livingbrands

Doing the right thing isn't marketing

2012-01-23T17:17:26+00:00

Being something of an anti-hipster when it comes to fashion, I have not previously come across Edwin, the Japanese jeans brand.

But Protein pointed me in the way of this rather lovely film. Read the commentary over at Vimeo to find out more: how all the technicians are also 'engineers' encouraged to customise their own machinery, or how the water used in the dying process is purified to such an extent that fish are able to swim in it.

For me, though, the most stricking comment was this: "these elements have been in place for many years, and yet never spoken about or promoted as a marketing tool. This is because Edwin esteems this to be a ‘standard’ process. It is simply the way of Edwin manufacture and not a simple ‘marketing’ idea".

A powerful statement at a time when much of the sustainability you see in business does just seem to be there for PR purposes. But doing the right thing isn't marketing...it's just something you do because it's right.

Oh, I love the music as well.

Red Letter Days say 'thank you'

2011-11-30T08:29:58+00:00

Our new commercial for the experience gifting pioneers at Red Letter Days. Rather than simply do generic shots of people enjoying themselves, we wanted to build on the emotional truth of gift giving: that we are desperate to do the right thing, something we can only be sure of when people say 'thank you'...and mean it.

Umair Haque: meaningful brands amplify human potential

2011-11-23T12:44:07+00:00

Via this Fast Company article

Recording the music for Blacksticks Blue

2011-11-18T10:46:03+00:00

Our recent and, if we say so ourselves, rather wonderful commercial for Butlers Blacksticks Blue was really brought to life through the music of Louis Barabbas. Thought you might be interested in a little insight into the recording process...

Certainty is the innovation-killer of our age

2011-10-19T08:56:29+01:00

Just finished reading an article by sci-fi author Neal Stephenson, called Innovation Starvation, on what he sees as the death of true, large-scale, paradigm shift innovation and problem solving of the kind seen in previous, on the face of it less technologically advanced generations; a stagnation he blames on the (perceived) 'perfect' information we have in the digital age, and how the 'certainty' this delivers kills risk taking - we know everything so do nothing.

As he concludes in his final paragraph...

"Today’s belief in ineluctable certainty is the true innovation-killer of our age. In this environment, the best an audacious manager can do is to develop small improvements to existing systems—climbing the hill, as it were, toward a local maximum, trimming fat, eking out the occasional tiny innovation—like city planners painting bicycle lanes on the streets as a gesture toward solving our energy problems. Any strategy that involves crossing a valley—accepting short-term losses to reach a higher hill in the distance—will soon be brought to a halt by the demands of a system that celebrates short-term gains and tolerates stagnation, but condemns anything else as failure. In short, a world where big stuff can never get done."

More Airbnb: selling the emotion not just the functionality

2011-10-12T11:40:50+01:00

So I go from knowing nothing about Airbnb to posting twice in a week.

PSFK have just written about the rise of 'community travel' which, not surprisingly, mentions the likes of Airbnb and Couchsurfing (to show no favouritism!).

They link to another Airbnb film, which sells the emotional benefit of what they offer alongside the functionality...something on-line businesses sometimes forget to do. Nice...

The Airbnb story: now to get from nothing to something

2011-10-10T14:28:02+01:00

Hadn't come across Airbnb before watching this from the recent PSFK conference in New York: a nice, simple, inspiring, and in places funny story of the journey from nothing to something...

And hree's a equally engaging promothey've done which explains the Airbnb offer: makes you wonder why you'd want to do anything else...

Jamie Oliver announces his new restaurant fly posting-style

2011-10-10T11:22:04+01:00

Jamie is launching his new chain, Union Jacks, in the new Central St Giles development.

Liked the fly posting-style recruitment ads, which double as an announcement and tone setter...

Yeo boys

2011-10-10T10:29:31+01:00

I know it was very popular, but I've never been backward in saying that Yeo Valley's Rap did nothing for me whatsoever. I felt it lacked the insight, humour and intelligence of Toyota's Swagger Wagon, which just preceded it. And suffered somewhat from apparently being a direct lift (scene for scene in places) of this Canadian ad.

It all just seemed a bit forced, and rather embarrassing as a consequence.

But the new boy band version? I'm liking that.

For me, it's everything the Rap wasn't - it's a funny, clever, charming, well observed, well cast, and well executed parody that hits the spot in the way the rap didn't...maybe because it's been developed from scratch, rather than bolted on to a pre-existing Youtube idea (which I do think was the problem first time round). So well done all.

Blacksticks: out of the blue and into the orange

2011-10-05T16:29:49+01:00

We have just started work with Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses: a family business, based in Inglewhite, Lancashire, who make premium, hand-made cheese from all-local ingredients.

Our first challenge has been to promote their flagship Blacksticks Blue brand (highly regarded by those in the know, but still unknown by most). Specifically, to get people who buy blue cheese to think beyond the boring old Stilton, and to consider instead something easier on both the palate and on the eye - Blacksticks is surprisingly smooth and creamy, and surprising orange, compared to other British blues...making it the perfect 'oh what's that' centrepiece of any cheese board.

And to do all of this on a very limited budget.

To help deliver the impact needed, and quirkiness that reflects both product and company, we first took inspiration from and then enlisted the help of musician Louis Barabbas, who has whipped up for us some musical excitement around this taste of the unexpected...

Is the Occupy Wall Street protest America's Arab Spring?

2011-10-05T11:06:37+01:00

The most important US news in the UK media at the moment? The acquittal of Amanda Knox.

Which just goes to show what is wrong with the world.

Because nearly a week in, the Occupy Wall Street protests have only just come on to my radar (and by the way, I've checked the BBC news website - not a mention to be seen). Maybe it's because rioting looters are interesting, but peaceful protests against capitalism gone wrong aren't.

And what started out in NYC now seems to be spreading across the country (and internationally) in what some (maybe prematurely, but hopefully not) are heralding as a Tea Party for the left.

More power to them I say - it can only be good for the rest of us that the populace of the 'World's biggest democracy' (sic) discovers that being to the left of Hitler doesn't make you Stalin...and that unfettered, uncontrolled capitalism is rabid animal that needs putting down.

Anyway, here's rather nice film on the events...

We are experienced

2011-10-03T09:27:55+01:00

Time to announce another new biz win for the good ship QS: after a long courtship, we have just started with experience gifting pioneers Red Letter Days. Everyone is very excited about the 'cars and spas' opportunities that will hopefully present themselves :o)

Although as anyone who knows me (and our family cars) will realise, 'fast' and 'cars' are top two words that usually go together!!

Does social media actually work?

2011-09-15T17:43:57+01:00

OK, something of a rhetorical question, as I think SM does have a really important role to play in the comms mix. But I do wonder sometimes whether it's efficacy is all that many SM evangelists would have us believe.

There are a few famous exceptions (that prove the rule?), which hit big numbers. But even some of the more famous digital campaigns end up looking quite boutique if you dig into the numbers.

And that's before you get to the ones you've never heard of.

The counter argument will be that this is because these campaigns are only hitting the people that matter. But surely the whole point of social media is that (in theory) it explodes out of particular niches and across boundaries which other media cannot cross.

And even then, from my own experience, I've come across many campaigns that were spot on for me only after-the-fact (usually on marketing-related blogs!)...and I'm social media-ed up more than most.

Case in point: Al Gore's Climate Reality Project.

I've already mentioned it over here. And I think it's a great initiative.

But it happened yesterday. And I only found out about it today. Despite my social media use, and passion for environmental and sustainability issues, topics which I follow in some depth online.

And if I didn't hear about, how many other people missed out?

I'm sure for the people involved, it will be deemed a success (and at some level may well be). But it just leaves me questioning whether there's a trick being missed somewhere along the (on)line as far as delivering mass social engagement is concerned.

Think it's vital and the future, don't get me wrong. But we've maybe not yet arrived at the point which many think we have.

PS I also accept them many will argue it's all in how you do - do it well and it works - which I guess is a point for discussion.

Nike want to build a better world

2011-09-15T10:46:55+01:00

Really like this. Corporate puff or not, it makes you want to believe. And the idea of recycling your ads to make a point about environmental sustainability is a clever one (rather than spend a truck load of cash, and expel another truck of carbon, making a new film to do the same).

Brand Republic Hall of Fame: vote Trev

2011-09-07T13:55:02+01:00

Our Trev has been nominated for inclusion in Brand Republic's Hall of Fame. Vote now and give the Big Man another trophy to add to his OBE! By the way, you are only allowed one vote.

Give people the chance to be nice

2011-09-05T09:49:22+01:00

Rather liked this as a way to start the week (via Only Dead Fish)...

Couple of lessons: 1) give people the chance to do something nice, and most probably will; 2) once people start doing something unexpected, others will join in (obviously it's all in the editing, but that's the impression you get).

PS Have mirrored this over at another of my blogs, which has been mothballed recently, in an attempt to kick start my enthusiasm! So have a look, and we'll see how things go.

Helping zombies get in touch with their natural side

2011-08-30T12:13:50+01:00

Loving the announcement of our Neal's Yard new biz win in Campaign, and it's juxtaposition with the photo from the next story: natural health and beauty can even help Zombies!!!

Rather good new biz win

2011-08-25T14:04:14+01:00

We have just started with natural health and beauty brand, Neal's Yard Remedies. An amazing business(and lovely people), and we'll be looking at all aspect: position, design, comms and activation.

All very exciting.

The importance of first followers

2011-08-02T15:45:14+01:00

This particularly clip of a movement taking flight has been around for ages, but Derek Sivers pulls out some key quick lessons. Chief amongst them: it's not the leader of a movement who is important, but the first follower(s). Because without that initial joining in, any potential leader remains just a lone nutter...

Everything is a remix (part 3)

2011-07-19T11:44:46+01:00

The penultimate installment of this very good series. Part 1 is here, and part 2 here.

(Note: it seems to finish half way through, but there's more after the credits)

...and 6 tips on creating a brand ritual that will stick

2011-07-14T15:07:46+01:00

A follow up to my previous post (or more accurately part 2 of the same), as it did seem to leave one key question hanging: what is a good ritual? So here are a few thoughts on the kind of ritualistic qualities to look for...

Discovered (ideally): this won't always be possible, especially with a new product or brand. But it is just easier to ritualise behaviour that already exists, even if not something everyone does currently (or is even necessarily aware of), than it is to impose something completely new from on high. Ritual is about the people who do it, after all, not the brand itself. So look around: what unexpected and distinctive habits have people already adopted...even if only a minority behaviour? And how could you amplify this (without being seen to take ownership)?
Consistent: obvious really, as the whole basis of ritual is something which doesn't change. But this does run counter to a marketing orthodoxy that (quite rightly) places great value on innovation. Which doesn't mean ritual should be boring. But always remember: it isn't there to provide novelty. A ritual that constantly changes is just a succession of gimmicks.
Iconic: the best rituals aren't just about personal behaviour: they are about the (public and often famous) trappings and trimmings as well. This iconography and symbolism is often what anchors a ritual in public consciousness: take pouring a pint of Guinness, with the twin stages, the settling to black and white, and the clover leaf on top (in an Irish pub ideally) - all part of what makes drinking Guinness special.
Relevant: whether practical or just symbolic, people need to understand why they are doing what they are doing: cider over ice is more refreshing; 5-a-day is good for you. Ritual without purpose or explanation can just seem strange...and no one wants to look equally odd (or stupid) for joining in.
Easy: in some contexts, the difficulty of ritual is what's important (The Five Ks of Sikhism for instance). But brands aren't that important to people, and there are always other options. So why create barriers. The more simple and straightforward a ritual is the better: lime in my bottle of lager...why not.
Shareable: if a benefit of ritual is a sense of group belonging (and recruitment mechanism to that group), it's not just a matter of ease: people have to be aware of the ritual in the first place. This might involve explicit communication, via advertising or on-pack. But the best rituals are owned by the devotees, and passed on by word-of-mouth or observation. So think how to make your ritual visible, understandable and replicable.

Which is maybe all easier to write about than deliver in practice. But the principles seem relatively clear.

So, to paraphrase Field of Dreams, just remember: if you ritualise it they will stay.

4 benefits of ritualising your brand

2011-07-14T15:06:54+01:00

I have been pondering behaviour and beliefs a lot recently. Marketing and comms convention typically focuses on (trying to change) the latter in order to change the former. But the inescapable fact is that this works less frequently than we would like to think. In fact, it can often seem as if the exact opposite works harder: focus on the end game, get people doing something different (rather than thinking differently about it), and the beliefs you were trying to foster in the first place will typically follow on behind anyway.

This paradox has clear implications in the area of social issues and action. But it can play just as significant a role in the day-to-day world of brands. The problem is that, in this context, we can all too easily relegate behaviour change to a tactical, point-of-sale exercise: cold, mechanical…and a bit Pavlovian. And despite the truth that beliefs follow behaviour, if everyone is pulling the same levers, there is no advantage to anyone (hmm, sounds like price promotion).

So is there a place for more strategic, brand-building behaviour change?

Yes...and it is called ritual.

Ritual is, if you like, 'branded' habit or routine. And by ritualising your brand in this way, you can elevate behaviour change beyond the world of tactical mechanics to something far more potent and ownable.

Which should come as no surprise. Psychologically, people seem to like, and naturally gravitate toward ritualistic behaviour. After all, ritual has been used to great effect for millennia, in religious, socio-political and even cultural spaces: voting on X-factor is as much a 'ritual' for those who do it as saying liturgical prayers is to others.

What is it about ritual that is so powerful then...and how can brands learn from this? For me, there are 4 dimensions...

Integration of beliefs: whilst a deep cut price promotion might stimulate behaviour, as stimulus it is content and value-free. Change might stick, and beliefs may adjust accordingly. But evidence suggests otherwise. Ritual, on the other hand, is behaviour that integrates beliefs. Whether responding to the mosque's call to prayer, or having your '5 a-day' of fruit and veg, the behaviour you adopt already embodies a way of thinking...making it far more likely that these beliefs will become your own.
Emotional connection: a 'buy one get one free' offer might well be a bargain but, emotionally, it's a buzz that's (at best) superficial and short lived. In comparison, ritual is all about deep, emotional content and connection, full of meaning (see pt.1) and rich with potent, memorable symbolism and language. Think of a marriage ceremony (even a civic one). Or having your daily dose of 'happy bacteria' in an Activia yogurt;
Group belonging: though others may enjoy the same link-save promotion as you, you have no connection to them - it's a solitary act. There's none of the behavioural reinforcement that comes from acting collectively or, if alone, knowing others are doing the same thing elsewhere. Think of a religious service or political rally, where followers of a common cause mutually reinforce the 'rightness' of behaviour (and beliefs)...even for those on the margins. Ritual becomes a badge of membership, and potent 'rite of passage' recruitment mechanic for that reason. Much like joining the queue to ask the barista for your very first Skinny Double Mocha Frappuccino;
Unconscious reinforcement: sell deals, and that's all people will want. And they won't care where from. But build ritual into your brand, and it provides positive reinforcement...at a deep, unconscious level. Our brains are neurologically hard-wired to follow paths of least resistance...and will always favour established behaviour as a consequence. This is what ritual builds. But maybe more interesting still are recently identified 'mirror neurons', which respond in a similar, unconscious manner to the actions of others. So ritual not only anchors behaviour for the people doing it, but can have a 'viral' effect on others as well. Taking (and watching others take) communion every Sunday becomes expected behaviour, much as seeing someone drink a pint of Magners with ice can seem an idea worth copying.

And the ultimate benefit of building ritual into your brand in this way is that, much as with religion, there is a close relationship between, and short step from ritualistic behaviour to worshipful beliefs. You only need to see the ecstatic worshipers waiting for the latest holy visitation at the church of the Apple (Store) to see this.

In fact, as the BBC recently pointed out, in their Secrets of the Superbrands documentary...

"The Bishop of Buckingham -- who reads his Bible on an iPad -- explained to me the similarities between Apple and a religion. And when a team of neuroscientists with an MRI scanner took a look inside the brain of an Apple fanatic it seemed the bishop was on to something. The results suggested that Apple was actually stimulating the same parts of the brain as religious imagery does in people of faith."

Whether the more extreme examples of such brand fetishisation is healthy or not is another question entirely (I'm not sure it is - there are more important things in life). And such full-on, unquestioning worship may be beyond all but a few brands anyway.

But thinking more pragmatically and realistically, there is still no denying the efficacy for any brand or business of directly targeting behaviour. And branding habits or ritualising brands to cement this behaviour (change), facilitating desired new beliefs as a consequence, just seems a more elegant and sustainable solution than ripping the guts out of price.

(See my next post for 6 tips on creating a brand ritual that will stick)

Probably the worst Carlsberg ad in the world

2011-07-11T12:20:56+01:00

Saw this at the weekend (though a 30" version). About 90% of the way thru, I was thinking the new Carling work was pretty poor: a blandly entertaining, but neutered, watered down version of the previous Mates campaign, lacking any drinker insight or viewer humour/reward.

Only for it to turn out to be for Carlsberg...

So basically, the new Carlsberg commercial is a poor man's Carling ad.

Who would want to pay good money (and a lot of it I would guess) for the barrel scrapings of someone else's campaign?

And 'That Calls For A Carsberg'?!?! Good grief - my son could've done better.

One of the greatest advertising ideas ever replaced by hackneyed, 'seen it a million times before', trite, insight-free lazyness.

What a waste. And we wonder why advertising gets a bad name.

Building brands from your fans outwards

2011-07-07T15:30:05+01:00

Specifically about Blackberry, but with some very good general lessons...

(Graham Brown mobileYouth) Rebuilding Blackberry

View more presentations from Graham Brown (mobileYouth)

Customers are a behaviour not a demographic

2011-07-06T08:47:06+01:00

In marketing and comms, we are constantly trying to move away from the abstraction of 'customers' and 'consumers', and think in terms of real people. We give these archetypal (usually stereotypical!) consumers a name, we write pen portraits of their lives, we make everything very specific and concrete.

Which does make intuitive sense - consumers are people too after all...it's you and I, and we're not robots or theoretical constructs.

But then this thought provoker from Faris Yakob gave me pause for thought...

"Customers are to people as waves are to water"

Which he went on to unpack thus...

"For the majority of marketing, it may be better not to think of customers as people. ‘Customers’ are a repeating pattern of behaviour that expresses itself in people – from the point of view of a company, it doesn’t really matter who that person is when they walk into a store. Throughout the marketing process, we spend a lot of time trying to understand the kind of people who are most likely to buy, but behavioural economics and decision research all suggest that 'where', 'what' and 'when' are at least as important as 'who'."

A cousin to the content vs context debate in media (is it what you do or where you do it that matters most), the question of whether the 'who' of the people buying our products and services is maybe less all encompassingly important than marketing good practice suggests is a challenging one.

In developing creative ideas, having a bulls-eye still feels important, but maybe that bulls-eye is a behaviour not a demographic.

Which does make a different kind of intuitive sense to me, particularly if a look back at this, where in writing I have obviously seen the who as less important than the what.

Rocks Squash vs Gu Pots: a tale of 2 complaints

2011-06-30T16:20:35+01:00

It's one of those oft stated marketing truism that customers whose problems are addressed are more loyal than those who have never had any problems. But what this doesn't factor in is the 'how' of answering complaints, which can be the difference between a positive and negative reaction.

As I know from personal experience.

Take two brands we buy regularly: Rocks Organic squash and Gu Puds.

Both are 'premium' brands, with a style/tone to them that makes you think they would do customer service well.

So let's compare and contrast.

We buy Rocks very frequently - probably a bottle of their blackcurrant squash a week. Because it just tastes better than anything else out there. And we have bought it for a many years. Super loyal, super heavy - the perfect consumers in fact.

Then, last year, we had a problem. On opening a new bottle, there was a slight release of pressure (as you get with something lightly carbonated). We thought nothing of it. But over the course of that week the drink effectively fermented (and probably turned alcoholic as well, judging from the smell!). Basically, it was an unfortunate (and, from experience, occasional) consequence of using no preservatives in your products (something to be encouraged, after all).

So we wrote Rocks an email: long term customer, love the product, bit surprised, thought you'd like to know, that kind of thing. We didn't get all 'outraged of Tumbridge Wells', nor did we demand compensation.

And nothing much happened for a few weeks.

Then we received a note back, somewhat grudging in its apology which, whilst not coming out and directly saying it, was clearly implying the problem was probably something to do with how we had treated the product (and there I was thinking the customer was always right!). But despite this, they promised to send a £5 voucher anyway. Which then took another couple of weeks to arrive.

Compare this with Gu.

Last Sunday, as a family treat, we had a 3 pack of their genache pots, only to be disappointed on opening to find just 2 (selflessly, I went without!). A similar email was dispatched that evening. The next day we had an apologetic reply, with no attempt to justify or shift blame . And, on Tuesday, £7 worth of vouchers arrived (a relatively bigger amount than proffered by Rocks, given unit price), a very nice letter, and a little presentation box with a Gu dessert spoon - sweet if nothing else.

Which is how to do it.

So Rocks, take note: we are weekly purchaser - just think of the lifetime value you might have lost. Yes, we still buy you, but only as the product is so good (so better not let the quality slip). But I'm not sure we really like you quite as much anymore. And we do tell the fermenting product story quite frequently to other people.

Gu on the other hand: we love you even more now, and are looking forward to buying our replacement pots. I'm sure we will also tell others how nice you are as well. And we may even start buying you more often than as an occasional treat as a consequence. All for £7 and a little spoon.

So remember - it's not what you do it's the way that you do it.

Sir Ken Robinson on learning to be creative

2011-06-28T10:17:51+01:00

Short intro to a talk he gave at this year's Cannes advertising festival...

His key lessons: be confident (too many people believe they are uncreative, when we all can be), take time to practice (like languages, creativity isn't an automatic talent) and remember that it's never too late.

Reminded me of something a musician friend of mine once said. He has had a lot of experience working with, and leading amateur choirs. His view: apart from the very small minority who are genuinely (clinically?) tone deaf, anyone can be taught to sing - just takes confidence and practice (again).

Which is pretty much what Gareth Malone has always said as well.

FutureScoping 91

2011-06-28T10:07:12+01:00

Just to let you know, the latest edition of my trends newsletter is now out: "emerging trends, new ideas and general thought stimulation"...or so it says on the cover.

Celebrate the truth of who you are

2011-05-26T16:29:01+01:00

...is something we always say to clients. So nice to see John Jay, ECD at W&K, saying the same thing...

How to generate action and deliver change on social issues

2011-05-24T13:15:19+01:00

A little something I put together recently (note: now updated with text boxes that work!)...

It's been a long time coming

View more presentations from Jon Howard