Size Does Matter

As Tom Peters says, "You can't shrink your way to greatness."
Or to put it another way, you won’t move forward if you back away from a challenge.
When it comes to deciding whether or not to go for a pitch, remember the following:
You can’t win business by not pitching.
You can’t win business by not developing great ideas.
And you can’t win business by not telling great stories.
It simply doesn’t happen.
If you’re feeling the pressure, change the game.
Make it work for you, rather than against you.
Often the people who act like they’ve got nothing to lose make the biggest leaps.

Morphic Resonance

There comes a point in most relationships when you start completing the other person’s thoughts.
And when you try to call them you find the line’s engaged because, surprise surprise, they’re trying to call you at the exact same moment.
Spooky isn’t it?
Think you’re a little psychic don’t you?
Well, I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but there’s nothing mysterious about it at all.
It’s called morphic resonance, and it’s something I’ve been talking about for a couple of decades now.
We live in an ideas-driven world, and there are only so many original thoughts out there.
So it stands to reason that at times, two (or more) people might have the same idea at the same time.
The zeitgeist determines what’s front-of-mind at any one time, so it’s easy to understand how the same thought might occur in more than one place.
But morphic resonance doesn’t scare me.
It inspires me to take the leap.
Share my ideas.
Make it happen.
Because if I don’t, you can bet that someone else with a similar idea will.
And then I’ll just be the guy who always says “I thought of that first.”
Live in the moment and get on with it.
As my old friend Robin Fielder has urged for 25 years DO IT NOW!

Steady As She Goes..

Given how tough things looked back in January, it feels weird to be sitting here at the halfway point and reflecting back on what a good year 2009 has been for us so far.
Last year (2008) was a great year for Jack Morton EMEA, thanks to some tough talking the year before (2007) about the economic climate, some tightened belts and some tough targets.
That momentum started by Julian Pullan our EVP and delivered by everyone here, has all rolled up into 2009 and I think we’ve even surprised ourselves by how we’ve kept it going.
Ask any sportsman or woman and they’ll tell you the same thing.
Get into your stride and nothing can stop you.
Success can be about maintaining your momentum.
Sure, you may base your day-to-day motivation in things like a preferred routine.
Even lucky underpants.
But as long as you maintain your focus and do not become complacent.
Once you get it going you’ll be unstoppable.

Join Me In The Virtual World

The problem with experiential events in the consumer arena has always the cost per contact.
If you want to get your brand in front of three million people, there’ll always be the temptation to just stick it on the TV.
After all, it’d have to be a pretty big event to accommodate that size of audience.
But the growth of the digital channel has opened up a brave new world of virtual events, which ultimately mean that the scale of your event is limited only by your imagination.
Look at T-Mobile, who staged a (relatively) small event at Liverpool Street, and turned it into a campaign that lives online.
People watched it, engaged with it and, most importantly, shared it.
The same goes for Sony’s Bravia campaign.
Great ideas, simply executed and a virtually limitless audience.
In last week’s Campaign, Charles Vallance of VCCP talked about the fact that there’s a change occurring within the industry, and that agencies will soon be “judged on their ability to create experiences rather than messages.”
Since we know the secret of creating engaging events that change people’s beliefs and behaviours, the virtual world’s our oyster.

You're Right, They're Wrong

They say many hands make light work.
But they also say too many cooks spoil the broth.
Should you look before you leap, or remember that he who hesitates is lost?
Even the Bible struggles, telling believers ‘an eye for an eye’ and ‘turn the other cheek’.
The opposite of an immutable truth is often another immutable truth.
If you’re making a list of pro’s and con’s, you’ll usually find that the con’s list is easier to write.
Because in our hearts, we know it’s never going to work.
It’s funny.
Everyone thought Galileo was either mad or a heretic for believing that the world was round, until Columbus proved him right.
Then again, everyone was convinced that Da Vinci’s sketches of flying machines were fanciful nonsense, until the Montgolfier brothers proved that, actually, man could fly.
And don’t even get me started on the fact that we were all certain that our banking system was infallible.
Until you make your new idea a reality, everyone else will be certain that it won’t work.
They might be sure of their beliefs, but they’re the ones that are wrong.
So get out there and make it happen.

Slow Food

When I go out to dinner for a quick bite (which is pretty often given my line of work), I have only one criterion for selecting a restaurant.
I want somewhere busy.
Things move pretty quickly in this fast-paced world of ours, but not in a quiet restaurant.
If it’s quiet, it takes time to for them to get going, to get up to speed.
They’re not busy, so there’s no sense of urgency and no energy.
Consequently it takes forever to get served
Who wants to eat in a place like that?
So although it sounds like back-to-front thinking, if I need someone to do a great job, I pick the busiest person.
They’re busy because word’s gotten out about how good they are.
And since they obviously thrive under pressure, they can take on numerous challenges at once without ever letting the quality suffer.
They’ll get the job done, and quick.
My recommendation?
Try the lamb - it’s delicious.

Save Water, Bath With A Friend

I’m bored of saying this, but times are tight.
Resources are more limited than ever and accountability is crucial.
We need to keep our costs down and our productivity up.
We should be focusing on results.
Not roll-calls.
So here’s a tip, and in the spirit of the recession you can have it for free.
Think about who you invite to a meeting.
Who’s dialling into that conference call?
If they don’t have a speaking role, they can read the meeting notes later.
That way the people who are there can focus on the task in hand and keep everyone’s energies up. It’ll save time and money, as well as helping the project move faster.
This isn’t Ben Hur.
Your legacy won’t be based on the number of non-speaking extras you crammed into the scene.

Put It All On Red.......

One of the great things about being part of a group like Interpublic (that’s IPG) is that we’re increasingly finding new opportunities to work in multi-agency, multi-disciplinary teams.
It means bigger projects, new colleagues to collaborate with, and a bunch of prospective clients to get in front of.
All good.
Unfortunately though, in the agency world the idea is king.
So what happens when a great idea pops up – who gets the credit for coming up with it?
Who can remember where it came from, who built on what?
The easiest way to settle that is to not care.
Think about the client, they’re the ones who came up with the brief; they gave us the opportunity and put their faith in our ability to solve their problem.
As my old friend Graham Kemp (founder of The Marketing Store Worldwide) used to say they are the ones making the big bets
Any brief represents a considerable gamble on the part of a client.
They have to trust that it’s a gamble that will pay off.
So the least we can do is put our own pride aside and give clients their payback

What’s There To Be Nervous About?

I’ve said before that I learn more from my children than they do from me.
One of those things is how they manage highly pressured "pitches" and tackle them without a glimmer of nerves or hesitation.
In the tough world of kids acting auditions, where you can be 1 of 300 and your only opportunity to make an impact is to say your name into a camera.
Brutal!
Each of them has found a way to make that impact in the first couple of seconds.
Edward is the funny guy, always ready to crack a stream of jokes.
(What do you call a fly with no wings? A walk. What do you get if you cross a parrot with a centipede? A walkie talkie)
OK ok calm down he’s a kid!!
Fox has a way of turning up his smile, not sure how he does it but he has a thousand watt smile that can light up a theatre.
Davina just loves people, she has something nice to say to everyone she meets “wow I love your earrings” “what a beautiful name” “you have great eyes” Always genuine, always from the heart.
They have all learnt to “win” in their own way, and are totally unphased by sitting there with their competitors, before seizing their moment in the spotlight.
If you really need to distinguish yourself from the pack, you need to find what it is that makes your brand different to everybody else’s.
Instead of focusing on your nerves, you get to focus on you.
You’ll be amazed at the difference.

I Haven’t Always Been This Good.

I’ve had a lot of jobs, at a lot of agencies and with a lot of clients.
In some of them I’ve been at the top of my game.
In others I’ve sat waiting to be called into the MDs office.
But I’ve never really changed, so how can my experiences have been so different?
The truth is, my brilliance (or lack thereof) is entirely dependent on the people around me.
And I’m proud to say that I’ve never been better because I’m surrounded by people who are individually and collectively the best I’ve ever worked with. .
Of course the reverse can also be true.
It’s all about the context in which you find yourself.
You can’t fake chemistry, so if you’re not feeling it, find somewhere you will.
Don't sit there hating it and expecting it to change
It won't change unless you do something about it
There’s really nothing to be ashamed of.
Kismet only happens a few times in a lifetime, so try to focus on that collision of people, circumstance, confidence and optimism.
Trust me, there’s no better feeling.

Problem Solved?

Like any agency, we have a diverse range of clients with an equally diverse range of needs.
This gives us countless opportunities to interact with them and come up with the ideal solution.
But there’s a note of caution here.
It’s very easy, once you stagger across the magic formula, to assume that it’s always going to work.
That new trick you’ve learned is going to get old.
It’s a little bit like playing golf – your perfect swing is constantly changing.
If you focus too much on one aspect of your stroke, you’ll end up doing too much of the same thing.
You’ll stop looking at a constantly changing target, even how you happen to be feeling at the time.
So enjoy the moments of success, and be sure to apply your learnings next time.
But don’t just expect the same technique to work all the time.
You need to use all the clubs in the bag.

Do We Ever Grow Up?

Watching my kids playing in the park the other day, I was reminded of my own childhood and the way we all behaved in the schoolyard.
It’s interesting – the behaviours you observe when children get together make for a compelling analogy about the marketing industry.
Here’s a kid with a pocket full of sweets, and he’ll give you one if you agree to be his friend. I think there might be a future in sales promotion for him.
At the other end of the playground are a bunch of kids marching arm-in-arm shouting ‘Who wants to play at army!’
Round and round they go, gradually swelling their ranks. Could they grow up to be in advertising?
Then there’s the pretty girl who persuades her friend to tell that handsome boy “My friend really likes you”
Someone’s heading for a career in PR.
And finally, there’s the budding sponsor, who’s planning a big party on Friday evening and everyone’s invited.
So where does experiential fit into all of this?
Well, the experience is the doing, not the communicating.
The experience is the enjoyment of the sweets, the game of army that takes place in the field, the thrill of that first date and the celebration of the party.
It’s the thing you do rather than the thing you talk about.
And it’s the thing you remember and talk about forever.

Well If You're Going To Hold A Gun To My Head

If you haven’t already seen it, you really ought to catch US TV show The Wire which is currently running on the BBC.
Despite being relatively unknown in the UK, its fans are passionate enough to ensure it repeatedly appears in ‘Best TV show of all time’ polls.
A complex look at crime in Baltimore, the show takes a gritty look at life on the streets from a number of different perspectives.
Watching it the other night I was struck with a sudden realisation.
When the drug dealers and other ne'er-do-wells need to communicate with the wider world, they put a gun to someone’s head and tell them to put the word out.
Even the criminal underworld understands the power and authenticity of ‘word of mouth’ when it comes to communicating with a community.
OK, so maybe their activation platform needs a little work (I’m not advocating the loaded gun method), but at least they know that believability comes from personal recommendation.
Having spent years advocating the need to activate an audience of passionate believers, it’s nice to occasionally see a proof-point from the real world that supports the concept.
Although thankfully, firepower hardly ever figures in our repertoire.

Sorry Seems To Be The Easiest Word

We all do it – we say “sorry” and don’t mean it.
What we actually mean is “I’m sorry I got caught” or “I’m sorry you saw through that”.
We all make mistakes that is what makes us human.
So instead of wasting time apologising insincerely, use that energy to make it right and start working on the solution.
That will mean much more in the long run than a hollow word..
As the Japanese say “Let’s fix the problem not the blame”

Manifesto

As I’ve said before here, we are all in sales
So to all you sales people out there,
Aren’t you sick of being seen as slightly smarter version of the guy who delivers a cheesy pitch on a forecourt?
Do you ever wonder whether the company that you’re out there representing, day-after-day, really understands what you bring to the table, other than a wallet full of business cards?
Does anyone really understand what sales is, or what it’s for?
So many questions.
So what’s the answer?
I think the world of sales is changing.
Customers aren’t just wise to the tricks of the trade, they resent the fact that we ever resorted to ‘tricks’ in the first place.
This is our chance to make a change.
To evolve the methodology and perception.
Make sales something to be proud of again.
Here is my manifesto for Sales 2.0

Sales should be the beginning of an ongoing relationship, not the finish line.
We should think about the long-term benefits rather than short-term wins.
Focus on relationships rather than transactions.
Conversations instead of pitches.
Ask yourself, am I creating interest or interruptions?
Are you listening or lecturing?
Can you find a way to add value, rather than pressure?
And what about your prospects, are they friends or clients?
Now’s the time to concentrate on commitment rather than commission.
Let’s make sales something we open up, instead of fixating on how we close.

This is something I'm going to return to, I have a Webinar planned for September
Like any manifesto, it’s useless without a movement willing to embrace it.
So come on guys, who’s with me?

What Do You Think? No Really What Do You Think?

I’ve talked before about the fact that we live in a 100mph world.
We’re all feeling the pressure to get things moving.
But it’s important that we remember to stop and think.
When we’re busy racing from meeting to meeting, we need to be sure that we’re thinking about resources, time utilisation and smarter working.
This is the best time to start figuring out how to do things better, and reappraise the role you play.
Whether it’s taking a client brief or developing the creative, it’s important to engage your brain.
Make sure that you fully understand the problem before you start figuring out the solution.
Don’t respond to the challenge.
Think about what the challenge is asking of you.

Unfinished Symphony

There’s an old Chinese proverb (I wonder whether there are actually any new Chinese proverbs...) that says “Those the Gods hate, they satisfy their ambitions.”
It’s a great thought, because it suggests that the joy we take from our lives comes from striving for success, rather than the attainment of it.
There are countless others – not the winning but the taking part, the journey’s half the fun.
I’m sure you’ve seen them all.
So it stands to reason that there must be something in this line of logic.
It’s fantastic to keep your goals in mind, but rest assured that the moment you achieve them, other ones will take their place.
We’re all striving to reach something, because we’re all a work-in-progress.
Anything else will always feel like an anti-climax.

Things I Know...

I know there’s no tooth fairy.
I know Darth Vader is Luke’s dad.
I know the secret’s in the sauce.
I know that the slutty girl will be the slasher’s first victim.
I know the magician’s got cards up his sleeve.
I know the glass is sometimes half empty.
I know toast always lands butter side down
I know the brief isn’t always right.
And I know that to win a pitch you have to get everything right.
Not nine out of ten.
Not 95%.
Everything has to be right
Everyone has to be on the same page.
Committed, enthusiastic, hungry and willing.
If not?
I know you’re going to lose.

The Best Sofa Ever

We’ve all felt it.
After a long day of shopping with our significant other.
Trudging from one shop to the next and trying to feign interest, we end up in a furniture store.
Our fatigue turns to bliss as we sink into an overstuffed sofa, thankful for the chance to sit down and switch off.
It’s the best sofa ever and we’ve never felt so comfortable.
Before we know it, we’ve paid the deposit, chosen the fabric and accepted a delivery date three months from now.
Then it arrives.
It looks kind of funny in the living room.
It’s a bit too big, and its colours don’t really match.
Worst of all, it’s uncomfortable.
The realisation finally hits – great experiences are all about context.
Whenever we create an experiential solution for an audience, we need to think about their context.
How are they likely to feel, what emotions are going through their head, and what will they take away from the experience?
It doesn’t matter what we think and feel, we need to keep our audience front-of-mind and think about what else is going on in their world.
And if we create a seating area, it needs to be pretty damn comfortable

Breathing In And Breathing Out

There are countless courses and training sessions out there dedicated to helping you think, learn and achieve at a higher level.
Although the content and approach may change from course to course, you can bet that pretty much all of them will incorporate a session that focuses on breathing.
As well as being a great relaxation technique, it helps to eliminate stress, and takes you out of yourself sufficiently to allow you a fresh perspective on all the running around you tend to do.
Think of those isolation tanks that were all the rage back in the early 90s (if you can remember that far back) – coming off the back of the breakneck pace of the 1980s, it’s no wonder people needed a chance to refocus their energies.
So take a nice deep breath, give your mind a chance to wander and release your creativity.
Before you know it you’ll have found a host of new ways to tackle whatever issues are bothering you.
And, in .........

The Brand Big Bang

Robert Pattinson was hit by a cab last week, whilst trying to get away from a mob of teenage girls. Thanks to his breakout role in Twilight, R-Patz (as they’re calling him) is struggling to come to terms with his newfound megastardom.
That’s the thing about “Hollywood fame” – no matter how hard you try, it changes you.
There’s a point where you go from ‘next big thing’ to ‘king of the world’.
The key is to remember how you got started, and make sure that you reconnect with the people who put you there in the first place.
Brands face the same challenge.
Early adopters become passionate advocates and drive the brand growth.
The brand gets bigger and bigger, until suddenly it’s so mainstream that its original enthusiasts drop off the radar.
This is great news for us in experiential marketing, since it’s the face-to-face, hands-on approach that allows brands to get back in touch with the people who helped them breakthrough in the first place.
Tom Cruise knows this, which is why he’s happy spending two hours on the red carpet at every premiere.

History Rising

McDonald’s have a great hiring policy.
They figure that employment history and previous experience is irrelevant, since they can cover off pretty much everything with comprehensive induction and training.
So instead, they hire the smile.
The way they see it, it’s much harder to teach someone to be warm, friendly and approachable than it is to say, fry fries. .
OK, so that’s fine for McDonald's you say but what about other lines of work?
I think the same rule applies. Sure, we all play the game and update our CVs diligently.
But these days, no-one applies for a job that they think they won’t be able to do, since they’ll be caught out within a couple of days.
So why put so much effort into looking at the past?
What you did yesterday is nowhere near as relevant or exciting as what you’re going to do tomorrow.
So focus on what comes next, rather than what you did before.

Transparency - Who Should Know?

This may be a controversial opinion, but I firmly believe that information should only ever be shared on a need-to-know basis.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for openness and transparency.
But there’s a point where TMI (apparently that’s what the kids say for ‘too much information) infects our daily lives.
I’m not suggesting we harbour secrets from one another, but there’s a danger that we tell everyone everything in order to absolve ourselves from any responsibility.
It’s a little like the warnings on hot apple pies or Champagne corks.
They pass the buck of responsibility onto the recipient of the information.
In a business sense, the more we tell other people about the challenge we face, the more it seems like it’s no longer our problem to solve.
Try to think about what people need to know, rather than assuming that information overload is best.

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