Now and again people offer me free stuff to trial, in the hope I'll blog about it. I usually say no because I don't want to be under pressure to write something, and I'd feel bad about cutting something to ribbons if it wasn't any good. Also, I'm sort of bemused that anyone would think I have some sort of influence.
But I did accept trialling Papershow for a few weeks. Basically, you can connect a pen to your computer by USB and turn it into a whiteboard. I thought I might find it useful in workshops to scribble notes, and I did, but the real value was creating powerpoint slides that were a little more interesting. And it worked a treat.
Like this slide. And in fact, while we're here, lets talk about this slide a bit.
Think about Just Do It - built around self motivation, empowerment and hero worship, this single call to arms, to get off your arse and make things happen has informed twenty years of advertising. I know I've got my order of events wrong, but that's not the point. At some point they needed to crack tennis, re-engage with athletes who thought they'd lost their sporting edge,engage with women etc. The big brand voice enabled them to address their challenges and keep that all important consistent voice.
I'm not going to have a go at Brand Onions and stuff, it should be self explanatory by now, but look those charts again. See that big arrow in the middle? The thing that holds all those little ideas together?
It has an intent, a direction, a goal, and endgame. Nike didn't know what they would have to do in the next twenty years, just like I don't know what I'll be doing in my fifties, I bet you don't know what you'll be up to in twenty years time either. That's the thing about plans, they rarely work out.
In the 80's the US army used to plan everything to death. Every single eventually was planned for, nothing was left to chance. Problem was, they found that every single engagement has one thing in common - nothing went to plan. And the rigidity of orders and planning meant that no one could use their initiative, adapt to the situation and make it work.
The general even had a saying for it, "No plan survives contact with the enemy". So over a number of years, they adapted their planning, with more emphasis on the end result. Everything is about the intent now, that's the guide, the thing everyone works to. And being enables to adapt, gets them their.
I think brands are like that - the vision, manifesto is critical, but it shouldn't handcuff what you need to do for right now, it should enrich it and hold all those 'right now' into a much bigger 'one day'.
Hope that makes sense. Just wanted to share.
Makes a lot of sense; one can't plan for every permutation of external events. Unless there is built-in obsolescence, marketing shouldn't have an end game - there will always be a new situation that needs adapting to in order to maintain or change position
Posted by: Simon | August 22, 2008 at 07:57 PM
That's a cracking product. I've been after something to help do something like that since I saw one of Russell's presentations.
Agree with the sentiment as well.
Posted by: Will | August 24, 2008 at 10:12 AM
looks like a neat product. like the point you're making too. that's why brand positionings are so problematic - too fixed, too static
Posted by: jonathan rigby | August 25, 2008 at 09:43 PM
I think brand positionings are very important ... without them you get wishy-washy rubbish that fails to make any impression on an already apathetic society.
That doesn't mean it's about a crappy tagline, it's about influencing the brands attitude and behaviour so it tell you as much about what you WOULDN'T do as what you do, do [do do? that's some extinct animal isn't it? boom tish]
As much as many companies ignore this rule, but strategy should be about getting a company/brand from A to B in the most effective manner [based on all sorts of criteria] ... so whilst you cannot account for every eventuality, you should be able to have a set of values/guiding principals that ensures you can manage any circumstance.
Mind you, it's rarely the positioning's issue as regards how static a company is in trying times, it's the level of fear that is inherent within the organisation.
Posted by: Rob @ Cynic | August 26, 2008 at 03:01 AM
i don't disagree with the importance of giving a brand a set of values/guiding principles - i just think a 'positioning' is too static - it suggests the brand has time to stand still and work out what it's about. i prefer something like pathway or plan or journey - it's got more momentum about it.
Posted by: jonathan rigby | August 26, 2008 at 08:43 PM
That depends on what the positioning is doesn't it Jonathan?
I agree if it is something rational they're probably going to run into problems if/when the World changes/evolves/collapses however if the positioning is based on some fundamental values then I think they can pretty much counter/embrace anything the World decides to throw at it.
Virgin is still using the same core positioning as they've had for the last 20 years and they've been able to adapt to a changing World and changing business divisions - which is why I believe it is really about the attitude and values of the company rather than all statements being labelled potential nooses [is that even a word?] around the neck.
But I could be talking shit :)
Posted by: Rob @ Cynic | August 29, 2008 at 01:46 AM
So are you both not agreeing then?
On my part, vision and manifesto that's about life and culture good. Rigid box ticking that's only about the category- bad.
Morning.
Posted by: northern | September 02, 2008 at 08:33 AM