If you’re pitching for a new piece of business, especially in a competitive situation, ask “What will happen for them [the people who’ve put the business out to pitch] if everything goes to plan?” Knowing that enables you to plan an approach to make that level of success happen. Read More
Some years back, Deborah Doane wrote a hard-hitting article about the “myth of CSR”. In it, she argued that CSR was a reaction rather than an action; that it was essentially a collective response to uprisings against the behaviours and morals of corporate institutions and that it had been encouraged by an historically weak NGO sector as a way to bring about change.
Her concerns mirror many that I have independently raised. Read More
Everyone loves secrets. The power of secrets is not just in the information. It’s in the fact that often secrets represent shortcuts. And the shorter road is something that fascinates many. Read More
Just been re-reading parts of Matt Haig’s Brand Failures. While the edition I’m looking at is now close to ten years old, its ideas are a timely reminder that though the purpose of brands is to generate goodwill and margin, failure to deliver on expectations and the subsequent “badwill” that engenders is never far away. Read More
As summer finally shows its face in my part of the world and the year counts out, I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you who take the time to read, to comment and to publicise my posts. A blog is definitely a labour of love, even in this age of content marketing, and having others read, respond and feed into issues that catch my eye is hugely satisfying.
I’m often asked why I invest so much time posting. Three reasons.
I’m a brand geek. I love the ways brands work. I enjoy the ironies of how they work most effectively. I find them a great lens through which to look at business problems.
Secondly, I’m an avid reader and Upheavals is a great opportunity to share thinking that inspires me, from a full range of sources.
Thirdly, preparing posts generates amazing conversations with all sorts of people – from those I know very well (that’s you Christine, Alex, Blair, Jeremy, Sherryl, Di, Simon, Sarah, Mike, Adrienne, Gren and Sam) to marketers like Hilton Barbour and Sandra Pickering whose ongoing views, opinions and inputs I always look forward to. And of course Tom Asacker, whom I had the pleasure of interviewing in some depth this year for the inaugural Virtual Coffee.
Upheavals is also a work in progress. It’s an opportunity to document my thinking about brands, strategy, creativity and responsibility on an ongoing basis and as the theories, writings and opinions of others influence my approach. It is, or at least I hope it is, a blog that appeals to those with open and restless minds.
This year, visitors have tripled. That’s due in no small part to one big change: my involvement with Derrick Daye and the amazing thinkers and writers at Branding Strategy Insider. A warm and grateful hat tip to Derrick, Brad, Pete, Thomson, Walker, Nigel and Mark for making me feel so welcome.
In the year ahead, my consulting dance card is looking pretty full, at least for the first six months. A great trip to Malaysia this year though reminded me just how much I enjoy speaking as well as workshopping. I’m looking forward to more of that in 2014. Please contact me if you’re looking to shake things up a little.
In New Zealand, we’ll see the New Year in first tomorrow. As 2014 makes its way to you, may I wish you a happy, safe, productive and profitable year ahead.
Acknowledgements
Photo of “Pohutukawa (New Zealand Christmas Tree)”, taken by Sids 1, sourced from Flickr
The opinionated consumer is on the rise. Brad Tuttle cites numerous examples of boycotting, protesting, petitioning and venting in this recent article in Time. Encouraged by the galvinising effects of social media and mass action against brands that they perceive to have done wrong, people everywhere it seems are pointing the finger and calling upon others to do the same. Read More
Provocative question: Why do IP law firms generally have such ugly identities? I suspect it’s because most of them are about protection rather than attraction. And it’s interesting isn’t it that, for two parties that should work closely together, brand and IP strategists tend to remain curiously separated. Read More
We tend to put the onus for likeability on B2C brands, but while B2B brands may work to different dynamics and different decision trees, people still want to do business with people they like spending time with. Here are 7 ways your B2B brand can increase other businesses’ inclination to work with you. Read More
It’s occurred to me recently that the interesting changes in customer attitude that accompany brand commitment are not necessarily on the radar of enough companies. Read More
In a world of choice, it’s tempting to retouch your brand story to make it more appealing. Read More
