___ MARCH 2018
ISSUE #01 R EVELATIONS IN MODERN BUS INESS A N D CULTURE
human. THE POWER OF ADVOCACY LET’S NOT GET SO PHYSICAL #BEYOUROWN
human.
W W W .W E A R E O N E T R
R U E M AV E R I C K . C O M
THE IRV
TEA
EMILY
Editor-in-Chief Ian (IRV) Irving
Editor Emily Perryment
Creative Director
EMILY
Emily Forrester
Contributing Writers James Dutton, Aiste Miseviciute, Adam Stephenson, Alex Rebbeck, Samanah Duran, Indre Butkeviciute, Alex Kopfli, Jamie Sharp, Chris Hewry, Mike Chuter, Bryce Main, Emily Perryment, Emily Forrester and Ian Irving
Cover Photography: Toa Heftiba
___the team
AM All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reprinted, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means: electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recovering, or otherwise without prior written permission of the publishers. Although the greatest care has been taken to ensure all of the information contained in Human is as accurate as possible, neither the publishers nor the authors can accept any responsibility for damage, of any nature, resulting from the use of this information. The views and opinions expressed by contributors are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Human. Rights owned by Kemosabe
SAMANAH
JAMIE
BRYCE
MARCUS
ALEX
ALEX
CHRIS
8-9 14-17 26-27 30-3 10_The Golden Ticket
14_The Power of Advocacy
20_What is Important to Build a V 28_A Desk With a View
30_In Defence of a Foodie
34_Our Home From Ho
38_A Day in the Lif
42_The Art of S
52_Let’s No
60_Ok G
64_C
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CONTEN
___contents
Valuable Brand?
7
31
ome
fe
Story Telling
ot Get So Physical
Google,
Craft Beer and Me
4-58 62-63 68-69 74-78
66_#BeYourOwn
74_Reimagining Retail
79_Finding My Type
82_Creativity, Data and Keeping the Ball Rolling
86_We Need to Talk about Data in Marketing 91_Loving This...
92_The Word Brute?
94_ANA: We Are Japan
104_I Just Can’t Contain Myself
NTS
THE GOLDEN TICKET Much like Slugworth’s infamous attempts to discover the mysteries hidden within Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, I attempted to infiltrate Kemosabe under the guise of a humble intern copywriter. Sat silently observing in the corner behind a laptop screen, I sought to uncover the secret recipe to Kemosabe’s growth, and understand just how I could replicate their success after just over one year of existence. After an extremely persuasive message to Co-Founder and Creative Director Phill Clark, in which I pledged youthful enthusiasm, I arrived at the central London office in early July. Expecting to be ferrying mugs of tea from the kitchen to the desk all day with an ever-growing list of names attached to milk and sugar ratios in my head, I was instead made tea and bought coffee as I started working on copy for a global client on my first day. This is one of the most rewarding aspects of the agency – their trust and the creative freedom it allows for.
The small (perfectly formed) team creates a personal experience – not just for an intern, but also for Kemosabe’s clients. Every member of the team knows, speaks to, understands, and is enthusiastic about clients and their business. This shows in daily office life; everyone sits around the same island of desks, surrounded by (undrunk) bottles of Southern Comfort, discussing both professional and casual friendly conversations they’ve had with clients.Whilst this goes on, I order flowers
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___confessions of an intern
N
for a valued client’s birthday and research for new briefs from some potential clients. This intimate and efficient style of functioning is reflected in the fast-paced turnaround of work that occurs to the left of my person. Between the morning brief and lunch on my first day, a full range of posters had been designed before I had even set my email up. These were easily good enough to be rolled out that morning; however, they were instead refined even further over the following five days, towering over what I thought were my already high standards. In my 4th week I was even donated a free cream suit after Irv saw my fondness for dodgy outfits – unfortunately, according to passersby I look more Disco Stu than Miami Vice. Walking into Kemosabe in the midst of their normal working lives, I wasn’t expecting to encounter the range of jobs and services undertaken on a daily basis. As an intern alone I researched music venues and food spaces for live activation events, created mood boards, wrote scripts for TV, planned and created origami for promotional products, researched for briefs, and wrote, edited, and proofread copy to send back to clients. After one month of interning at Kemosabe I am now sat in the Creative Director’s seat. Since learning the secret to Kemosabe’s success I have made myself a desk plaque and plan to take over.
JAMES DUTTON 11
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FAITHFUL FRIEND. TRUSTY SCOUT
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the power of
ADVO CACY by irv
Let’s be up front, it’s no wonder that robust advocacy-marketing programmes are achieving significant revenue gains, research showing some 10 to 20 percent for established products and up to 100 percent for new products. Consumer goods companies and retailers have taken the lead in this field, but business-to-business companies like Cisco are also beginning to make their move by establishing relationships with advocates as potential advisors and recommenders.
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“the
biggest
untapped opportunity
in marketing today is in
mobilising customers as an extension of your brand.
There is no better storyteller
than the customer and
companies
need
to
embrace advocacy as a powerful force to
cut
through
the
noise
and drive authentic, trusted relationships that
will
lead
to
the
success of your customers
and your own business� CRISTINA MELLUZZI
Head of Customer Advocacy at Cisco EMEAR15
Ignore the discipline at your peril
Ignore the discipline at your peril The art of sharing success seems to still be ‘off the radar’ for so many brands and organisations which leaves me confused when you consider that advocacy is the corporate gift that keeps on giving. There are at least three ways that this often misunderstood or at worst ignored discipline can drive reward, recognition and deliver further new business to the bottom line which of course ticks all of the ROI questions the finance team will throw at you.
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Let’s take a look at just three of the positive effects of advocacy marketing. First, there’s the snowballing effect of recommendations. Whereas advertising can drive consumers down the so called ‘purchase pathway’ which is initiated
from the moment of category interest onto brand awareness, brand consideration, and of course all going well, brand purchase. By contrast word-ofmouth advocacy turns that oneway street into a roundabout, as customers who purchase the product encourage new customers to enter the virtuous circle. In other words, advocates beget advocates. Over time this should, in theory, result in the cost of acquiring new customers to plummet, as peerto-peer promotion encourages more opportunities. We need cross platform experiences in these times of ‘always on’. If we go beyond recommendations, advocacy marketing can establish a platform for dialogue with a company’s most committed customers, thereby generating
immediate feedback on products and messaging. A good example comes from Cisco, who have developed a new customer advocacy programme, called ‘The Gateway’. This initiative is centred around a digital advocate community, built in partnership with Influitive - the industry leaders in this field. The Gateway is Cisco EMEAR’s official home of customer advocacy, where likeminded people can connect and exchange insights on all things Cisco. @CiscoGateway acts as the home of customer success stories, insider knowledge and exclusive access for the select customers who are looking to build their personal and company brand. But the programme is more than just a digital experience. The very essence of this home of advocacy is about mobilising an army of customers on their own terms. Understanding what
___advocacy motivates different customers and building a robust and scalable programme that allows customers to self-select how they wish to advocate for Cisco. Some customer advocates seek out opportunities to speak at Cisco Live, while others are looking to connect with their peers in an authentic trusted environment, a bit like ‘Trip Advisor’ but for the b2b world. Celebrating success doesn’t always need to be in the form of awards We all know the power of peer-to-peer reviews and recommendations, but this initiative extends the reward factor by making the Cisco ‘Gatewayer’ feel part of a community; a community that shares, educates and one that benefits through rewards that are awarded to those who interact and engage. Since its conception, Cisco staff and customers have fully embraced this as a powerful tool to inform and celebrate how collaboration between supplier and client can offer huge rewards in
efficiency and productivity. Such an approach can provide so much insight, support, sales and marketing collateral and thus provide product development teams with a critical-feedback loop, as well as engaging and sharing advocates’ enthusiasm for meaningful business improvement. Let’s face it when companies use feedback to serve customers better, they strengthen the potential for advocacy marketing in the future. Celebrated customer stories can have a positive effect on the bottom line. Finally, thanks to the evolution of digital, companies can enlist advocates in two-way conversations with large groups of customers. Historically, companies have tried to jumpstart conversations about their products with the one-way ‘push’ of traditional advertising campaigns and anyone with enough experience will know this is akin to ‘throw it at the wall and see what sticks’.
However today, they can actively manage conversations and engage directly with consumers and advocates through social networking, blogs, forums, and mobile applications. The Cisco Gateway strategy is enabling customer interaction at every conceivable touchpoint with Live, Content, Social and Film each playing a part in delivering stories of success and interaction with peers. To be clear, not all products lend themselves to advocacy marketing, for example, it cannot rescue an inferior product or service. But a product or service is a prime candidate for advocacy if it stands out from the competition or is new, efficient, and gives customers something positive to talk about. If its product line is regularly updated to offer a fresh subject for discussion, if its target customers are likely to seek recommendations before purchasing and last but by no means least if it can deliver results to the bottom line, then it has to be worth shouting about.
long live advocacy.
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Be Human
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WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO BUILD A
VALUABLE ? In a recently published report by WPP called BrandZTM Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands 2017 * a summary takeaway suggested that there were 5 actions for building valuable brands today;
1. BE PURPOSEFUL Purpose is not new for brands, but it is now more important. In an uncertain and unsettling world, people are looking for answers and security. Purpose makes a difference to people—and to brands. Brands with a clear Purpose grew in value at three times the rate of other brands, on average, over the past 12 years according to research. Purpose can be completely utilitarian, or it can be about helping improve the world in some way. Increasingly, consumers, especially young people, are attracted to brands that, in an authentic way, are about making money, but are also about more than making money.
2. BE DIFFERENT Difference gives the brands their competitive advantage. It is one of three components (along with Meaning and Salience) that comprise Brand Power, the BrandZTM measurement of Brand Equity. Over the past 12 years, the BrandZTM Global Top 100 brands viewed as most Different grew 258 percent in brand value. Those viewed as least Different grew only 21 percent. Consumers usually view technology brands as Different. Achieving Difference is more challenging for brands with long heritage. Buried in every successful brand that has survived for decades is the Difference that drove its success initially. It is important to rediscover that Difference and make it relevant today.
3. BE ELASTIC Category is not destiny. Certain brands, particularly technology ecosystems, benefit from elasticity. It is easier for those brands to extend across categories. Think like a disruptor brand, and focus on the needs of the consumer
rather than the boundaries of the category. Categories help organize and define markets, but they are less useful when they become arbitrary definitions and constraints on innovation.
4. BE RESPONSIBLE Words like “authenticity” and “transparency” have been part of the brand lexicon for a while, almost long enough to lose their meaning. However, they have become even more important. As major institutions continue to disappoint the public, brands have an opportunity to face growing skepticism, even cynicism, with honesty, by doing what brands are supposed to do—provide people with good products and services— and by reminding people that the brand is there to help.
5. BE PREPARED Brands have invested a lot of effort to cultivate personalized customer relationships, sometimes based on shared values. To consumers, that closer connection makes some brands seem more like friends than strangers, people have different expectations for their friends. They expect friends to speak up when important shared values are violated. Amid the current geopolitical turmoil around immigration, inclusion, climate change, and other issues, consumers often expect brands to take a stand. Taking a stand can be risky, especially for mass market brands that reach a broad constituency. Niche brands and brands with clearly articulated values may have more permission to take a stand. Usually, it is better to take a stand on principle, not politics. However the decision to take a stand—or not— is not always left to the brand. In these agitated times brands are called out all the time. Brands need to be prepared. Have the earthquake kit ready.
* Methodology and valuation by Kantar MillwardBrown
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WHAT ARE AGENCIES DOING ABOUT THIS?
Not enough. I’ve spent over 25 years working in agencies in UK and Australia for brands and consumers across the globe. For 12 years I had my own agency which sold to Publicis Worldwide. The last 12 months I have been helping set up a business in New York. I’ve seen the industry change dramatically on account of 3 major things – media proliferation, the digital revolution and the access to more data. The opportunity that sits at the heart of all this is now our ability to understand consumers better, quicker and more efficiently. This should lead to building better relationships between brands and their consumers through more efficient and effective media channel strategies. But there seems to be a disconnect between this and where agencies are focused. Agencies are still very much focused on what they are producing for brands and how brands are seen in the public domain. How does a brand measure and track against its competitors, what is the brand awareness, how does this communication shift the dial of the brand measures, etc.? However, if we take the 5 most important actions to build valuable brands above, at the heart of all of these is the consumer. Surely it no longer matters whether I am aware of a brand, it matters what I believe the brand to be and how it matters to me and those (people and things) I care about? Millennials and Gen Z consumers are seeking meaning and purpose in things they buy so brands have to demonstrate
this and authenticit and Gen Z make up and more to make a if their pu even if it Millennialm
Gen Z ma Population the US Eco Gen Z will a With this impact equ business s would swit with a caus 2015 Cone CSR Study
A couple m we’re at i purchase a advocated 76% will re products it supporte beliefs.
So we nee consumers generic sup to understa every perso accordingly organizatio with consu research a to under and behavi good view past which
provide evidence of real ty. And if you think Millennials Z don’t matter - Millennials 25% of the US Population than half would be willing a purchase from a company urchase supports a cause… means paying more. (Source; marketing.com)
ake up almost 26% of the US n and contributes $44Bn to onomy. By 2020 Millennials and account for 60% of consumers. s generation, positive social uals positive and measurable success. More than 9-in-10 tch brands to one associated se. (Source; Findings from the e Communications Millennial y).
more stats to throw in whilst it - 87% of consumers will a product because a company for an issue they cared about. efuse to purchase a company’s or services upon learning ed an issue contrary to their
ed to understand more about s. However not just at a perficial level, we really need and what matters to each and on and tailor that engagement y. Relevancy is key. For those ons that have been involved umer understanding through and analytics, are beginning rstand more. Transactional ioural analytics provide us a of what has happened in the h can be used as a relatively
good predictor of the future. Geo demographic analysis is becoming less relevant – based upon the principles of birds of a feather flocking together, this has been a relatively useful way to build segmentation but, if we look around, how many of our neighbours look like us any more? If we can understand what really matters to consumers, at an individual level, then we can build true purpose for our brands. The key word in that is “matters” – we must understand more about where the head and the heart collide for consumers. There are many products that provide a function and appeal to a consumer’s head, but the one that will appeal to her heart too is the one that will stand out. "The brands I buy are the ones that provide me with a good product or service and meaningful intent to others that matter to me" Furthermore agencies need to be focused on measuring and evaluating effectiveness to maximize efficiencies and minimize wastage.This measurement must feed back into the strategic process to ensure we maintain our relevancy and differentiation but also provide us with the ability and knowledge to be prepared and greater guidance to identify ways to be more elastic. Thus assisting brands to build engagement and growing their customers in volume, value and goodwill.
MIKE CHUTER GLOBAL BRAND & COMMUNICATIONS EXPERT & ENTREPRENEUR mikec@thankful.org Linkedin.com/in/mikechuter/
LET’S BE
ONE MESSAGE AT A TIME Partners in crime
WHAT ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR TODAY? #IamThankful4 thankful.org
IRON&WINE PASSENGER AND THE 400 UNIT JASON ISBELL
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Punc•tu•a
The difference knowing your knowing you’r
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a•tion:
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A DESK WITH A view
EMILY FORRESTER 28
___confessions of an intern
Each day as I sit at my desk I look out to the rest of the Kemosabe family and I can’t help but think how lucky I am that I have been so welcomed into the close knit team. Every day I’m inspired by how hard everyone works, am constantly laughing at the witty comments thrown around and am motivated to work even more to achieve my goals of the creative world domination.
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In Defence of a Foodie.
When I star idea gastron important pa a fashion mo and blogging experiences back in Lith ever used on models don would assu salad leaves for me, I wa than that! ‘foodies phe time and it w take picture I soon found people arou passionate and who w get their per
Is food just we eat to li globalization age of gastro of humanity of foods and to us. Of co fortunate o luxury not t
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rted my food blog, I had no nomy would become such an art of my life. I was working as odel in New York at the time g was a great way to share my s with my friends and family huania. The first tagline that I n my blog was ‘who said that n’t eat?’, because everyone ume that all models eat is and drink water. Thankfully as eating and drinking better Even though the so-called enomenon’ was new at that was still considered weird to es of your food at restaurants, d out that there were many und the world who were about gastronomy like me would go to great lengths to rfect dinner.
a necessity or is it art? Do ive or live to eat? Thanks to n, we are living in the golden ronomy. Never in the history y have we had such a variety d cuisines known and available ourse, I am speaking of those on this planet who have the to worry if they will have a
dinner at all. Tell me what you eat or what you don’t eat and I will tell you who you are. Food has become part of our identity and I am not talking only about allergies or food intolerances. Often we express our social, political, religious or cultural views through eating and we feel very strongly about that. I’ve never seen such heated debates or witnessed feuds because of restaurants, or even cooking techniques, like I have on food forums. I am not a big fan of the word ‘foodie’ as it somehow sounds diminutive and implies amateurishness. For me, loving food and learning about it is not only a pleasure and a passion, but also a big intellectual reward. I have discovered that behind every ingredient, every dish, every restaurant, there is always a fascinating story, an exciting personal quest. What we see on our plates is just the final result of a complex world that involves millions of farmers, fishermen, cooks and others who dedicate their lives to their jobs and crafts. Meeting those wonderful people from around the world has been most rewarding for me, and by highlighting what they do, I hope I also contribute to this beautiful world.
Aiste Miseviciute Model, business woman and food blogger • luxeat.com
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Good design, is as little design as possible.
-Dieter Rams
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OUR HOME FROM HO __Morning Fuel: Briki Our coffee shop of choice. Maybe because it’s thirty seconds away from our office… maybe because it serves unrivaled and unique artisanal Greek coffee. If, like us, you enjoy good quality coffee and experimenting with unusual wild herbal teas, you should definitely check out Briki. Hibiscus, lemon beebrush or tubunu Cretan Mountain tea, the teas on offer will certainly satisfy all of your wildest (herbal) dreams. Also serves: great pastries, Mediterranean inspired sandwiches, scrumptious cakes and freshly pressed juices.
__Breakfast: Brill Do you like bagels? Do you like good music? Then you will definitely love Brill. This charming independent cafe serves a variety of sweet and savoury topped bagels made fresh to order, alongside a unique blend of coffee from Coffee Officina. But what makes Brill so Brilliant? The cafe doubles as a record store! With its playlists changing daily, you will find CDs and records ranging from punk rock to reggae. Whatever your taste, there really is something for everyone.
__Lunch: Hummus Bros Forget Millennials, forget Generation Z, we have entered… the hummus generation. As its name suggests, this hummus-lover’s paradise serves up the chickpea dip delight in abundance alongside tasty, tender beef or succulent, sautéed chicken. Vegetarians need not fear as they also serve some of the best falafels in London; we give the falafel salad hummus bowl a well-deserved 10/10. So if you’re looking for your weekly (daily) hummus fix, then this is the place for you.
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__Dinner: Moro Having recently celebrated its 20th birthday, Moro boasts an outstanding reputation proven by the hoards of people that visit the restaurant each day. Decorated with low-lighting and wooden floors, this unpretentious restaurant dishes up award-winning Moorish cuisine consisting of tapas and an everchanging à la carte menu. Authenticity and vibrancy defines the restaurant, but if it’s something more laid-back that you’re after, then Moro’s ‘little sister’ tapas and mezze bar, Morito, is located just next door. Stylish and cosy, this place comes highly recommended and trust us, your taste buds will thank you.
__Drinks: Caravan With a contemporary rustic interior and an outside terrace that fully immerses you in the charm of Exmouth market, Caravan is a great place to meet with friends for after-work drinks. It is open all day but is most attractive during the evening when one can delve into the extensive wine list, which is complimented wonderfully by Caravan’s small plates. What’s more, the cocktail menu offers an exotic array of concoctions which gets the Presidential Seal (Golden rum, black seal rum, apricot brandy, vermouth, bitters) of approval. They get bonus points for their excellent range of vegetarian and vegan food.
The definitive g Exmouth Mar
as reported by: the 2
OME
guide to rket,
2 Emily’s
__Do this: Tattoo ParlourThe Family Business Fancy doing something a bit different on your lunch break? Why not visit The Family Business. Run by the highly respected Mo Coppoletta, this tattoo parlour is dressed in Roman Catholic iconography which lends to the cool yet sophisticated ambience of the shop. So if stylish, friendly and enthusiastic staff is what you’re looking for, why not pop in and see what they can do for you.
__Buy this: Workshop
Botanique
One of Exmouth market’s sweetest delights, Botanique Workshop is the perfect one stop shop for gifts. Whether buying a present or simply treating yourself, the eclectic mix of plants, jewellery and homewear means it is nearly impossible to leave emptyhanded. The mini-cacti are an adorable addition to any office desk and studies have shown that plants are both visually and mentally stimulating as they help to regulate humidity and increase levels of positivity. Here’s to self-care 2018. Emily Perryment & Emily Forrester Seasoned Hummus Veterans
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EMILY PERRYMENT After graduating from the University of Sheffield last summer with a degree in English Literature, I began my internship at Kemosabe with a burning desire to discover what it is that makes the industry so electrifying. Three months later and considerably wiser, I shall now attempt to pass on the knowledge that I have acquired in order to explain what interning for Kemosabe involves and why it is such a fantastic place to work.
What is your job role?
My internship role is in Client Services which essentially means liaising with the agency’s clients, executing strategies for pitches and being the client’s main point of contact. Nevertheless, my role has not been restricted to this as throughout my time here I have had the opportunity to branch out and uncover other areas of the agency, including carrying out research for pitches, copywriting and editing. Due to this, the first thing I should emphasise is that no two days in this industry are the same, however this merely forms part of the attraction.
What does an average day look like?
The day starts at 09:30, giving me just enough time to sample one of the many local coffee shops for a caffeine fix and a bite to eat. This is why working on Exmouth Market’s doorstep is so great: popular chains and charming independent stores alike, there is something for everyone… including the recently opened, third-ever Veggie Pret! Once suitably refuelled and finally awake, I begin the morning by reading
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my emails to see what the day has in store. This usually involves considering client briefs and contacting suppliers accordingly, in order to source the most competitive prices to satisfy their needs. As the day unfolds there will likely be client meetings, be this out of office and face-to-face, or over a video conference call from the comfort of one of our boardrooms. These meetings are invaluable as they enable me to develop personal relationships with the clients. The meetings also allow me to witness the entire process behind a campaign: from the initial client brief, through to the pitch proposal and finally to the creative production. Using my new-found adoration for excel spreadsheets and their power of organization, my afternoons will often be spent creating cost-estimates, refining budgets and monitoring work progress. However, the role does not consist solely of numbers and figures as I will often be asked to help on creative tasks, through conducting research for new activations or generating ideas for pitches. While I enjoy the efficiency and demands of client work, being able to put the skills of my degree into action by offering a hand at copywriting and editing is both fulfilling and enjoyable and I am truly grateful to be able to explore all areas of the agency.
What projects have you been involved with recently?
As previously mentioned, the sum of jobs that I have worked on over the course of my time here has been vast
A D I T L
A DAY IN THE LIFE
and varied. Within the first few weeks of starting at Kemosabe, I was asked to assist in the writing of All Nippon Airways’ 2018 calendar. I knew the pressure was on as the calendar was being sent out to roughly 6450 travel agents and thus my writing would be read by thousands of people - (quite the surprise when I assumed my days would be spent drowning in tea rounds!). Within this task I was asked to research and then describe places of interest in Japan, and trust me, if you didn’t think you needed to go to Japan, you were wrong; it’s a fascinating country with so much to explore! Since then, I have also been involved in sourcing and branding event giveaway items for multinational technology company Cisco. This required coming up with innovative, ‘techie’ products that would grab the attention of Cisco’s customers. The main thing I have taken away from this task is that almost anything can be made into a miniature transportable version of itself, no matter how high-tech it is! As well as this, I also assisted in organising a 1920s themed event for global drinks company, Southern Comfort. The job entailed coming up with initial ideas for props and room decorations and then sourcing said items and negotiating costs, before finally setting up at location on the day.
How much responsibility am you given? The responsibility and trust that Kemosabe have invested in me astounds me, and while daunting at first, it has
___confessions of an intern
pushed me to work harder each day. I often work on jobs independently with my colleagues merely checking in for updates (unless I require some help, in which case they come to support me in a heartbeat). In addition to this, the design intern, Emily. F, and I are currently working on creating a social media series for ANA entitled ‘We are Japan’. This has been an exhilarating exercise as we have been given absolute creative freedom to work together as a team to come up with new ideas. We have also learnt to put into practice the ‘inch-wide, mile deep’ philosophy that is integral to Kemosabe’s core and I am excited to see where the project will go.
What’s the best part of the job?
I would say the best part of this job is the ability to work with such a range of highprofile clients and how as a result of this, every day and project is different. This exposes me to all of the different tasks that are tackled by a creative agency.
What is it like working for Kemosabe?
It is an absolute honour working with such a motivated and dedicated group of individuals. Their passion and drive inspires me every day and I genuinely look forward to coming to work. Despite the stressful nature of impending deadlines, a light-hearted and uplifting atmosphere pervades and I couldn’t have asked for a better company to take me under their trusted wings. I can honestly say that the Kemosabians have become more than just colleagues, but faithful friends.
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ASSUMPTIO THE MOTHE ALL F*CK U 40
ON IS ER OF UPS. 41
I DO AN AWFUL LOT OF PUBLIC SPEAKING, IN PITCHES OR ON STAGE OR AS A GUEST LECTURER AT VARIOUS EDUCATIONAL ESTABLISHMENTS AND I AM ALWAYS ASKED “HOW DO YOU DO IT?” THEY OFTEN FOLLOW UP WITH “I COULDN’T DO IT, I’D BE SO NERVOUS”. I HAVE A NUMBER OF SPEAKING APPOINTMENTS IN THE COMING MONTHS AND IT GOT ME THINKING ABOUT THE PSYCHOLOGY OF BEING ABLE TO STAND UP AND TALK TO AN AUDIENCE, LARGE OR SMALL. BY IRV
THE art 42
___storytelling
I always remember a colleague telling me to ‘be yourself’ after I fumbled through my very first face to face client pitch. I had watched him on so many occasions ‘own’ the room and mesmerise the clients left hanging on his every word. My biggest mistake was trying to do it like him and trying to act the part. Over the years experience has taught me that there is no need to act or to be nervous if you know your subject matter and believe in what you are expressing. I don’t get nervous because I love doing it. I love passing on my experiences and the things I’ve learnt from the amazing people in my life and the stories I’ve heard or have indeed been a part of. In this article, I use the term ‘experience’ from the perspective of storytelling and just how much can be gained from telling or hearing a story and more often than not, from a complete stranger or someone you just met. I had lunch just the other day at an old Chinese Restaurant in the back streets of Spitalfields and shared a table with a female city broker, a young graffiti artist and neurosurgeon from Burma. The stories flowed and we all learnt something new that day simply by sharing an oversized plate of chinese broccoli in garlic! Brand storytelling isn’t a new concept, but with the explosive growth of social media and content marketing, the
opportunities to tell stories as part of direct and indirect brand marketing initiatives have become a strategic priority. Marketers have been telling brand stories for years through advertising, in-person brand experiences, exhibitions, films and live events, but the art of writing those brand stories as effective pieces of online content is a challenge that few are trained to do. That’s because the best brand storytellers understand the critical elements of fiction writing, which are skills that few marketers have been formally trained to do. Today’s big agency and global brands will have space for new roles like the data architect and the brand creative content director. While the former position focuses on all that big data has to offer, the latter focuses on increasing consumer emotional involvement in the brand through social media and content marketing stories as well as on weaving the brand storyline into offline brand experiences and marketing initiatives. There are many mistakes to be made in the process of putting down a good story so I have had a good root around to discover some fundamentals that can help you to craft compelling brand stories for your own content marketing and integrated marketing reports.
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Confusion is
Honesty and transparency are important in brand storytelling. Yes, you’re crafting “stories”, but they need to be rooted in the reality of your brand, products, and industry. In other words, even brand stories must adhere to the three primary steps of brand-building: consistency, persistence, and restraint. If your brand stories are inconsistent, they’ll confuse consumers who will turn away from the brand in search of another that meets their expectations for it in every interaction. Be creative but don’t stray too far from your brand promise. Confusion is the number one brand killer. Brand stories are not marketing materials. They are not ads, and they are not sales pitches. Brand stories should be told with the brand persona and the writer’s personality at centre stage.
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Boring stories won’t attract and retain readers, but stories brimming with personality can. Brand storytelling requires that you create characters your audience will like and cheer for. While characters like Allstate‘s Mayhem can be very effective in presenting brand messages and stories in a variety of ways, you don’t need to create a fictional mascot to tell brand stories. For example, create buyer personas and tell stories from their perspectives. Tell stories from your employees’ points of view or from a third-person point of view. The important thing is to create characters that enable your audience to become emotionally connected to them to such an extent that the audience wants to follow their character arcs.
number
1
___storytelling
Fictional stories follow a structure that includes a beginning, middle, and an end. Your brand stories should follow a similar structure. In the beginning, you need to open strong and establish your story setting and the characters. The middle should set up your main character’s problem and present conflicts that get in his or her (or its) way before he or she (or it) can find resolution in the end.This is your character’s story arc, and you need to take your reader along for the ride. If they enjoy the ride, they’ll stick around, tell other people about it, and come back again and again. Make sure your brand stories are page-turners by focusing on the use of perpetual marketing in your efforts where one piece feeds off the next. Leave your audience wanting more, and they’ll come back again and again. Consider using “Watch This Space” hooks on your website or Facebook Page, or try releasing teasers via Facebook, email, or Pinterest. Perpetual marketing tactics offer the perfect opportunity to include offline and mobile marketing in your brand storytelling initiative, too. As with all brand-building efforts, your goal is to surround your consumers with brand experiences (including stories), so they can self-select how they want to interact with your brand. Give them multiple ways to enjoy your brand story, and you’ll find yourself moving closer to achieving your brand marketing goals. Credit: With thanks to Forbes for the tips.
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brand killer.
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“The human spirit must prevail over technology.� - Albert Einstein
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“now we need to be ob about the creation of end experiences that products and brands..
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bsessing f end-towrap around .. [tbc]
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LET’S NOT
SO PHYS cosmetics giant, Sephora, is challenging the entire retail landscape by digitising the physical shopping experience.
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___not so physical
T GET
SICAL Apple stores, made digital browsing devices their in-store statement pieces, and Burberry heightened its reputation for exceptional multichannel marketing last year with its first retail store built entirely around the user experience of its website. But one brand has taken an even bigger leap. Cosmetics giant Sephora is today challenging the entire retail landscape by digitising the physical shopping experience with its new Flash 3.0 concept store in Paris. The model takes the brand beyond clickand-collect and into the realm of ‘shop-and-ship’, allowing access to an even vaster product range that visitors can sample in the flesh. As part of the experience, the store anticipates the digitally driven behaviour of today’s consumer. Visitors to the store will discover detailed digital catalogues on every touch point, easily browsing and selecting what they want, then adding items to their virtual baskets. Shoppers can totally personalise
the content they receive using the technology, having their purchases picked and shipped to them instantly, making buying in-store as seamless and customised as it is online. In this leap towards the future of retail, Sephora bridges gaps in the company’s holistic offering using the powerful Connected Retail Platform technology; drawing a symmetry between each of its international stores, its app, website, the physical counters and even its customers’ social networks. It’s testament to the changes we’re seeing in the retail landscape today. Retail is no longer just about how consumers use a brand. It’s about offering bespoke purchasing opportunities, at every opportunity. With that comes a further challenge: how to make each sensor a noteworthy and enjoyable datagenerating experience, which feeds back into how the brand improves its overall ecosystem.
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Conversion rates in-store are much higher than they are online. It’s another reason why finding new ways to attract consumers into stores is an incredibly valuable process. In store, brands have the power to create richer physical touch points that bring products to life and increase sales. But guring out the simplest, seamless and most digitally effective way to get shoppers to convert instore is something many brands battle with today. Until a brand solves this problem, gathering any real consumer feedback will remain obsolete.
consumers behave within an entirely new store environment. Having a head start like this over the rest of the industry makes it a risk worth taking.
Data collection within stores has, until now, proven largely inconclusive, and is rarely used to enhance future experiences in a meaningful way. The Sephora concept and technology provides the brand a way to consume and review consumer data, just like Google Analytics would a website. Such a connected online-offline experience will certainly attract the ‘always-on’, tech-savvy customers, who have huge influence on their social circles’ buying behaviour.
Savvy brands will look at how the retail experience can marry the best of online - its scale and convenience - with the tangible experience shoppers know, love and will be wowed by. The potential rewards for success are enormous, extending far beyond improved brand perception or increased direct sales.
It’s an experiment that will no doubt cement Sephora’s position as a spearhead for the entire industry, highlighting to other retail professionals how far a physical store can go, as well as letting its own employees see first-hand how new
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In-store results today are fragmented because consumers are only just beginning to appreciate the trade-o between having instant gratification and having a more leisurely and relevant shopping journey. Today, brands must contend to appeal to both whilst connecting consumers digitally, too.
Brands need to look beyond just digitalisation, and ensure that the overall experience encompasses both online and offline. The store itself will become another digital marketing channel, and appealing to customers digitally through unique store experiences will become more important than ever over the next year.
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because in a personalisat time analyti we create be people will differentiat
a world of data, tion and realics, the experiences etween brands and become the point of tion.� 57
SOCIALGRAM.CO.UK
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LONDON OFFICE 72-82 Rosebery Avenue London EC1R 4RW
WE GIVE A SH*T
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PLYMOUTH OFFICE 11 Whimple Street Plymouth PL1 2DH
“OK Google,
ask
how Siri’s voice recognition is going to be.” By Jamie Sharp
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We have our ears to the ground and we’re listening closely to the voices coming out of the industry, and they’re set to amplify far bigger than the chairs that Olly, Tom, Jennifer and will.i.am sit on during its namesake show. Voice Recognition is another feather to the cap of the technologically integrated lifestyle, where it’s expected around 50% of all searches will be voice-led by 2020, according to ComScore. Considering this prospect, as well as many other recent staggering forecasts for voice search, it would be a massive missed opportunity if businesses failed to verbalise their services using this smarttech sensation. Google Assistant is already available on over 400 million devices, Alexa has charmed her way into 25-million+ households, and with an expected increase in smart speaker manufacturing, this is sure to rise over the coming years with the likes of Apple and Facebook set to join the party. Replacing the screen with a voice may seem like a scary jump into the unknown for many businesses and brands out there.Yet as history has shown us, fresh innovation in technology will always mature and become ‘the norm’ in the end. The fact of the matter is this, consumers seek convenience; a quicker and smarter way of getting what they want, and at the moment, voice recognition is poised to accommodate this need-for-speed.
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Where we are and where to start?_ A business that wants to succeed from 2018 onwards will need to accept and embrace this new technology. It needs to weigh up how voice will affect current marketing efforts such as social, content creation and copywriting. Aspiring businesses already have something on their side, and that is voice technology still being in its infancy in terms of undertaking tasks. Voice-activated virtual assistants (VAs) have crept into the home to carry out simple demands such as turning off lights, playing music and writing shopping lists… but its intelligence itinerary is sure to blossom into a bigger, more complex beast. You’re a craving a Madras for dinner but you’re unsure on what you need. “OK, Google. I want Madras for dinner. Tell me the ingredients and check my fridge.” The Google Assistant replies “You have all the ingredients but turmeric, cumin and garlic in your fridge.” So, off you pop to the shop to buy them ahead of dinner time. Fast forward into future years, and developers at Amazon and Google aspire to make this process even more convenient for the user – you order your missing items and they’re delivered to your door by drone – a concept that’s closer to becoming a reality than you may have thought.
The possibilities for brands_ The possibilities for brands to take advantage and succeed using VAs is deafening. It is also very apparent that voice recognition isn’t just tailored to one type of business, as brands centred around food and drink, sports, fashion, travel, health and much more will all have an opportunity to get their voices heard. For food and drink brands there’s plenty of room for a diverse service offering; from guidance and adviceled marketing to help building brand
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personality and consumer loyalty, along with straight-forward product insight to help generate sales. For instance, a user hosting a party in a couple of weeks and wants to produce a knock-out punch for their guests - brands can not only create recipe guides to improve their consumers cocktail making skills but they can also offer a speedy solution to missing ingredients, as they link out to brand products featured on Amazon. At the moment Alexa links to Amazon Prime products only. Similarly, travel businesses can also provide a multi-layered service using VAs. A travel brand or airline has the chance to supply people interested in travelling with detailed information and advice, including learning a country’s language or highlighting popular landmarks, discussing local cuisine and providing information on a city’s transport. If done well, this may mean the difference between someone looking elsewhere or buying tickets to a destination.
Voicing our opinion_ We already know that 2018 will see more advances in AI, and therefore in VAs, with computer science and software engineering improving rapidly. It’s yet to be seen how voice will affect social media. As a digital agency designed for today, it’s our job to spot upcoming attention shifts, help our clients understand the benefits and deliver success using this technology. With Alexa Skills yet to be highly discoverable, ultimately, it is still our job to build your social media presence, but when the time is really upon us, we’ll look to shift those consumers towards voice. There’s no doubting that this is an intriguing time for business, but unlike years before, ‘voice teach and search’ should not be thought of as a whimsical, passing trend. Instead, its roots have a strong foothold in marketing and brands need to start thinking about factoring in VOICE into their longterm marketing strategy or risk being silenced by their competitors.
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a story worth drinking to
CRAFT BEER AND ME:
The craft beer scene combines two of my favourite things – beer and storytelling. As much as I would happily drink an Amstel or Heineken if that was my only choice at a party or public house, their identity as beers have never fully resonated with me, as some of the many fine craft beers of today do. The 90’s kid in me looks lovingly back on the memorable Budweiser campaigns with great nostalgia and pride, but for me, what I’m fascinated by most about craft beers, is their story.
south coast area. Although Dorset remains somewhere I’m yet to visit as a holiday goer, it is my general passion for the Nautical world that forms my affinity with these types of beer. Growing up, the sea and the ocean always fascinated me and like space, I saw it as a place where anything could be happening. Visiting East-Anglia as a child regularly, plus my Grandfather’s connection with the Navy, has made me want to forge continued connections with the sea and the UK coast.
Perhaps that’s what the big beer brands are trying to do now in some of their big ad campaigns (Stella Artois – Never heard of it) and tap more into their heritage as a brand. But there is something more genuinely authentic and likeable about the story of a small independent brewer in an unspoilt and undiscovered part of the UK, that compells me as a consumer to find out more.
A craft beer’s story doesn’t just stop there, it’s taste brings you into that world and makes you feel part of their brand and heritage. One sip of a Kona Big Wave, and its tropical flavours transport me to the white sands of the Hawaiian islands.To boot, I’m a huge Elvis fan...so drinking Kona makes me feel like The King! Thank you very much!
I shop with my eyes when it comes to craft beer, and seeing a beer with standout artwork, makes me want to pick it up, and read its story and find out more. I’m a huge fan for instance of craft beers from Dorset and the
Through distinct and local flavours, inspiring origins, and an engaging story and vision; craft beers can give new meaning to brand advocacy, when you’ve got a product that people are compelled to discover more about, and ultimately be proud of their association and connection to it.
The Crafty Chris @thecraftychris thecraftychris@gmail.com
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#BEYOUR OWN___ Samanah Duran Since its launch in 2016, BEYOUROWN has been on a mission to lead women with a vision. BEYOUROWN is a digital media & news company dedicated to inspiring young women in business. Led by founder, CEO & contributing editor, Samanah Duran, BEYOUROWN’s rapid growth & evolution is down to continuously delivering a fresh perspective from a wide community of the most affluential, influential and entrepreneurial game changing women of today. BEYOUROWN help empower and support young women that are passionate about changing lives. Worldwide leading ladies use the BEYOUROWN platform to tell their stories, offer advice and share their knowledge, covering topics such as Business, Music & Media, Science, Tech & Art and Sports.___
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Indre Butkeviciute is a wealth coach, business mentor and public speaker with a background in wealth management. She started her career at Morgan Stanley where she spent almost 8 years covering High Net Worth clients from Iceland and the Baltic States. At the end of 2013 Indre left Morgan Stanley to set up her own venture, Lily Advisory: a boutique outlet providing the tools for women to lead a financially sound and business savvy lifestyle. Her goal is to develop Lily Advisory into a platform that offers investment advice to women and fosters an environment of idea and experience sharing. The long term plan is to educate women and young girls about the investment world, sharing Indre’s experience and passion.
Hey!
hey indre! firstly can you tell us about yourself and your background?
Indre
I was born in the city of Kaunas in Lithuania. I am the only child, but I certainly am not too spoilt. My parents were very good at setting boundaries. I had a great childhood and teenage years growing up in a small country, spending my summers by the lake with my grandparents. However I always had big dreams and always felt the fire inside me to explore more. I was a risk taker since I was a child, always getting caught crossing the boundaries, not in a malicious way but more from a curious nature. I remember very vividly when I was around 16 years old, visiting London for the first time, when I stepped outside Canary Wharf station I quietly said to myself ‘oh what a dream it would be to work here someday’. I am a huge believer that if you wish for something sooner or later it will come to you, so be very careful with your wishes. At the age of 18 I moved to London to study at UCL and graduated with a BA in Economics and Business with Eastern European Studies and found myself one morning getting off the tube at Canary Wharf station and entering one of the office buildings
housing Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management. I really enjoyed my years at the company. I learnt a lot about the business, clients, how to approach certain things and 8 years later I felt it was time to move on and start building my own empire, Lily Advisory. What ignited the fire to start Lily Advisory, can you go though the journey for us? I first started on my own 4 years ago with an idea to build a business that was very similar to my role in Private Wealth Management. I always wanted to have my own business I just never knew what it would be and when it would happen. In 2013 I was presented with an opportunity as Morgan Stanley were selling their Private Wealth Management department to another bank, which was not very keen on taking on the clients that I have built a relationship with over the years and so my answer to that was to leave and set up on my own. Lily Advisory took shape about a year and a half later. It took time for me to understand the market, understand where the gaps were and what the clients were really looking for.
Butkeviciute__
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Coming from a financial background I always felt that women were certainly underrepresented in the financial industry, especially in the senior positions. My other observation was that women were also underrepresented on the investor side as well. Having done some research and reading a few interesting papers I realised that one of the biggest reasons for that was lack of financial education, and that is really why Lily Advisory was born
on their case, I wrote two different articles and took care of some administrative parts of the business. I try to have 2 days a week of all day computer hours. I do take regular breaks of course. For the last month and a half I have been trying to work out every single day for 30mins, I find it helps me clear my mind. On the other 3 days, after the morning routine, I go either to Mayfair or City for meetings with clients and other connections. In the last 4 years I have done a lot of networking and What is a typical day for have built a rather large database of you at Lily Advisory? connections so I need to make sure I keep in touch with everyone on a It might sound like a clichĂŠ answer, regular basis. I would normally base but there really is no typical day. I have myself in one of the members clubs a few habits that tend to remain no and work in-between my meetings. matter what day I have, but generally That helps to have some of that it is quite diverse. Normally my corporate feel, when you are not mornings start around 7.15am with a all by yourself sitting surrounded by huge cup of coffee on the couch with 4 walls. It is good to always have a my full attention to my phone going balance. through all the social media channels, checking in, scheduling etc. The next Two or three evenings a week, I will step is to move with another cup have evening functions, ranging from of coffee from the comfy couch to networking events to gala dinners. In my computer to get cracking on my the begging I used to really attend any emails. I am lucky to work from home event I was invited to, now however to have these comforts. Although I do I can afford to be more selective and miss an office atmosphere sometimes. choose those events that I feel will Depending on the day, I either keep add value to me either by making working on preparing materials for interesting new connections, catching my masterclasses, researching topics up with existing connections or for clients, having Skype calls with learning something interesting about clients, writing articles, writing my a specific topic. Weekends I generally blog and whatever other tasks might keep quite strictly for family and come up. friends and tend to avoid any work related functions. I strongly believe This week for example I spent a lot it is very important to take time of time preparing for my upcoming for yourself, your family, friends and masterclass, I had several Skype calls activities you like. It helps you rewith a client and started working energise and push forward.
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“I always felt that women were underrepresentated in the financial industry, especially in the senior positions.�
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You started your career at Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management, but what has been a real winning moment since in your career trajectory? It is by far the toughest question for me as I feel that there are so many of such moments because they all are important in one or another way. If I can pick one perhaps most recently, would be the launch of the Financially Sound Woman Investment Club that helped take the business to the next level. What is your favourite aspect of what you do? Funnily enough I always used to say that I could never be a teacher and now what I absolutely love doing is teaching in my masterclasses. Those 2 hours I am totally ‘in the zone’ having the time of my life. It gives me so much satisfaction to be able to pass on my knowledge, to see the interest in the topics and just seeing the women walk away feeling like they have learnt something new that they can now apply in their lives and become more financially sound. We saw that you offer business mentoring for female-led businesses, did you have a mentor yourself? I never had an official mentor but I did surround myself with several women who I consider to be great mentors to me and I really have them to thank for helping me push forward when it was very hard and I was close to giving up, for being truthful and honest with me
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and giving me constructive feedback, and for sharing their experiences to help me learn. I think having a mentor is crucial, especially when you are on your own. What is the importance of having a mentor? One of the biggest challenges I have faced in the last 4 years is self-doubt. Every idea that you have, you think it over and over and over again for one hundred times until the point that you start doubting about the whole business altogether. I am sure all entrepreneurs have come to breaking points on numerous occasions where you just want to drop it all and walk away. In order to have the strength to power through these moments and just accept that building a business takes years, you need to surround yourself with strong mentors and motivators. How do you feel young women could feel more empowered to go on to achieve great things? One of the definitions of empowerment is ‘the process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one’s life and claiming one’s rights.’ What I think happens too often, is that empowerment becomes encouragement and praise and too often the focus is on the positives and we forget all the hard bumps in the road and the negatives. What has made me stronger and more confident is not just my successes but my failures as well, I learnt a lot from the mistakes I made and trust
me there were a few. I think it is so important to be aware that the road can get very bumpy and you need to be prepared for the tough times. Nothing ever comes easy. Like the old saying, Rome wasn’t built in a day. We love the synergy between both of us here as we are both trying to empower and support women, so if you had to sum up beyourown in one sentence what would it be? We all are strong, independent, inspirational women, we just need a little guidance sometimes to find that within us, and BEYOUROWN can light up the path for you. Finally, the long term plan for Lily Advisory is to educate women and young girls about the investment world, so where can you see yourself in the next 5 years? I want to see the Financially Sound Woman Club expanding internationally into other countries and cities. I will always continue working with clients on a one-on-one wealth coaching basis as I enjoy that so much.
“You need to surround yourself with strong mentors and motivators.”
I would like by then to launch either a UK or European mutual equity fund focusing on investing into companies led by women and those who create equal opportunities for women. I would like to see Lily Advisory becoming a household name known for empowering women to take control of their personal finance.
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in hello@TheMediaPeople.london The Me
Online. Offline.We Are your people.
edia People London @TheMediaPeople
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IMAG creating immersive retail experiences has never been more pivotal
to how consumers engage with brands. as we begin to prioritise human connection and serendipity over money and materials, experiences are replacing products as the prevalent form of conspicuous consumption.
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GINING RETAIL Stores are no longer just about consumption; they are platforms for connection, participation and mystery. Instead of just creating a story, brands need to share their value system and allow multiple stories to emerge. The digital world is creating imaginary worlds that enable us to jump into the unknown and experience far more than ever before. Retailers must create this same level of complexity and involvement within their retail box.
I
n a world over-saturated with options, technological add-ons and brand overload, coupled with increasingly knowledgeable and dissatisfied consumers whose expectations are high, brands need to layer powerful experiences to engage them in the moment. The digital age is leading to a revival in multisensory experience, a Sensory Splurge. Rather than layering experience because it is on-trend, it is vital that every experience resonates with the DNA of your brand, maintains an authenticity to your values, and is both desirable and entertaining. Connected retail technology is linking consumers, devices and data leveraging the Internet of Things for smarter
shopping experiences, from the high street to online, in-store to mobile applications. Retailers who use the right mix of offline and online experiences for their customers will have the biggest advantage in the future. A connected retail landscape can include everything from apps to analytics to augmented reality. I’ve noticed that smart brands, however, are harnessing the power of social and digital media to re-imagine the shopping experience and make it fun again. The key to retail success in this era of robot like online shopping lies in finding creative ways to turn it into a real experience. The notion that experiences are more important than objects is
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increasingly popular (but it’s not one that I personally agree with). This is reflected in consumer behaviour and can have negative consequences for retailers who focus only on product and location. As people spend more of their money on experiences— dining out, traveling, entertainment— and less on possessions, retailers can no longer neglect the customer experience if they hope to survive. Expectations for customer experience are different now, too, in part because of how those pesky millennials engage with the process. They grew up using the Internet and mobile technology, and they don’t have patience for inefficient procedures. Outdated processes can ruin the customer experience for millennials, who know someone else can do it better.
Meanwhile, our digital lives are encouraging us to step away from the screen and rediscover the magic of live events, enabling us to discover how technology can form the basis for singular experiences. The recommendation for brands is clear – use new digital technologies and multisensory experiences to create true moments of connection.
Social media is one of the best ways to connect with consumers and create a new kind of shopping experience.
Consumer experience is far from over; in fact the digital age has made it more important than ever before. Taking retail as an example, e-commerce is now the norm, while shifting demands from the next generation of consumers continue to spur ubiquitous technology disruption. Brands that survive and thrive will be one step ahead and equipped to enhance their consumers’ lives. These enhancements may play out in the physical world, but will be powered by the predictive insights that data analytics deliver and by the flexibility provided by the cloud.
Recently, we’ve seen a number of retailers use Snapchat to reach customers with unique content. Snapchat Stories can be especially effective; unlike regular snaps, Stories allow brands to collect multiple
One company that understands this is the clothing brand Free People. It uses Snapchat in a fun, experience-based way by offering sneak peaks of upcoming collections. The company also uses it
Customer expectations, combined with advancements in technology, fuel the demand for a whole new kind of marketplace. Retailers need to connect with modern customer expectations and provide experiences that engage the consumer, or risk falling behind.
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images, short videos, and text, and share them for 24 hours with a group of followers. The advantage of Snapchat is that content is fresh, exclusive and essentially free. Brands can update content as quickly as trends arise, creating a real-time brand experience.
CONSUMER EXPER IN FACT, THE MORE IMPOR
to humanize its brand by having employees answer fun questions via Snapchat to provide a glimpse into the company’s culture. All that said I much prefer Instagram stories to the afore mentioned tech. In the brick-and-mortar world, some retailers are using geolocation technology to collect data on consumer behaviour and create more personalised experiences for in-store customers. Geolocation allows stores to send specific promotional messages to customers’ phones when they stand in a particular place in the store. These promotional messages might include limited- time offers or coupons for products that appear only when the customer is right in front of that product. When a shopper can’t automatically predict what the experience will be like, it revitalizes what it means to shop in a brick-and-mortar location. Geolocation technology can also track mobile device signals to create a map of what a customer does in a store. Another promising way to use geolocation is by tailoring product offers to a customer’s physical location. For example, geolocation can help promote nearby skiwear retailers, when a customer visits an area known for skiing. With the undeniable might of online retail giant Amazon, smaller retailers can’t hope to compete on the same
RIENCE IS FAR FROM OVER; E DIGITAL AGE HAS MADE IT RTANT THAN EVER BEFORE. 77
RECAPTUR NOSTALG OF SHO
level. Amazon’s product selection and prices are nearly impossible for a smaller business to replicate. The one area in which smaller retailers have an edge, however, is providing a real experience. Businesses should be ready to take advantage of consumers’ growing appetite for authentic experiences if they want to compete in the new marketplace. By using social media and digital technologies to connect with customer expectations, retailers can create a new kind of shopping experience, reigniting that lost sense of excitement about shopping again. By incorporating the best of digital into the human experience of shopping IRL (in real life), customers will be able to recapture the nostalgic joy of shopping. It’s incredible how far brands have come with implementing digital technology into their stores, but also how far they still have to go to really stimulate today’s digitally-intuitive customer.
For the first time in five years, the number of store closures is slowing. Even online stores, for instance, Amazon, Ocado and Watchfinder are proving that, despite customers being wedded to their mobiles, physical stores can claw back appeal. They’ll do this by enabling customers to experience products in totally new ways.
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Retailers are looking to the stores of the future, creating an environment that is trusted, engaging and interactive. With so much of the shopping journey now being about more than just ‘convenience’, stores need to leverage a new purpose. In recent years, we’ve seen brands begin to move in the right direction. However next year will be the year that retailers will really start bridging the onlineoffline gap, providing customers with the opportunity to shop for leisure, experience as well as convenience. Predictions are that the next generation of store will harmonise physical and virtual retail experiences, strengthening the loyalty of customers; building deeper, more consistent engagement between customer and brand, wherever they are in the world. No retailer has completely nailed this omni-channel existence yet, but many are beginning to experiment in a variety of creative ways – creating their own brand universe that centralises around the customer’s experience first, and convenience second.
RE THE GIC JOY OPPING
Finding my
type
As a Graphic Design student, typography is obviously a big part of my life. I find myself over analysing every shop sign and advert that I come across, and like to think I’m quite tuned in to seemingly simple things; like when a household name is in the process of introducing a new type into its brand (see Tesco, middle of 2017). For the masses, a good font is one you don’t even acknowledge. Typography within newspapers and novels is not there to be seen, but to be read. If you pick up on the choice of font in these circumstances, usually, it’s because it’s wrong. Just My Type, by Simon Garfield has sparked a typography fuelled fire inside of me, and now more than ever I’m finding myself focusing on how design is influenced by type choices, and what it means for both the brand, and the consumer. As society mulls over the ads that a creative team have spent countless nights going through over 40 different variations of Sans Serif to find the perfect fit, somewhere across the world yet another typographer is measuring out an alphabet with an improved kerning and more stylised ‘g’ loops that may grace both our streets and computer screens in the future. As a creative, the idea of new typefaces is exciting and daunting at the same time. Adding more options into the creative process means more possiblities, but also, more time. Saying this,maybe one day I’ll be sat up in the middle of the night, perfecting the space between an i’s stem and dot and questioning my life choices. But we’ll see. Emily Forrester Type Extraordinaire in progress
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“MASS ADVER HELP BUILD B AUTHENTICIT MAKES THE PEOPLE BEL SHARE VALU COMPANY, TH LOYAL TO T
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RTISING CAN BRANDS, BUT TY IS WHAT EM LAST. IF LIEVE THEY UES WITH A HEY WILL STAY THE BRAND.”
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CREATIVITY, CREATIVITY, DATA, AND CREATIVITY,
KEEPING THE BALL ROLLING.
I love the idea of ad agencies using the latest technology to get to know customers better. I love the idea of them using the vast amount of data now available to reshape the industry. Big fat juicy data isn’t a bad thing. It’s a good thing. More accurate consumer insight isn’t a bad thing. It’s a good thing. Helping clients make more profits isn’t a bad thing. It’s a good thing. It’s an exciting world, dammit. The future’s bright. The future’s digital. Right? So why do I sometimes get the feeling that creativity suddenly got relegated. Why do I sometimes get the feeling that a large chunk of the buzz has suddenly gone out of coming up with a great idea? Why do I sometimes get the feeling that memorable campaigns are now going to be one part inspiration and ninety-nine parts perspiration? Sometimes constipation. Why do I sometimes get the feeling that the reason I came into advertising in the first place might not be the reason many young folk come into it today? Answers on a postcard, please. On second thoughts...don’t bother. It doesn’t matter how much big data we manage to gather. It doesn’t matter how hard we work. It doesn’t matter how many fresh, young folk walk in the door...or how many older, greyhaired ones are still around to greet them and pass on the baton. A bloody great idea is still a bloody great idea. Right? And if it takes a bit more effort to squeeze it out, then so be it. If it takes a few more late nights to refine it, then that’s probably because it needed refining in the first place. If it takes blood, sweat, and bloody tears, fine. How much we learn about a customer is just the beginning. It just gets the ball rolling. What matters is what we do with that knowledge to keep the damned thing moving. That’s when being creative is one of the best feelings in the world. That’s when the juices really start to flow. And that’s when the magic happens...
Right?
© Bryce Main. Ad Lib. 2017. Independent Author / Freelance Senior Copywriter / Blogger.
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WHEN IT CAN’T BE DON DO IT. IF YOU DON’T D IT, IT DOESN’T EXIST.
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NE, DO .
” PAUL ARDEN.
we need W
e’re opting for a fuzzy catch-all term instead of conversing with a little more insight. Data represents to us the lighthouse helping us navigate to smarter spend. Less waste. More reason. But in just the same way uttering “social” in a planning meeting doesn’t magically make your brand likeable, the word data doesn’t make its spend smarter. I have a theory, that for every marketer that says “if you can’t measure it, don’t do it”, there is another one that understands foregoing opportunities just because you need faith in the medium can be the cost of breaking through in a meaningful way. Not every conversation is sentiment analysed. Not every eyeball is tracked. Lasting impressions are not ad impressions.
data
Because recording data has become a negligible IT cost, most of data is actually useless. The leap from data to insight (the stuff that makes data actionable) is getting bigger and bigger, because the time spent digging the good parts out is increasing proportionately to the time spent communicating the insight gathered. The remedy is better tools to sift and surface quality, or pro-actively reducing needless data gathering.
abo
And what about thos Their year of recko with a big reveal in major networks bein of artificial traffic, am and inflated data. Tu worse than no data there are other sour
I worked for a s consciously decided data from our mob sprinkling every acti data gathering handl that keeping the da was cheap, and we’d tools to find the n up operational de itself when we en mismatches between tracking and ill-advis for events. With the it probably would h ask questions first, data second.
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As data gathering platforms they’ll be looks like on our their best to make re as possible.
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se banner networks? oning came in 2016 n Bloomberg. Some ng revealed as a pile mounting to useless urns out bad data is a. False security. But rces of bad data.
start-up where we d to collect as much bile app as possible, ion and feature with les. The thinking was ata haystack around surely have modern needles. We racked ebt, only revealing ncountered naming n app clients, gaps in sed naming schemas benefit of hindsight, have been better to and start gathering
to talk
They’re trying to present the data in meaningful ways and shortening the distance between raw data and insight as much as possible. Some social companies have even started compiling lists of recurring emojis in captions for influencer campaigns on Instagram. So what does it tell us that the cocktail glass emoji was the most frequently deployed emoji for a lunch special? I honestly don’t know, but it’s an attempt to take underlying data, extracting and presenting it in a helpful way. And it goes to show that the road from data to actionable insight is often sprinkled with colourful facts. Instead of data I propose we get more specific by referring directly to topics such as; audience insight (the demographics and behaviour of consumers), paid performance (the measured impact or success of paid social and search spend), engagement rates (the ratio of organic interactions with content) and sentiment analysis (an algorithm analysis of content assessing soft variables like tone of voice, useful for social interaction). And hopefully with time, we can start a) increasing the quality of the data that drives these parts of marketing and b) recognizing that on our inevitable journey to a totally tracked Black Mirroresque world we should go on faith every once in a while.
in
eting.
is outsourced to asking what success behalf and trying reports as actionable
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LET’S BE
ONE MESSAGE AT A TIME Saving the best slice for last
WHAT ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR TODAY? #IamThankful4
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LOVING THIS... Title: Sprint - How to solve big
problems and test new ideas in just five days Author: Jake Knapp Sprint is a great read for anyone looking to get quality results from any project. It perfectly explains how to plan out logical, processdriven results to any lifecycle, and really brings together a sense of teamwork and unity in finding out what the best output for a brief is, in just five days.What’s even better? It doesn’t promote working yourself to death to achieve the end goal.
ADAM STEPHENSON Project Manager Collective London
Title: Technology vs. Humanity Author: Gerd Leonhard
Source: Amazon.co.uk
I am reading Technology vs Humanity, it’s a fascinating read about the current and forthcoming clash between humanity and technology, I was drawn to the book because despite a career and life surrounded by technology I can’t help feeling we are being duped into a world of technical disruption, I am suffering tech fatigue and tired of the bullshitters that profess that we need tech to survive, people who say AI is the way forward, like Einstein said, “The Human spirit must prevail over technology”. This is a truly fascinating read and one that will have you staring into the distance questioning the true impact of tech on humanity. I say fuck tech and long live ‘Human’ interaction.
IRV Founder of Kemosabe
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The Word Brute? When I hear the word Brute, the first thing that comes to mind is the big bad guy, the head honcho villain in a movie usually hires to get a job done. Tending to be the same guy that the hero has to dispose of before he gets a shot at the boss. It kind of reminds me of Dave Batistas role as Hinx in 007s Spectre.
Well in this case, it’s a little different. The Brute Supply Co. is basically a micropublication about me being a lifestyle enthusiast, my appreciation for hard wearing vintage inspired apparel, and sharing my perspective on things I think are just damn cool. I’ve documented the content in a simple way, using video and images to tell the stories of each specialist category I’ll be featuring on my channels. I may even slip in a few feature I’ve produced. sections about myself along the way, giving you an insight to where You can also find me on Instagram and I get all my inspiration from. Facebook sharing my journey with you on a daily basis. Each week I’ll be posting a fresh piece of content on the journal: thebrutesupply. Throughout the series I’ll try and co/journal. It could be anything from educate as much as possible, and make a fashion editorial, a recent movie a few recommendations along the way watched, a piece of tech, somewhere I’ve been or behind the scenes of content Anyways, I hope you enjoy browsing the
new site as much as I did creating it. See you in the next issue of Human. Cheers,
M The Brute Supply Co.
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STYLE MENSWEAR FUNCTIONALITY ADVENTURE FILM TECH
thebrutesupply.co/ journal
Please Eat Responsibly
Mixed just like a drink:
High quality spirits
Real fruits, mixers & bitters
World’s First Edible Cocktail • Handmade in the UK • 7% vol per pastille @smithandsinclair • smithandsinclair.co.uk
Garnish infused sugars
as seen on the streets
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WE ARE JAPAN WE ARE JAPAN ‘We Are Japan’, ANA’s insight into all things Japanese, allows guests to discover the true spirit of the country. Uncovering Japan’s best kept secrets, its cutting-edge design, exclusive destinations, and once-ina-lifetime culinary experiences, We Are Japan introduces guests to the country’s endless possibilities. Let ANA show you the best places to See, Stay, Do, and Discover, and experience life in the luxury of Japan. See more at wearejapan.tumblr.com
DISC
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OVER JAPAN’S SPIRITUAL HEARTLAND
Jenny Zarins’ photographs of the Kii Peninsula paint a dreamy portrait of Japan’s spiritual heartland. A world away from the frenetic streets of neon-lit cities, the Kii Peninsula quietly uncovers an entirely different side to Japan - one of forest-covered mountains, ancient ritual and food fit for the gods. Here, Mother Nature, mysticism and timehonoured tradition set the pace, offering a glimpse of the ancient culture that lies just beneath the surface of Japanese life.
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ALL NIGHT AT THE LIBRARY
STAY
Heaven for bookworms, Book and Bed offers visitors to Tokyo, Kyoto or Fukuoka the chance to sleep amidst the bookshelves. Home to over 3000 books selected by Tokyo favourite Shibuya Publishing & Bookseller, this concept hostel invites guests to bed down with a good book in one of 34 cosy cabins hidden behind the library shelves.
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With picturesque rows of wooden machiya townhouses and the chance to spot geisha or maiko walking between traditional ochaya teahouses, Kyoto’s Gion district is a magnet for tourists. So why not rise early and beat the crowds? We recommend exploring the streets at sunrise, when for a few precious minutes before the world wakes up, you’ll have Gion’s winding alleyways all to yourself.
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SEE GION AT SUNRISE
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Shipping containers could offer a creative solution for online brands looking to create a physical presence in the real world. Container Crates
I just can’t contain myself.
could help brands meet the need to engage with people via more immersive brand experiences.They offer online brands a low cost, flexible and smart way to hit the high street to bring their brands to life. ‘Customer experience will be overtaking price and product as the key brand differentiation by 2020’, according to the latest Walker Study. Millennials now make up 81% of the global workforce and their purchasing power has surpassed the baby boomer generation. They are less prepared to trust traditional advertising and prefer to shop in store (75% choosing to do so). This has thrown up a major challenge for online brands, who now recognise they can’t just rely on the internet only for their trade. TimeTrade’s State of Retail 2015 reports that a whopping 90% of people are likely to buy after receiving help from knowledgeable staff in-store
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confirming that people still want the human touch. So even though online shopping has never been easier, the big online companies cannot ignore the fact that people who see products in person are more likely to buy them – creating physical brand experiences could be priceless. Google and Amazon have already seen the need to communicate with people face-to face and began opening their first physical shops in 2015. The trend for online retailers to create real-world stores appears to be picking up pace with Alibaba announcing in January 2017 that they would be investing $2.6bn in a Chinese Mall Operator, and Amazon acquiring Whole Foods Market for $13.7bn in June this year. But not all online retailers and online brands wanting to engage physically with their target audience have Amazon’s, Google’s or Alibaba’s deep pockets.
Creating physical stores isn’t cheap, competition in the real world is just as fierce as online and there are risks involved in taking leases and investing in high street stores. Shipping containers offer a smart, flexible solution to brands wishing to create a physical presence. They offer the ability to create pop-up stores and immersive environments with minimal investment. Containers can be deployed short-term tactically in city centres or at events, or can offer longer-term retail solutions such as the hugely successful Box Park in London and the newly opened CARGO container shopping centre on Bristol’s Harbourside. Shipping containers offer a nimble and flexible approach to retail, they can also be easily transported literally ‘picked up and dropped off’ in any pre-arranged location, meaning they can be deployed at a specific place, at a specific time, for a specific duration, to meet a specific need. In effect, they are the ultimate pop-up shop. Containers can go to meet your audience, so rather than hoping people will come to you, they open the door for brands to go to sporting events, festivals and, well, anywhere! GTMS have been converting shipping container crates into brand experiences for over 10 years, including
fitting out one of Puma’s first pop-up shops in Box Park. We have created mobile retail units for: Asus & Acer and experiential marketing campaigns for,The NFL, Cineworld, Coca Cola and working with Create London to construct Just Eat’s ‘Food For Your Mood experience. To meet the demand for shipping containers conversions, GTMS launched Creative Spaces, a dedicated department to specialise in working with agencies and brands looking to take advantage of the versatile nature of building structures using shipping containers. Production can be tailored to a client’s budget and requirements, creating stunningly engineered structures to stop people in their tracks, get people talking and create brand advocates. With shipping container conversions starting at around £10k-£20k a lot less than a shop-fit out, they can be designed and adapted to offer cost effective structural solutions to allow a brand to engage face-to-face. In the last 12 months GTMS’s Creative Spaces brand has seen phenomenal growth, but Creative Spaces always has time to do more and are keen to help more brands make the move from being intangible and distant to being close, physical, immersive and fun.
ALEX KOPFLI Planning Director, GTMS
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IF IT’S STU BUT WORKS THEN IT ISN STUPID. 106
UPID KS, N’T 107
___NEXT ISSUE:
Social Responsibility May 2018
human.
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__FOR ALL ENQUIRIES PLEASE CONTACT: Ian Irving - ian@wearekemosabe.com Emily Forrester - emilyf@wearekemosabe.com
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