The Musings Of An Opinionated Sod [Help Me Grow!]

Ha, the look the boss gives after that guy smacks himself out is priceless…

i just noticed that both you and ryan adam use Rx [prescriptions] to sign off.

ok, this is dangerous territory i’m treading, so i’ll just tell you how insightful and amazing you are. that you’re absolutely right, humour is a wonderful thing. that bryan adams is hilarious and that video is brilliant. better than clay shirky at TED.

Pete – are you showing off, or are you warning us that cynic are going to be telling you what to do now?

You don’t even start for 3 months and you’re already turning into one of us. I don’t know whether I should be proud or horrified 🙂

You raise a very good point about people being able to spot the difference between a contrived brand personality and one that is a true reflection of the organisation … but the thing is do people even care?

Well in the main, I would say they don’t however – and here’s the thing – by continually fighting to prove you are worthy of societies attention and loyalty, you can make them care and that is why brands like Virgin, Apple and Nudie will always have an amazing emotional aura versus brands like Qantas, Microsoft and Coke.

I know some will say this is a reflection of a challenger brand or a company with a charismatic figure head … and while I believe they have contributed to their success … it’s way more than that, it’s what Andy say’s, “LIVE NOT TELL” and these brands do it as much with the little things as they do with the big.

PS: If someone wants to talk about how Qantas is much more profitable than Virgin etc etc, I will happily talk about ‘profit-per-employee’ ratios which gives a much more accurate position to the brands potential and strength. Not only that, but it will allow me to bore someone to within an inch of their life – even though I probably do that on a daily basis anyway!

here’s some brand mischief for you, at least I think it’s fucking hilarious:

http://tinyurl.com/65a9l3

morning.

Congratulations Pete, I guess it was a case of google beating microsoft because I can’t imagine it was Rob beating Colin or Andy beating Alex 🙂

I love posts like this because it makes me rethink my views on brand behavior. Years ago you said a large part of Apple’s success was down to its failures and I remember thinking you were talking a lot of shit but now I am here and talk to guys who have been around the place for 20 years, you were so right.

Advertising didn’t make Apple a brand people love, Apple’s attitude did and communication just spread the word a little further and faster. Shit I really did absorb your views didn’t I Rob 🙂

Yes Lee … get your definitions right please, you’re can’t be lazy with your terms with Mr Dodds in the house 🙂

Alright, so advertising is a byproduct of the marketing discipline but I don’t think values, vision and attitude are.

Actually I should clarify that.

In companies that are started by people who want to make a difference, it is not about marketing, it is simply an expression of who they are, what they believe, what they think and what they want to achieve … however in big organisations – the ones that ‘relaunch’ every 12 months – it most certainly is the case.

For these organisations, values, vision and attitude are nothing more than a way to justify/extend their employment.

And as much as per-employee ratios are not always scalable, with organisations like Apple and Virgin they most certainly are – and interms of attracting external investment, they can be very powerful indeed.

Jesus this is becoming a very mature response isn’t it – thank god Marcus is here. Yoohoooo!

PS: Baz you are my puppet. Actually, given your size, you’re more of my glove puppet but I’m not putting my hand inside for any price 🙂

I didn’t say they (or advertising for that matter) were a by-product! They’re all an integral part of the mix. Vision, value and attitudes directly relate to how an organisation connects with/serves their customers and as marketing should be seen as everything that a company does to meet customer neeeds inbest way possible, then they are at the heart of marketing. As I always say, branding like a brand on a cow is only skin-deep and fades with time, marketing, as I correctly define it, is a matter of DNA. The big companies you mention are doing the former and not undertstanding that. They probably have sales and marketing directors!

I don’t know enough about the airline industy (though am always open to being a secret shopper) but Qantas I believe have some sort of national, if not legal, obligation to service routes that others would not. If you take on unprofitable activities for “social” purposes your ratio must fall as you scale. On the other hand, yes Virgin and Apple by approaching their industries in innovative, customer-focussed and cost-aware ways stripped out some of the waste under which older companies suffer.

p.s. I wonder if Apple are going to introduce a metric that reflects profi per foot of employee?

I know this is off topic – mainly because I’m too tired to go into rounds and rounds of debate that serves no purpose other than to make you look good – but did you know Qantas have had the most profitable route in the World for decades [Sydney / LA]?

This is the most protected and molly-coddled airline in the World and their obligation to service non-profitable routes was either ended or Government subsidised [I can’t remember] years ago.

Only now is their stronghold of certain ‘cash cow routes’ being addressed but that has only come about after decades of lobbying.

It would seem the Spirit of Australia is one mean spirited bitch!

That’s why I fly Virgin more often than Qantas.

Out-arguing me with actual facts is a low blow and runs ounter to the ethos of this blog.

its like fucking waynes world around here.

a movie that sparkles with life when you use b&o audio video equipment

good fucking point marcus. i now detest waynes world, its fucking shit and mike myers is a barnacle on the bottom of a shitty boat called comedy. do i still get the b&o shit?