I’ve always wondered why things going pear shape is such a bad thing. And in these recessionary times I’m hearing the phrase a lot.
Having a creative streak, I’ve always seen things differently and the humble pear is no exception.
Both physical and less tangible products, services, theories and points of view that conform, have never held [...]

When it comes to better marketing their brands, charities and NFPs are often found wanting. Expediency in needing to achieve the immediate goals of current appeals and commitments often overshadow any thoughts of establishing a credible and cohesive brand. Yet, in the long term, brand loyalty is what will sustain a charity, stretch its budget [...]

Awareness, acceptance and adherence to cultural sensitivities are every bit as important for marketing when you cross in to the smaller business sector, as they are for major brands when they cross borders.

Where there are international and cultural boundaries to contend with for large marketeers, closer to home there are the equally powerful mindsets we [...]

If you’re vision is blurred, it’s time to get focused
It’s little wonder that many who fall in to the traditional definition of ‘professional services’ feel somewhat stymied when it comes to expressing their vision, let alone sufficiently focused to deliver their message when marketing their services.
Areas of expertise have come under increasing attack from the [...]

I’m feeling in need of being cosseted on this snowy, damp Monday morning.
Often when I get in such a mood, my mind turns to life’s luxuries that would leave me feeling a little more fulfilled. Perhaps even more motivated. It might be the same for you?
And so this morning, my attention has turned to the marketing of luxury goods, not [...]

My 4 year old son just phoned to say that he doesn’t want to watch the ads and can I turn them off when I get home.
At first I was a little offended in that I’ve spent the best part of the last 25 years planning and crafting campaigns and today they still pay a [...]

Over the years there’s been all manner of phrases evoked where one’s focus should be when getting a brand’s message across… Content is King…Less is more…Don’t be clever…Don’t seek praise…Don’t be self-congratulatory…and many more.
But when it comes down to it, your customers will be self-selecting of the information they retain, be they implicitly or explicitly [...]

In this throwaway society, it seems that in marketing terms, financial services brands are one of the worst culprits. Some might say they are dispensing with their brands at an alarming rate.
Yet, one would have thought that in a supposedly prudent industry, they would have held on to their brands dearly and lived by my [...]

Tchaikovsky composed an Overture about it. Thousands lost their lives over it. But was it just one last gamble that didn’t pay off for Napoleon?
The answer could lay in the legacy Napoleon may well have left to horse racing.
He’d gathered the largest army Europe had ever seen. Some 500,000 troops were amassed on the Russian [...]

Now of course in UK parlance an elevator is a ‘lift’ and that is what the best elevator speeches should do. Lift your profile, lift your standing in the eyes of the receiver and give your audience a lift to your ‘shop’ floor, lifting you morale in the process, as the first stage in delivering [...]