Blog and News
Why we need to rethink marketing strategies for SMEs.
The usual marketing tools for big businesses are not necessarily the most successful tools for small business. Marketing is still a relatively new discipline. Many of the fundamental principles in use today are those formed in the early decades. They are sound and...
The Price of Creativity
Value and price - the creative dilemma The exploding catalogue of AI solutions can take over many of the day-to-day functions of advertising creatives, and this brings the value of real, human, creative concepts into sharp focus. The value of those brilliant ideas,...
Creativity and the problem with humans
Creativity is a very human problem Let’s start with the good news. There is evidence to suggest that there may be a creative gene. Even better, it looks like we all have it! Dr. George Land, along with his colleague Dr. Beth Jarman, developed a creativity test known...
Why a Creative Culture is Essential, Even for Small Businesses
If you’re involved in running a small business today, you don’t need me to tell you of the numerous challenges you face – competition, limited resources, and the need to stand out in a crowded marketplace. To overcome these hurdles, a creative culture is not just a luxury but a necessity.
Project management in marketing – from soup to nuts
Some marketing consultants give great advice. But then you need to go further - a lot further. The work needs to be done to put that advice into practice. Many essential projects identified in the advice just gather dust. I believe there’s a need for a different kind...
What is project management in marketing?
Project management in marketing is the practice of planning, organising, and executing marketing projects to achieve specific objectives within a given timeline and budget. It involves the use of various project management tools and techniques to ensure that marketing initiatives are completed efficiently and effectively.
Memorability and b2b marketing
Memorability in marketing refers to the ability of a brand or advertising campaign to stick in the minds of consumers. This is important because the more memorable a brand or campaign is, the more likely it is that consumers will remember it and make a purchase. This...
Advertising Concepts – what’s the big idea?
What’s the big idea? How to create great marketing and advertising concepts “It takes a big idea to attract the attention of consumers and get them to buy your product,” wrote David Ogilvy. “Unless your advertising contains a big idea, it will pass like a ship in the...
Why we need Fuzzy Goals
Why we need fuzzy goals for today’s brand strategies. One of the cornerstones of traditional, brand-strategy creation, is goal and objective setting. There has always been an issue that situations and the business environment are constantly changing. Objectives are in...
Personal branding and the brand as person model
Long before the concept of 'Personal Branding' was understood, brand practitioners often used the 'Brand as Person' model as an aid to help establish brand personalities. The concept was simple. If your brand was a person, what sort of personality would it be?...
Brand semiotics and brand equity
Brand Semiotics provide powerful tools to not only understand brand personalities, but also to identify opportunities to occupy advantageous positions in the brandscape. Brand choice is significantly influenced by emotional engagement and the intangible, perceived...
Brand damage and P&O
Is potential brand damage at P&O down to bad luck, bad management, or poor communications? Whichever, there can be little argument that once again a major brand may suffer significant brand damage. It doesn’t take a specialist to spot the potential for such...
4 really good reasons for a brand refresh
4 really good reasons for a brand refresh A brand refresh can be a powerful tool - so long as it’s for the right reason. But let's start with a really bad reason. And this is all-too-common - the owner, or CEO wants a change. They’re fed up or bored with the brand or...
7 Deadly Sins of Branding
Branding should be based upon common sense, but sadly, we see so many pitfalls awaiting the unwary - or the un-prepared. Pitfalls that are easily avoided, and brands and brand identities that can deliver great rewards for their businesses. So, we've assembled the 7...
Brand guidelines matter
Why do brand guidelines matter? Because the best brand identities are not necessarily the best designed, but are always the most consistently applied. Great design matters, of course - but from a brand point of view the most important factor is consistency. Every...
Confidence and brand leadership
Brand leadership is about a business's passion. There is an intangible quality shared by true brand leaders in fields as varied as manufacturing, finance, food and drink, or fashion - that quality is confidence. It’s often manifested in appearing not to have to try...
Use the power of intrigue to draw people in and keep them engaged
Intrigue: (verb) to interest someone a lot, especially by being strange, unusual, or mysterious. Dripping out information is a smart way to keep visitors and readers holding on for more. Authors and screen-writers have mastered the art. Of course they could probably...
So what?
Don't let your claims get caught in the 'So what' trap. The claims you make about your product or service are so important. Whether you are writing an ad, or a post, making presentations, video or creating an elevator pitch - there is one golden rule. Steer clear of...
Time you got promoted
Why sales promotion is tactical gold Sales promotion is one of the most impactful tactics for generating increased sales and revenue. But it’s not just one tactic, it’s a whole catalogue of approaches. I use the word ‘tactics’ advisedly, because one of the great...
Is marketing strategy for SME’s?
Have entrepreneurs and small businesses rejected classic marketing strategy? As an impoverished marketer trying to earn an honest crust in these difficult times, I have observed that while bigger organisations appear still committed to strategic marketing, smaller...
7 Post-lockdown marketing tips
Get ready for the future with post-lockdown marketing It's been a tough time for many businesses - and even those least affected will be finding the market environment has changed. Sometimes these changes are very evident, sometimes subtle and insidious. Aside from...
Why bother with my brand at a time like this?
Should I bother working on my brand at a time like this? Absolutely, it’s more important than ever. Firstly, customers like to deal with people they know, so just being there is a major plus. So keep your visibility high. Talk to people, post, publish, ‘phone. What...
Time for a vision of the future
While many of us were self-isolating and working at home, it was only natural to dwell on the gloomy business environment. We’ve been working to mitigate damage, and concentrate on survival strategies. However, it’s now important to also put some time aside to...
‘Don’t commute – communicate’ – will it stick?
For a long time it seems, I've been trying to encourage clients to embrace modern technologies in their marketing, communications, planning and implementation. The current pandemic has forced many to change and adopt new strategies, particularly in the field of online...
Quality isn’t so important
Of course quality is vital in terms of what you do and how you do it. But as a differentiator, as part of your brand proposition, it’s nowhere near as exciting as you think. I’ve been running workshops with a roomful of bright business people, and asked them to create...
Marketing pains or business gains
What matters most for your business - making gains or relieving pains? Psychologists say we spend more time avoiding pain than seeking pleasure - the pain-pleasure principle. In business too, we all have pains to deal with - slow business, poor profits, aggressive...
5 Ways to make sure your content is relevant.
Traps to avoid with your new brand name. Most startups spend way too much time and energy worrying about their brand name. Just take a look at the names of some of our leading brands and you’ll see that they are not significant in themselves. Their importance lies in...
Sustainable Marketing and the 4 ‘E’s
There is a lot of buzz around sustainable marketing, and rightly so. It's important at not just the procducts and services that businesses deliver are sustainable, but also the marketing processes involved in their marketng and communications. I first became...
How much should I spend on Marketing?
"How much should I spend on my marketing?" is a question I'm frequently asked by prospective clients - or, "If I spend £XXXX on marketing what will I get?"Those are basically the wrong questions. We need to turn the conversation around and ask; "What do you want to...
How three great brand tools can work together.
Approaches to branding and development change over time. However, at times, important disciplines combine with powerful results. Sometimes it's just a matter of timing when familiar techniques and technologies can be sparked by a catalyst arriving at the right moment....
Why the brand belongs in the boardroom
'The brand' is something that’s rarely discussed in the boardroom, unless the CMO (if you have one!) is around. But let’s just step back a moment - actually the ‘brand’ is often a point for discussion, except it’s rarely referred to as such. Because the business ‘is’...
Brand Identity – MISS before KISS – Why simplicity is the key.
It really does pay to have a simple brand identity, especially in today’s digital world. Everybody knows the old ‘KISS’ acronym - ‘Keep it simple, stupid’. But before we can do that we need to ‘MISS’ - Make it Simple. Now is a good time to revisit your brand identity...
How to get the vision back in your brand.
Does your brand know where it's going? More importantly, are you clear where you want it to go?When developing a brand or briefing a consultant, it's critical to consider what you want your brand to look like in, say, five years time, or more. Try not to focus only on...
Brand names and seven key decisions
Traps to avoid with your new brand name. Most startups spend way too much time and energy worrying about their brand name. Just take a look at the names of some of our leading brands and you’ll see that they are not significant in themselves. Their importance lies in...
Your brand doesn’t exist
In fact no brands exist… not even the most famous ones.Let’s look more closely at what that means. A brand is just what’s called a social construct. That means it's a concept that we, as a society, invent to help make sense of things. They are ideas, stories if you...
Nobody’s interested in your product or service.
Customers don’t care about your business - all they’re interested in is what it can do for them. You may be justifiably proud of a new product feature you’ve sweated over. That new system you’ve designed may seem really cool to you. But all the client wants to know is...