Category

content

Jul 13
Love0

Case studies and professional organisations

By Case Study, Communications craft, content


We all know that factories produce widgets. Or cans of fizzy soft drink, cars, smartphones and television sets, but what do professional organisations produce? If you show a car in a car showroom, you can get people to buy the vehicle; but what is the show room for the professional product?
If you ask the company they will tell you they produce solutions. But solutions tend to be invisible. They’re the lack of something; if you hold a solution up to the light, it’s usually colourless liquid.
It’s sometimes helpful to think of professional organisations as producing narrative. Either deliberately (PR agencies) or, as a by product of solving their client’s headaches. So if you’re, say a law firm, management consultancy, housing association or medical practice, these narratives can be stories of how various solutions came into being. The good news is they are usually very interesting stories. The bad news is that you have to work quite hard at retrieving them.

Jun 19
Love0

TED topics for Industry 4.0

By B2B, Communications craft, content, Strategy, Thought leadership, What's out there now

Thought leadership has been a buzzword for a little while now.
To do it well you famously have to be able to have thoughts and also to lead. Neither of those two things are particularly easy things to do. For many content producers, it may feel like a big mountain to climb. They way to succeed is to break it down and get a little help.
Imagine you have to create a TED talk for your product or brand. What would it talk about? What are the big themes that operate around your product or brand that you personally find fascinating? Still stuck? Ok, try something simpler, treat it as an exercise in curation.
Just make a list of existing TED talks that seem to discuss topics near to the issues close to the brand. Then, write a few comments or remarks that bridge any relevant issues that need connecting. Here are some of mine for a company that’s designing software for a modern business. They deal with what’s generally called user centred experience. The connecting comments simply need to answer the question, “What’s the relevance of this inspiring video to what these guys actually sell?” Even if it’s obvious, it’s good to make it explicit so you don’t leave your audience in the fuzzy further reaches of philosophy.

Apr 14
Love0

Has marketing changed?

By B2B, Communications craft, content, Uncategorized

It’s hard to do marketing without thinking everything is so different from when we all came into the industry. Even if you’ve only been in the industry for a year or so, you’ve probably noticed some big shifts already. But as ever there’s a counter view, and one provide by the father of advertising, the late, very great Bill Bernbach.

“It took millions of years for man’s instincts to develop. It will take millions more for them to even vary. It is fashionable to talk about changing man. A communicator must be concerned with unchanging man, with his obsessive drive to survive, to be admired, to succeed, to love, to take care of his own.” Bill Bernbach

*With thanks to Rory Sutherland for reminding us of this quote.

One of the classic B2B ads of Bernbachs era, printed in 1958 is by McGraw Hill publishing. It runs as follows.
So how might it read today? Here’s a guess.
The man sitting in the chair would also nowadays probably be sporting a beard and a mobile device, but as Bernbach would have said, his unchanging need to guard against an unknown visitors and their untested products is just as it strong as it always has been.

May 20
Love0

Nothing Compares 2U

By content, Uncategorized

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x28r9_sinead-nothing-compares-2u-live_music

Sinéad O’Connor – Nothing Compares 2U


Ever wondered why the lyric is nothing compares to you rather than no one compares to you? That’s the genius of this lyric, because it adds that touch of craziness that defines great poetic thought. And the structure is identical to Martin Luther King’s ’63 speech and Winston Churchill’s Finest Hour speech. 114 million hits can’t be wrong. Looking at the structure in terms of beats. It’s been seven hours and fifteen days
Since u took your love away (Facts) I go out every night and sleep all day
Since u took your love away (Develop the pain, problem or situation)

Since u been gone I can do whatever I want
I can see whomever I choose
I can eat my dinner in a fancy restaurant But nothing
I said nothing can take away these blues (Claim USP or deal -Nothing brings you the same level of blues)
`Cause nothing compares
Nothing compares 2 u (Depressing principle, opposite of inspiring principle) Repeat the same format then leave on I know that living with u baby was sometimes hard
But I’m willing to give it another try (Call to action)