Obsessive Creative Direction

The power of instinct

2011-06-24T12:04:00.005+01:00

Written by Greg Porter, PLBR Operations Manager

If this blog was written on Sesame Street (which it often feels like it is when leftover cookies are to be found in the board room) it would be brought to you by the word ‘irony.’ Not due to any rainy wedding days or an excess of spoons when a knife is needed, but rather through your humble narrator’s struggle to find the words for this piece when over-thinking it. It was only when switching off my more critical faculties and letting the words flow that this blog started to take shape. It became clear that, while there is always a time and a place for scheduling, discussing and plotting, sometimes it pays to let the heart rule the head and just go with the flow.

We all know the power of acting on impulse – anybody who plays sport can wallow in the glorious memory of an instinctive swing of a boot, bat or racquet that reaped results. Though, how often in business has taking such a chance proved fruitful? It’s rare indeed that a true success story starts with rolling the dice, screwing the eyes shut and hoping for the best, but equally an ocean born of examination does not necessarily guarantee smooth sailing. Often times, the strongest ideas take years to build, nurture and tweak– and these are the concepts that frequently leave an indelible mark on the landscape of our industry and popular culture as a whole. However, following the heart is an equally appealing philosophy when the ‘right’ decision does not make itself immediately clear.

Gut instinct is appealing, but, of course, it’s not always to be trusted – just ask the A&R department of Decca Records, who infamously declined to sign The Beatles at the start of the ‘60s as they considered guitar music to be declining in popularity. On the other hand, consider the case of the Sporting Director who took a chance on a sickly child with growth hormone deficiency, bringing him to a new country and footing the bill for costly medical treatment. That child grew up to be Lionel Messi, widely considered the greatest player in the world’s most marketable sport. Or take the young American who dropped out of college prior to graduating with an idea and an instinct that it would all work out for the best – next time you look at your iPod you may remember that things didn’t work out too badly for Steve Jobs. It seems that combination of following gut instinct and relying on experience can be the best approach, both in life and in business – and yes, even in writing blogs.

The trouble with Bob Dylan

2011-04-05T16:07:00.006+01:00

Matt Ross - Designer. A while ago I had a Bob Dylan phase. I say a while, maybe 10 years ago. Having had one, I think everyone should. Around that time I’d discovered that every other pop song that caught my ear was a cover of a Dylan classic. In fact everyone across all genres seems to have covered him at some time. A quick Google brought up this stat: “Current listings contain 5870 covers of 350 different Dylan songs by 2791 artists”.Personally, I just loved the fact that someone could be so successful with a singing voice that - to quote Bowie - sounds like ‘sand and glue’. It meant there may well be hope for me!Then I realised his output of albums was quite simply phenomenal. That really he has never stopped touring. That actually the lyrics to his songs were unbelievably poetic. That some of them were in fact entire stories. That it was incredibly hard work, and I wanted to know what inspired him to work so hard.And that’s what this blog is about. Not Bob - but inspiration.As a creative I have been asked in the past where I garner inspiration from. Who inspires me, and where a particular idea came from? But I don’t think inspiration is a Who, or a Where or even a What. The word itself is quite difficult to define. Think about it for a while. How would you define inspiration? I guess it is the stimulus, or inception of an idea. The falling apple of Newton’s theory of gravity. Mandela’s incredulity with the apartheid system. Ghandi’s sense of injustice. All these great people had a great cause. Our causes may not be so great, but still we need to search for and find our own inspiration. I read Bob Dylan’s Chronicles, searching to find where he drew his inspiration from. Was it a person? Was it an experience? But all I discovered was an incredibly engaging story about the travels and troubles of a musician struggling to find that break, and then continuing to struggle afterwards. In fact what struck me most was the incredible detail that was included throughout his autobiography. What people were wearing, what music was playing while he was in a back room, the books in a library, the headlines in the papers. Even if I kept a diary I’d struggle to remember these things from one day to the next. And then it struck me just what all these and other great people had in common - all of their inspiration came from one common denominator: Observation.

Every little helps

2011-03-25T12:29:00.005Z

Shaheed Peera
Creative Director

Japan.   

You just have to see that one word.   

And your heart sinks.  

Like most people, I couldn't even begin to imagine how painful it must be to see your whole world torn apart.

Fundraiser.

One word that instils hope.   

And above all, shows we all still care.  

So for our agency fundraiser day, we've come up with a simple thought.   

Next Friday, we're going to give our staff the option to add £1 to their bill in our canteen.  

That £1 will be given directly to the Japan disaster fund.  

And to spread the word we've made this poster.

When I thought about the simplicity of our idea and the ad.  

It seemed a shame to not share this with the rest of the country.  

There are a lot of businesses (of all shapes and sizes) out there, who could do exactly what we're doing.

So, I'm proud to say that today we’ve launched:

http://publicislifebrands.co.uk/japan

Anyone can go to the site, download the poster for free, and start raising money for the Japan disaster fund.

We'll keep you posted on how our day goes.

Big hugs,
Shaheed

Living in a digital world

2011-03-11T10:55:00.001Z

Nick Bartlett
Digital Strategy Director

Sitting reading all the blogs, tweets, awards and press coverage of digital marketing in the pharmaceutical industry you might be led to believe that we’re actually at the forefront of this dynamic industry, showing other B2B industries and even some of those consumer wannabes how it’s done.

With so much back slapping going on it’s easy to get distracted. The bright lights of digital seem to have distracted many from the end game. Patient groups remain aggressively independent online and doctors groups highly cynical of pharma’s digital engagement. Strategies seem to evolve around the same old game of pushing information at an audience in the hope that some will engage. Luckily for us, the fact that it’s now on an ipad guarantees results!

Until we approach digital planning with a long term attitude, one that is based on a philosophy of engagement, listening and understanding we stand little chance of maximising the opportunity that digital offers.

Wanting to “own” a brand’s digital space crops up in far too many briefing conversations and is indicative of the approach that needs to change. Digital marketing is not about the brand owning anything, it’s about what that brand can do for its customers using the digital tools available.

Getting to grips with your brand’s Online Value Proposition is the key to unlocking its potential and to do that you need to take a breath, listen, think and then act. What can your digital strategy offer that no other marketing avenue can? The old adage of “ready, fire, aim” still holds true in pharmaceutical digital marketing, hence we have a lot of great looking tactical outcomes but few that add long term value to the brand, its customers or indeed its patients to.

The secret equity in digital marketing is for brands to get to grips with the language of its online self. When a brand takes its time to understand the meaning of its digital language, the words, their meaning to all groups, its context, the gaps in conversations, connections, grammar, negatives, syntaxes, then your every strategic move is built on a foundation of knowledge and strength.

There’s no awards for language, no apps, no widgets but then our online communities aren’t interested in that. Pharmaceutical digital marketing needs to decide what it’s most interested in.

Two Become One

2011-02-15T16:05:00.000Z

Greg Porter
Operations Manager

It’s February, and that always provides two reasons to be cheerful – the fact that it’s no longer January and of course that magical date that comes but once a year. No, not Christmas (unless you’re a divorce lawyer) – we refer of course to Valentine’s Day. Such a celebration of successful partnerships got us thinking about duos that have proved so fruitful in the past – from Torville and Dean to Batman and Robin via Cameron and Clegg, history shows us that more often than not, two heads are indeed better than one.

The same can surely be said of business partnerships and collaborations. Though a thriving working relationship between client and agency might not involve cupid’s arrow and a previously-untapped longing to listen to The Carpenters, many of the fundaments remain the same as a successful personal affiliation. Striving for the same end goal, plenty of open discussion, patience and understanding, positive reinforcement and advice on matters that need to be worked on and, perhaps most important of all, honesty and trust are all familiar bedrocks, and are equally essential in any successful working relationship. Plus any agency worth their salt will not turn down a request on the grounds of a headache.

Like the course of true love, a successful industry alliance will not always be smooth plain sailing. The satisfaction that can be gained from a rewarding collaboration make any teething issues worthwhile though – after all, what good is accomplishment if you have nobody share the moment of triumph with?

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…

2010-12-17T14:25:00.000Z

Greg Porter
Operations Manager

Really, it is … the PLBR team have been braced to deck the halls and jingle their bells for a while now, and now it seems the festive season is well and truly upon us again. The Christmas party has been and gone (and, once again, without a single fatality – a record your humble narrator remains proud of, despite a few close shaves over the years). Those of us who originate from more exotic locales than Essex and Surrey have began stumbling into the office laden down with suitcases prepared for their trips back to infinitely sunnier climes. Public transport in and around London has gone into meltdown as somebody heard it may by snowing somewhere in mainland Europe. Is it just me who wouldn’t have it any other way?

This time of year is the final stretch, the home straight, the big push over the top before the luxury of a lengthy December break. It’s a time sit back and bask in the successes of another business year, while keeping both eyes on lesson learned that can be implemented during the next twelve months. It’s a time to ponder aloud how the time goes by so fast and the festive season has crept up on us, while smiling inwardly at how we remembered to get those train tickets booked months ago. It’s a time for every man who would ordinarily burn a Pop Tart when attempting to cook suddenly turns into a domestic king, and a bona fide expert on poultry manufacture and seasoning. Most of all, it’s a time when the challenges, successes and adventures of work take a back seat for a short period to be superseded by concerns about the Boxing Day football results, just how Mr. Blobby got to be Christmas Number One and who gave Great-Aunt Ermintrude one sweet sherry too many that has somehow led to her getting up on the roof.

Good luck to all our colleagues, clients, friends and followers for their own big push for the final week of the business year, and please allow the PLBR team to wish you a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year. We’re already looking forward to another challenging and prosperous working relationship starting up in January – but until then, take it easy.

MOVEMBER – The Power of a Good Idea

2010-11-30T10:37:00.000Z

Greg Porter
Operations Manager

We live in a world where Bad Ideas can be prevalent, and in this digital age impossible to erase from the landscape. HD-DVD? Expensive flop, by all accounts. Investing a lifetime of hard-earned savings in your local branch of Northern Rock? You may be ruing that as a bad judgement call. Continually allowing Bono access to a microphone in public places? Don’t even get me started. Even our own industry has been known to drop a clanger – just how many advertising high-fliers at major corporations were left with their heads in their hands this June as the national team they had invested so much jingoistic branding to capitulated at the World Cup?

The good thing about a bad idea is that it makes a good one that much more prominent, and the now-famous Movember campaign belongs firmly in the latter camp. For the uninitiated, Movember is a worldwide charitable occasion so blissfully simple but effective it’s a wonder that nobody thought of it sooner – throughout the eleventh month of the year, gentleman the world over fight off the winter chill by growing moustaches to raise awareness for the Prostate Cancer cause. After a quick straw poll to ensure there are no pogonophobics among our ranks, PLBR have embraced this concept whole-heartedly – the men (and a couple of the ladies, but we find it politic not to comment on that) of our agencies have been sporting soup catchers in a variety of shapes and sizes, from the noble handlebar to the elegant Fu Manchu, via the lampshade and the chevron.

With celebrities, executives, students and royalty all getting in on the act, Movember has started as a devastatingly simple idea that has grown into a cultural phenomenon – all in the name of charity. So when you’re tucking into dinner this evening and pondering why your waiter looks like a Freddy Mercury tribute act or you step into a meeting and wonder why Magnum PI is taking the minutes, resist the urge to smirk –Movember is proof that just sometimes, the quirky little ideas are the ones that can run and run.

Life Behind The Screen

2010-11-23T12:05:00.000Z

Nick Bartlett
Digital Strategy Director

Where are we goin' this fine morning? 
What are we doin' this fine day?
 We're doin' the same as ev'ry morning!
  We're stayin' inside on this fine morning. 
Stayin' inside on this fine day. 
We'll stare at a screen, like ev'ry morning.  
And outside the window, spring is here,
 And we're gonna hibernate all year.
 Under a pile of A4 snowflakes.  
Cause we're the new generation, generation!
 We are the battery human!

I first heard this song a year ago, and last night I was lucky enough to hear Stornoway sing it live at their biggest ever gig at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire. They played this unplugged, at the front of the stage, and played it beautifully to two thousand enraptured fans.

In hindsight, two things fascinated me about this moment. Firstly, the number of people filming, taking photos and generally faffing around with bits of tech. Instead of grabbing the moment, these individuals failed to get the point of being at a live gig and, ultimately, whilst trying to capture the experience, they missed it.

Lessons learnt – just because you have technology doesn’t mean you have to use it at every turn – experience drives the senses, and the senses in turn drive emotional reaction. If you don’t balance technology, experience and reaction, you’re left disappointed. No-one likes to be disappointed, so why would you want to ever repeat it?

Secondly, the audience had to be absolutely still so that the band had the chance to be heard three tiers above. In the four minutes they performed “Battery Human” the assembled mass of fans quite literally became one. The combined respect and attention the crowd gave the band culminated in a brilliant performance and an enormous wave of appreciation from their loyal community of followers.

Lesson learnt – tell an audience what you need them to do, give them what they want and you can keep their attention fixed, joining them together through a shared experience. The result: Twitter this morning was alive with great feedback for the gig and as a result the viral noise about the band and their music will have spread to many more people.

As the final verses point out below, it’s all about “reception.” Understanding, interpretation and empathy are the keys to a great reception; remember this next time you’re building your brand online.

We've got the whole world at our fingers.
 We've got the whole world in our hands.
 We get the blues as we grow richer.
  Cause we need to fix our loose connections.
 Out in the natural World Wide Web.
 We’re humans evolved in three-dimensions.
  We were tuned in by natural selection. 
And we need to go online each day. 
But inside we don't get no reception.  
So join the new revolution, revolution! 
To free the battery human.  
Cause we were born to be free range, free range!

View the clip here.

Advertising? A piece of cake

2010-10-22T12:46:00.001+01:00

There are a few things that unite us in the whirlwind world of agency life: the prospect of a new business win, an opportunity to band together and impress a client, the free bar at the Christmas party … and now it seems that delicious baked goods in the name of a worthy cause can be added to that list. This week saw Publicis Life Brands Resolute take part in Macmillan Cancer’s World’s Largest Coffee Morning, with the team donning their pinnies and reaching for those cookbooks that have sat on the shelf since last Christmas when we had finished looking at the pictures of Nigella and sighing wistfully.

Running for two decades now, the Macmillan Coffee Morning is a charitable event whereby companies bake up a storm and sell the fruits (and nuts, and sprinkles) of their labour – almost £6,000,000 has been raised at the time of writing. Drawing in crowds from as far and wide as the third floor of our building, the PLBR event proved a roaring success – cakes were consumed, sugar rushes were endured, emergency gym appointments were frantically arranged and a substantial amount was raised for Macmillan. With a second event taking place the next day at our ‘other home’ in Tower Bridge, the charitable juggernaut of good taste and good deeds shows no sign slowing down just yet – which is more than can be said for your humble scribe, who won’t be running any marathons in the near future after a hefty slice of chocolate indulgence.

Keeping ourselves organised.

2010-10-04T11:19:00.000+01:00

Nick Bartlett
Digital Strategy Director

This week, I’ve gone against all of my principles and actually organised what my family and I are doing for Christmas. I’ve eased my conscience a bit by thinking that it is only 12 weeks away, but even so it seems unnecessarily diligent. We normally just wait around, safe in the knowledge that the big day will always come and we’ll have a great time whatever. But having this year’s already in the bag, we’re already seemingly enjoying it. We’re planning and scheming behind the kids’ backs, talking in excited whispers and counting down the days.

The joys of planning are much maligned, often pushed aside for the immediate, the needy and the demanding shouts of today. Yet time invested in thinking about tomorrow helps to set expectations, understand what’s needed, and, when tomorrow finally arrives, the results are evident in a calm, well-prepared team who deliver the goods.

The complex and curious sign-off procedure within pharma marketing means that digital projects are all too often the victim of a lack of future-proofing. Initiatives take longer than anticipated to get finished, with worn-down stakeholders dragged away to long lists of other initiatives that have had to be ignored until now. Once a back is turned, we enter the vicious circle of reactive rather than pre-emptive planning, and as a result the project’s business objectives get blurred and it lacks the inertia needed to capitalise on any potential.

Planning for digital success is crucial. Website communities, social media groups, bloggers and individuals engage with us online on the basis that we promise to deliver every time. A digital strategy that doesn’t take into account the months following phase one delivery is not a strategy for success. As 2011 approaches, now is the time to start thinking about next October. What will we have achieved? How will we have done it? Who do we need to include to make it happen? And how much money do I need to retain my digital relationship with my customer?

For me, I’m not sure I’m going to be able to hold out much longer before blurting out to the kids the adventures planned for them; the trouble is 12 weeks could become a very long, noisy and exciting time!

A little radiation in our daily lives.

2010-09-06T17:25:00.000+01:00

We spend a third of our lives in our workspace. Sometimes much more! And our environment can have a big impact in our mood, our creativity and our work. As humans, we all need a certain amount of stimulation and the environment can help to provide this. If our minds are kept active and fit then they will be ready to be called on when we need creative thought.

With the winter drawing in we felt we needed to brighten up our working space to inject some positivity into our daily lives to help us through the cold days ahead.

We have been working together with artist Tom Shedden to come up with murals that reflect our personality. Our company purpose is "Creation by positive energy" and so we wanted something radiant and energetic.. and these little touches are what we came up with..

We hope you like them and come and visit us to see them in person.

Tom is an artist based in London and Folkstone and has supplied us with a few interesting pieces to showcase. One project was to create art for the sensory deprived.

"Do not touch" is a large scale installation that has large scale Braille that spells out the title.

"Hide and seek" and "Green with envy" , uses coloured dots to form text which can only easily read if you are colour blind. A lovely example of giving something personal and special to the viewer.

ch ch ch ch changes...

2010-09-03T12:43:00.000+01:00

Greg Porter
Operations Manager

David Bowie once memorably claimed that “time may change me”. The Wildhearts, on the other hand, declared that “nothing ever changes but the shoes”. Based on personal experience I’m more inclined to agree with the Thin White Duke on this one – we live and work in a world where change is prevalent, and evolution is crucial.

I have been with Publicis for what is rapidly approaching a decade now, and have seen a lot of changes and developments in that time: changes in personnel and in office; changes in clients, in leadership, in ownership; and changes in policy (though my campaign for a military-style medal for ten years service continues to go unheeded) … and the summary of all this is that I feel pretty qualified to reinforce the core message of this blog – Change is Healthy.

Change can be healthy on a physical level – not least because when I joined this agency, we were working out of a converted barn in South London with a leaky roof and minimal regard for creature comforts – a far cry from the über-modern surroundings we find ourselves in now. Change is necessary in an industry such as ours – advertising has undergone plenty of peaks and troughs in my time moving in these circles, with each high and low offering a new and different learning experience. Such experience is surely essential for anybody in any business or industry, and especially for someone such as myself who entered agency life as a wet-behind-the-ears teenager. Change in leadership has also offered invaluable insight into the world of business – watching different characters and personalities imprint their authority on this agency has been fascinating as well as beneficial, and has played a sizable part in my own career development in a variety of different roles within Publicis.

And perhaps therein is where we find the most important by-product of change – variety. What drew me, and I’m sure many others, to this industry is the promise of diversity in our working lives, with no two days promising to be the same. It’s impossible to be complacent in delivering workload when the metaphorical goalposts could be moved from one moment to the next, and the needs of a client rarely stay consistent for too long due to the nature of our ever-evolving industry. Change keeps us all on our toes, and continues to drive us to be the best we can be for ourselves, our agency and our clients.

Change can be unsettling and cause a disruption to a comfortable status quo, and change can sometimes seem wholly unnecessary at face value. Scratch deeper though, and you will find an overwhelming truth in the world of advertising – change is exciting, invigorating and, above all, healthy.

How did I end up here...?

2010-08-09T11:52:00.000+01:00

Luke Cadman
Account Executive

When people think of agency life, they usually think it’s all glitz and glamour. The huge awards evenings where everybody is dolled up to the eyeballs trying to look more breathtaking than the rest of the attendees; the long lunches in the trendy restaurants; the über-modern swanky offices that are more about the impression they give than the functionality they provide; and the ultra-stylish people with their opulent attire and neoteric hair styles. Admittedly I was one of these people and I thought it would be a great way to make a living.

I had my first real-life experience of agency life about two years ago while on placement from Uni. I was working for a medium sized healthcare company and we were looking for an agency to handle the UK launch of a new formulation of one of our products and the Product Manager I was working with had met an agency contact at a European pitch. The agency’s name was Medicus London, and the contact’s name was Jenny Plant. And so the PM and I came to a nice little place called Kensington Village to meet with the agency.

So this was my first agency experience, and I liked it. The people I met were interesting, the things I saw around the office looked exciting, and most importantly we did have the long lunch in the trendy restaurant! I decided there and then that this was an industry I wanted to work in. I saw the hard work that went in to producing the work for the clients and it seemed very challenging but also greatly rewarding. First though, all I had to do was finish Uni.
I stayed in contact with Medicus during the rest of my placement and my studies, and they gave me advice and help along the way where they could, which I really appreciated. Eventually the time came for me to finish Uni and find that all important first job. I asked them if they knew of any openings in the agency world that may be suitable for a graduate like me. They offered me an opportunity and I grabbed it with both hands. So here I am, sat at my desk in Publicis Life Brands (formerly Medicus London) HQ telling my story.

So far my 7-week career at PLB has been interesting and very busy. Working in a team with two Account Managers and an Account Director, amongst other things I have been involved in building two brands, which is about as exciting and challenging as agency life gets, and it has been thoroughly enjoyable. Of course, I get to do all the less fun day-to-day admin as well, but...you have got to take the rough with the smooth! I have worked with pretty much every person in the office, from other Account Executives, all the way up to the Senior Directors, which has been great experience. I have been included in training which I have found very interesting and will undoubtedly benefit me as time goes on and my client interaction increases. I have been given the responsibility of solely managing some smaller projects meaning I have got a real feel of how a project works, from beginning to end; and finally being involved in the background research and development of some important pitches to clients. Overall my time so far has been great, and I don’t expect this to change, with new jobs and challenges constantly coming in, there is never a dull moment.

My only qualm would be that these long lunches in trendy restaurants don’t actually happen on a daily basis – shocking!!!

Rock 'n' Role: The PLB Supergroup

2010-07-29T10:15:00.000+01:00

Greg Porter
Operations Manager

A thought occurred to me the other day. Once the initial alarm-bell-ringing, ear-steaming panic from such an unfamiliar and unexpected occurrence had subsided, another tentative suggestion reared its head – maybe, just maybe, that thought could be articulated for the PLB blog. And that thought, dear reader, was this – agency life is a lot like being in a band. Alas, not the throwing TVs out of windows and driving motorcycles into swimming pools part (2007 Christmas party aside, naturally), but rather the collaborative effort that goes on. From the charismatic front-and-centre guys in the limelight, to the manager behind the scenes who gets them there, via the supporting artists that stick to the shadows of the stage show, to the hired hands who ensure that the lights and pyro run without a hitch... and, naturally, to the captive audience whose attention we are trying to gain and then hold onto.

This blog is coming to you from the Operations Manager of Publicis Life Brands, taking a break from general administrative and financial duties to share these musings. I guess that makes me the bass player or the drummer (stop laughing at the back, accountants can rock out Animal-style too you know), trying to keep the rhythm of the agency without making too much of a splash. Then when I look around me I see the eternal collaboration between the dual frontmen of agency life: the account handling and creative teams – the ever-charismatic vocalists that represent the face of the band, and the achingly hip guitarists with mystique that trade off them. They might not always have the same idea at the inception of the songwriting stage, but with collaboration they always manage to pull together in the same direction to pen the best ditty possible for their public. And, of course, there are the heroic backroom team, the management groups that do not necessarily get to share in the immediate limelight, but make it all possible with their work behind the scenes to get their band on stage.

So here’s a query for you – which band or instrument would you say best represents your ideal working life? There’s no need to be embarrassed, taste is entirely subjective. Unless of course you say Coldplay, nobody’s day could possibly be that grey.

What do I actually do?

2010-07-16T09:10:00.000+01:00

Beata Lewandowska
Senior Account Manager

For the whole of my professional career I have been an account handler. Six years ago I started out with the title Account Executive and recently, after progressing through the ranks, I was promoted to the heights of Senior Account Manager. To me, my job is very interesting. To me, my job is important. I feel as though people need me, people depend on me and without me nothing would get done properly. I also get to learn a lot and meet great (and sometimes not so great!) people along the way.

While I enjoy what I do, it has occurred to me that not many people know what my day actually involves, including my mother and even my boyfriend! I can sort of see why these people may not have the greatest idea as to what I do at PLB HQ for 8+ hours a day, but what about my clients? Do they know what my day-to-day activities are and what work I am doing on their account? What about my colleagues? Do the people whom I spend my day sitting next to and speaking to know what I am actually doing in order to try and meet our clients’ needs? What concerns me the most is whether or not they actually see any value in my role.

According to Career Cast, which is a major job research portal, the job of an advertising account executive is one of the most stressful out there. In 2010 it ranked 9th and in the previous year it ranked at 4th, beaten only by the roles of surgeon, commercial airline pilot and photojournalist. It was considered more stressful than roles such as real estate agent, physician (general practice), reporter and physician assistant. If you don’t believe me, check it out for yourself: http://www.careercast.com/jobs/content/JobsRated_StressfulJobs

Apparently “although not physically demanding, work in advertising is emotionally and mentally stressful. Competition and the pressure of acquiring and maintaining major accounts forces executives in this field to work long and irregular hours. The work requires a high level of creativity, meeting deadlines, close attention to detail and self-motivation.” This is a statement which I would whole-heartedly agree with.

Returning to the topic of me wondering whether my colleagues know what I do, I have decided to do a little research to find out. Tune in next week for the answers...

“I love talking about nothing. It is the only thing I know anything about.” Oscar Wilde

2010-07-07T11:35:00.001+01:00

Nick Bartlett
Digital Strategy Director

I live in a world that seems to be endlessly noisy. From six in the morning when the kids wake up until late at night I’m constantly surrounded by noise, news, opinion and chatter. How much I pay attention to is up for debate but it got me thinking about how, when I sit down to write this, my mind suddenly goes blank.

Today’s “social” environment allows media, brands and individuals to have the ability to publish and push their content to me through a multitude of channels, without pause for breath. Time to formulate my own opinions outside of this noise seems to be a scarce commodity. Even those that carve through the noise with a more selective approach to content (using bookmarking and RSS feeds) are finding it hard to keep their sources under control. Natural curiosity gets fat online, thinking time is squeezed to make way for more content to satisfy the increasing cultural attitude toward being the first to know and to not “miss out.”
This balance of being useful vs needed is a tricky conundrum when brands approach their social media content strategy. Frequency is often the dominant determining factor rather than target audience considerations or quality; and although you have the ability, it doesn’t necessary mean what you’re publishing is useful, entertaining or most importantly interesting.

Saying things for the sake of saying things can do as much damage as saying nothing at all. Dull communications that don’t resonate lead to content blindness so that when you eventually have a golden nugget that could change your customer’s life, too late, they’re bored, ignoring you or even worse listening to your competition.

Writing blogs gives me the chance to stop and think. Although I started with a blank canvas, I’ve thought about you and how I could honestly create something useful with an opinion that creates a debate. Next time you’re looking at your brand or company’s social media activities, have a think about Oscar’s quote and see if it resonates!

Has it really been that long?

2010-06-30T15:14:00.000+01:00

Paul Samuels
Art Director

The other morning I woke up to a rather startling realization, I realized that I had now officially been an Art Director for ten years. Now I’m not usually the most lucid person in the morning and more often than not first thoughts of the day have disappeared from my head in the time it takes me to get out of bed and walk the seven or eight short steps to the bathroom. This one, however, stayed with me and got me thinking.

It got me thinking about how - even in a space of time that has, from my perspective, flown by in a blur – things are really quite different to when I first started.

Way back in good old 2000, when we were briefed on a new campaign we’d be required to produce an ad that would feature in all sorts of journals, a mailer series that would, in all likelihood, end up in a dustbin, a detail aid and perhaps a quirky leavepiece or two. If we were lucky, we might get a bit of TV or radio thrown in as a treat.

Now we can enhance these ideas by going ‘all digital’. I know everyone’s saying it, and everyone’s trying to do it too, but that’s because it’s so worthwhile and it’s where the world is taking us.

New forms of websites where we can connect to vast audiences way beyond a mailing list, where we can be inclusive of all kinds of people and not just tell them what we think they should be told but actually ask them what they want to be told and what they need. We’re producing eDetails rather than just printed ones that allow our story to come to life beyond the printed page. Viral videos, email blasts, mobile phone applications and updatable tweets are all ways we are enhancing our more traditional creative thinking.

And it’s great. I’m no expert in this field so while I’m doing it I’m learning and that’s a great feeling. I mean look at me right now, I’m blogging for crying out loud! And even if it is a somewhat poor attempt, at least I’m giving it a go because, well, why wouldn’t you, this our world now so lets get involved and embrace it. Besides, I may be ten years as an Art Director but I never claimed to be any sort of writer.

Of course I still use all those familiar tools available to me – the still wonderful Photoshop for instance – but now I can enhance my visuals (or actually my ideas) by bringing them to life in After Effects. It’s pretty simple too, all it requires is a couple of highly skilled and willing accomplices within the studio – much gratitude fellas, you know who you are.

When I got my first job in advertising I went into the interview with nothing but an A3 portfolio and my enthusiasm. Who knows, maybe for my next one – not that I’m looking – all I’ll need is mobile phone. Or maybe an iPad. Do I like those yet? Not sure, think I might be coming around though.

PaulS

Like a kid in a candy store

2010-06-24T10:21:00.000+01:00

Klara Kallis
Copywriter

The other morning, something special happened. Picking up the post I noticed a small envelope. Across its centre: my name, handwritten.

Ignoring furious pleas from my husband who couldn’t find his towel and was planting big soggy footprints on our stairs, I sat down to relish every tactile reading moment.

Did it matter that the content was less impactful than the gesture?

It didn’t to me. It was good enough.

And so I couldn’t help thinking, sitting on the tube between two kids texting each other, ‘there’s a time and a place for everything’.

In a digital age, there is still merit in the printed page.

The printed page encourages immersion in a single narrative. Even if you could view YouTube on the underground, you may feel aggrieved if your copy of the Metro was rudely snatched away from you.

A well-targeted piece of printed communication has a personal touch which is enhanced by its now-increasing rarity.

It’s all about choice. Having choices. And making the right one.

BT understand. And they play on it. They know they can’t get into the ring with their mobile competitors. No-one’s going to change the world – or even their social plans – from their landline. But they sure can have a relaxed conversation, bringing pleasure to their loved ones (And I’m not saying I like the ad, but I do like the thinking).

As for the laughing mobile providers, could they be losing out to instant messaging? Why chat when you can ‘chat’?

I love words. But I also love my Art Director… because information recall is increased by 40% with the help of visual aids. Add sound and you’ll reach even more people. Take video marketing. Everyone enjoys watching videos, whether they’re more a ‘You’ve been framed’ type or a ‘Jack Ass’ follower. What’s really fascinating though about video marketing is the ability to track exactly what someone clicked onto the very second they stopped watching your film. Clever stuff, but I still smile when my favourite ad comes on the telly.

Mail vs. email, blog vs. print, phone vs. chat, TV vs. video…

I feel like a 5 year old in a sweet shop.

No point arguing that ‘Print advertising is dead’ or that ‘Facebook is the future’. Why not just revel in the fact that we have an amazing array of avenues through which to reach our audience?

World Cup fever

2010-06-17T10:03:00.000+01:00

Posted By Matt Ross
You can’t miss it can you? Even if you wanted to. It’s coming at you from every angle. Even my Nan’s Agatha Christie’s Poirot cannot escape the World Cup themed adverts.

Outside our offices we have the largest ever billboard towering over the West Cromwell Road (picture). A Mount Rushmore pastiche, featuring the faces of Rooney, Milner, Walcott and Ferdinand staring down the passing traffic. The headline: Play to be Remembered. Write the future. (The people who chose the players probably wished they could.) Needless to say these were going up before the World Cup teams were chosen, and those in the know mused about the wisdom of committing to idolise players who may not be selected. Still, this aside, the idea of freezing those decisive moments and immortalising them in stone and bronze symbolises everything about the idolisation today’s footballers experience.

Nike has a relevant product to promote, and does so with a grandiose three minute special T.V. ad (notice how there is no shame in using competitors' branded kit throughout). The idea of writing history today may not be new, but the execution of these printed variations on the theme show how effectively an idea can cross both channels and oceans.

The campaign developed in Amsterdam by Wieden+Kennedy will no doubt go on to win many awards, and let's hope that Rooney does become Sir Wayne (although personally I’d rather call my boy Frank) as England move on to triumph also.

But you also have the bad. Peter Crouch isn’t persuading me to buy any more Pringles El Tel’s crooning makes me less likely to buy the Sun. John Barnes embarrassingly rapping in the park for Mars . But webuyanycar.com wins my vote for the most brazen, unashamedly pointless use of a football in an advert ever.

And finally, here is proof that not all gems have to be big and brash to be effective. The strength of an idea can still be relatively cheap to pursue. Like this offering from the Times.

Humorous (when you consider the fragility of our footballers), playful and flexible. Letting you know exactly where they want to meet you for a conversation. I’ll be picking up my copy of the Times each morning. I love it! Post your own ideas of the good, bad and downright ugly World Cup ads below.

Free range talent

2010-06-07T09:37:00.000+01:00

The Free Range graduate art & design is running over the next few months. The show is a platform for graduate art and design students to showcase their work to both public and industry. Featuring more than 100 university courses from across the UK it's a brilliant way to see up and coming talent. Shows rotate weekly over the 8 week season by discipline including design, graphics, photography, art and interiors.

Walking through the 10th annual Free Range Art & Design Show, held in the Old Truman Brewery over the weekend gave me a chance to reflect on the better part of a decade that lies between where I sit today and my own days as a student of design.

Some of the work by the students displayed at the show quite impressed me. Skill and creativity – although not always mutually exclusive – are impressive to see in such a fresh crop.

It also highlighted some of the differences there are between studying in the creative industries and actually working in them. The biggest of these being time. Namely, deadlines. I remember university assignments being somewhat more relaxed as far as the time constraints of submitting creative. Real world client demands tend to mean that a university deadline of weeks or even months gets reduced to the more realistic, days... and sometimes hours!

This pressure is part and parcel of the industry and in-fact sometimes precisely what we as designers and copywriters need to spur us on to deliver the best we possibly can. I find there, truth in the somewhat corny saying, “...oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds form under great pressure”

I find it exciting that the same journey I traveled and grew along is now facing these newcomers. There is much to learn and the road is not always as well paved as we hope, but the rewards for finally arriving... make it all worthwhile.

SalB

Email is yesterday's news!

2010-06-02T11:11:00.000+01:00

Whilst trying to round up a cricket team on the weekend I was reliably informed that "email is dead" and if I want to get hold of any of the guys under the age of 19 then I'd better start team selections on Facebook!

This got me thinking so I asked the under 15's, under 18's and Seniors how they'd like to be called up to play? The result - text and Facebook were the outright winners, email was nowhere!

Looking around the teams, most have blackberrys or iphones (especially the under 15's) and for the younger teams, they have no email at all. When asked why, they tell me that it's too slow, only does one thing and doesn't go everywhere with them.

With the development of cloud computing networks and the move away from locally stored information, it seems a group of lads at a cricket club are positioning themselves nicely to be early adopters, leaving us email junkies way behind. Is this the definition of getting old?

NickB

iPad mania

2010-05-27T17:24:00.000+01:00

Sitting in a starbucks in Basel I still can't quite believe the reaction this piece of technology has on people of all ages all around the world. I haven't managed to get through a security gate at an airport with it yet without a guard pulling me up on a spurious reason having just seen it in the scanner. I've given up trying to avoid the gaze of kids and business types in airport lounges and just give them a go; feels like I should be on commission!

Launches in London tomorrow so my short time as a technology-early adopter is about to come crashing down, so here's some early things to consider if you're buying one.

1. no matter where you buy it it's 500 whatever's, so if you're going abroad anytime soon or know someone else who is, get them to buy you one, it's going to save you some cash.

2. definitely buy a case, its size doesn't sit well in normal briefcases,bags etc so the potential for scratching is huge.

3. expect to spend a lot more money with iTunes and in general online. The ease of use and access to the web means that content and shops are a lot closer then they have been before and my bank account has taken a hit!

4. don't give it to your family members and especially small kids, you'll never see it again - they love it.

5. don't worry about the wi-fi issues, I've only had good experiences, it's of no real practical use for business yet and when the next models roll out they'll have the issues sorted.

6. take it for what is, a new "thing" that hasn't found its place in the digital world yet - we're developing some great ideas and we're enjoying mucking about with it.

enjoy!

Posted by NickB

The Brand Gap

2009-09-14T14:17:00.001+01:00

Check out this SlideShare Presentation: thanks to Nutron
Some interesting strategy models.

The Brand Gap

View more documents from coolstuff.

A big hand for the little guy

2009-07-17T10:44:00.001+01:00

The other day I was with my good friends at minnow who make documentaries. Minnow's reputation is of integrity, honesty, truth, championing causes, supporting the little guy who can be amazing if seen in the right light (hence minnow). Telling their story well... finding the story that makes everyone that sees it come away and tell their friends that they must see this film.

It got me to thinking that our brands can only dream of such a reputation. This is what advertisers only dream of in their sleep. So why not take some of that magic dust. How do we get some of that.. The problem is the integrity. They are perceived as having integrity.. advertising does not.. as soon as we overtly control or if there is a perception that we have influenced the truth of the film the integrity goes away.

All we can do is stand by them and champion them.. support them.... find a film or story that is within your brands area or is about someone who might use your brand.. if it touches your heart, support it, sponsor it, get it made... Imagine a conference, with the usual stands and your film in an auditorium next door... 30 mins of passion and emotion and great story telling, that highlights a cause worth talking about, something they truly care about.. imagine people watching it on your website, on you tube, imagine the public talking about it on the tube.. imagine it winning a Bafta.. and all it says at the end is.. "Thanks to your xxxxx for supporting us"..

So how do you find such a film?.. that's the trick!! But as people are increasingly having more choices and less time.. we are going to have to become more remarkable in every thing we do... a small specialised documentary that talks to the few, taps in to everything we as advertisers are trying to do.. that is to talk to the early adopters, the innovators the people who care.. they will champion your cause if it's worth fighting for... it gives them something to get behind.. we create a movement.. a cause behind the film... a website that give people a forum to discuss and take action to make decisions.. to make collective decisions to become part of the solution... ..celebrate the customer..lead.. and tell it through a good story... tell their story.. not the brands.. a story that can passed on..

suddenly you've changed peoples lives, you've changed the world.. made it a better place, inspired people.. suddenly you are loved..suddenly in a crowded market they have a reason to choose one very similar product over another.. they believe in what it supports.. wouldn't that be great...

http://www.minnowfilms.co.uk/

http://www.sheffdocfest.com/

The new 70's

2009-07-17T10:35:00.000+01:00

The ethos of the seventies as I experienced the hippy culture in the seventies, growing up on a commune, the people around me, organic food, natural ingredients, concern for the environment, collectivism, the radical leaders outside of the mainstream, the sense of hope that it could all be different, all the fundamental values I experienced in this minority in the seventies, albeit a vocal and public minority, There was a lot of hope, but eventually this hope got swallowed up with the eighties and was never adopted my the majority, the success and dominance of capitalism drowned them out. It seems now that this has all come around again, these values are around me and seem to find there way into the mainstream much more readily than when I was a child.

We’ve moved on so much; collaboration, mass change, positivity, action, galvanising people for change, it can sound a bit utopian, it sounds a bit seventies and a bit hippy – when I hear people voice this concern I want to tell them that it’s different now, the people on the fringes, the people that were young then, who thought it were possible to have the utopia, some of these people are in a position of power now and now the capabilities of social media, the internet, we have a chance of making some serious change. Change in the environment, change in how our healthcare system is run, how we care for the elderly.

The baby boomers are reaching retirement, and I don’t think they will accept growing old as their parents did, they will want change. The internet and collectivism I believe will allow them to come together and solve the problems they are faced with. Ideas can spread without getting tied up in systems and apathy.

The internet also allows busy people do good things. Now activism and collective good can be inserted into the daily lives of people. The new platforms for engagement make it so much easier to participate. Obama’s bottom up approach to galvanising a nation is a perfect example of how people can engage and make change. Pfizer’s Baby boomer cause supporting CVD.

So if we can find a cause that aligns with our brand, be aware that apathy can be overcome these days.

Making Peoples Lives Better

2009-07-16T18:44:00.001+01:00

This is a great presentation that I found on Slideshare from Paul Isakson's blog "Everything can always be made better" and it sums up the new marketing dogma of making people's lives better which is the new way to make your brand stand out from the crowd. To give your customer's a reason to choose you over the competition. It highlights the need for us as advertisers to offer solutions to our brands that improve it as a product, that improves the experience of the product, not just communicate its benefits, whether emotional or functional.
We have to start thinking. Will the consumers/customers care. will it improve thier lives. If it does they will remark on it and word of mouth will spread it.

Making Peoples Lives Better

View more presentations from Matthew_Broughton.

Collaboration and pharmaceuticals

2009-05-29T12:44:00.001+01:00

Open collaboration or wikinomics is a beautifully simple idea that may lead us into a new economic model for the future.

The Power of Mass Collaboration film that is an introduction to the possiblilites mass collaboration can achieve.

Events of the last few years have certainly given new impetus to finding one and it just may be that from the chaos we see this new form of working that can enrich and we can become more productive. The Internet is the technology that allows us to embrace this.

The four principles wikinomics profers are: openness, peering, sharing and acting globally.

It all started with an oil company not being able to find oil on their land. They had lots of data some clever boffins but between them they couldn't find any oil no matter where they drilled. So, the CEO was sure there was oil out there decided to post all the data on the Internet and post a reward to anyone who could look at the data and tell them where to drill successfully. All sorts of people entered the competition, geologists, mathematicians, students, locals to the area, all sorts of people.. and it was this mass thinking and analysing that led them to finding more oil than they cold shake a stick at.. Ten years after the stock price had had quadrupled. Economic success by being open, sharing and acting globally. Think of it as tapping into the biggest, most diverse, creative, intelligent advanced computer in the know universe. People are out there and want to help.

There has been many success stories since then. Wikipaedia, the Apple Iphone application platform. 35,000 applications have been developed for the Iphone in 6 months. Apple haven't paid for any of it, but it makes their phone the most useful tool you can imagine.. when they say "if you want it.. there's an app for it.". they mean it..

So does the healthcare industry embrace.. yes..
http://www.innocentive.com/ is a perfect example of this... there are many others and pharmaceutical companies are one of the industries that seem to be really embracing this way of thinking.

Novartis had adopted a wikinomics approach to its diabetes research. After investing millions of dollars trying to unlock the genetic basis of type 2 diabetes, the company released all of its raw data on the Internet, for free. Open source development is already being adopted and embraced by universities and research departments. The culture is starting to change.

http://anthonydwilliams.com/2007/02/28/a-wikinomics-approach-to-rd/

The Company as Wiki is video about how "Best buy" adopted this approach across all thier stores

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIRP7Bj4-MY

Video discussions on TED

By embracing the diversity of human beings you will find a truer way to happiness.

2009-05-27T17:55:00.000+01:00

This talk by Tipping Point author Malcolm Gladwell examines choice as a way to making your customers happy.

There is no one perfect flavour, people cluster into groups.

Watch video

Being remarkable

2009-05-27T16:03:00.000+01:00

Another great Seth talk on standing out and marketing to early adopters and innvoators.

In a world of too many options and too little time, our obvious choice is to just ignore the ordinary stuff. Marketing guru Seth Godin spells out why, when it comes to getting our attention, bad or bizarre ideas are more successful than boring ones.

Watch video

How to change everything

2009-05-27T15:21:00.000+01:00

Leading tribes, cultivating a movement

This is a great talk about leading. This is behaviour we and our clients should engage in. If they want to be the "leaders in diabtes". It shows how advertising has been and how it will possibly become. It would be cavalier to ignore.

watch video

Introduction to Transmedia

2009-05-27T14:31:00.000+01:00

This is a great video and introduction to how cross media is shaping the world and will have huge impact into our world of advertising. We have to start looking at the many different ways we can engage. He discusses about how many different stories are being told across many different mediums and that consumers or prosumers are taking control of those stories and re-telling them. I think we should bear in mind that although the ways in which people are engaging is going to change dramatically, stories are still being told and they will always be the stories we have always told. Stories to inspire. Obama could be considered a "rags to riches" tale.

Henry Jenkins is the director of Comparative Media Studies Program at MIT. In this video he discusses the emergence of Transmedia a type of media that allows a new way of story telling. ( via theory.isthereason)