When a balance sheet becomes more important than a brand

I am so desperately worried about the sale of 49% of the Virgin Atlantic brand to Delta Airlines.

Whilst I appreciate that it has had serious losses for the last year, it still doesn't alter the fact that when major brands are either bought out or merged, the brand and its values are totally compromised.

Look at Habitat, HMV, EMI, and Safeway's amongst others, all serious brands that have all ended up at the receivers because of uncompromising and ruthless take overs and mergers.

I am a huge fan of Virgin Atlantic, from its swashbuckling business activity to its fantastic advertising campaigns. All based and powered on its brand values; fun, innovative, caring, honest and value.

I can almost say I use Virgin the generic brand because of what it represents, so I am a passionate and committed customer, one that will be disappointed and sad if it disappears like American Airlines did.

Richard Branson has bet a remarkable £1m with Willie Walsh that Virgin Atlantic will still be intact in 5 years time. A brave and re-assuring move.

But I have horrible feeling that this huge brand, just like the huge empires from history, will end up in the hands of a group of greedy accountants, and not in the hands of a group of innovative marketeers.

Do you know what a little bird told me?

I love Twitter, I really do.

I love the way it can be used to campaign for change and as a force for good.  I love the way it introduces us to people we'd otherwise probably never have cause to interact with.  I love the quick wit and the humour - like a good bunch of mates in a pub on a Friday night.  From my own business's perspective I love the way I can network online - has to be better than walking into a room of unknown men in grey suits and striking up a conversation at 7.00 o'clock in the morning.

I love the discipline of 140 characters - forcing me to focus on what I'm really trying to say.

Yes it can be one hell of a time-waster, but generally it's fun, it's good for business and it's an easy way to keep up to speed with what's going on in the world.

But sometimes it seems to be like the malicious gossip I'm sure we can all recall from school days - the girl with the inside knowledge she would quietly share, with anyone who'd listen.  Poisonous, evil, unpleasant stirring.  And just like that girl it can bring out the worst in us all. It can be all too easy to jump on the bandwagon and join in the name calling. Sometimes it can be quite tempting to join the gossip because it's done in a witty, funny way.  But it's still malicious, still potentially ruining someone's life and reputation and dragging them through the dirt.  Or worse - what is it about an online environment which encourages people to say things behind the veil of anonymity, or sometimes not even that, which they'd never dream of saying to someone's face - vile, vitriolic and abusive ranting?  So I'm all for Lord McAlpine's efforts to bring his detractors to book - and to do it in a sensible and sensitive way with a donation to charity for those with less than 500 followers.

Let's hope it causes people to stop and think twice before they tweet. 

Wear sunscreen

Below is the essay of Mary Schmich published in the Chicago Tribune  in 1997. Although I would like to say I know this essay as intimately as I do because of this publication, it is infact because of the Quindon Tarver song that was released by Baz Luhrman for which I can credit knowing these words as I do. When I am having a bad day, if you see past the rubbish song, the sentiment of the essay always inspires.


“Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young” written by Mary Schmich 

Inside every adult lurks a graduation speaker dying to get out, some world-weary pundit eager to pontificate on life to young people who’d rather be Rollerblading. Most of us, alas, will never be invited to sow our words of wisdom among an audience of caps and gowns, but there’s no reason we can’t entertain ourselves by composing a Guide to Life for Graduates.

I encourage anyone over 26 to try this and thank you for indulging my attempt.

Ladies and gentlemen of the class of ’97:

- Wear sunscreen. If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.

- Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they’ve faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.

- Don’t worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 pm on some idle Tuesday.

- Do one thing every day that scares you.
- Sing.
- Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts. Don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.
- Floss.
- Don’t waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind. The race is long and, in the end, it’s only with yourself.
- Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
- Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.
- Stretch.
- Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don’t.
- Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You’ll miss them when they’re gone.
- Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll have children, maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else’s.
- Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don’t be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own.
- Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.
- Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.
- Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.
- Get to know your parents. You never know when they’ll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They’re your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
- Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.
- Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard.
- Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.
Travel.
- Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you’ll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.
- Respect your elders.
- Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you’ll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.
- Don’t mess too much with your hair or by the time you’re 40 it will look 85.
- Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.

Photos taken from Posterous

Is it a bird, is it a plane???

No it's Felix Baumgartner as he attempts to skydive from the edge of space.

Baumgartner is one of the world's most celebrated B.A.S.E. jumpers and extreme athletes.
 
At around 1.30 p.m. UK time today Baumgartner will attempt to skydive from an altitude of 36,576 meters. The jump will take place above Roswell, New Mexico and Baumgartner is attempting to become the first human to break the sound barrier unaided by a vehicle. After

The highest skydive record is held by retired US Air Force Col Joe Kittinger,  who lept from a balloon at an altitude of 31.3km in August 1960. He is also part of Baumgartner's team and will be the only voice to talk to him over the radio during the ascent and descent.

Good luck Felix I hope you are successful (I can't even begin to imagine how you are feeling as you look down at earth)

To watch the event live please go to www.redbullstratos.com

A little inspiration

Saturday was Layla’s day, around 200 people rallied around some wonderful friends whose daughter has sadly been diagnosed with a very rare form of leukemia; she is believed to be the only child in the UK with this type. At two and a half years old the amount of treatment they can give Layla at any one time means it will last 2 years. The amount of volunteers, donations and money spent on the day was phenomenal, over £12,000 was raised for the Royal Marsden Hospital who are caring for this little star.

Since being diagnosed Layla has taken everything thrown at her in her stride, she is an amazing, inspirational, brave little girl. And no matter what she always has a smile on her face. Inspiration to us all.

"Uggh a culture we must change"

So said a respondent to Woodreed's recent survey in our Brand Inside Report.

And it seems they weren't alone, with only 29% of respondents reporting that their organisation has "a great culture of people living our values." A worrying 20% reported a culture yes, but "not the one we want" and over a quarter of respondees said their organisation had "no sense of what we stand for internally" at all.  Not great results for UK plc but, given the recent wake of corporate scandals and misdemeanours, not perhaps that surprising.

So what's the answer?

Engaging on an emotional level is four times more valuable than rational engagement when it comes to driving employee effort, yet all too often internal comms are cold and rational - devoid of the emotive power a brand can deliver.

A well defined cultural framework, grounded in brand values and delivered through a strategic and integrated internal communications programme can effectively fix the disconnect and successfully embed the values amongst employees in a sustainable way to help create the right kinds of values-based cultures for the long-term.

Employee engagement is becoming a board issue and rightly so.  What boards now need to do is direct HR and Marketing to work together, to combine their brand and people expertise and share some resources too.  But don't panic Marketeers, a little spent inside goes a very long way and don't forget there's a direct and proven link between engaged employees and your bottom line revenue.

Can I have a bottle of volunteer spirit please?

My wife Rosemary spent two and a half  weeks as a volunteer during the Olympics, a venture which has left her, and the other 70,000 volunteers totally inspired.

Not withstanding the fact that she travelled up to London from Kent everyday, she also received no pay whatsoever. Yes she was still motivated throughout and after the whole experience.

I applaud her and the other volunteers, a sentiment echoed by our Prime Minister who sent a personal letter to her, thanking her for her loyal services, a lovely encore for a brilliant performance.

So, a giant dedicated workforce working for nothing, seemingly motivated throughout the whole occasion.

Yes of course, part of this commitment is based on wanting to take part in history, another doing something for one's country and probably for the love of sport.

But wouldn't it be fantastic if all our giant brands could create such a dynamic effect on their employees?

Interestingly, there were over 250,000 applicants for 70,000 positions. The interviewers were trained for technique by McDonald's, during the whole Olympic and Paralympic event, there were only 100 absentees and not one person objected to wearing the uniform.


An unforgettable experience, and a lesson on how to incentivise and motivate (unpaid) employees!

Recognition and reward - the greatest missed opportunity

Right now the need to keep your people engaged, motivated and productive has never been greater.  We know there's a direct, proven link between engaged employees and increased turnover and profitability - it's called the Service Profit Chain.

So engaging your employees really matters; and recognising and rewarding your people is one of the best ways to do this.

According to Jeffrey Pfeffer*, “high involvement companies (those who empower, actively engage, recognise and reward employees (in good times and bad) have consistently outperformed their competitors over the long haul."

In organisations where big remuneration packages and the annual bonus are not the core reward mechanism for the majority, and where salaries of those at the coal face are more in line with the national average, brand-centred recognition and reward programmes can represent the biggest opportunity to engage staff each and every day.

The best recognition and reward schemes are created directly in line with the brand and have a powerful ripple effect through a company, creating a culture of recognition. A place where people enjoy their time because they know the contributions they make are noticed. It allows an organisation to shine lights on those best living the brand, encouraging others to do so as they go.

So why in Woodreed's Brand Inside Survey were 37% of organisations still approaching R&R with generic token offerings made in an ad hoc way and a shocking 20% having no process of reward and recognition at all?

*Jeffrey Pfeffer, The Human Equation. Building profits by putting people first

The power of real....

Royal Mail's launch of their new initiative, Market Reach, which will help provide companies and agencies with a full suite of mail campaign solutions to grow their business whilst also boosting dwindling sales, definitely provided some inspirational thoughts. In this era of the digital age, DM has seen a downturn, however the power of DM 'can' still have a very large impact on the recipient. If done right.

Take for example the traditional annual report. Many companies do not print and mail these any more they simply host them on their website or email pdfs, so why not try something a little different. That is what Austria Solar decided to do. They went back to a traditional printed document mailed to their shareholders, however on receiving the annual report they received a blank document. Take it outside and the special printing technique keeps the content invisible until sunlight hits the paper. Not only does this turn reading the annual report into an experience it brings to life the mission of the company, that of innovation. Social media then helped spread the word as people tweeted and blogged about this product - clever marketing or clever DM? Perhaps a bit of both?

3D sketches and fingerprinting inspire

Today’s blog comes from Laurie Dolding, currently studying for a degree in advertising, who’s been spending some time at Woodreed to gain work experience.  Thanks Laurie.


Recent research has revealed that 77% of adults in Britain have engaged with some form of the arts in the last year. It’s also been discovered that the desire for culture is found across a range of consumer segments, no longer just the ABC1 groups as thought previously.  This new ‘mass intelligence’ has encouraged a trend among brands to tap into art and culture with the modern consumer. With knowledge and cultural experiences becoming important status symbols it seemed fitting to use this blog to share some of my favourite, newly discovered artists.


I recently stumbled upon Japanese artist Nagai Hideyuki’s 3D sketchbook drawings and had to share his gift. This young artist creates inspiring optical illusions using just a pencil and a sketchpad and clever shading. Once propped up against a wall and viewed from the right angle his drawings leap out of the page and create the effect of a 3D object. Nagai Hideyuki is still an obscure artist but he has an incredible talent that I’m sure will get him noticed in the future. Check out his website for more brilliant 3D illustrations. 

Chuck Close is an established artist and his work has been exhibited in various national galleries. The one piece of art that captured my attention is a giant portrait of his wife’s late grandmother painted using only his fingertips. The attention to detail is almost unbelievable as Chuck Close managed to capture every detail of the subject’s face. The amount of time and dedication that this piece must have taken is truly inspirational. For more art by Chuck Close look at his website. 

Step away from the keypad

Harvard Business Review carried a piece this week by Daniel Gelati about multi-tasking which certainly chimed.  Of course multi-tasking is now 'de rigueur' for almost everyone these days as smartphones, tablets, laptops, even now TVs, give us the option to do more things simultaneously in one minute than our forebears did in a week.

As with all modern advances this is a mixed blessing.  Woodreed, like many other businesses I'm sure, has unleashed enormous value, tangible and intangible, for ourselves and for our clients, from enabling remote working, especially for parents juggling childcare with work commitments.  The mere introduction of two PC monitors means I can now keep even more balls in the air than I ever could before - and believe me that's a lot.

But at what price - to ourselves and those we live and work with?

Unlike our capacity for love which is not reduced in any way the more it is spread amongst those closest to us, our capacity for multi-tasking means that we are giving less and less attention, consideration and care to each task we add to the mix.  A lot of the time this doesn't matter, we can do things on the hoof and with an eye on something else, but much of the time something, or someone, has to give.

Gelati describes the '"provisional conversation": a face-to-face discussion that falls apart as one or more participants default to checking their phones, only to restart as the handsets are put away.'

How many of us have been in meetings, either with clients, prospective clients, our boss or colleagues, where one, or shockingly many more, of the participants have one eye on their iPhones or Blackberries?  Where those who are supposed to be listening to you, engaging with you, simply giving you the courtesy of the time of day, are suddenly distracted by composing a quick response to some inbound email or text which cannot be ignored?  Or worse posting on Facebook? Not only is it just damn rude to those present but tell me the quality of the response isn't undermined too and wouldn't have been better for some calm reflection at a later time?  Are we really all so, so important and so pivotal that the world will stop turning if we don't respond in a nano-second?

So isn't it time we all stood up and were counted and showed each other a little more respect?  Why is it a sign of corporate status to come to a meeting with your phone/tablet and then give it a place at the table? Is mine bigger than yours, really? Come on let's make it unacceptable to turn up at a meeting and place your smartphone on the table - turn it off and put it away. When you are in a meeting - formal or informal turn the phone off, ignore the monitor screen, step away from the keyboard.

Tell your boss if they're disrespecting you by allowing themselves to be distracted. Or suggest an alternative time/place to meet if you can't quite bring yourself to be too direct. Gelati cites the junior consultant who suggested that "moving to an empty chair on the opposite side of the room gave the senior partner space to wrap up her email and slide over to me when she was ready to talk."

Let's work out ways to put a stop to the worse aspects of this, and let's challenge our own behaviour too - because of course we are all guilty of it.

To read David's piece in full click here Harvard Business Review

Film can inspire and film can be dire

Woodreed has produced more films over the years than the proverbial heated comestibles and we've seen the media environment change out of all recognition. With the explosion in media channels the opportunities for audiences to view film have grown enormously.  Combine this with advances in technology which have significantly reduced the 'sit-down' cost of production and it's not surprising that film is enjoying something of a renaissance.


The new communications paradigm is to be discoverable everywhere your audience is, inside your business and out and film, done well, certainly helps achieve this. But the experience is not always painless, and the end result can fall short - in terms of creativity, quality, value, timings and, let's face it, just the overall experience. So we've taken a completely new approach to film making which thinks beyond and overcomes some of the frustrations we know clients can suffer.

It’s called WE.  It's very different and we think clients are going to like it.


Clients tell us they really enjoy getting involved with us when we're making films for them so the first thing we made sure is that WE is collaborative - the team at WE are upfront, available and transparent and client input is welcomed throughout.  


We've speeded up the process too.


WE combines the best strategic and creative minds with the best in technology and production to ensure great results - quickly and cost-effectively.
From experience we know the killer questions to ask to gain fast insight into the brief - insight we use to make sure our big ideas are solidly grounded in strategy and not delayed by deliberation.Technology that allows clients to view and comment on their film from any platform, any time, wherever they are. Technology that means initial ideas are presented at no extra cost as animatics to bring them to life right from the start.


WE sets out to be faster, more creative, more efficient - ahead of the rest.  


To be inspired visit WE think about film

Whose responsibility is it anyway?

A particular topic which has really galvanised readers of our Brand Inside Report was the question of who has responsibility for employee engagement inside an organisation.  One reader observed that the answer lies with the CMO in that if we can "unleash the power of the brand inside then mountains can be moved."


Another agreed that best practice must be led by the Board with "HR and Marketing working much more collegiately, dispensing with the conflicting agendas and silo approach to ensure employee engagement is a shared responsibility."



So a challenge to all brand marketers out there - are you prepared to make the necessary changes in skills, priorities and budgets to unlock the immense power your brand has to engage not only with your external audience but your internal one too?


If you're not - why not? The topic is increasingly coming to the top of the CEO/boardroom agenda and they will be looking to you as the guardian of their brand to answer for your stewardship.  With rising demands for better value returns all the time, diverting just a small part of your brand investment this way makes good, good sense. 


Let us know what you think and if you're an HRD or marketeer tell us what help you need to drive this change in your business and really create a brand-hearted culture inside. 


Of course if what's holding you back is knowing how to go about it, then the team at Woodreed would be delighted to lend you a helping hand.

Employee engagement existed even in the Napoleonic Wars or "I love my general"

I'm reading this fascinating book called "Young Bloods" by Simon Scarrow, which simultaneously traces the lives of Napoleon and the Duke of Wellington from their births in their native countries to where they meet in battle. There are some great anecdotal differences in their career paths, with Napoleon having been born into a poor Corsican family, and Wellington being born into a privileged family in Dublin.

However, it is Wellington's man management style which is really impressive. Although his military actions are praised for their tactical brilliance, he would always make the point of being visible on the front line to his men, to encourage and support them, to set an example and to show he was in as much danger as them. No shirking of responsibilities, no hiding in a well-guarded tent miles away from the action.

Although a strict disciplinarian, he "cared" for his men, and was known to be tough but fair. Put this against those awful WW1 military generals, who literally pumped "canon fodder" onto the battlegrounds, and you can see why the Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, became one of our most prominent and well respected generals in our history. Not only respected by the army and Britain's population, but significantly by the men that fought under him.

Let this be a lesson to our modern day managers, who often shirk their responsibilities, don't lead by example and really don't know or care for their employees.

No wonder Wellington got the best out of his men.

Is he Quackers?

Happy Friday Everyone - Just in case you're dreading the commute home tonight.......

When you next travel on our roads, get held up on our busy motorways or maybe whilst you're travelling along a country lane and the farmer is moving his herds of sheep or cows, please spare a thought for farmers who herd ducks. Yes, you've read correctly ducks.

Although this farmer was thoughtful and avoided the rush hour, as he needed to make his journey from his farm to a nearby pond in search of food for his ducks, a few commuters were held up. The farmer was armed only with a very long stick and only had a few helpers. I'm pleased to say that the ducks made it safely to the pond and apparently he didn't have any casualties.

Saying you were "caught in duck traffic" would make a change from "sorry I'm late, the traffic is horrendous".

Picture courtesy of Metro

The Brand Inside Report 2012 - out now!

Brand is what provides the consistency between what the customer is promised and expects and what employees are living and delivering.

Earlier this year Woodreed launched a national survey which asked "When it comes to the brand inside organisations in 2012, has the UK ticked all the boxes?"  

It’s clear from our survey that organisations do have values and that amongst the senior teams there is an understanding of what these are. There are many positives to be taken and clearly some organisations are firing on all cylinders when it comes to bringing their brands to life inside. 

However the survey identified a disconnect in terms of organisations failing to successfully embed the values amongst employees in a sustainable way to help create the right kinds of values-based cultures - the kinds of cultures that keep employee engagement high, customers happy and loyal and bottom line revenues growing.

A huge thanks to all those who completed our survey. Your answers helped provide a fascinating insight into the extent to which brands are living inside UK organisations.

The full report has now been published and highlights include:

• The disconnect between senior level knowledge of values and embedding a true values-based culture
• Where training and development falls down
• The key role of the line manager
• Recognition and reward -  the great missed opportunity
• What to do with social media

Click here to download The Brand Inside Report 2012 

Proud to be British

Last week Royalty came to town, we decked the office with our Union Jacks, lots of school children lined the streets waving their flags and there was a real buzz in the air.
With the Jubilee and the Olympics in close succession, shops full of British goodies, streets full of bunting, and the current Euro 2012 matches in full swing, there is a sense of pride in being British. I've loved the way communities have come together to celebrate, have gotten behind their sports players and have generally had a lot of fun - even with this typically British weather! We're looking forward to the Olympic torch coming to town in a couple of weeks too. What I have really been inspired by is the sheer number of cushions, cupcake toppers, posters, umbrellas, shoes, plates.... just about anything you could imagine being adorned with the Union Jack. I just wonder how many are 'flying' the wrong way!

Capturing Inspiration

When I’m seeking inspiration there are a few places I like to visit. Whitstable is one of them. Vintage and retro shops are plentiful and a wonderful art and crafts shop can be found on the seafront. I will always find something in Whitstable that will capture my imagination and prompt me to pick up a sketch-pad or some knitting needles!

But surprisingly last Sunday in Whitstable it turned out that I was the subject that caught someone’s imagination. Whilst studying some paintings in a local art shop, the owner, an artist was sketching me. I was completely unaware of this sketch until he approached my husband and asked if he would like it. He didn’t want any money for it, a true artist in my mind.

Although it was just a sketch it captured me well, I was completely overwhelmed by it. It also inspired me to carry a sketch-pad wherever I go so I can sketch or make notes of those random things that stop you in your tracks.

They don't write songs about Volvos.

Just look at these marvellous bill boards recently posted up in Detroit, highlighting the lack of creativeness in the motor industry.

Some great images and some thought provoking lines.

It is true though isn't it, when you look at the cars on the roads today, they do tend to look very similar to each other.

But what interests me more is the fact these ads were posted up in Detroit, the homeland of the American motor industry. So it's actually highlighting it's problem in it's own backyard. Very brave media planning!

Being an avid pistonhead, looking at those beautiful images of those cars made me very sad. Whilst totally over the top, they still show they have been designed from the head, not from a machine.

Malmaison - who dares wins with employee engagement success

Malmaison/Hotel du Vin, the hotel group that dares to be different,  needed to drive down costs but maintain customer service levels so in 2010 they introduced an employee recognition scheme called 'Wow' and, wow, has it paid off in spades.  Since then:

• Staff turnover - down by 17%
• Customer loyalty - up
• Repeat business - up by 51%
• Proportion of complaints related to customer service - down from 69% to 17%
• Employee pride in working for Malmaison - up from 87% to 98%
• Employee surveys - 96% consider customers service training excellent

And considered against Woodreed's employee engagement best practice framework, STRIPES, it ticks even more boxes:

• Senior level backing - the scheme was launched by Malmaison's CEO
• Training - employees are trained on how to provide an extra level of customer service
• Induction - WOW training included in new starter programmes
• Performance - top performers rewarded with tangible awards and recognised personally by the CEO
• Engagement - engagement levels soared as the Malmaison team were trusted and empowered to do what they felt was right to delight their customers

Another cracking demonstration to any sceptical FD out there that investing in a robust, well thought out and competently delivered employee engagement programme will positively impact the bottom line.  

I'm thinking about how many other businesses there are out there who are struggling in the current climate and who are missing the opportunity to turn things around by taking a few simple and positive steps towards improving their employee engagement. With the estimated cost of employee disengagement to the UK economy running between £59 and £64bn per year what an impact this could have on the wider UK economy too. What's holding UK plc back?

Where's my bear gone?

I read a very interesting article at the weekend about Alun Cairns, the MP for the Vale of Glamorgan who believes that growing controls on the advertising industry are taking all the fun out of beer advertising.
"There is a huge concern about red tape and its impact on creativity and our advertising industry, which is world class".

Whilst I appreciate that alcohol advertising has to know its limits, I do remember affectionately those great ads like the Hofmeister "follow the bear" TV campaign, Heineken's great "refreshes the parts that other beers cannot reach" campaign (in particular the one featuring Mr Spock), and not forgetting the glorious Guinness Toucan.
We surely have to strike a balance between what the right common sensical message is, and blend it with fantastic creative?
The government is publishing a strategy paper next March with plans to "minimise the harmful effects of alcohol advertising".
I really hope this is not another step closer to the Nanny State dumbing down our great British product - creativity.

Images courtesy of Google Images

Bye-Bye Blue Peter

For all of you Blue Peter fans out there don't worry, the BBC aren't axing the show completely, they're just going to move it from BBC1 to their digital channel CBBC. It's not just this iconic programme, which is the world's longest-running children's televison show having first aired in 1958, the BBC wants to move all childrens programmes from BBC1 and BBC2 to their dedicated children's digital channels CBBC and CBeebies. No date has been set yet but the final analogue transmitters will be switched off in October.

www.bbc.co.uk

When I first saw the headlines and trending I believed Blue Peter was on its way out. My first thoughts were "How could they?" and "How sad". Then I thought to myself when did I last watch an episode? My answer - not for years. My children are now at an age when they don't want to watch this type of programme and also I'm very rarely in when it is being aired.


Whilst I can understand their thinking in keeping all childrens programmes together, the same could be said for having just the news on one dedicated channel? Perhaps sport can also be given a special channel as well? I think there would be uproar if this was to happen and so perhaps the BBC should just keep things as they are? Blue Peter is, after all, only shown once a week on BBC1.


I remember when in 2010, BBC 6 Music faced closure as there were reports that people barely knew the station existed. What happened? The fans of the station set up groups to oppose the plans to end it and now two years on it has become the first ever digital radio station to win UK station of the year. Could the power of social network sites keep Blue Peter on BBC1........

Ogilvy gets it right

On September 7th, 1982, Ogilvy sent the following internal memo to all agency employees, titled “How to Write”. I think there's some great advice in here, as relevant now as it was 30 years ago:


The better you write, the higher you go in Ogilvy & Mather. People who think well, write well.
Woolly minded people write woolly memos, woolly letters and woolly speeches.
Good writing is not a natural gift. You have to learn to write well. Here are 10 hints:


1. Read the Roman-Raphaelson book on writing. Read it three times.
2. Write the way you talk. Naturally.
3. Use short words, short sentences and short paragraphs.
4. Never use jargon words like reconceptualize,demassification, attitudinally, judgmentally. They are hallmarks of a pretentious ass.
5. Never write more than two pages on any subject.
6. Check your quotations.
7. Never send a letter or a memo on the day you write it. Read it aloud the next morning — and then edit it.
8. If it is something important, get a colleague to improve it.
9. Before you send your letter or your memo, make sure it is crystal clear what you want the recipient to do.
10. If you want ACTION, don’t write. Go and tell the guy what you want.


David

Turn off your mind, relax and float downstream

Don, whisky in hand, tries to float downstream. Image via AMC

A rare occurence on last night's TV. In fact not just rare but unique.  Reputedly a first.


Series 5, episode 8 (for those who care about such things) of Mad Men saw Don Draper sit back and listen to "Tomorrow never knows", the closing track of Revolver, the album that saw the mop tops begin to transform their output from 'boy band' crowd-pleasers to the more musically challenging stuff of legend.


Apart from the obvious pleasure to be had from such an event (calm down Jo!) this was special because the Beatles estate guards their brand and the rights to its usage ferociously.  We've only been able to buy the stuff on iTunes for two years after all. This was one of the only times, if not THE only time that a Beatles song has ever appeared in a TV show.


One of the many, many marvellous things about Mad Men is its authenticity and absolute attention to detail. Everything from the clothes to the sets, to the storylines and language screams '60s. But the music choices are never simply wallpaper - they always have a deeper rationale and meaning.  So given the Beatles were the soundtrack to the period they really have to be there - but it wasn't just any old track it had to be the right track, carefully chosen to support the storyline of Don's efforts to tune into the new youth culture.  At a reputed cost upwards of $250,000 I wonder how many more times Weiner and his team can afford to repeat such a treat even if Apple allow it.

Pret's profits prove our point

Reading the Guardian's recent piece about Pret a Manger's profit boost brought a smile to my face.


Reminded me of course of my Aussie friends' delightful insistence when first arriving in London on pronouncing that great sandwich place as Pret a Manger- rhymes with hanger (say it out loud with an upward intonation at the end and you'll crack it!)


That and the 500 new jobs Pret are creating aside, the profit boost is a cracking endorsement of Woodreed's favourite and much vaunted 'Service Profit Chain'*.  We often cite Pret in the client workshops we run as a great example of an organisation who gets the importance of a healthy internal culture which is firmly grounded in their brand values. So it's great to see yet more hard evidence for why this matters.


The Guardian writes "Service at Pret tends to be better than in comparable chains. Staff smile, chat a bit, make life marginally less horrendous...Pret treats its staff better than similar organisations do. Mystery shoppers visit every branch every week and report on the service they experience. If a branch is awarded "outstanding", as about 86% are each time, every member of staff gets an extra £1 for every hour they've worked that week. The reward is for service rather than sales."


The knock-out punch is in the final line - the reward is for service rather than sales. So there you have it - engaged employees deliver bottom line profit - FACT!


Read Guardian article in full   *The Service Profit Chain - James Heskett et al

Dear Ms Another...

Oh what a hall of new business email shame has appeared through the hallowed walls of the Woodreed server this week. It never ceases to amaze me how useless companies are with customer service and new business approaches. When first impressions in new business count so much and in an economic climate that dictates that we all have to try that little bit harder, how can it be that we get not one, but three shockers this week?

Is it honestly that hard to make sure when approaching a new prospect the email address matches the name of the person you are addressing the email to? Or just taking a moment to check that, when sending an email to the MD of the company you are pitching your new business lead generation services to, (oh the irony) you get the name of her company right (that’ll be the one in the email address on the screen in front of you, pal) or at the very least make sure you’ve put the name of a real life person after ‘Dear’.

Attention to detail people.

Here they are for your delectation…

Dear Ms Another - 


I hope you won't mind this brief message, as I realize that you are busy and believe that an email would be preferable to a call. 


(Insert name of shamed recruitment consultant here), would like to introduce an outstanding candidate, who is immediately available for Temp or Perm work. 

________________________________________________________________________

Sent to my in inbox, (For the record I’m Charlotte and no one in the office received a call plus I haven’t been receiving the magazine)


Hi Chris,


I tried calling you earlier in the day but was advised might be best to send you and e-mail instead.


I just wanted to inform you that your FREE trial magazine subscription is due to end on 31st May 2012. I hope you have enjoyed your subscription so far and are looking to continue it for another year.


________________________________________________________________________

Or perhaps my favourite

Hi Jo,
I thought I’d drop you a quick email as I now have clearance to offer companies like WCCT a rock solid guarantee on their lead generation activity. If we don’t get you sales leads you don’t pay us a penny.

And Jo’s response which is a classic in my opinion:


Oh good – do please go ahead and offer to WCCT.  I always find personalised new business approaches work best…

Pitch in a Lift??

Whilst trying to fight my way through the tidal wave of year 7 to 13 school kids at my local train station this morning I thought I had picked up my free copy of 'Metro'. Unfortunately it was a discarded copy of City A.M. and I felt my heart sink.....

With the prospect of a delayed train journey I tentatively started to browse through the pages and came across the headline: How to get hired: 30 seconds in a lift with your future boss

It turns out that Saatchi & Saatchi X are holding open interviews today where they are inviting graduates to turn up to their offices with just their CV and a pitch. They will then wait for the chance to impress a group of senior executives in 30 seconds whilst travelling in a lift. If they're sucessful it could then lead to a bootcamp, a short summer placement and then a job for at least a year.....

Now that gives a new approach to first impressions count......hope no one suffers from claustrophobia

Ales that become legends

Once upon a time a gentleman living in Nottinghamshire decided to follow his dream and start his very own micro brewery. Proud of the city, loving its people and sincerely calling Nottingham his home, he was inspired by the legend that is Robin Hood and decided to create another brand for the people of Nottinghamshire to be proud of.

Reflecting this heritage Lincoln Green was born. The name derived from the colour of dyed woollen cloth associated with Robin Hood and his merry men in Sherwood Forest. Then came a beautifully designed set of beer pump badges for its four beers, their names all being a respectful nod towards Nottinghamshire's legendary character. Next came a set of ads created to launch Lincoln Green and its 'band of merry men' (and one woman!) in eager anticipation of the first delivery of beer during May into it's happily every after home... drinking establishments of Nottingham. Click here to view the ads

Most good brands can distinguish themselves from the competition because they have a story. Take Nike for example, its brand story challenges people to be empowered in life and 'just do it.' That story inspires and strikes an emotional chord with consumers around the world. Castle Rock Brewery won the Best Marketing Award at the SIBA awards for its 'Kiss me Kate' Royal wedding beer launched last year to coincide with the Royal Wedding. Never did they imagine sales of this beer to be as popular as they were however people find stories, legends and fairy tales (including Royal fairytales) irresistible and compelling but most importantly memorable. 

The Lincoln Green story is based on pride, heritage and a quality product. I'm very excited to see how the next chapter of the story will unfold. http://lincolngreenbrewing.co.uk/

Simplicity in its purest form

Sometimes you see a piece of stunning design work and you quite simply want to tell the world.

The designer: 20 year old Jonathan Mak head hunted after creating the Steve Job's tribute poster.
The brand: Coca-Cola.
Campaign headline: Open Happiness

It is so simple it is inspiring - two hands in the shape of Coke's iconic white ribbon passing a bottle.

Bravo Jonathan.

And the band played on and on and on.....

100 years on from the sinking of the unsinkable, this weekend marked the actual anniversary of the last night of Titanic's fateful maiden voyage.  

One particular activity which caught my attention has been on Twitter. Since mid-March @titanicrealtime have been tweeting in the guise of officers, crew, passengers (all classes), engineers etc.  I've been unsure about this all along - is it insightful or unnecessarily voyeuristic?  So many of the tweets seemed so obviously written with the benefit of hindsight - references to numbers of lifeboats, safety measures etc - that it seemed hackneyed to say the least.


Then last night - the tweets increased in volume with a moment by moment, sometimes second by second narrative of the collision, sinking and final rescue of the 700 survivors by the Carpathia.  I don't deny I was gripped but it made me wonder why?  I can claim it was out of professional interest to see how a publishing company with product to sell treated the topic, but that would be disingenuous. What is it that draws us towards this subject time and time again?


There's been the commemorative Balmoral cruise with everyone dressed up in period costume to sail the exact course and dates - judging by the look of most passengers this was a great jolly, like some glorified murder mystery event rather than a more genuine commemoration of 1500 lost lives.


It made me think about other anniversaries and how we respond to them and how we might respond to them in the future.  What about a hundred years on from 9/11?  Will future generations dress up in turn of the century business garb and re-enact the last hours of the twin towers or take commemorative flights?  I think most would agree the idea is abhorrent so what makes the Titanic different? What turns something from being a sombre cause for reflection into an excuse for a big party?  And what is it about the story that has such staying power?


Oh and if you're interested the same publishing company behind @titanicrealtime are planning a blow by blow Twitter account of the Ripper murders from the perspective of the police involved.

What makes a good manager?

I have long considered the role of a manager and what it takes to be a good one. In my early career my experience of managers was mixed. While some were good, most I questioned how on earth they got there. And my theory is that more often than not people are promoted to managerial positions because they are good at what they do and I recognise that this is an important factor in promotion. But being a good and competent manager is more than just about being good at what you do, isn’t it? Surely you have to be good with people? Don't you need to bring out the best in them and recognise and maximise their potential so they are able to thrive in their environment?

Don’t you have to have the skills to lead, mentor and train? What about care? Doesn’t a manager need to be able to engage with their staff beyond the usual delegation of work? I think these skills are often forgotten in the workplace and most importantly overlooked when recruiting for managerial positions.

At Woodreed we have long believed in the importance of the line manager in driving a productive workforce, employees don’t quit their companies, they quit their bosses after all.

In light of this I think companies need to recognise the value in having happy and motivated staff and recruit managers with the skills to create positive atmospheres. After all engaged employees have a real impact on the bottom line, one example being the cost of absenteeism.

One step forward, two steps back

Treat employees like customers....(please)

I came across a thread on linkedin today on one of the employee engagement forums I’m part of that has seriously twisted my melons man. Yet another internal comms professional casting around for free creative ideas for an employee marketing campaign amongst the Linkedin community.

Grrrrr.

As Peter Simpson, the ex commercial director of employee engagement pioneers First Direct once said “Why would you want to be one kind of brand to customers and another to employees?” He’s so right. Emotional engagement is four times more valuable than rationale engagement in driving employee effort. There’s proof everywhere you look. Why oh why do companies still insist on lavishing all their time, effort, ideas and budget on consumer marketing while treating employee communication with a lack of reverence so acute it verges on the insulting. Crazy when you think that there’s a direct and proven link between quality internal comms and increased revenue and profitability – look after your employees and they’ll look after your customers.

For what it’s worth, here’s how I responded.    

Alas, it's one step forwards two steps back in the quest to have internal communications treated with the same reverence as external. Would anyone really ever use linked in to say 'Hey - we're launching a new consumer ad campaign, anyone got any ideas for what we can put in our ads?' Of course they wouldn't. Honestly, we are never going to get internal comms and employee engagement taken seriously as a discipline as vital to a company's success as consumer marketing unless we all start treating our employees with the same respect as we do our customers.

Take a look at this for some ways to start treating employees more like customers http://bit.ly/HkDjcQ

*Gets back in box*

Brand campaign takes to the skies

After two and half long years of research, prototyping and testing, all of us at Woodreed were especially proud to witness the product of our labours at the weekend.

When we first decided to raise our own brand awareness, we wanted to do it in an energetic, thought-provoking and witty way in line with our own brand.

After several empassioned brainstorms we eventually came up with our idea. Next step was to make it happen. We partnered with 'Hot Air Media' who, realising the potential of this new media, invested time and skill to get the project off the ground.

After months of brilliant teamwork, the three products rose high into the sky above the towns and villages of South East England.

Made of high density sailing materials and tactically weighted to maintain tension in all weathers, the brand panels simply roll up for take-off and landing and are easily released at the optimum height to maximise audience exposure.

Our own brand campaign success aside, the project has attracted huge interest from brand owners excited by the medium's unique potential to rise above the competition.

The typeface that is geometrically impossible

I love a new typeface, and what better than one that is geometrically impossible!
The graphic artist behind 'Frustro' likes to create mind-bending works. Hegedus has applied the Penrose triangle concept to this font, taking the top left and bottom right portion of each character from a 3D typeface and combining them into the impossible as it seems to be facing two different directions.
I piece of art that makes you stop, look and then look again - I like it a lot!

Can't see the wood for the trees

Last year, Woodreed published a thought piece which we called 'Bursting the boardroom bubble'.  It focussed on the importance of employee engagement and just what an important contributor it is to an organisation's bottom line.  Lots of facts, lots of proof points.  We asked has the message reached the boardroom agendas of UK companies.

The answer appears to be mixed. For every client who 'gets it', and they are increasingly out there, we come across headline stories like Goldman Sachs, News Corp, RBS et al where the culture appears to be far from healthy.  What some of these worst examples share is an inability to see what's going wrong. Without kissing and telling we've sat in a meeting in the C-suite of one of the headline grabbing organisations and been assured in all seriousness and with a total commitment to the party line that everything in the garden is rosy.  More than rosy, positively blooming and sweet smelling.

Sometimes it's a refusal to accept that perhaps, just perhaps, top leadership is sending out all the wrong messages. A company culture based on a load of vacuous words on a poster which, even if they are robust and grounded, nobody in the senior team is seen to live.  Is anyone walking the walk or are they just talking the talk?  Are they even doing that?

And even if they get all this are they prepared to invest the time and money to do something about it? Disappointingly those of us who practice in this area still come across senior managers and executives who say they've got far too many pressing operational issues on their plates just now to bother about employee engagement.  Employee engagement is all pink and fluffy after all isn't it? 

Well no. Wake up UK plc and smell the coffee. What's pink and fluffy about a cost to the UK economy of £64bn?  Yes, £64bn.  The annual cost to the UK economy of disengagement.  Pink and fluffy?  I think not.

So what's the answer? It lies in your brand.  It lies in a commitment to create and lead a brand-hearted culture from the very top of an organisation.  If you want to know how to go about then read Bursting the boardroom bubble

Why firemen are cool

We had a very dramatic incident a few weeks ago when my wife accidentally set fire to our chimney, where-upon a fire engine and 7 burly fireman turned up with the utmost dispatch.

As they commenced trying to save our chimney (and house), I watched and listened to them intently. Based on their behaviour, I slowly started to determine what their brand values might be.

Professional, urgent, focused, authoritative, methodical and assiduous.

Even though we were very worried that our cosy house would burn down, (and the fact that my wife asked probably most stupid and embarrassing question to the lead fireman "Do you want to borrow our ladder?"), the event was amazing.

To see these guys living out all these supposed brand values was particularly re-assuring, and I was genuinely so grateful. But they had one more value to offer.

Whilst the lads were supping their well earned cup of tea (not one of them asked for Earl Grey!), the lead fireman got his clip board out and educated us about what we could do to prevent a further fire.

"Would you like us to put up two new smoke alarms? he ventured.

In no time at all we had a new smoke alarm system fitted and working for free!

I wonder if any of my brand perceptions fit into any charters they might have. After all, they are a brand just like any other service provider.

Since then, I have been trying identify what the brand values might be of other ancillary service providers.

The police: Rigorous, sensitive, confident, reactive, constructive and stoical.

NHS: Any ideas?

Who let the dogs out? Insurance advertising's gone to the dogs (and pigs, cats and mice and wolves)

Never work with children or animals, so the old adage goes. Clearly something that's passed the chaps tasked with creating insurance ads by. What is it with this animal obsession? Swiftcover's dodgy dogs and Gocompare's homage to loony tunes to name two of the worse offenders. Actually it's pretty easy to see why. It's all down to a meerkat called Aleksandr Orlov. Advertising can be a pretty me too arena and I think since compare the market's meerkat first hit our screens (and subsequently our vernacular and high street, entering our public consciousness in a way that only truly big advertising ideas can) the competition have been scrabbling round desperate to recreate even a tenth of the magic of that phenomenon, with little success. John Heggarty said at a recent IPA lecture that around 95% of all advertising was shit (he did fail to tell our esteemed MD Jo Moffatt when she innocently enquired at the same lecture what proportion of his own body of work he deemed shit, but that's another story). It's true to say that it's once in a blue moon we are treated to something as big, magnificent and truly mind blowing as the meerkat. It's anything but simples.

Who would have been your favourite?

We all have a favourite animated character from our childhood and it's always a good topic to debate and reminisce amongst friends.

Paddington Bear was named Britain's favourite animated character at the British Animation Awards which were held last night after an online public vote.

The bear; with the hard stares for anyone that he didn't approve off, whose favourite food was marmalade sandwiches was adopted by the Brown family and got his name after arriving at Paddington Station after travelling from deepest darkest Peru. I can still remember the title music and am humming the tune to myself whilst I'm typing (think it's been a bit of a long week!!).

Some of the characters on the shortlist were: Roobarb & Custard, Bagpuss, Wallace and Gromit, Danger Mouse, Penfold, Timmy from Timmy Time, The Snowman, Mr Benn, Count Duckula, Morph, Super Ted, Postman Pat, Tiny Clanger, the Soup Dragon, Noggin the Nog, Uncle Nogbad, Lola from Charlie and Lola, and Peppa Pig.

I would have been torn between Bagpus, Roobard & Custard, Morph and the Clangers...........So who would have been your favourite or can you think of any others that should be on the shortlist for next year?

For any of you Paddington Bear fans I've attached a link to the Official Paddington Bear site http://www.paddingtonbear.com/home.html