The Sky Is Falling, Take Cover

WoW!
The world moves so quickly, and so slowly at the same time.
Our environment can change in an instant.
And yet it can take us years to respond.
I remember writing on this very blog about two years ago about the demise of Woolworths.
As someone who used to buy the top 20 singles every week, it was a loss I felt very deeply.
At the time, I argued that some businesses had simply passed their sell-by date.
Time to chuck them out, along with the curdled milk and furry cheese.
(You should see inside my fridge)
Anyway, it was a sad time for the people who worked there.
But the closure of those distinctive red and white stores was more about the business model than the recession.
Its core offer was outdated.
Unsustainable.
And yet here we are again.
Those who forget the past... and all that.
Oddbins, Moben, Habitat, Focus DIY, Jane Norman and Thornton's are all either biting the dust or opening wide in preparation.
Again, it's unfortunate for the lives and careers that will be affected.
But once more, it's about the business model.
Not being an expert on female fashion, I can't comment on Jane Norman.
But the others are all outdated propositions.
Oddbins can't compete with grocery multiples and their 'pile it high sell it cheap' mindset.
Moben was built on a personal finance model that no longer fits.
Habitat seem over priced when compared with other fashionable furniture stores.
Focus DIY was always an also-ran to B&Q.
And Thornton's have given up their exclusivity, enabling their loyal customers to pick up chocolates in the supermarket.
Ultimately, the energy that creates as business has to be sustained.
And that means redirecting it to respond to changing market conditions.
It means keeping track of changing audience tastes.
If the global slow down has taught us anything, it's that nothing lasts forever.
Even beloved brands.
Evolution is a painful process.
But if you don't embrace it, you're just another relic waiting for your place in a museum.

Crap, Crap and Double Crap

I'm a blogger.
I'm a Tweeter.
I'm on Linked-In.
I have a built-in audience.
I've cultivated an army of followers.
My opinion must count.
In fact, it over-rules everyone else's.
Or maybe that's just the way things are going.
We have a forum to complain.
No responsibility or accountability.
So we get stuck in.
See bandwagon, must jump on.
I can't create it myself, so I'll just tear apart someone else's efforts.
Coldplay are rubbish.
Tom Cruise can't act.
X-Factor is for morons.
This is why our TVs and stereos have an 'off' switch.
Don't like it?
Don't listen.
If you've got a better idea, we're all ears.
Show us how you'd do it.
Take our breath away.
Move it on and share some positives.
Keep going forward, rather than dragging everyone else back.
There are no right or wrong answers.
Only degrees of effort.
Complaining takes very little.
Creation, now there's the challenge.

If You're Happy And You Know It (clapping optional)

You remember my old mucker Chris Barez- Brown.

Yes you do, the Upping Your Elvis guy.

You know, creativity guru.

Got a new book coming out next month.

Shine, How To Survive And Thrive

£ 9.99, YES £9.99! Portfolio Penguin.

That's the fella.

Anyhoo

He has this "thing" about waking up.

The moment when you open your eyes and your brain has to suddenly bring you up to speed.

Who you are.

What you do.

And in my case, where am I?

Chris sees that precise moment as a real power opportunity.

You can be who you want to be.

What you want to be.

You can choose to be different.

I love that.

We all come across people who are just not happy in their role.

Too busy.

Too much responsibility.

Whatever the reason, something's not working.

And usually, neither are they.

They're going through the motions, but they're not achieving anything.

Happiness is a choice.

Whether you find your work enjoyable or not is also a choice.

Fun is a choice.

If you're happy you'll enjoy it.

If you enjoy it, you'll be great at it.

No matter what the 'it' happens to be.

Agency Credentials.

Here's something you don't hear very often

"Could your agency present its credentials?"
Last time I heard that Lance Armstrong was on a penny farthing.
OK, an exaggeration.

Let me put it another way.
When did you last encounter a client who wanted to focus on the past?
That's not to say that your history doesn't matter.
The work you've done, the people you hired, the offices you opened.
It all counts for something.
But the moment the opportunity to run through your creds comes up, don't go into autopilot.
There's no denying that your heritage has value.
However, agencies need to be a little bit more inquisitive about that all-important first meeting in the diary.
Why now?
Is this a specific assignment or more of a general interest meeting?
Why us?
Have we been recommended or was this a game of 'pin the tail on the agency'?
Clients also need to apply a little more focus to the process.
Rather than a brief history of time, they should be looking for your view on the world.
Plus, some smart thinking about how that POV might affect their company and their brand.
Most importantly, you need to give them an idea of what it's like to work with your agency.
And if they don't ask for it, you should be ready to do that anyway.
Give them a surprising creds presentation and you're already halfway there.

Are You Having Fun Yet?

I'm a firm believer in the "work should be fun" philosophy
Of course we can't be rolling around the floor all day long
But there are times when it's more than just appropriate to have a laugh.
Sometimes it's downright essential.
Take the last few weeks for me.
Getting to grips with a new life at George P Johnson has been a challenge.
It's an awesome company filled with exceptional people.
And I was like the guy waiting for his go at "double dutch" trying to get the pace right.
When you go for it, jump in, join in and connect, it starts to be fun.
The thing that we do, experience marketing, is all about brands connecting with audiences on a meta level.
An emotional level.
Once you can do that, you have relationships that will last.
Now I just need to get them to start laughing at my jokes.

Super Citizens

There was an interesting story in the London Evening Standard yesterday about how many people McDonald's educates.
The whole classroom, lessons, exams thing.
For a long time now, I've been looking at the rise of brands and the role they play in our everyday lives.
We rely on them for much more than just the products and services they sell.
There's the CSR programmes, the sports sponsorships, even their support for the arts (check out my friend Gareth's blog on how brands are helping fund the new Bond movie).
Did you know that McDonalds apparently teaches the English language to more people than our school system.
The responsibility placed on brands is enormous.
Especially since we seem to be losing trust in the old establishment.
Governments and organised religion - those old institutions that we followed and believed in - have been usurped by brands.
Obviously, not all brands are created equal.
There are some we trust more than others.
But the interesting thing for me is what the brands are doing with this trust, and how they're taking their involvement in various projects and initiatives to a whole new level.
It doesn't matter whether it's the broad brush stroke of Olympic participation, or the narrow cast reach of a local charity project.
They're interacting with consumers more than ever before.
And finding new ways to play a part in all our lives.
Before you ask, this blog is not sponsored by McDonalds.
Yet.

What An Experience

This time last week, I was flying to Sweden to present at an industry event.
The subject?
Experience marketing of course - haven't you been paying attention?
After the speech, I took questions from the floor.
One in particular really stood out.
Because it challenged me to really think about my perspective on the subject about which I'd just spoken at length.
Someone in the crowd had endured, rather than enjoyed, a recent trip with Ryanair.
(Budget airline for you guys outside the UK)
Having listened patiently to me extolling the virtues of the brand experience, they asked "Isn't Ryanair just about price, rather than experience?"
My first reaction was to blurt out "yes, probably".
But the more I spoke, the more my opinion began to shift.
If experience marketing is delivering a brand's promise across every touch point, then you could argue that Ryanair is truly living the experience.
I never said it had to be a good experience, just a consistent one.
Think about the following no-frills touchpoints:
"Extra for luggage - wow this must be cheap"
"Pay for the lavatories - wow this must be cheap"
"No seat allocation - wow this must be cheap"
It might not top your list of 'favourite ways to spend a few hours', but as an on-brand experience it's hard to beat.
Everyone you tell about your flight will think two things, guaranteed.
"That sounds awful."
And "You must have got a great deal."
At that point, anyone planning a flight simply has to choose whether they want the bells and whistles, or the bare bones.
And if it's the latter, you know who they'll be booking with.
If that is indeed their strategy, you have to admire their singlemindedness.
It seems to work, even if the reclining seats don't.