Catching the Zeitgeist

The WARC have recently commented on the rise of Cultural Insight in branded communication. Rather than staying within the more easily quantifiable confines of "consumer insight" and "brand truth", brands are looking to the broader cultural context in which a brand operates for their communication ideas.

And companies such as Douglas Holt's Cultural Strategy Group are there on hand to help in this pursuit.

This is all good stuff, particularly if it raises brands above the banality of the "which-scent-of floor-cleaner-best-suits-your-personality" Facebook app syndrome, of which I'm sure we've all had more than enough.

But the challenge to us all is how to find and nail down the thing - if it can be nailed down. Often you only know when you've caught the Zeitgeist years later. Like the Will O'the Wisp or ignis fatuus, our friend is somewhat elusive.

One of the first ads I worked on was the famous British Airways "Club World" launch ad, affectionately known as "Red Eye". With its Wall Street-esque characters and Machiavellian mini-plot, this was 60 seconds (I think...) of pure late 80s Big Business.

And, as far as I know, the "cultural insight" certainly didn't come from some huge mega-quantitative Übertrends to the New Millenium study, but from a few chats with business travellers and a sensitivity and empathy to what was going on culturally in their world.

Bricks & Mortar Brands

On my way to work, while navigating the tangle of Autobahns east of Frankfurt, a landmark stands out for me: a red-brown industrial chimney, proudly branded Dunlop in brick.

It's just one example of bricks-and-mortar branding that includes the Oxo Building, all those mills in Britain's docklands, and the granddaddy of them all pictured here.

There's an assumption taken in these buildings that's rather more than slapping your name on a football stadium - an assumption of permanence, stability, visibility and staying-power: these brands were literally "built to last".

As to the World's Oldest Brand, this is a matter for discussion. There are some hotel names in Japan that go back to the millennium before last, and at least one German brewery heading for the 1,000th anniversary.

The brand Lyle's Golden Syrup has made it as far as Guinness World Records go, with more than 125 years of continuous branding and packaging.

And, interesting too, to consider Mr Lyle's business partner, Mr Tate, especially while we're talking bricks (and mortar)!

The Straight and Narrow

About twenty years ago, I sat with my Planning colleagues at Saatchis on one of those Awaydays where you reinvent Planning. We had some great ideas - we were going to dispense with going through linear processes and running round in circles, or cycles, and the Brave New World was going to be Quantum Planning. Great in theory, but I suspect that, a couple of decades later, most young Planners at Saatchi - or anywhere else - will still be able to draw you a Planning Cycle but may draw a blank at the suggestion of Quantum Planning.

Maybe we could have done with this new book: No Straight Lines - Making sense of our non-linear world by Alan Moore. I haven't launched into this "book" yet - of which more later - but what I've seen so far promises to be visionary: a new organisational, social and economic model based on a more human-centric, participatory society. Less about process, hierarchy and straight lines and more about networks, humanity and sustainability.

What is particularly interesting is how the "book" presents itself - as a read/write book that is described as both personal and collaborative. "No Straight Lines" is a idea, a way of thinking, which can be discussed, experienced, disputed, built-on, applied and so on through communities and workshops as well as "book" media.

It does sound as if it's worth looking into. But I do sometimes wonder why Quantum Planning never caught on. Maybe the answer is that sometimes you just want to get from A to B. And the best way is along a straight line.

Somewhere to hide?

Top of the wish list in most customer satisfaction surveys is that companies should behave with honesty and transparency.

It seems a shame that many of the big, largely internet-based companies don't seem to have cottoned on to this one yet. People have a need to know who they are dealing with - that there is something solid behind that virtual presence.

I had a ghastly PayPal experience last summer that I needn't go into except to say that trying to find a postal address for them was next to impossible.

I've been dealing with a large US-based internet services provider this week. They have been doing a lot of things right in terms of customer service: prompt replies, helpful staff, even a personal voice message from the VP or CEO suggesting you email him if you have any trouble.

But I needed their postal address. Could I find it? I searched the website high and low - I googled them...no clear answer.

What have these people got to hide? Not providing a postal address on your website makes people wonder what, exactly, is behind the facade.

David vs. the Amazon

For years, I loved amazon without really thinking about it. Living out here in Germany, it's invaluable, I teeter in and out of being a Top 1000 reviewer there and I've recently acquired a Kindle.

But there is another view of amazon that I'm becoming increasingly aware of - as the big, bullying monopoly that's killing off real bookshops - especially the cute quirky little independent ones. (By the way, the pic is of Ripping Yarns in Highgate. Never been there, but I must!)

In this article from the Huffington Post, there's some super thinking about what those independent bookshops can do. And it boils down to using your competitive advantage.

Rule 1: Don't play amazon on price - you'll lose

Rule 2: You're local - use it. Be something in the community.

Rule 3: You're real, bricks and mortar - use it. What events could you hold in your store?

Rule 4: You're staffed by human beings who love books, not driven by algorithms - use it!

Let's hope that these Davids fight back and don't go the way of record stores.

Expectations exceeded

Missions Statements and corporate intent posters are forever blathering on about "exceeding customer expectations," or sometimes it's "over-delivering on". Not something I take much notice of, as usually none of these companies bother to find out what their customers expect, anyway.

Recently, however, I really have had my expectations exceeded, and, boy, does it feel good! A classic example of how a company can right wrongs and then some.

Back in November, Apple recalled its first generation iPod nano, due to a potential flaw in the battery. Annoyingly, this is probably the only gadget in the field of consumer electronics where I've ever been an early adopter in my life - I've had the thing for about 6 years.

I dutifully dug it out and went through Apple's complicated recall policy instructions. OK, the instructions were not so complicated, but it was all a bit of a faff. The packaging didn't turn up when it was meant to, all emails were of the "no reply" variety, a visit to the Apple Store scored a zero on the helpful scale - I began to think I was dealing with PayPal.

But...the arrival this week of a sparkly new clip-on iPod Touch with a massive 8 GB (the old thing was 2 GB, I think), which was immediately grabbed hold of and pronounced as "coo-el" by my 11-year-old more than made up for all that.

Apple, you have exceeded this customer's expectations. Thanks!

Planning by Numbers

I hear so many complaints these days from all walks of life that essential elements of doing a good job - from personal contact and discussion with colleagues to thorough problem-solving thought - have been taken over by form-filling.

And often the completion of a form means "job done" - end of story. To used that horrible phrase, all the boxes have been ticked.

In the marketing world, there have always been companies who have been more keen on forms and templates than others, but the disease seems to be rampant.

The internet is packed with templates and forms to "enable" you to write a marketing plan, or a communications strategy, or whatever.

And for most of these, you just need to follow the template, copy and paste your own info and - job done.

I'd like to see less dumping and more thinking. More small groups of people sitting in a room together and working out an overall structure. Less delegating of "OK, you guys do Section 3.1.4 to 55.6.3" and more discussion as to the overall picture.

And, once that part of the job is done, to put it into action while there's still time - and stick to it.