billed as 'Viagra for women'. The company had experienced huge problems getting any Governmental approval and had shelved the product so she raised the money to buy it and made it her mission to get it through the FDA.

Using 11,000 female subjects they found conclusively that the drug resulted in these women having desire. She took the 1m pieces of data to the FDA and despite meeting all the criteria they asked for the all male panel turned her down. This resulted in a coalition of women turning on the FDA to (in their worlds) "even the score' using the #womendeserve. Ultimately she was successful and eventually the FDA passed the drug and her company was immediately bought for over $1bn creating an enormous payback for her investors many of whom were friends and wealthy women suffering from the same issue.

She ended with 3 bit of advice that helped drive her over the decade long struggle:

1) Do not accept narratives that impede progress - poke fun at the absurdity

2) Be unapologetic in your mission - hers was "The most intriguing new pharmaceuticals in a generation" NYTimes

3) Embrace the workhouse to become the unicorn

As you can imagine she didn't retire with the cash she has reinvested a significant amount into a "Pinkubator" which has invested in products that propel female focused companies. A true inspiration in pink!

AVOIDING THE SHIT AND FINDING THE MAGIC @SXSW2017: DAY FOUR

2017-03-13T22:39:00.000+00:00

BRANDS: REAL TIME IS HERE

This is the year that real time was the subject of a lot of talks and having attended a few I thought I would share some principles I have gleaned:

- Digital and physical space - feedback in shop space informs social.

- Make sure activity is authentic to the brand's DNA - consumers are too savvy and know when taking advantage e.g. Brand involved in the Women's march recently had to ensure their message is aligned to brand

- Make it personal wherever possible - reference people or make it interactive

- Make sure it adds value to go live - ask yourself why are you producing this and why should anyone care ?

- Make sure you are disciplined with content - use the lens of 'does it personify the brand?'

- Ensure balance of pre-planning and reaction to real time feedback ? Keep options open so can pivot - QVC was used as a great example of using live properly - real time updates in ear as selling - same principles

- Remember that audiences don't expect to be polished so permission to test quickly and easily

- People equate live as less expensive and this is not the case you are just spending the budget differently but think about where the spend is directed carefully

- Learn from Hollywood space - learnt that it is all about trust in terms of who you use - how well do they know your brand to ensure authenticity

Who is doing it right ?

Buzzfeed – https://www.buzzfeed.com/tag/live_stream

Everlane https://www.everlane.com/

Refinery 29 http://www.refinery29.uk/

The final piece of advice was perhaps the best and applies to lots of other social channels and developments - avoid shiny toy syndrome -

think carefully about live - where is it helpful and where does it add value and unlock something?

TECH: NEW TYPES OF DISCOVERY

The success of Pokémon GO appears to have spawned a whole raft of discovery apps that reward 'players' for various tasks whether that be based on finding boxes and keeping them hidden to being the first to find them to literally fighting for them with other players - it is the new gaming. This might sound like one of the many faddish apps that come and go but based on the data I have seen here and the numbers of people signing up and playing it could be a huge opportunity for brands. Unilever have recently invested heavily in Snatch http://www.snatchhq.com/ , a free to play, virtual treasure hunt. Using augmented reality, grab parcels hidden around you virtually, then protect them from others who are trying to Snatch from you. Prizes range from a free holiday, tickets to a gig, rewards and even hard cash. I met Jo the founder at a Tech event he talked of how he has raised a huge VC investment within a month for the app. There are others around including Seek http://www.seekadventureapp.com/. Whether it is a fad or not it is here right now and a great opportunity for brands to get involved. Anecdotally I heard that a woman spent 3 hours and walked the equivalent of a half marathon collecting enough rewards to get a $100 Amazon voucher - I guess the biggest challenge is to make it relevant and not just a compers paradise !

CULTURE - BE ORIGINAL

Adam Grant is a fellow at Wharton and a hugely charismatic speaker, anyone who can get 3,000 people trying to clap their favorite song to their seated neighbor has the ability to inspire people !

His talk focused on how organisations can build a culture that encourages the originality that ultimately leads to success. He shared 6 great principles that we can all learn from (indeed I have already thought about how some can be applied to business and life)

1) Originals aren't risk seekers - some of the founders of most original recent ideas - Spanx, Google, Nike, eBay, Selma, Minecraft all carried on jobs whilst developing these companies. Adam shared that companies are 33% less likely to fail than those who quit and go all in.

2) Originals avoid false negatives - violate the expected and see things with different perspectives and don't judge it just yourself get others to judge. He suggested it is best to take leaders and managers out of the decision making process to get true objectivity.

3) Originals make the unfamiliar familiar. Adam asked everyone in the hall to clap their favourite song and their neighbor to guess the song – turns out it is almost impossible, why ? as you hear the tune in your head but you need to imagine if you can’t hear tune in your head. You need to adopt the same principle when you pitch a new idea - create a feeling of familiarity. He shared a story that Lion King was originally pitched as Bambi in Africa with lions and failed but when reframed to “Hamlet with lions” you immediately get the plot and characters. He suggested that we should always know what is going on outside of industry / core field and ideas e.g. Warby Parker - the Netflix for glasses.

4) Originals admit their weaknesses – he shared a story of the founder of Babel who included a strange element in his pitch – he presented the 3 reasons why you shouldn't invest. The principles of called the availability heuristic if hard to think of something it has to be.

5) Originals hire differently - culture fit approach works best - 200 starts ups had 0% failure when used culture fit BUT as grow the odds of success go down as culture fit becomes proxy for group think. Solution - hire on cultural contribution.

6) Originals fight groupthink - leaders silence people without realizing it e.g. Don't bring me problems bring me solutions = culture of advocacy not enquiry . Companies should welcome problems, he suggested we start a Google doc with problem log and undertake a kill the company exercise twice a year as it makes people and organizations far more resilient

WILD CARD: MR BALOO

We were invited to a huge agency party on Monday evening hosted by GSDM. With over 1k people in attendance, 6 food trucks, free cocktails and beer and a live band the party stretched across a huge lawn in front of their office. We got talking to a few locals and experienced true Texan character and hospitality in the form of Matt Balloo. Matt was an ex employee of the agency and his wife now works there – he shared some hilarious agency stories - within 30 minutes we were invited to play golf, go shooting and eat BBQ at Matt’s house – he even said we could stay at his ranch next year !

AVOIDING THE SHIT AND FINDING THE MAGIC @SXSW2017: DAY THREE

2017-03-12T22:37:00.000+00:00

BRAND: PRESUASION IS NOW A THING

SXSW is always full of people pushing their new book with so called "new" ideas. For this reason I went to a talk featuring Robert Cialdini being interviewed by Guy Kawasaki with a fair degree of healthy cynicism.

Robert wrote the seminal book 'The psychology of presuasion' which featured 6 universal principles of social influence: Persuasion

1) Reciprocation - if you do something for someone they feel obligated to do something in return

2) Liking - we say to people we like - like people who are like us - reduce negotiations that are deadlocked by sharing something they have in common

3) Consistency - people want to say yes to things that are related to what they have already said or done e.g. In UK medical appointment - blank card and you write next appointment - commitment

4) Authority - we say yes to people who are experts - channel the voice of expertise

5) Social proof - popular options in restaurants e.g. Apple white pods

6) Scarcity - people want stuff they can have less of e.g. Only 3 per customer

Robert was however talking about his new idea - Presuasion - or rather "The process of arranging for recipients to be sympathetic to a message before they experience it".

He used the example of online furniture store sent half customers to a site that had fluffy clouds background - other half had small coins as background - cloud purchased more comfortable furniture - pennies bought cheaper items.

His idea is predicated that brands need to think about sending people down a psychological shoot this means presuasion accelerates the persuasion message.

The best recent example he shared Was how Trump has been presenting himself as a 'change' candidate - turned camera on the audience and showed himself surrounded by a sea of faces that looked like the people watching (carefully curated) and always showing big crowds and social proof.

Snake oil or genuine neuroscience breakthrough ? To be honest I am not sure but like much you hear and see here it certainly gives food for thought when developing our net campaigns.

TECHNOLOGY: SONY GO ALL IN

Sony have been at SXSW for the last 3 years and their presence has slowly increased as they have more to share. This year was no exception with a hangar like space for the "WOW Factory". The experience certainly lived up to the name with at last 10 different experiential sections to see the future of technology. These varied from items that will be available for retail in the next year to experiments and thought starters from their engineers.

The best example of the former was a projector called the Xperia Touch that also works as a laptop and personal entertainment system - available in Summer 2017 it takes the concept of the World as your UI to a whole new level. With PS4 as their mainstay as you can imagine the gaming section was huge with haptic gaming suits, VR experience and complete surround sound experiences but perhaps the best was a life size box that projected interactive experiences from all round the World as if you really were there.

The future is certainly here and Sony are all over it !

WILDCARD: SAY HELLO TO BENICIO

Last year I went to a fantastic talk by Michael Nieling called "Fuck no, Shit yeh" where he espoused the benefits of a JFDI approach to creativity. This year he was far more reserved but equally as open and enthralling. In the talk "They're going to hate this and think I'm full of shit" he introduced us to Benicio. Benicio is the monkey on his shoulder that creates his Imposter complex that is based on the premise that we are our worst critic. His approach to life is based on the "Charm hustle: principle and that nothing comes from no - something else comes next. The downside of this is that panic doubt anxiety drives him as he does what many of us do which is to over practice, over work and over prepare.

For Michael this meant he ended up having a nervous breakdown and having to re-think his life, something which struck a chord with many in the room. The solution (or cure)? There isn't an easy one - look after yourself and control your own life more and above all have empathy. The key it seems is to know who you are - stick to it - comfortable in your own skin.

See you on Day 4.........

AVOIDING THE SHIT AND FINDING THE MAGIC @SXSW2017: DAY TWO

2017-03-11T22:34:00.000+00:00

BRAND & MARKETING: BE AUTHENTIC

Every year many brands invade Austin trying to borrow a piece of the tech.

Gatorade are using Austin to show they are far more than a sports drinks company.

Their approach uses the integration of technology in a purposeful manner with technology they have developed to help sports teams be their best.

From a jump-plate to see not just how high you can jump but also it analyses your landing to highlight injuries. VR is used to show manual dexterity and speed of response to various situations and body tracking helps predict injury and highlights different methods of exercise.

Overall it is highly impressive and you can see how it is hugely additive to the sports teams that they work with and is a perfect brand fit however like many projects that are demo'd at SXSW they appear to have missed a trick in that they didn't directly connect the brand to the purpose of the work i.e. they don't show how Gatorade can help fix the problems or help the opportunities they are highlighting. Arguably as per the point from Day 1 - the commodity the brands are seeking is attention and maybe this is the best method to achieve it, they just need to complete circle.

TECHNOLOGY BOT - THE NEW APP ?

After VR and AR the next most popular subjects in tech appears to be the use of messaging bots. Messaging is on the rise hugely with over 2.6bn people having a messaging app installed and bots are natural extension of this.

It was for this reason that I broke one of my SXSW rules to attend a panel which featured Alison Swope from FB Messenger, Lauren Kunze from Pandorabots and Andrew Poon from Yahoo

Kunze's Pandorabots created the Mitsubishi chat bot Mitsuku which is widely thought to be one of the best in world for chat, indeed there is plenty of film footage on You Tube showing people interacting with it for hours it seems to have set the bar for all other bots.

Some principles that were discussed included the use of humour as a way to connect e.g. Christian Gray chatbot and ensuring that the bot doesn't keep giving error messages and a loop of "don't understand" however the biggest discussion point was the use of bots to remove "friction" in dealings with customers whilst saving millions of pounds.

One of the key benefits of bots is the opportunity to not only engage via chat but also engage ongoing with targeted info and perhaps more importantly the chance for to use messaging for hand offs e.g. I need to send flowers this does however demand links to email or other accounts, it seems the future is account linking and if this can be cracked then bots have the opportunity to be at the centre of all communications.

So what about the future? Poon reckons it only a matter of time before a company is set up that communicates only via messaging - this would be a substitute for websites, call centres and even physical spaces.

So the future looks bright - with 250 bot platforms now available for developers and a huge demand from consumers companies just need to overcome one of the biggest barriers that is interestingly the same that social faced 5 years ago - persuading the CEO and CFO!

CULTURE - SMALL WORLD

One of the principles of SXSW that everyone is a potential connection and everyone has a story so lose all inhibitions and talk to everyone. With this in mind we attended an independent agency drink organized by The Network One and hosted by an agency based in Austin called McGarrah Jessie. After various conversations with different agency folk I met the owners of the host agency and we happened to share a new Client (who by coincidence I am seeing on Tues) - connections made and future ongoing working relationships made over Texan cocktails. The lesson is a simple one - never stop looking to meet new people and always be curious - it should be the SXSW strap line !

WILD CARD - BREAKING THE RULES BEAUTIFULLY

"Learn the rules and break them beautifully" is one of the laws of Gravity featured on the walls of the agency. It is a principle that is well and truly lived by today's wild card Casey Neistat.

He jumped on stage straight off his skateboard in his Nike trousers and spoke eloquently for an hour around his concept of

The Tarzan method. This is the idea that there is never a clear trajectory from a to b but rather that you use use vines that takes you forward but somewhere you might not imagine being , in essence grab whatever is in front of you.

He spoke of his progression from filmmaking to a TV series on HBO to DVD's to embracing You Tube and how his Bike lane movie which he said he made as an act of complete stupidity ended up reaching Michael Bloomberg the then Mayor of New York and the New York Times.

The next vine took him to work with brands and become what he called reluctantly an "influencer". He talked of his work with Nike where Alex Lopez asked him to create 5 videos, he ran out of ideas by video 3 so decided to turn up at the airport an take the next flight and then do the same til he had completed a trip round the World - the result "Make it count" was arguably the most successful brand film ever , it currently has 25m views with over 10k comments.

As always with SXSW talks like this there is a fair amount of post rationalization however the principle that Casey follows is a very relevant one and that is about the principle of making stuff, he talked of starting with rusty lump of steel and creating a shiny excalibur sword. It is the way this is done that is key here, in the Make It Count film he uses the words of Martyn Monro

"If I had followed all the rules I would never had gotten anywhere" In short, having no idea is not an ignorance it is a strategy.

So what was the learning? That entrepreneurs should think about building their businesses in the Tarzan method - push stuff out and if liked do more if not then stop. Just watch the Do what you can't video https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jG7dSXcfVqE it says it all.

AVOIDING THE SHIT AND FINDING THE MAGIC @SXSW2017: DAY ONE

2017-03-10T22:32:00.000+00:00

Day one at SXSW is always hugely busy and chaotic as 30k people descend on a city the size of Bristol and display the keenness of

As promised here are my 3 observations of the day:

Brands and marketing: ATTENTION IS THE CURRENCY

Increasingly across different talks and tracks there is a consistent theme. It isn't new and it isn't unsurprising it is that attention is the new currency

Gary Vaynerchuck in his Q&A repeatedly impressed on people the importance of attention - he called it the currency of the 21st century and the lens all brands should be using right now.

The big question is how do you get this attention ?

Gary's answer is simple - use the most efficient and effective means and for him that is the most targeted, underrated and underpriced of all mediums: Facebook video and influencer marketing

It is an approach that many brands ignore either through the challenge of creating the right content for the medium or through the perceived simplicity of the approach.

Be aware however that creativity is the differentiator in a World where 98% of brand don't have a real point of difference so use the creativity to make the difference.

Technology: VR ADOPTION IS FURTHER AWAY THAN YOU THINK

Interestingly Gary Vee applies the same principles to VR in that whilst it is clearly mainstream no one is using it very much (Other than those who work in the industry). As such he believes it is far further away in terms of adoption than people think - that said he did say it is v hot right now for B2B that will then unlock the uses for consumers in the future.

This was very relevant as the lens through which we looked at a session focusing on 5 of the hottest start up in Austin. Whilst this is just Austin you have to remember that it is a hotbed of tech development and investment (good intersection) and those presenting came from all of over the World not just the US.

Many of the ideas were not new and often use cases were not relevant to the service itself from distraction of kids to help medical procedures (Axon) to VR without headset (Radix) to a physical place for experiencing VR without falling over (Omni) however perhaps the most interesting is Thrillbox which is essentially Nielsen for VR - it helps quantify ROI for VR in terms of focus and attention and exposure (how long people are exposed). I guess you can tell when industries are moving mainstream when measurement starts to get discussed.

CULTURE: ENCOURAGE MAKING

The maker culture has long been a track at SXSW however it seems that this has now moved from a focus on NPD and into a means by which employees can be more fulfilled.

There are many companies creating spaces for making in the workplace -

Airbnb, Nike, Pinterest and IBM spoke of just this in a panel.

Airbnb have created what they call the Common Studio - a place to get away from computers and experiment.

Nike have the Blue Ribbon studio - space for all designers including screen printing, foil stamping, a sewing studio and technology integration with VR and robotic arm work.

IBM have a make lab - 400 sq ft space intended for coffee / printers - including screen printing in an upstart space. Interestingly it has no official funding or sanctioning but has caught on hugely in the fi-orate giant to the point where this is being considered as an employee investment.

Why ?

Work is changing people want a different kind of work in the workspace, they need to live with errors and making appears to be great at keeping people happy and engaged.

It is great at helping cross functional teams work together at all levels, and not just designers, filmmakers etc. , in essence you don't have to be a creative to be creative. All new people coming though the business have to spend time in the studio

Workshops unlock skills that everyone has too and a few have even changed roles as a result.

The Challenges?

Were highlighted as finding space, funding, culturally getting used to people not being at their desks and perceived to not be working. In IBM it is not funded, the people who use it chip in $10. All the panel are working at proving business value

So any business should consider by starting small and quickly, align your making with company activity.

Deck here: www.bit.ly/2m8t07T

WILDCARD: BE AUTHENTIC

I thought I would start strong on this by not usinga local but someone who has travelled to SXSW for a keynote Corey Richards - a true inspiration.

Corey opened his heart and his immense photo library to show us his personal and literal journey that resulted in his reaching the summit of Everest without supplemental oxygen via trips around southern Africa, Myanmar and Nepal.

His heart rendering story that includes alcoholism, homelessness and a marriage break up was based on the principles of honesty - honesty in yourself and honesty to other - achieving this not only creates empathy butt also connection

The digital connection was about ignoring the distraction of social media - whilst they documented their last trip up Everest on Snapchat (that started with 30 views and ended with over 100k) he was keen to impress that social means people compare their views and life to the curated views of others and that is never going to be healthy.

The key to life according to Corey ? Be authentic !

See you on Day two.

AVOIDING THE SH*T & FINDING THE MAGIC AT SXSW

2017-03-06T22:25:00.000+00:00

We have a mantra at Gravity Thinking to ‘rid the internet of sh*t’, it sets an ambitious bar that we believe all content and ideas that we produce should match against.

Sadly we have a seen a lot of sh*t over the past 5 years of attending SXSW. From BBH’s ‘Homeless hotspots’ or the hook up app ‘Bang with Friends’ or failed apps with huge launches such as Highlight or Foodspotting or most recently the darling of 2016 Lily drone that won the ‘coolest scientific achievement outside of sci fi’ that proved it was just that when it announced it is shutting down having not fulfilled any orders despite $34m in pre sales and $15m in investment.

I guess it is unsurprising, with 7 different tracks and over 10k sessions over 5 days in 22 locations that there is always going to a fair amount of what the Texans call ‘horsesh*t’ being touted as ‘the next big thing.’

@SXSW2016: THE BEST YET

Sh*t ideas aside we strongly believe that SXSW does still offer the best opportunity to get your fix of all things digital, indeed having attended for the last 5 years we thought 2016 was the best yet.

BRING ON 2017

With SAP judging recently that ideas presented at SXSW go mainstream within 24 months we can’t wait to see what 2017 brings and what this means to our future.

And 2017 looks as enticing as the BBQ ribs at Franklins.

BEST GUESTS EVER

Imagine a party hosted by an FBI Director, with the entertainment provided by a world-renowned music producer, a country music legend and a comedy genius, inspiration from a globally worshipped athlete and a legendary astronaut and the bill being picked up by a billionaire techie and you get a sense of the lively debate, varied content and inspiring ideas you can experience in Austin every March. (NB can you guess who they all are?)

FINDING THE MAGIC

The schedule for 2017 promises everything from robots holding human conversation to machine made movies and from using skin as a digital interface to VR based art. Personally we can’t wait to see the developments that Meta 2 have been up in their quest to ‘turn the World into a desktop’.

So how do you find this magic and avoid the snake oil ?

OUR MISSION @SXSW2017

In 2016 we set ourselves a mission to ‘off the beaten track at SXSW’ where we think the magic of SXSW often lies and we are adopting a not dissimilar approach in 2017 except this time we are going to be more focused.

Our mission is to find you 3 things per day that we think represent the most interesting @SXSW2017.

The ideas, concepts and prototypes that will set the tone for the next 2 years.

To make it even simpler we will be classifying these into 3 areas: ‘Technology and Innovation’ ‘Brand and Consumer Insight’ and ‘Infiltration of Culture’.

KEEPING AUSTIN WEIRD

We also have a daily wildcard we want to share. In the spirit of the city’s motto ‘Keep Austin weird’ we will asking the locals and visitors from the 82 different countries that people travel from to visit Austin in March each year about things they like at SXSW2017.

We will be posting our 3 findings and the wildcard on The Drum each morning but you can also follow our adventures in realtime on:

- Daily updates on Gravity Beta: gravitybeta.tumblr.com/

- Musing and thoughts on Andrew’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/ajfroberts

- Highlights on Gravity Twitter: https://twitter.com/GravityThinking

We will also be following up post SXSW with a ‘Top Ten” of the best so watch this space.

See you on the other side………

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Technology.

2016-11-30T09:43:00.001+00:00

By Tom Goldthorpe

Back in September London’s Tobacco Docks played host to the 3^rd annual FutureFest innovation fair and I was lucky enough to attend. Education, the Environment, Creativity and even Romance were put under the microscope as field leaders probed how innovation in technology was shaping our future.

Wearable tech was cast aside in favour of embeddables as brave volunteers embraced RFID implants at FutureFest’s inaugural biohack party. Hannes Sjoblad, co-founder of the Swedish biohacker network Bionyfiken, invited intrepid audience members to the main stage where he surgically inserted microscopic NFC chips into their hands. These chips could then be programmed to perform a range of functions, from keyless entry to password storage and data encryption. Although possible uses are currently quite limited, Sjoblad discussed the potential of such technology as humans begin to truly integrate themselves with the Internet of Things.

Unfortunately the technology is still in its infancy and a (since deleted) tweet from one of the organisers revealed that one chip subsequently caught fire after the demo!

Elsewhere, robotic prosthetics, brain-computer interfaces and exoskeletons displayed how boundaries are being pushed with assistive technologies for individuals with disabilities. One haptic feedback prototype, originally designed to aid in musculature recovery following surgery, allowed users to physically interact with virtual reality. It used a series of robotic actuators and a glove-like controller to provide realistic resistance to objects touched and handled inside the virtual environment. Whilst there are a plethora of additional applications and uses for such devices, the recent boom in VR pornography (estimated to already be worth in the region of $800m a year) would no doubt be keen to utilise any new technology that would make the experience a more immersive and participatory event.

Nissan sponsored the event as Innovation partner, an enviable title when billed next to such tech’ heavyweights.

In addition to a stand showcasing their ‘Intelligent Mobility Strategy’ (Nissan’s pledge to build a more sustainable future), Gareth Dunsmore, Director of Electric Vehicles, concluded the first day of the festival with a keynote speech revealing the results of a pan-European study of millennial attitudes toward electric vehicle adoption:

“76 percent of millennials said that an eco-friendly car is the primary action they’d take to make their lives greener”

This was met at the time with great acclamation and has subsequently featured in many of the festival write-ups. It was however the semantics of the above statement that was debated afterwards.

The challenge being that the sentiment alludes to a reliance on advancements in technology to justify a continuation of established behavioural patterns, rather than taking any personal responsibility by discontinuing damaging habits.

Nissan’s study found that the environmental concerns of millennials aren’t smaller scale issues like recycling (24 percent) or overflowing landfills (14 percent) but global issues such as climate change (53 percent) and air pollution (42 percent). To help solve these issues, they are willing to make bold changes such as switching to an energy provider dedicated to eco-friendly solutions (62 percent), or supporting brands that are committed to being more environmentally friendly (53 percent).

This hardly comes as a surprise as no one can really think that individual action such as changing to LED light bulbs, re-using plastic shopping bags, or even adopting zero emission cars will solve the climate change crisis.

But we have lost faith in our governments ability and inclination to tackle the problem at a national policy level. Are millennials the lost political generation? But that’s another conference.

The Importance Of Craftsmanship In A Digital Age

2016-10-25T09:03:00.001+01:00

By Beth Manning

A little over six months ago I began pursuing the art of silversmithing and as a result, now spend most Monday nights setting precious metals on fire. It’s been a fascinating test of both patience and dedication to detail, but thankfully my affinity with shiny things and regard for the hand-made has meant that the process is anything but laborious. In a turn of events that wasn’t entirely unexpected, with each new practical skill comes creative learnings that stretch far beyond the studio. One such learning occurred earlier this week actually, when tasked with the challenge of attaching a very small opal to an even smaller piece of silver. But there’s more to be said about that.

Said process, as I was soon to find out, is a long one – riddled with techniques tried and tested by thousands of makers before me. So I set to work, sawing and soldering with utmost enthusiasm only to reach the point where I had to hammer a piece of 0.5mm silver until it was 0.3mm thick. I figured working with such tiny numbers would be a breeze, but 45 minutes and a vaguely bruised hand later, I’d learnt otherwise. As it turns out, spending the best part of an hour thinning a piece of metal by 0.2 millimetres (unsuccessfully, I should add) makes you think, mostly about how different my perspective on creating is when staring at a screen. It’s interesting, because in our current landscape it’s almost unheard of to go to the lengths of a craftsman for anything that exists in a purely digital sense.

In the technological age we call our own things move quickly, putting the fundamental principles of good craft at risk. That’s not to say I’m suggesting one should spend hours writing a single tweet or weeks finessing a two minute video, but imagine what would happen if the dedication to detail that makers have could be channeled into day-to-day digital pursuits.

Craftsmanship is more than just creating at a meticulous level. Obviously that’s important, but truly great craftsmanship goes beyond what is being made and carefully considers who it’s being made it for. It’s about doing what’s best, regardless of how it needs to be done. It’s a deliberate kind of artistry that leads to truly unique results.

Creating great things has not (and never should be) fast, easy or obvious – as evidenced by these ancient acts of making. It would however seem from what they know that with patience, passion, and a flair for creativity; creating greatness is absolutely possible. So tomorrow morning I’ll spend an extra moment deliberating the details of the brief that lands on my desk. I’ll look at the next sentence I write through a particularly considered lens. And, despite the desires of my bruised little hands, next Monday night I’ll keep hammering until the job is well done. Because that’s what craftsmanship is. A fervent pursuit of perfection, no matter the size or type of the task at hand.

Christmas is coming: Be prepared for shoppable social

2016-10-21T16:05:00.000+01:00

IT’S NOT TOO LATE

Don’t be fooled by the displays in shops it is still 67 days until Christmas and 6 weeks until Black Friday, this coupled with consumers no longer conforming to a long and logical purchase funnel brands the million-dollar question on many brands’ lips this time of year should be ‘how do I get my social to payback?’

TIME FOR PAYBACK

With only 1.5% of ecommerce sales coming from a direct social media referral the next big opportunity is monetising your social audience. In short turning the significant investment of money and time building followers and likes and taking advantage of the increased reach, the better brand engagement and advocacy and the deeper more ‘real’ connection you have with your customers into a genuinely attributable ROI.

SHOPPABLE SOCIAL

There are a host of opportunities to talk to your customers in social from innovative ad formats such as Facebook Canvas or Instagram Carousels, new platforms such as Snapchat, or capturing customer attention when it matters on mobile however probably the most important element is getting payback through the integration of shoppable social into your brand content.

SOCIAL COMMERCE

The concept of social commerce is not ground-breaking, it is the inevitable next step in the journey, indeed with 40% of consumers researching products on social media (GWI) and most finding shopping inspiration on Instagram (24%), Facebook and YouTube (both 22%) and Snapchat (5%) (Ad Week) social now needs to be a multi-channel shopping experience.

SHOPPABLE TOOLS

The core channels have got their act together and have recently launched native tools such as Pinterest’s ‘buyable pins’ and Instagram’s ‘Shop now’ plus there are a number of frictionless media checkout tools such as Pixlee and Wirewax generating links between social media and ecommerce webpages.

TOOLS + BRANDED CONTENT

However we strongly believe it is not just about harnessing these tools and adding ‘buy’ buttons brands also need to understand how best to engage with consumers and the key here is strong branded content that get their attention and keep it. As the agency that levitated whisky for Glenfiddich, created mind reading toppers for Hendrick’s’ Gin and drove cars through the power of positive thought for Hyundai we know the powr of great content and the integration of shoppable social is the (mostly) logical next step.

A new, but old, photography technique

2016-10-17T09:16:00.000+01:00

By Joana Couto

At Gravity Thinking we like to explore visual expressions, and we do it in a variety of ways. From VR and 3D film, to handmade typography and illustration, we fall in love with almost everything visually exciting that can be created.

Photography is a vast subject, practised by most artists. But there is a not so known technique that got my attention in the last couple of months: "Refractography".

After an inspired exhibition and a sexy conversation about lights, I decided I wanted to try to shoot some light reflections. So I did some quick research online and that’s when I bumped into this abstract form of photograph. With almost no post-processing or digital manipulation involved, this technique gives us infinite possibilities of exciting visuals. Beautiful light textures purely analogue and not computer generated.

All you need to have to start shooting is a dark room, a lens-less SLR, some refractive objects like a glass, and a bright light source (torch). When the light points at the glass (placed in front of the camera) it reflects and refracts the light into the camera. The object itself becomes the lens.

The challenge starts here; you have to play around with light source distance and object positioning until you start seeing some amazing results. Without a lens it is also hard to get the subject focused, but with a bit of persistence you can create stunning visuals.

I am now moving from still image to film. Capturing moving light refractions is the next step.

The Interplay between Artificial Intelligence and Advertising

2016-10-10T22:45:00.000+01:00

By Rhys Edwards

Earlier this year IBM announced Watson Ads, a cognitive ad unit that enables brands to conduct conversations with consumers via text or voice. The platform leverages natural language processing and reasoning ability with a sprinkle of machine learning – allowing Watson to grow more powerful each day. Similarly, the launch of Amazon’s Echo lineup is positioned to disrupt how people access information such as weather, news, and recipes, providing a ripe opportunity for brands to jump on the AI bandwagon to communicate with consumers on at an intimate, one-on-one level.

In a statement from Theresea Agnew, CMO for GSK Consumer Healthcare, “Cognition humanises the use of data as we move from intent-based advertising to actual one-to-one interacting.” It’s interesting that the rise of artificial intelligence and the infinite opportunities it presents has arrived at a time where brands are, once again, warming to the notion of ‘debranding’ – take MasterCard, for example, who unveiled their new logo earlier this year; retaining it’s overlapping red and yellow symbol whilst moving the text below the balls.

Adam Alter, an associate professor of marketing at New York University’s Stern School of Business recently said, “Consumers are jaded about advertising in a way they weren’t several decades ago”, so it makes sense for brands to become less corporate and more human.

It’s not the first time this has happened, but it is the first time artificial intelligence has had a part to play. We’re faced with an opportunity for technology to provide a near-human, one to one experience between brand and consumer, meaning that the days of content-first creative are behind us. But audience-first creative presents an exciting problem to solve.

You see, measuring real world impact of audience-first creative is difficult, which is probably not what clients want to hear. But with the combination of both emotion recognition software and cameras that determine age and gender; as artificial intelligence progresses we’ll have more than enough data to produce and consequently analyse pieces of creative that are entirely bespoke. Recent reports have said that industry is expected to reach USD 5.05bn by 2020, so it’s only a matter of time until we’re inundated by AI Ad Tech startups pitching for a slice of the advertising pie.

But the future is bright. Across digital mediums we’ll be able to leverage CRM data to track the success of everything we do, generating the perfect layouts, the perfect images, and the perfect copy to accompany everything we do – meeting our audiences with what they want to see, when they need to see it.

It's time to modernise planning, but are planners capable of breaking their own rules ?

2016-09-30T10:22:00.000+01:00

By Janaina Scalise

Advertising is full of quotes about ‘breaking the rules’, ‘thinking outside the box’ and ‘being innovative’. Our industry, however, struggles to actually apply this thinking. It’s a behaviour that needs to change.

Planners from all over the world have been discussing the same things for years, but only a few have really broken the rules in regards to:

- Creative Briefs Templates

- Briefing Sessions

- Comms Planning Framework

- Process

- Clarity on roles & responsibilities

- Presentations

- Reporting

- The planning function

- The role of traditional research

- The effectiveness of social media metrics

…and the list goes on.

Imagine if more planners were willing to break the rules when it came to process. Imagine if more rules were broken in regards to diversity – how many of us have actually hired someone with a less privileged background, or someone that has been in prison but would like a chance to start again. I see agencies and planners sharing a hundred different thoughts, but I don’t see actions. Job titles, functions, our intellectual backgrounds – these processes are so deeply ingrained in advertising culture that it’s hard to see the light end of the tunnel.

An industry that claims to understand human behaviour seems to be incapable of understanding and changing their own. How contradictory.

Imagine if planners focussed less on how smart they were and more on the importance of changing the way we work.

Admit it. Chances are you’re no smarter than anyone else – you’re just well-considered, probably with an interest in culture, psychology, trust your gut instinct. But we can’t achieve the best possible outcomes if there isn’t input from a diverse range others. No one can.

Why do only creatives work in teams? Surely examples like this are enough for us to acknowledge the importance of collaborative culture.

Creative ideas come to life with the help of an art director, a copywriter, a designer, an editor, a Creative Director, etc, etc. Why then, should an entire strategy come from just one person? How can strategists come up with innovative insights while sat on their own putting a presentation together? Creatives know that their work requires many brainstorm sessions, time (quite a lot of it), and people who are happy to help them out at every step of the process. Don’t get me wrong, I completely agree with that. But have one little thing to add.

Agencies should function as one big team, helping each other regardless of job title. Accounts, media, community managers, strategists, designers – everyone would benefit from true collaboration. After all, we’re all responsible for achieving something truly great and remarkable. We all make the credits list, right?

In a world full of strategists with all sort of different skills, it has become harder and harder to achieve the best results if only one strategist is responsible for the entire strategy. One strategist alone won’t:

- Identify the business problem

- Do all the research

- Analyse data

- Write an inspiring creative brief

- Have enough expertise to help a creative team build on the idea, making it truly relevant to consumers

- Be tactical to discuss what is possible, what isn’t, where and how ideas should be executed

- Have great media knowledge

- Have understanding of the online community

- Be as good as community managers

- Write an action brief

- Make sure comms strategy is in place

- Have a killer understanding of KPIs, reporting, metrics, measurement tools

…and the list goes on.

I can wear some hats, but not a hundred. No one can.

Perhaps at bigger agencies you have people to do each of the tasks listed above, but most smaller agencies doesn’t have that luxury. Even if we did, true collaboration would still be key.

And that’s why at Gravity Thinking, the more we analyse the different hats a strategist is expected to wear, the more we realise the importance of REALLY breaking the rules and changing the way planners work. We are taking action, ACTION. We are in favour of planners working in pairs or even on what we have coined a ‘cabal’; a small team made up of strategists, creatives and community managers responsible for a smooth process. It’s a way of working wherein we have more knowledge from the start and less layers of bureaucracy, ego or traditions that prevent the creative process from being truly effective and nimble.

Since we implemented the ‘cabals’, we’ve seen some amazing results, some of which you can see here. Most of the work was completed thanks to tremendous collaboration from everyone in the cabal team. For example, I’ve recently worked side by side with our designer, Joana Couto, to figure out the best way to approach a UX task since it’s not my field of expertise. The brief was completed in less than 30 minutes and was exactly what Jo needed. From the moment she realised she could really count on me, even if that meant bouncing simple ideas off each other, the work was done very quickly. It was a smooth and enjoyable process, plus I learned some new skills from her.

Why don’t you give it a go?

On the 20th of September, I went to an APG talk called “Think Like a CSO” and the guests were Charlie, Chief Strategy Officer and Anna, Head of Strategy, at MullenLowe. I’m so pleased to have attended because they discussed their agency process and their belief in pairing planners to get better briefs and as a result, more creative and effective ideas. Anna said that this new way of working has already proven to be successful, as they have been seeing bigger and braver ideas that can morph into different shapes and spaces – needed today! They too believe that Planning, as a function, still suffers a bit of a hangover from how planners used to be “A bit too slow. A bit too intellectual. More interested in strategy than creative zest”.

MullenLowe, we are with you on this one. ACTUALLY breaking the rules and challenging an industry that are otherwise ignoring their own needs.

Uncanny Valley - our talk @smwldn 13th September

2016-09-13T16:18:00.000+01:00

We are proud and delighted to be presenting on the main stage @SMWLDN on how we are helping our Clients avoid falling into 'Uncanny Valley'

The talk will focus on the rapidly evolving nature of technology has resulted in a new connected society where social media has given people a bigger share of voice in the conversation. This has fundamentally changed the relationship between people and brands, there is now an expectation of transparency and brands need to talk to people as people.

The problem is that social channels are intrinsically human and brands struggle to define how they should communicate resulting in either a confusing schizophrenic personality or at worst – through the use of bots – where very few of the important human personality traits are displayed. This means they create a sense of unease and often end up in ‘uncanny valley’ as they forget all people aren’t the same and they adapt to speak to different people in different ways. Discovering a clear multi-dimensional brand personality allows them to differentiate and creates a foundation that allows brands to escape ‘uncanny valley’ and unlock the potential of social media.

Using practical examples, data including IBM Watson and Crimson Hexagon and psychology techniques, brands can evaluate what type of ‘human’ people think they really are and what personality traits their communications portray. We will then show how we decide what type of human a brand wants to be and the implications this has for all technology led communications.

Speakers will be:

Martyn Gooding – Creative Director, Gravity Thinking
Michaela MacIntyre – Business Director Gravity Thinking
Adam Nickson, Marketing and Communications Director, Hyundai Motor Company UK

https://socialmediaweek.org/london/events/escaping-uncanny-valley/

Should I hire a robot for my Strategy Department?

2016-07-19T10:34:00.000+01:00

By Jane Hovey Head of Planning

As a child back in the day I remember complaining to my dad that a simple program I had written on the ZX Spectrum displayed red instead of my favourite 80’s shade of magenta. Rather than sharing my frustration he simply pointed out that it was my very human error. This years APG conference was excellent and thought provoking as always but speakers seemed to treat robots (and tech) like something sent down from Mars HG Wells style, not something we can be involved in creating, programming or developing.

The conference designed to spark debate occasionally felt schizophrenic with Steve Hilton’s opposition to smart phones for himself and his kids seeming at odds with his and his wife’s successful tech careers. What excited me most (like many) was Russell Davis centaur chess analogy touching on the need for robots and strategists or organizations and tech to find better ways of working together. Tech can be bad for people — the effect on children building relationships is a good example but it can also be marvelous — connecting communities making people feel less isolated, freeing time and highlighting social issues. Occasionally the APG can feel like the ad industry playing catch up seeing technology as something to do battle with, something ‘other’.

From exploring how to garner big brand insights from social listening or how to look at brands using IBM Watson planners need to embrace technology now. But we also need to start thinking about what we as a planning community need. What are the problems humans need help to solve. As good planners we need to stay ‘curious’ about new developments knowing how to use them to add the magic. Taking insights and data, inspiration from art, observed human behaviour and a good dollop of imagination to take strategic leaps might not be something robots can do in my lifetime but they might help us get to better solutions. As a consumer I don’t like buying washing powder so I am not scared of bots choosing it but in other categories I care a lot and will always be involved. So in the same vain I need to work out what I want tech to do for me and what needs human involvement.

Embracing tech could mean one day having a robot in the team. A robot now could take some of the guesswork out, to focus on some of the detail that is occasionally lost, to optimize and find new inspiration…to make connections and point out when the obvious is being suggested to look at the wider communications landscape, nuanced influences and more detailed customer journeys. In the future planning could use robots to mimic the consumer so we understand audiences needs better or to look at how a brands personality would play out if made into a sentient being — how cool would that be…

I would be happy to have a robot in the team if we worked with them collaboratively. Helping the agency be braver, more creative and solve clients business problems like all the planners I hire.

Social Media can Change the World - A talk at Immediate Media Cycling Conference

2016-05-23T14:45:00.000+01:00

By Andrew Roberts, Managing Partner

On 17th May we were invited by our friends at Immediate Media to speak to over 100 of their cycling contacts at The Bath Spa Hotel in Bath England.

With a mix of brands, retailers and partners we presented a provocative call to arms to get involved in social and provided 5 key principles for making social work in the Sports industry along with best in class examples including our very own Allianz 'Pass Round the World'
See the whole presentation here:

http://www.slideshare.net/ajfroberts/gravity-thinking-social-media-can-change-the-world-immediate-cycling-conference-10th-may-2016

SXSW: The festival that's good for the soul of marketers

2016-03-18T15:47:00.000+00:00

By Andrew Roberts

Originally published in The Drum

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”

Gandhi’s quote sums up the last five days at SXSW. I left inspired, enlightened, enthused and educated, if slightly broken.

It was time well spent, time that was good for the soul.

SXSW is called a festival rather than a conference precisely for the reason that you can make of it what you wish. Like the host city’s mantra “Keep Austin weird", there are no rules or preconceived routes to follow – you follow your own path and make of it what you want.

We spent five days doing precisely that, wandering, feeling our way through the many different experiences that were on offer. From keynotes to panels (OK less of them) to meet-ups and interactive installations, all designed to stretch the mind to start thinking of the many possibilities that tech has created.

And this openness is the beauty of the whole event.

There will be many articles on the details of the various talks, demos and take outs, indeed I am speaking at an event with The Drum Network on what we found ‘off the beaten track’ but my overriding feeling leaving Austin this morning was how the festival feeds the soul.

So how has Austin really got my mojo working?

Networking

Brits@SXSW Facebook and Whatsapp groups were quickly filled with over a hundred people and various meet ups were arranged and new contacts made that will be brought back to the UK. But more importantly serendipity seemed to live on every corner where people spontaneously speak to one another openly and without agenda.

The community

The tech community appears to have a different ethos to other careers - collaboration is at the heart of the culture alongside a desire to create the best of the best. Coupled with this is an element of thinking about how the work can genuinely change the World. This showed itself all over Austin from 3M's commitment to sustainability to IBM’s work using tech to help disabilities and age related illnesses to far smaller projects such as Techfugees who are bringing the considerable firepower of technology to the European refugee crisis.

Big Thinking

Big thinking sparks big ideas, whether it is experiencing the latest haptic, immersive VR or real life Iron Man AR, playing rock, paper scissors with Marvin the robot or even watching films about Mid West farmers and Eastern European retirees dreaming of sending their robots to the moon with the help of Google. The thinking inspires a host of other ideas from the simple to the complex that can be applied to our everyday work and personal life.

Look after your mind

Tech is advancing at such a fast and relentless pace we are entering new territories and we don't know how this will affect the human psyche. From the always-on world to the increasingly competitive work environment inevitably people’s minds will be affected. In short we need to look after ourselves and control our lives, not let our tech lives control us. Watching over 2,000 'meditate' with the help of Andy Piddicombe from (INSERT SPACE) Headspace was a particular highlight.

Fearless creativity

Being fearless is a consistent theme in the tech World AND IT was mentioned a lot and it showed itself in many guises - from the young, phenomenally intelligent 20 something’s working in Government to the grads barely out of MIT solving big World issues and the entrepreneurs peddling their apps, inventions and products they all relentlessly follow Jobs’ edict to ‘have the courage to follow your heart and intuition’

I would like to think if Gandhi was alive he would be wandering the streets of Austin and taking in all that SXSW has to offer inspiring people in his words to "be the change you want to see in the world’, and I would add...."the change you want to see in yourself…"

Vox Pop: Have we reached 'peak millennial'?

2016-03-04T17:39:00.001+00:00

By Jane Hovey, Head of Planning

Millennials are boring there I said it. But so are Gen Y, Gen Z, Boomers etc.

The problem with the ‘Generation this or that’ approach is that they are broad brush demographic segments which are neither useful for marketers nor do justice to the variety of individuals in a particular cohort. I find them boring as they don’t delve into the beautiful fascinating individual groups within those segments. Demographic segments don’t give the nuance required to really understand the people we need to engage. The insights to inspire creative solutions or the detail for effective media targeting.

Gen Z are fascinating in their use of technology, perception of the world and brands place in it BUT are they the right audience for every brand? NO. Of course we need to understand the changing media habits of consumers but just always going for the youngest coolest is that right? We also need to consider the market in which we operate. For millennials, and now Gen Z, excitement is often driven by stats in the US showing they are the biggest cohort. But if we look at the UK as a whole, 27.9% of people fall into the Generation X category (30-49), 22.2% are Baby Boomers (50-59), 20.9% are in Generation Y (15-29), indeed at only 18.1%, Generation Z (0-14) is the smallest group at present. I am looking forward to seeing the unfolding of how the next generation engage with brands, the devices they use and how creative they get with content…even the businesses they inspire.

Full article here: http://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2016/03/04/vox-pop-have-we-reached-peak-millennial

Creative in Focus

2016-02-25T16:44:00.000+00:00

By Ben Carroll

A bunch of us creatives took a quick lunchtime jaunt over to the Getty Gallery to attend the Drum Network hosted talk, Creative in Focus

A look at the predicted visual trends of 2016, Jacqueline Bourke gave us a whirlwind glance behind the curtain of the Getty Images machine and offered us an intriguing glimpse into the rapidly-rising visual trends that we can already see echoed in our own work.

Six trends were identified and discussed, with a look at the search terms that indicated their popularity, examples of their cultural pervasiveness, and a few choice examples from the Getty collection.

One particularly interesting insight into the success of these trends is their ability to work well on the smaller screen. Mobile viewing now means that su

Each visual trend was so interesting that I’ve worked up a little breakdown of them all…

THE TRENDS

Outsider In -

What’s it all about?

Celebrating the rebellious, this imagery revels in doing things differently. This is the rise of the weirdos.

What are people searching for?

Bold choices. Rebellious. Stand out from the crowd.

Where have we seen this?

Politicians are currently painting themselves as outsiders. Films about rebels are everywhere (Hunger games, Star Wars, The Revenant). Amy Schumer and Miley Cyrus are current queens of this trend. Even big business now celebrates the outsiders.

How are brands using it?

Trulia created an ad to help you find the perfect home for the weirdo in you – basically explain a bit more because people might not be bothered to watch it - #Trulihome

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZR0O_xqVpg

Are we starting to see this in our own work?

We’ve seen a huge rise in working with more maverick philosophies, particularly with our whisky brand, Glenfiddich

Divine Living

What’s it all about?

A meeting point of spirituality and luxury. Mashing together premium with the ethereal. Presenting consumers with products full of emotion and meaning.

What are people searching for?

Integrity. Mindfulness. Good deed. (A decline in searches for the term ‘selfish’)

Where have we seen this?

Justin Bieber’s latest album cover. The Apple store becoming the modern day temple. Pantone’s colours of the year – Rose Quartz and Serenity.

How are brands using it?

Illuminum perfume retail space - http://www.dezeen.com/2015/05/06/antonino-cardillo-scent-texture-illuminum-fragrance-shop-interior-london-england-volcanic-ash/

UBS entrepreneur print campaign

http://www.itsnicethat.com/news/annie-leibovitz-ubs

Are we starting to see this in our own work?

The 2016 Hyundai Genesis ad “Sanctuary” was held up by Getty as a prime example of this trend. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4Ur7kDn6lU

Extended Human

What’s it all about?

While many technological images prey on our anxieties about A.I, this interesting approach to tech, this trend sees tech making us more human rather than less.

What are people searching for?

Wearable tech. Robotics. Drones.

Where have we seen this?

The TV series Humans and the film Ex Machina perfectly capture how we are currently feeling about future tech. Elon Musk represents this in business. Many houses currently own a BB8 toy or a drone. Are humans developing an emotional attachment to robots?

How are brands using it?

North Face – VR shopping experience

http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/north-face-gave-these-shoppers-vr-experience-suddenly-got-awesomely-real-167900

Are we starting to see this in our own work?

Our ongoing strategy for Hyundai is very relevant to this trend. We’re very interested in looking at how we can humanize technology, bringing relatable, emotional moments back to the world of innovation.

Messthetics

What’s it all about?

Harnessing the power of the messy, this trend takes on a beautifully ugly, visceral aesthetic.

What are people searching for?

Grit texture. Messy floor. Distressed texture.

Where have we seen this?

Smaller screens have driven us to appreciate imagery of a more sensory nature. The more time we spend in a screen the more we crave sensorial imagery

How are brands using it?

Imperfect Produce

http://www.imperfectproduce.com/

Are we starting to see this in our own work?

We are starting to see this look creep into the art direction for some of our work. Glenfiddich in particular should start to see some of this messier, more rebellious aesthetic in some areas. Luxury product shots, while previously characterised by cleanliness, are bre

Silence Vs Noise

What’s it all about?

Very much the antithesis to Messthetics. this trend gives consumers some space away from all the clutter. Characterised by soft colour palettes and white space. Less is more.

What are people searching for?

Simplicity. Complex to simple.

Where have we seen this?

In an increasingly cluttered, always-on world, sanctuary is found in isolation. Contemporary minimalism continues to be the look of choice for the luxurious.

How are brands using it?

Kit Kat’s Christmas Break

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBy8wkHJsPI

Are we starting to see this in our own work?

Much discussed around Christmas in particular, an interesting conceptual area now seems to be cutting through noise with unexpected silence.

Surreality

What’s it all about?

Taking its cues from surrealism, this trend looks to visually represent our complex digital lives in increasingly creative, abstract ways.

What are people searching for?

Virtual reality. Surreal landscapes. Dreaming.

Where have we seen this?

Banksy’s Dismaland turned the art world upside down. Again, Miley Cyrus was held as an example as she rebrands herself. Fashion label MSGM is popularising surreal styles.

How are brands using it?

VW’s blind spot ads

http://www.adeevee.com/2015/12/volkswagen-blind-spot-sensor-no-more-hiding-print/

Are we starting to see this in our own work?

This trend could not be more relevant to Hendrick’s, although arguably this ‘antidote to the ordinary’ Gin brand should probably be given credit for the rise of this trend, surrealism being integral from it’s inception.

SILICON BEACHED. TOP 10 TAKE-OUTS

2016-02-19T14:27:00.001+00:00

This year Matt Desmier brought Silicon Beach in-land with some of the world’s most respected thinkers in tow. We’ve picked our most inspiring moments from these creators, doers and innovators to share with you.

10. There is no Magic Formula

We spend a lot of time trying to come up with a super solution for advertising; one ‘cure-all’ template. But unfortunately, there isn’t one. Different brands have different consumers who react in different ways. The only way to engage them is to be RELEVANT. Nishma Robb from Google shared a great example. A 2-minute Mountain Dew film was more engaging and got more brand recall than its shorter counterpart because of one simple reason. It made people laugh.

9. Hire Happy people

Pip Jamieson from The Dots, a creative talent network, told us of the tumultuous journey she had setting up her global network. When you’re starting a business, inevitably you’re going to face some tough times and you’ll need strong people around you, not people moaning about what’s going wrong. You cannot underestimate the power of optimism and a can do attitude from your employees.

8. Make Decisions, not Goals

Savannah Peterson, from Speck Design, gave an inspirational speech about the psychology of ‘goals’. She argued that by creating a goal, you are setting yourself up for failure. And it’s not the goals that you aim for, but the decisions that you make, right now, that ultimately affect your future.

7. There will never be Robot Creatives

Some of us worry that robots will take over our jobs, and the future will essentially be The Matrix. But creative types need not fear this dystopian end. The problem with machines is that they are programmed to follow rules. Creativity thrives by breaking them, says Pip Jamieson from The Dots.

6. Live TV is not on its deathbed

When Netflix and iPlayer took over, everyone looked to live TV. Is it dead? They asked. Lindsey Clay thinks not. She showed us an experiment she conducted, where people were asked to give up Live TV for a whole week. The results were somewhat hilarious. We saw footage of people mourning the loss of Saturday Night Live, staring blankly at their switched off TV sets and wondering what to do with their lives. Live TV is still part of so many lives and routines, it’s a difficult habit to break.

5. You don’t own your Social channel

Your consumers do. Your social activity is hosted on a network outside of your brand, you are essentially renting this space, and it’s where your consumers, not your brand make the rules.

4. Talk to people who hate you

If you change their minds, they’ll become your strongest advocates.

3. Be a creative equal

Feminism has been a hot topic for a while now, but just because we’re talking about it, doesn’t mean that everything is OK. Only 11% of Creative Directors in the ad industry are women, and Ali Hanan wants to change that. She set up Creative Equals, a company that aims to get ad land to commit to 50/50 representation in its creative departments.

2. Enjoy making it

If you watch or see a bit of content, and you get the feeling that it was made with care, enjoyment and enthusiasm, you’ll enjoy it too. Creatives’ feelings translate into their work, so it’s important to stay happy and motivated.

1. Be more human
‘Digital convergence has turned consumers back into people’. A lot of brands talk to consumers. But they don’t understand that they are having a one-way conversation. Brands are made by humans, for humans and we need to respect that by talking to people like one. No one can have a meaningful conversation with a robot.

Reporting from cutting edge SXSW 2016

2016-02-17T15:09:00.003+00:00

Having attended SXSW for the past 4 years we wanted to do something different this year so at the next The Drum - Modern Marketing and Media Chapter event our Managing Partner Andrew Roberts will be sharing his experiences by going off the beaten track and seeking out the new, the innovative, the cutting edge, and exploring the inspirational digital creativity that isn’t always talked about in the daily updates but we know will shape the months and years to come.

BOOK NOW: http://www.thedrum.com/whatson/236062/chapter-event-london-neuromarketing-rock-n-roll-and-cutting-edge-sxsw

No Bllsht on the Silicon Beach

2016-02-08T13:51:00.000+00:00

What do you tell your hairdresser you do for a living?

Social Media? A web designer?

Marketing? That sounds a little old.

A little small.

A bit naff.

How about advertising?

People get that. Sounds grand.

But we don't do that.

We don't make TV ads any more. Or large outdoor posters.

So what do we do?

Whatever grand language we choose. It's unlikely to translate to a punter.

And that's a problem.

I have a theory, that the more complicated your job title - the less you do.

Take Tim Berners Lee, the creator of the internet.

The. Actual. Internet.

He says he's a web developer.

Not a Global Executive Technology Officer.

And I believe this is a beacon of what's wrong with our industry.

And why I don't like most industry conferences.

Because we've forgotten the language of the customer.

I took our creative team to Silicon Beach last week. The creative and digital festival that's just moved from Brighton to London.

The most notable talk was at the end of the day from MT Rainey. The R in RKCR and one of the people involved in the 1984 Apple ad.

She just told stories, with no slides. Only playing the films she referenced.

As a result the room - and twitter - fell silent, as we were listening.

No tweetable buzzwords. Or pseudo-psychological analysis of the work, or audiences.

She did what we all say we do for a living: communicated.

Simply.

Clearly.

Earlier in the day Lauren Currie, of Design studio Snook, invited a group of young women on stage to experience what it's like being a speaker.

Helping grow their confidence as thought-leaders in the industry.

Many of them did what they believed was the thing to do on stage at an advertising conference: They volunteered up some tweetable wisdom about advertising.

But then a 16 year old, Leila Willingham, won the day by calling out the B*llsh*t that we all speak - in this case about gender equality.

She told us to grow up and sort it out. Stop over-analysing.

Meat and potatoes communicating.

And this, if anything, is what we do for a living.

Gravity Integrated Marketing

Inclusivity in an exclusive market: why luxury brands should call on creators for content

Seeing things in a positive light

10 Lessons learned over 10 years running my own agency

Loving the brand

AVOIDING THE SHIT AND FINDING THE MAGIC AT SXSW: DAY FIVE

AVOIDING THE SHIT AND FINDING THE MAGIC @SXSW2017: DAY FOUR

AVOIDING THE SHIT AND FINDING THE MAGIC @SXSW2017: DAY THREE

AVOIDING THE SHIT AND FINDING THE MAGIC @SXSW2017: DAY TWO

AVOIDING THE SHIT AND FINDING THE MAGIC @SXSW2017: DAY ONE

AVOIDING THE SH*T & FINDING THE MAGIC AT SXSW

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Technology.

The Importance Of Craftsmanship In A Digital Age

Christmas is coming: Be prepared for shoppable social

A new, but old, photography technique

The Interplay between Artificial Intelligence and Advertising

It's time to modernise planning, but are planners capable of breaking their own rules ?

Uncanny Valley - our talk @smwldn 13th September

Should I hire a robot for my Strategy Department?

Social Media can Change the World - A talk at Immediate Media Cycling Conference

SXSW: The festival that's good for the soul of marketers

Vox Pop: Have we reached 'peak millennial'?

Creative in Focus

The 2016 Hyundai Genesis ad “Sanctuary” was held up by Getty as a prime example of this trend. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4Ur7kDn6lU

SILICON BEACHED. TOP 10 TAKE-OUTS

Reporting from cutting edge SXSW 2016

No B*llsh*t on the Silicon Beach

No Bllsht on the Silicon Beach