Don’t Judge Me

They say it’s an honour just to be nominated.

Although, it’s usually said through clenched teeth.

But let me tell you, it’s also an honour to be asked to judge.

As a result, I’ve spent a few very happy few months sitting on judging panels for various industry awards.

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.

I know, I know. 

Working hard or hardly working?

But honestly, 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.

I’ve slaved over those entry forms.

I’ve gathered the data.

I’ve written the summaries.

So I owe it to the entrants to give their submissions the time they deserve.

But when the standard is so very high (and it really is) judging becomes increasingly difficult.

In that spirit, I’d like to share the benefit of my experience.

You’re going to be 1 of 20 or 30 in a category.

You need to stand out, be memorable.

Tell a story, but make it short, because wading through an ocean of text is hard.

Wading through 30 is downright impossible.

Make the key take-outs stand out.

Bold, colour, highlights – it’s your choice.

Think about what is background information, and what was key to your success.

Videos and images all help tell your story.

Yes, I know some awards give you forms to fill in and ask you to stick to a format.

But here’s a little secret - everyone sticks to the format, but some think to add appendices.

Judges are (sort of) duty bound to see everything, I know I did.

Results, results, results.

The more impressive the better.

And don’t underestimate the value of a great client endorsement.

(I know clients don’t want to go overboard but try and make them energetic)

And finally…

Sorry to be that guy, but check your spelling, punctuation and grammar.

Individually, it’s not vital, but when reading entry after entry it can become wearying.

So good luck.

Be brilliant.

And remember me in your acceptance speech.

You cant make it up ...er ..wait...you can

I make a lot of presentations, write blogs, tweet, read stuff, go to events.
In short there is a lot going on in my life.
So I have to admit that, as much as I'm sure that I coined the following opinion, I can't be certain.
But whether it came from me, or I absorbed it via osmosis, I firmly believe in the following statement:
You get paid for the job you do.
You get promoted for the value that you add.
Wherever it came from, it really makes sense.
Let's apply that thinking to a pitch scenario.
You get plaudits for answering the brief.
But you win them by not answering the brief.
It's not as contradictory as it sounds.
So allow me to elucidate.
We all know that world has changed.
That's as true for clients as it is for agencies.
Today's brief no longer resembles the briefs of yesteryear.
As my colleague Gareth said, they're now a mixture of research data, market background and wishful thinking.
For the first time in my experience there is no agenda in the solution.
Clients really do want to embrace the radical, the different, the groundbreaking.
It is now up to us to throw off the shackles and begin to tease out the clues in the brief.
We've all heard clients say "I can't tell you exactly what I want, but I'll know it when I see it."
Our job is to help them figure out what they want, before we can start to deliver it.
So no more colouring between the lines.


. 

Load of old s**t

Pitching is a difficult process, for clients as well as the agencies involved.

There’s the time, the trouble, the expense... on both sides.

X-Factor cliché alert – “It’s an emotional roller-coaster.”
So, now that we’ve established some empathy, let me get something off my chest.

There’s one thing I wish I could change.

Wouldn’t it be great if clients could just be a little more, well, truthful?

If the work is rubbish, tell us.

If we’ve missed the brief, let us know.

If there’s someone on the team who’s rubbing you the wrong way, call them on it.

I’ve been involved in 100s of pitches over the years.

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.”

If those comments were really true, you’d expect me to have won every one of those pitches.

But, of course, I didn’t.

Let me take you back a few years to a pitch for John Smith’s Bitter.

I say ‘a few years’ but I’m talking about the days before Twitter, mobile phones and PowerPoint.

When the design department submitted their concepts on the wall of a cave.  

Anyway, I was playing the part of 3^rd assistant bag carrier, a part I played very well.

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.

He ordered us to leave.

As we hurriedly packed our bags, his words rang in our ears.

He told us that this was the biggest load of old s-h-one-t that he had ever seen.

And if we wanted to rescue our agency relationship, we’d better go and do something about the quality of work.

He then listed all the things that he felt were wrong with the campaign.

We rushed down stairs picking up the boards strewn across the car park in the rain.

Was it a harsh reaction? Undoubtedly.

Was his response fair? Maybe it was.

Did it work? Yes it did.

There were some dark days that followed.

Lots of hard work, and soul searching.

But we emerged from the process stronger and more focused than ever before.

You see, being nice about a pitch doesn’t help the agency develop.

The “It was very close, you were pipped at the post” conversation adds no value.

You were terrible; these are the three things you should work on.

Now we’re talking.

We’re grown ups. We can take it.

Truth is hard to take and we all want to be nice but honesty really is the best policy.

A battle royale.

I’m a big fan of whatever it is we do for a living.
Events, brand experiences, experience marketing.
Whatever you want to call it, if you’re doing it, I’m sure you’ll agree it’s fascinating.
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.
So which is the most important?
Well, one of the strengths of what we do is our ability to produce the media through which we work.
Kind of like being your own Rupert Murdoch, but without all that troublesome Leveson business.
That ability to stay on top when it comes to production is vital. 
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. 
Then there’s the brand consistency, reputation, and all those other important things. 
But content creation is really the heart of the experience, isn't it?
I’ve said it before, content is king.
Not only is it the purpose of the event, but it has a life before and after the event. 
Done right, it lives forever on-line, amplifying the message and extending the reach of the campaign.
And I think we can all agree that it’s exciting to be part of an industry that really produces results.
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.
But here’s the thing…
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?”
You may choose to advise your client to spend it on the production, by improving the sound or the image or the lighting. 
But would the audience even notice the negligible difference?
You may tell your client to spend it on increasing the content of the event. 
Use video and guest speakers, or maybe even capture the whole event on film so it can be disseminated, expanded and amplified. 
But wouldn’t you (and they) like to know what was achieved through this event?
Surely, the best way to derive value from that discretionary extra budget is to measure the results? 
And by ‘measurement’, I’m not talking about the venue facilities or the temperature of the coffee.
I’m talking about hard metrics, sales, contacts generated.
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 spending and that perception would reflect badly on the brand.
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.
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.
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.
So, back to my original question. 
What’s more important, content or production?
No conferring, answers on a post card. 

Look who's back.......

I don't know what it was.
Perhaps it was the change of jobs.
A change in the air.
Or maybe just 'change' in general.
Whatever it was, I guess I lost my blog-writing mojo.
But as Austin Powers probably once said, "I'm back, baby!"
So batten down the hatches.
Make yourself comfortable.
And get ready for a blogslaught.
Depth Perception is back on the air.
So join me for some fun, laugher and tears.
Together, we'll traverse the wacky world of experience marketing.
I'm on an all-new voyage of discovery, and you're coming with me.
Tickets, passport, money...
So watch out for the first of the new batch.
Just try not to get it wet, keep it out of bright light, and whatever you do, don't feed it after midnight...

Engagement ...part the second

When it comes to brands and their consumers, the rules of engagement are the same.

OK, so brands tend to be polyamorous, 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.

At the time, that approach made sense.

Let’s stick with the relationship analogy for a moment. Imagine you’ve gone to a speed dating event, you’ve 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.

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.

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.

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’ve got to show a willingness to involve them. To listen.

Engagement isn’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.

One way to achieve that, is to evolve our thinking away from the traditional ‘marketing funnel’ model. Instead, let’s think about McKinsey & 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.

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 touchpoint 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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’ve got to open your heart and mind.

I’m Getting Engaged

What’s the secret of a great relationship?

I’m sure there are thousands of people out there who’ll tell you that they know

all the answers.

In reality, there’s no secret recipe or magic formula, just the need for commitment,

enthusiasm and a mutual sense of empathy.

When it comes to brands and their consumers, the rules of engagement are the same.

In the past, brands weren’t really looking for relationships,

just adoring fans and assorted hangers-on.

These days, successful brands have to put in a little more work.

They also have to learn 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.

New approaches in engagement marketing have emerged

in recent years. And they’re helping brands to establish and

nurture meaningful relationships with the audiences who

matter most to them.

So what do we mean by ‘engagement’?

Well, it’s about adding value, building trust, and driving commitment.

In doing so, these brands are able to move their audiences from

passive indifference to active participation.

It’s about creating authentic and meaningful interactions

between people and the products and services with whom

they choose to spend their valuable time.

It’s no surprise to learn that the deepest connections between audiences and

brands are formed through a process that takes people from

watching and thinking, to feeling and doing.

Active participation at a personal level with a brand is key

to establishing value and a lasting bond. So we need to get

personal, get real, and start an authentic dialogue.

This is where experience marketing comes into it’s own.

Forget about the last forty years, which were dominated by

self-aggrandising advertising campaigns. Brands are waking

up to the fact that there’s an opportunity for dialogue and

engagement and “live” is where it’s at.

All that remains is for brands to decide whether they’re willing

to take their relationships to the next level. Are they looking

for a quick fling, or long-term commitment?

Put the effort in, and you’ll reap the rewards.