Filed under: Comment
This is basically the uber-dumbed down theory of a conversation I had last week with Martin Weigel – Wieden Amsterdam’s sickeningly clever and lovely head of planning.
Without doubt if you asked for his articulation of what I’m about to ‘theory assassinate’, you would read something more informative, articulate and thought provoking than I could ever dream of producing – however as I am Jeremy Kyle to his Jeremy Paxman, you’ll just have to stick with the ‘everything for a pound’ version until he decides to get off his arse and write it up fully on his blog.
[When he does, I think you’re going to love it, especially because he has some wonderful research on how people interpret digital communication [which is not about the internet] versus analogue]
Anyway, the very, Very, VERY basic premise is that if human communication is as reliant on none-verbal cues as it is on language and words, then why do so many brands [and their agencies] spend so little time investigating [and valuing] the signals their brand communicates via their everyday, real World interactions?
Look, I know that sounds awfully like I’m rehashing my ‘little things can make the biggest difference’ rant … but that’s because I’m not explaining myself [read: Martin] properly … however even if you put all the really clever stuff aside, I just like the idea that if you think of brand communication in the same vein as how humans communicate, it might stop people going straight to creating contrived, one-dimension ads and start including, addressing and valuing the seemingly inconsequential elements that ultimately influences peoples views and loyalty to a far greater degree than any ad could hope to achieve.
In other words, don’t ignore the importance of brand body language.
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only a fucking planner could come up with something like brand body language. i get it, i even nod my fucking head to it but it still makes me fucking sick.
this martin fucker sounds smarter than you but then who the fuck isnt.
Comment by andy@cynic November 23, 2010 @ 6:37 amI have a horrible feeling I came up with the brand body language term. Sorry. I shall throw myself against the wall till I bleed.
As for your comment about Martin. He is. And nicer. The bastard.
Comment by Rob November 23, 2010 @ 9:20 amdont worry campbell, ill kindly volunteer to smash your face against a wall. and telling me martin is cleverer and nicer than you is like telling me dolly parton has big tits. stating the fucking obvious. like all fucking planners do.
Comment by andy@cynic November 23, 2010 @ 9:29 ambrands need to understand shouting isnt communicating and social fucking media strategies arent social or fucking media if they do it to just get talked about rather than talked to. the shit i see these days makes me think 99% of social media is based on shotgun marketing and the wankers have the nerve to talk about effectiveness.
Comment by andy@cynic November 23, 2010 @ 6:43 amJesus, that’s a serious comment. And a good one. What on earth is going on?
Comment by Rob November 23, 2010 @ 9:22 ami know you’re trying your best to distill what martin has to stay, but i would suggest that perhaps he’s also trying his best to articulate what you’ve been banging on about for years and years – in between the sausages, hamburgers, open-toed-shoes and nostalgia goop.
anyone who has read your rants about R&D, or about actually doing stuff knows that you’re talking about this same idea.
and i’m with andy. i think brand body language is a pretty bloody accurate phrase and i’m sorry that i feel so ill reading it. it smells of a book title and a little pointy diagram.
Comment by lauren November 23, 2010 @ 6:59 amcareful lauren youre sailing dangerously fucking close to making campbell sound clever and remember all he knows is from me. well the fucking smart bits the rest is his nottingham breeding despite his parents best fucking efforts.
Comment by andy@cynic November 23, 2010 @ 7:49 amThat’s very kind of you Lauren, but Martin’s take on this is at a whole other level – it’s just because I’m too thick to express it properly that it comes out like the ranting I’ve been doing for the past 10 years or so. That or the fact that’s the only point I’ve ever had or will ever have.
Comment by Rob November 23, 2010 @ 9:25 amand i probably won’t point out the irony of this coming from two planners who work for the company that developed the biggest shouty-execution campaign this year.
Comment by lauren November 23, 2010 @ 7:00 amthats much fucking better.
Comment by andy@cynic November 23, 2010 @ 7:49 amYes … well we’ll ignore that point shall we. Besides – that’s Portland and Britton’s fault. Ha.
Comment by Rob November 23, 2010 @ 9:23 amObviously I’m going to like the term brand body language because I’m a planner but what I like most is the sentiment that reminds companies and agencies alike that what you say is not as important as how you behave and getting that right is the starting point for creating longer term relationships.
I look forward to hearing what Martin really meant this term to mean. 🙂
By the way Andy, your social media strategy rant makes you sound like a planner.
Comment by Pete November 23, 2010 @ 7:35 amwanker for liking the term.
Comment by andy@cynic November 23, 2010 @ 7:53 amwanker for calling me a planner.
legend for pointing out campbell might be totally missing mythical martins fucking point.
That’s an improvement on my usual rating. I’m improving.
Comment by Pete November 23, 2010 @ 7:57 amlike a fucking snail.
Comment by andy@cynic November 23, 2010 @ 8:00 amThank you Pete … I knew I could rely on you.
That was meant as a compliment but I understand why you might not see it that way. Ha.
Comment by Rob November 23, 2010 @ 9:24 amAnd Lauren’s right about you being someone who has banged on about this for years but the million dollar question is whether that’s what Martin is banging on about.
Comment by Pete November 23, 2010 @ 7:37 amso who gets the million bucks if the answer is yes: martin, rob, me or you?
Comment by lauren November 23, 2010 @ 8:28 amyou think this is worth a million bucks? a million fucking lira more like and they dont even have that anymore.
Comment by andy@cynic November 23, 2010 @ 9:01 amMegan Fox is a brand. I’ll become a planner if it means I get to mess around with her body. And language.
Comment by Billy Whizz November 23, 2010 @ 7:41 amshe wouldnt hire you. shes heard your proprietry tool isnt up to much.
Comment by andy@cynic November 23, 2010 @ 7:51 amBrilliant!
Comment by Pete November 23, 2010 @ 7:56 amfucking gold
Comment by lauren November 23, 2010 @ 8:21 amYep, I’m a fan of that insult.
Comment by Rob November 23, 2010 @ 9:26 amI thought you hated adland when they take something that’s been around for years, give it a new name and claim they invented it. I’m not getting at Martin because I don’t know what he really means with BBL but you Mr Planning Hypocrite, even if you’ve been talking about this stuff since before the adland bandwagon jumped on it to pretend they care about their clients business.
Comment by DH November 23, 2010 @ 7:45 amnice slagging off dave. silver fucking medal standard.
Comment by andy@cynic November 23, 2010 @ 7:55 amFirm. But fair. Unfortunately.
At least I jumped on the bandwagon before many others did. Does that count? No, I didn’t think so either. Bugger.
Comment by Rob November 23, 2010 @ 9:27 amAs I pointed out at the beginning of this post, Martin’s views relating to Brand Body Language are far more intelligent, interesting and – for want of a better word – unique compared to my ramblings here, though given the lovely feedback you kind souls have given, I doubt he’ll ever right it up for fear of another character assassination – even though in reality, your words are aimed – as usual – at me, not him.
Comment by Rob November 23, 2010 @ 9:17 amYou mean a brand is a verb not only a noun?
Comment by Katie Chatfield November 23, 2010 @ 11:23 amThat depends if you’re asking my wife or not.
Comment by Rob November 23, 2010 @ 1:52 pmAlmost like PSFK doing puff piece on W K.. if it weren’t for Andy taking Billy out back behind the toolshed for a quick and painfull one to the head.. ( pretty pleased with this comment actually, incorporating the tool reference and a
Comment by Niko November 23, 2010 @ 4:03 pmDouble entendre on head/head.. Good work people, good work)
I have no idea what you’re going on about. Seriously.
Comment by The Kaiser November 23, 2010 @ 4:55 pmWithout wanting to sound difficult, a certain tea loving planner wrote about body language in 2007 http://joymachine.typepad.com/northern_planner/2007/10/creative-brie-2.html
But good point anyway.
Comment by northern November 23, 2010 @ 5:57 pmAnd some midlands planner commented on said post, but it appears to have taken three years for the idea to percolate through his brain.
Also I’d argue it’s not just about what they don’t say, it’s much more about what they don’t do (for good or bad). People notice what’s missing far often than is realised.
Comment by John November 23, 2010 @ 6:36 pmYour completely right. Walk into an M&S and the drab dullness it completely at odds with the fashiony fairytale stuff they do on telly to mention but one.
Comment by northern November 23, 2010 @ 7:09 pmI never said I was quick to learn.
Fuck you Martin, you’re 3 years behind NP. [Feel better?]
Comment by Rob November 23, 2010 @ 7:36 pmYes and yes.
Comment by Rob Mortimer November 23, 2010 @ 7:31 pmThe importance of casting, picking the right ambassadors, picking the right animators all shine through when we remember how much of what we say isn’t about the message at all.
Yes, but I also think the importance of things that have nothing whatoever related to classic comms is even more important.
Comment by Rob November 23, 2010 @ 7:36 pmNo I don’t, he’ll have been clever, erudite and articulate and have had much more prescient things to say than I. It’s just that when you reduce all that into a soundbite that gets lost.
Comment by northern November 23, 2010 @ 7:49 pmWhich is why I can’t stand creatives who say ‘just give me a proposition’
I agree. I just thought you/Martin already covered that bit well enough!
Comment by Rob Mortimer November 23, 2010 @ 9:41 pm