tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2822879345820062112024-03-13T12:18:05.115+00:00Depth PerceptionThe World of Experience Marketing and Behaviour. Brand Behaviour, My Behaviour, Your Behaviour.Kevin Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07877698109517193660noreply@blogger.comBlogger480125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-282287934582006211.post-35455753586620999422013-10-09T09:36:00.001+01:002013-10-09T09:36:21.433+01:00“Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future.” <div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That quote from<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niels_Bohr"> Niels Bohr </a>is so true.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And even though I don’t
have big crystal balls.....steady!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can’t
read tarots.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And I’m
not prone to visionary trances.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm going to have a go because I’ve
seen the future.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or at least glimpsed it, as I hide behind the sofa of my daily life. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Guess
what – it’s not all hover-boards and self-tying shoelaces, as much as my kids
might wish it was. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
future is what we’ve got right now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just, well, better. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take
social media for example. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We get
it, we use it, and, in most cases, we like it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That
doesn’t mean we always know exactly what to do with it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Add
social media to events, and you get a marriage made in
heaven.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Think
about it – amplifying and extending the reach of your
content.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Letting
your attendees forge their own connections.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Listening. Responding.
Participating.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So for me part of
defining the future, lies in observing how we’re evolving.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All that
second screen business is now second nature to us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
technologists might call it the ‘convergence of screen-based media’.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I call it
‘getting involved’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Look at
the biggest TV shows – X-Factor, Strictly, Big Brother. They invite
participation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And we’re
no longer viewers; we’re directly involved in the outcome.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We can dig
deeper, or wade in with our opinion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More than
anything, these shows are no longer just TV broadcasts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They’re
live events with an unrivalled reach. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Soon,
corporate events will be using TV programmes, films and documentaries as viable
sources of content. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And vice
versa. <br />They’ll generate "long copy" content for consumers
and trade content for live events.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rather
than buying in big names, the brands themselves with take on ‘small C’ celebrity
status.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That’s
how they’ll cut through the clutter and build deep engagement with both external
and internal audiences.<br /><br />It’s a long time since marketing
was about awareness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That’s
why advertising continues its gradual decline, and social goes from strength to
strength,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our
audiences are no longer consumers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They’re
colleagues, cohorts and co-conspirators.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The more
they feel empowered, the more they’ll get involved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They’re
looking for entertainment and information.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More
importantly, they want real, human connections. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
machines may be rising, but we’re still the ones in control.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And don’t
ask me who’s going to win the next FA Cup. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m sworn
to secrecy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Kevin Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07877698109517193660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-282287934582006211.post-43840136899027620662013-04-19T10:32:00.000+01:002013-04-19T10:32:22.270+01:00It’s all about the content, no it’s about the production.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m a big fan of what we do for a living - events, brand
experiences, experience marketing. Whatever flavour of the business you are in,
I’m sure you’ll agree it is fascinating.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But the part that’s really got me thinking at the moment is
the constant ...er lets call it ‘tension’, between the delivery arm of the
industry and the content creation part.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Which is the most important?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well one of the strengths of what we do is our ability to
produce the media through which we work, it’s like being your own Rupert
Murdoch, but without that troublesome Leveson business.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That ability to be on top of the production is vital. It
keeps us connected to the audience, it allows us to bring in the latest
technologies, it gives our clients editorial control on the day, plus there’s brand
consistency, image and all those other great things. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then there is the content creation, the heart of the
experience.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We all know that content is king.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not only is it the heart of the event, but it has a life
before and after the event. It lives forever on-line, amplifying the message
and extending the reach of the campaign.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That’s exciting; we are in an exciting industry that really
produces results.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the moment so far so good, you can be in one camp or the
other and do a great job for your clients wherever you happen to pitch your
tent.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But here’s the thing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Recently three clients have asked me roughly the same
question; “...if we were to allocate another sum of money to this activity we’re
planning, where would you spend it?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You may choose to advise your client to spend it on the
production, improve the sound or the image or the lighting, but would the
audience even notice the (marginal) difference?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You may tell them to spend it on improving the content of
the event; video, speakers or even to capture the whole event again for
dissemination, expansion and amplification.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But wouldn’t you (and they) like to know what was achieved
through this event? Shouldn’t you measure some results? And I’m not talking
about what the venue was like or the temperature of the coffee.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m talking about hard metrics, sales, contacts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was recently asked during my last er..."lecture tour" if the
shrinking of the event industry over the last couple of years, especially with
regards to events for the financial community, was down to perception, i.e. they
had to cancel as it would look bad to run events in the current climate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My answer was no, it was down to us as an industry not
having a standard way of measuring results and effectiveness.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The advertising industry realised a long time ago that if
you could measure effectiveness, there’d be no long term future for them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If we can’t point to an event and with hard data prove that
this event, drove sales, increased awareness, encouraged consideration and
promoted trial,<a href="" name="_GoBack"></a> then we deserve to have our events
cancelled. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
Kevin Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07877698109517193660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-282287934582006211.post-90589458626187461552013-04-18T10:45:00.002+01:002013-04-18T10:45:57.048+01:00There is no I in Collaboration........d-uh<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are in
the middle of a mahoosive pitch.....no names, yet!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">And we have
pulled a team together from all around the GPJ world to put it together;
designers from UK, USA and Germany, ops guys from China, USA, Germany, and UK.
Digital from China, Australia, UK, USA ... and a Frenchman.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All in all,
there </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">are 32 of
us, working as one team.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And do you
know what, it’s been amazing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have said
in another post on this blog, the great thing about team work is complementary skills,
so that whilst everyone is working to the same goal, we’re all doing something
different. That’s how we arrive at a unique answer to the problem.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But through
this experience, that effect is multiplied by 10 (for you pedants out there, that’s
not an exact calculation).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Different cultures,
different backgrounds, different experiences- they all go in the melting pot of
coming up with an amazing solution to the client brief. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s really
the only way to produce remarkable results.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And the
kicker?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It all goes
to the feed the thing we do on behalf of our clients; create live experiences.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course,
we could have done this as a virtual team, but we would not have had the
emotional connection that the live experience brings.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are
closer as a global agency for all have met (not just virtually). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are
closer for having shared a drink (please drink responsibly). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And we are
all closer for having discussed (heatedly at times) issues and worked out solutions together. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because, ultimately,
that’s how we get closer to winning. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Kevin Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07877698109517193660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-282287934582006211.post-55465501637278744212013-01-10T08:59:00.000+00:002013-01-10T08:59:25.268+00:00Your Attitude Sucks !!!<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In business today, we need to be aware of our reputation.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The mistaken posting of drunk photos to Facebook, that night in a club when you attempted the worm and collapsed in a heap on the floor that somebody chose to post to You Tube (George!), the indiscreet tweet, that badly written blog (steady), or even feedback from a meeting where you weren’t on top form.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are all involved in the new reality of business. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We’ve moved from a place where we used to follow the opinions of our “betters;” those that society had deemed were our leaders.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Politicians, bankers, the police, certain high profile celebrities. The tide has turned.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even as I write this, it’s becoming increasingly apparent how far we’ve come, moving from blind faith to constant questioning. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Expenses rows, financial meltdowns, media inquires and you-know-who have all changed forever the way we view the world.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And this change is facilitated and accelerated by the increasing ability to build our own groups, both in business and socially. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We’ve created our own communities and we believe and seek the opinions of the people we know.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It doesn’t matter if that’s a huge community like your Twitter followers, Facebook friends, the guys at work, or the members of your book club. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You know them, they know you, and their opinion counts.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That’s why it’s horrible and damaging when that opinion turns against us. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And once it’s out there, as the old saying goes, you can’t unring the bell.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here’s a quick real life example. Some years ago, my sons who were both very young actors attended a workshop for Nanny McPhee (I said it was a while ago). They were in the final shake up for parts but for the first and last time they became involved in a pushing contest about which group they were to be in.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One son has left the business, but the other one is constantly reminded of that incident by the casting director, who he sees regularly <b>eight </b>years later. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So unless you’re Oliver Reed (ask your granddad) or Paul Gascoigne (ask your dad) or Justin Bieber (ask your daughter), you need to be managing your brand and ensure it lives up to the promise of you.</span><br />
Kevin Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07877698109517193660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-282287934582006211.post-62826825323586351712012-12-17T08:53:00.000+00:002012-12-17T08:53:13.628+00:002012 A Year In Focus <br />
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #4c4d51; font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A lip-smacking, thirst-quenching, ace-tasting, crowd-motivating, cool-buzzing, high-talking, fast-living, ever-giving, cool-fizzing… 2012</strong></div>
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Wow, did you guys see that?<br />What a year, what a year.<br />It used to be said that if you could make it in New York, you’d make it anywhere. But with the greatest respect to Ol’ Blue Eyes, that’s simply not the case anymore.<br />If you’re in the events business and you had a part to play in anything during 2012 – and I’m talking the whole thing, not just the Olympics – then you have the expertise, knowledge and first-hand experience that most people can only dream of. Believe me when I say that people have built whole careers on much less. And I should know.<br />The triple whammy of the Queen’s Jubilee, the Olympics and the Paralympics, was the centrepiece of an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime year for us.<br />And yes, we have proved as a country and a city that we can handle a wide range of things. Huge crowds, multiple languages, complex logistics and huge (mah-hoo-sive, in fact) production delivery couldn’t faze us. More importantly, we showed the world we could do it with a smile on our faces. They don’t call it the ‘feel-good factor’ for nothing.<br />Of course, it should come as no surprise to learn that GPJ was front and centre, in amongst all the summer excitement, as we delivered one of the biggest one–off programmes in our near-hundred year history.<br />But for me, as full-time cheerleader for George P. Johnson and part-time cheerleader for the whole industry, 2012 was about so much more than that.<br />Sure, as a group we stepped up and achieved things together that have helped to move our industry forward. More importantly, I believe we’ve finally begun to harness the true power of live events.<br />Brand experiences or experiential communications. To be honest, I don’t really mind what you call the part of the industry you work in. Because, wherever you are, you got to see the greatest show on Earth roll into town, and some of the world’s biggest brands activate around it.<br />And what was their activation of choice? What did the shrewdest brands and businesses invest their hard earned money in?<br />They went live. They came out from behind their desks. They left their business suit hanging in the executive changing room, and emerged from their corporate cocoons in order to connect with consumers. They hung out together, and delivered genuine engagement through a variety of live experiences.<br />In entertainment.<br />In conferences.<br />But importantly, in person.<br />There is nothing like the power of a live event, big or small. That’s where the magic happens. And it’s magic that can inspire audiences to action, as well as driving business. Now, thanks to 2012, the whole world knows it.<br />So let me put a cap on 2012 by wishing you all the best for the festive season. </div>
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Time to start dreaming about what we can accomplish live in 2013.</div>
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Also at http://www.gpjemeablog.co.uk and follow on Twitter @gpj_emea</div>
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Kevin Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07877698109517193660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-282287934582006211.post-66585418752207639292012-11-01T11:41:00.001+00:002012-11-01T11:41:43.731+00:00To CV Or Not To CV <br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m not one
of those guys that bemoans the youth of today. The fact that I’m responsible
for three of them would make me something of a hypocrite.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even so, I
recognise that the bravado of youth, combined with a glaring lack of
experiences can make for a daunting combination.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today’s blog
is aimed at those youngsters (or young-at-heartsters) who are thinking of
making their first steps out into a wider world by sending out a CV and seeing
what comes back.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ll save
you the effort:<b><i> it won’t bring back anything but rejection.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you don’t
mind, and it doesn't seem too presumptuous, could I offer a little advice on
how to improve your job opportunities? <a href="" name="_GoBack"></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For now, I’m
going to talk about the CV thing. We can cover off LinkedIn and all things social
very soon. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let’s start
by understanding one simple thing:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One
Simple Thing!<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i> Every company is looking for people that are
going to make a difference, and who really want to work for the company</i></b><br />
<br />
Sending off the same CV and cut-and-pasted e-mail to everyone does not tell
them that you’re that special someone.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How many CVs
are you sending at a time?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10? 20?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> As the numbers go up, the chances of getting
anything back goes down.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To be blunt,
you’re just going through the motions of getting a job. What you’re doing is
just plain lazy. If you really cared, you’d make an effort. You do a little
wooing (ask your parents about that one). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You need to
grab the attention of people like me, who are receiving 20 CVs a week. You see,
I can get lazy too, so if someone doesn’t grab me by the lapels, I’m likely to
file your CV in the ‘ignored folder’. It’s round, and sits just under my desk. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So let’s stop,
collaborate and listen. Sorry to all the Vanilla Ice fans.....both of you. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First
lesson in standing out <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before you
fire off your standard CV, with a standard e-mail, please go the company's
website and understand what each company's positioning is, what they stand for,
and what makes them different. Then revise your CV and accompanying e-mail to
highlight how you can add value to their clients and their offer. Simple, and
obvious. So why don’t more people do it?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<b><i>Second
lesson in standing out<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s all
about the money, money, money. Again, sorry all you Jessie J fans. <br />
You’re talking to a business and, for them, results are key. Understanding how your
contribution will impact those results, is a great way to get noticed. So key
highlights are vital, for example you could show the average budget for the
events you ran, savings you made, efficiencies you created, sales you
generated. <br />
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Third
lesson in standing out <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don’t do
what everyone else does.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Hard
working, enthusiastic, energetic, motivated, self-starter” are words that
everyone who sends in a CV uses. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They may be
worth a high score in Scrabble, but they won’t help you to stand out. <br />
What about including quotes from previous employers and clients? We’re much
more likely to believe it if you’re not talking about yourself.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fourth
lesson in standing out<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have an
opinion.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What have
you seen that “my” company has done, what have you seen that “I’ve” done, what
did you think?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally
<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You are
firing off these CV to busy people, recognise that, and try and take all of the
work out of the next step.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I see you are
speak at the xyz conference, I’m going to be there - perhaps we could grab a coffee.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I met xyz
and zyx from your company the other day, and they suggested I drop in when I’m
in the area.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In summary…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you’re
firing off a general CV to people you don’t know or have no interest in, they’ll
soon pick that up. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Put some
effort in, and enjoy the rewards. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<br /></div>
Kevin Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07877698109517193660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-282287934582006211.post-83224805259581795282012-10-26T16:18:00.001+01:002012-10-26T16:18:10.822+01:00It’s the Awards Season <br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">As I dust off my dinner suit for another outing it got me thinking
about Awards in general. They say it’s an honour just to be nominated,
although, that’s usually said through clenched teeth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">So what’s the point of submitting your work for awards? All that
hard work completing the entries, not to mention the expense. Well, for me,
there are a number of important elements. Awards allow us to publicly recognise
our clients and colleagues for their great work. They give us a chance to
celebrate the things we do well, and acknowledge those magic moments when it
all comes together. But more importantly, the submissions process itself is a
great opportunity for us to brush up on our storytelling skills.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br />
In the end, it all comes down to what we say and how we say it. Awards enable
us to bring out the anecdotes and the inside scoop. They force us to be
compelling because we want to win. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">And remember, there’s no such thing as a loser, when it comes to
awards. You might not go home with the trophy, but if you play it right, you
could still walk away with a contacts book full of new names and number. People
who’ve seen your work and want to know more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Now, there’s another side to awards that not everyone gets to
experience. And it’s just as valuable. I’m talking about being asked to judge
them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I’ve done it many times, and it’s always an honour. I’ve spent many
happy weeks sitting on all manner of judging panels for a wide variety of
industry awards. The only downside, is that every time I’m asked, I seem to
forget how much hard work is involved. Trust me, those guys on the X-factor
don’t know the half of it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Judging other people’s work is a tough job. I guess all those
years on the other side of the process have given me an appreciation for where
the entries are coming from.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I’ve slaved over those entry forms. I’ve gathered the data. And I’ve
written the summaries. So I feel an obligation to every entrant to afford them
the time they clearly deserve. And when the standard is so very high (and it
really is) judging becomes even more difficult.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">So, in the interest of full disclosure, here are some top tips for
standing out when submitting work for consideration. This is advise from both
sides of the table:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Read the criteria carefully, to be excluded on a technicality (and
you will be) is annoying<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">You need to stand out, be memorable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Tell a story, but make it short, because wading through an ocean
of text is hard.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Make the key take-outs immediately obvious.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Don’t underestimate the value of a great client endorsement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Think about what is background information, and what was key to
your success.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Videos and images all help tell your story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Results, results, results – the bigger the better. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">And don’t be put off by the fact that there’s a form to fill in.
There are ways around that. Some of the best submissions I’ve ever seen have
simply attached an appendix, full of the stories they didn’t get to tell in the
formal document. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">And finally…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Sorry to be<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>that</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>guy, but check your spelling,
punctuation and grammar.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Individually, it’s not vital, but when reading entry after entry
it can become wearying.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">So good luck.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Be brilliant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">And remember my shout-out in your acceptance speech – somewhere
between God and your drama teacher, ideally. <a href="" name="_GoBack"></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Kevin Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07877698109517193660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-282287934582006211.post-49362370546525791962012-10-02T12:09:00.001+01:002012-10-02T12:09:36.889+01:00The Wrong Way Round <br />
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Did anybody see the banner at the Olympic park entrance and on advertising sites all over the place that read:......<strong style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“There would be no goosebumps, gasps, pounding hearts, tears of joy, records smashed, strangers hugged, or a whole world brought together without………….. </em></strong><em style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">followed by the logos of McDonald’s, Adidas and Procter & Gamble and all of the other sponsors .</em></div>
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Of course I get that the sponsors are important but at the heart of this claim is a fundamental misunderstanding of the value exchange.</div>
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Brands sponsor the Olympics for a whole raft of reasons, indeed the role of brands at the Olympics has been one of moving from passive brand awareness to active brand engagement.</div>
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Today’s sponsors need to do much more than just show up and advertise their logo – they need to actively participate in the spirit of the event – provide a useful product or service – provide support for the community – be relevant, stand for something bigger than just selling more product – be engaged and give back to the community in a way that demonstrates core brand values that are aligned to the values of the modern Olympic games – respect, excellence and friendship. Through this kind of active brand engagement brands are the beneficiaries of the awareness, sales and loyalty they want to achieve.</div>
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But make no mistake, awareness, sales and loyalty are at the top of the brands objectives, sponsorship is the way they get to have the right, the money is the table stakes.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #4c4d51; font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
If I could provoke a little further, if the brands didn’t pay, would the Olympics happen anyway?</div>
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Of course they would, perhaps not on the scale, but athletes, runners, jumpers, throwers and sports people of all disciplines will always compete, they will always want to know who is fastest, can jump the highest, throw the farthest and people will always want to watch that.</div>
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So the sponsors don’t create those moments, but they sure as heck help, as long as we don’t lose sight of why athletes compete, why people watch and why sponsors sponsor, it will be a happy and healthy relationship for a long long time.</div>
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<br /></div>
Kevin Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07877698109517193660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-282287934582006211.post-6482667330955483092012-06-11T15:38:00.001+01:002012-06-11T15:38:28.355+01:00Networking / Not Working<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I do a
lot of both but someone asked me the other day for some thoughts on networking,
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They were
attending an event and were expected to network and didn’t know where to start<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So for those that need a little structure and a way to begin, here
are some thoughts.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over time this becomes a natural way of thinking but this will get you going. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And for those</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> of you that get a little concerned about "interrupting" people, just remember</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everyone attends these events to extend their circle of contacts, ie everyone is there to meet people.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Networking
is a job that needs objectives and preparation<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Try this simple 6 step process,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">1) Get a list of the companies or people that
are attending<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">2) Choose the 5 companies / people that you
would like to meet<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">3) Answer this question. Why do you want to meet them, what is the one
thing you would tell them given the chance?<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">4) Put your answer to step 4 into a two sentence thought for each person you are wanting to meet. (it has to be different every time, each company is different, you can’t
possibly say the same thing to everyone). <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">5) Go find them, read the name badges and introduce yourself and ..........speak. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">"Hello I'm (your name) I was hoping I'd
meet / bump into you (insert two sentence reason) don't want to take up your
time now but if you let me have your card I'll call you in a couple of
days"<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">6) Follow up in a few days</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><br /></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span class="apple-converted-space">You are never going to sell anything at this sort of event so don't try, your objective is to say hi and start a relationship </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><br /></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span class="apple-converted-space">Have fun. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><br /></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
</span></div>Kevin Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07877698109517193660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-282287934582006211.post-82760078504556195192012-06-08T16:12:00.001+01:002012-06-08T16:12:37.187+01:00Don’t Judge Me<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They say
it’s an honour just to be nominated.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although,
it’s usually said through clenched teeth.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But let me
tell you, it’s also an honour to be asked to judge.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a result,
I’ve spent a few very happy few months sitting on judging panels for various
industry awards.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But while
it’s great to be asked, and I’m happy to play a part, the truth is I didn’t
fully appreciate the work involved.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know, I
know. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Working hard or hardly working?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But honestly,
judging other people’s work is a tough job.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I guess all
those years on the other side of the process have given me an appreciation for
where the entries are coming from.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve slaved
over those entry forms.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve
gathered the data.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve written
the summaries.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I owe it
to the entrants to give their submissions the time they deserve.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But when the
standard is so very high (and it really is) judging becomes increasingly
difficult.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In that
spirit, I’d like to share the benefit of my experience.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You’re going
to be 1 of 20 or 30 in a category.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You need to
stand out, be memorable.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tell a
story, but make it short, because wading through an ocean of text is hard.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wading
through 30 is downright impossible.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Make the key
take-outs stand out.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bold,
colour, highlights – it’s your choice.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Think about
what is background information, and what was key to your success.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Videos and
images all help tell your story. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, I know
some awards give you forms to fill in and ask you to stick to a format.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But here’s a
little secret - everyone sticks to the format, but some think to add appendices.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Judges are
(sort of) duty bound to see everything, I know I did. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Results,
results, results.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The more
impressive the better.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And don’t
underestimate the value of a great client endorsement.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(I know
clients don’t want to go overboard but try and make them energetic) </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And finally…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sorry to be <i>that</i> guy, but check your spelling,
punctuation and grammar.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Individually,
it’s not vital, but when reading entry after entry it can become wearying. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So good luck.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Be
brilliant.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And remember
me in your acceptance speech.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>Kevin Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07877698109517193660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-282287934582006211.post-45971652087573370722012-05-31T11:34:00.000+01:002012-05-31T11:34:24.454+01:00You cant make it up ...er ..wait...you can<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I make a lot of presentations, write blogs, tweet, read stuff, go to events.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In short there is a lot going on in my life.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I have to admit that, as much as I'm sure that I coined the following opinion, I can't be certain.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But whether it came from me, or I absorbed it via osmosis, I firmly believe in the following statement:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>You get paid for the job you do.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>You get promoted for the value that you add.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wherever it came from, it really makes sense.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let's apply that thinking to a pitch scenario.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>You get plaudits for answering the brief.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>But you win them by not answering the brief.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's not as contradictory as it sounds.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So allow me to elucidate.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We all know that world has changed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's as true for clients as it is for agencies.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today's brief no longer resembles the briefs of yesteryear.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As my colleague Gareth said, they're now a mixture of research data, market background and wishful thinking.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the first time in my experience there is no agenda in the solution.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Clients really do want to embrace the radical, the different, the groundbreaking.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is now up to us to throw off the shackles and begin to tease out the clues in the brief.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We've all heard clients say "I can't tell you exactly what I want, but I'll know it when I see it."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our job is to help them figure out what they want, before we can start to deliver it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So no more colouring between the lines.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. </span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>Kevin Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07877698109517193660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-282287934582006211.post-83262080830971874052012-05-28T12:09:00.001+01:002012-05-28T12:09:33.973+01:00Load of old s**t<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pitching is
a difficult process, for clients as well as the agencies involved.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There’s the
time, the trouble, the expense... on both sides. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">X-Factor
cliché alert – “It’s an emotional roller-coaster.”<br />
So, now that we’ve established some empathy, let me get something off my chest.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There’s one
thing I wish I could change.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wouldn’t it
be great if clients could just be a little more, well, truthful?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If the work
is rubbish, tell us. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If we’ve
missed the brief, let us know.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If there’s
someone on the team who’s rubbing you the wrong way, call them on it. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve been involved
in 100s of pitches over the years. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And apart
from one solitary occasion, no one has ever said anything other than a
variation on “That was incredible, on brief, great ideas, energy, time,
trouble, effort...you guys did an incredible job.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If those
comments were really true, you’d expect me to have won every one of those
pitches.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But, of
course, I didn’t.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let me take
you back a few years to a pitch for John Smith’s Bitter.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I say ‘a few
years’ but I’m talking about the days before Twitter, mobile phones and PowerPoint.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When the
design department submitted their concepts on the wall of a cave. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway, I
was playing the part of 3<sup>rd</sup> assistant bag carrier, a part I played
very well.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Halfway
through the presentation, the marketing director got up from his chair, strode
to the creative boards that we had laid round the room, gathered them up and, with
a cry (the memory of which still send me into a cold sweat) threw them out of the 2nd floor board room
window.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He ordered
us to leave.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As we
hurriedly packed our bags, his words rang in our ears.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He told us
that this was the biggest load of old s-h-one-t that he had ever seen.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And if we
wanted to rescue our agency relationship, we’d better go and do something about
the quality of work.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He then
listed all the things that he felt were wrong with the campaign.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We rushed
down stairs picking up the boards strewn across the car park in the rain.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Was it a
harsh reaction? Undoubtedly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Was his response
fair? Maybe it was. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Did it work?
Yes it did.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There were
some dark days that followed. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lots of hard
work, and soul searching.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But we
emerged from the process stronger and more focused than ever before.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You see, being
nice about a pitch doesn’t help the agency develop.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The “It was
very close, you were pipped at the post” conversation adds no value.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You were
terrible; these are the three things you should work on.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now we’re
talking.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We’re grown
ups. We can take it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Truth is hard to take and we all want to be nice but honesty really is the best policy. </span></div>
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<br /></div>Kevin Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07877698109517193660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-282287934582006211.post-36403811002158765492012-05-25T09:48:00.000+01:002012-05-25T09:48:39.317+01:00A battle royale.<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m a big fan of whatever it is we do for a living.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Events, brand experiences, experience marketing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whatever you want to call it, if you’re doing it, I’m sure you’ll agree it’s fascinating.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But what’s really got me thinking at the moment is the shifting ...er, lets call it ‘tension’, between the delivery arm of the industry and the content creation part.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So which is the most important?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, one of the strengths of what we do is our ability to produce the media through which we work.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kind of like being your own Rupert Murdoch, but without all that troublesome Leveson business.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That ability to stay on top when it comes to production is vital. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It keeps us connected to the audience, it allows us to bring in the latest technologies, and it gives the client absolute editorial control on the day. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then there’s the brand consistency, reputation, and all those other important things. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But content creation is really the heart of the experience, isn't it?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve said it before, content is king.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not only is it the purpose of the event, but it has a life before and after the event. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Done right, it lives forever on-line, amplifying the message and extending the reach of the campaign.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And I think we can all agree that it’s exciting to be part of an industry that really produces results.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the moment so far so good, you can be in one camp or the other and do a great job for your clients, wherever you happen to pitch your tent.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But here’s the thing…</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Recently, three clients have asked me roughly the same question: “If we were to allocate additional funds to the activity we’re planning, where would you spend it?”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You may choose to advise your client to spend it on the production, by improving the sound or the image or the lighting. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But would the audience even notice the negligible difference?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You may tell your client to spend it on increasing the content of the event. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Use video and guest speakers, or maybe even capture the whole event on film so it can be disseminated, expanded and amplified. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But wouldn’t you (and they) like to know what was achieved through this event?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Surely, the best way to derive value from that discretionary extra budget is to measure the results? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And by ‘measurement’, I’m not talking about the venue facilities or the temperature of the coffee.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m talking about hard metrics, sales, contacts generated.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was recently asked (during my last lecture tour) if the shrinking of the event industry over the last couple of years, especially with regard to events for the financial community, was down to perception that running events would look like frivolous</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> spending and that perception would reflect badly on the brand.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My answer was no, it wasn't about "perception" it was down to us as an industry not having a consistent methodology for measuring results and effectiveness.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The advertising industry realised a long time ago that, if you can't measure effectiveness, there’s no long-term future for the campaign or indeed industry.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If we can’t point to an event and with hard data prove that it drove sales, increased awareness, encouraged consideration and promoted trial, then "perception" is going to get us every time and quite frankly we deserve to have our events cancelled.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, back to my original question. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What’s more important, content or production?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No conferring, answers on a post card. </span><br />
<br />Kevin Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07877698109517193660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-282287934582006211.post-34591708805245175942012-05-24T15:58:00.001+01:002012-05-24T15:58:57.212+01:00Look who's back.......<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't know what it was.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Perhaps it was the change of jobs.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A change in the air.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or maybe just 'change' in general.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whatever it was, I guess I lost my blog-writing mojo.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But as Austin Powers probably once said, "I'm back, baby!"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So batten down the hatches.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Make yourself comfortable.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And get ready for a blogslaught.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Depth Perception is back on the air.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So join me for some fun, laugher and tears.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Together, we'll traverse the wacky world of experience marketing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm on an all-new voyage of discovery, and you're coming with me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tickets, passport, money...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So watch out for the first of the new batch.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just try not to get it wet, keep it out of bright light, and whatever you do, don't feed it after midnight...</span><br />Kevin Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07877698109517193660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-282287934582006211.post-37438408553401103122012-02-16T10:29:00.003+00:002012-02-16T10:42:05.116+00:00Engagement ...part the second<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.8pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:0cm;mso-line-height-alt:14.25pt;background:white"><span ><b>When it comes to brands and their consumers, the rules of engagement are the same. </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.8pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:0cm;mso-line-height-alt:14.25pt;background:white"><span ><b>OK, so brands tend to be <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">polyamorous</span>, rather than monogamous, but those meaningful connections are just as important. Once upon a time, it was all so much easier. Like standing on a soapbox and yelling your world-view into the faces of passers-by. In those days, it was the guy who shouted the longest who ended up winning the bulk of the audience’s attention. <o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.8pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:0cm;mso-line-height-alt:14.25pt;background:white"><span ><b>At the time, that approach made sense. <o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.8pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:0cm;mso-line-height-alt:14.25pt;background:white"><span ><b>Let’s stick with the relationship analogy for a moment. Imagine you’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">ve</span> gone to a speed dating event, you’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">ve</span> downed a couple of drinks to ease you into the evening, and now you’re facing a steady stream of potential dates, lining up to give you the best five minutes of your life. How would you feel about the guy who sits at your table and shouts about himself for the full 300 seconds? Because that’s the way brands used to operate. <o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.8pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:0cm;mso-line-height-alt:14.25pt;background:white"><span ><b>These days, successful brands have to put in a little more work. It’s not enough to just pretend to listen. They have to be actively engaged. Committed. And genuine. <o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.8pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:0cm;mso-line-height-alt:14.25pt;background:white"><span ><b>Here’s the problem - most marketers get the fact that engagement is the key to success. But they don’t always have the resources or skills necessary to make it happen. In a recent Forbes Insights survey, 97% of respondents agreed that engagement was ‘very important’ but only a quarter of them had any kind of strategy in place. That’s like hoping to improvise a memorable silver wedding anniversary. <o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.8pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:0cm;mso-line-height-alt:14.25pt;background:white"><b style="background-color: white; "><span ><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; ">A I said in the previous post, the toughest thing for most brands, is learning to shut up and listen. It’s amazing what you can learn about your audience if you’re willing to put a sock in it, every once in a while. It’s really no different than the way you are with your friends. We tend to give a wide berth to the ones who only ever want to talk about themselves. Of course, it’s fine to be a broadcaster when it comes to imparting information. But if you want audiences to stick around, you’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">ve</span> got to show a willingness to involve them. To listen.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; "> </span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.8pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:0cm;mso-line-height-alt:14.25pt;background:white"><span ><b>Engagement <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">isn</span>’t just about clicking on ads and responding to sales promotions. It’s about creating authentic and meaningful interactions between people and the products and services with whom they choose to spend their valuable time.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.8pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:0cm;mso-line-height-alt:14.25pt;background:white"><span ><b>One way to achieve that, is to evolve our thinking away from the traditional ‘marketing funnel’ model. Instead, let’s think about <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">McKinsey</span> & Co’s customer decision journey. Stretched out over a period of time, this process offers up countless opportunities to engage, inspire and motivate along the path form consideration to purchase, and from purchase to loyalty. <o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.8pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:0cm;mso-line-height-alt:14.25pt;background:white"><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; background-color: white; ">Of course, there are still those who might think that the live experience is the soft option. But to do so is to miss the bigger picture. It’s only we visit a live event that we start to understand what a brand feels like, and how it behaves. Every <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">touchpoint</span> or element has been designed to represent the brand, allowing for rich and powerful engagement from start to finish. And it all begins with an understanding of the consumer’s world. </b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.8pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:0cm;mso-line-height-alt:14.25pt;background:white"><span ><b>Take sponsorship, for example. Not too long ago, a sponsorship strategy might be led by the CEO’s favourite sport. Buy a platform, invest in some PR and hope that the fans will notice the difference. Now, we’re listening to what our consumers are interested in. We’re getting involved as participants, rather than investors. And that way, we’re able to strike up a much more naturalistic and believable dialogue. Rather than telling audiences that we’re interested in the same things they are, we’re proving it. <o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.8pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:0cm;mso-line-height-alt:14.25pt;background:white"><span ><b>Last year, Barneys department store proved how effective this technique can be, by working with Lady Gaga to create Gaga’s Workshop. Interactive, exclusive and utterly unique, it was an experiential space designed and created in collaboration with the music star. And the stories they told accentuated all the ways in which Gaga and Barneys were the ideal match – from a mutual love of fashion to their enthusiasm for New York itself. <o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.8pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:0cm;mso-line-height-alt:14.25pt;background:white"><span ><b>Ultimately, there’s nothing revolutionary or revelatory about this brave new world. And although these might sound like lofty ideals, the principles of engagement are as old as time. <o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.8pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:0cm;mso-line-height-alt:14.25pt;background:white"><span ><b>Of course, advances in technology and social media make this even more achievable, since audiences have already embraced the democratised media of blogs, social networks, message boards and product ratings. <o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.8pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:0cm;mso-line-height-alt:14.25pt;background:white"><span ><b>We all know the statistics. By rolling up their sleeves and getting stuck into this digitised world, brands can offer a new level of transparency to their company and products. More importantly, they’re opening up their doors to the entire world. <o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4.8pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt; margin-left:0cm;mso-line-height-alt:14.25pt;background:white"><span ><b>In return, audiences will respond by taking control of the interaction – making it more authentic, participatory and valuable. As relationship experts have been advising since the dawn of time; if you want it to last, you’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">ve</span> got to open your heart and mind. </b></span><span style="font-size: 16pt; "><o:p></o:p></span></p>Kevin Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07877698109517193660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-282287934582006211.post-64404628614918242852012-02-06T14:15:00.001+00:002012-02-06T14:19:33.800+00:00I’m Getting Engaged<div><span >What’s the secret of a great relationship? </span></div><div><span >I’m sure there are thousands of people out there who’ll tell you that they know</span></div><div><span >all the answers. </span></div><div><span >In reality, there’s no secret recipe or magic formula, just the need for commitment, </span></div><div><span >enthusiasm and a mutual sense of empathy.</span></div><div><span >When it comes to brands and their consumers, the rules of engagement are the same.</span></div><div><span >In the past, brands weren’t really looking for relationships,</span></div><div><span >just adoring fans and assorted hangers-on. </span></div><div><span >These days, successful brands have to put in a little more work. </span></div><div><span >They also have to learn to shut up and listen. It’s amazing what you can</span></div><div><span >learn about your audience if you’re willing to put a sock in it,</span></div><div><span >every once in a while.</span></div><div><span >New approaches in engagement marketing have emerged</span></div><div><span >in recent years. And they’re helping brands to establish and</span></div><div><span >nurture meaningful relationships with the audiences who</span></div><div><span >matter most to them.</span></div><div><span >So what do we mean by ‘engagement’? </span></div><div><span >Well, it’s about adding value, building trust, and driving commitment. </span></div><div><span >In doing so, these brands are able to move their audiences from</span></div><div><span >passive indifference to active participation.</span></div><div><span >It’s about creating authentic and meaningful interactions</span></div><div><span >between people and the products and services with whom</span></div><div><span >they choose to spend their valuable time. </span></div><div><span >It’s no surprise to learn that the deepest connections between audiences and</span></div><div><span >brands are formed through a process that takes people from</span></div><div><span >watching and thinking, to feeling and doing.</span></div><div><span >Active participation at a personal level with a brand is key</span></div><div><span >to establishing value and a lasting bond. So we need to get</span></div><div><span >personal, get real, and start an authentic dialogue.</span></div><div><span >This is where experience marketing comes into it’s own.</span></div><div><span >Forget about the last forty years, which were dominated by</span></div><div><span >self-aggrandising advertising campaigns. Brands are waking</span></div><div><span >up to the fact that there’s an opportunity for dialogue and</span></div><div><span >engagement and “live” is where it’s at.</span></div><div><span >All that remains is for brands to decide whether they’re willing</span></div><div><span >to take their relationships to the next level. Are they looking</span></div><div><span >for a quick fling, or long-term commitment? </span></div><div><span >Put the effort in, and you’ll reap the rewards.</span></div><div><br /></div>Kevin Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07877698109517193660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-282287934582006211.post-19868971437475139812011-11-15T14:16:00.002+00:002011-11-15T14:25:06.551+00:00And the winner is<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" >What’s the point of submitting work for awards?</span></span><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">I'm probably only asking this as we at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">GPJ</span> have been lucky enough to win a few </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 18px; font-size: small; ">over the last few weeks.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; ">As I sit here admiring the booty</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">(That's the other meaning of the word booty) </span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" >Its worth pondering the question.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" >So there is ego stroking of course.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" ><i>But that's not it.</i></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">They teach us to blow our trumpet.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">To sing the praises of our clients and colleagues.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Celebrate the things we do well, and acknowledge those magic moments when it all comes together.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><i>But that's not it. </i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" >More importantly for me, is the submissions process.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">It is a great chance to brush up on our storytelling skills.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">What we say and how we say it.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">It brings out the anecdotes and the inside scoop.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">It forces us to be compelling because we want to win.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">That way, even if we don’t win, it can help us win more business.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">And remember, of course it’s an honour just to be nominated.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" >See you all at<b><i> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Eventia</span> </i></b>on Friday </span></span></div>Kevin Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07877698109517193660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-282287934582006211.post-85037266838588421822011-11-11T11:15:00.003+00:002011-11-11T11:25:40.427+00:00Jump around, jump, jump.....jump around!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" >The Experience is a very "real" form of communication.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" >There is no hiding behind a facade when you are out there face to face with the community you are trying to reach</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" >That’s maybe why I love it so much</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" >Face to face beats everything else for me. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Even e-mail or IM and BBM for you crazy kids out there.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">I came across and interesting piece of research the other day</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" >Two groups </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" >Let’s call them A and B </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" >I hate long introductions</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><a name="OLE_LINK1" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></a><a name="OLE_LINK2" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" >Group A</span></i></a></span></div><div><a name="OLE_LINK2" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" ><b>All met each other face to face and had time to get to know one another in person.</b></span></i></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" >Then both Groups were then given a conflict to resolve by e-mail </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" >Group B had no face-to-face meeting or face to face communications. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" >6% of the Group A failed to arrive at a good resolution.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" >And Group B?</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" >You know its going to be more....set your eye balls to stun.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" ><b><i>39% couldn’t agree</i></b> </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" >Ladies and Gentlemen.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" >Get up from thy desk and walk ..........</span></span></div>Kevin Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07877698109517193660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-282287934582006211.post-38275956130313643062011-11-10T11:54:00.003+00:002011-11-10T12:15:46.981+00:00Straight from the dragon's mouth<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">I don't know if you caught Dragon <a href="http://www.peterjones.tv/">Peter Jones'</a> programme How We Made Our Millions last night on BBC</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Here it is on <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0175q02/Peter_Jones_How_We_Made_Our_Millions/">iplayer</a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">He was trying to discover if there was a defining trait in successful people.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">I had the same thought around agencies.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">There are two types of agencies. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Those that win and those that don’t. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Now, presuming that they have a fairly equitable distribution of talent, what separates them? </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">I think it’s the willingness to do what needs to be done. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Education expert Frank Banks once said <i><b>“If you really want to do something, you'll find a way. </b></i></span><i><b><br /></b></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><i><b>If you don't, you'll find an excuse.</b></i>" </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">If your heart’s not in it, you’ll never win. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">It’s always easy to spot the people who derail your chances. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">They’ve got a million and one reasons not to try. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">They use up far more energy protesting than they would just getting the job done.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Funny enough Peter's conclusion was much the same.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Don't take no for an answer. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br /></span></div>Kevin Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07877698109517193660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-282287934582006211.post-33000118154939668302011-11-08T16:50:00.003+00:002011-11-08T16:58:19.279+00:00You're a brand<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" >We've been looking at internal communications for a number of clients recently</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">In one of the meetings we wanted to shake up the thinking a little so we decided to put everyone in the room on the spot by asking them what their <i><b>personal brand </b></i>stood for. </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" >Slightly unfairly, but very enlightening. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Some responded instantly, others took their time.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">All of them realised that the point was about the power of the personal brand. </span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">All the leaders and senior figures in our lives stand for something unique, even if it’s not necessarily something that we like. </span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Your true value to a company isn’t just doing your job, that’s what you get paid for. </span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">If you are thinking “If I do what I’m told, I’ll always be valuable.” </span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Then you are mistaken.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">That viewpoint only commoditises what you do and there is not real value in that, because in reality, all you’re doing is filling a hole. </span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">The key to getting ahead is finding the thing (or things) you can bring to the business that no-one else can. </span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">The more the company that you work with recognises that and "invests" in it, the greater the results for all.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">That’s what’s irreplaceable, where you create value for the company and yourself. </span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">So what’s your brand?</span></span></div>Kevin Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07877698109517193660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-282287934582006211.post-74264421187735937902011-11-01T17:03:00.002+00:002011-11-01T17:09:15.050+00:00A quick thought<span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">They say practice makes perfect.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">You know what else makes perfect?</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Long, laborious processes.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Second guessing.</span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Arguing</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> about minute detail.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Fine tuning</span></span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Last minute changes</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Here's the deal .</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">You can get something 100% right, but take ....forever in delivering it.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Or you can be quick off the mark, first to respond and know that you’ll be 99% there. .</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">I know which one I’d always choose.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">How about you?</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Be quick, the clock’s ticking.</span></span></div>Kevin Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07877698109517193660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-282287934582006211.post-36325478997055193742011-10-31T16:43:00.003+00:002011-10-31T16:48:43.260+00:00Change is the only constant<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; ">Those that have heard me speak at an event will know that I talk about change.</span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" >A lot!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">As my own personal guru </span></span><a href="http://www.tompeters.com/" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; ">Tom Peters </a><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">says, "if you don't like change, you're in the wrong business, whatever business you are in". </span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" >The world is constantly changing.<br />And in these technologically-enhanced times, it's changing faster than ever.<br />Sometimes, we have to run just to catch up.<br />So I find it weird that so many people remain resistant to progress.<br />They actively shun evolution, dig in their heels and steadfastly refuse to move on.<br />Some of them even go so far as to take pride in the 'Luddite' approach, arguing that when the world shifts back, they'll be in exactly the right place.<br />The more things change, the more they stay the same.<br />And the more ridiculous they look.<br />I always think of Trigger, the po-faced buffoon in long-running sitcom <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/onlyfools/" style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 102, 204); ">'Only Fools and Horses'</a>.<br />He once proudly announced:<br />"I've had the same broom for 20 years."<br />"It's had 17 new heads ...........................and 14 new handles."<br />You can keep telling yourself that nothing's changed.<br />But in actual fact, everything has.</span></span></div>Kevin Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07877698109517193660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-282287934582006211.post-11376282624988642632011-10-24T15:24:00.002+01:002011-10-24T15:41:50.509+01:00Its all about the experience<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">This is a fantastic time to be working in an experience marketing agency.</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Advertisers are recognizing the need to focus on experiences rather than just messaging. </span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">And sponsors are increasingly looking for ways to activate their properties in a way that brings to life the essence of their brand.</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">If you want people to be passionate about your brand, you have to be willing to express yourself through your actions and behaviours,</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">That’s where the emotional connection occurs. </span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Consumers want something they can feel. </span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">An experience that hey’ll remember. </span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Whether it’s a retail presence, an exclusive rewards programme or a sponsorship strategy, you need to focus on the emotion that connects the brand to the consumer. </span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">That's the way to build long term relationships. </span></span></span></span>Kevin Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07877698109517193660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-282287934582006211.post-52805384189384479762011-10-19T12:17:00.003+01:002011-10-19T12:30:14.413+01:00Eat the frog....<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" >I was looking over some posts to the blog I made a while back </span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" >And apart from marvelling at the fact that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">tempus</span> really does <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">fugit</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">I thought some of them really do stand a little retelling </span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">The issues are still the issues.</span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">The concept of squeezing a quart of work into the pint point of time is ever present.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">So how good are you at managing your time?</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Ok</span> don't want your stock answer.</span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">I'm looking for the truth.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">(I can handle the truth) </span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">The fact is, we all have a habit of leaving the crappy jobs ‘til last.</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Which means that all the job we are not looking forward to hangs over us like a storm cloud, we put it off and put it off, extend our deadline, move it down the to do list.</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">It then starts affecting our attitude, our mood and everything else we do, it casts a shadow over the rest of our day, our week.</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">If you haven’t already read it, I highly recommend </span></span><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Eat-That-Frog-Important-Things/dp/0340835044/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1237123449&sr=1-1" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 102, 204); ">Eat That Frog!</a><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"> By Brian Tracy.</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">In it, he explores the positive benefits of tackling the least appealing task that faces you that day first.</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">If you get the worst thing you have to do done first then everything else, is positive. </span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; ">Please note that I’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">ve</span> even embedded the link directly to Amazon in this post, so you procrastinators have even less of an excuse.</span></span></span></div>Kevin Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07877698109517193660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-282287934582006211.post-35672723834957924672011-10-18T15:29:00.001+01:002011-10-18T15:33:10.020+01:00Life is a team game.......<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; "><span style="font-family: arial; "><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Isn</span>’t it funny how we change with time?<br />When I look back at the callow youth I once was Oh come on I was ...once) , I remember how important it was that I never show any sign of weakness. I was hungry, ambitious, and to be honest, a little <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">naïve</span>. </span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; ">I saw teamwork as a cop-out, for people who <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">couldn</span>’t handle responsibility on their own. So I’d take whatever role was given to me, and I’d struggle away.<br />If anyone asked how I was doing my answer was always “Fine, thanks.” But it <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">wasn</span>’t always true. And although I’d usually get the job done, it <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">wasn</span>’t always done well.<br />Nowadays, it’s all very different.<br />I love teamwork.<br />There’s the social interaction for one thing. </span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; "><span style="font-family: arial; ">And there’s the joy in pooling a bunch of diverse resources into the creation of something truly exceptional.<br /></span><span style="font-family: arial; ">Now I’m a lot more confident in what I bring to the team, and I recognise that that’s enough.<br />So when it comes to team working, make sure that you pick people <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">whose</span> strengths are your weaknesses.<br />Because between you, you’ll be unbeatable</span>.</span></div>Kevin Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07877698109517193660noreply@blogger.com