That Gormandizer Man

The magic percentage of new

So I'm sat here in the office and someone's put Absolute Radio on. (Absolute used to be called Virgin Radio, but for the purposes of this post I'm going to refer to it as Absolute Radio, regardless of the period I'm referring to.)

I haven't listened to it for years. I mean, literally, years.

I used to listen to it all the time when I was studying. This was in the late 90s before streaming media and before it was easy to access music cheaply or freely. I had a stack of tapes and CDs, but if I wanted new music I had to borrow a CD from someone else. (Remember that - the thrill of your mate turning up with the tape you wanted?)

So, I listened to the radio a lot. And because I had a rubbish radio I couldn't get many stations.

So I listened to Absolute Radio loads. And loads. So much so I knew most of the songs. They play classic songs for about 90% of their playlist, with the other 10% being new releases.

And they haven't changed at all. Which means I'm getting about 90% of the same experience I had some fifteen years ago. There's only 10% new stuff coming on disrupting my enjoyment.

It's like a comfort blanket. Something I know. Something I'm familiar with. Something I recognise. An old friend.

But I'll only listen to it once in a while because after a while I get bored of the 90%. Because it becomes too familiar. Too predictable. One of those friends where you know how they'll act all the time.

And it got me thinking about brands and how there's probably a balance somewhere between comfort and new. About how brands need to be recognisable, familiar and a comfort blanket... but constantly peppering that comfort with little new things.

Because if they don't keep me interested by introducing me to new things, keeping me interested by evolving with me and society, then I'll get bored. And that's when I put 6 Music on.

And there isn't a magic formula for this.

I think 10% new isn't enough for me, it keeps me away and when I come back I only stay for a little while. But it is risky enough for my dad.

I think comms brands are doing a good job in this area. Because, when you're signed up to your tariff, they're all much of a muchness.

So whether it's o2 Priority, Vodafone VIP or Orange Wednesdays, they all know they need to keep evolving. They all know they need to add little elements of new. Little things to keep people interested. Otherwise their audience will take them for granted and switch their channel off.

Have a think about the brands you work on. Where are the elements of new? Where are the little things that evolve to keep your consumers happy?

How are you going to keep your consumers happy by being familiar and warm, but by keeping them interested at the same time? What percentage of new do you need to deliver?

Thankyou to my teachers

I was reading a little from Sir Ken Robinson's The Element the other day. In there is a passage where he talks about the value of a good teacher, and that whilst some of us could pinpoint a vital teacher in our life, some of us couldn't.

So it got me thinking about the teachers that I still think of fondly now who have helped shape me. (By teachers I mean the people who were the 'establishment' at an educational facility only. I'm not discussing the notion of teaching - as that can come from everywhere.)

So I thought I'd spend a few moments thanking those teachers publicly, and in keeping with Sir Ken I'm going to overuse the word 'profound'.

Secondary School.
There's only one teacher I can think of that helped shaped my thinking throughout my whole first 16 years. Sure there were teachers I enjoyed lessons with, but for the purposes of this post I'm thinking only about teachers that taught me something profound.

Mr. Henderson.
I was never really interested in English - language or literature - until I was taught by Mr. Henderson. Primarily this was down to two reasons: 1) We had free reign of the DTP computer in his class and were encouraged to design and write at every occasion; 2) He introduced me to Animal Farm. Not only was this a profound book in my growing up, but the way in which he taught it was quite brilliant. He made it fun to read. I'd never had that before - a book that I looked forward to reading. He totally shifted my perception of how interesting and exciting a book can be, and he also taught me some fundamentals in basic critical questioning.
Thankyou Mr. Henderson.

My Undergraduate Degree
Two teachers stick out here for me. One is based purely on a single learning, the other helped shaped my mind quite a bit.

Peter Lee.
Initially an amusing teacher because my brother lives in Peterlee. (Do you see the name thing! Funny hey!) One single thing happened that made me respect Peter and I still remember it. Mr. Lee was our 3D graphics teacher (I studied Architecture just as computers were starting to dominate the industry. My class was right on the cusp of the change with some of us presenting hand drawn ink graphics, and some presenting CAD drawings. A really interesting time.) On one deadline day one of my friends of off ill and when explaining he was worried he'd fail, Mr. Lee went into a tirade. Not about my friends illness, but about the inability of the rules of the University to accommodate ill people. This was a profound shift from other tutors I was learning from - they would very much toe the line of the University rules. This showed me that regardless of age, experience and situation there is always a place to question hierarchy and to never take it as gospel. A crucial learning. Always questions things. Sure some rules are there for a reason, but sometimes they're a dogma that needs shaking up.
Thankyou Peter.

Sam Jacob
Big thanks need to go to the last two of my influential teachers. Starting with Sam.
When I moved to London I was a young, naive Northerner a bit out of my depth and surrounded by so many amazing things I was a little overawed and also a little too ambitious in what I could do. I mean that in both professional terms and social terms.
Sam taught me innumerable things so it'd be difficult to pull out individual learnings but I can give no higher praise to Sam than to state that I think he turned me from a raw student into an employable, more intelligent professional. I grew up a lot when I worked with Sam.
In the Architecture world he was (and is) prepared to fuck things up a bit and the way he helped improve my creative thinking was amazing. I was very rational before I met Sam, and it's because of him in no small way that I now see things and immediately think of creative ideas. He taught me that it's OK to fully immerse yourself in others work and to then use that as a springboard to inspire your own work. There's a world of difference between that and stealing ideas, and one that James Young also acknowledges. Sam taught me how to look at things, and by critically questioning them to then piece them back together in a different order. In a new way. To create something new and fresh. That's the way a lot of people work.
Along with Mr. Lee above, Sam liked to fuck things up a bit and be a bit subversive. This has definitely rubbed off on me... and I think that's a good thing.
Thanks Sam.

My Postgraduate Degree
I was taught by a few different people on my MA, but all of them espoused the same key thinking as the Course Director, so I'm going to talk about him here, but thanks all.

Geoff Crook
My MA was brilliant. I loved it. I looked forward to going to class and I looked forward to the coursework. It was the basis of a profound shift in the way I thought about myself and the way I thought about my career moving forwards.
Geoff is great. From minute one on lesson one you know where he's coming from. You know this isn't going to be a course where you jump through hoops and remember key facts for the exam hall. The course is what you make it and he explains this very early. Some found that uncomfortable as they're used to being spoonfed. I loved it.
Geoff taught me not only to critically question the fundamentals we'd been taught elsewhere, but to critically question our own questions. Geoff was also the first teacher that really taught me the value of parallel problem solving - of using examples and ideas from other areas and to think of them in relation to a problem in another area. He taught me the value of stripping away 'marketing bullshit' and, whilst using robust evidence to back up ones argument, presenting that argument in a simple lucid form. Something I still do every day.
My respect for Geoff was amplified when I tutored on his course for a couple of years. Seeing how constrained he was by the gatekeepers of the business of academia was depressing, but he always stuck to his guns - for the benefit of the students.
Thanks Geoff.

So there you go.
Four teachers I'd like to thank. Most of them are from Higher Education and this doesn't please me. My schooling in the North East wasn't particularly good and in fact my Comprehensive has since been closed down by OFSTED. My learnings during Higher Education have had a profound effect on the way I think, however, and I found it really useful to reflect on that. No matter what age we are, we should always reflect and learn.

In a time when every public service is being squeezed I thought I'd spend a few minutes to say to all my teachers not named here - thankyou. I know the difficulties you all face and I know how challenging kids can be.

But to the people I have named above: Thankyou so much. In some way I'm a mirror of your teachings... so be worried!

The time is now for planning

I've been mulling over an article for a while, and finally penned it earlier this week. I've emailed it to Campaign, but presuming it won't get published I thought I'd drop it all here.

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Planning is at a crossroads and needs to spearhead industry-wide changes to take advantage of upcoming economic growth argues Mark Hadfield, Head of Strategy at Nexus/H.

There’s a lot of chatter around at the moment about how the industry can move forward by learning from different sectors; a selection of IPA delegates visiting Silicon Valley and the new planning trend of ‘making instead of talking’ being two examples.
As a planner this fills me with optimism, as I’m all for branching out and learning new things from new sectors to benefit my day-to-day work and the clients I work for. After all, continuing to learn everyday is part of what makes me a planner isn’t it?
Within every great team there are great individuals; entrepreneurial individuals who give the rest of the team a platform from which to learn and challenge. This puts planning squarely at the heart of the modern agency: improving, learning, adapting and challenging in genuinely remarkable times and deviating from the norms set out by generations past.
But in 2012, some 40 odd years after the discipline was founded and in a global economy about to leave behind a significant period of stagnation, planning is at a crossroads and some key questions need to be asked so planning can build on this opportunity:

- Where will the next generation of planners come from?
- How can planners improve how they learn from other planners?
- How can agencies unleash the full potential of planners?

Learned and Taught
I have a theory that there are two kinds of planners: Taught planners and Learned planners.
Taught planners are traditionally spotted at university studying a human sciences course, and join a large network agency to learn their particular interpretation of planning.
Learned planners have spent part of their life working in another discipline and then make a switch over to planning. Their previous discipline may be unrelated to their new industry altogether but they bring with them unbridled enthusiasm, an essential naivety of the constraints of the industry and a new perspective on answering problems.
Like a footballer being taught ballet to increase balance, there are many positives to be learned from the latter approach but traditionally these people don't fit into the pigeonholes of the large networked agency.
It's important that the industry doesn't wait for Learned planners to fall into planning. The industry as a whole and each agency individually should have a team of scouts who scour the fields for interesting people ready to take a sideways jump into planning. We need to evolve beyond cherry-picking students of psychology and think laterally about where new planners can feasibly come from in order to remain relevant in the future and to approach clients business problems in evolved ways.

Planning partnerships are essential
As we’ve all noticed, we’re in a time when clients are expecting more for less. More results, more output and a quicker turnaround usually with less reward. Well, the agency of the future will need to move with even more agility and speed and to supplement this, continual evolution is absolutely essential.
Andrew Cracknell states in his excellent The Real Mad Men “clients have always been hyper paranoid about having their business with an agency that is simultaneously handling a company who could even remotely be considered a rival”, and I’m sure we’d all agree. But I’d argue agencies themselves are just as paranoid and this inhibits the learnings, and thus benefits, planners can bring to a clients business.
Agencies that have traditionally competed with each other should be encouraged to share ideas, and an open-source style of critical questioning is needed at all levels. It’s essential for the future of the planning discipline and the communications industry as a whole that we overcome our paranoia and start to share non-confidential, beneficial knowledge and information within our industry. Max Wright writing in Campaign a few years ago stated integration is a ‘way of working, no more no less’ within an agency. I totally agree but I’d like to take it one step further and I’d like that same integration to move between agencies. Instead of flying to Silicon Valley, we should all be opening our doors to learn from each other a little closer to home.
On top of this, meaningful collaborations with other disciplines outside of the industry would pay dividends - be it relationships with screenwriters, comedians, business analysts, actors or artists to further increase agility and to keep everyone away from those pigeon shaped holes.

Making mistakes is good
Cliché alert: Mistakes should not be feared. This is something I hear lots from people speaking at conferences, yet we’re still dominated by an awards industry that celebrates successes and not mistakes. With planning and creative teams eager to raise the bar and set new records at every opportunity mistakes should be expected and indeed, for the brave, praised.
For some agencies the question needs to shift from "How can we avoid mistakes?" to "How can our clients benefit from our mistakes?" because as we've seen over the previous eight years, the rulebook is changing at an alarming rate and more mistakes are being made every day. If the agency cannot adjust to this evolved way of thinking they will suffocate the free thinking a planner needs to succeed in the future.

Remaining focused on the opportunity
Andrew Cracknell said at a recent Yahoo! event “There is an urge to do what can be done, instead of doing what should be done" and this is something it’s essential we remember. What should be done is the undeniable role of the new planner and it’s a role that is growing with importance with every brief.
Now is the time for planners to unite and to work together to do what should be done. If we can improve how we find fresh thinking, how we work together and how we truly encourage the making of mistakes we can be the spine of our agencies moving forward. This puts us in prime position to use economic growth to fuel and evolve the importance of planning.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Mark Hadfield is Head of Strategy at Nexus/H. He studied a degree in Architecture and an MA in Design Studies. He doesn’t share as much as he’d like, but he definitely makes mistakes.

From Rockstar to Spinal Tap

I've just been on holiday.
More than that, I've just been on holiday with Virgin Holidays.
And the reason I chose Virgin was twofold: 1) To accumulate some Virgin Frequent Flyer miles; 2) To experience the Virgin Rockstar Service.

The holiday I chose wasn't the cheapest in market. I paid the little extra as I've always had good experiences with Virgin Atlantic.

If you look at the page here, they explain what it's all about. In a nutshell, they say "We think you deserve better than to be huddled and herded, packed in and packed off. 'Cos if you can't act like an A-lister on your holiday, when can you?" and they explain the things you get:

v-room at Gatwick and Manchester
What they say:
"Flying from London Gatwick or Manchester?
Start your holiday in style with Virgin Holidays' very own airport lounge. With free food and soft drinks, children's play area, free internet access, big screen TV, the latest video games, table football and a fantastic view of the run way - this really is the perfect way to start your Virgin holiday!"
The reality:
I got a phonecall from a very friendly lady a couple of days before the trip. She outlined that because I was getting Rockstar Service I had access to the v-room, and as my flight was at noon, it'd be a perfect way to get breakfast and relax before the trip. I agreed.
Then she said it was an extra cost of £24 per person. With alcohol extra on top of that.
Rockstar or Spinal Tap?
Definitely Spinal Tap. Charging extra for something that is clearly marketed as a perk, and then charging extra on top of the extra for alcohol? Not rock and roll at all.

Concierge Service
What they say:
"This exclusive service puts you in touch with our resort reps before you even leave the UK, allowing you to ask questions, check out facts and purchase a complete range of excursion tickets from our experts on the ground."
The reality:
I had a missed call a couple of days before I left from the rep introducing herself. She sounded very nice. She left her email address so I emailed her and said I didn't want to book any excursions until I turned up... and that was kinda the end of it.
Rockstar or Spinal Tap?
Probably a bit of both. The rep sounded very nice and helpful, but it all just seemed like a blatant upselling procedure to me. To get yet more money out of me before I've even set foot on the plane never mind getting to the resort.

Check in - chill out in the caribbean
What they say:
"Check in Chill out allows you to check in for your flight home from the Caribbean without leaving the beach or bar, giving you a little extra time to enjoy your destination. This service is available at selected hotels in Barbados, Antigua, Tobago, Grenada and St Lucia. Check with your rep in resort if you aren't staying at one of the participating hotels as you may be able to use a location nearby."
The reality:
I wasn't at one of those resorts so it didn't apply to me. What was offered was entrance to Club Mobay - a VIP lounge at the airport. I was told by the Virgin rep that I'd probably have a couple of hours to wait at the airport, and not knowing how good the airport was I thought it was a good idea. That was an extra $30. As it was the most time I spent in the airport was queuing up to check in. Once I'd done that it was straight through security (the fast-track wasn't really needed) and into Departures... which was full of cafés, bars and shops. Easily enough to keep my attention for a couple of hours.
Rockstar or Spinal Tap:
Definitely one for the Tap. Club Mobay was very comfortable, but I just felt that once again I'd been upselled to instead of being helped.

Disconnection therapy
What they say:
"Disconnection Therapy is a straightforward way of cutting the ties with your work life before you leave for exotic, more exciting locations. The aim is to help you disconnect allowing a better mind set to re-coup, recharge your batteries and get the most out of your time on holiday."
The reality:
There's a bunch of videos for you to download here. That's it. Available to all. Nothing exclusive, and nothing compelling - I haven't even bothered to look at them.
Rockstar or Spinal Tap:
Spinal Tap for sure. This added extra may be free, but it's free to all - I don't have to book a holiday to see the content. And the videos certainly don't go up to 11...

And that's kinda it... that's what Rockstar Service entails.

So what am I saying?
Well, I'll make this very clear: I am not saying I had poor service with Virgin. My holiday was great and I was looked after as you'd expect from Virgin.
But that's my whole point: I wasn't looked after any differently to people who had just booked flights and booked their hotel separately.
And the problem, for me, is the proposition of Rockstar Service. The reality simply can't deliver the promise.

You see, I see the name Rockstar Service and I want a personal rider for my flight. I want priority boarding and alighting from the aircraft. I want the best room in the hotel (or at least a bottle of champagne waiting for me). I want to be picked up in a private vehicle and not a minibus.
I don't want to be the target of upselling at every opportunity. I don't want to be like everyone else. I want to walk around with a swagger because I'm a rockstar aren't I?

There are a few things Virgin could do immediately:
1) Give me priority boarding. That is zero cost, and makes me feel great from minute one.
2) Give me a glass of champagne when I board. When people ask why I get it and they don't, you get the opportunity to explain Virgin Holidays to potential customers.
3) Give me a private vehicle to and from the airport. Make me feel like a rockstar, not Chris de Burgh on an excursion with twenty other people.
4) Give me a bottle of champagne when I check into my room.
5) Give me free wi-fi, and not charge me $90 for a week of access... (yes, $90 a week).
6) ... just give me something interesting and Rockstar to talk about! I'm sat here writing about why I feel a bit let down when I should be posting stories and media of me feeling like a rock star!

It seems to me Virgin have tried to explain their differentiator and their agency have devised the Rockstar Service proposition. Well, I'm sorry to whoever came up with it, but it's simply not true. You may have created some nice communications (I've used them in creative meetings myself to talk about consistency and good tone of voice) but they're too far away from the reality. The simple fact is there wasn't one single thing on my trip that made me feel like a rockstar. There wasn't one single thing that Rockstar Service gave me that any other package holiday provider couldn't have given me.

And herein lies the lesson: It's all well and good having distinct comms, but they have to be relevant to the reality of the product of the service.

If the comms undersell the product or service, then the agency is at fault.
If the comms oversell the product or service, then the agency is at fault.

It's as simple as that.
If being aspirational is more important than being honest you're in trouble.

What Steve Hadfield thinks about marketing and advertising

Number Four: Steve Hadfield

Your name: Steve Hadfield
Your age: 57
Your location: Hartlepool, UK
What you do for a living: Site Manager
How you know me – if you do: Me dad.

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Q1: What do you think about advertising?
A1: It's required to sell products. It's the only way to sell things. I wouldn't know about a lot of things without it.

Q2: Which ads have you liked recently? Why?
A2: I like the ads with funny characters in them because it takes the boredom out of it. Meerkat and Argos with the 4 aliens are good. It gets my attention more because it's funny. But I saw a Halfords one earlier that wasn't funny, and that got my notice because I needed a sprocket set so I watched it. I go to the [social] club and I always ask people if they've seen the funny ads on the telly.

Q3: Can you remember any ads from the past? Which?
A3: Brooke Bond Tea with the chimps. Mashed potato with the little metal things. I can't remember the brand though.

Q4: In a sentence, and without googling!, describe what you think a brand is.
A4: An item.

Q5: Which brands are you loyal to, or passionate about now? Why?
A5: [Dad didn't think he was loyal at any, but then I pressed him knowing there was one brand he always goes for] Oh yeah - Carling! I like Carling. It's the taste I like. I know the ads have been on, but I couldn't describe them to you, I can't remember them.

Q6: When was the last time you took advantage of an offer? Who and why?
A6: Halfords. Sprocket Set earlier today. There is 50% off an it's a good quality set. I saw the ad then went online earlier and looked at other peoples reviews. The reviews were good so I spent more on that one than a cheaper one because of the reviews online. I copied the name of the Halfords one and then googled it to see people's reviews. The cheaper one was £20 cheaper but the reviews weren't as good. So when I found out that was the one I went on the Halfords website and reserved it, then we popped in earlier to pick it up.

Q7: Do you think advertising and marketing is good for society?
A7: [Pulls a funny face] I've never really thought about it...

Q8: Do you think advertising helps sway your opinion on whether to buy something or not?
A8: It doesn't sway my opinion but you do look at the product and work out if it's going to be a good deal. I never watch ads and think "I'm going to buy that" but I do think "Oh I'll look into that" and then it's in my head.

Q9: If you worked in advertising, how would you do things differently?
A9: It's something I've never really though of.

Q10: Would you like to ask the advertising industry any questions?
A10: It's not that I don't care about advertising, but I'm just happy to leave it to other people.

One Step Beyond

Spurred on by this tweet, I thought I'd jot down a few things I think are good pointers to either a) Get into Planning; or b) Be a better Planner.

(I think I've written similar articles in the past, but can't be bothered to see if this contradicts them to be honest...)

Anyway, all of them can be categorised: One Step Beyond.
And in keeping with the music metaphor, I've offered 7 opinions - one for every inch of vinyl.

1) One Step Beyond experiencing
It's imperative for all of us that we know what's going on in the industry and we have a decent grasp of who is saying what, when, and why.
But, don't just experience activity and watch ads. Watch other people as they experience them. You see, it's one thing to see what's going on, but it's quite another observing how that thing impacts on society. So next time you go past a billboard, don't just look at it, look at others looking at it. Next time you see a trend on Twitter, don't just look at the thing people are sharing, look at the profiles of the people sharing.

2) One Step Beyond admiration
We all see work we think is good. It might be great strategically, great creatively, or it might be in the perfect media channels. Well, if you're someone trying to get into Planning or if you're a Planner looking to speak to a new business client, you need to do more than admire work. If you see work you think is good, think about how you could make it better and let the relevant people know.
If you want to work for that agency, find some of their work and show them how you'd make it better - creatively or strategically. If you want to work with that brand, find some of their activity and show them how you'd like to improve it.

3) One Step Beyond reading
As this post exemplifies, we're not backwards in coming forwards as an industry. We're all chomping at the bit to share our opinion - be it on blogs or in traditional media. Well, if you see a viewpoint you agree or disagree with, pen a response with your reasoning why. Even if you don't send it this is a great exercise that helps you build up skills of forming arguments and using evidence to support your case. We're in an age where we can find and converse with people across the globe instantly. The internet has truly democratised communications between people, and whether they like it or not, you can probably find the email address of the person you want to share your opinion with.

4) One Step Beyond geography
As I just touched on, everything around us is instant and accessible. That means we can talk with people, learn from people, and challenge people wherever they are on earth. I find that truly exciting. I can read the press anywhere on earth, and respond to the relevant person instantly. And that doesn't have to be an email. It could be a face to face chat on Skype, by sharing images on Instagram or by having a conversation in public on a blog. Bored of reading the same old stuff? Pick a country and look at their press, look at what's going on in their world and learn something new.

5) One Step Beyond brands
A good client knows their brand inside out. A good Planner can either better that knowledge, or they can provide essential objectivity. You see, I think a lot of clients inevitably become Brand Blind. This is a term I've originated myself, but I think it's true. They spend about twelve hours a day, about six days a week inside that brand, surrounded by that brand and consumed by that brand. They notice it more in daily life, they talk about it, and they know and understand the machinations which drive it internally. Well, unfortunately for them, most people on earth have either never heard of their brand, or don't give a shit about their brand. In my mind a good Planner should provide that objectivity, and should think beyond the brand and think about where, how and why that brand sits in society as a whole. In the daily life of people. Of culture. Of societies. Don't think outwards from the brand, think outwards from society.

6) One Step Beyond silos
Traditional agency models are broken. Modern agency models are broken.
The world is moving so quick that the success of any business model is dictated by the inherent flexibility it has at its core. Mr Perkin would call this agile.
Within any system or model are silos. They might be explicit or implicit, but there are silos. Traditionally the Planner's silo was to dig around to find the insight, then inspire the creatives to come up with a big idea. I think that's only part of the Planner's role, and those boundaries should be flexible. If you've written the proposition to inspire a creative idea, have a think about some creative ideas yourself. If you've got an idea you want to sell into a client, start planting the seeds with the Account Team so they can lay the foundations with the client for you. Don't just sit in the Planning Department, have your head in other departments too.

7) One Step Beyond work
Planning doesn't stop at 6pm, and it doesn't stop in the office. Planning is a way of life, a way of living and a viewpoint on the world. In my mind, anything you espouse in the office should be carried into your private life too.
The cliché of being interested and interesting, unfortunately is true. (I just hate clichés OK?)
So for me it's all about travel, writing and exploring. I always want to learn more. I always want to do things I haven't done before. I always want to be excited about a place, a thing, an experience. I want to travel every inch of this beautiful world of ours. I want to get every thought in my head on paper, either in words, in charts, or in pictures. I want to explore everything from music to film; from food to beer; from people to isolation. It's all out there, and we can touch it whenever we want.

To misquote Samuel Johnson, "When a Planner is tired of going One Step Beyond, he is tired of life."

A simple business made unnecessarily complicated

I penned a letter to Campaign last week and to my surprise it got printed. I thought I might as well put it here too, as at the very least it'll mean I've put something on my blog for the first time in ages...

I think they might have amended it slightly, but this is the version I sent them:

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Dear Editor,

I noticed a theme between two articles in your November 11th edition. On page 18 Jonathan Fowles wondered whether most agencies understood what Comms Planning is when they sell it to clients, and on page 24 Richard Alford shared his recent experiences of agencies selling 'vacuous, cod-philosophical' manifestos and mantras to clients.

I've had experience of agencies doing both of the above during my career thus far and they're both self-serving, short-term and ultimately do more to widen the agency/ client relationship in the longer term.

The two items above are exemplified by two of my pet hates:

1) Selling complexity instead of simplicity.
The agency role is generally a simple requirement: sell more stuff; find more people to sell stuff to; make my brand look good to certain people etc. Yet as an industry some seem intent on overcomplicating this simple equation for their own short-term gain. I have had first hand experience of this in the past and something a friend was told by a superior springs to mind: "Use big words and drop in the odd word which confuses the client. It makes us look good." This was an internationally networked agency with global clients.
We must never forget our role as agencies is to simplify our client’s business challenges and provide them a communications strategy which answers those business challenges.
Simplicity from complexity. Not vice versa.

2) Jumping on the bandwagon.
Whether it's a new media channel, a new technology or new terminology it seems there's no shame in jumping in there as quick as possible and getting it on the agency creds with no-one questioning the relevancy to consumer or its consistency to other communications.
Andrew Cracknell nailed this last week at the Yahoo! Provoke Summit when he stated: "There is a fixation of doing what can be done instead of doing what should be done."
Asking WHY before asking HOW is essential.

These aren't solely the issues of agencies however, and clients have to take some responsibility for the situation. Some clients like to pass the confusion onto their superiors to confuse them into the belief of progression, and clients too want the new shiny thing on their CV even if there’s no real business reason for it.

Only by simplifying (and not complicating) and by asking why (before how) will we reach a point where longer-term relationships are forged with clients which ultimately add real value to all involved and deliver engaging and relevant communications to consumers. That’s the aim of all of us here at nexus|h and it’s something I’m personally passionate about.

The answer isn't Amazing or Safe. It's Best.

There have been, are, and always will be movements in our industry.

Movements that are generally started by one person, amplified by another and then grasped by all and sundry. In essence it's the industry Planning the industry much the same way we try and Plan some of our campaigns for mass consumption: Give the message to a thought leader; let them share it with a chosen few; watch it amplify.

A perfect example is the current "Let's make stuff instead of talk about stuff."
Loads of people are saying it, loads of agencies are saying it and it's now part of the everyday parlance for a strategist, Planner or creative in an agency.

Loosely affiliated to this, I believe, is the whole 'Be Amazing' thought that is all pervasive. Where every brief is an opportunity to do Amazing things. Encouraging the client to make risky decisions instead of defaulting to the 'Safe' standard we know it'll be easier for them to sell in internally.

We all want to sell 'Amazing' because Amazing is where we do something new. Something that breaks boundaries, uses new technologies, sets new levels and gives the client and the agency a whole host of self-PR opportunities.

As the opposite to this, we're told to resist the 'Safe' - the Safe which gives us a traditional print ads (with NO QR-CODE SHOCKA!), use of traditional media, and maybe amplified through a simple Social Media promotion. As strategists and Planners we're told this is boring. We won't win any awards for that, surely... will we?

Well I think both of those approaches are totally self-serving and are there for the ultimate gain of the individual client or the agency.

I believe in the Best. Whatever that Best may be.

That Best may well be a new technology to use, an innovative and high-barrier to entry Social Media mechanic. But equally that Best may be a traditional print ad in The Times with a simple Call to Action to a freephone number.

You see, it's really simple: It's all about the business aims of the client and the success criteria attached to them. Don't think about the creative answers until you've well and truly got stuck into this fundamental question and agreed how to answer it.

One valid answer is Amazing; but another equally valid answer is Safe.
Whatever the aims are and whatever leads to Best.
But having a predetermined answer of Amazing (or Safe) is fundamentally wrong.

Don't ask me, team up with me

So I've just been to Office - the footwear shop. A successful trip really as I walked out with a pair of trainers on sale. Bonus.

Anyway, when I was in there paying for them the transaction went like this:

Cashier: "That's thirty-five pounds please."
Me: "There you go" [inserting card in to the reader.]
Cashier: "Would you like to donate one pound to Breast Cancer research?"
Me: "Me? Erm, no I wouldn't. Sorry."
Cashier: "That's thirty-five pounds then please."

There's something on their website here explaining their support for Breast Cancer Care and of course, I think it's great to support charities.

But here's my problem.

Office are a brand with (what I can count from their site) about 120 stores and concessions in the UK. I am a single human being on a single salary.

Aren't they in a better position to give £1 to charity instead of me?

You see, I walked into your store to give you money. If you ask me for more money without telling me what your side of the contribution is, I'm going to walk out in a negative state of mind. (And write a blog post like this!)

As it was I felt a little embarrassed being asked if I'd like to give the money to charity. Of course I want to give money to charity, that's why I run regularly for the British Heart Foundation and why I've signed up to the swearjar. But what I don't want is to be asked by a brand in front of other people. I might come across as unsympathetic or unfeeling. And I'm not.

So I have an idea Office. Let's see if you're up for it.

I'm not going to donate £1 with every purchase.
I don't want you to donate £1 for every pair you sell and make a profit on.

I want us both to team up together and every time you make a sale I want to donate 50p and I want you to donate 50p too. Let's do it together, not put pressure on either of us (and especially people who walk in who undoubtedly have less money than you.)

So come on Office - are you going to join with your consumers and work with them, or are you going to just ask them to make a contribution?

When a monopoly becomes a fair fight

SKY TV have recently lost a court case which potentially means anyone can now watch Premier League games via different TV providers outside of the UK.

(This is a visual metaphor for a fair fight. (Jesus, I sound like those pants Barclays ads.))

This is a major blow for SKY as they've pretty much had it their own way for a while now. They are a financial powerhouse compared to the hamstrung BBC, have the heritage and experience over pretenders like Setanta and as such have been in the driving seat for a while.

But good old Karen Murphy has buggered it up for them. In the short term at least...

Now if I worked at SKY's advertising agency I'd see this as a massive opportunity. Overnight they've gone from a position of ultimate power and instead are now sat alongside a host of overseas TV providers most people have never heard of.

The advertising challenge was: If you want all this football, subscribe to SKY.
This is now irrelevant and they need a new proposition.
The advertising challenge is now: If you want all this football from a trusted source, subscribe to SKY as we're better than our competitors because...
... and it's this because that can have such rich substantiation attached to it.

You see, the Jamie Redknapp's of this world have never really been a selling point of SKY. They've been a bonus on top of the access to the football. Now that access has been democratised, the remainder of the SKY offering has become the main selling point.

Offering access to the football isn't enough any more, it's the other stuff that'll make SKY desirable over other providers.

What SKY need to do is figure out if all this other stuff (the ex players; the presenters; the technology etc) is good enough to compete with the overseas providers. If so, then there's their strategy right there. If not, then it's a signal to us that they've abused their position of power and competition from others will make them stronger.