What Would We Do If We Could?

Anyone who reads this blog closely might spot the occasional typo. Unfortunately, human error is an immutable truth that affects the great and the good.
Even the Bible isn’t immune to the occasional slip up. Famously, the ‘Sinner’s Bible’, published in 1631 omitted a rather important "not" from Exodus 20:14, making the seventh commandment read "Thou shalt commit adultery." It’s no wonder that one piqued my interest.
This got me thinking about the way we do things at Jack Morton.
We often get briefs that challenge us, sometimes our first thought is Oh, we can’t do that.”
But then someone will ask the “Sinner’s Bible” question
“But what would we do if we could?
Try it you’ll be amazed at some of the ingenious solutions that will present themselves

(Here is a case in point Jack Morton's Virtual Experience Platform - Genius)

Get Running

On the whole we agency types are a pretty optimistic bunch. But we’re still prone to a bit of moaning every now and then.
Funnily enough it’s the same old gripes, time and time and time again.
My top three over the last 20 years would be:-
1. “It’s too complex a challenge”
2. “There’s not enough money.”
3. “We don’t have time to turn it around.”

Here’s the funny thing, despite all that, we still manage to get it done.
We fill in the blanks ourselves, we amend our proposals to bring it in on budget, and we achieve great things irrespective of time scales.
But how much better could the results be if we spent less time chuntering and just got on with it. Because at times like these, you can bet that’s exactly what the competition is doing.
Think of it like a game of tag, you’re it from the playground.
If you touch the brief, it’s yours.
So are you gonna stand still, or start running
Come on RUN!

Hunting The Big Beasts Number 3

It’s time for me to pay tribute to another one of Jack Morton’s Big Beasts – step into the spotlight Miles Platt, Director of Operations.
Our reputation for flawless faultless delivery is well known and regarded throughout the industry and Miles is one of main drivers of that, but he is so much more than the leader of the production side of the business.
If, like me, you believe there are four main personality types, then Miles is definitely an ‘amiable’. He’s always pleasant, even tempered and generous with both time and ideas.
Despite this easy-going and affable nature, he’s a little like the Terminator – he absolutely will not stop, ever, until the job’s done and done right.
Which for me proves a steel core at the heart of the nice guy.
Miles is also the epitome of collaborative working, heads up the international green team, and displays a relentless pursuit of excellence that helps to carry the whole business forward.
Ultimately, when there’s a huge amount of information to be taken on board, he gets to grips with it quickly and manages to translate it into something usable that we can all work with.
I’ve spoken before about the myth that nice guys finish last. (here)
Miles’ success is the perfect example to underline my point.

A Life Well Lived

We’ve just had a long weekend here in the UK one I particularly enjoyed and it got me thinking.
Jorge Luis Borges wrote a wonderful poem called Instantes (translated as ‘Moments’).
In it, he asks what he would do if he were given the opportunity to live his life again.
He talks about making more mistakes, running more risks, seeing more sunsets and eating more ice cream.
Now, at the risk of sounding like a cut-down version of CliffsNotes, I love this poem because it’s about having more fun, before it’s too late.
I know it’s something I often talk about, but the moral of the story is that, our business accomplishments are unlikely to be the thing that we’ll be remembered for.
I’m with Jorge, so watch for me taking more turns on the merry-go-round and contemplating more sunsets.

Are Friends Reunited?

There’s been an explosion of websites in recent years allowing us to track down those long lost school friends and find out what they’ve been up to in the intervening years.
Never mind the fact that half the people we get in touch with we couldn’t stand at the time...all right that’s just me.
This got me thinking about the school brain boxes.
The ones who were always top of the class. I’d love to know how many of them are successful now. I have a theory that many of them peaked early. There’s no doubt that a great education, good grades and degree will have helped many of them into great jobs – but only on the facts they could remember and the success they’d already had.
It’s the kids at the back of the class, the ones who watch, think and take it all in, who grow into the real successes. They leave school without having discovered their own true strengths yet, so they end up working much harder to try and change the future.
David Geffen, Peter Jackson, Richard Branson, Michael Dell. They were all high-school drop-outs.
Maybe there’s some truth in that old saying,
“History may be written by academics but it's rarely created by them.”

They Also Serve

It’s tough out there on the front line, fighting the good fight and bringing home the business. But never forget the people who work just as hard out of the spotlight.
From the receptionist who notices you’ve got guests arriving shortly and asks for details so they can greet them in the right way, to the assistant who keeps you looking professional, they all make us look great.

I think of this whenever I see my son Fox on stage in Billy Elliott (I get points every time I mention the show). He’s up there, front and centre taking his bow.

What about all the people in the company that work behind the scenes, the show wouldn't work without them, they need to know that the applause is for them too.

Not everyone has a client facing role, but they all have a client-servicing role.
I know I don't say thank you enough, so Cat this one's for you I couldn't do it without you
All of you out there remember to give them a hug – just don’t linger, it looks inappropriate.

Dropping The Balls

How many love songs have you heard on Magic FM (don’t deny it – you know you listen) that sing about people never loving because they’re afraid of having their hearts broken?
I know it’s a stuffy old cliché, but there’s truth in it.
After all, as I’ve said before, success usually comes out of failure. If you’re afraid to fail, you limit your chances of ever winning.
I don’t think that enough people understand that, as human beings we have to make mistakes in order to learn.
Marshall McLuhan is the Canadian media guru (I've mentioned him before) who first coined the phrase ‘less is more’.
He once stated that we don't really understand through learning, we understand through experience.
This obviously has specific resonance to anyone who works in experiential marketing, since it validates our whole methodology, but it also has a wider application to anyone who aims to achieve something.
Take juggling for instance. It’s an accepted fact that you cannot learn to juggle without dropping a few balls. You have to learn through the mistakes you make, and apply the knowledge you acquire next time round.
Unfortunately, in times of recession, people become more terrified than ever of making a mistake.
I say, this is the best time to start.

Release The Pressure

If you believe what you read in the press, you’d be forgiven for seeing the world economy as a giant steam valve that’s straining at the seams, ready to explode.
Just last week an article in the London Evening Standard looked at the pressure being felt by a group of people as a result of the recession.
Cab drivers are feeling it – black cabs are swooping in and stealing each others’ fares, whereas mini-cabs are simply ramming each other out of the way. It all sounds a couple of steps away from a post-apocalyptic Mad Max-style hellhole.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Any machine designed to operate using pressure has a release valve, and humans are no different. Unfortunately, since many of us thrive on pressure, we’ve forgotten that it’s something we need to control, rather than allowing it to control us.
If you’re riding out the recession and enjoying surprising success – stop waiting for the other shoe to drop, you’re obviously doing something right.
And if you’re feeling the full impact of the recession, take this opportunity to look around and see what you could be doing differently.
Before you know it, the pressure will have lightened.
Just be sure to stand back from the curb next time you hail a cab.

A Point Of Dfference

Uniqueness is a tricky thing. It should never be your reason for existing, but it’s always useful to have a distinguishing characteristic.
Here at Jack Morton, we often use a really simple device to get to the heart of a brand’s uniqueness.
It’s a sentence with two blanks in it:

Our brand is the only ___________ that ___________.

You’d be amazed at how often this statement has stumped people when they’re asked to fill in the gaps.
Success in any business depends on finding the thing that marks you out as different from all the rest.
It’s the service you offer that no-one else can, it’s the widget that you invented, or for our personal brands it’s the experience we bring to the table.
Just make sure you know exactly what it is.

Help I Want To Be Different

I was at a presentation given by The Right Honourable The Lord Coe, often known through his career simply as Seb Coe, the other day, and one of the recurring themes in his speech was about being unafraid to do things differently.
He believed that the key to his success, or in his case, many, many, successes was to change the paradigm of what it took to ...break world records (8 outdoor and 3 indoor) or to win 2 Olympic gold medals, and even to bid to host the Olympics games.
For instance, when it came to presenting London’s bid for 2012, he challenged accepted wisdom and took a group of East London schoolchildren with him to make the point about the next generation of sporting stars.
At the time, he was told “they won’t like that”, but as he pointed out, not only was London 2012 successful but now every bid city adds a cast of ‘supporters’ to their core team.
As you may imagine creating a “new way” means opening yourself up to criticism and being objectified in the spotlight.
It also means the pain of sometimes standing alone.
This is something I've done all through my business life, and although I can't say that I have a cabinet full of gold medals, I've certainly enjoyed my fair share of wins.
So if you really want to be successful, show no fear and be prepared to stand out.
The rewards are worth it.

Win Quickly, Lose Slowly

I was recently reminded of an old friend I had back in primary school.
His name was Alan Harvey, and he had the strange idea that you only had a certain number of breaths in your life. Maybe he was getting mixed up with heartbeats (here’s the other story)
Anyway, you’d often see him, when he though no-one was looking, holding his breath as long as he could, trying to prolong his life, even as he turned beetroot red.
As much as I laughed at the time (I was cruel), I now find myself thinking a little bit like Alan.
Only my non-renewable resource is energy.
At work it’s in limited supply and needs to be used carefully. An hour long meeting can be a waste of time and can drain everyone’s energy.
There’s a finite amount in any pitch, so the pitch team need to use it wisely.
One of the ways to build toward successful pitch results is to keep energy levels up, instead of running them down.
That means stay positive, short, lively meetings, and fun wherever you can find it.

Nice Guys Finish Second

Yesterday’s post about business being personal got me thinking about another hoary old cliché that pops up all too often.
It’s the idea that ‘nice guys finish second’.
I thought these unpleasant aphorisms died out in the 1980s with red braces and airbrushed posters.
If a nice guy finishes second, it’s not because he’s nice. It’s because he wasn’t trying hard enough. Similarly, you don’t have to be Tony Soprano to be good at business.
Last night I watched Sir Alan Sugar fire Mona on The Apprentice (to you guys in the US he’s our Donald Trump) and marveled at the media persona the BBC have created for him.
He bellows that he’s the “most belligerent boss you’ll ever have” but I’m afraid I’m not convinced. After all, when it comes to the interview round, he brings on his colleagues who’ve worked for him for 20-30 years.
If Sir Alan was really as objectionable as his TV personality, there’d be no-one left in his business.
I can safely say that I’ve never met anyone successful who was genuinely unpleasant, which isn’t to say that there aren’t a few of them out there.
On the whole though, unpleasantness and real success are mutually exclusive.

Don't Take This Personally...

How many times have you heard “Sorry, it’s nothing personal – it’s just business” as an excuse for bad behaviour?
I lost count of how many times I’ve heard it years ago, but it’s no less annoying than it ever was.
Whether it’s a sharp tongue, harsh decisions or just plain appalling behaviour, people see the workplace as a coverall excuse for all sorts of shortcomings. And when questioned, they tell you it’s nothing personal.
But they’re wrong.
Business is always personal, because any business is just people.
For us in the communication business it's a double whammy.
As I've already said elsewhere in this blog, we are working through the medium of people and we need to work more collaboratively.
I’m not saying everyone has to genuflect and doff their caps at each other, but let’s at least try and keep it real.

Get Ready For Different

There is chatter in the media today that the “recovery is coming”, well of course it is, we all know that the wheel will turn........ eventually.
No one knows exactly when, but now we have started talking up the possibilities that it is already on its way.
I read a great article the other day about how the sales industry is responding to the economic downturn. The gist of it was that we can take a glass-half-empty or glass-half-full approach to the recession.
Sales are down, not out.
So we need to focus on the sales that are still happening, and figure out what we need to do to get a piece of the action.
As Jeffrey Gitomer said in a recent blog post, “the low hanging fruit of two years ago is now much higher in the trees”.
That means that we need to work much more collaboratively if we’re going to be able to reach it. This isn’t the end of anything, it’s just the start of a new chapter.
So, let’s raise our half-full glass and toast the opportunities we’ve yet to discover.

Pitching To Win

There’s a whole cottage industry dedicated to helping agencies deliver the perfect pitch.
Books, websites, seminars – there’s some great stuff out there to help nip bad habits in the bud and finesse your approach.
But in amongst all the strategies and methodologies, I think there’s a simple solution that we could all embrace.
It’s a single question – what does the client want to get from the pitch?
In an average pitch scenario there might be five or six agencies parading in front of a client team, showing how clever and creative they can be, that’s a lot of strategies, ideas and media options.
We all put a lot into our own pitches; imagine how hard it is to judge between several, complicated and complex proposals?
The client team might be made up of wildly differing personalities and agendas – from finance and procurement to marketing and communications.
But they’ve all got one thing in common.
They want to choose an easy to understand, inspiring idea that they’ll be proud to own and put their name to.
What they are looking for is simple, what they are looking for is always the same thing.
All every client ever wants is something to believe in

Keep Doing The Same Thing

I’ve talked before about the need to change.
But there are those who believe that if they remain steadfast and resolute, the world will bend around them.
Especially in our agency world, you get into a long term relationship with a client company, you see the world changing around you, but you think that willpower and determination is enough to weather the storm.
Unfortunately, you’re wrong.
The world simply evolves without you and then the client chooses another course.
In the end, you get left behind.
So ask yourself, do you really want to end up as the business world’s equivalent of the oxbow lake?

I knew that geography lesson would come in handy

And The Award Goes To...

Call it the curse of parenthood.
Everyone thinks that their kids are the smartest, cutest, funniest and most talented (although in my case it’s true). As a consequence, it’s hard to maintain any objective distance from their accomplishments and everything they do.
It’s something I often struggle with in my role at Jack Morton. As hard as I try to avoid sounding subjective, sometimes we just do something so great I can’t help raving about.
Here’s a case in point – I am very delighted to report that, for the second year running, this week, we won first prize in the FOCAL Awards (Best Use of Footage in an Advertisement or Corporate Production) - this time for our client Nokia for a film called 'Days'
It’s an incredible piece of work, and I wanted to publicly congratulate the team responsible for it. But as I watched it again recently, I was reminded of just how much great work our film and video department has produced.
So I thought I’d take this opportunity to declare my subjective view, and encourage you to take a look at their showreel.
Click here

Talk To Me

It seems that the tectonic plates of marketing are moving to a new position, and we’re going to have to go with it.
In a recent essay published in Campaign and here, Alex Dunsdon, Business Director at M&C Saatchi, argued that the ‘Age of Conversation’ is over. This is the dawning of the Age of Osmosis.
Is anyone else singing songs from Hair in their head?
If this all sounds a bit shocking, blame Malcolm Gladwell.
He argued that we can only manage 150 relationships at any one time, and we’ll always choose humans over brands.
If you’re already exhausted from balancing the needs of friends and acquaintances, what hope does a brand have of striking up a meaningful conversation?
Fear not, however, because the Age of Osmosis will show us the way.
If we can’t convince people through conversation, we just need to hang out with them instead. Before we know it, our brand behaviours will be rubbing off on them like grass stains on a PE kit. Our target audience will feel an affinity for our brand, without really knowing why.
The great news here is that, if we’re talking behaviours and quality time spent with brands, we’re in a fantastic position to take advantage of this new school of thought.
And experiential approach brings those behaviours to life, invites audiences in, and gives them an opportunity to absorb our essence through proximity.
The king is dead. Long live the king.

Catching The Eye

It’s not always easy to be sure that you’re doing the right thing, especially in the agency world where we often spend more and more time outside of our comfort zone, pushing boundaries.
We are often unsure that we’re doing a great job, we worry we are not being recognised or catching the bosses eye
Just keep doing a good job.
Don’t worry – people notice your achievements, they just don’t always feel the need to comment on it.
That old saying about “no news is good news”

Good All The Way To The Core

I guess you all know the first marketing commandment?
When thou giveth any speech or presentation, thou shalt mention Apple.
One I’ve used a couple of times during speaking engagements on the subject of experiences (call for booking details) is a simple one.
Back in 2001 Steve Jobs was unperturbed by the naysayers who predicted failure for the Apple retail store concept. .
So when its first stores opened, he wanted to do something bold, so Apple hired hundreds of people to help out.
They weren’t trained. They couldn’t sell. Most of them didn’t even get inside the store.
They were hired to crowd outside the store and clap. And cheer, and yell and generally make a fuss of every customer who left with a shiny new purchase.
It added nothing directly to the bottom line, but it brought to life, in an instant, how Apple felt about its customers. And as each one of them emerged into the street, they felt like a hero.
A winner.
Is it any wonder so many people go so far as to have the Apple logo tattooed onto their skin?
So the next time someone comes to you with an idea that makes no business sense, stop being so cerebral.
Listen to your heart instead; you might be surprised at the outcome.

Oh My, This Is So Unexpected...

I love Oscar season.
Not for the films, and certainly not for the fashion (Bjork’s swan springs to mind here), but for the thank you speeches.
While everyone else loves to pour scorn on their alleged ‘insincerity’, I genuinely believe them. I can totally understand why Halle, Gwyneth and Kate all lost it the moment they got that little golden fella in their hand.
It’s the pinnacle of their accomplishments, and as they stand in the spotlight, they suddenly realise just how many people helped to get them there.
I’m feeling pretty good about things at the moment, things are going well, there’s an energy and positivity around the business, and I’ve had some recognition for the work I’m doing.
So I’d like to take the opportunity now to do my thank yous to everyone who’s helped.
Thanks to Aaron, Abby, Adam N, Adam G, Adele, Adrian P, Adrian C, Adrian B, Ajay, Alec, Alex, Alison, Amanda H, Amanda V, Amelia, Angela H, Angela J, Angie, Arif, Arpit, Asitha, Azim, Bernie, Beth, Brian, Caroline H, Caroline W, Cat, Celia, Charlotte, Charmaine, Chloe, Chris R, Chris W, Christina B, Christina L, Chuck, Cindy, Claire, Clare, Clinton, Daiga, Danielle, David P, David S, David Z, Deanna, Debbie, Devon, Duncan, Elin, Elizabeth, Ellie, Emma, Fiona, Gareth L, Gareth D, Genie, George, Georgina, Geraldine, Gerard, Giles, Gio, Glenn, Harpit, Harriet, Helen, Henry, Hilde, Hugh, Ian S, Ian W, Jacqui, Jim, Jane O, Jane P, Jane W, Jeavon, Jenna, Jess, John M, Jonathan J, Jon H, Jonathan N, Joseph B, Julian, June, Kate S-H, Kate S, Kate M, Kat, Kerry, Kirstie, Laura, Lindsay, Lisa, Liz C, Liz J, Lloyd, Louise, Lucy, Marcus, Martin, Mathi, Matt G, Matt H, Matt L, Matt S, Maude, Meredith, Merryn, Metin, Micaela, Mike C, Mike K, Mike K, Mike R, Michelle, Mick, Mik, Miles, Nadine, Nekhat, Nelson, Nick G, Nick M, Nick M, Nicola P, Nicola S, Noreen, Olly, Owen, Pam, Patrick, Paul A, Paul D, Paul N, Paul V, Philippa, Quentin, Rachael, Rebecca, Regno, Richard, Rob B, Rob O, Robert M, Roger Munro.
You can play the music all you like, this is my moment and I intend to finish.
Rosemary, Sabrina, Sandra, Sarah, Sebastien, Serena, Sharon, Shauna, Simon B, Simon C, Simon D, Simon L, Simone, Siobhain, Stephanie, Stephen, Susannah, Tim C, Tim E, Tim L, Toby, Tom, Tony, Tracy, Yalcin, Zoe C and Zoe J.

For those of you outside Jack Morton that’s everyone here and for those of you here.... I really do mean it
Thank you

Fully Booked

My friend Shaz Smilansky had her first book published recently.
I was pretty excited for her, not least because she asked me to contribute to bits of it and even featured my quote on the back cover.
Actually though, my main reaction was one of awe – for anyone who has the talent, tenacity and determination to sit down and write a book.
Already the reviews on Amazon are calling it an ‘industry bible’ – no small complement. These glowing responses are no doubt picking up on the fact that it’s the first time anyone has attempted to compile a comprehensive A-Z of our complicated and often misunderstood industry.
Hard work deserves reward, so I’m quite happy to shamelessly plug Shaz’s book by using that age-old critics’ staple.
If you only buy one book about experiential marketing this year, make sure it’s Experiential Marketing: A Practical Guide to Interactive Brand Experiences.