Forget “Ads” – Let’s Tell Your Brand’s Story!

Some marketing tactics feel like shouting into the void. So ditch the quick fixes and build a brand that truly resonates. It’s time to embrace campaignable ideas.

Think of it this way: your marketing isn’t just about selling stuff. It’s about weaving a captivating story around your brand. Campaignable ideas are the heart of that story – the juicy bits that make people want to listen – and keep listening. It’s about creating concepts that have ‘legs’. Ideas that go beyond single ads or posts.

Here’s the deal:

• Stop the scattergun: Instead of throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks, campaignable ideas give all your marketing efforts a single, powerful direction.
• Build a brand message that sticks: Imagine your brand as a character in a movie. Consistent messaging helps people recognise and remember that character.
• Think beyond quick wins: Campaignable ideas build long-term relationships with your customers. They’re not just about the sale; they’re about creating a loyal fan base.

Let’s ditch the “Buy our widgets” and try something a little more exciting:

• Accountant? “Accountants are for life – not just year-end” – ditch the tax jargon and show you care about your clients’ success.
• SEO magician? “Helping your ideal clients find you” – sounds way cooler than just “improving rankings,” right?
• Local bakery? “Baking happiness one loaf at a time” – now you’re talking!

Ready to turn your brand into a star? Campaignable ideas are your backstage pass:

1. Know your audience: Who are these people? What keeps them up at night? (Besides the cat, of course.)
2. Define your brand’s personality: Are you the quirky underdog or the sophisticated expert?
3. Set some goals: Where do you want to go? Have a vision of what success looks like for you.
4. Brainstorm like crazy: Get those creative juices flowing! Bounce ideas around. Don’t be afraid to think outside the breadbox.
5. Find your campaign theme: What’s the one message that ties everything together? This is the gold worth searching for.
6. Create a content calendar: Plan your posts, emails, and other shenanigans.
7. Track your progress: See what’s working and what’s… well, not delivering so much.
8. Never stop learning: The marketing world is constantly evolving. Keep your finger on the pulse!

Building a strong brand takes time and effort. But trust us, it’s worth it. So stop focussing on the one-off “ads” and start telling your brand’s story.

Want a cheat sheet? Grab this free guide and unlock the secrets to creating winning campaignable ideas!

What will be the Most Important Skill in an AI World?

As AI continues to revolutionise industries and take over more day-to-day tasks, one question looms large: What’s the most important skill in an AI world? The answer, surprisingly, is a very human one: creativity.

Why Creativity Matters

In a world where machines can handle data processing, routine decision-making, and even complex problem-solving, the unique ability to generate new, unique, and original solutions to problems remains distinctly human.

Creativity allows us to see beyond the data, to imagine possibilities that don’t yet exist, and to innovate in ways that machines cannot. It’s this spark of originality that will be in high demand as we move further into the age of AI.

The Human Edge

AI is incredibly powerful, but it’s fundamentally constrained by the data it has been trained on and the algorithms it follows. While AI can optimize and enhance, it can’t truly create something novel out of nothing.

This is where humans have the edge. Our ability to think outside the box, to connect seemingly unrelated ideas, and to dream up entirely new concepts is irreplaceable.

Can Creativity Be Taught?

Absolutely, creativity can be taught and nurtured. Just like any other skill, it requires practice, patience, and the right environment to flourish. Here are a few ways to develop creative skills:

1. Expose Yourself to New Experiences
2. Embrace Curiosity
3. Create Without Fear
4. Collaborate with Others
5. Practice Problem-Solving
6. Learn from the Best

Not only are these great tactics for individuals, but essentials activities for building a creative culture within teams or companies.

Creativity courses and help

There’s plenty of help to make progress in the creative world. Online courses, group learning, one-to-one lessons or creative mentoring. Choose what best suits your learning style – but invest a little time in enhancing your creative thinking

Preparing for the Future

As AI continues to advance, the need for creative thinkers will only grow. Companies will look for individuals who can drive innovation, lead creative projects, and envision the next big thing. By developing your creative skills now, you’ll be positioning yourself for success in an AI-driven world.

So, start nurturing your creativity today. Experiment, explore, and most importantly, embrace the uniquely human ability to create. The future is bright for those who can think beyond the algorithms and bring fresh, original ideas to the table.

In the end, while AI may handle the routine, it’s creativity that will shape the future.

Let’s get creative and be ready to lead the way.

In my early days in publishing I was approached by an academic who had a brief from a government department to create some board games to introduce and explain how various businesses worked. (This may not seem to be about AI, but please bear with me.)

It was really interesting viewing a business as a game. I spent a lot of time working with him and explaining the concept and operation of book publishing. Together we created a game structure.

We covered editorial, production, marketing, advertising, sales, export, subsidiary rights, distribution…  in fact, all the facets of the publishing business. These we then turned into a working demo of our finished game.

However, there was one thing that was bugging him. He asked,  “How do we build in the special factor that makes one book a bestseller? – how does an editor know it will be a success?” 

The truth is that we could not quantify that component.

Of course, there are aspects that might mitigate levels of risk, such as the author’s track record, or the popularity of particular genres, but to predict which new title would be a certain bestseller, there was no measurable factor. In the real world, it’s down to the intuition of the editor, based upon their experience and instinct.

Advertising, creativity and thoughts about AI

Later, in my career, I found myself with the task of gamifying the world of advertising (a subject closer to my heart), and I hit the same stumbling block. How do you quantify the quality of creative work and predict its contribution to the success of a future campaign? It seemed demeaning to leave it to a throw of the dice.

Again, success is down to the genius, instinct and experience of the creative director. You can build all the structure, create analytic processes that mimic real life business operations – but you are still left wrestling with how to predict the outcome,  when it depends to a major extent on the slippery business of creative genius.

Reflecting on these experiences, I realise how close is the parallel with grasping the place of intuition within AI.

The truth is we are still some way from experiencing true AI. The majority of what we see is really automation and machine learning, rather than real artificial intelligence.

What is missing in AI today (as it was in my gamifying experience), is the ability to use that learning to reason and predict. And reasoning and prediction are key to decision making. That will be the earth-shaking, leap forward for artificial intelligence.

Still only around 30% of our decision making comes from information and data that we can process, and the remainder is based upon intuition and experience. But consider the rate and volume of data processing leapt over the last few years. If we are to truly harness that data monster to support decision making, the answer looks like being about AI. 

It’s still difficult to believe that artificial intelligence is close to matching the predictive intelligence of human ability – but watch this space. Let me know what you think.

Marketing Drama: Are Creative and Production Getting a Divorce?

In the grand soap opera of business, there’s a subplot brewing that’s worthy of its own primetime drama: the crumbling relationship between creative and production in the world of marketing. Like any good TV drama, it’s filled with tension, twists, and the occasional dramatic exit. But unlike most TV dramas, this one involves less shouting matches and more presentations.

Picture this: Creative, the imaginative dreamer overflowing with ideas, and Production, the diligent executor armed with the latest tech tools, have been partners in crime for years. They’ve crafted campaigns, launched products, and wowed audiences together. But lately, cracks have begun to form in their once rock-solid relationship.

The flames were fanned with the rise of AI and the democratisation of content production. Suddenly, every small business with a laptop and an internet connection could churn out slick ads and polished content with the click of a button. Production, once the exclusive domain of experts, was now as accessible as a YouTube tutorial.

But while Production was off gallivanting with its newfound tech toys, Creative started feeling neglected. Sure, anyone could slap together a flashy video or a snazzy website, but where were the big ideas? The bold concepts? The spark that sets a brand apart from the rest?

It’s like Creative woke up one day to find that Production had packed its bags and run off taking all the fancy gadgets, leaving behind a note saying, “It’s not you, it’s me.”

The Drama goes on.

And so, the rift widened. Creative felt misunderstood, underappreciated, while Production felt patronised by Creative’s lofty demands and unrealistic expectations. It was a classic case of irreconcilable differences.

But here’s the twist: despite the tension, Creative and Production still need each other. Sure, Production can churn out content at lightning speed, but without Creative’s vision and ingenuity, it’s like a Ferrari without a driver – flashy, but ultimately directionless.

On the other hand, Creative can dream up the most brilliant campaign in the world, but without Production to bring it to life, it’s just a bunch of ideas and clever slogans stuck in someone’s imagination.

As so often, in rocky relationships money is involved. Tech helps Production to work cheaply – Creative is selling intangibles.

So, what’s the solution? Well, perhaps it’s time for Creative and Production to attend couples therapy – or in business terms, collaborate more closely than ever before. Instead of seeing themselves as adversaries, they should embrace their differences and work together to create something truly magical.

After all, in the world of marketing, the most successful campaigns are born from the perfect marriage of creativity and production prowess. So, here’s to hoping that Creative and Production can patch things up, reignite the spark, and live happily ever after – at least until the next marketing novelty comes along.