Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Asia, Attitude & Aptitude, China, Comment, Context, Culture
A few weeks ago, I had the most bonkers week of my life.
MY. ENTIRE. LIFE.
Of course, it involved China – where bonkers is a beautiful way of life – but it was at a level I could never imagine, let alone imagine I’d ever get to experience.
But it happened and it is something I will treasure and remember for the rest of my days.
But this post is not actually about any of that, it’s about this …
And this ….
I know … I know … it’s a photo of a man cutting a hedge and an empty road which sounds especially boring given this post started with ‘the most bonkers week of my life’.
But the thing is, of all the bonkers stuff that happened [taster: dinner-for-2 with a global superstar in LA, dinner with editors of GQ and Vogue China, asked to bring another global superstar to China, conversations with the head designers of some of the hottest street culture and luxury brands on the planet] those were 2 of the moments that made the biggest impression on me.
It was on my first morning in Beijing.
I woke up very early because of the time zone change.
And because I’m on a health kick, I got up to go out for a walk.
It was light as it’s summer there and as I left the hotel, I saw the guy cutting the hedge and it kind of stopped me in my tracks.
I know that sounds dramatic and over-the-top but it is true …
Part of it was because it triggered Sunday morning memories, where I would hear Dad – or one of the neighbours – cutting the grass. A sonic symbol of family, safety and happiness. A guarantee that whatever happened later in the day, it was starting in a good way.
But it was more than that …
It was the joy of seeing a city literally prepare itself for the day ahead.
And not just any city, but one that is crazy in terms of scale and volume.
Bustling with kinetic energy and possibility.
There was something exciting and reassuring seeing the city actively create the conditions for people to experience and live up to.
All bathed in the warm golden glow of a summer sun, rising to bake us all in its intense heat within an hour or two.
And yet it would be so easy to do none of it.
Let’s be honest, each day tens – if not hundreds – of thousands of people pass through this area and I’m pretty sure few ever notice it.
And yet they do it.
Every day.
OK, so the area I was in was ‘posh’ – full of luxury brands and retailers – so there is an ‘image’ to maintain, but it felt a real gift to be there at that moment.
To experience pride in a job well done and calm before the story.
To welcome the day rather than fear it.
To see the people who make it possible rather than the people who take it for granted.
And while I appreciate you may be fearing for my sanity at this point … the thing is, for a country that cops so much shit for what it ‘does wrong’ from people/media/politicians who often have never even been to the country, they understand the importance of the environment we live and work in far more than many of the places that like to present themselves as having all their shit together.
I know China has a lot wrong with it.
So does every other nation.
But while there’s a lot they can – and need – to do a lot better in, there’s some things, they do miles better than the so called ‘first world nations’.
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Tomorrow we have the day off to celebrate Matariki.
It’s a very important day in New Zealand and if you want to know why, click here.
See you Monday.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Advertising, Attitude & Aptitude, Brand Suicide, Brands, Business, Comment, Context, Corporate Evil, Creativity, Culture, Differentiation, Distinction, Honesty, Innovation, Management, Marketing, Marketing Fail
I saw these 2 brilliant cats starring each other down when I was in Utrecht a few months ago.
Look at them.
Focused. Determined. Pissed off.
Trying desperately to intimidate each other while obviously being scared of each other.
Maybe not in terms of size … or beauty … but in terms of one being able to pull off something better, quicker or smarter than the other.
Trapped in an endless cycle of statue paralysis or trying to micro ‘one up’ the other.
The cat cold-war so to speak.
And what is funny is this is often how many brands behave.
Looking sideways rather than ahead.
So lost in what one other brand is doing – or could be doing – they ignore what’s going on around them.
What others are achieving without them.
Sometimes this is not simply driven by a competition, but greed.
A desire to make sure nothing is left on the table.
Hoovering up every scrap.
Believing they are in control and in power so nothing can challenge or take them.
So lost in their self-belief that they fail to see they’re being left behind.
Blinkered by ego.
We saw it with Nokia when Apple launched the iPhone.
We saw it with Listerine when Wrigley’s positioned chewing gum as dental care.
We saw it with Kodak when they chose to protect their photo processing profits rather than launch their digital camera.
We have seen it over and over again.
And while sometimes, having a focused enemy can push you to greater heights than you would be able to achieve on your own … driving you to make things better, rather than to look for things never done before [because often, those things are stupid or self-indulgent] like most things in life, the key is knowing when this approach starts to be counter productive.
When the focus is pulling you back than pushing you forward.
Blinkering your view rather than opening your perspective.
Losing your edge rather than fuelling your ambition.
But sadly, too many brands act like those two cats in Utrecht.
Unable to look away but without the looks to make others still want to come to them.
Which is why as much as there’s a lot to be said for exploiting and optimising the failings and learnings of your numero uno foe, there’s also a lot to be said for remembering to keep looking up and out from your blinkered bubble.
Or said another way …
When you ensure you’re focused on where culture is heading, you don’t get lost following where your competition is staying.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Advertising, Attitude & Aptitude, Comment, Communication Strategy, Content, Context, Creative Development, Creativity, Culture, Effectiveness, Marketing, Marketing Fail, New Zealand, Nike
There’s been a lot written and said about brand assets over the years.
A lot of claims and over-promises.
Hell, careers have been made from being a cheerleader of it … even though it has also been responsible for a whole lot of terrible advertising.
Contrived, complicit and confused advertising.
That doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a value – or a role – but as I wrote here, the thing rarely talked about is that brand assets don’t happen by themselves. You can’t buy them off the shelf or make them happen by simply repeating their use ad-nauseum.
No, the only way to turn an attribute into an asset is through creativity.
It’s creativity that gives it meaning.
It’s creativity that gives it a purpose and role.
It’s creativity that imbues it with financial value.
I appreciate that might not fit the narrative of certain people, but that’s the reality of the situation … or it is if you want to do it properly. Unfortunately, it appears more and more people don’t. Preferring to outsource their responsibility – which, let’s not forget, they are paid to do – to generalistic and simplistic solutions that are focused on recognition, not value.
Nothing brought this home more than this ad I saw for a new Nike store in Auckland.
Look at this …
What the fuck? Seriously, what the fuck is that?
While they have used a number of NIKE’s ‘brand assets’ – namely the font and swoosh – it’s pretty obvious whoever put this together has no understanding or appreciation of what they represent or how to use them.
Mind you, it also seems they also have no understanding or appreciation of sport, art direction or design.
It’s like they’ve just taken a few pieces and shoved them wherever they like – like a terrible jigsaw puzzle that doesn’t show the picture they need to create.
Which highlights another thing rarely talked about brand assets …
Just because you’ve earned them, doesn’t mean you can’t lose them.
Treat them with distain and you’ll find all that hard work will be for nothing.
Moving from a brand asset to an attribute to a warning sign to stay the fuck away.
Brand assets are made and built over time.
They need nurturing, crafting and supporting.
They’re not something that once earned, can be used any way you choose.
It’s why the people who use them need to understand them.
What they represent.
The context they play in.
Their creative meaning and expression.
How to actually fucking use them in the right way.
Without any of that you don’t just fail to unlock their inherent value and power, you’re killing their credibility and the brand they’re tied to.
That doesn’t mean you can evolve them. Or expand them. Or play with them in different ways. Nike – of all brands – is very good at doing that. But that only happens because generally they’re embraced by people who have a deep understanding of what they stand for and represent … rather than random ‘colours and logos’ that they treat as a range of stickers they believe they can put wherever they want and whenever they choose.
It’s why I get so frustrated with how certain people talk about them. Acting they’re like ‘parts’ that can be replaced, exchanged, adapted or used however someone chooses … which ultimately demonstrates many of the people who talk like this don’t actually understand what a brand is, what it takes to build one or the difference between post-rationalising and creating.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Attitude & Aptitude, Comment, Communication Strategy, Context, Creative Development, Creativity, Customer Service, Distinction, Effectiveness, Experience, Management, Marketing, Retail, Virgin Atlantic
Originally, I was going to post a video of a scene from Louis CK’s old TV show.
But then I chose not to.
Not because he was rightfully cancelled for his behaviour – but because the subject matter is too heavy for this early in the week.
But I probably will post it later in the week because it’s a brilliant piece of work.
Not in terms of ‘comedy’, but truth.
Not played for laughs, but for emotional connection … ensuring you feel the pain of what is being said either because it relates to situations you have experienced or actively avoided.
I won’t say any more … both to ensure I don’t ruin the post if I end up doing it plus the fact, I’ve got to actually find it.
Not to mention the fact I am convinced I may have posted about it before but for the life of me, can’t find it … haha.
So instead, have a look at this …
That’s the window of a cake shop near where I live.
As you can see, it was a sunny afternoon – despite being Autumn – so the blind is down.
And that’s where I saw the words, “we’re open, it’s just sunny”.
Those words were printed ON THE BLIND which means a few things.
1. They understand how perception can influence the retail environment.
2. They pay attention to the details across all aspects of their business.
3. They invest in how their business presents itself to their audience.
4. By printing it on the blind – so the writing disappears when it’s up – they are showing that they have an attitude of ‘if something’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right’.
Now I appreciate it seems like it’s a small thing.
But I noticed it.
While driving in my car.
On a busy road.
On a Sunday.
But I tell you something else. I must have driven past a ton of shops on that road and not one of the others made any impression on me. Certainly not enough for me to photograph it then go in and buy something from it.
And here’s the thing … the reason I noticed it is because frankly, you don’t see much of this these days.
Instead, we’re drowning in functionality efficiency.
Removing anything other than what is deemed ‘achieves the specific and immediate need’.
The optimisation of operational interaction. Or in UX language, ‘the systematic removal of any possible friction point in the purchase process’.
But there’s a problem with that thinking, because that approach makes you literally the same as everyone else.
The blandification of who you are. The commodotisation of what you do.
But GoodFor – the name of the shop – chose not to do that.
They understood that done right, ‘friction is valuable’, which is why they decided to deal with this problem in a way that enhanced the brand reputation and experience for their customers. In essence, rather than removing friction … they made a statement out of it.
What some would deem ‘unnecessary and costly’, they saw as an investment in their individuality and personality.
Now I appreciate it’s a small thing, but many of the biggest impact stuff is small.
Think Virgin Atlantic’s salt and pepper shakers or even the classic Argos pen … stuff most would not give a second thought to, and yet reveal more about what the brand values than $10 million quids worth of TV advertising.
In this world of ‘optimise everything’ marketing, it blows my mind how few companies appreciate the big impact of small gestures … because to a society who is finely attuned to marketing bullshit, nothing tells them who you really are than doing stuff most companies wouldn’t even think about.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Advertising, Agency Culture, Attitude & Aptitude, Audacious, Brands, Comment, Communication Strategy, Creative Development, Creativity, Culture, Differentiation, Distinction, Emotion, Empathy, Experience, Management, Marketing, Marketing Fail, Nike, Perspective, Provocative, Relevance, Resonance, Strategy
Take a look at this photo of Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe.
How good is it?
Two icons of tennis …
Hell, for people of a certain age, they’re still icons, despite this pic being taken in 1978.
But this isn’t about them, this is about McEnroe’s shirt.
McEnroe’s NIKE shirt.
Notice anything about it? Anything different at all?
Well let me put you out of your misery, because the answer is there’s absolutely nothing different about it whatsoever.
It’s the same logo as you see today.
It’s the same font as you see today.
It’s the same flawed genius athlete as you see today.
It is a demonstration of a brand who has always known who the fuck it is, what/who it stands for and what it believes.
A brand that made that logo ‘an asset’ through the decisions it makes and the athletes it associates with.
For over 50+ years.
No ‘relaunch’.
No ‘brand purpose’ statement.
No ‘one colour’ brand systems.
No ‘system 2’ decision making.
Hell, they’re even OK with making mistakes because they are focused on fighting, challenging, pushing and provoking athletes and sport rather than chasing popularity and convenience.
In fact, the greatest irony is the reason they’re currently in the shit is because certain people decided their 50+ years of pushing who they are, what/who they stand for and what they believe was now out of date. Irrelevant. Not ‘optimising or maximising’ their commercial value enough. So they turned their back on who they are to embrace what many modern marketing guru’s said they should be … ignoring the fact these people have never done – or achieved – anything close to what NIKE has and does.
Now it is very true there are certain things NIKE have been slow to embrace. Some are mindblowingly ridiculous and stupid. However, I would argue that is more because they shed so many people who loved and live for sport while replacing them with people who love and live for marketing processes and practices.
Because while there is – if done correctly – value in those things, it’s important to remember they never MAKE a brand, they – at best – help empower it. A bit.
That we’ve chosen to forget this to enable us to profit from an increasing number of companies who seek to disguise the fact they don’t know who they fuck they are, what/who they stand for and what they believe, highlights how much marketing has become an industry of platitudes, not provocation.
Which is why I will always remember what a friend of my Dad once told me.
He was a lawyer, but his words were very pertinent for marketing.
Especially a lot of what passes – or is celebrated – in marketing today.
He basically said: “Great companies don’t change who they are but always fight to change where they are”
Sadly, it feels too many have got things the wrong way around these days.