Great Brand Thinking

Trends spotted

2012-01-23T10:49:00.000Z

The idea of being awakened to trends, as though knowing what's going to happen allows you to instantly exploit your marvellous insight, is always very appealing. But actually the point of trends is that they are happening, and things you notice happening to yourself are often because you are indeed in the midst of, or at the the start of, a trend. Trends are not predictions. Trends are happening now, and often continue for quite some time, and continue to build in the public sphere well after they've been spotted. Here's a few of my own observations (rather than the ones gleaned from trendspotting sellers...):

Interventionist practices are gaining in popularity
I didn't know what this meant either, but having been enrolled to help my son write an essay entitled "The role of participation in interventionist practices" I am now a bit wiser. Just think Occupy, and then Arab Spring. These are the broad brush illustrations of what's going on closer to home. My two examples are the Seedbombfactory starter kit I saw at home this week. An invitation to become a Guerrilla gardener. Which I love. Secondly, my discovery of PARK(ing) Day, which I am seriously considering participating in this September 21st. Watch this space.

British heritage with a twist
This one has been lurking up for a while, but like many good trends carries on getting bigger after you think it's done and dusted. Alexander McQueen have always been masters of this, Vivienne Westward is of course Grand High Witch of the dark magic and indeed even the likes of Boden play at it. The ones we've spotted lately are Grensons. Having been bought by Tim Little in 2010, an ex-advertising chap who set up his own shoe label in 1997, he is now CEO and Creative Director and injecting a certain flair into the product line. Heritage is having its moment in the fashion limelight, and, as Tim says, on LDN fashion, 'Heritage has always been important as it means authenticity. Recently it has become a fashionable word but really all it means is that “these people must know how to make a decent product as they have been doing it for a long time'. What starts making it cool is his eye for detail and the mixing of traditional materials like British Millerain wax cotton and soft Italian calf leather on the Glenn Military Boot.

Made in Britain
Not dissimilar to the trend above, but a more general pride in hand-made and British-made. Inspired by the economic downturn, everyone wants (for some of the time) to support British makers, tap into a little bit of 'post-war' patriotic warmth, buy things that have value beyond 'instant gratification' and feel part of a growing wave of artisanal products offering quality, taste and individuality. As Jane Parker writes in her article on The Foodie Bugle about Starch Green, 'Their website and blog are the apogees of that quiet, stylish, simple genre of "Made in Britain" arts and crafts for which the nation is increasingly gaining global recognition.'

i-connected machines
That sci-fi idea of machines that talk to each other and do everything for you - not so far away apparently. I remember, whilst working at BT in 1996 or so, talking about the increase in the amount of 'information' every individual would soon be receiving in 5/10/15 years, being quoted the likes of doubling every year, month, minute... We had no idea what we were talking about. Internet was essentially dial in, websites were in their infancy, no google, no Facebook, no twitter, no youtube. Now almost every piece of technology I deal with daily talks to each other. iCloud has enabled my phone to synchronise with my MacBook Pro and in turn my iPad. My diary synchronises with my colleagues' wherever they are, my email is available on all my devices - look no wires. The future sneaks up on you and you're living it - you don't need to know how. I received an email from a friend last night that signed off, 'sent from my dishwasher'.

Hockney-itis

The trend here, apart from everything now looking like 'Hockney trees' or 'Hockney iPad drawings', is art you can look at, enjoy and understand. It's about looking, drawing and painting. It affects you emotionally, viscerally. On the wave of illustration that has been growing over the last few years with the likes Rob Ryan, Jonny Hannah, Mark Hearld and Emily Sutton, ably fanfared by, for example, St Judes, Mainstone Press and Webb and Webb, figurative imagery is fast gaining traction. David Hockney's eye for colour, his draughtsmanship, obsession and prolificness is inspiring, breathtaking and, most significantly in this context, influential. Get down to David Hockney: The Bigger Picture at RA as soon as you can. And don't be surprised if you break out in Hirst-pox, too. Every Gagosian is full of every Hirst spot painting for the next month, as is the window of Uniqulo. More Hirst at Tate Modern from April.

What difference does leadership make?

2012-01-10T13:44:00.000Z

Being a long suffering Queens Park Rangers (QPR) fan, I have been pondering the notion of leadership in the light of the recent dismissal of Neil Warnock, our erstwhile manager who has just been sacked following a run of poor form.

Neil Warnock

For those interested enough to carry on reading considering this is a football related post - albeit an extended analogy - QPR were promoted to the Premiership after 15 years in the 'wilderness' of lower leagues (my sons have lived almost their whole lives depressed at our non-premiership status - not easy). Neil Warnock was not a manager any of us liked much when he was managing opposing teams, but when he became one of us, and miracle of miracles took us up to the promised land of the Premiership, our views changed - he gave us back pride in our club - and importantly he was a leader who made us win.

A poor run of form, the usual combination of bad luck, averagely talented players and elevated expectations left us one place above the dreaded relegation zone and a transfer window open and ready for new players that would 'definitely keep us up'. Our recently arrived owner took the tough decision to give another manager the chance to spend the transfer budget and hopefully guide us into the safer waters of mid table obscurity.

So what has this all to do with leadership you ask?

Well it seems to me, like any leader, a football manager does two key things - manages his team of players, and plans the tactics for how they play each game. I'm sure there are other things he (and in football it is invariably a him) has to do, but those multifarious other activities - press interviews, community outreach, the odd appearance on A Question of Sport - probably mostly get in the way of the two key things. A successful leader is wise to focus on the two key things as if his life depends on it. Win and you keep your job, keep your team up, and maybe win a cup or two.

Neil was known to be pretty good at the motivation thing - the 'man management'. A combination of team builder, bully, surrogate dad, stern headmaster, marriage guidance counsellor, financial advisor, agony uncle. The art is to get your players all up at the same time like a plate spinner - and keep them spinning for 90 minutes, and do it again 7 days later for a whole season.

Apparently it was the tactics thing, that Neil was thought to be not so hot at. That is about how you set out your team - the formation, the style of play, the combination and deployment of the skills and attributes of your players. There are anecdotes aplenty, but suffice to say in the cauldron of a 90 minute game, he who has the best game plan that he can get his players to stick with will win more games than he loses. Now I don't think Neil was tactically naive or unaware - but football at the highest level is a bit like chess, sheer physical power and fitness advantage is mostly cancelled out. Goals and wins are often the result of tiny tactical advantages and the odd bit of luck and moments of magical skill.

Brian Clough

Famously Brian Clough - 'the best manager England never had' - didn't really do tactics either, he often didn't even watch his players train - he left that to his tactical wizard Peter Taylor. Brian was the arch motivator - he made his players believe they could win, Peter Taylor identified the players the team needed and crafted the tactics. Brian made his players believe they had a very simple thing to do - 'this is your job, stick to it', and then the tactics of Peter Taylor blended each players 'singularity' into a perfect football machine - and Brian and Peter won more cups with average players than probably anyone else.

The thing is - and this is my point - having both the skills of leadership - the man management and the tactics is very difficult and very rare - it's rare in football, and it's rare in business.

Which is more important? It seems to me developing skills in man management is reasonably well understood, it doesn't mean any prospective leader will automatically be good at them, and there is certainly no 'one way' of doing it - Steve Jobs was entirely different in style to say Richard Branson - but there are books and classes and seminars aplenty. Strategic skills are a bit more of a black art, maybe even innate. You can read up on it, but it is a combination of logical and lateral thinking, sound reasoning and creative leap.

A really good leader is probably strong in either man management or strategic skill, a great leader has both - oh and a bit of luck. A really good leader will recognise where he or she comes up a bit short, and get help to fill in the gaps. With any luck this will turn a good leader into a great one (and by the way, we at Brand Guardians specialise in the sound reasoning and creative leap bit).

And it's always worth remembering what Samuel Goldwyn famously said - 'the harder I work the luckier I get'.

Ten inspiring things from last year

2012-01-09T15:08:00.000Z

All thinking is about making connections between things. Some of the most creative and innovative thinking occurs when you start making connections between unrelated things with unexpected outcomes. So the places we get inspiration, the kick-start to creative thinking, can be diverse. I've put together a list of ten things that inspired me in 2011, in no particular order.

Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes at the V& A
The real excitement of this extraordinary exhibition was the sense of curation. Rather than taking an artist or movement, to assemble the thread of ideas of an impresario was both impressive and fascinating. The mixture of music, dance, art and film was almost mesmerising. The immense theatrical back drops, one by Picasso, were overwhelmingly beautiful. And then the photographic reportage of the artists painting them, using sweeping brushes to paint the huge canvases, really made you want to go and do something BIG. The drawings by Jean Cocteau, especially the poster of Nijinsky, just blow you away.

Autumn leaves
On a walk in the Isabella Plantation in Richmond Park we collected fallen leaves and made patterns. It never fails to delight and surprise me that actually doing these things makes you feel so good. Taking time to stop, look more closely, select and gather, place and compose, really does result in more than just a few leaves.

Yellowcraig Beach
Beaches always inspire with their windswept quality and vast seascapes. Being by the seaside is classically regenerative and curative. A place like Yellowcraig, on the East coast of Scotland near North Berwick, connects me back with my childhood and fills me with excitement for the future.

Feathers
So often used by artists and such a work of art in themselves. I love to collect them, and they often sit in a pot or pressed in the pages of a sketchbook until I get a moment to make a print or draw a study of them. Endlessly wonderful.

Children
There's nothing more inspiring than when your own children produce work that is delightful. With quite a range of children to choose from, the opportunities for delight are numerous. Polly's Rob Ryan inspired silkscreen for her GCSE was an absolute triumph. The other touching production I received for Christmas was an EP Ellen and Polly recorded for me - wow!

The National Museum of Scotland
Re-opened this year, fully refitted and refurbished, this museum is a lovely, uplifting space, with an old style collection of a bit of everything. There was even a piece of packaging I designed for Rabone Chesterman when I was at Design House. Worth a visit just to stand in the glorious hall and look at the amazing wall of everything. (Which reminds me of another inspiring event 'The Museum of Everything' and the Judith Scott show)

Askew Business Network
A few local businesses based around Askew Road, W12, have got together to create a networking group with the aim of - yes - networking - but also regenerating the immediate area around Askew Road. It is already feeling a lot more upbeat and there are a number of shops looking good - and we've even lured the lovely Ginger Pig into our patch.

Occupy, Arab spring and social media
Such a lot of change has been wrought with the help of social media. One can't help but be inspired by the individual efforts that have been made to instigate regime change, send messages to fat cats and unleash the power of the individual. Paul Mason wrote an excellent article last week in the Guardian, 'Global unrest: how the revolution went viral,' which explored the idea of the graduate with no future and the power of the network. The ability of people via Twitter, Facebook, youtube, whatever to transform local concerns into global issues is liberating.

Steve Jobbs
What sadness. What a legacy. I suspect seldom a minute of the day passes without me being in contact with an Apple product, and indeed the rise (and ups and downs) of Apple run alongside my own adulthood. And the tributes produced, as Michael Johnson writes in his Thought for the Week, included 'one of the images of the year.'

The Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman
Grayson Perry's wonderful exhibition at the British Museum revealed an artist far more interesting and far more important that I was expecting. His work is extremely engaging, and the juxtaposition of his work alongside artefacts from the museum's collections placed him in the context of a long tradition of storytelling. The extraordinary centrepiece, 'The Tomb of the Unknown artist' was beautiful, moving, clever and witty. Which puts me in mind of my favourite, and most re-used, quotation heard in the year, from Ed Barber at the London College of Fashion, "the whole fashion industry rocks and rolls on narrative."

It makes me smile...

2011-12-08T17:41:00.001Z

With a few moments on his hands Jonathan came across some lovely little movies on the Boden website. Having worked with them last year we're very pleased to see the spirit of the brand still echoing through the many layers of their communications. All their photography is stunning and their natural warmth and wit brings a smile to your face.

How to be a Model is a masterclass in charm whilst Dad Dancing is just funny enough - and shows extraordinary bravery from a far too attractive and slim chap to be in any way embarrassing...

Room to fail

2011-11-17T10:26:00.001Z

Time to play

Inspired by an article by Heather Peace in today's Guardian entitled, "No more can a detective sing," this is really an ode to the creative mind and hard work.

Her discourse is around the reasons why the BBC are unwilling to re-run The Singing Detective to celebrate its 25th anniversary, and the state of the BBC today. The bit that really got me thinking was the idea of giving writers time to be nurtured. And time to do a lot of work. She writes, "Writers are not born brilliant; they need to learn their craft by doing it, the same as any other artist or worker. New writers need room to fail." And she goes on, "Potter himself required years of writing Plays for Today – when he was permitted to explore and offend in the name of art and free speech – to develop the skills which enabled him to create The Singing Detective. Without those early hits and misses, he would never have risen to such heights."

So along with creativity and imagination, the other ingredient for great work is prolificness. I am always struck by how the greatest artists are often the ones who do the most. Ok there are a few exceptions, but just think of Picasso's relentless productivity and David Hockney's constant excitement about new and different ways to 'paint'. I can't wait for his Royal Academy exhibition in January with huge canvasses as well as iPad drawings.

It is so vitally important to give people the space and time to think, explore, mess around - and indeed in the great words of the goddess Nike, "Just do it." This is what we risk in these days of cuts, efficiencies, league tables and unemployed youngsters.

I was minded of a link between the BBC's nurturing of new writers being on 'the brink of extinction' and the genius of Picasso - the Attenborough brothers. Two great influencers and leaders of our time. Peace says in her article on the demise of single dramas and new writing,"David Attenborough wouldn't have let that happen when he was a controller."And just stare in jaw-dropping amazement at what he's inspired in The Frozen Planet. Richard, not only impressed his talent and leadership on the film industry but has also created an astonishing collection of Picasso ceramics started with a piece he bought in 1954 for £3. And they're from Leicester. Like me.

Let's hear it for those who value the creative spirit and allow themselves and their fellow playmates the time and failures to succeed.

Best ever slogans

2011-09-27T13:40:00.000+01:00

Loving Creative Review's call for nominations for the best slogans ever. We love words as well as images - so following their 'best logos ever' in April it's nice to see them lauding the writer's art. One of my favourite's, that doesn't seem to have come up on the blog yet is, "A finger of Fudge is just enough to give your kids a treat!" I wonder why it's not used any more...

My favourite mentioned in the Creative Review blog comments is a cheese shop in Amsterdam called "Cheeseland" with the slogan, "Lots of cheese,"

Forever young...

2011-07-29T13:01:00.000+01:00

Roxanne McAnn has just shared a rather good blog article with me called, '10 Old Brands That Managed to Stay Modern.' Enjoy...

Brand survival

2011-07-07T18:01:00.000+01:00

Well - on the news is the fact that News of the World is closing down. A remarkable action to try and put right some wrongs. It is/was 168 years old, and apparently the most read English language newspaper. But now it's a damaged brand.

On You & Yours this morning a contributor (sadly I missed his name and can't 'listen again') gave good advice for brands facing a crisis, "act transparently, clearly, honestly and quickly." News of the World is part of a brand architecture where the damaged reputation of one part can seriously affect the rest. NewsCorp has acted to attempt to save their brand, and possibly News International. They have certainly acted quickly. With famous brands pulling out from advertising in the paper, public opinion was never going to come back. And I don't think James Murdoch's statement really captures the horror everyone else is feeling, "The good things the News of the World does, however, have been sullied by behaviour that was wrong. Indeed, if recent allegations are true, it was inhuman and has no place in our Company."

There's a thought that it's a political move to demonstrate they are taking this really seriously (well I should think so!) and therefore still a contender in the BSkyB deal. Really?

But I think with words flying round like "toxic" and people saying, "I think the country after Sunday will be a better place," there doesn't seem any place to hide. Zac Goldsmith has just described it as, "a sinister and bad organisation" with, "widespread corruption and criminality."

To say the discussion will run and run is rather an understatement - but I'm pretty sure it will be on the GCSE History syllabus in 20 years. And I'm not sure transparency, clarity or honesty will feature highly in the analysis.

ps I'm not going to put in a link to the News of the World website.

Screw up your business card

2011-07-06T18:00:00.001+01:00

The coolest business card?

Martin Lindstrom's recent article in Fast Company challenges everyone to consider their business card as a vehicle for the essence of their brand. His rule of thumb for a well-managed brand states, "If a brand can describe its core values and philosophy on its business card without resorting to a detailed description, then the brand becomes a full representation of its vision."

In order to create such a compelling brand ambassador you need to 'crack the code of creativity.' We are absolute advocates of the use of creative thinking, problem solving and excellent design skills to fulfil the brief of the business card as brand billboard, making it stand out from the crowd, be remembered and convey the very heart and soul of the brand.

The business card designed for Swanswell by johnson banks as part of our branding project is just such an example of creative genius. The cards arrive in a little pad. When a Swanswell person wants to hand one out - it involves a little performance: they remove a card from the pad, scrunch up one end, then hand over a half-crumpled business card. A physical demonstration of their logo and their brand vision, 'change and be happy'- uncrumpling lives.

Brand success is, to paraphrase Lindstrom, all about staying on message and maintaining focus on your core vision - all the time - in every situation - predictable and unpredictable.

Summer Fair Wars

2011-06-20T18:16:00.001+01:00

Every year the quality of estate agent boards advertising (and sponsoring) school summer fairs seems to get better and better. And each year the rivalry between the schools, the sharp elbows of the PTA and the competitive creative streak gets greater and greater!

These three fine and tasteful examples are all up in my road now. All quite delightful. I will try to attend them all even though Greenside and John Betts seem to have been scheduled on the same day (heads will roll...)

A Brand Icon

2011-06-20T15:24:00.001+01:00

Television Centre. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

I admit I was upset when I heard Television Centre was to be sold. And I am conflicted about my feelings. I see the logic - I can't separate my emotional connection. I live near it, I love going by it, my memories of childhood are imbued with it, my kids have performed there, my dog has performed there, I've done work there. But I suppose it is just a building...

That's the thing about brands though. They aren't just places, or things, or stuff. They are a bagful of emotional content that gives each of us a personal connection with a brand. How a brand fits into your personal and individual life. Often those brands are made up of some significant iconic objects: the Coke bottle, the Levi's red tag, the Disney castle. They act as anchors to connect us with all the feelings that make the brand.

Charlie Brooker's article in today's G2 expresses excellently his/my frustration about the TVC development. I love his reference to Glaswegian comedy writer-performer Robert Florence (Burnistoun) who wrote that telling an aspiring comedy writer that TV Centre won't be around any more is like telling a budding astronaut the moon has disappeared. Read it and weep...

When naming was simpler

2011-06-07T16:54:00.000+01:00

Strolling through the back streets of Leicester on Saturday I came across this piece of stationery taped to the door of a disused workshop. I was struck by the excellent brand name 'Kumfi Bedding'. This put me in mind of the joy of making up brand names that describe exactly what the product does and bring in three excellent rules of naming:
1. Mis-spelling
2. Concatenation
3. Hyphenation

My extensive research for examples runs to two that popped into my head, Sleepeezee and Krispy Kreme, both dating back to the 1930s, the La Z Boy recliner (as featured in Friends) and looking through a copy of Ideal Home magazine from May 1954 (the sort of thing I have to hand). This was a cornucopia of of on-brief brand names:

Nevastane kitchen equipment - true to the mis-spelling rule and has that knack of not looking like what saying it out loud means
La-Ze-Li luxury hammock - nicely combining all three rules
Rolakoton - it brushes in as it rolls as it paints (a paint roller to you and me)
Buttador - an ingenious compartment in a Coldrator fridge door that keeps butter at exactly spreadable temperature
Rely-a-Bell, Burglar and Fire Alarm Co Ltd - cleverly bringing in a fourth ingredient - the pun

These names came on a wave of post-war consumerism, influenced by American trends crossing the pond, and inspired by a more advertising savvy world of relaxed language and expansive ideas. There was a streamlining of brand names just as streamlining was an aesthetic (more than scientific) movement in design in the 30s. The names looked good as well as sounded good. They made good logos.

I think the joy of them today is that they are honest, capture a simple proposition, are authentic to their values and celebrate a direct customer benefit. Oh for a La-Ze-Li luxury hammock when you need one...

Customer Contact

2011-06-06T13:34:00.000+01:00

Very impressed with the Unlocked Guides efforts to listen to their customers. Our youngest, 8-year-old Tansy, attended their Children's Board Meeting on Friday morning. Emily and Josh, the two Unlocked Guides Directors, led the meeting of 9 or 10 children to help them make some key decisions concerning next steps for the developing publishing business. They made a real effort to engage the children and get a real feel for what they wanted. Putting their customers at the centre of their business is excellent practice but rarely done with such verve and enthusiasm. And there were chocolate muffins and Haribo.

Expert Diagnosis

2011-05-24T13:44:00.000+01:00

Explain the symptoms. Add a bit more background information. Answer a few questions. That's the way to engage an expert to help solve your problem.

My car windows wouldn't open. Just the front ones. The car wouldn't lock with the plip. After a flurry with Halfords and fuses to no avail I rang my regular, local garage, Smallbills. They are always polite, reasonable and even call me when it's service/MOT time to book me in. I explained my problem and the lovely chap said, ' Just drop in and we'll have a look. Probably a fuse.'

On arrival I was passed straight to a mechanic - lovely big greasy hands, smudged blue overalls and a rich, maybe Polish? accent. An expert in his trade. I could almost see his diagnosis brain clicking into action as he went through his mental flowchart and ticked off possibilities as he went. Click, click, click. He waggled a loose wire to the door and da da! His magic hands had worked their wonders. Nothing to do with fuses, then. And as the song goes, no charge.

When you talk to the right people, who've put in their 10,000 hours, their brains are programmed to solve the right problem. I hope we can offer that service too.

50 books for an 11-Year-Old

2011-05-24T11:41:00.000+01:00

It's not always that a bit of outbound marketing arriving in your in box hits the spot, but this missive from Abe Books is quite delightful: 'Earlier this year Britain's education minister said an 11-year-old should be reading 50 books a year. That statement sparked a lengthy debate.We just know that 11-year-olds should be reading, so here's a list of 50 fantastic books that appeal to young readers.'

The link at learn more takes you to the most heart-warming personal piece by Richard Davies about kids and books and a selection of books from the near and more distant past. Reassuring, nostalgic, visually lovely. Indeed Abe Books can be proud of their tag line - Passion for Books.

About Abe Books: 'Launched in 1996, AbeBooks is an online marketplace where you can buy new, secondhand, rare and out-of-print books, as well as cheap textbooks. We connect you with thousands of professional booksellers around the world and millions of books are listed for sale.'

Passion Killer

2011-05-20T14:00:00.000+01:00

Polly's GCSE work inspired by William Blake and Rob Ryan

I'm not talking about socks in bed or cold showers. No, I'm talking about the over use of a once valid, and latterly brave, highly emotive word. The sort of Latin idea that would never pass the lips of cool business men or calculating politicians. Passion.

There was a little montage of David Cameron using the word on Newsnight the other evening. His passion for the NHS creates an unquestionable cloak of righteousness. He's passionate therefore everything he does must be right.

I was at an induction evening for a Sixth Form with my daughter a few weeks ago. The very enthusiastic headmistress stressed the importance of ensuring you choose A level subjects that you are passionate about. Well, Polly is keen to stay on for A levels, go on to University, pursue some of her interests, get the best start in life. She is also passionate about quite a few things: her hair, clothes, pretty shops, pretty boys, looking after younger children, tickling children, fashion photography, colour... to name a few. None of these translate directly into a neat label for an A level subject. She felt intimidated by the passion spewing forth from the Head and ebullient current students. The best she could do was name a few subjects she considered her least worse. I have no doubt that she will succeed beautifully in whatever she chooses to do, but implying the need for passion in your choice of A level subjects?

Don't get me wrong. I love passionate people. I love being passionate. I just worry about people talking about it too much. Requiring people to be passionate about something in particular. Setting out passion as an HR criterium. I think people sometimes think they have to be passionate about the wrong thing.

Matthew Rice's latest book

I went to a talk by Emma Bridgewater and Matthew Rice on Tuesday afternoon at the V&A. They just talked very nicely about their business and what's going on in Stoke, and how important the way they do business is for them. Yes, a great enthusiasm for pottery came through. Their love of the domestic came through. Their devotion to heritage, re-interpretation for today and respect for craft came through. Their concern for people, Stoke and the creation of work came through. Emma said, 'the most important thing you can make is jobs.' I looked at their website when I got back to the studio. The opening paragraph on their 'About us' page does mention passion. But a genuine and authentic passion. And not a forced or commercial passion: 'Find out more about Emma and Matthew, the things that inspire them and how their passion for family life has had such a huge influence on their designs.' It's all about the way they want to do things. The things they genuinely love.

In 'Forget Passion, Focus on Process' on the 37 Signals blog they start with, 'The problem with the “follow your passion” chorus: We can’t all love the products we work with. Someone has to do the jobs and sell the things that don’t seem sexy but make the world go round.' There's some seriously good sense here. One of the comments links to a TED talk by Mike Rowe celebrating 'dirty jobs'. I was also put in mind of Stephen Covey's 'Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.' Although not top of the behaviouralist's charts at the moment, Covey's point that excellence comes through a series of habits is well put and worth learning. Picasso was a genius - he was talented and importantly highly prolific. His work habits let his genius be seen.

Let's think before we expound passion. And let's not use it as a default requirement. But ensure that our process is fit for purpose and delivering excellence to our customers. I wouldn't mind customers being passionate about brands and services that we help develop and build. That would be a desired perception.

The Trouble with Love and Sex

2011-05-16T16:57:00.004+01:00

What a great programme - on so many levels (Wonderland - The Trouble with Love and Sex, 9.00pm Wednesday 11th May, BBC2).

Firstly our admiration to the participants for their bravery and Zac Beattie, the producer and director, for getting it together. And to the BBC for making such an important programme, earning themselves much praise in the 'worth my licence fee' department. It's an inspired idea. Access into the private, elusive world of other people's real relationships is rarely permissible. But having it is so intriguing, enlightening and reassuring.

Secondly, hats off to Relate, an organisation we have the greatest respect for having worked with them closely. Not only did they have the courage to take part, they also exhibited their immense skill through the counsellors. The piece of genius that I will most remember is the letter to the single man's 'dark side.' The real brilliance was the idea of acknowledging this dark character's help so far, thanking 'him' for what he he had done, and now telling him he was no longer required. So clever. So right. So effective.

Thirdly on an artistic film-making level. The combination of real voices and animated characters enables both the authenticity of the piece to come through and the addition of an expression of emotion through the clever and naturalistic drawing. The use of animation in adult productions is rare and can lead to false pre-conceptions around the material. Its use in a documentary is very interesting. I was reminded of the excellent feature film, 'Waltz with Bashir', Ari Folman's animated documentary into the horrors of the 1982 Lebanon war. The animation there was strangely naturalistic, with dramatic lighting and the portrayal of remembered scenes, unfilmed at the time and too difficult to reconstruct.

It also brought home the importance of our role with brands and their people. Whatever business we are working with, we believe that it is people who make the difference. Our practice is based around listening, probing, guiding and yes, sometimes, upsetting. Now, I wish I was half as good as those Relate counsellors, but I do think we allow people to unearth their worries, understand the benefits of open and honest communication, and begin to feel more comfortable in their own skin. Maybe it's no coincidence that the client for one of our favourite jobs of late, Swanswell, CEO Debbie Banagan, is ex-Relate.

One of the counsellors summed up the similarity we feel with what we do, when he said he would like to ask a 'simple sounding, but maybe difficult to answer question.'

Brand Fitness

2011-05-09T13:18:00.000+01:00

Congratulations to our friend David Ball at BrandFuel for winning Britain's Fittest Director 2011. Behind every great brand there's a man running very, very fast.

Tiaras and Tea Towels

2011-05-06T14:51:00.001+01:00

Brand UK was at its sparkling best last week, aided by some lovely sunshine and much of the population being in a good mood as a result of two long weekends in a row. The abundance of red, white and blue, union flags, glistening regalia and matched horses with shining coats in a beautiful ‘camera ready’ London did much to enhance the brand that is brand UK. It was a right royal knees-up as many enjoying a street party and general celebration. While by no means universally popular, the fuss and spectacle generated comment and debate in abundance. Just how many programmes about these two people and their relationship is it possible to make? One TV critic pointed out an average of six programmes per day not counting the news coverage wall to wall.

I was curious to see the range of commemorative articles for sale and was not disappointed. True to form there was the good, bad, ugly and downright baffling. I’m not a great one for commemorative items, but recognise eager purchasers, be it avid collectors or people wanting a keepsake to mark the event. A day out in Chichester the previous weekend had shown that there at least there was lots of red, white and blue about from commemorative items to accessories for decorating your house or party.The windows of the Cath Kidston shop beamed with pastel good wishes of celebration for William and Kate. A brand match made in heaven.

At Westminster Abbey I could purchase a replica of the Diana engagement ring or a set of wine glasses, but I decided to take a mass market/budget approach to reflect our austere times resulting in a £2.97 spend in the 99p Store. I came away with a plastic tray (robust and useful), a ceramic bell with dreadful quality photo transfer (a bright, tingly sound, but of little practical use in my household) and celebration polyester mini cushion (of no use whatsoever). They’d run out of bunting and flags, so I took what was going. Now I’ve documented it, it’s going to the charity shop.

The most baffling item I came across next to the polyester cushion was a figurine, meerkat versions of William and Kate, to be found in Morrison’s supermarket. I wondered whether the happy couple had seen themselves anthropomorphised and what they would think. Meerkat cuteness combined with Will and Kate a winning combination on the basis of put two things you like together and come up with something brilliant that everyone will love. Perhaps I should have bought one. I’d better hotfoot it to see whether there are any left in discount corner.

My favourite item was a tea towel from the Tate shop – no pictures of the happy couple, rather some lovely illustration and a distinctly mid-century modern graphic feel. I thought that it reflected perfectly the tree-lined aisle at Westminster Abbey and the couple’s refreshing attitude. The tea towel looks like it’s a good investment already being offered on ebay for more than the purchase price. Indeed if you want to see what other commemorative tea towels are on offer just log on to ebay and do a search. All this goes to prove what I have long thought, that we love a good tea towel!

By Pauline

Do Something Amazing...

2011-03-30T10:54:00.002+01:00

It’s a Monday, late afternoon and I’m in Brixton Town Hall. I’m sitting in a large hall surrounded by a cross section of the great British Public. There are two things on my mind, both guilty pleasures. One is comedian Tony Hancock, the other a packet of ready salted Walker’s crisps. I can guarantee that three times a year these two guilty pleasures coexist and occupy my mind. It’s blood donor day for me, which has become a little ritual that makes me feel ‘grounded’.

I love vintage radio comedy and a late session in the office is often accompanied by Round the Horne, The Navy Lark or Tony Hancock’s ‘Hancock’s Half Hour’ masterpieces. Of these two stand out, ‘The Radio Ham’ and ‘The Blood Donor’. If you’ve not heard them (or seen the TV versions) then check them out. Hancock, a much troubled comic genius, portrayed himself as an everyman, but a very pompous one. He decides to do his duty and contribute to society by donating his blood, only to discover that they want as much as ‘an armful’, something he failed to realise. Around him is a reassuring nurse, calm, professional doctor, whose patience he tests, and members of the public played by an ensemble cast.

Today’s Blood Service is welcoming and efficient. For me the double heart logo is iconic. Its strapline and excellent ad campaign ‘Do something amazing today’ go to the heart of what the organisation is about. The fact that many thousands of people turn up to a public hall three times a year to be poked and prodded (all be it very professionally) and have their blood extracted shows how a campaign message can be a call to action. And all of this for no financial reward. We all know that our health is core to the quality of existence and how vulnerable we are all likely to be at some part of our life. So, while the going is good, giving an armful helps someone, somewhere.

I look at the logo on the water jug, the design of the pvc tablecloth covered in children’s drawings and the logos. Plain crisps and a cup of tea, what a joy as a small group of us munch and slurp then head off into the early evening darkness.

By Pauline

Humble Provenance

2011-03-21T17:51:00.001Z

One of the delights of the growing awareness of provenance and local-ness over the last few years has been the growth of regional potato crisps. They tend to be hand-cooked, farmer driven brands with a sense of charm and wit.

Salty Dog is an excellent name for a plethora of puns and fun. They have even bred a sister brand called Darling Spuds. Their websites ooze authenticity and charm.

Kent Crisps come from the Quex Park estate, only recently launched and with a suitably Kentish twist to their flavours: Oyster and Vinegar, Ashmore Cheese and Onion, Sea Salt and Biddenden Cider Vinegar, and Sea Salt.

Yorkshire Crisps are 'moreish and convivial' and show a smattering of Yorkshire grit with their 'Nowt on' flavour (or lack of...)

Pipers, made by farmers in Lincolnshire, embrace the whole idea of regionality in all their flavours. I love the way they embrace the culture of supporting other independent producers with Anglesey Sea Salt, West Country Cheddar & Onion, using cheddar made by John Alvis at Lye Cross, Parsnip crisps using Biggleswade sweet chilli, Sea Salt and Somerset Cider Vinegar with cider vinegar made by Julian Temperley. The tone and generosity create a sense of well being that makes you feel warm about the brand, and the people behind it.

And then, linking to one of Pauline's recent posts, there are the Lusty Pirate Cornish Pasty flavoured crisps. I don't know whether they have to make pasties, crimped on one side, with no carrot, and then extract the flavour - or whether the concept of 'flavour' covers a simpler method. They are definitely made in Cornwall. Another good concept for funning and punning, and what's not to love as Lusty himself says,"I like crisps and I love me pasties so I’ve combined the two and come up with some proper treasures."

The visual cues of these specialist products can be 'borrowed' by some larger manufacturers to try and send out the same authentic and trusted signals. I'm not saying their products are bad, but it is a slightly different offer. Real crisps were an independent Welsh producer but are now part of the Tayto Group. They carefully side-step the question on their homepage "So who are we then?" The small print on the packaging needs to be carefully read so as not to be misled by the effectiveness of the graphic design.

Regionality is part of the trend that has seen the success of Farmers' Markets, Borough Market, Jamie Oliver - and a respect for cooking real food, allotments and seasonal food awareness. It's something that's well worth supporting and building on where we can.

When Special is the Norm

2011-03-21T11:03:00.003Z

Christmas special offers, long gone. The January sales, well and truly over. What strikes you though, as you walk along the High Street, is that special offers still scream at you from shop windows. ‘Madness!’ is announced in Shoezone. In the perpetual home of discount Holland & Barrett, the posters herald ‘Buy one get one half price’ on everything in the store. I turn around and the 99p Store have their banner ‘When it’s gone, its gone!’ and indeed it will be, but there’ll be another to replace it.

There’s nothing new in retailers pushing these messages, indeed in the UK it verges on being an art form. Our supermarkets do it, pound shops do it, value retailers do it. Playing on the psychology of ‘everyone loves a bargain.’ It works.

Competition has heightened due to the combination of goods costing less relative to income over the last 20 years, and the increasing sophistication of retailers in terms of what they can offer and how they present it. The abundance of ‘3 for 2’, BOGOF, ‘2 for 1’ has created the expectation of significant discount being the norm from Maltesers to Magnet kitchens.

Yet, there are some places where serious discounting just doesn’t happen. I don’t see an Apple Mac or iPod at 50% off, and I don’t expect to. This is about value not discount. Yes, it’s a different marketplace to grocery products, not an everyday purchase. The desirability of the product and the message of the brand mean that we buy into it big time and expect to pay. And what’s more our sense of reward and contentment are generally higher.

So does brand matter in all of this, or is it price that’s king? The reality is that it’s both and that people are somewhat flexible in attitude and action. Our individual preferences and loyalties combine with the practicalities of budget, convenience and time.

I tend to shop local, so my supermarkets are predominantly Co-op and Morrison’s and my good and friendly local convenience store and newsagents. The market as well for fruit and veg. There are occasional forays to a Tesco or a Sainsbury’s for a change of scene and variety. No Asda or Watirose locally so they really are an adventure. My neighbour is a committed Ocado user, another favours Tesco home delivery, another a weekly ‘big shop’ at Sainsbury’s. Then there’s Philip opposite. ‘Bargain’ is his middle name and he’s a heat seeking discount missile who hits the spot on a daily basis.

The times are a changing. Food will become more expensive, not necessarily a bad thing if it results in us all being more thoughtful and less wasteful. Rather than chasing bargains, that often encourage over-buying, we can control our grocery bill by not throwing away the alleged 25-35% of food we already buy. This could result in effectively being what we pay (for the use of) two now, becoming the price of three, without the accompanying graphic cacophony.

I think there is a fundamental shift imminent alongside a new sense of responsibility. Trends of scarcity, moderation and vigilance will model our behaviours. Discount may be forever with us, but our response to it will become more considered. My mantra will be to not be bamboozled by those special offers.

By Pauline

The Bloomsbury effect

2011-03-07T15:18:00.000Z

Picking up on one of this year's trends, I was overjoyed to walk past the People's Supermarket on Saturday afternoon and see it looking so fresh and vibrant.

Two things strike me. One is the fantastic sense of cohesion engendered by these local, cooperative initiatives. The sense of well-being goes way beyond the individuals who are contributing and benefitting directly. I feel good just knowing it exists - and thrilled that I could see it, smell the goods, squeeze the fruit.

Secondly, trends take time. I might say 'this year's trend', but this idea will be around for a while, and will take time to actually take effect. Arthur Potts Dawson, the live-wire behind the enterprise, has worked enormously hard over a prolonged period to make it happen. It was March 2009 when he first got coverage in the papers, and must have signed up to make the TV series at around the same time. The series that finished on Channel 4 on 27th February was filmed over two years. So he was picking up on a trend then, and with the opening of the store, propelling the wave forward.

I suspect the appreciation of local, reduction of waste and a collaborative approach to making things cheaper/affordable are ideas that will get bigger and more influential over the next few years.

Crimp my Pasty!

2011-03-04T13:37:00.001Z

A Ginster's Cornish Pasty

Two of the joys of life are seasonal and regional produce. From a Fat Rascal (a Yorkshire fruit tea bun) to the Wensleydale cheese I so love with a morsel of fruit cake to the delicate white flesh of an Arbroath Smokie.

Local produce is great and where once these products were literally only available locally the rise of rail and road transport saw these goods transported to towns and cities and across the land. Foods that reflected local topography, commerce and requirements in many cases extended beyond the locality in which they were created. The addition of the place name can imbue a product with positive imagery, evoking the rural, the old, the never-changing. It might be mythical in many cases, but it resonates.

Is a Cornish Pasty vastly superior to one made in Devon? Is it better than one made in Milton Keynes or Carlisle? One can understand the Cornish wanting to claim the heritage as the inventor of a novelly shaped pasty filled with nourishing ingredients, designed to fuel the work of a Cornish tin miner deep down a hot and dirty hole. Today the pasty is 'food on the move', the well loved snack of drivers and those who can't or won't stop for a meal break. It's beloved of visitors to Cornwall, just walk through the streets of St Ives and count how many people are joyously munching their way through their pasties.

The last time I ate a Cornish Pasty was following a meeting I had at Ginster's. Part of the brand experience and also my lunch. Ginster's rightly claim their local credentials as Larry File, their Brand Communications Manager, states, "It really is an important industry in Cornwall. More than 2,000 people are directly employed in it." The announcement that only pasties produced in Cornwall are able to be labelled 'Cornish' resulted in welcome publicity. There's an issue of shape here too. Pasties crimped on the top and not at the side are also unable to be called Cornish, so there are manufacturers who are genuinely 'Cornish' who will have to alter their crimp.

Hot from the Brand Guardians kitchen...not a 'Cornish' but a hearty meal in itself following the traditional recipe - and no carrot!

The Protected Geographical Indicator, the system under which the origins of products, has become increasingly important in recent years as a means by which producers protect the uniqueness and quality of their products and ultimately their livelihoods. They also deliver a guarantee to the consumer. So whereas a piece of cheddar cheese can originate from anywhere, White Stilton and Blue Stilton cannot.

There are three different designations under the system:

The Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)

For products processed and prepared in a specific geographical area where the features and characteristic of the product is due to that area.

Protected Geographical Indication (PGI)

For products produced or processed within a specific area where they have a reputation, features or certain qualities attributable to that area.

Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG)

For products which are traditional or have customary names and a set of features which distinguish them from similar products, not be due to the geographical area it is produced nor based on technical advances in the method of production.

The Camberwell Pasty

Our contribution to local food. A new variety with a local feel. An 'all rounder' plenty of crust, lots of lean and vitamin filled filling for busy urbanites on the move.

So, if you like Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb, Cornish Sardines, Whitstable Oysters, Rutland Bitter, Melton Mowbray Pork Pie and Jersey Royal Potatoes are all registered. Many more will follow. These products command a premium because they promise to deliver a high level of quality and taste established over generations. They're important tools in the Grocer's brand armoury. Each has their time and place. Eat them all at once and you'll have mighty indigestion!

(I think it sounds like a rather perfect pub lunch - Kate)

by Pauline

Let the kids do it

2011-03-02T13:22:00.000Z

Yes, logos are often controversial. Yes, they are often misunderstood. But hey, some things are charming and some things are just a bit, how can I say it, less charming.

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee logo, above, was designed by 10-year-old Katherine Dewar from Chester, the winner of a Blue Peter competition.

The London Olympic logo was designed by 46-year-old Wolff Olins from London, and is the subject of yet more controversy. And could even cause a boycott. Not least from the design community...

What do you think?

Yet More Domains

2011-02-23T11:01:00.001Z

For the majority of businesses the .com and the country code remain the bedrock of domain extensions. It’s hard to get around it; these remain the most desirable domain properties. The statistic I regularly quoted to clients a few years ago was ‘there are now 26 million .coms registered, so finding a single English language word is extremely difficult’. Now there are 119 million registered, so the task is even harder.

The result - a more realistic and pragmatic approach to the domain name by adding a descriptive word, hyphenating etc. Some use another extension. It’s a moveable feast and ever changing.

The late 1990’s saw the introduction of sector specific domains such as .aero for the aerospace industry, .museum, .pro for professionals. Then there’s .info and .biz and .asia. All have their place.

What’s about to happen is the opening-up of a wide range of new generic domain extensions in Latin and other scripts. More extensions equal more availability and opportunity. But with this freedom will come some challenges and the potential for more disputes. Many brand owners are concerned about the impact on their brands and businesses.

Potentially there could be an unlimited number of new top level domain names (TLDs). We could have a .hotel, .insurance, .sport, .radio, .health. .music, .charity, .eco, .London. The list is potentially endless. Add to these non-Latin alphabets such as Cyrillic, Chinese and there are more options.

Having a domain like eagle.insurance could be good as a means of distinguishing from other owners of ‘Eagle’ in different sectors. But not so easy if there is more than one Eagle brand for insurance in different countries.

Some brand owners are sure to set-up their own domains. For a business with an international operation or franchise this could be very good news, enabling them to use the domain as a form of endorsement or quality mark, denoting that those using it are ‘official’ and legitimate outlets. In effect ‘part of the family’. Just think of all Ford dealerships and suppliers using .ford. Those who aren’t signed up or don’t comply can’t. As part of the deal there could be a brand identity template to ensure the correct look and feel, use of the trade mark, on-brand communications.

ICANN will put stringent requirements and controls in place for the new domains. In reality a TLD owner will have to pay an estimated $1million in professional services and legal costs, plus the $185,000 application fee. This is likely to be a deterrent to a speculative extension grabber. The owner of a new extension will have to prove that they can operate a domain registration service and provide guarantees of continuity of service. It would be essential to ensure that businesses operating under a new extension would not be left ‘high and dry’ should it fail.

What is potentially problematic for brand domain names, is who gets to own them. It might appear obvious in the case of multi-nationals and famous brands, but there are many different legitimate owners of the same brand name for different products and services. If they are big businesses in their own right, then there’s the problem of business name verses brand. For example, should Group Lotus plc who own Lotus for cars, IBM who own the Lotus software brand or Festina Lotus who own Lotus for watches be allowed to own ‘.lotus’? They are all established brands and international businesses with trade mark registrations in place. So, would it be first come first served or could there be an arbitration process. Should it be based on turnover, extent of use internationally, number of marks registered, territories or regions covered, estimated brand value? There’s going to be a Globally Protected Marks List (GMPL) relating to domain names operated through the IP Clearing System to be set up by ICANN. It appears that not being on the GMPL will not affect legal rights, but being on it will have possible advantages.

What is clear is that brand owners are very concerned at the ever-increasing commitment and spend on supporting rankings on Internet search engines, domain name registrations and trade mark defence.

At a recent intellectual property conference ‘Driving High Performance IP’ run by Thomson Reuters, a figure presented was the estimated amount of time that intellectual property professionals spend their time on different aspects of IP protection. The figure of 16% was given as the average time spent dealing with domain name issues. This was an estimated 5% rise on the previous year. It looks set to increase significantly. Despite the recession over two thirds of businesses have either maintained or increased their budgets for dealing with trade mark and domain infringement. With a 50% increase in online infringement and a 36% increase in enforcement in the last three years, the creation of new TLDs will add to the workload for brand owners and their legal representatives.

Domain factoids:
1985 15th March the first domain was registered - symbolics.com
1992 less than 15,000 .com domains registered
1998 ICANN founded
1999 the Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) introduced
2010 - 119 million .coms registered.
2010 - 243 top level country code extensions available. The most popular European country codes are .de (Germany), .co.uk, .nl (Netherlands), .it (Italy), .pl (Poland).

by Pauline

Help in a hard place or Finding guidance through the dark times...

2011-02-23T10:42:00.002Z

(Pedro Ugarte, AFP/Getty Images/ February 18,2011) Egyptian women shout slogans in Cairo's Tahrir Square

I’m no great economist or commentator on world politics - but I do have a plethora of thoughts on branding. And I do know that the bigger picture affects not only how brands perform commercially, but also the attitudes and preferences of people towards brands.

We’ve put together a few thoughts that might bring a glimmer of insight to branding in a tough climate.

We all love trends. We all feel that if only we could see what’s coming, we could profit by being one step ahead. But do we ever know what to do with a trend-spot? Well, we have no crystal ball, but we do have a few sharp brain cells, a slightly rye view of success and failure, and a sprinkling of google-dust.

“If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;” from Kipling’s If...

Fashion, that perky barometer of economics, might be our guide. New York Fashion Week offers three trends to watch:

The peplum waist
Wine dark colours - burgundy, claret, maroon
Below the knee hem-length

What’s it mean?

Let’s put it in the context of the wider world. Three global waves:

Revolution
Politicised youth
Social networking

Three outcomes:

Customers/people taking control
Disruption
Coalition/collaboration

In an era of:

Fear
Uncertainty
Consequences
Growth
Knowledge

The Futures Company talks of ‘a fundamental shift’. We will all be guided by a new sense of what’s important. They say spending will be shaped by ‘prioritisation and networks.’ Three things that should shape all our brand thinking and attitude to customer relationships:

Responsibility
Vigilance
Resourcefulness

Who’s doing well?

Waitrose and John Lewis
Intel
Apple
Barclays
China
India
Heston Blumenthal
Live music (and merchandise)
Cinema
Lipstick sales

So what can you do if you are responsible for a brand, right now?

Check your social purpose - don’t just tick a few CSR boxes - think about what about your brand is making the world a better place. What are you doing for the burgeoning generation of no-future graduates? Why do you exist?
Understand the shift in power - your customers are deciding what you should do next - listen to them, engage with them, and use your ingenuity and resourcefulness to deliver something better than they expected. How?
Embrace collaboration - involve your customers (according to Eric A von Hippel, consumers spend twice as much making and improving products as companies spend on product R&D), develop relationships with like-minded partners, develop skills networks. Where?
Innovate - there’s no better time to come up with new ideas, ‘necessity is the mother of invention.’ Get together with some creative people, like us!
Think like owners - recognise the new structure of organisations, and life, is networked not hierarchical - everyone in an organisation needs to have the responsibility and the autonomy to take ownership, ‘intrapreneurship.’ Get responsible thinking whirring in the minds of all your people...
Look alive - apparently those who keep up their marketing spend during a recession are the first to benefit from the recovery. Make links. Tweet. Spread your meme. What can you do to keep in touch with your audiences?
Disrupt - do something so against the grain it causes a stir. Add grit to your thinking. Be bold. Stick to your authentic purpose and values. But what?

So how does this relate to New York Fashion Week?

Peplum waist - tight waist, frills over the hips, popular in the 50’s, 80’s - suggests a new energy, stripped down body with just a little flair and frivolity - responsibility with a touch of verve, individuality. Testament to the fashion industry’s constant desire to innovate by re-combining, re-using, re-drawing, using healthy eclecticism with a dash of bright, new thinking
Wine dark colours - ‘wine is the new black,’ ‘vintage wine - the colour of 2011,’ use it! Apparently the pantone colour of the year is honeysuckle (Pantone 18-2120), a lovely uplifting pink - “In times of stress, we need something to lift our spirits. Honeysuckle is a captivating, stimulating colour that gets the adrenaline going – perfect to ward off the blues,” explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Colour Institute®. “Honeysuckle derives its positive qualities from a powerful bond to its mother colour red, the most physical, viscerally alive hue in the spectrum.” So definitely on the wine spectrum - and a small glass of red wine is a welcome treat in these tricky times - not least visually
Below the knee hem-line - a classic measure of the state of the economy. I think this is suggesting a note of caution, a sense of demure responsibility, a little focus on what’s real, flash a little less flesh - watch to see if it ends up in street fashion

One trend I can buy into. Writing for brandchannel.com, the tenth of Cheryl Swanson’s ‘Trends for the New Decade’ is Niceties. Make a trend to be kinder to one another. It’s about connecting, empathy, politeness and caring. It costs nothing and makes you feel better.

I never seen him, I only heard of him...

2011-02-17T15:32:00.001Z

'Like a teasing, gossipy conversation with an old friend.'
Photograph: Linda Nylind for the Guardian

Talking 'bout the big monkey puzzler.

John Graham is a prodigious and immensely popular crossword compiler. His moniker, Auraucaria, comes from the Latin name for the Monkey Puzzle tree. And he's still setting heads scratching at 90.

There's a lovely article about him by Simon Hoggart in yesterday's g2. His eclectic thinking reminds me of the kind of resourcefulness we have to employ to tussle with brand problems - where a view of the wider world is essential to crack the particular of an essential truth. According to Hoggart, "he knows about Latin literature, and Shakespeare, and Dickens, but he also refers to popular culture of today, sometimes to the bafflement of solvers far younger than himself." While he's setting clues we're cracking codes.

In an article marking his 80th birthday, David McKie described his work as "a blend of diligence and inspiration." I'd like to think mine can be described that way too.

Branding Gone Bad

2011-02-17T10:49:00.001Z

Flying rodents in a still from Quiznos Sub commercial

One of our readers from across the big pond has sent kind words and a link to an amusing (if rather horrifying) blog called 'Branding Gone Bad: 10 Most Ill-Advised Ads of All Time' on Bschool.com. Enjoy - or be scared... (or should that be scarred?)

Authentic Brand Building

2011-02-14T12:46:00.003Z

Heston Blumenthal at Dinner. Photograph: David Levene

Two brand stories struck me as great examples of genuine passion, tenacity and flair this morning. And with amazing success from very different start points.

Heston Blumenthal has grown his brand (which is largely himself) as a second career, but a first obsession. His taste buds were first tickled at the tender age of 16 when, at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Provence, he ate, "red mullet with a sauce vierge, lamb in puff pastry and crèpes bauminière. And thought, 'This is it!'"

At the age of 29 he sold his home and started The Fat Duck in Bray, where he earned a reputation for 'culinary alchemy' and eventually three Michelin stars. His acuity for brand building is faultless and, out-strips his thirst for financial gain. Apparently, the Fat Duck doesn't actually make money. Some stats that are a testament to the power of the brand: On an average day the receptionists answer around 400 calls, the system logs 24,000 that fail to get through. On one bank holiday 32,000 missed calls were logged. However, Mr Blumenthal is decreasing the number of seats, and he says, "Because with fewer covers we can pay more attention to detail. The Duck allows everything else to happen - so everything I do is to pay back the Duck and protect it." This is understanding what matters about branding. And is 100% authentic.

Victoria Beckham's autumn 2011 collection goes on show during New York fashion week. Her bags command four-figure price tags. Photograph: Bebeto Matthews/AP

The next brand has gone from nothing to pretty damned stunning in two and a half years. Victoria Beckham's fashion label. OK, she had fame and notoriety, and money, but she didn't have fashion designer credibility or that many people saying, "Oh yeah, that will work."

She has defied the nay-sayers by delivering distinctive catwalk style over five seasons. Her catwalk commentary is intimate, self-depracating and winning. She emits a personal style that is wearable, elegant and wantable. And she's done that great fashion designer signifier - the bag. To quote the article in today's Guardian, "Beckham and Simon Fuller, her partner in the label, are playing the long game in building the brand." Clever, measured, authentic and as elegant as her frocks. Is she the next Coco Chanel?

Art, life, wisdom and football

2011-02-11T17:09:00.002Z

Never underestimate the intelligence of your audience. A lesson for all brand communications.

Just in case you missed this in Hugh Muir's Diary, in the Guardian yesterday, I repeat the whole piece here:

Yes, wisdom is found in unexpected places. And giving a lecture on leadership at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in Glasgow on Monday night, Sir Alex Ferguson told of his surprise on learning that one of his former players knew something of fine art. During a quiz between the team and coaching staff, the coaches were leading with one question left to go, when the players were asked: "Which artist painted Sunflowers?" Amid silence and blank looks, the coaches were confident of victory, only for Nicky Butt to shout out with 10 seconds to go – Van Gogh! "How the hell did you know that" demanded Sir Alex? "I have two in my house," said Butt.

Bringing a smile

2011-02-10T14:45:00.010Z

Just heard a lovely piece on the radio by a client of ours, Johnnie Boden. He beautifully communicates his brand and even bats off the slightly facetious question "Will Boden ever be cool?" with a very confident and measured, "Coolness is not a brand value of ours." Excellent.

Listen to it on the You and Yours website or read Winifred Robinson's blog here.

Specific Customer Service

2011-02-04T14:38:00.005Z

What a great feeling! A shopkeeper who knows you, responds to your needs and provides what you want.

Any of you who have, have had or have been, an eight year old girl will know that there is a certain specificity about the things she will or will not use (or indeed will or will not do). My daughter has very specific requests for her toothpaste and vitamin tablets. Our local pharmacy, not more than 100 yards away, was our main source of Punch and Judy, strawberry flavour toothpaste, and it is hard to find elsewhere. When it was out of stock, my heart sank, but Nilish said, 'Would you like us to order some?' So just now I have returned from the shop bearing the correct oral hygiene product and the desired chewy vitamins, also specially ordered.

He also delivers your prescriptions to your door.

A clue to brand behaviour at all levels.

Audio branding

2011-01-31T15:55:00.007Z

Today we heard the sad news that John Barry has died. But what a legacy he leaves. His music has the masterly genius to create a melody and evoke a mood in the space of 10 seconds. Listen to the opening bars of Born Free before Matt Monroe even comes in with his honeydew voice, and you are already transported to the wilds of Kenya and Elsa gambolling with the beautiful Virginia McKenna.

Perhaps the most impressive body of work, from a branding perspective, is for the Bond movies. I'm not sure Bond, James Bond, would ever have been so suave, confident and classy without the richness of Barry's work. His connection with Mr Bond started when he arranged Monty Norman's score for the first ever 007 film, Dr No. From there he went on to create theme tunes that wove in the Bond DNA melodically, memorably and with the ability to evoke excitement, instantly. The 007 brand is indeed multi-sensory.

Audio branding has a bit of a motley reputation in the commercial world. Jingles are often rather poo-pood - but can be enormously powerful. Who can forget 'Shake & Vac and put the freshness back', 'a finger of Fudge is just enough' and more recently the uniquley annoying 'Go Compare'.

The purity of the sounds developed for Direct Line and Intel are not jingles, but clever signals that underscore every ad. Their cleverness is belied by their simplicity. These are sonic bites.

Great music does sometimes lift a TV commercial from good to great. The marvellous Lurpak ad by Weiden & Kennedy is greatly enhanced by the use of Canis Lupus from Fantastic Mr Fox by Alexandre Desplat. Fyfe Dangerfield's cover of the Billy Joel song 'She's always a Woman' gave the 2010 John Lewis ad an emotional edge that the imagery would never have reached alone (or more to the point with a less brilliant choice of music).

We're sorry to say farewell to John Barry. His swirling sounds will continue to stir high emotions for years to come.

Laura Ashley blooms

2011-01-25T10:01:00.010Z

Laura Ashley is doing better than expected. Shares are soaring.

Laura Ashley started with Bernard and Laura experimenting at home with fabric printing in 1953. Over time they produced more, got some retailers to stock their work, and expanded their family and products. By 1967 they were producing fabric in quantity and had opened shops. Their dresses were very much 'on trend' as minis gave way to romantic maxis in the late 1960s.

I remember visiting the Laura Ashley shop in Bath in around 1970/71. It was a dreamy place of gypsy style flounce and floral ecstasy. I bought a white scooped-neck cotton top, with little pin tucks and a bobbly edge around the neck. It tied at the waist with a bit of ribbon, rather in the style of a Victorian undergarment. I loved it. (Above, how I thought I looked, a Laura Ashley ad from the 70s)

Today, three quarters of their sales come from home furnishings. It's interesting to see how a brand, through various ups and downs, not least the tragic death of Laura in 1985, can subtly shift its centre of gravity to retain/regain success.

Through focus, a brand can build a meaning above and beyond its product deliverable. Brand elasticity has long been a measure of whether you have a real brand or just a great product. Would you buy an Apple chair? Sounds intriguing and cool. Apple have stretched beautifully from personal computer to music player to online media shop (at least). Virgin is a classic brand across markets (if a little rocky in places now). You can see brands standing for something more than - or at least different to - their core product. Sometimes, something visual becomes the trigger for the brand feeling. Paul Smith's stripes are now enough for me to think 'elegant British tailoring with a twist' - whatever they are on. And some brands have to use their bit of elasticity to shift. There's not a whiff of cigarette smoke around Dunhill now.

Laura Ashley was never really about buying a dress, there was a whole evocative depth of feeling as you slipped into your ditsy floral or linen underwear. This was eroded over time by management, design and outside fashion influences. But there is still an idea and warm feeling conjured up in the (right) customers' minds when they think of the brand. And for them the slight shift to a less ephemeral purchase, a more solid statement of style over fashion (with printed fabric at its core), is perfect for their slightly older, perhaps more considered, selves. So buying a lovely armchair or some elegantly coordinated cushions taps into the Laura Ashley thing, but represents a more reliable and, yes, profitable market for the brand. Good work.

A beautifully tailored brand

2011-01-14T13:15:00.010Z

My relationship with brands and the idea of branding goes up and down - but, rather like Darcy in his ridiculous declaration of love to Elizabeth Bennet, I love Aubin & Wills despite all the reasons I shouldn't. And I think there are two main reasons for this.

The first, and why I got into the whole branding business, is the obvious and gorgeous use of design. The wonderful over use of typography, the curlicues and fabricated heritage, the archaic language, "Exclusively for the discerning," and wild overclaim, "Second to none," all adds up to a visual story that lifts the heart and opens the wallet. The story is about the respect, nostalgia and celebration of a great retail and tailoring tradition. The brand is new, launched in September 2008 as an offshoot of Jack Wills for an 'older' market, but the spirit of its visual manifestation is so honest in its actuality that it is not a sham or a pastiche, it is very much revelling in the joy and history of fabulous graphic design.

The commitment to design goes way beyond the graphics - after all it is a fashion label and I think the clothes are beautifully judged with their mix of trad British and contemporary relevance. More than that they demonstrate a genuine commitment to sourcing and supporting traditional clothing manufacturers - a new boot has been developed with Grenson, The Black Addington overcoat is made from Herringbone cloth woven by British mill Fox Brothers & Co, The Pallington Mac was designed in collaboration with the two hundred year old brand Mackintosh.

The second reason I think this is a really interesting brand is their outstanding drive to create a community around themselves. The Westbourne Grove shop hosts exhibitions and talks as part of its 'cultural offensive' and the Shoreditch store has a Cinema and Gallery with a lively programme. In terms of developing a 'tone of voice' they they are using an excellent portfolio of tools. The Almanac they produce quarterly and their little videos are fantastically sexy and a risqué.

Now, what has inspired my homage to Aubin & Wills? Well the sales, of course. In need of a good coat I was lured in by the rather distinctive Addington coat in the 'Large Dogtooth colour woven by the esteemed mill, Magee of Donegal in Ireland, famed for its continued use of traditional hand weaving methods and directional, interesting cloths.' And even more attractively at half-price. Ordered online, my real joy came when it was delivered, the large box opened to reveal the over-sized paper carrier bag covered with glorious type, inside which was this amazing garment bag, in real cloth, carefully enshrouding my beautiful, half-price, coat. Ooo - what a thrill!

Local-ness

2011-01-11T12:05:00.005Z

A theme for this year, carrying on from last, will be brands that feel in touch with their locality, brands that have genuine provenance that we care about.

Nowhere (so far) was this stronger than at the marvellous Lyric Hammersmith panto - Dick Whittington and his Cat. The adaptation to locality, with the geographical references, rich cultural diversity and modification of lyrics (such as 'Glory, Glory Hammersmith' and the often spoofed Jay Z's 'Empire State of Mind') help build the warm sense of pride feeling connected delivers.

The enjoyment of the evening was greatly enhanced by some dazzling performances by the Lyric Youth ensemble and the likes of Steven Webb, Rosalind James, Kulvinder Ghir, Paul J Medford and Shaun Prendergast. Simon Kunz (known to my children as the beloved butler, Martin, in The Parent Trap) was the most brilliant King Rat and his sidekick, Scaramouche, was the young Nathan Bryon - who topped the local touch for us as he's a school mate of our son Jack.

My feeling is that customers will be putting a greater emphasis this year on things they care about, finding a connection, making a difference, a value beyond financial - quality not quantity.

Brand well

2010-10-01T13:02:00.009+01:00

Swanswell have just published their Impact Report 2010. A beautiful document that oozes humble confidence, professional pride and humanity in spades. And, we like to think, the strong influence of our great brand thinking.

A joy of a client with a gritty product and a genuinely meaningful purpose, we worked hard to focus, simplify and de-babble their vision and mission. We helped focus their brand, and create clear brand strategy from which could flow their name, strapline, copy, attitude, tone of voice and visual identity.

Their Impact Report 2010 actually has the vision and mission upfront and (you may feel empathy with this) a clear statement of what Swanswell is, distilled from much too-ing and fro-ing and nuancing. It might look easy now, but the whole thing represents such a terrific piece of teamwork, trust and hard work that it almost brings a tear to my eye.

johnsonbanks' identity, carried forward into this delightful publication, is such a brilliant exposition of the brand strategy it takes my breath away. The crumple concept is described in the report, "The crumpled part of the logo represents how our service users often tell us they felt before they came to Swanswell. The logo then smoothes out representing how a person can be happy and well with Swanswell's help and support."

And the post-it note flick book is the icing on the cake.

A clear vision

2009-10-08T12:22:00.004+01:00

It is always a joy to see clarity of thinking and optimistic ambition encapsulated by a brand. Cass Art has got this delightful vision emblazoned above their shops - this one is in Berwick Street in Soho.

The area has always been a hot bed for artists - and other things - but the move of St Martins up to Kings Cross may reduce its arty reputation. And conversely the bohemian Soho chic of St Martins (yes I still call that bit St Martins) may be eroded by the move. Having in the past been one of the top 5 Cool Brands in the UK (along with Aston Martin, Marc Jacobs, Bang & Olufsen and Apple) it needs to work on maintaining its reputation. There is however a lovely project being set up by Central St Martins where alumni are being asked to be part of 'Mapping the Move' by drawing bits of their old college spaces. So get down to Cass Art, sharpen your pencils and balance on your drawing stool to add your mark making to the archive.

Image of Richard Long by Oded Halammy, see it here

Insight overload...

2009-10-02T13:40:00.004+01:00

Last week I was lucky enough to be invited to a breakfast briefing by Breaking Trends called "Re-booting for Growth" - a summary of key headlines from their Breaking Trends Global Briefing 2009. The presentation was rather a sensory overload with a fast-paced video of 'trends' and lots of buzz-word sound-bite type information. I would love to say that I have distilled down some key signposts for 'smart ways to evolve out of the downturn' - but I suspect my early morning brain was not wholly up to the job. However a few snippets still seem interesting and potentially relevant. With the recession being such a big influence and focus (and challenge) a lot of the insights seemed a little more like just good common sense and not startlingly new/surprising - but let's face it there's nothing wrong with common sense - and how often is it actually acted upon?

A few things that sound interesting (in no particular order):

Differentiation is the big challenge - transparency, trust and tone should be the new bywords
Consumers are looking for "beacons of truth and constancy"
Shared narratives cut across silos - a rather nice example of this, I think, is Nick Hand on his slow bike ride around Britain
There is a need to re-tribe consumers eg Gen Y - under 26, sceptical of traditional media, tech savvy, creative conversations; Boomer woman - thoughtful messaging, set to inherit from both sides of the family (parents and husband)
Conversation is a big thing - consumer centric behaviour will be embodied by creative conversation companies, conversations are peer to peer, consumer to company, company to employee, employee to employee etc
the rise and rise of the conversational company
"treat employees like customers"
we are entering the "era of consequences"
As Elmo's Mum said, apparently, "Sometimes waiting for something makes you value it even more when you get it."
Invest in smart R&D
living standards will drop by 20% in the next 2-3 years
belt-tightening becomes a fine art
big growth in health stuff
twitter facts - 85% of people on it use it less than once a day; 53% of users are women; 5% of twitter users account for 75% of the activity
the rise and rise of the 'android' phone
10% of all UK internet traffic is iPlayer
we'll be tracking our kids soon
technology will be used less as virtual life and more to enable/facilitate real life
those who succeed will be those who have global insight, invest in it and act without hesitation

Action is key. Good information is key. Communication is key. Imagination is key. Contextualised thinking is key.

Anniversary heaven

2009-07-23T15:40:00.007+01:00

What is it about years that end in 4? or 9?

In 1909 the 'Amazing Oxygen Washer' was launched in the UK. Persil. The current TV ads give a delightful amble through the last 50 or so years of persuading Mum that her kids will love her more if she keeps their clothes clean. And yes 100 years is indeed an achievement to be celebrated. But it seems that today's rather unsettling economic climate makes it even more important. I have never noticed so many significant anniversaries being so vociferously celebrated.

The connection with the past, being here for the long-term, having bricks and mortar behind you, having a heritage, a provenance, a human core, seem to be more important than ever. Brands depend on a central idea that outlives the short-term ups and downs, that makes a connection with its customers. Those ideas are damaged by thoughtless, 'commercial' decisions and enhanced by heart-warming, well-rooted endeavours.

The human side of Virgin Atlantic, celebrating its 25th anniversary, has always been embodied by Richard Branson. And sexist or not, its recent advertising has capitalised on its reputation for beautiful girls and glamour. Virgin has taken that opportunity, only available to those who do have something to celebrate, to demonstrate their comparative age and reliability in a fairly threatened business sector. Other things that are celebrating 25 years - the launch of the Apple Mac and Michael Jackson's Thriller. Of course 2009 may now be a rather more poignant Michael Jackson anniversary.

Whilst you can only have a good anniversary year if you clock up a reasonable number - which has to end in 0 or 5, it does seem more people are taking the opportunity this year than usual. It was indeed 200 years since Charles Darwin was born and 250 years since the founding of Kew Gardens, taking its year if 'birth' from the date that William Alton was appointed to take care of and expand the gardens for Princess Augusta. It is 200 years since Arthur Guinness signed the contract for his brewery in Dublin, and started brewing porter and ale, 80 years since the first Guinness advertising in 1929. And, wow, 800 years since the founding of Cambridge University. All fantastically great achievements, but probably all needed a little bit of extra research to firm up on the best date to actually celebrate.

The celebrations are a welcome relief in the doom and gloom of this recession-laden time, don't require any new investment and elevate the discussion to something higher than just survival (which for most of us today is achievement enough).

Probably the most effective anniversary from the 'it wasn't that important a number but it's good enough for our purposes' perspective is Marks and Spencer. 125 years is a great number of years, but I think more importantly has given M&S a reason and focus to their communications, an effective brand story that links them back to what we all feel is important in life, matching nicely the slightly more make-do-and-mend mood in the air, and giving them lots of new product and packaging ideas. Or as The Guardian put it, "Marks and Spencer have jumped on the nostalgia bandwagon." They even had 'Penny Bazaar' days selling certain items for 1p. It certainly stirred up some news stories and plenty of tweeting.

Writing in January, Lucy Barrett had warm things to say about the Virgin Atlantic campaign, including 'The ad portrays a brand with self-belief' but also had a dire warning for another brand, "And I may be wrong, but there is one birthday celebration I can see being put on ice. This year will mark 125 years since Michael Marks, a Russia-born Polish refugee, opened a stall at Leeds Kirkgate Market. He went on to build the empire that we know as Marks & Spencer. Although it has 100 years on Virgin Atlantic, given its Christmas sales, gloomy outlook and store closures, don't hold your breath for the retail chain to throw a spectacular party. And it would be right not to. A milestone can be in danger of being a millstone if it is flagged up at the wrong time." Ah well.

If this year is anniversary heaven, what will next year bring?

Photographers' self-branding

2009-06-15T10:51:00.004+01:00

Catherine Gratwicke

An article for the current (June) issue of the Association of Photographers journal, Image:

What’s the point of employing a photographer? I’ve got a Nikon DX40. I love it. I need an image. I take it. Download onto the laptop. Into iPhoto. And there it is, ready to use - whether it’s just for a blog, an article, a report, a bit of packaging, an ad - what’s the problem?

Along with all the general cut-backs, downsizes and rationalisations going on - everybody thinks they’re a photographer. And on top of that, what about picture libraries? Do they just create a Getty-esque photo-soup where buyers can search, click and buy with no human interaction? What can you do?

One approach is to ensure people know who you are and why they should contact you, in particular. We have two rules of thumb in deciding how to communicate a brand: Who are you? and Why should I care? The first question implores you to sum up your ‘brand positioning’, where you place yourself in the market, what you stand for, what sort of photographer you are. The second question ensures that you have an offer that is appealing to your target market - what is it you are doing that will improve their ad, design, exhibition, book, report - how are you going to make them look better - and how is this different from the next photographer (or any old bod with a Nikon)?

The good thing about brands is that they still work when you’re not actually there. There is a story, a point, a raison d’etre, that exists and lives beyond your physical presence. Your task is to communicate. There are lots of avenues to pursue, with varying cost/time penalties attached. An exhibition is great - but who, how, where, why? A bit of PR would be lovely. Lots of phonecalls to artbuyers. Using Shank’s pony to take your portfolio from glitzy ad agency to warren-like publishing house to too-often overly resourceful designers (who are quite good at d-i-y photography).

A relatively simple way of creating a shop window is a website that works for you. This helps because it gives you somewhere to refer people to if you meet them at a party, give them a card, phone them, leave details, drop in and leave a card at reception. If you are one of the 1800 or so members of the AOP you can get a link from their website - the AOP Members Portfolio.

I’ve been commissioned to write this article from a position of knowing little about photographers these days, not being over familiar with their websites, but having a professional practice developing brands. I’m fresh to what’s out there and unbiased. I’m just going to react to what I see.

The first place I go to to look for photographers’ websites is the above mentioned AOP Members Portfolio. There’s lots of ways to search it - by specialism, by region, by country, by photographer’s name.

I start by a few random clicks just to see what sort of things are out there. There’s two things you can do. Click on the photographer’s name and get a new little window open. This gives a mini-portfolio on white, contact details, as much info/biog as you want and a link to your website. Alternatively you can go straight from the listing to the website.

The first few I look at give me some clues to what works best. A good example is David Parmiter . His home page, whilst clean, fresh and uncluttered, includes a slide show of his photographs, his contact details and a straightforward proposition, “I specialise in the creative photography of commercial and domestic interiors and exteriors, working throughout Europe.” Others take too many clicks to get to a photograph, two clicks to get to contact details or lost me so that I couldn’t get back to the homepage. Another very elegant site was Sophie Broadbridge’s. You do have to click to get to contact details, but her portfolio comes up by default and looks stunning. So simple, white, show off your work seemed to be the first general hints.

My next ‘search criterion’ was people I know. First I looked at Edmund Clark’s site. A beautiful site, white, elegant, an intelligent mix of pictures and words. Ed’s site begins to articulate his position in the world of photography. He clearly communicates why I should care about him. He is a story teller - his documentary work has curious, moving narratives. This illustrates the next vital ingredient of the self-brand. Somewhere on the internal map of the potential buyer you must plot your space. What are they looking for? Narrative? Colour? Texture? Commercial and domestic interiors? What’s your thing? Ideally something people can’t do so easily themselves. Just look at the work of Martin Wilson, an intriguing designer/artist/photographer or Cenci Goepel and Jens Warnecke at Lightmark.

What’s the role of your website? Step one is to prove you exist. It’s a reassurance to any potential commissioners. A good example of a simple, straightforward website that can achieve this initial result, without too much financial outlay, is Richard Cooke’s where he has created a simple online portfolio. He has the problem of having a namesake photographer so has had to be a bit more creative in choosing a domain name.

The next step is to use it as part of the relationship you build up with your client base. I talked to Catherine Gratwicke about her website. She didn’t think that it brought in work, but it did give people something to look at before calling in her book. It creates a focal point for maintaining relationships with the loyal clients that she has nurtured over the last ten years. Her original brief to the designers was, “Simplicity, no music, no flash plug-ins, quick access to the pictures.” Importantly for Cath, the website is just part of her toolbox. By refreshing her website, and then mailing her clients, she can renew contacts, remind people she exists and point them in the direction of her new work. She shies away from looking too flash and slick and likes to keep something textural and tactile in her work, and a personal touch to all her communications - redolent of her roots as a textile designer. When I ask what is her point of difference, her ‘why should I care?’ she’s very lucid, “My work is painterly, tactile - I’m known for rich colour, textural images.” A clear point on the commissioner’s mind map.

Relationships tend to work best when you are alive. A dusty website with images a couple of years old often worries a potential commissioner. A useful tool is to add a blog. Yes, it’s a bit of a cliche perhaps, but it does give you an effective way of communicating your personality, posting up your latest work very easily, show that you’re active (you can always talk about ‘personal’ projects) and create a two-way exchange with your audience.

Another way to both create interactivity and keep control and ownership of your brand is to create your own archive. With people turning more and more to picture libraries, there is a temptation to take pictures specifically to sell to them. Yes, it’s an income, but there is a tendency for you to become anonymous and commoditised. With your own transactional offer you can retain your distinctive position. Tessa Traeger has a career’s worth to offer, but everyone has to start somewhere, and the potential of technology today makes things a lot more possible.

10 top tips to using a website to help build your personal brand

Why should I care? What’s the thing you want to be known for? What can you be best at? That’s your positioning. That’s the start of your design brief.
Simplicity
The photos should be hero - have a look at Rankin's
Build a relationship with your contacts - contact details on homepage, blog once a week, link to other sites - exhibitions, galleries, friends
How are you driving people to your website? Get some good cards, try moo via flickr
Use your toolbox - anything you do on the website is worth telling people about - e-newsletter, postcards, phone calls...
Keep control of your brand - think about your own picture library
Make it personal - make sure you love your website, it feels like you and everything you send out has that little extra you-ness, tell your story
List yourself wherever you can - AOP Members Portfolio for example
Don’t let the dust build up - refresh, renew, re-energise

Unpacking the brand

2009-06-12T11:33:00.007+01:00

Never knowingly disappointing. Unwrapping our new MacBookPro is as satisfying and delightful experience as ever unwrapping an Apple product has been. Dramatically slimmed down into a briefcase sized box, it reveals its layers elegantly in chichi black and white, the carved aluminium of the MacBook itself temptingly oozing style and potential.

The experience of being in the Apple Store is still a delight, embuing a sense of feeling good in this tattered world. The staff are lovely with their sky blue t-shirts and perky attitudes. Jonathan had to go back today because he was worried about a kind of screen drag/ripple when he plugged his mouse in - I suspect he might just have wanted to bask in the Apple-ness and enjoy the feeling of belonging to a better place.

The roots of branding

2009-06-08T11:40:00.011+01:00

So...carrying on from the idea of "there's never been such a good time to create a brand", we thought we'd have a go ourselves.

Whilst brand strategy is all very intellectually rewarding (and still our proper job!) both Jonathan and I have (a not very well hidden) artistic streak. Both having been trained as designers we have over the years maintained a strong interest and practice in drawing, painting and illustration and have a deep love of letterpress printing, pattern paper and book design. We decided to dust off the printing press and create a brand offer combining the best of today's empowering technology with our love for the smell of ink, texture of paper and satisfaction of pattern. And bring to bear our branding expertise.

Starch Green is something we love doing and gets back to our roots as artist/designers - and is an excellent exercise in developing an authentic brand and seeing if we can grow it organically with a community of customers - we like the idea of 'viral' word-of-mouth growth, responding to what our customers like best and hoping they'll become advocates. A few key drivers that we have learned from developing brands are:

authenticity is king
real brands take time
believe in what you do
listen to customers
reward advocates

Our aim is to develop a brand that is charming and delightful. We have an offer of handmade design that stretches the not very great distance from wood engraving and pattern paper, through what is these days known as graphic design but we might prefer to call commercial art, to artefacts decorated with our pattern papers. Our inspirations are Ravilious, Picture Puffins, Curwen endpapers and the growing band of artist/retailers inhabiting Artisania including St Judes, Harrington & Squires, Labour & Wait and Rennies.

While Brand Guardians consultancy carries on from strength to strength, there's a thrilling excitement about creating a new brand that is all about doing things because we like them. Listening to Start the Week on Radio 4 this morning Katie Mitchell, opera director, asked Sir Peter Hall on what basis he put his repertoire in Bath together. His answer, "The basis is entirely egocentric based on the plays I want to do and the actors I can get." Which leads me nicely to the other ingredients of branding that we hope to exploit:

a vision that we are passionate about (what we want to do)
that we are able to do (available 'actors').

Here’s one we almost forgot about...

2009-04-01T10:40:00.000+01:00

We have been working with Sony for a few years now naming computer games, and one we were particularly proud of was MotorStorm for the Playstation 3 – a top seller in Europe (and everywhere else for all we know). A year ago our client rang us up and said we had a week to come up with the sequel.

Much scratching of heads and game playing took place (strictly for research purposes you understand) and our list of names was dutifully despatched.

Due to various conference/presentation client complications our client told us the final decision was on hold, but he would definitely get back to us when the powers that be let him know what name they would be going with.

We promptly forgot all about it as other assignments took our attention, and before we knew it – there it was – MotorStorm Pacific Rift – and it’s one of ours!

Now all we need to do is send off the invoice for the success fee…

Another day, another launch...

2009-03-31T15:09:00.000+01:00

It’s always nice when a brand you have been working on finally gets to launch, but it’s especially nice when the brand that emerges fulfils the promise you saw when you first won the job - and extra extra special when it is a johnson banks design.

It’s a little over a year since I first went to see Debbie Bannigan, the CEO of Swanswell Charitable Trust, a drug and alcohol charity based in the West Midlands, and although she had a number of specific issues about the existing brand image, her main brief to me was ‘give me a brand my people and service users deserve’.

Nice brief eh?

Ones like these don’t come along very often, and true to her word, Debbie set the bar high, but was invariably open and positive as we closed in on our solution. As all our clients will confirm, I never tire of telling them brand development is less about invention, and more about archeology. We know the solution is ‘in there somewhere’, it just has to be revealed.

So we spent a fair amount of time talking to everyone we could; interviews, workshops (I like workshops because someone will usually have the solution without always knowing it!), service users (they swept away a few of my own personal pre-conceptions), in fact anyone who would talk to us.

Debbie also had a compelling vision for where she wanted to take the organisation – expansion of the service, expansion beyond it’s traditional regional base. We got a very enlightened bunch of trustees to buy in to all these new plans and endorse a new vision and mission.

Once we had done our brand strategy ‘thing’ (capabilities, competition, customers, vision and mission etc) we pitched out the visual identity work. We were delighted when our old friend Michael Johnson of johnson banks won the pitch, he impressed everyone with his usual combination of creativity, wit and charm.

Michael and his team did a great job, interpreting our creative brief, and bringing to life a brand idea that is both eye catching and engaging.

So what are the highlights?

1. We got rid of the multi-various names Swanswell had been operating under (and there were quite a few) and re-named everything Swanswell

2. We broke away from the generic market language (which tends to be rather grey and neutral) and adopted a defiantly upbeat message – ‘Change and be Happy’ (no glass half empty here!).

3. Michael came up with a great visual device/metaphor that underpins the identity, something we call ‘crumple’. The logo (and many of the other components of the identity) is a half crumpled piece of paper with the name written on it (see below) – this device illustrates the process service users go through as they change their habits of substance abuse – from crumpled to smooth. We even have business cards that staff have to half crumple before they hand them out, so they have to explain what it means (we’ve had amazing feedback on how well this works, it’s funny, surprising and amazingly touching!).

4. Michael developed an entire visual look and feel that helps to simplify the language and messages for the brand, that is distinctive, fresh and like nothing else in the sector.

5. We have a very hard-hitting photographic route suitable for advertising and promotion, which we are holding back until the right opportunity arrises.

6. Michael and his team have diligently worked through the minutiae of stationary, leaflets, printwork and ‘stuff’ to ensure the brand embeds itself into every nook and cranny of Swanswell (lets face it, designers never make money on this stuff – but it has to be done). They oversaw a quick ‘re-skinning’ of the existing website, which will undergo a more significant upgrade later in the year. Oh, and lets not forget creating a comprehensive visual identity manual, powerpoint templates etc etc.

7. We have taken every staff member through the brand story – ‘the why where what when how what-if’ of their new Swanswell brand.

Well I could go on, but I’m sure you get the picture… Why not visit the website?

Thanks to everyone who worked on it – the management team, their clients, the service users, the designers, the trustees, the staff, the printers, the web designers…. I love you all!

Jonathan

Swanswell Charitable Trust - before...

Swanswell - after...

The New England Kit

2009-03-31T10:16:00.007+01:00

Now I'm not an all out, rattle-waving football fan, but I do like to watch a good match and I always get a thrill watching England play. And it's been hard not to be aware of the controversy surrounding the new England kit revealed on Saturday at the friendly against Slovakia. 5 Live's Alan Green even went as far as calling it "grotesque".

I think it's fantastic. It has tapped into the mood of a nation. It's reserved retro styling, soft, aertex-like appearance, and neat tailoring sums up beautifully the nostalgia-austerity-mend and make do era that we have now entered. Rather than the gaudy go-faster stripes, chavvish cut and wealth flaunting designs of the past this kit has introduced a bespoke reserve, requiring that, as Simon Mills says in the Guardian today, "every England player's ham-sized thigh and ripped chest was measured for size." Not only is this expression of Brand England hitting the crest of the national mood wave, it's also creating a level of interest and excitement way beyond that of just watching football (if that is possible!)

As a complete sense of Englishness oozes through every fibre the three lions look better than ever and the logo of Umbro proud and relevant. Established in 1924 this English brand has been tailoring kits for the England football team for 85 years. Their approach to this season's kit is refreshing and sensitive, involving the primary customers, the team, and distilling the essence of the brand beautifully. The website announces, "Once again, Umbro brings together the traditional values of classic tailoring with modern fabric technology and a revolutionary design philosophy. The new England kit is the proud result. Honoring the past, looking forward to the future. The right shirt at the right time. Tailored by Umbro. Tailored by England."

If the welling pride and ham-sized thighs and ripped chests haven't made you feel like a lie down, watch this...

Subcultural creatives

2009-03-13T13:03:00.008Z

Many brands succeed by their attachment to a tribe or their ability to "find a parade", as Marty Neumeier promotes in his excellent little book 'ZAG'. Reading Tom Heuerman's latest pamphlet 'The Cultural Creatives' I see that brand Obama's success was largely due to the wave of Cultural Creatives in the US nurturing the right climate for his optimistic leadership.

Cultural Creatives have a lot of resonance with the Brand Guardians leadership. The basic values of authenticity, engaged action, idealism, globalism and ecology, and the importance of women are close to our hearts and implicit in our work. We are also highly sympathetic to the less than perfect creative process. In the article Heuerman says, "Creativity is messy and inefficient. Mistakes will be made as we move beyond our knowledge. Not all will be done well. Such is the nature of transformational change."

The thought of influential tribes and cultural leaders reminded me of the extraordinary 'Exactitudes' project by Dutch photographer Ari Versluis and profiler Ellie Uyttenbroek. Their work brings a visual analysis to ideas of individualism and identity. They were featured in an episode of 'The Culture Show' last year (which incidentally briefly shows our eldest son as a 'bonkerboy').

Perceptiveness and sensitivity to cultural tides are heightened at the moment, and essential to chart our way to a better future.

The best time for branding

2009-02-23T14:43:00.014Z

"Recessions force you to be more creative and mean that the fundamentals of branding can be rewritten. I think people will be looking very hard at their branding to position themselves post-recession."

So says Dave Allen, former Brand Union CEO and two weeks in to starting his new brand consultancy, BrandPie. There are a number of aspects of this comment that I rather like:

1. Changing the way we think about branding, being more creative is grist to our mill

2. Preparing for post-recession - an optimistic view is always appreciated

3. Branding is great value now - you can rewrite your brand now ready to be ahead of the game come the upturn

4. There is a wave of new brand consultancies starting with a few people offering real expertise and experience

Creative thinking

One of the things that we have tried to stick to over the years is our creative heritage. We are trained as designers and use our creatively wired brains to help solve problems and communicate clearly. We have never embraced marketing speak and the complexity of brand valuation, but offered sharp minds that use the eclecticity of design thinking to add richness and common sense to brand strategy. At this time there is a re-evaluation of the value of branding; is it relevant, is it worthy, is it useful? What is useful is cutting through marketing-babble, getting a sense of 'the after-taste' of a brand, the commonality that triggers customers understanding and communicating this effectively internally and externally. Brand or be branded has never been more relevant. Have a look at this great soliloquy

on branding. But brands have to be managed creatively, innovatively, with customer empathy and with a real sense of how the business it represents fulfils the brand promise - and accordingly how well it is run to deliver a great product, great experience and a sense of good value. Indeed the idea of brand valuation is a vacuous idea if it is expected to have value despite the poor management of the business - the two concepts are completely symbiotic and that's why brand is so important to businesses - not because it's an intangible value that can be added to the balance sheet, bought and sold, or add pence to the share value.

Optimism

Not much to say on this except that what we know is that recovery is all about confidence. The war time posters were all about a gritty resolution that would see out the rather grim reality all around, our current favourite of course being "Keep Calm and Carry On." It won't be long before "Dig for Victory" becomes even more relevant as the unsustainability of our farming/retail sysytems become ever more apparent.

Great Value - do it now

According to a report by The Survey Shop, commissioned by the Principle Group called 'Implementation, Rebranding and Design' this is a great time to consider rebranding:

56% of marketing directors of blue chip companies believe that a downturn could be the best time strategically to rebrand

63% of business leaders agree that the act of launching a new brand identity in uncertain times signals a bold embracing of change
65% of business leaders believe that rebranding would help large corporate institutions get back on track

What's more, I think most branding agencies will welcome your business, be particularly responsive, have an eye to the future of brand thinking and a new reality and be very good value for money. And when the tide turns, as it will, you'll be ready with a shiny, well-placed brand to embrace the new world order.

Small, close, independent and in control

The current wave of start-up consultancies with senior brand figures establishing small and personal businesses feels like a trend that is finally catching up with us. We have stuck to our guns over the years, determined to be the people that do the work, the thinking in our case, and talk to clients rather than run a business. This hasn't always been fashionable, but is great for our creative juices, insatiable appetite for new challenges and inspiration, and our work life balance. Being essentially 'creatives' we are far more at home in a studio surrounded by art, crafty objects and living clutter than in an office with clean-cut lines and open-plan sterility.

Michael Peters describes his new venture as a completely different approach to branding, "We will be working directly with clients around my kitchen table." Which is both extraordinarily refreshing and a convenient strategy to take in difficult times - I'm pretty sure he has a jolly nice kitchen table too. Smaller groups can offer well-managed costs and low overheads. Shaun Bowen, who has just left Pearlfisher where he was Creative Director to set up B&B, comments, "Keeping it small, you can get back to having relationships with clients where it's just you and them. You can be selective about clients and have that intimacy - with big consultancies, constantly chasing big accounts, you're missing opportunities to work with smaller challenger brands that want to make it big."

The other thing we have fiercely guarded is our independence. Here's a last word from Dave Allen (who gives some good do's and dont's here) that resonates with our philosophy, "There used to be loads of independent groups, but over the past 15 years these have all been bought by the big conglomerates," he says. "It's now very difficult to get independent advice, in my view. We've tested out this idea with clients, and it resonates." Us too.

Comfort Brands

2009-02-19T13:41:00.007Z

Asda has reported a wave of nostalgia shopping. Sales of classic food brands such as Fray Bentos pies and Bird's custard powder are soaring as customers "shopped like their parents".

This is great news. One thing that breaks my heart is the loss of some of the most iconic and beautiful packaging over the years. A trip to the Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising in Notting Hill generally just goes to prove that packaging tended to be a lot nicer. Some of the brands that have been sidelined over the years have managed to keep their rather idiosyncratic packaging - like Tate & Lyle's Golden Syrup and Atora. Maybe now their time has come. Their deeply nostalgic outfits and their reassuring contents, delivering in the case of the trinity above the perfect dessert of treacle suet pudding and custard, are perfectly matched to the mood of austerity, make do & mend and home-bound cocooning.

Other packaging that needs to stay as it is come-what-may include: Tunnocks Caramel Wafer Biscuit, Potter's Catarrh Pastilles, Fillipo Berrio Olive Oil and Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce. There's a delightful set of drawings of packaging here to mull over. Meanwhile Bird's could do with a bit of retro-designing...

Spring flowers - brand buds

2009-02-16T17:26:00.012Z

Counting the types of flowers as they appear has always been a staple spring ritual of my mother - bringing a reassurance that spring will eventually come and wipe away the long, grim winter - even if it's in fits and starts. I've been counting a few positives in the rather grim economic landscape.

Number One - It's heartening to hear that Austin Reed has come in to buy Viyella, a brand about which I waxed lyrical. Nick Hollingsworth, CEO, said, "It is a great brand but it had lost its way. It was like a crumpet that was missing the butter." I'd very much like the brand to re-examine its rich history and tradition, dig up its innovative moments and develop an authentic offer for the current customer. I'm not sure that Mr Hollingsworth's desire to "reinvent the brand for today's 50-year old" really does justice to the heritage of the actual fabric that bore the name. Unfortunately the fabric, the innovative mix of wool and cotton, is long gone - but with the trend towards self-sewing and thrifty fashion this may just be the time to re-invent it.

Number Two - Another branded fabric that seems to have become merely a fashion brand is Aertex. Once the pride of every school kid's PE kit, I discovered the apparent demise of the material in a quirky and charming copy of "The Evening Post" from clothes people Old Town. A Miss Willey reports, "I rang my order through as usual - 50 metres of white, 50 metres of eau de nil, 50 metres of pale blue - only to be told the devastating news. No more blue.....Turns out they haven't woven the fabric for the last 25 years. They've been sitting on old stock that has finally run out." If someone would like to order 2,000 metres they might crank up the machines again. Austin Reed interested? Or perhaps Paul Smith might do something interesting with pale blue Aertex? (By the way the positive here is reading "The Evening Post")

Number Three - Another well reported story is the new Wellworths store in Dorchester. The new owner manager, Claire Robertson, has chosen a name that cleverly links to its ancestor, Woolworths, and evokes value and humour. I haven't done the legals so I hope she's not infringing any of the existing Wellworths trade marks but, I believe, she has been canny enough to register the .com and .co.uk for her new brand. The opportunity she has is to create a local high street brand that can be sensitive and responsive to what the people want. She can stand in the store, talk to customers, put things on the shelf to try, offer testers and tasters and develop a genuinely useful brand. And again the ability to be on trend by stocking cooking pots, haberdashery and, obviously, pik'n'mix.

Number Four - Stories of improved sales in fast-food are maybe less heart-warming but are nevertheless significant. KFC, Domino's Pizza, Subway and even McDonald's are doing well. They are remarkable 'good value' in as much as they don't cost much and are tasty but are inevitably stoking a health time bomb. Their familiarity, accessibility and instant gratification are things that will all help them as recession busters. Any chance of a sense of social responsibility slipping in?

Number Five - The other great recession buster is the special offer. My favourite, and most stylish, of the moment is Boden's Catch of the Day - they're taking 25% off one item, for one day, everyday. Clear, tempting and with a sense of urgency. And it sounds as though it comes with chips... Yet another example of a small treat to get you through the grey winter of gloom.

Photo from Old Town website

Some brands continue to deliver - even in the snow

2009-02-02T16:46:00.005Z

Some brands are still delivering the brand essence that have made them the icons they are today. The warm feelings that were ignited in me today were for the lovely John Lewis.

In the spirit of the times, and being 'on trend' in renewing my zeal for homely cooking, I was on the look out for the perfect pudding bowl. Having seen a couple of pricey ones I had a look at John Lewis's website and found the perfect item - in the sale - with free delivery. So on Friday I ordered two pudding bowls. On Sunday afternoon I received an email to say my bowls were on their way. I 'tracked' my parcel on Monday morning to find that it had been put on the van in Wembley at 8.10 am. And almost no traffic was going anywhere as we were experiencing the biggest snowfall for 18 years. What hope for my puddings?

But fear not. At around 1.00pm there was a ring at the door. Despite the crisp, white and even covering my pudding bowls had got through. Happy day. Good snow, no school and a warm feeling about John Lewis. Simple, wholesome and reliable. Just like steamed pudding and custard.

Brand Roulette

2009-01-09T12:13:00.008Z

Anyone with an interest in brands must have a mixed set of emotions right now about the economic effect on some historical brands. I'm torn between a faint nostalgia for what was, a frustration around 'what might have been', a smug 'well that was on the cards...' and a terror that everything's about to implode and go down the plughole...

Viyella is the latest victim. And another example of the brand in my head being very different to the brand on the ground (or indeed down that plughole). Inevitably the brands/companies that are going down have been dipping over years, maybe decades or even centuries. I can't help feeling Viyella's problems may have started with the name. First developed in 1893 and registered in 1894, the wool/cotton mix fabric was the first branded fabric - and named after the unlikely location of the mill where it was made - Via Gellia near Matlock. This sounds a lot like it should be in Italy to me - and admittedly potentially quite glamorous.

However, from my own acquaintance with the brand, from the 1960s onwards - the name always conjured up more musty old ladies rather than svelt bronzed Italians. I do know exactly how the fabric felt, I know exactly what it was good at, I have a kind of 'muscle memory' of the product. It was a beautiful mix of merino wool and cotton that "combined lightness and fashion with warmth and durability," according to Wikipedia. It hang with elegance. It could be plain or patterned. It was great for children's clothes and military shirts. But - the name was more like Crimplene - pure polyester. And the fabric - the core product of the brand - no longer exists.

So, whilst I'm a strong believer in the theoretical ability for a brand to be able to move away from its primary product - it only does this successfully when it takes on emotional associations and a sense of meaning to its customers that makes sense of new stuff. Indeed the very act of innovation can improve the brand. But despite everything that Viyella has done over the last 40 years or so, I still associate it most with the actual quality of the fabric. I don't have a new positive internal image of what it stands for. It feels to me as if some jewel, some tiny, shiny, brand essence, some super-compressed atom of ingenuity conjured up by the Sissons brothers of William Hollins & Company in 1893, got mislaid.

Viyella, of course, was also taken over by the march of society. Our urge for ever more instant gratification, our embracing of greed and shopping, our enthusiasm for almost disposable clothing has fed the erosion of good, quality products, the perception of benefit from durability, and our ever decreasing skills in dress-making and repair! A short revival of Viyella as a fabric occurred in the mid-80s with the likes of Laura Ashley developing 'modern classics' - and indeed some delightful girls' dresses, one of which I still have handed on from a friend's daughter. But this didn't really halt the trend. Sadly, with the re-evaluation of value, skills and longevity that will surely follow the cataclysmic crunch we are currently experiencing, Viyella (the fabric) would probably have a surge in popularity.

Cheerful Children

2008-11-14T15:04:00.007Z

As I cycled across Chiswick Back Common in the miserable drizzly rain yesterday afternoon I was cheered by the wonderful bubbly giggling and chattering of innumerable small children. The local primary school were out on the tennis courts, the five-a-side pitches and indeed the soggy grass for their PE - and enjoying themselves. In the face of the deepest, sharpest slow-down/recession/depression of recent times these diminutive innocents were as happy as the proverbial Larry. Brand 'child' is alive and kicking.

The experience was somewhat enhanced by the fact that I had indeed cycled through the grim weather to the big Sainsbury's just to buy some strawberry shoelaces. Inadvertently I had promised these to my own diminutive innocent as a bribe to get her to go to drama club. I didn't know then how hard they are to find - but as I searched various newsagents and convenience stores I remembered the packet at home that had distinctly borne a Sainsbury logo. So I pushed on to reach the superstore. The marvel was that I scoured the store for the sweetie section, located the desired product, found they were '3 for a pound' which coincided beautifully with my requirement for 3 packets - and managed to check out and leave the shop having spent only the one pound. I was probably bucking the typical Sainsbury shopper trend as their profits are up 15% and there were healthy queues at the checkouts of well-stacked trollies.

I however felt strangely noble in my reserve, and of course very worthy on my bike. The lovely cheerful children was the added icing on top of the strawberry shoelace success. How hard times make us appreciate the small things. Next wave of optimism - preparing for the upturn...

The Westfield Empire storms on

2008-10-23T11:58:00.010+01:00

I am simultaneously intrigued and horrified by the new development of Westfield London at White City. Week after week Design Week announces the design of a flagship designer store in the centre. It must have created a huge boom for retail designers over the last 12 months or so and must, I believe, create job opportunities for the local population - which must be a good thing. It has a 'village' of high-spec designer outlets, it has a rich mix of high street standards, it has 'anchor' stores like M&S, Waitrose and Debenhams. It has 50 restaurants. It has a fourteen screen cinema. It has a gym, a luxury spa, a new state-of-the-art library, and even a wildlife centre (of which I have no details) - so it must be good. So why my feelings of discomfort and mild horror?

It's big - very, very big. It has been built on what Time Out's Maggie Davis described as 'what was a vast area of wasteland.' Well, I'm sure that is true in many ways - but I happen to be rather a fan of those odd gaps in cities that you always think, 'Why has no-one built on that?' They are often populated by sprouting purple buddleia - a favourite with butterflies, and turn out to be the home of some long-lost snail or microscopic worm thought to have become extinct in Roman times. They create a breathing space in the proverbial concrete jungle. And this wasteland in particular had the last remaining buildings from the Franco-British Exhibition of 1908 - a fantastic place, its pearly white surfaces giving it the enduring name 'White City', including the Olympic Stadium used for the 1908 games and host to 8 million visitors. The incongruous white arched hall that used to be next to Shepherds Bush Station was one of the remaining structures until its demolition.

So there's a curious nostalgia, a sense of loss, based on lots of stuff I never really saw - but somehow connected me back to the past, past pride, past achievement. Something I feel should be recognised, respected and remembered.

The things that irk me most about the new mega-mall (apart from the homage to retail and potential wasting of young lives as mall rats), is its total lack of respect and recognition of the local area. The name is purely a global brand building exercise of 'the largest listed retail property group by equity market capitalisation.' (www.westfield.com) Every development - in the USA, Australia, New Zealand or the UK, is pre-fixed Westfield. When I first saw the Westfield name on the hoardings surrounding the building site I innocently thought maybe it had some connection to being in West London. How very wrong. The naming of the site as Westfield London doesn't even recognise its westerly position. A corporate quip quoted by John Ryan in his article for Retail Week suggested that Westfield had succeeded in 'rebranding a London suburb.' Urgh. And since when was Shepherds Bush suburban anyway?

Then there's the hideous green glass exterior. It has that two tone green effect that just reeks shopping centre and makes me feel mildly ill. The 4,500 parking spaces - that'll be fun at going home time on a Saturday afternoon - especially if it's a match day at Queens Park Rangers.

Underlying its detachment from the local area is the way almost every article describes White City and W12 as amongst the most deprived areas of London, if not the UK. So a Prada shop and a Tiffany shop are going to be a real boon to the locals. No surprise the 80 security guards and 680 CCTV cameras will ensure that no hoodies contaminate the pristine, marble-floored galleria. This of course is an outrageously poor understanding of both the local community and people who like wearing hooded tops.

And finally my feelings are well summed up, again from Maggie Davis's piece in Time Out, by the 'crude red 'Westfield' logo the size of a bus' attached to the 'ugly green, metal-panelled exterior.'

Surely in this cathedral to good design and taste, with its top New York architects and cutting edge retail, we deserve a good logo that looks like it might have been created within the last 20 years.

Photograph by Rob Greig

That Microsoft brand thing...

2008-09-18T17:23:00.013+01:00

I have been meaning to write an article about the new ads from Microsoft, you know the ones – with Bill (Gates) and Jerry (Seinfeld). I had developed a theory about just what Microsoft might be up to, but before I could put the proverbial finger to keyboard, the interweb became awash with rumours that the ads have been pulled, or have possibly ‘done their job’ – depending on the spin you believe.

For those of you who haven’t heard about them (where have you been?), or seen them – here they are (assuming youtube continues to show them that is).

So what was Microsoft up to?

Well before I go too far, I have to express an interest in Microsoft, having just worked on an assignment to help rebrand most of the advertising revenue generating businesses within Microsoft – snappily called Microsoft Digital Advertising Solutions (MDAS for short) into – wait for it – Microsoft Advertising.

Now I know you may think that job didn’t need a whole heap of consultancy thinking, but as I like to think – great brand ideas in hindsight should always look kinda inevitable. The fact was that working with Microsoft was a delight – and that they really do have more big brains than you can shake a stick at, but unfortunately they are mostly huge brains that would rather focus on technology and products and functions and ‘neat stuff’ than branding – so this is where we came in.

So, far far away on another Microsoft planet (it really does feel that big) some big Microsoft brains have been pondering the ‘b’ word (brand – keep up), and why they aren’t the most loved brand on earth, as they rather feel they should be.

For 25 years they have increasingly dominated the I.T. world – particularly with those two huge cash cows, Windows and Office, but somehow their enormous portfolio of industry dominating products and services still doesn’t seem to add up to a great brand – why not?

Well, like most brand problems, the answer is incredibly simple, and incredibly complicated all at the same time. For why?

Microsoft is a very very complicated company (however hard it tries to simplify it’s organisational structure), with some very complicated products, services and propositions. It has a vast workforce of smart people coming up with smart things – and mostly what Microsoft loves best is coming up with more and more new smart things.

I have to admit I have sat through more than one meeting at Microsoft where I hadn’t the least idea what they were talking about (but hey, I am a brand consultant), and as I have already said – Microsoft is an awfully big and complicated place.

On the other hand, you have a company like Apple, that has been socking it to Microsoft on a daily basis for the last few years with their ‘Get a Mac’ campaign – you know the one – ‘Hi, I’m a Mac, and I’m a PC’ (I’ve included a few just for fun – see below).

Obviously Apple aren’t the only competitor, but for brevity lets stick with them.

I may be an aknowledged Mac fanboy, but even the most diehard Microsoft fanatic has to admit that Apple have successfully positioned themselves through this campaign at the expense of Microsoft, and we have heard barely a peep from Microsoft in defense.

Apple want their brand to stand for simplicity and elegance, with a hip and stylish panache, because they truly feel that the purpose of their products is to be simple and elegant – ‘they just work’. Their vision is delivered through the customer experience, and they are fanatical about every aspect of the experience – user interface, visual identity, websites, products, they all seem to be guided and created by one hand (and we all know who – right?).

The fact is Apple probably has the single most well managed branding programme on the planet – and it shows. They clearly pay top dollar for design talent, but what most impresses is the sheer attention to detail – it ALL looks so consistent – not in a uniform, dull and boring way, but in a beautiful, stylish cool looking way. And make no mistake – this cost a lot. But it works.

Alas Microsoft just doesn’t have such a well connected vision to experience. In fact Microsoft seems to think what it does is just too diverse to have any singular visionary idea that can be translated through a consistent brand building experience.

Don’t get me wrong, there are lots of really smart branding people within Microsoft, but the empire is just so large, so very VERY large, that very few people get a sufficient overview to draw a sufficiently singular and collectivising vision together, and the organisation doesn’t have the will or the discipline to deliver a consistent and desirable customer experience.

Microsoft is run much more as a business than a brand, so where all decisions within Apple feel like they have come personally from the hand of Steve, the decisions passing up and down the layers of management in Microsoft just don’t appear to have any cohesiveness – and that’s assuming you actually understand what most of the guys are talking about, because from my very limited experience and perspective, the one thing Microsoft really seem to enjoy is complexity.

And so this is where I think the super smart guys from Crispin Porter & Bogusky came in – the hottest advertising agency on the planet – and tasked (or challenged – you choose) to come up with an advertising campaign that will help to reposition Microsoft (and most likely create a repost to the Get a Mac campaign) with some sort of coherent Microsoft vision.

Crispin Porter & Bogusky have made a reputation creating smart, funny, insightful and effective advertising (and like all advertising guys – they all use Macs! But like a challenge) and the feeling is, if they can’t do it, nobody can.

But what is that singular vision, and how to coalesce it into a 30 second advertisement. We all know advertising on it’s own won’t solve the vision thing (right guys?), but I’m sure the Microsoft troops and their friends would at least like something to make them feel better about being at Microsoft.

So what was the big idea (at least so far…..?) because much of the commentary (and there has been lots) in the blogosphere has been along the lines of ‘what is this about?’

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/18/business/media/18adco.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

http://valleywag.com/5051455/microsoft-to-announce-jerry-seinfeld-ads-cancelled-tomorrow

http://daringfireball.net/2008/09/theres_nothing_there

Well, for what it’s worth, here is my view on what the advertising is all about….

Apple is cool – the ads are cool, the products are cool, Steve J is cool.

Microsoft is not cool, the products are not cool, and Bill G (and Steve B, especially Steve B) are not cool.

But…

Apple is kinda smug. And PC (John Hodgman in the Get a Mac ads) is kinda sweet in a not cool way. And whilst Microsoft is not cool, it is useful, and it is successful, and and (take care now – hold back the Microsoft instinct for world domination) it creates some useful products which – ahem – mostly work.

So….

Lets portray Microsoft (ie use Bill – because he IS Microsoft – and incidentally, who knew he could be so funny?) as a personality living in a dreamworld of hyper normality – Shoe Circus, Grannies that mow the lawn – ie create a rich everyman world where Bill (Microsoft) is part of – a world where Apple wouldn’t fit in, because it is just too cool and elitist.

Microsoft is anti-cool, just like the rest of us. And by making Microsoft just like the rest of us, they mis-position Apple as an outsider.

So if Microsoft is more like us (warts and all) then we are going to feel better about them, and feel more and more that somehow Apple are just too smart, too slick, too….. unlikeable.

Of course, to follow through with this strategy, Microsoft would have to build that sense of ‘us together in un-coolness’ into something wide and deep, and then drive it into the muscle of the business.

It could be a brand that reflects what we are actually like – ordinary, funny, kind, quirky – and it could help us do the things we really need to get done, and the things we actually want to get done. It could be our friend, someone you would have a beer with (not just a Starbucks), someone you would welcome into your home without worrying about how tidy your house is or whether they will hit on your wife or daughter.

But as I have said, they just don’t have the instinct, will or discipline to collectivise that vision into a consistent customer experience. And more significantly, I don’t think many of the senior executives will want to jump on the ‘us together in un-coolness’ bandwaggon. You need great discipline to subvert your own instincts for the greater good of the brand vision.

It’s a size thing, but it’s also a culture thing, and in the end I’m not sure Microsoft really have a culture that understands or accepts the basic principles of singular visions and connected collectivised customer experiences.

But hey – it makes a gazzillion dollars a second and has bred more millionaires than any other company. So who knows what will be the next move on brand Microsoft – I for one am looking forward to what Crispin Porter & Bogusky do next, and three cheers to Steve Balmer for giving them the chance…

Chocolatier invests in branding

2008-09-18T16:48:00.020+01:00

Thornton’s, the chocolatier, announced improved profits this year. Profits were up 19.6% for 2007/8 as compared with 2006/7. The really big news was, though, that in the press release ‘brand’ was mentioned as a success factor. Mike Davies, Thornton’s Chief Executive was quoted, “Underpinning this growth is the strategy we have been implementing to return Thorntons to sustainable, long term profitability by investing in the brand, developing innovative products, modernising the in-store environment as well as attracting and retaining the best people.”

What is really lovely, from a brand observers point of view, is that all the elements in his strategy are aspects of how to develop a great brand. With the central premis of ‘investing in the brand’ he then surrounds that with three major deliverables of brand experience – and thereby the customer’s reason to choose Thorntons.

1. Innovative products – no brand can exist without a genuine customer experience – the brand promise must deliver at the point of impact – the quality and ingenuity of the product is defining – just as Apple has achieved, again, with its delightfully brand endorsing iPod Nano-Chromatic – a rainbow feast for the eyes before they even reach your ears. Thorntons products had begun to be less than you hoped for rather than the classic brand goal of ‘exceeding expectations.’

2. Environment – the total brand experience and all that. The benefit of having a brand that has an outlet is that you can control and enhance the shopping experience. Chocolate is a gift of a product to work with – smell, taste, colour, texture…... Thorntons has (at least) twice been the theme of Marketing’s Brand Healthcheck. In 2001 Nick Moon of Futurebrand offered the advice, “See the film Chocolat and apply the little shop philosophy.” In September 2006 Futurebrand’s Jasmine Montgomery mentioned that, “Bizarrely, the brand fails to dazzle most where it has the biggest opportunity – in its own retail outlets. Plastic bins, crowded shelves, busy packaging, cheap plastic price frames and overuse of ‘offer’ stickers on the fascia contribute to an overall diminution of the brand experience.” Her advice,”Refit all outlets and remove all ‘free’ and ‘special offer’ window stickers. The windows should be the seducers of women.”

3. Best people – this is one of our favourite brand tenets – and so often not closley enough connected to brand programmes. It is essential that brand positioning works for the people in the company and is delivered internally in such a way that it motivates and excites. We always recommend working with HR to develop recruitment and remuneration processes that build the brand and reward brand behaviour. It’s not really just about getting and keeping the best people – it’s all about the right people.

So it seems that a focused and committed approach to investing in the Thorntons brand is really paying off. Their promise of ‘The Art of the Chocolatier’ is coming to life. A comment on Qype noted, after a visit to the new shop in KIngston, “Thorntons was just re-opening, after a brief but effective revamp. I didn’t recognise them at all…This new store is the first of five to open in the UK. Known as project Ruby, it’s bright, fresh, and very inviting. The counters are white marble, with tantalising display areas, each with their own distinct appeal: children, traditionalists, ice-cream lovers and sophisticated palates are all catered for. The feel is more modern, cutting-edge and deli-delights than olde world chocolate shop.”

Hats off to Thorntons for embracing the potential of real brand development. May their success continue. (I’m still looking out for the chocolate ears…)

Brands up to snuff?

2008-07-28T18:44:00.030+01:00

There is a small revolution going on in the tobacco sector, and the main players may not have even noticed. But it could over the next few years change the nature of the market, and save a few lives at the same time.

Snuff, (the dry tobacco that you sniff, note: not snort) the product that brings to mind elegant georgian dandies brandishing their jewell encrusted snuff boxes is making a comeback, and strong branding is a key feature of the marketing mix.

Snuff was the main way tobacco was taken 200 years ago (at least in Britain), far outselling pipe tobacco. It had taken longer for the British to take to snuff, which had long been a European passion, but during the 18th century snuff became a phenomenon - something every man and women of culture took, in astonishing quantities. Napoleon was said to use 7 lb. of snuff a month!

Snuff went into a steep decline as the popularity and availability of machine made cigarettes increased. It still survived as the nicotine product of choice by workers like miners and factory workers, where fear of fire prevented 'sparking up'.

By the 1980's snuff was down to a few specialist suppliers, the big guns of the tobacco trade having long lost their enthusiasm for the product and followed where the profits were greatest. Cigarettes.

Come the turn of the millennium and the landscape has really changed, the full health implications of smoking are now known, and the opportunity to smoke is under serious attack, it seems the game is up for smoking (at least in the 1st world countries), and smoking in public is becoming seriously difficult.

And this is where snuff might make a comeback. Firstly there is no credible medical research that shows any negative health effects. It's the inhalation of the smoke from the cigarette that causes all the diseases. There are admittedly question marks around nicotine, but no research to suggest that the sorts of quantities in snuff are any more dangerous than say drinking modest amounts of coffee or the odd glass of wine.

Many of the snuff manufacturers have been in business 250 years, and have had not one claim or prosecution in their records. Anti-smoking activists might prefer to suspect that snuff must surely have some problem associated with it, but the research and crucially anecdotal evidence simply isn't there, and actually tobacco (unsmoked) has traditionally been associated with many health giving properties.

And the news gets even better. Many people (including myself) have found that the best way to give up smoking is to simply take snuff whenever you have a hankering to smoke. It also has the benefits of tactile accoutrements - i.e. things to do with your hands. The tins and snuff boxes and colourful handkerchiefs give you plenty to take your mind off smoking, and you don't have to go outside to do it - you can snuff to your hearts content at your desk!

Unlike smoking, where the majority of smokers are incredibly brand loyal, the general snuff taker doesn't so much take snuff, as collect it. And there are now plenty to collect. Probably for the first time in a generation brands are launching, to take advantage of the voracious snuffers appetite for new brands and new snuff experiences.

A small collection from a snuff taker called 'Filek' on one of the many online forums

Snuff comes in different textures and moistness, and crucially in literally hundreds of 'flavour' variations. From traditional 'tobacco' aromas, to florals, menthols and mints, to citruses and spices, and more recently food and drink flavours like chocolate, coffee, cherry and grapefruit, there is even gin & tonic!

And then there is the cost - snuff is not taxed, so a snuffer can indulge their passion for new smells and textures at a fraction of the price of cigarettes. A 25 gm tin of snuff will cost you less than £3.00 and last - well a long time... A pinch in each nostril roughly equates to the nicotine of one cigarette, and there is a mighty number of pinches in a tin!

So the average 'collector' doesn't just have a handful of different snuffs, they have shelves of them, drawers full of precious tins and tempting aromas. And snuffers are passionate about their 'hobby', there are specialist websites where snuffers exchange views on flavours, qualities and everything under the sun you could think of about snuff.

There are online shops breaking out all over the world (traditional retailers don't even know most of this exists - when was the last time you saw a tin of snuff in your local newsagent? Ever?), and new brands are starting up, offering tempting new packages of nasal promise.

There are a handful of traditional manufacturers, some who have just continued (no mean feat in itself if you were established 250 years ago using a water-wheel), some who have even tried to innovate, experimenting with modern packaging concepts. Interestingly, and possibly uniquely, the avid snuff connoisseur values all the manufacturers, creating an infinite world of possibilities, and all under the noses of the mainstream smoking public, who barely know this sub-culture exists.

New brands are being developed by one man start-ups, exporting around the world, brought together by the online network of enthusiasts. One Indian manufacturer is developing 'western style packaging' as they tap into the online market, and an interesting modern touch is that the brand owners are getting very close to their customers, contributing to the online communities on a personal basis, classic attributes of the passionate brand leader. They don't just listen to what's going on, but use the forums for research, development and just to 'keep it real'.

Where will it go? How big could it get?

Well the chances are you didn't even know it was going on, it hasn't yet gone mainstream, the major tobacco makers have shown little interest in the area, although cousins of snuff like Snus and Dip (tobacco you stick under your lip) have large and growing markets in the USA and parts of Northern Europe. These products have more dubious health implications, although still far far less deadly than the average cigarette.

It does seem that the issues of health, price, product and brand innovation, the customer's urge to collect and online distribution have coincided to create a fertile ground for a potentially huge market.

At the moment, the market isn't probably worth much more than £100m worldwide. So if it took off, it could be worth a 1000 times that (and probably then some). The product is presently untaxed, and could cause a serious tax shortfall if customers switched in any significant quantities. How many governments could resist taxing snuff if it seriously offered competition to cigarettes. Of course if it did that, the cost to health services could liberate enormous costs in future years.

The present brands are essentially not competing with each other, such is the nature of the customer usage. If the product was to seriously penetrate traditional retail, then the stronger brands would compete for shelf space, and a more traditional competition model would resume. Brand positioning would seek to carve out space in the greater snuff landscape, seeking to fulfill customer needs. It's likely the newer entrants would do better than the traditional players, since they have not relied on heritage and habit, the new players will be more innovative and experimental.

The real challenge is how to build the market as a whole. Every player will help, but the tipping point for mass awareness is probably a long way off yet, and the anti-smoking lobby may well continue to put all tobacco related products in the same basket. Large brand owners, the manufacturers who years ago lost interest could afford the sort of lobbying and promotion that could build a real platform for growth.

It's possible someone somewhere is going to realise that snuff just could be the most phenomenally profitable replacement for the evils of smoking tobacco. Someone just might make a fortune!

It just needs one serious player to take responsibility to build the market, and the benefits of brand primacy will be theirs, but in the meantime, all the players will help to build a mutually larger market.

What if every smoker turned to snuff, how many people's lives could be saved?

Probably the main barrier to entry is the indecorous thought of what comes out of your nose, eventually, after you have spent a day snuffing. Still it's better than the thought of what your lungs probably look like if you smoke, and you'll need more than a brown handkerchief and a good blow to get rid of that!

Some of the Interesting Brands:

Poeschl: www.poeschl-tobacco.com

A longtime german player, they have invested in innovative packaging and are extremely popular in Europe. Their mainly moist menthol inspired flavours are found widely in Europe.

Toque: www.toquesnuff.com

A UK startup based in Berwick upon Tweed, CEO Roderick Lawrie has created a powerful brand based around lively freshness, mostly food flavours, with contemporary branding and has been nominated for packaging awards. Roderick has spent a fair bit of time researching the market and health issues, and is a strong advocate for the benefits of switching from smoking to snuffing. Imagine the motivation if you thought your brand could actually save lives?

McChrystals: www.mcchrystals.co.uk

Based in Leicester, England, they have a funky flash based website and a history going back to 1926, and the owner of one of the market standards - 'Original and Genuine'.

Dholakia Tobacco: www.snuff.co.in

An Indian company with 150 year history, they have kept their ears to the online ground, and are launching a range to suit more mainstream western tastes. Their traditional products are valued for their fineness and exotic flavour variants. The world is truly shrinking and offers infinite opportunities for the brave and adventurous.

Wilsons of Sharrow: www.sharrowmills.com

One of the grandaddies of the english snuff market, tracing it's foundation to 1737. They also produce the illustrious Friboug & Treyer range of snuff, which was once sold from it's famous regency premises in the Haymarket London right up to the 1980's. Snuffers are grateful to manufacturers like Wilsons who carried on regardless through good times and bad.

Forums:

http://snuffhouse.org

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/snuffboxthenasalsnuffclub/

http://www.snuffreviews.com/

Online stores:

http://www.snuffstore.co.uk

http://www.toquesnuff.com

http://www.snufftobacco.co.uk

Humour:

http://www.arthurshall.com/x_2006_tobacco.shtml

One to watch...

2008-07-17T13:05:00.007+01:00

The Co-op has just announced its takeover of Somerfield's - making it the fifth largest supermarket chain in the UK. I've seldom read a more ambitious statement from a CEO, "This is great for our business and in my view propels us back to the Premiership of food retailing. People talk about the big four. I hope people will soon talk about the big five.” He talks of the deal leading to a renaissance of the Co-op brand.

And I think he's got a point. The headline in Times Online was, "The Co-op ready to capture the magic of the Sixties with £1.6bn Somerfield deal." Indeed in 1967 the Co-op had 25% market share and was Britain's biggest grocery store. But I hope they do more than get bigger, I want them to recapture some of the essence of sixties shopping - cleaner, simpler, sustainable.

The Co-op have been doing a huge amount of re-branding and advertising lately to establish their ethical credentials and do have a great deal of credibility in the area. I think they are also poised to be the really green supermarket. There's a gondola of green ideas that will both tap into their core values of social responsibility and co-operative practices, suggest that intangible nostalgia of 'when things were better (and more green)', and create a modern, ethical brand with new ideas for the current environment.

Already I'm hoping that they come up with genuinely new ways of selling fresh produce, less packaging, less air miles, more seasonality. They are 'the UK's largest farmer', according to their website, which gives them a great opportunity to take control of the supply chain, get organic, sort out their chickens and eggs (chickens first presumably) and provide produce in a sustainable and responsible way. I'm hoping they re-introduce the habit of getting your deposit back on your bottles - glass or plastic. As a child this was always a useful way of getting a bit of cash to buy a few sweeties. Perhaps revolutionary re-designs of their shops to reduce energy use, capture natural energy, re-cycle stuff, fill your own bags etc etc. They could way out-green all their competitors. They already have over 4,000 branches (I think this must include some banks and funeral directors as they only have 3,000 grocery stores after the takeover...) powered by wind and water. They are the UK's most eco-friendly retailer (YouGov Online Poll 2007). They sell over 180 Fairtrade products.

The Co-op has so much brand authenticity. From their website, "A co-operative is a business, but more than this, it is a group of people acting together to meet the common needs and aspirations of its members, sharing ownership and making decisions democratically." This seems so right.

I want them to do well. I want them to save the planet. After all they are "good with food". And I'll keep watching.

One that got away...

2008-07-14T19:37:00.007+01:00

Little Big Planet is one of our 'ones that got away'. We were asked by Pete Smith at SCEE (Sony Computer Entertainment Europe) to go along to Media Molecule and help them out with a name for a game back in 2006, with the working title Craftworld.

What we found was a rather chaotic 3 room studio in Guildford and a vision to build the maddest, most cute interactive game you have ever played.

Pete very cannily negotiated a special naming deal with us a few years ago when we first developed MotorStorm, with a fee upfront and then a 'success fee' only payable if we nail the name they eventually use.

What we ended up doing with Media Molecule was more than a name, but not the name itself - although I would argue we came up with lots of great names - Pete just didn't happen to pick one of them, because he suddenly got inspiration in his car one day and thought of the name (it just goes to show anyone can come up with a great name - well at least one Pete!).

We helped Media Molecule bring a bit of focus to the concept (Pete had told us what an insane idea it was), and helped them hone the proposition into something that Sony eventually found palatable enough to back with some real money.

So we have a very warm feeling about Little Big Planet - it feels like one of ours, we just didn't happen to have coined that exact name - and we didn't get our win fee!

Perception? Reality?

2008-07-09T14:16:00.006+01:00

Some brands seem to work better in my head than when I encounter them for real. This experience is often paired with a twinge of sadness. A strange empty nostalgia for something I can no longer grasp. One such brand is Woolworth's. It's poor performance is well documented but in my mind I still expect a brand experience that fulfils my internal brand image.

I suspect outside the UK, may be in the States, or South Africa, New Zealand or Australia things are very different. In a description by The Exquisite Art Company in South Africa, "The Woolworths brand is a symbol of quality, consistency and trust, earned through its efforts to continually innovate and adapt to market demands."

A far cry from our UK experience summed up neatly in this Brand Healthcheck in Marketing Week by Pragma from October 2006, "Shopping at Woolworths these days can hardly be described as a pleasure. A cacophony of visual noise bombards you (half price, price crash etc) setting the expectation of cheapness and bargains. Aisles are often cramped and stock piled high, the in-store radio is often loud, as are the gawdy colours of the merchandise." Pragma also kindly give some good advice, headed up with "Re-establish traditional core brand values with a modern interpretation."

I'm thinking it's unlikely that any of Woolworth's management team were reading Marketing Week that day. Just in the way that I have a nostalgic brand vision built in the 60s and 70s, Pragma look back to thirty years ago for clues, "The brand stood for convenience, value and reliability." Convenience is an odd value these days, it seems too easy. Convenience is all sorts of things now: shopping from home, getting everything in one place, easy to park... What is convenient about Woolworth's is that it is always there. It is in the middle of every town. It is even in those odd seaside towns when you need to buy a CD player for the holidays. But in my head it is full of useful stuff. And often it has the useful thing I'm looking for. It does household (although this seems to be diminishing), it does toys of the bright plastic variety, it does games, it does children's sandals, it does dressing-up clothes. But it doesn't do much better, or more reliably than anyone else. And I think it has so much potential. It could be the Google of shops - you want something - you'll find it here.

Inspiration for the current Woolworth's team could well come from the rather eccentric Woolworths Virtual Museum. It's rich with history, innovation, architectural confidence and price quizzes. It's delightful. I found out that the first modern record department was in Leicester (the very shop in which my own Woolworths internal brand picture was created) in 1965. The Annual Report described it, "The gay record corner is well-equipped to meet the demands of the most with-it teenager." The site also evokes the Fablon, floor tiles and cafeteria I remember so well.

There are a few high street retailers that fall into this mis-match between the brand in my head and the one I walk in to. WHSmith is definitely one. Smiths used to be an Aladin's cave of, well, magazines, books and stationery. I still remember a rather cramped store in the Market Place in Leicester that was a treasure trove of 'going-back-to-school' goodies - and had wood panelling. Over the years the range has been denuded and 'rationalised', the book offer has been canabalised by the likes of Warterstone's, the environment has been modernised and sterilised, yet cluttered in an annoying way. I still want to go in to Smiths and enjoy a browse and buy a good pen, but the experience I get seldom delivers the brand I expect.

Boots has faired little better. Again the march of modernisation has delivered a discomforting mixture of sterility and disorganisation. A blandness in the design and signing leads to an almost perpetual sense of an inability to find anything. Added to that discomfort is the blaring '3 for 2' signs that are always difficult to fully know which products they actually relate to.

I don't know whether these are just the ramblings of an old nostalgic, or whether there really is a lesson to be learned about getting back to core brand values. I certainly believe that a focused, differentiated offer is a good start. A clear purpose and aligned brand experience is a joy. Some experiences fulfil the brand in my head: Waitrose, Cath Kidstone, The Apple Store, Starbucks, Waterstone's, Carluccio's. The Marks and Spencer brand perception helped it survive a rocky time recently, people felt good about it long after the reality had slipped, resulting in a rallying 'Your M&S' campaign. Things are looking hard again, so can their brand pull them through?

I hope Woolworth's can re-invent. They're not in a good financial place and it's hard to invest when the competition and potential returns look challenging. But a clear purpose and genuinely differentiated offer would be a good starting place.

A brand icon for the noughties

2008-07-08T12:33:00.003+01:00

A couple of months ago I was disappointed to see that my local Oxfam had closed – and I assumed that the newly opened Oxfam Books round the corner was now a replacement rather than an addition to the empire.

How very very wrong. The shop has now reopened as an elegant and inviting Oxfam Boutique. No smell of old ladies. Junky white elephant stuff artistically displayed round the back. Appealingly labelled fashion items. I loved everything about it.

Oxfam has been the gold standard of charity shops for longer than I can remember. It has also clearly articulated what it does – tackle poverty, probably most accurately the effects of poverty, as perhaps the political implications of ‘Make Poverty History’ make the task a tough gig. What struck me most poignantly, whilst standing in the Oxfam Boutique in Chiswick, was the brilliantly successful brand that could both be the face of fundraising in innovative, topical and reciprocal ways, as well as the face of effective, credible aid giving.

In the 60s we had an Oxfamilybox at home.

The innovative idea was that you made the box up (it arrived as a flat piece of card) and passed it around at mealtimes when you were appreciating your food and worrying about ‘starving Biafrans’ – the first serious famine that I can remember – and maybe the first one that got decent TV coverage. My interest in graphic design was kindled by the brilliant name/perpetual branding that ran right around the box. It still plays around my mind like one of those Escher staircases that has no end.

Oxfam had been born in 1942 as the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief and openend the first of its shops in Oxford in 1948. Their innovative thinking and willingness to invest to accumulate (for which charities always gets criticism) has now really come of age. The boutique has beautifully captured the freecycling-recycling vibe in an elegant way. Those canny enough to know have always used charity shops as a source of ‘individual’ fashion – especially those amongst us with an art school background. The concept of reusing cast-offs is so green that it hurts. So much more ethical than the five-minute thrill of the Primark frenzy (despite the fact that we are now stressing over those children who are unable to help provide for the family as it’s unethical to employ them – help!) The boutique has cleverly divided its sustainable fashion into five categories (or is that sub-brands?):

Loved for Longer (which I think is a lovely idea) – high quality donated fashion
Fair Trade Fashion – labels like Green Knickers, People Tree and Wright and Teague
Reinvented (which I think is truly inspired – and inspiring) – pieces reworked by young designers and fashion students
Made with Love – accessories made by volunteers
Good Fashion Sense – designed to be different: organic, recycled, alternative fibres…

This is brand success indeed. I felt a mingled sense of pride, ehthusiasm, nostalgia – and more importantly probably, a strange willingness to pay the not inconsiderable prices attached. We are no longer talking ‘jumble sale’ prices – a trend that has been eeking in over the past few years but now seems more justifiable. And the very definition of a brand.

The whole Oxfam identity has been recently overhalled and refreshed by Interbrand. The new strapline, ‘Be Humankind’, which I think is delightful has met with, I think, surprising, controversy. Some people say they ‘don’t get it’. Some say it’s not campaigning enough. I think it has a touch of the Oxfamilybox about it. A compilation of appropriate words in a new and moving way.

What can we learn from this as a brand story? It’s a brand with authenticity, focus and purpose. It has been modest in its expansion over 60 odd years. It’s invested where it had to to create reputation, recognition and convey a message. It’s lucked into a trend. Respect to this brand icon.

Small is the new big.. (or how we run a distributed agency)

2008-05-23T02:04:00.002+01:00

If you happen to be a fan of 37 Signals (which we happen to be – and if you don’t know who they are – try this {http://www.37signals.com}) you might read their blog {http://blogcabin.37signals.com}, which recently had a great quote about size – ‘“If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with a mosquito.” -Betty Reese.

Now we are a decidedly small branding agency – there are less than 10 of us. We have been bigger, but about 5 years ago we decided we wanted to be smaller.

We tend to see the ‘branding agency landscape’ roughly fitting into 3 sizes:

The big – probably over 100 people, maybe lots of offices around the world, working on huge brands, and soaking up miles of PR related column inches and blog pages. You know the ones – Interbrand, Futurebrand, Landor, Wollf Olins – often the grand-daddies of the branding world.

The medium – these are the 30 to 100 guys – with a big tidy business, maybe more than one office.. more ‘middle aged’ – happy with their position, doing good work for established clients – but somehow less ‘newsworthy’.

The small – the 1 to 30’s – one office, maybe hot young gunslingers on the way up, or more long in the tooth and ploughing a more lonely furrows on the way down. Maybe one big client and a few smaller ones, or lots of ‘prospective’ breakthrough clients.

Except we don’t really fit into any of these – because we work differently – and a lot of it is thanks to our friends at 37 Signals… and we think it’s the future for a lot of businesses…

We are small, but we have a number of offices, on several continents. We have a range of clients – from HUGE to tiny. But the way we work now – well I don’t think we could have done it even 5 years ago very easily.

We use a suite of tools that help us stay small, stay connected, keep us apart (in a good way – less travelling), help us manage our business, organise diaries, manage our clients, keep them connected, store all our crucial documents and data, and most importantly help us to be creative. Sounds good eh? And it doesn’t cost much…

This is what we use….

1. Phones for ringing people

2. iChat for quick chats {http://www.apple.com/uk/macosx/features/ichat.html}

3. Basecamp for project management {http://www.basecamphq.com/}

4. Highrise for storing and logging all our client-centric correspondence and ‘stuff’ {http://www.highrisehq.com/?source=37s+home}

5. Backpack for our ‘corporate intranet’ {http://www.backpackit.com/?source=37s+home}

6. Campfire for running online chats {http://www.campfirenow.com/?source=37s+home}

7. Macs and iPhones because we love them (one of our partners does own a PC - but it’s days are numbered…)

8. A few great applications like Keynote, Pages, Numbers – but most things end up as pdf’s.

9. Some local servers, but once again, their days are numbered…

10. Small IT bills – few hundred dollars a month max

What we don’t have (now) is:

1. Any IT staff – or indeed any ‘junior’ staff at all

2. Big servers with VPN and tricky stuff like that

3. Large maintenance agreements to manage big hot servers and ‘kit’

4.Trouble finding stuff like files and presentations and pictures etc..

5. Anxiety about ‘stuff breaking or crashing’

6. large pieces of capital investment

7. No time to talk and meet with clients

8. There are probably more things but I’m bored with this list now…

The four core products (which all run in a browser) – Basecamp, Highrise, Backpack and Campfire do everything we need, and help us do things better, without the need for IT support or training. You should check them out to see all the things they do, but the most important thing they are is SIMPLE.

What’s the downside? Er…

Well, theoritically there are of course some potential downsides, but any risk is still much less than the alternatives – at least as far as we are concerned.

The benefits however, are that they allow us to manage our clients and their work, and our time and our ‘stuff’ more efficiently, and quicker, and easier. They essentially allow us to get on with what we are paid to do, help solve our clients problems with minimal problems.

This article was written straight onto a section within Backpack, edited (or at least looked at) by all the partners. All our work is managed in much the same way – so whether an assignment is in the USA, or London, or somewhere just outside Paris – we can work and share our ideas, thoughts and conclusions – without the automatic need for unnecessary plane trips, or long tiring journey.

Don’t get me wrong, we do get out though, and we spend lots of time with our clients, wherever they are – in fact that was one of the reasons we chose to work this way – more time dedicated to our clients.

Our objective is to add real ‘grit’ to any branding project, to ask the ‘unaskable’ and challenge the status quo. I guess our role is all to often to be the ‘mosquito in the bed’ – and we have found that by spending less time and effort managing our business, we can spend more time and effort helping our clients to run their businesses.

Bzzzzzzz

When advertising is worth having

2008-04-08T13:07:00.002+01:00

Browsing the magazine rack in the newsagent the other day it was interesting to consider the decision factors that make one choose one magazine over another. Classically the full face stunningly beautiful female works well. The other great persuader is the free stuff stuck on the front. My daughter was scrubbling around at my feet where all the children’s comics were. What’s stuck on the front is often her first selection criterion. She could choose a cute notebook and pen decorated with puppies, a clear plastic ‘mobile phone’ with lip gloss in, or an attractively pink Barbie necklace. However, she was finally won over by an inflatable ‘Pinky-ponk’ on the ‘In the Night Garden’ comic, a BBC sensation for the under 5s. A combination of play value, intrigue and affinity for the ‘character’ was powerful stuff.

Most women’s magazines are well padded with free bags, flip flops and sarongs – consistent with the theme of the magazine – fashiony things – but not fully coherent with the brand or furthering one’s understanding of it.

There’s an interesting thought that really good advertising should actually have its own intrinsic value – one should feel that something has been learnt, experienced, discovered just by seeing an ad. The Guinness ‘Surfers’ is an example of an ad that is of such quality it almost has a life of its own – its iconic ‘tock followed tick’ and poetic use of CGI on the white horses has given it an importance beyond selling Irish stout. However it is empirically associated with and expressive of the core brand idea – you have to wait. Levi’s ad, featuring Bottom and Titania and reminiscent of Buz Lurhman’s Romeo and Juliet, added refreshing cultural wit to an evening’s viewing – and to the impression of a pair of Levi’s jeans.

What interested me on the magazine rack was this month’s World of Interiors ‘freebie’. Completely coherent with WoI brand but also a generous and useful gift from the brand being promoted – Farrow & Ball. Somehow the rather low-key yet confident act of merely giving away their new colour card underlined the integrity and individuality of their brand. The plastic wrapper was emblazoned, tastefully, with ‘Be the first to have the new Farrow & Ball colour card.’ Getting information about the product range of a paint manufacturer was enough to persuade me to buy a particular magazine – extraordinary.

I smell a rat...

2007-10-30T12:26:00.005Z

A recent article in The Guardian, highlighted the complex balance between consumer branding, city facing corporate names and the intracacies and vulnerabilities within brand architectures. Consider these two statements, only lines apart in the article:

”...a major fall in group profits at Rentokil Initial as the support services group saw a slump in its school meals business.”

“However, the flooding this summer has forced thousands of rats above the surface of the nation’s streets, leading to an increase in demand for Rentokil pest control.”

Do you think the rats running around the kitchen had anything to do with the slump in demand?

Unfortunately for Rentokil Initial – the corporate name – the fact that their school meals division has a delightfully wholesome and idyllic name – Eden – presumably to help distance them from in the first place Initial – the division of Rentokil Initial where they sit – primarily known for cleaning services (not that appetising) and secondly from Rentokil (pest control – definitely stomach churning) – seemed to pass by the Guardian journalist, Terry Macalister, entirely. He probably felt, if he was aware of it at all, that it was irrelevant to the point of his business article.

However, as we know, customers have a nasty habit of not staying in their nicely defined ‘target audience’ group. Some rascal who may well be interested in business, say someone perhaps working, also has children who may well attend school. This inconvenient consumer already fits into the two audience categories of business and parent, not unconcerned with the quality and efficacy of his/her child’s school lunch.

The headline I think, as headlines are, was designed to catch the attention of this two-headed reader, “TV chef plays role in Rentokil meals slump.” Incontrovertably linking pure Rentokil with school meals, and bringing in the TV viewer/Jamie Oliver fan too. Well, there always was a dodgy apple in the Garden of Eden – a lovely name can’t hide your connections. Maybe time for a rethink of either the company name or the services they get into.

Do you get it?

2007-07-20T16:41:00.003+01:00

by Eric Goodstadt
CEO - Brand Guardians USA

The separation between those who get it and those who don’t continues to grow...

Putting the brand first is the difference between growth and stagnation.

Recently, Fortune Magazine published their annual edition of America’s Most Admired Companies; if you study these annual lists like I do, you would see something very distinct and telling about today’s business environment. All top 10 companies are known for focusing on a higher purpose beyond financial performance. Ironically however, they all are also among the top financial performing companies in the world.

What is this correlation between a higher purpose and significant financial performance?

As a former executive member of a few public companies, I saw first hand the pressures to meet the streets expectations. These pressures could, and often would, force executive teams into decision-making purely based on financial results, rather than what was in the best interest of the company, the clients and employees. For me, one of the final straws during my career was listening to a CFO’s plan to add a million dollars to the bottom line profits. His route to do so was by deferring a larger portion of the healthcare cost to the employees, whom at this point were already carrying more than 60% of those expenses.

When you look at the top 10 admired companies, you see an impressive group of organizations that act purely on their beliefs and have amazed the street by consistently performing financially. Whether it is GE’s Immelt bucking the cut throat tactics of Jack Welch for a more nurturing culture with an emphasis on becoming an environmental responsible organization, or Howard Schultz of Starbucks offering part-time employees a comprehensive healthcare program. Each of these companies and their leaders ignored the street and followed a higher purpose to drive their actions. Although this idea of a higher purpose may sound spiritual, it is actually a sound business strategy grounded very effectively in their respective brands.

For Howard Schultz it was has been written many times over that he never created Starbucks to be the best coffee maker in the world. Instead, he wanted to create a special respite, or 3rd place for humanity, in our hectic over anxious society. With this brand essence, Starbucks does a lot more then just make innovative and delicious drinks. They are among the most charitable organizations in the world, they offer comprehensive healthcare to all employees who work as little as 20 hours a week, and they consistently create environments that reward their customers with the respite the brand promises.

Conventional wisdom would say to cut back on the funding to third world farmers for education and clean water, as the charity is too far removed for the average consumer to care. Conventional wisdom would also say to eliminate expensive healthcare costs for part-time employees (just ask Walmart, which is no where to be seen in the most admired list) and to replace those expensive, soft, and cushiony lounge chairs with cheap durable plastic ones. In the end, while conventional wisdom may provide short-term financial benefits, it has always been the long-term consequences that Howard Shultz has been concerned with. His vision for Starbucks has helped countless people in third world countries have a better life and has also provided over 145,000 employees and their families with quality healthcare coverage. In addition, if you judge success by the consistent throngs of loyal people jamming their tranquil store locations, Starbucks has succeed in achieving not just third place status but quite possibly a 2nd place stature among its customers.

Some will argue that Starbucks, while admirable, is quite unique and shouldn’t be an example for all to follow. To counter that argument, let’s take a look at a company that once was the darling of the street, until the star lost its shine in the 1990’s only to be resurrected by an unconventional choice for CEO.

AG Lafley was universally agreed to be a shocking selection to take over the CEO position of the ultraconservative Proctor and Gamble. The spiky gray haired CEO looked more like an advertising executive then a groomed successor to the CEO position, but he has proven to be the wisest choice the company could have ever made. P&G has become one of the biggest companies in the world on the basis of maximizing productivity and efficiency of its value chain.

In its long storied past, the company would have never be confused with a leading design company, as it traditionally chose to sacrifice style and design for low cost production. However, as the technology age has exploded and the consumer has migrated to experiential buying preferences, AG Lafley saw that P&G’s tried and true operational behaviors were no longer valid in this new world. Ignoring his critics and some long time P&G traditions he sunk millions into redesigning packaging of the companies most popular products. In addition, Lafley consolidated brands counter to P&G tradition, creating flagships like Mr. Clean, as well as forced his management to look outside the P&G walls to find new innovative ideas.

So while the street criticized Mr. Lafley for sinking millions into the redesigning of a $4 shampoo bottle, it was Mr. Lafley who realized that for today’s consumer the design of the shampoo bottle and how it looks in the shower is just as important as the product itself.

In the end, both of these companies, and the other 8 organizations that appear on Fortune’s list of Americas Most Admired Companies, know something that unfortunately most companies refuse to accept. They know that if you put the brand first and execute the brand promise for the benefit of the company, customers and employees, the financial rewards will come.

So whether or not you are number 1 GE, embracing its brand of innovation to create environmental friendly solutions, or number 7 Apple destined to be the enablers of melding life and technology, or number 8 Google who is determined to create unique user experiences (for both consumers and employees), it is finding your central purpose that will lead your company to its greatest success. No one can argue with the financial performance of these top 10 companies, and if each one of them achieved this success by honoring the brand holistically, wouldn’t it make sense that your company could benefit form doing the same?