Something missing from Harvey Nics...

In an attempt to increase its profile within the 18-30's age group, Harvey Nics has launched its Christmas campaign, the "Walk of Shame".


The ad shows a selection of different girls, looking decidedly worse for wear, attempting to make it home after a night on the tiles. It includes some amusing scenarios (my favourite being the girl devouring a kebab at a bus stop whilst receiving a disgruntled look) and clearly expresses the bedraggled feeling so many experience the morning-after the night-before.

After these shots, up pops a screen telling the viewer to 'Avoid the Walk of Shame this season'.

Then we see a flawless beauty (naturally wearing clothes from the Harvey Nichols collection) strut her stuff. She travels down the street beaming with self confidence the other post-party sufferers’ lack, even handling an effortless exchange with the postman.

The message - change your Walk of Shame into a Stride of Pride by wearing amazing clothes.

The Ad has been received well (minus a few remarks on the brand's YouTube page querying the model-like appearance of the final character which questions whether she genuinely represents the average individual) and I have to say that overall I like it –

- The campaign tells an engaging story and uses scenes I believe the majority of the target audience will be able to relate to with varying degrees of self-authenticity. The message is clear and concise, and we’re hearing it! 

HOWEVER, something is missing.

Instead of shooting directly to the image of this self assured elegance, I think that the communications would have been much more effective if the model was first shown, at the beginning of her walk, questioning her appearance.

Then as she caught a glimpse of herself in a stray mirror, shop window or car door and stopped to check herself out, the audience would be able to witness the transformation in her character as she concluded from her assessment that she still looked hot!

This way her attitude could be unambiguously attributed to her clothes and not say, her personality.

I feel that this lack of coherent link is a bit like seeing a snowman without a carrot for its nose, or a snow stricken tree without a robin - still great to look at but a little disappointing knowing that it could’ve been that bit more special.

Sales tips from my encounter with the local tyre salesmen

My tyre had gone flat. I was driving around on my spare and needed a replacement. I needed that replacement put onto my car so I could sport all 4 alloys, and for my spare to be loving returned to its compartment in the boot.

This was what I told the friendly and enthusiastic mechanic in the first garage I ventured into.

He journeyed out of his work shop to gauge the tyres size and asses its (non existent) potential to be repaired, before recommending a (mid range) tyre that would put me back £55. When I asked about the rest of my tyres he assured they were road worthy.

Initially he didn’t provide any further details about the different grades of tyre available but when I enquired he was forthcoming with information about my options. In hindsight I believe this was a positive sales move as it kept the process simple and didn’t compromise the value of the potential purchase.

He thought it was a good buy and I sensed he was genuine. My gut feeling was a positive one; but being bought up to be a savvy shopper and liking to purchase my goods with sound market knowledge, I continued to shop around for prices.

And so, onto the second garage I went.

Unlike at the first, the rugged looking mechanic dragged my tyre off inside his workshop. (Note to salesmen: just because I’ve been lured into your abode, it doesn’t mean I’m going to be pressurised into buying from you).

Once inside he bamboozle me with tyre jargon and threw around branded names like I would understand the different products. I, myself, do not work with cars nor do I have a passion for tyres, so obviously couldn’t differentiate between these brands.

After securing me a quote of £70-odd for my new mid-range tyre he probed “So have you been given a price already”. This is surely never a good sign. It conveys the message of dishonesty and yells “this is not the best quote I could have given you”. 

To conclude our conversation he told me, a little too often, that he acted as a wholesaler for all the local garages and warned that if others were telling me they were giving my brand X for price Y, to check that that was in fact the case and I wasn’t being mugged right in front of my eyes –

- What?
Would companies really act so fraudulently? Is this what they did? And why was this man resorting to bad naming his innocent-until-proven-guilty competitors?

This transaction, however, was nothing compared to my third encounter.

Having pulled up onto the car park I walked into the reception and found two men sat behind a counter.  Humm, these mechanics aren’t busy doing usual mechanic-like things. 

They had seen me and had clearly though “woman, young, easy money” (either that or I really don’t want this business) as, as I outlined my needs he stood up, looked out the window and said; “From here it looks like you need this tyre and it will cost from £74 for a budget tyre to £180 for a top of the range”.

I thought, “you lazy, conning £$*#&*!"

Again the quote comparison question, both parties knowing there was really no need to ask it, and some more try-hard jargon. He then dramatically decreased the price before telling me how useless the tyre at this reduced rate would be.

My man, even if you were to sell me tyre for a fiver there is no way I’d buy anything from you! Not only is your customer service shocking, I find it staggering how someone in your profession could undervalue the importance of running a safe car.

This garage had clearly never heard of word of mouth.

Naturally, in the end I made my purchase from the first garage.

I felt this was an honest, transparent company who had enough confidence in their own service that they didn’t even think to mention their lesser competitors. They expressed an enthusiasm for their trade, shared with me relevant knowledge, and didn’t take me for a fool.

I believe that all sales communications, regardless of the sector of business with which they're involved, should heed to these points. Everyone enjoys doing business with a company that has a conscious, values their custom and treats them with respect.

The people I'd recruit to help to save the world if the end were nigh



With 2012 looming one month away, maybe now is the time to consider what would happen if the new-year were to strike an end to society as we know it.


So, if the end of the world were nigh I'd recruit the following four people to help establish a new world order:


Recruit 1: Gok Wan (The Motivator)
This man is able to motivate body conscious women into stripping down and flouncing down a catwalk in front of hundreds of strangers - and feel great about it! Gok’s motivational abilities would be invaluable when developing a new world order.

He is also known for adapting his outfits and is able to see potential in otherwise useless material, using it to  the best of its ability. This transferable skill would be advantageous if faced with limited resources post ending-event.


Recruit 2: Seth Goddin (The Marketer)
As the master of marketing, Seth Goddin would be able to promote strong relationships between members of the community, and in particular between citizens and leaders. He knows how to keep customers happy and so may be key in preventing future revolt.


Recruit 3: Professor Robert Winston (The Scientist)
Robert Winston’s scientific speciality would allow him to objectively investigate behavioural traits and offer empirical recommendations in running the world order. The insight gained from understanding people cannot be over stated.

He is also medically trained.


Recruit 4: Sir Alan sugar (The Innovator)
As a straight talking entrepreneurial innovator, Alan Sugar may have a lot to offer the world order.  He has solid financial understanding and has shown he is able to source out and invest in promising ideas and promising people.


I believe the attributes of this team would allow the dynamics of an evolving neo-community to be truly understood, and so facilitate sustainable development. The hardworking ethos of these individuals would promote a positive and collaborative environment.


Alas, we can all rest assured knowing that, if faced with New Year destruction, everything will work out fine. This leaves only the last minute Christmas shopping and food feast calorie-count to get our blood pressure rising over the festive period. 

An Introduction to me : )

                                    Im a life Loving,              
                                                  Opportunity grasping,
                                            appRoachable individual
                                       who is Interested in taking interest;
                             believes challEnges are designed to be overcome
                               and that an iNdustrious approach to work will always pay off.
                                           I am Passionate,
                                                 dEdicated,
                                               cuRious,
                                      and couRageous.
I'd make a valuable addition to Your team.
 

The evolution of interactive media?

Innovative technological advances will allow people to engage with media in real time across a number of different platforms. As a result this type of communication will become an increasingly integrated part of our lives, and we ourselves will become a more integrated community. Instead of being required to ‘log onto’ and ‘sign into’ current communicational channels (social media sites, for example) as a separate activity, this resource will be readily presented and available at our finger tips.

Interactive TV

What will this highly discussed product offer?

I believe this product will focus on providing a personalised service. I suggest the screen, offering a flexible viewing window, would be divided between TV channel content and an interactive box linked to the outside world via an internet connection.

Through this box;

·         Consumers would be able to link with ‘friends’ and discuss the content being viewed
 
·         Suggestions would be made for programmes that may be of interest to the consumer based either on their viewing behaviour or ‘friends’ choices. It would also be able to archive programmes the viewer indicated they wanted to watch.

·         Interest relevant news would be offered

·         Content relevant advertising would be supported. This could be in relation to 1) the consumer’s interests or 2) the content being viewed;

1)      If the customer watches the fishing channel they may be interested in a fishing holiday, if they watch the grand prix they may also enjoy the super bikes. Secondary advertisement for hotels and restaurants in the local area could be offered once interest had been shown in the initial advert…

2)      Coinciding with the current TV content, additional information could supplement products being exposed through the TV channel. This would be an exciting development for marketers running TV ads or using product placement.  

Interactive outdoor advertising

You may recall lynx experiential campaign where consumers could interact with a virtual angel. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFuUFeQIdpk

I see this being implemented on a much larger scale with people becoming features in the adverts to which they are exposed. This would be particularly effective with bill board advertising; imagine seeing yourself model those M&S clothes as you walk on by.

This would also be an exciting platform for game related advertising.

Consumer opinion is a powerful brand asset, especially when it can be shared on a large scale. I believe that, in this communication focused society, real time feedback will become a common feature of outdoor campaigns. People will be encouraged to interact with medium that allows them to share their comments, stories, and aspirations with other people in a public way. Of course this may put more pressure on brands to perform but once they’ve got it right their reputation will be rewarded with consumer trust.  

Where the Apprentices went wrong when creating, branding and launching their own pet food range...

Many find themselves sharing their Wednesday evening with Lord Sugar and tune into BBC One to receive the latest dose of the Apprentice. The contestants of the show compete in a variety of diverse commercial challenges in an attempt to dodge those dreaded words “your fired” and ultimately win the prize of going into business with Alan himself.

I would like to cast your memory back to the 1^st June (episode 5), where the eager hopefuls are assigned the task to Create, Brand and Launch a Pet food.  Proving that not everyone is cut out for the communications industry, I would like highlight where I believe the Apprentices went wrong.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b011qjtm/The_Apprentice_Series_7_Create_Brand_and_Launch_a_Pet_Food/

Although Adverts can be Entertaining, they are not designed to Entertain. A flawed strategy from the start…

From the initial construction of the brand in the board room it seems as though there is a focus on the content of the advertising material, with the teams talking about how the name will fit into advertising ultimately produced. Ideas were thrown around about calling the dog food ‘Pals’ or ‘Fur Play’ and featuring dogs united over play for one team while the other discussed calling the cat food ‘Purrari’ and have a cat driving round in a Ferrari.

This time should have instead been spent focusing on the product and the market into which it was going to be released. What are the needs of the consumer? How can these needs be best fulfilled? Are the any niches in the market that could be exploited? What service would our product provide? What’s our brand promise? And how are we going to communicate that promise effectively? Following the philosophy of (unarguably successful and reputable Adman) Ogilvy, good advertising is advertising that doesn’t draw attention to advertising.

Research, Research, Research…

Ok, so one needs to appreciate that 3 days of intensive work has been shuttled down into an hours of TV viewing and thus a lot of editing has occurred. However, it seems to me that while both teams talked about which breed of animal their product was being aimed at, they failed to acknowledge the type of owner they were targeting. It is after all the owner who is going to buy the product and so it should be the owner with whom the piece of communication is trying to engage. Do people from different socioeconomic back grounds interact with their pets differently? Do we want to target young couples with a dog? A large family? Or elderly people who receive companion from their pets?

Both teams did partake in qualitative research, however a baffling and fatal error was made on behalf of both teams when they FAILED TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE INSIGHTS THEY’D DISCOVERED!!

Ignoring research can only have devastating consequences; you are not telling the consumer what they want to hear making all communication void.

This was most clearly demonstrated within the ‘dog food’ team, who chose to ignore personal and professional opinion in pursuit of creating a brand that was targeted at ‘Every Dog’. A mistake that was obvious to everyone, expect the team leader, as this ignores the long established unique and special bound between pet and owner. If the brand had instead chosen to focus on a narrow area of the dog population a solid basis would’ve been established for relationship marketing; The brand, trusted due to its specialism, would’ve been able to provide informative updates on products/events /accessories specifically designed for that species of dog. Being as people invest in their pet and see them as an additional family member, it is likely the consumer would engage with these relevant and educational  resources and the chances are they would commit to this brand, an expert in its field.

How was it the Apprentices managed to ignore a process that’s so fundamental to this industry?

I think the answer lies within the behaviour of the ‘cat’ team. Although there was a well-argued strategy and clear message behind the end ‘cat size’ product, the brand received poor feedback. It is painfully apparent when watching the episode that the idea for which the brand is centred was luckily, yet accidentally, fallen upon as an afterthought of the ‘creative’ input. In a recent application I made I was asked which came first idea or strategy? I argued that it was both; sometimes great ideas have to be bent to fit strategy, sometime great ideas are born from strategic foundations. This episode of the apprentice however, has led me to question this theory. I now believe that the best ideas are produced from strategy and this is the only direction in which the process should flow.  

This teams’ brand had so much potential, but the rigid and uncompromising nature of the project manager meant that that potential wasn’t reached – he wanted to keep the name ‘cats size’ (‘ingeniously’ derived from ‘cats eyes’), instead of opting for a name that would reinforce the brands promise in a consistent and clear way.  The decision makers in both teams displayed this inflexibility in opening up their ideas for adaptation. In the communications industry it’s important to grant your ideas freedom so they can evolve and or be neglected with the development seen across the campaign.

Finally, drawing on my original point, when executing the ‘cats size’ advert, the superficial content of the product was emphasised; the cat was given a personality and the cat was pleased to have lost some weight. Weight loss does not have the same social impact in the cat community as it does the human community, and while pet obesity is a relevant sociocultural issue, it will never be something for which pets take responsibility or for which neighbourhood net curtain gossip will start. I believe that the ad would have been far more effective if approached from an educational angle; the consumer could’ve been made aware of the health implications for the overweight cat and given some national statics of how many overweight cats there are out there. The brand would then communicate the benefits of their product highlighting all the health impacts of it. Coinciding with the adverts, the brand could have worked with vets to establish a health programme that allows consumer to access free advice and check-up care. This not only strongly reinforces the brand values; it goes a long way in establishing it as a reputable brand.    

Eurostar Lamest Excuse Campaign, Who Knew? He didn't.

I recently came across Eurostar’s ‘lamest excuse campaign’; an intriguing and engaging campaign which invited consumers, across different social media platforms, to share their most feeble of reasons for wanting to travel to Europe.

Suggestions included a necessity to replace a dilapidated wine supply; A desire to return a French bread dog to its capital city; and a solution to overcoming the chore of shaving! Across six heats, public vote determined the most popular upload and the lucky creator won a pair of tickets to their European destination of choice. There was further opportunity for one of these six to win a year’s free Eurostar travel through the documentation of their journey.

http://europe.eurostar.com/lamestexcuse/

The aim of the campaign was to educate the audience on the services’ ability to act as a connection to European destinations further afield and to challenge the view that it is a one stop train to France.

So, with this initiative ticking all the boxes of incorporating education, branding and user generated content to share across social media content, why was participation so modest? On the YouTube channel a total of 41 video up loads were made, with the most popular video being viewed only  1, 556 times!

Maybe it was because no one knew?

At a recent interview I attended I discussed this Eurostar campaign, but the guy grilling me on the other side of the table hadn’t a clue what I was going on about. This was bad news for Eurostar; Firstly because my interview was at an advertising agency giant and it’s these peoples’ job to know what communication is occurring out there; and secondly because this person was a regular user of the Eurostar service. This was contemporary news and he was a contemporary customer!

Granted, he may have not been in the primary targeted demographic (I suggest this was students as the campaign was designed to inspire travel within a group of people who were media savvy and had free time but little money)- But the message was still relevant to him even if the participation element was not.

Some important points can be taken from this;

Firstly (and obviously); although it has been found spending resources on maximising frequency is more efficient than spending it on maximising reach (big up to Seth Goddin, ‘Permission marketing, Turing Strangers into Friends and Friends into Consumer’), reach cannot be totally neglected!..

Next; Advertising is education. Like in education, the best results are seen when the information is reworked through different mediums. Not only does this allow the message to be reinforced, it plays a vital role in directing the consumer to your content.

The internet is a crazy content over loaded haystack, and you are just one needle wanting to prick the unsuspecting consumer.  An interested consumer is more likely to act upon information when their attention has been caught by relevant bait…

I would've done that differently...

American Apparel have developed a reputation for producing shocking and controversial ads, most of which flash some flesh (exposing significantly more than their competitors). Although this has given American Apparel a strong brand image, I believe their approach is questionable. Their ad’s lack a clear message and brand promise and I am often left wondering whom these ads are targeting…

…These messages have been particularly confusing in American Apparel’s recent risqué print campaign – The provocative illustrations of, arguably underage, girls drawn by pornographic artist Boris Lopez go too far. The age of the girls depicted in the image make the ad distasteful and American Apparel should be warned that people may develop the impression of their campaigns as being more exploitative than explorative.

Ok, so sex sells. But do we know what message we are sending? The same communicational  care should be taken with sexual elements to ensure the message which is crafted is the message the audience WANT to receive…When ordering steak at a restaurant you expect it to come flame grilled and seasoned; You would not be impressed if a raw slab of meat thrown in your face! As American Apparel teeter on the edge of bankruptcy, with reports of their annual sales being down nearly 9%, we behold a clear demonstration that it’s not enough to stir up a hype in order to increase sales.

…So what would I do if I were to acquire the AA account?

American Apparel is a brand targeted at young adults and is known for its brightly coloured attire.    This brand is about expression. This brand is about non-conformity.

I would, therefore, advertise American Apparel using other forms of expression: 

·         Dance –

 With a twist on the ‘catwalk’, dancers wearing a range of AA clothing (from sportswear through to lingerie) would perform a routine that would fit into the urban image of the brand. There would be opportunity for a risqué element to be incorporated; however the main sex appeal would come from the talent, accomplishment and empowerment seen in such an act.

As AA has its own dance range, this campaign could aim to initially engage the performing arts individual. The audience could be invited, across a range of social media platforms, to create and share their own piece of dance/ music for the advert. The winners (voted by corporate judge or popularity) would then feature in the adverts. As the calibre of the performance would want to be high, this competition would be specifically aimed at adult performing arts schools. Not only would this increase the profile of American Apparel within a relevant target group, it is likely these people already lead open minded and non-conformist lifestyles that support the brands image. If the AA were to develop status within this group it is likely that the support could be used to leverage the brand across other social groups.

The performance would be exposed through the medium of TV and social media. Supporting print material would also be placed in magazines targeted at the same demographic group and within specialised performing arts journals. Posters would be located in shopping centres/clubs/theatres.

·         Art –

Already, the promotional material produced by American Apparel is not what you’d get from an average photo shoot. However, I believe that if the images were adapted – with toning, lighting and shading- AA could turn their potentially offensive work into upmarket art, and even show some nipple in a tasteful way. The art could also be used to reinforce the brands ideals (of expression and non-conformity) by, for example, featuring brightly coloured clothing on model’s silhouette between otherwise darkened forms.

Non product specific art (not showing clothes) could also be used to exacerbate the brands message and link in the concept of body form. Using the same principle, dark  silhouettes of inanimate objects (such as trees) could be used to decorate American Apparells’ stores. Within these silhouettes would be a brightly coloured tree formed, not as a drawing, but through a mass of interlinking bodies…

"..A dollar is What I Need"

I am a graduate on the brink of unlocking my future and swinging open that door marked 'career'.

My aim is to be a job lover, achieved through full filling an exciting and engaging role that transforms me into one of those beings who enjoys work and praises those blessed Monday mornings...Unlike so many of my friends who have given up their souls and entered uninspiring jobs that are compensated with chunky pay packets.

This has put me in a reflective mood, and being one of those 'paper round kids' (I actually never had a paper job, my first job was as a morning waitress) who broke into the working world mid teen, I've been thinking about which of the positions I've held have been my worse and best experiences to date.

In my time I've full filled a multitude of positions within the casual employment arena; Ive worked as a waitress at a B&B, I've been a customer service assistant within a supermarket chain and gadget shop, and I've taken up position behind a bar, pulling pints and popping tops off bottles of VK for the Nottingham student population. Ive also done my share of holiday temping work upon return home visits from University, and much to the envy of 14 year olds' I've worked at a theme park.

I enjoy working, and even the most tedious of jobs (possibly with the exception of a 5 hour data entry shift) has its silver lining. Alongside learning those all important transferable skills my working experience has equipped me with some great memories and even better friends! So, which will be awarded the status of best and worse job? The decision is hard!


I enjoyed working in the fun, fast paced environment of a student nightclub, and I did take this role into consideration when thinking about the best job I've had. I am conscious that I may have just given the perception of myself as one of me being a massive party animal. Although, there is a naturally sociable element to this job, I can assure you that it is nothing like going out! Colleagues of mine who would have rather been on the other side of the bar sometimes tried to delude us into thinking it was...but it wasn't. I decided not to award this job with the best title in the end as its highs were matched by its lows. Alcohol fulled customers can sometimes make rude ones, and serving intoxicating liquor is the last thing you want to do when faced with an abundance of reading and fast approaching deadlines (especailly relevant around dissertation time), or when you've missed your best mates birthday for the second year in a row. 

Working on the rotisserie department during my stint in the supermarket made this period of employment a contender for worse title. Ever Friday evening I could be found draining chicken fat out of, and scrubbing clean an industrial sized oven. At the end of my shift I was convinced the complexion of my skin had deteriorated and I'd go home smelling like a stale deli. However, I was to learn that the displeasure felt now would wash away into mere insignificance compared to my future ventures.

So with further contemplation, I have crowned an ultimate winner! drum roll please...

The job I held at the theme park was the most unusual employment I’ve had, and therefore think its fitting that both my worst and best experiences, to present, were attained here.

This one cold, wet October morning I had been allocated the dodgems. Although you may not appreciate it unless you’ve worked on a fair ground, there is a significant difference between dodgems and bumping cars. As three cars had been written off the week before staff were on a ‘smash up’ crack down which translated into "One way round the track; No heavy bumping and No head on collision."

On the day in question, difficult customers just rolled on it; People tried to sneak their below height restriction children on the ride, attempted to get in the cars when they were moving, and refused to listen to instruction. But of course when their elder child was unable to control the car or you prohibited people from the ride after 3 or 4 warnings they persisted in arguing with you. The negativity surrounding the day was only to be exacerbated by my puddle sodden, saturated feet. 12 hours later, upon returning to the shell of a caravan in which we were accommodated, a waterlogged wick refused to light meaning no boiler and no hot water. Great.

The day I was nominated to flyer with a colleague I didn’t normally get the opportunity to engage with was the best day. We handed out promotional material to holiday crowds and relevant establishments in neighbouring towns. For lunch we ate at a renowned Fish and Chip shop, a treat compared to the usual 20 minute rush I was accustomed to. At the end of the day I clocked off early and even squeezed in a few cheeky rides before the park closed.

So there you have it. Now, what will the peak and troughs of my future hold for me? I can't be certain, but I look forward to taking on new challenges and overcoming obstacles of a different kind as I start to lay down the foundation blocks of my career.