360 - Jack Morton Worldwide's Experiential Marketing Blog

Myths and Assumptions

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:54:39 +0000

Let’s start with an easy one to get you in the mood “Men think about sex every seven seconds” Nonsense. Absolute poppycock. Think about it. A man who is awake 17 hours in a day would think about sex 61,200 times. Thinking about anything that much would drive one insane So beware of assumptions. Assumptions lead to mistakes. When it comes to your take on the world around you, it’s important to remember that perception is not truth. You see the world according to your own personal biases, prejudices and expectations. And so does everyone else. When you guess or suppose something, it’s based on your subjective viewpoint and all the other things going on in your head. In fact, the little voice in your head is probably the last one you should be listening to. Oh, and while I’m on the subject of assumptions, let me explode another myth that’s been bothering me. Perceived wisdom would suggest that your first thought is always the right one. But research behind a new book that I’ve seen, suggest that the second thought is really the one to go with. So when people say “don’t give it a second thought” Don’t listen.

Good design in small places

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:44:55 +0000

A good reminder that even the most mundane things should not be overlooked when designing a brand experience:

From Fast Company's design blog.

Living buildings

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 06:04:24 +0000

I went to a fantastic lecture recently at the Bartlett School of Architecture It was giving by the brilliant Dr Rachel Armstrong. She told us how her team had travelled to the Black Sea, where they discovered a bunch of micro-organisms. They can actually consume carbon dioxide. Dr Rachel and her colleague cleverly manipulated these organisms to follow a prescribed form. The big thought being that they can then be applied to the outside of new buildings. This ‘living’ building could contribute to cleaner air and help to combat the CO2 problem. Sitting in the lecture hall, I realised that the 100 or so young architects in the room will carry that innovation with them and apply it to their own designs. That’s the power of a great idea. When other people embrace it and recognise its potential. And most importantly. Do something with it.

Hyundai "Marketer of the Year"... Again

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:35:23 +0000

Congrats to Hyundai, named "Marketer of the Year" by another leading trade. According to Advertising Age, Hyundai "won handily" in its reader poll. Check out past JACK360 posts our work with Hyundai on its Gas Lock promotion and Genesis launch.

What a surprise

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:50:34 +0000

It never ceases to amaze me when I see people in agencies scrabbling around for a Christmas card idea in December. It’s not like Christmas crept up unannounced They knew it was coming. But every year it’s the same thing. Clients are really no different. Only it’s the last-minute brief. “We’re launching a product in a couple of weeks…” “We’re announcing a merger next month…” So the question is, how long have they known about the opportunity? Why didn’t you do something about it sooner? The later you leave things, the more pressured everyone feels, and the more likely it is that great ideas will be sacrificed or corners will be cut. Opportunities exist in the here and now. So seize them as soon as they arise

Online, offline, no inline

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:24:34 +0000

Modern media consumption no longer bears any kind of resemblance to the world we once knew. So it’s fantastic that PR agency Weber Shandwick has taken the bold step of creating a new media position that breaks away from the standard online/offline model. It’s called Inline, and recognises the fact that the audiences we want to reach consume multiple media at once, and the worlds constantly overlap. Inline communications tell a consistent story across the full spectrum of media and help support campaigns that are focused, measurable and effective It’s a great piece of work, and I’m looking forward to see the impact it has on how people take their messages to market.

Paper paper everywhere

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:35:09 +0000

Whatever happened to the paper-less office? Twenty years ago we were sold a vision of the future, where everyone had a tidy desk and information would be stored electronically. I’m still waiting. A desk covered in papers is energy-sapping and can induce restless memory syndrome (like restless leg syndrome but with fewer chances that you’ll kick someone). It’s almost impossible to focus or concentrate when you have papers piled up on your desk. Every time you look at the papers, your brain is trying to make sense of them. What a waste of energy. The least you can do is have a clear desk policy and tidy it up before you go home at night. And take solace in the fact that everything’s backed up on your computer. You’ll be amazed by how much more efficient you can be

Act your shoesize

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:55:07 +0000

Age is an obsession for so many people, but why? What does it really mean? So many people worry about being too old for a certain role, or not being old enough. When I was in my early twenties, I was responsibe for over 200 people. Not everyone was happy about being led by a whippersnapper. But as my boss used to say, if you’re good enough, you’re old enough. The same rule applies to people changing career later in life, or re-entering the workplace after time out. Age is utterly irrelevant – you’ll be measured by your contribution, not your grey hairs (or lack thereof)

Procurement's Rogue "Man-Eaters"

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:20:50 +0000

Hi All, Last week there were two articles in Advertising Age which spoke to the increasing participation of client side procurement in the marketing services arena. The basic message was something I've been saying for years (I can say that now, I'm over 40) which is: "Classical" or "Commodity" based procurement does not work well in the creative world of marketing services. There are elements of "classical" procurement which hold true in any category, but in my humble opinion the "classical" approach does more damage than good. Ultimately the "classical" approach hyper-focuses on cost (a feeding frenzy) and fails to search for the best fit or value! The irony of it all is that actual costs many times end up being higher because of all the critical nuances the client procurement department failed, or didn't know, to take into account when making a selection. However, I'm obviously a fan of procurement. Unfortunately bad news gets all of the attention. I'm here to tell you that the majority of procurement professionals want and try to do the right things, have the best of intentions, and many do an excellent job. However, the good ones don't get any press! No, it's the rogue "man-eaters" that get all of the attention leading to a general consensus that all procurement is bad. I'm here to remind everyone that seeing "Sharks" in the water is a sign of a healthy eco-system. The fact we are seeing procurement more involved is an excellent indicator to me that we are close to a healthy economy. Listen, it's OUR responsibility to prove our value, efficiencies and ability to do more with less. We in the marketing services industry need to embrace, tailor and evolve procurement so it works within our creative category. Procurement and Strategic Sourcing are here to stay. We can continue to fight it (and lose) or we can actively work to help procurement properly evolve within marketing services. This can only help make our industry’s eco-system healthier and sustainable. What say you?

Careless whispers

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:28:01 +0000

The next time you feel inclined to pass on something you overheard, keep in mind the following cautionary tale. In ancient Greece, Socrates was widely lauded for his wisdom. One day the great philosopher encountered a friend, who ran up to him excitedly and said, "Socrates, do you know what I just heard about one of your students...?" "Wait a moment," Socrates replied. "Before you tell me, I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the Test of Three." "Test of Three?" "That's correct," Socrates continued. "Before you talk to me about my student let's take a moment to test what you're going to say. The first test is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?" No," the man replied, "actually I just heard about it." "All right," said Socrates. "So you don't really know if it's true or not. Now let's try the second test,the test of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my student something good?" "No, on the contrary..." "So," Socrates continued, "you want to tell me something bad about him even though you're not certain it's true?" The man shrugged, a little embarrassed. Socrates continued, "You may still pass though because there is a third test - the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my student going to be useful to me?" "No, not really..." "Well," concluded Socrates, "if what you want to tell me is neither True nor Good nor even Useful, why tell it to me at all?" The man was defeated and ashamed and said no more. This is the reason Socrates was a great philosopher and held in such high esteem. It also explains why Socrates never found out that Plato was sleeping with his wife

The blame game

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:14:10 +0000

How many times have you been told to take a chance, and not be afraid of making a mistake? But no matter how often we hear it, we refrain from going out on a limb, because of our fear of those mistakes. Of course nobody likes making mistakes, but they’re seldom insurmountable. Most importantly, we all make them. So get out there and do what you do. Stop worrying about the potholes in the road ahead, and figure out how you’re going to get across them instead. As Sean Connery pointed out in ‘Rising Sun’, the Japanese have the right attitude, "Fix the problem, not the blame."

You'll get there

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 07:11:20 +0000

German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer believed that truth passed through three stages. At first it is ridiculed. Secondly, it’s violently opposed. And then finally it is accepted as self-evident. Sometimes, when I write this blog, it occurs to me that I’m reiterating things we already know; truths that we’ve already accepted as immutable. I see that as a good thing, as Julian Pullan (you all know who he is by now) says “if we could only remember all the things we know we be brilliant everyday” So back to Arthur, sometimes, we’ll find ourselves in the first camp. When we see things that no-one else can see. Just remember that, although it may initially feel like a battle to get those ideas accepted, before too long your discoveries will become common wisdom. To me that’s a great win.

Well Deserved

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 06:39:45 +0000

When you’re fortunate enough to work in a fantastic agency, it’s sometimes easy to overlook the amazing accomplishments being made elsewhere in the global network. So I’d like to congratulate Ben Taylor, Guy Parsonage and the whole Jack Morton team in Hong Kong, on being awarded ‘Events Agency of the Year’. It’s a fantastic achievement for them, in what’s been a difficult year for everyone. It truly is a testament to their dynamism and total client focus.

I wanna tell you a story

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 07:05:40 +0000

As I write this blog, I sometimes find myself thinking of William Shakespeare. I picture him sitting at his desk, chewing on his quill and wondering why turkey feathers taste so nasty. I wonder where he found his inspiration, and what made him become our greatest ever writer. The thing is, he didn’t have that many great ideas, but he was a great story-teller. In fact, Shakespeare’s entire oeuvre has been broken down into seven basic plots: Authenticity Performance Passion Challenge Empowerment Liberation Possibility Each one of these simple prompts managed to fuel some of the most remarkable literature in history. Which goes to show that it’s not the originality of your idea that counts, but the way you tell your story that really matters.

Be Nice Day

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 07:26:30 +0000

We spend so much of our time applying a critical eye to the world around us. We scrutinise our colleagues’ work, we interrogate our clients’ briefs and we moan about our lot. Too much of a culture of negativity can be toxic, and it prevents us from doing our best work. So I’d like to propose a day when we try to see the best in everything and everyone. Let’s build, rather than demolish. I know we’re all feeling the pressure at the moment, but this is the time when positivity can work wonders. Stop looking for a shadowy figure lurking around the next corner, and take a moment to think about the people and relationships that fill your day. Remember why you like working where you are, and the people who make it all seem worthwhile. It’ll help you achieve more, and you will find that the upbeat mentality rolls over into the next day. And the one after that