To be cynical is to be sceptical. To be suspicious of people’s or businesses’ motives. To not trust unfamiliar sources. To not take things at face value. To not believe in hear say or rumours. To constantly question everything, all of the time. To refuse to have the wool pulled over your eyes. To be paranoid. To demand proof. To think independently and not mimic mass opinion. A cynic sees through the bullshit. Continue reading
The fact that Ding Dong the Witch is Dead is on the verge of reaching No.1 is nothing to be offended about. I reckon that over half of the people that have bought that song won’t have even been alive when Thatcher was in power. They probably don’t know who she really was, what she stood for or what she accomplished. I think it goes deeper than a joined hate for our ex Prime Minister, and the scenario holds some insight for us marketers too, which is always a bonus.
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In this day and age, the digital age, everything is quicker, slicker, smaller, cheaper, easier. Everything is more flexible, more convenient, more accessible. We have more choices, more control, more power, more influence, more reach. Because of this, we have greater expectations, higher demands, narrower attention spans, zero patience. We expect lightning fast turnaround. If we take action, we want an immediate impact, rapid ROA (Return on Attention), speedy service. Failure for brands to respond quickly and meet or surpass these expectations can cost you like mad. Here’s what I mean:
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This is something I hear a lot of and it frustrates me as much as this pane of glass does that lion. People tend to sigh and mutter “it wasn’t meant to be” whenever something fails or goes wrong or just doesn’t turn out the way they’d hoped or expected. For trivial things like missing the bus, losing a game of cards or hoovering up your phone charger, then “it wasn’t meant to be” can easily be roughly translated to “never mind” or, a favourite of mine, “fuck it”. And that’s fine. But for more worthwhile or important matters; you didn’t win that pitch, or hit your sales targets, or you missed out on your bonus, or you didn’t get that job, or you shit yourself in public, then brushing it off, shrugging your shoulders and muttering “it wasn’t meant to be” is an admission of denial. Continue reading
There’s a war for talent being fought out there right now. Brands are battling to bag the best of the best, especially in the digital space. Many companies are recruiting diverse teams, employing people from all walks of life in an attempt to create the perfect creative cocktail. And I think that’s the way forward.
If you recruit people that studied business in school, college and Uni, you’ll end up with a group as nimble as a koala bear on smack. Fill a room full of privately educated Oxford boys and you’ll end up with a project as innovative as plagiarism. It would never top the results of throwing together a bunch of misfits from across the globe with varying backgrounds, cultures, personalities and ways of thinking. That’s how you inspire unique ideas.
If I was to knock up a team like this, I’d throw a soldier into the equation. Soldiers, by the time they leave the army, have loads of transferable skills that would benefit any marketing team in the world. Here’s 8 of them and why they’re important for marketers: Continue reading
