We are excited to announce that we have been shortlisted for FOUR Transform Europe Awards. The global brand development awards recognise creativity and strategic thought, and place real emphasis on the impact of the work.
“The calibre of submissions has been outstanding and this year has been very competitive. It is absolutely fantastic to see RichardsDee once more reach the shortlist in not just one, but four categories.” Andrew Thomas, Transform
Our work with Dublin Bus on DoDublin has been shortlisted for Best Brand Evolution, Best Creative Strategy and Best Visual Identity in the Travel Leisure and Tourism Sector. Read the full case study here.
Our work with Bewley’s on Ireland’s Biggest Coffee Morning for hospice has been shortlisted for Best Visual Identity from a Charity, NGO or Not-For-Profit category. Read the full case study here.
“We are delighted to be shortlisted again for awards that recognise the transformative impact branding has on business, and industry. The Transform Awards are important awards for us for many reasons; a key one being the way their jury is structured by client side professionals who vote on commercial performance and disruption balanced with excellence in execution. This is our second consecutive year in the shortlist which is testament to the energy, focus and determination of both our own team and the clients who trust us with their brands” Celine Dee, Co-Founder, RichardsDee
About Transform Awards
Transform is a publishing and events brand dedicated to the global rebranding and brand development industry. The Transform Awards celebrate the best in rebranding, employer brand strategy and brand development in Europe.
“Internationally, rebranding and brand development has become a catalyst for successful business. As opportunities ripen, this year’s Transform Awards Europe 2018 shortlist catalogues the leaps and bounds that brand development work is continuing to make. The shortlists quintessentially represent not only the impact of imagination, but also how creativity can elegantly meet strategy, thriving on nostalgia, mystery and striking imagery.” Andrew Thomas, Transform
A small team of us attended the Brand Neiuwe Conference in Amsterdam – a symposium on the latest thinking and direction of brand and brand identity. The two day event gathered together over 300 global leaders of branding to hear from the creators of case studies that have generated interest such as The Premier League, Spotify, Mozilla and Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra.
From seasoned professionals, who presented with confidence and gusto, to smaller agencies sharing projects for the first time. The subjects covered were varied and included topics such as, new processes for large and small-scale branding programmes and insights into managing the fallout when a brand is launched and subsequently blasted on social media.
Particular attention was given to the branding process. The importance of digging deeper to discover distinctive brand pillars and focusing on who you are doing this for – the audience. Consideration was also given to leading clients through creative work. Every case study was exemplary in standard, and the passion and insight from seasoned practitioners confirmed the reasons why we got into the industry in the first place – to be creative, to challenge, to have a point of view and to have fun.
Highlights included:
– “The Simplification of the Process” by Michael Johnson and his insight into connecting strategy with creativity
– Sagi Haviv and his sharing of a number of case studies and the pitfalls of these projects in a humorous and down to earth manner
– Brian Collins and his passion for design, his team and their projects
– DixonBaxi on being restless and always pushing forward
– Essen International for being the nicest guy presenting
– DesignStudio for the insight of the process and the championing of what we do
Thanks must be given to Armit and Bryony, of UnderConsideration, for putting the energy and time into the event and for creating a compelling conference that focuses on the process, projects and people.
Last week I attended The Design Thinkers conference in Toronto; a unique conference bringing together designers, strategists and creative thinkers from across the globe. After spending a few days in the company of the RGD (Association of Registered Graphic Designers), I noticed a number of consistent themes emerging, notably the importance of:
– Creating the magic for our clients; as creative designers, we have an obligation to our clients to help them to see and realise the potential in ideas and what they can achieve – to take the every day and make it wonderful
– Embracing technology and using it to our advantage; by simplifying the working day and creating clarity in the way information is shared, providing inspiration to customers
– Being more in-sync with our clients ‘everyday’; from coffee-break research and working with clients in their space, to commercially partnering with clients on flagship projects
– Revisiting what we do and why we do it; addressing the purpose of an agency, creating a defined company culture and a better work-life balance
– Being innovative and embracing new working methods; working quicker and wider, focusing on what is important on a project before developing the detail
– Adapting to the rise of the in-house design teams and helping them become the champions of design within their organisations
– Understanding the extent to which the design world is changing; we should not be afraid of crowdsourcing but of algorithms
The overriding impression is one of a conference that celebrates the future of the industry and not just design as a craft. These are important lessons, which I believe can be learnt by other conferences: to be more open to the commercial needs of the business and the needs of the clients, both today and with an eye on where the industry may be heading in the future. All in all, a great few days (and nights) were had in Toronto – I was extremely impressed by the work of the RGD in Canada, the community they have created and the conference as a whole.
LastThursday evening, we were delighted to be joined by over fifty clients and colleagues at our studio, where Cathy Winston inspired and educated us in the process of Innovation. Black hats, yellow hats, start-up monopoly and cafe conversations, it was a night of creativity, ideas and new thinking – helping us improve our businesses and brands through embracing innovation.
This was our third Insights evenings, where we invite leaders, creatives and like minded individuals to share their passions and insights in an informal and sociable setting. The aim of the evenings are to encourage a shared learning environment where we can be inspired and empowered.
We were delighted with the amount of interest with our latest talk and would like to thank everyone for attending, we are now considering speakers for our next Insights evening which will be soon, and if you are interested in being invited to the next Insights evening then please drop us a note.
Since its inception, Irish Water has been dominating headlines for all the wrong reasons.
To ensure a successful long-term future, Irish Water needs to engage people’s heads and hearts. But how?
By focusing on the 3 Ps:
Purpose, Principles and Participation.
By refocusing on their brand and using it as a platform through which all communications, actions, behaviours etc. are funneled, it will take time, but Irish Water can drive its brand back on course.
No one expects brands to be perfect. Acknowledge and admit mistakes and you will be judged far more favourably. The way a brand deals with its issues is far more important than the issues themselves.
Start behaving like a consumer brand and not like a government body. A purpose is more compelling than a product. Start to communicate what purpose they have in a consumer friendly way, demonstrating the need to repair and conserve.
Build awareness around the serious issue of water and the importance of planning for the future. We may feel we have too much of it coming from the heavens above, but we are lucky to have water.
Stop being invisible and start being valuable. Your purpose should be about maximisng value for the customer.
Engage in a two-way dialogue with customers. Co-create a system that everyone buys in to and believes in, and therefore feels a sense of stewardship over.
Demonstrate positive actions on the impact a state-of-the-art water system will have on the country both now and into the future, across all touch points.
Make the most of each and every opportunity to connect and share their purpose. Currently 3rd parties, driving white vans that are apologetically branded working with Irish Water, are carrying out the installation of water meters. These are great platforms to communicate the positive role of what they do and why they exist.
Initiate ‘random acts of kindness’ throughout the estates where they have caused issues.
Too many brands prioritise claims over actions. Irish Water need to engage and involve people, not interrupt them.
Consider the Irish people as part of the brand, not as ‘consumers’.
In summary, Irish Water needs to be genuine, people-centric and showcase actionable cause. Only then can it start to regain trust and move forward.
Need an identity for your new tech start-up? Look to the animal kingdom for inspiration…
You have your killer idea; tested and refined to within an inch of its life, your business plan has been honed to perfection, but have you defined how you are going present yourself in an engaging and compelling way to your future customers? Have you considered your brand identity? Whilst startups face some unique challenges, the task of winning customers is still a process that starts with creating a compelling brand.
In start-up mode, your brand identity needs to work hard; it needs to capture attention, resonate with key stakeholders and communicate what makes you different. Not an easy task in a crowded marketplace. But here’s where looking to the animal kingdom for inspiration could help.
Consider some of the (now) biggest players in the digital space; from Firefox and Twitter to MailChimp and TripAdvisor, all hi-tech brands who exist only in an online environment and who all rely on animal symbolism to define their brand identity.
Coincidence?
Or grounded in a deeper truth, that as humans, we are hard-wired to respond to animals – whether that response is flight, fight or just “aww, how cute”.
One of the challenges with technology branding is that the brands operate in a space that is removed and impersonal. It can therefore be difficult for them to form a connection with their audience and make that all-important impression, which is essential to driving preference and fueling buying decisions.
Animals in tech add warmth and personality to an otherwise sterile brand – they allow the brand to add a human element and create an emotional connection that could otherwise be difficult to forge.
Animals are also associated with certain traits such as knowledge, speed and loyalty. In this respect, choosing the right animal can help the brand magnify that trait without investing heavily in above the line communications to get the same message across.
Of course, this is nothing new in the design world; many of the world’s top brands have been using animal symbolism to give consumers an idea about the product or company for decades. Car companies frequently use animals such as horses and fast cats, symbolising speed and agility. But what seems to be new is the way in which the booming tech industry is embracing animals to counteract the perception of an industry often defined by zeros and ones.
But let’s face it; given the choice between an abstract shape and a fluffy puppy, which one would grab your attention? Done correctly puppies are hard to ignore!
At RichardsDee we have a wealth of experience in creating brand identities for tech companies large and small. Click here for more information…
A new brand identity will not resolve issues with local government taxes or quarrels between landlords and what their tenants are doing by sub-renting their properties, but the new Airbnb logo and identity is a confident step in the maturing of the brand.
One of the powerful elements of the new brand execution is the symbol, or should I say “Belo”. This symbol has a strong idea at the heart of it and works on many levels:
An “A” for Airbnb
Features the pin icon used on maps and part of its previous visual language
An inverted heart comes across strongly, reinforcing passion
(Habitat may have got there first though)
A simple execution that lends itself to many creative expressions
A warm, personal attitude that will establish quick recall
The approach to the new Airbnb logo and identity is a refreshing change from the previous word mark, and the brand now has a new tool in its brand armory to build awareness, differentiate and communicate the brand’s passion.
Looking at other brands in the digital realm – eBay, Yahoo, Facebook, Vimeo, Flickr, Skype, these all feature word marks and lack any real strong idea, personality or warmth to their brand identity (apart form Yahoo with an exclamation mark – says it all!).
The launch of the brand has also been widely accepted, due to the fact that the brand is moving forward in a positive manner, and they have not tried to use the brand evolution as the only story. Brands reviewing their identities need tangible reasons for change and enhanced brand experiences must be visible and paramount. Airbnb has also achieved this, with additional and improved services on its site.
Unlike other recent controversial brand re-launches (Gap or Yahoo), Airbnb realised what they had (and what they didn’t have) and have built upon this.
The approach in brand identity by Airbnb may be old school, but it is a welcome return to brand identity and logo design that has depth and meaning. If you think the logo can be improved then Airbnb have created a nice tool where you can create your own:
“Sketch it. Paint it. Put a penguin on it.
Make a symbol that reflects your Airbnb experience, and add it to your Airbnb profile”
The role of product a website has long been the debate of commercial directors, advertising agencies and SEO professionals alike. From the commercial focus on (or isolation of) a hero product, through to issues of duplicate content and competing for search results – we’ve seen it all over the years. As a commercial design and branding agency, we’re going to attempt to cut through some of the clutter and technicalities surrounding the overriding question:
Do we need a product website?
If you have more than one product in your suite, you should consider it. If one of your products has ‘hero’ status, you should really consider it. If your range of products is varied and a specific product or product range focuses on the needs of a particular ‘type’ of end-user or user-requirement; you’re product website should already be in planning. And here are 3 good reasons why the world is heading this way:
1. People have specific agendas, and limited attention spans
We’re easily distracted by too many options. For any given unique proposition, we’re going to need to cover off: Why this product is awesome, and what does it say aboutme. What it will really mean to me (the benefits). What it will actually do for me (the features). What it costs me (including any pricing options). How to buy it (and what happens next).
That’s a lot of information, comprehension and persuasion. The point is that it’s not always wise to blur the lines with “oh… and we also have another set of products you just might be interested in”, and hence the consideration of a product website. From a communications point of view; simple, singular propositions result in more effective customer engagement and acquisition.
2. More than ever, we really do understand our audience
So there’s no reason not to focus on the customer first and foremost. Let’s take a look at a leading car brand: Volkswagen. If you’re looking for a job, have a gripe about their environmental responsibility, need to find a dealer who might help you decide which model to purchase, or otherwise want the general company overview, you’re best bet is www.volkswagen.com, or if you own a small business, www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk.
Volkswagen & The Beetle
And then, Volkswagen build this little number called ‘The Beetle’. Most importantly regards this discussion is that the car is designed for a very specific type of consumer. We know who they are. Volkswagen know who they are, there’s science in there from the shape of the bodywork through to the way its personality is communicated.
Enter the need for a product website that understands the buying motivations of the target consumer, tells the product story in a way that resonates with them, and keeps them engaged with all that lifestyle ideology: www.beetle.com.
3. Everybody’s doing it
We’re not talking about building mobile apps on a whim or hours spent spluttering on social media with no clear objectives in mind here. There are a wealth of credible examples of product websites having strategic, creative and commercial objectives.
Sony Playstation
An example of when a product in a company’s set is specifically designed for a type of user is the product website for Sony Playstation. No cross-selling at all, the ‘SONY’ name is there for branding purposes only. Even the brand logo does not link to their core website. This is somewhat different to…
iPhone
The iPhone section on apple.com looks like a product website. Acts like one too. However, if you’re in the market for an iPhone, you’re likely somewhat religious and on some level willing to buy into a MacBook Air and and an iPad to boot. In essence, Apple has created micro-sites within their core site that focus our attention on the product (together with all associated options and accessories) while allowing easy access to other products. This mirrors the universal appeal of their product set. There’s a clear distinction between the way Sony and Apple present their products to us online.
Verizon Wireless
The USA communications giant Verizon has separated its mobile business from the core website housing residential and commercial TV and fixed-broadband services. Regards the mobile offering, it needs to appeal to a youth and NetGen audience who will be ‘mobile first’ brand entrants. More importantly, perhaps, is the vast array of options available to a consumer as a mobile customer; think prepay vs. postpay, devices (phones/tablets et al), services such as mobile broadband, accessories, customer support, account log-in and payment/top-up. Suddenly, attempting to contain this within a core website with other products fighting for attention throws up comprehension issues.
From a branding perspective, little changes on what is in essence a product website; with the exception of the URL itself. In fact, the website is integrated (as per Apple) into the wider experience, again suggesting that Verizon fixed broadband customers are likely to be open to mobile products too. However, all ‘support’ channels, for example, are focused on the mobile offering. Better user experience, better brand control.
Skype & Microsoft
For a likely number of reasons, Microsoft-owned Skype is actually a product website. OK, so it started off as a totally separate entity, but interesting to view how it now sits within the wider Microsoft offering. In fact, you might consider that Skype acts to give credibility to other Microsoft products in it’s footer; for those who care to scroll that far. The point is that the Microsoft logo isn’t up there in flashing lights for a reason, and that again comes down to understanding the audience.
WorldPay Zinc
And then there’s the strategic use of product websites in a B2B context. WorldPay is a leading provider of electronic and online payment facilities. Their product range covers all sizes of customer from SME through to leading multinational organisations, including airlines.
Big business. Too big for me and my company? Probably. And that is why there is a ‘separate’ product. WorldPay Zinc allows anyone from the local plumber to a 3-chain restaurant to take mobile payments easily with simple set-up. It’s a proposition for a unique type of smaller business user so the product website has none of the scary stuff associated with large-scale industry ecommerce, and with the main (very corporate) website removed from all mention.
tdsvisitor
We developed a product website for ‘tdsvisitor’, a visitor management solution that now has a global reach, with companies such as Google using the platform in 52 countries. Other multinational organisations are now showing interest. Our role as their design and branding agency was give ‘tdsvisitor’ it’s own hero brand that would better represent the tdsvisitor solution as a stand-alone product.
Accordingly, our strategy involved developing a focused product website (tdsvisitor.com) that presents only the absolute information required for facilities to understand and consider the product without the distraction of other products in the tds armoury.
Like with Sony and WorldPay, we only reference the tds core brand because, regards the end-user’s agenda, understanding the company’s rich foundation and heritage in the facilities security industry is actually secondary to “what is this specific product and what will it do for me”. That’s the hook. The rest is a process of due diligence through which the history of tds may or may not be an influential factor for the purchaser.
So what about technical issues related to product websites?
Frankly, all issues surrounding the number of web properties any one organisation should have is a matter of strategy from both branding and commercial perspectives.
There is no denying that things changed and end-users now demand relevancy and far more engaging experiences online. In a world where competing for customer attention and time are arguably the key barriers, gone are the days when a ‘microsite’ would confuse the wider brand proposition in the digital space. For many organisations with diversifying portfolios, product websites are now a prerequisite.
Once carefully considered and constructed with the end-user in mind, it’s actually relatively straight forward to understand how multiple website properties are positioned in the wider digital footprint, how they communicate with target consumer groups, and what relationship they have with one another – and that includes technical aspects such as search engine optimisation and multiple marketing/data touch-points.
Here in Ireland, food and drink has always played a large part in all our lives – but in recent years it has become more important than ever in terms of the economy. Ulster Bank has watched this growth and change with interest, analysing the special industry requirements and unique business needs of this sector, and in response, has developed a suite of products and supports specifically for ‘Food & Drink’ businesses across the island of Ireland. As Ulster Bank’s branding partner, our task was to bring these to life in a meaningful and engaging way.
Food & Drink is part of a suite of propositions that Ulster Bank has developed for SMEs, which includes specific support for those just starting out, i.e. Start-Ups as well as those in the Agri sector. Given the natural element of cross-over between these 3 areas, we needed to ensure that the marketing collateral we developed felt part of the same family, whilst clearly signalling Ulster Bank as a credible player who understands the needs of the SMEs within the Food & Drink industry, ultimately positioning Ulster Bank as the ‘bank of choice’ within the sector.
Food and drink is a very emotive industry and the focus on quality, care and attention given to the produce is key. The choice of imagery and copy taps into the passion and dedication of business owners in this sector, and elevates Ulster Bank’s intimate understanding of just what Food & Drink businesses need from their banking partner to help their businesses grow and achieve their full potential.
What the #icebucketchallenge can teach us about the power of belonging
Greta Garbo may have famously said “I want to be alone” but in the human psyche nothing could be further from the truth. We all want to belong – to our families, our group of friends, our teams, society at large.
The ALS/ MND campaign is a perfect illustration of this. I have watched with interest over the last few weeks, as the campaign continues to snowball, to a point where people are now starting to criticise the campaign’s high profile takeover of their Facebook and Twitter feeds.
Whilst no-one is denying how great the ice bucket challenge has been to raise awareness of a lesser known disease area, it seems there are now calls for people to donate in humility without the accompanied social media post.
But cynicism aside, these people are overlooking the fundamental reality that we humans are social animals. In the hierarchy of needs, we search for community; we need to fulfil our urge to belong, so to donate without pouring the obligatory bucket of water over our heads and recording the jest for all to see disconnects us from the cause. It’s about being part of something.
So, what lessons from the ice bucket challenge can be applied to branding?
Wise brands tap into that universal desire for community by inviting people to participate in a larger story that in turn gives them a sense of shared identity. Feelings are the catalyst for action, and storytelling is the perfect vehicle to engage people’s emotions. Wise brands use the power of storytelling to make their customers care about them – give them a reason to want them, love them and champion their cause – something we’ve discussed before in relation to creating compelling fundraising campaigns and not for profit digital communications.
Apple is often held up as the gold standard in branding for many reasons, but which other phone manufacturer has people queuing around the block, in multiple countries, even camping out the night before to get their hands on the latest handset? The desire to be part of the Apple community is a strong one.
P&G’s “Thank You Mom” 2012 Olympic campaign was a defining moment in emotional connection. From the early morning wake-up calls to the training sessions in subzero temperatures, years of steadfast devotion were jam-packed into 30 seconds. In that half-minute, P&G went from being a faceless multinational to winning the hearts of countless parents across the globe, turning them into customers for life.
From advertising campaigns that demonstrate that nobody understands you better, to NikeiD putting you in the driving seat of product design and Coca-Cola’s product-led ‘Share a Coke’ campaign, the ways in which you can involve your target audience with your brand are many and varied. They all have one thing in common though: they celebrate individuality as part of a wider community.
To find out how RichardsDee can help you build a deep connection with your target audience, click here…
Growing up in a house of sports fanatics, I vicariously became a bit of a fan myself. But these days my interest lies more in the the sport sponsorship and branding side of things, rather than whether Rory McIlroy bogeyed the 1st or not.
With the football over and the British Open Golf Championship nicely wrapped up by Rory, I found myself mesmerised by the number of sponsors (or Patrons as they are known) and I ask myself the question, “does sport sponsorship deliver?” With Patrons of “The Open” such as Doosan, HSBC, MasterCard and Rolex surely it must.
Some might say sport sponsorship is one of the least targeted parts of a marketing plan, but not if it is part of your brand story. Your job as a sponsor is not to involve people in your brand story; it is to involve your brand in theirs.
A brand’s sponsorship strategy and activation initiative must focus on delivering valuable fan experiences that enhance peoples’ enjoyment of their favourite sports. In this way, sponsorship becomes a product that delivers a powerful service benefit and by extension, has a precious halo effect for the brand in question.
So brands need to ask themselves:
How can we add value to the event experience or brand experience for attendees?
How can we leverage brand exposure for non-attendees (media audiences, customers, etc.)?
How can we extend the brand experience?
Are we doing anything that diminishes that experience or distracts them?
This leads me back to the infamous Tiger Woods conundrum. Having been fined more times for swearing than all other members of the PGA Tour combined and that “club throwing” incident at the US Masters, is he a valuable use of Nike’s sponsorship funds? You bet he is, as Nike continues to show him the money.
Actually the case of Tiger Woods is an interesting one. In many cases, you could argue that a brand aligning itself too closely to a key personality is a bit like putting all your eggs in one basket. It’s is a risky strategy as humans, we are all fallible. But risks can be managed if a brand has a smart strategy. Nike for example, has always focused on Tiger Woods the golfer (unlike other sponsors such as Gillette who have played up his clean image) and aligned the brand’s efforts around his sporting prowess. As such when Tiger Woods, the man, caught the headlines for all the wrong reasons, they were able to compartmentalise the short-term storm around his infidelity, and even used the high media value to launch an entirely new product line in the process.
Perusing the list of Open Patrons, I noted the absence of alcohol and tobacco products. While this comes as no major surprise, the industries continue to sponsor some of the world’s biggest sporting events. Interestingly just recently the RaboDirect Pro 12 rugby (cider makers Magners were their predecessors) has been renamed the Guinness Pro 12. The IRFU has been quoted as saying that sponsorship generates €9m annually for the sport and there have been warnings a clampdown would damage Ireland’s hopes of hosting the Rugby World Cup in 2023.
But what I’m sure you really want to know is whether sport sponsorship changes perceptions of your brand in the way that you are trying to influence it. Whether you have increased preference, purchase, intention or loyalty.
The alternatives available as to how individuals spend their free time and the brands they are exposed to have become limitless. While it took years for some Marketing Managers to recognise that simply putting their brand on a t-shirt or on the backdrop of a winners’ podium wasn’t the best use of resources, smarter Marketing Managers realised that it takes more than this. It is about your brand story. Finding ways to stand out is no longer an option but a necessity.
The brand story goes beyond what’s written on your website or your brand on the winners’ podium at The Open. Your story isn’t just what you tell people; it’s also what they believe about you based on the signals your brand sends.
Everything you do, each element of your brand, from the colours of your brandmark and the quality of your packaging or business cards, to the staff you employ is part of your brand story and every element should reflect the truth about your brand. So if you get this right and align yourself with the right sponsorship, then the answer to my question is: yes, sports sponsorship does deliver as long as your brand story is strong.
While I may not be glued to all the major sporting events this year, I’ll certainly be looking at the brands on show. In full swing, you could say.
Unless you are living in a vacuum, you will be more than aware that football’s biggest event, the World Cup is now in full swing and as such the world’s “greatest sporting spectacle” will be filling media channels and social platforms for days on end …the irony of that statement and this blog post is not lost on me! So, quick question – can you name the official sponsors?
The Beautiful Game’s flagship platform attracts huge audiences across the globe and big brands pay handsomely for exclusive association. But inevitably there will be some brands that don’t want to pay the millions of euros for sponsorship rights and will nonetheless seek to benefit from the associated publicity. These brand owners will have spent months furiously devising guerilla marketing and advertising campaigns to cash in on the buzz and hype in the hope of riding along on the brand equity of the event. Welcome to brandjacking.
Brandjacking, as it has been coined (a combination of brand and hi-jacking), can take many different forms.
One of the highest profile cases comes from the last World Cup in 2010 where Nike managed to ambush close competitor and official sponsor, Adidas. Nike’s World Cup campaign was composed of a suite of three-minute sporting biographies of football’s superstars, highlighting their triumphs as well as their failures. And what a triumph it was for Nike. In a matter of days the global football community was convinced that Nike was the official sponsor of the tournament and without having to pay a single dollar to the World Cup’s governing body, FIFA.
More recently in the London Olympics in 2012, Nike were at it again. On this occasion, they launched a global TV campaign tied to the Olympics opening ceremony, in which amateur athletes competed in places around the world called London. There were runners in London, Ontario, cyclists in London, Nigeria and shots from London, Ohio and Little London in Jamaica. Just none from “the” London.
Another example from the London Games is the headphone brand Beats by Dr Dre, who again didn’t advertise through the official channels but instead gave out free headphones to the athletes in the hope they would wear them track side and be seen on camera doing so.
UK cider brand, Strongbow focused their efforts on one high-profile event, the 100-metre race, and celebrated Usain Bolt’s victory with an unbranded tribute to the Olympic sprinter. Instant copy changed from Earn It before the race, to Earn(ed) It after the race accompanied by their trademark archer symbol taking up a pose not too dissimilar to the world-recognised lightening bolt pose. A clever, recognisable and timely tribute that allowed Strongbow to punch above its weight.
Google is another brand that has mastered the art of association. To the best of my knowledge the brand wasn’t an official partner of London 2012, but that didn’t stop them doing a series of sport related doodles and games, a theme they are continuing for this year’s World Cup.
But brandjacking isn’t exclusive to high profile, global events and neither does it require big budgets. One of the most memorable cases for me was by Shelter, a charity campaigning to end bad housing and homelessness across England and Scotland. Back in 1994 and with a limited budget, Shelter block booked all the outdoor media at Earls Court tube station for the duration of the Ideal Home Show. In an attempt to highlight the disparity between the insatiable appetite (at the time) for DIY and home improvement and the plight of children affected by bad housing, Shelter hi-jacked the aspirational nature of the Ideal Home Show brand to create the Un-ideal Home Show with posters of squalid living conditions. The organisers of the event were far from pleased, but the “stunt” was a huge success, and achieved national PR coverage elevating the charity’s work to new audiences.
So if hijacking the news can be so very powerful, how come hundreds of great opportunities consistently pass brands by? It obviously has little to do with the cost factor, given the fact the evidence that assertive actions by brands such as Nike have paid off handsomely. Mostly it comes down to time and having a set-up that allows the brand to be react and respond to real time events, as they are fresh in people’s minds. A brand that surpasses itself in this sphere is Paddy Power. They have an ‘always on’ approach when it comes to opportunities, big and small, local and national, to getting their brand talked about – with both positive and negative results.
So what can brands do to protect themselves, or alternatively position themselves to steal someone else’s thunder?
Enter the web
In today’s world, the Internet and social media are rewriting the rules of marketing. With these tools, people have more outlets to talk about big events in advance. As a result the opportunities to associate your brand from an early stage are limitless.
Plan early
Whilst you might not be able to own the conversation, you can at least start it. Starting the conversation allows you to insert yourself into it.
Be clear
Subtlety does no one any favours in guerilla marketing. Your audience has to understand the association straight away.
The ‘wow’ factor
Producing high quality content with a compelling story and a strong creative idea will gain impact and encourage people to talk about it and share.
On a final note, whilst brands clearly benefit from association with such high-profile events, there are questions to be asked around the wider impact going forward. High profile sponsors suffered a backlash from the Sochi Winter Olympics; as aligning themselves to the event was seen by some to be condoning certain views or actions expressed by the host nation. Even now looking to the next world cup questions are being asked about working conditions in Qatar.
Perhaps going forward, brands will need to evaluate sponsorship opportunities not only in terms of exposure but also in terms of aligned brand values and behaviours to ensure the true value of the association is maximised.
To learn more about your brand positioning when it comes to events and sponsorship, feel free to contact us: amanda@richardsdee.com / +353 1 662 4472
We live in challenging economic times. Everyone is having to tighten their belts, from corporate organisations to the general public. There is increasing competition and pressure to capture the public’s attention, not just from other charities but also from an increasing number of commercial brands behaving like charities (e.g. TOMs). So how do you make sure your fundraising campaign gains cut-through and motivates audiences to donate?
Here are 5 simple steps to help frame your fundraising campaign and maximise your results:
1. When developing a fundraising campaign, think like your audience
Don’t think from the organisation out – think from the general public in.
Think like your target audience and you’ll raise more money by creating a message that appeals to their interests, not just those of your organisation. Here are three simple tips for thinking more like your target audience:
1. Talk to them.
You should be talking with your audience frequently. Survey them once a year to find out what interests them most. Engage with them on Facebook and Twitter. Ask them more about why they support your organisation. What they tell you will give you a good idea of which messages resonate the most with them. Use this to inform your fundraising campaigns.
2. Be informed by their online behaviour.
Find out which messages resonate best by monitoring which emails and web content generate the most interaction. If your audience is clicking on content and responding by taking action or donating, that message is engaging them.
3. Remember the iceberg metaphor.
Whilst every activity and programme you undertake is important, not all of them will help get money in. Your current and potential supporters are usually inspired and interested in only a small portion of the work your organisation actually does. Make that the focal point of your campaigns. What topic is at the top of the iceberg for your cause? Make sure you use that front and centre in your messaging.
2. Tell a story
Now that you know which messages are resonating most with your audience, tell them a story that helps make those messages come alive. Create an emotional connection and share stories that illustrate your impact within the community. If your reader or listener is not emotionally engaged in your story, you don’t have a story.
Personal connections and stories have a big effect on giving. If you’ve got them, share them.
Also tap into human psychology. People are conformists by nature, and we take cues about how to think and what to do from those around us. Social norms fuel entire industries. Would the fashion world be able to motivate us to buy a narrower tie or a longer skirt this year if we didn’t care what people think? A coordinated campaign can help supporters feel like they’re tapping into something bigger.
Count your community: Show how many people have taken action to create a sense of a growing community of like-minded people.
Use testimonials: Quotes from people talking about why they support you are powerful. Other people are often your best messengers.
3. Answer the “what & how” questions
Given the sheer scale of what needs to be achieved and the costs involved, people can often think that the little they could contribute would be a drop in the ocean and wouldn’t make an impact, resulting in them not giving at all.
Research has shown that the evidence of the impact donations make, along with a personal connection to a cause, is the biggest influence in giving to charity. Donors now want more evidence of the impact a charity is having on the communities they serve. It’s also important that they are told how their donation contributes to the charity’s on-going work.
Key questions to answer:
What are you campaigning for?
What makes you different from the other organisations?
What will my donation be spent on?
How will my donation make a difference?
How can I get involved?
How do I donate time and/or money?
Ensure you have a clear and concise call to action. Remember the act of giving is immediate. Give your supporters the opportunity to act here and now.
4. Be credible
A case for giving must be credible. When an organisation is small and funding efforts are grassroots based — asking 1,000 people for donations of €10 — your communications can be less sophisticated. But if you want to target the big hitters and corporate sponsors for substantial donations and support, you have to demonstrate that you are reliable, credible and astute enough to trust.
Present yourself consistently. It is vital for charities to harness the power of brand and the growing number of communications channels to provide existing and potential supporters with tangible benefits of what you are achieving. A consistent approach maximises your organisation’s impact and makes the most of limited resources.
5. Make it channel appropriate
Now that you have framed your case for giving, be sure to compile these elements in the appropriate format for the different marketing channels. The following can provide you with a rough guide: –
1,000+ Words: Direct Mail Piece
Include all of the elements we’ve covered so far.
300 Words: Website article
Take your direct mail piece and apply some basic webpage rules. For Search Engine Optimisation, your article should be more than 300 words. The title of the article should contain the keyword for the campaign and be used throughout the article. For further search engine visibility, include sub-heading labels (h2 & h3) and add a meta description to the article and any images you use in it.
250 to 300 Words: Email Appeal
Include all of the elements above, but make them shorter and punchier. Remember: People don’t read emails – they skim them. Increase open-rates with a snappy subject line and improve click-through-rates with a simple and clear call to action in the email itself.
50 Words: Home Page Feature
Include a great photo, what for, how, why now and credibility graphics.
15 Words: Facebook Post
Include a great photo, what for, how, why now. Focus on getting your Facebook audience to take the next step with a clear call to action and/or close with a leading question to encourage discussion.
10 Words: Twitter Post
Include why now and what for. Your aim is to inspire your Twitter followers to share and click through or post a reply, so again consider the use of a question.
It is only by “making real” your organisation’s mission and results that you will be able to retain supporters as well as acquiring new ones.
At RichardsDee we understand the many and varied challenges faced by Not for Profits, both big and small. With specialist experience in this sector, we can help your organisation gain recognition in a crowded space, stay relevant with internal and external audiences and build long-lasting relationships with your supporters. View our work in the not for profit sector to see how we could help you.
So it’s official, Apple is now the proud owner of Beats, the premium headphone and music streaming specialist, which leaves the company with an interesting challenge – how to integrate this high-profile consumer brand into their own very high profile portfolio.
Apple is no stranger to mergers and acquisitions, having made more than 50 major acquisitions over the years, but they’ve all been technology companies with little or no consumer profile. Beats is another animal altogether. Apple have indicated that they will continue selling Beats products under the Beats brand, but what are the long-term brand architecture options?
Apple who?
Often when a bigger brand takes another big brand over, it keeps the new affiliation under the radar. For example, if you go to Skype’s website and look for the Microsoft brand name, it is there, but you have to actively scroll to find it. It features at the very bottom of the page, along with reference to some of Microsoft’s other products, but if you never go below the fold on the website, you wouldn’t be any the wiser. With Microsoft, you could argue that the company’s image in the tech community would alienate those with a natural affinity to the challenger status of a company like Sykpe and impact user numbers. For Apple, taking a similar approach with Beats could also make sense. Until now, Beats has been neutral, not choosing to align itself to one side or the other of the tech divide. As a newly established member of the Apple Empire however, android fans or those who have taken an active dislike to anything and everything Apple, may choose to boycott the Beats brand too.
A hint of Apple
One of the most famous technology campaigns of all time is Intel’s “Intel Inside” proposition, which pioneered the ingredient branding movement. With Beats, Apple could choose to take a similar approach, to both their headphones and music streaming business. Interestingly when Yahoo acquired Flickr back in 2005, the affiliation between the two brands only became obvious when you were invited to “login with Yahoo.” Fast-forward to today and not only do you have to set up an Yahoo account now to ensure continued access to Flickr but the Yahoo tool bar is also a permanent feature at the top of the site, reinforcing the link yet further. This also goes to show that brand architecture can be flexible to reflect the business strategy over time, in this case moving from a subtle association to a more obvious endorsement.
Remember Beats?
A third, albeit unlikely option is that Apple will eventually make the Beats brand completely redundant. From a financial standpoint, this makes some sense – supporting just one brand in the market, as Apple has always done, is generally cheaper than supporting two. This is a common route after acquisitions and in time most people forget the founding brand that preceded it. There is however a strong case to keep Apple and Beats separate – Beats has carved out a niche in a market that Apple doesn’t own or have any legitimacy in currently; the delivery of high-quality sound and music. As with many things, the answer may be a hybrid of the above: marketing some products such as the headphones and speakers under the Beats brand and bringing others into the fold where there is more synergy and natural crossover, for example integrating Beats Music into an enhanced iTunes offer. Only time will tell. Official press release on beatsbydre.com
There have been numerous articles written in recent weeks about the passing of the legend Wally Olins. He was a thinker, a challenger, an innovator, a motivator and a pioneer and it is near impossible to assess the impact that Wally Olins has had on businesses and brands over the years. It is also near impossible to estimate the impact he had on folk like me; encouraging me and my ilk to establish branding agencies that are ambitious and have world domination in our sights.
Reading a piece by Wally on why he left advertising in the early 60’s consolidated in my mind why I would work in branding and not advertising as my career progressed. Describing his tenure in the London Ad Agency Geers Gross he said “The work didn’t get to the heart of anything. When you’re thinking about the totality of an organization, an organization doesn’t just communicate through advertising but through its environments, through its products, and through its behaviors—and I wanted to get involved in all that.” A pretty compelling statement to persuade anyone who’s sitting on the branding versus advertising fence.
Indigenous agencies like ours often look to case studies of global giants for insights, inspirations and learnings however there I believe there is more to learn from looking at the man, not the work, in this case. So here are the top six things I’ve learnt from this great man, and will continue to apply to RichardsDee as our brave little agency evolves and grows.
Be Brave Wally Olins epitimised brave. Outside of taking the brave move and setting up the very first brand and design consultancy in the UK in 1965, he encouraged his clients to be brave. Encouraging British Telecom in 1991 to adopt the logo of the ‘prancing piper’ and rebrand as BT was brave. The launch of Orange was bold. As was persuading Bovis, a British construction company, to adopt a hummingbird (more reflective of tropical islands than the UK) as a brand icon. Was his work controversial? Yes. And was it brave? Very much so. As brand consultants, we can’t sit on our brand laurels. We must be brave and continue to push the boundaries on work and thinking.
Be Direct
Under the ‘What I’m Like’ heading on his blog, Wally describes himself as follows: “I try to be direct and clear. I simply tell my clients the truth as I see it, without too much gloss or varnish because that’s what I’m there for. Of course it’s nice to be nice. But it’s also nice to be straight’. In our game, it’s easy to meet a client and take a brief and deliver very efficiently on that brief. But surely that’s just a hygiene factor in our industry? As brand advisors, it’s incumbent upon us to give our view, challenge our clients and continuously add value to the process.
Be Personable
Anyone that knew Wally would describe him as intelligent and charming with a wicked sense of humour. His colleagues and clients say he ‘was one of those people with whom spending time was an absolute joy’. Even though he defined an entire industry and created a system for how branding projects the world over are approached, he never let his ego grow greater than his ability to connect with people on a real basis.
Be Great
His work challenged industries, his recommendations challenged clients’ views and opinions. But he was also not afraid to challenge the industry he loved so much. In 2009 he created much controversy referring to the larger design consultancies as “machines devised to produce mediocre rubbish” and calling some of their actions “despicable”. He carried his ethos of delivering great work into Saffron, an agency that continues to punch above its weight against the world’s largest and longest established firms.
Be Benevolent
Outside of the extensive work he conducted within the Not For Profit space, he was well known for his personal generosity and optimism. Saffron describe him as follows ‘Whether advising a young student looking for advice on getting ahead in branding or advising presidents on ways to enhance their nation’s brand, Wally was always willing to give more than he expected to receive’. There’s a lesson in this for all of us. Whether it’s in the nurturing of interns within our agencies or subsidizing work for Not For Profit organisations, we can all be doing more.
Be True To You
Wally was an advocate of everything being “on brand” and he applied brand thinking cities, countries, people, museums, Not For Profit organisations and people. However he always maintained he never applied his branding principles to himself. Be that the case or not, outside of his massive contribution to branding, his bow tie, thick-rimmed spectacles, bright check shirts will never be forgotten.
After a few days exploring the coffee scene in London, it is apparent that third wave coffee is influencing drinking habits, mainstream coffee offerings and where to hang.
From the industrial design inspired coffee houses Ozone, Allpress and Shoreditch Grind, to the design cues of Workshop, Tonic and Rapha, it is apparent coffee takes centre stage. The minimal image references to the product and its source demonstrates a confidence in their coffee expertise. Where Starbucks and Costa saturate their environments with scene setting coffee graphics, trying to reassure customers that they know coffee, the third wave spaces let the baristas and product tools do the talking.
A visit to chain Harris + Hoole in London Bridge demonstrates the influence of the variation of coffee making styles, with Aeropress’s , V60’s and information on the make up of their blend clearly on display. What Harris + Hoole offers is clearly mainstream, satisfying the office workers, but the merchandising and sharing of coffee information confirms that interest and a quality experience is high on the agenda.
From Look Mum No Hands to Timber Yard, professionals looking for a third space or free wifi encourage spaces that have little buzz. The sound of keyboards or the hissing of headphones have made these spaces an extension of the office. Spaces that did have buzz included Workshop and Ozone and what set these apart was the hum, smell and theatre of the roasting machines confirming their passion for coffee.
At Benugo Espresso Bar in Kings Cross it was a chance to taste a cold brew coffee, a passing fad or drink to catch on? The coffee was refreshing and sweeter, served in glasses. The bar had a continental style that would not look out of place in the grand arcades of Milan. An interesting design feature within the environment was the espresso machine on the customer side of the floor rather than on the counter. This gave a great sense of pride and sharing to the making of coffee, enabling all customers to get up close and personal with the barista.
Kaffiene, Flat White, Speakeasy, The Borough Barista are refreshingly simple spaces. Where most food retailers look to the great markets of Europe for inspiration in design, these coffee shops have created spaces where the barista is king and the counter is center stage, no need for hessian sacks or crates here.
Where a coffee shop roasts their own blends, these are sold in brown bags with applied labels or minimally styled pre packed bags elevating a sense of craft, freshness and passion for the product.
A number of these coffee shops are boutique in their purpose but the ability to now get a good cappuccino without chocolate on top or to pop down to your local for a bag of beans will influence the big three, putting gentle pressure on them to enhance their product, environment and service.
The sheer focus that is put on the big idea is often the reason people struggle with the notion of creativity. Creativity has to have a purpose. It has to be useful and most of all it has to have a point of difference. People often think they want an idea – a really big idea, but what they want is a solution and they are not always the same thing.
Last week I hotfooted it across to London town for a one-day training course focusing on creative thinking and how to approach pitch presentations differently. As both are hugely important in agency life, I was eager to see how the day would pan out.
Both speakers, Gordon Brown of Brain Juice Training & Tessa Morton of The Tessa Morton Partnership, were excellent and inspiring in their own ways, but the one thing that resonated with me the most was the area of creativity and how, in our day-to-day lives, creativity seems to be focused on idea generation.
That’s normal you may say, after all, every agency and his dog claim to be all about the big idea. And yes, it is an important part of the process, but that’s just it. Creativity is a process, not a thing or an innate trait of the gifted few. And idea generation is, and should be treated as, one part of that process, not the be all and end all of it.
The ideal process according to Gordon Brown can be broken down into 3 steps: definition, generation and implementation.
The sheer focus that is put on the big idea is often the reason people struggle with the notion of creativity. Creativity has to have a purpose. It has to be useful and most of all it has to have a point of difference. Ideas that don’t deliver a benefit, inventions that fail to address a need, innovation that leads to a poor result are all too common. It can be an idea, but it often isn’t. Is can be invention or innovation, but again it often isn’t.
People often think they want an idea – a really big idea, but what they want is a solution and they are not always the same thing.
Ask yourself this question: what’s easier to answer – ‘what is 5 x 5?’ or ‘what is the answer to life, the universe and everything?’
In agency life, we often get asked ‘life, the universe and everything’ questions – ‘How can our brand become a global leader?’ ‘How can our business be more profitable?’ ‘How can we obtain more loyal customers?’ For each of these questions there are a multitude of answers. The secret is to turn the ‘life, universe and everything’ questions into a ‘5 x 5’ questions – or at least get as close as you can i.e. define it tightly enough and the answers become easier.
Let’s try a little exercise…relax, I won’t be asking for any volunteers through this medium! But I do want you to be honest with yourself at the end.
You have 10 minutes to build a free-standing tower, made from 3 pieces of paper and which at its highest point, is the furthest from the floor as possible. Off you go now…
…Finished? Great, well done. Now tell me this, how many of you reached for the paper straight away (even virtually?) and were rolling and folding the paper to within an inch of its life to explore the options? And how many took time to re-read the exercise and plan how best to approach it? I would suggest that it was the former. It certainly was in the room in London.
And therein lies the point. We are all guilty of not spending enough time defining the problem or the market need, instead we dive straight into idea generation. You may argue, that that’s the fun bit, that’s what the client is most interested in. Both true, and yet the more focus we can put on each step, the more chance we have of successful creative thought and action.
The moral of the story is: no matter how much time you are currently spending defining the problem or need, it’s not enough. If you can crack the definition stage, your chances of hitting the jackpot on the subsequent stages are so much greater.
Define the problem, identify the best idea and implement it well.
I’ll leave you with a little anecdote you are probably already familiar with but one that illustrates the importance of definition. In the 1960s, the Americans had been tasked with putting a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth. When they got into space, they found that their pens didn’t work. The ink simply floated around and refused to come out. To address this issue, it is said that a considerable amount of time and dollars were invested into a project that produced the ‘Space Pen’ – a pen that had a small gas canister to push the ink out – clever idea. On the other side of the iron curtain the USSR had the same problem. Their answer, a pencil, cost zero days and zero dollars of investment.
What was the question the Americans asked themselves? – “How can we make a pen write in space?” And the Russians? – “How can we write in space?” Just three words of difference in defining the problem…and thousands of man-hours and millions of dollars in creating the wrong solution.
So to summarise what I learnt:
Beware ‘life the universe and everything’ questions, try and make them ‘5 x 5’ questions.
How long did you spend defining the issue? If you think you spent too little time, you’re probably right.
Is the issue explained in clear and simple language? Clear and simple takes time.
Can you sum up the issue in one sentence? If you can’t then you haven’t defined it tightly enough.
SoSellit.com is a new site for anyone looking to Sell, Offer or Swap items that they might have. Launching in late 2013 our role was to create a new meaningful .com name, brand identity and associated brand graphic style.
RichardsDee are pleased to announce the appointment of Amanda Smith as Strategy and Innovation Director (Brand Strategist). Amanda joins us from leading global branding agency Landor.
With over 14 years of international branding experience ranging from large-scale global brands to highly targeted niche marketing, Amanda brings with her a vast knowledge of brand and communication strategies, consumer research and all stages of the creative process, from ideation to implementation.
Brand Strategist and client management consultant
Operating in hybrid strategic consultant and client management role, Amanda will be instrumental in building meaningful strategic and creative approaches to solve specific business and brand issues for all our clients.
This is a very significant appointment for us as we continue our growth, it strengthens our offering and expertise in all areas of brand strategy as well augmenting our senior team,
“This appointment will enable us to strengthen our brand strategy and ?innovation offer, services typically associated with larger and more established agencies. With Amanda’s top-tier global branding agency and brand strategist experience, clients will not only benefit from our “creative” driven approach to brand and business challenges, but also from thought leadership in strategy, planning and consumer insight.” Says Simon Richards – Creative Director
