Hello

hello – come in and make yourself at home

The Woodies have a blog. It’s a kind of collective. Not sure we’re about to start a revolution baby, but we might kindle a small debate or two and perhaps raise a smile. Anyway, rather than just blogging corporate Woodreed by fielding our top Woodie (as so many other companies seem to do in a thinly veiled attempt at impressing with their profundity), we wanted all our individual voices to be heard. An agency’s most valuable assets are its people after all. Everyone’s got something to say here and with us everyone’s ideas and opinions matter.

Each week someone different will be blogging. It's mostly about stuff that rocks our world as well as the flipside – the things that just don't cut it with us. We'll blog about inside and outside – inside this glorious industry where we work and outside in the real world.
It's a bit of an experiment, so go with us on this one.

Hope you enjoy.

Tuesday, 20 March 2012

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?

No comments:

Post a Comment