About this time of year everyone gets their crystal balls out and we all know most of it is made up and hoping rather than knowing. But what feels different this year is that universally every agency person has the same level of optimism around new business. And that level is pretty bloody low. SittingContinue reading "Growth outlook: Winter is coming. Should I get my coat?"
we don’t like clients
We had a meeting last week. We were hosting, not actually part of the meeting. Just lending the Bank of Brilliant Ideas to a client to have an off-site. Much coffee and croissants prepped, we also gave each person our new notebook that has ‘we don’t like clients’ on it. It had the effect weContinue reading "we don’t like clients"
it’s a fantasy world full of deviants…
Way back in 2006, there was a thing called Second Life. And web 2.0. And every agency person and marketer I knew was falling over themselves to do something. Anything! I recall many presentations explaining what it was all about and trying to act like I knew what I was talking about while being bemusedContinue reading "it’s a fantasy world full of deviants…"
A chat with a man in the sauna and Elvis
This photo was taken almost a year ago. A lot has happened since then - maybe I’ll get to that in time - but it feels the right time to start back on getting things right again. A few years back, I had a chat with a bloke in a sauna at the David LloydContinue reading "A chat with a man in the sauna and Elvis"
48 shades of beige
Cleaning up my old notes recently, I found this from c. 2016/7 and thought it deserved an airing and quite poignant reading this today given what's happened the last few months in my own life. I wrote it verbatim after a day out with the delivery drivers as a means of me processing the informationContinue reading "48 shades of beige"
the evolution of a deck
It seems in our world, decks have become our currency. It used to be the black and white Art Director scamp was the most revered 'product' in an agency and in meetings. Today it seems it's the deck. Whether that's right or wrong is another thought for another day. I work in Keynote because IContinue reading "the evolution of a deck"
unplug
In our always-on world, taking time out for you and your family is increasingly hard. It’s important to set the tone. Not being plugged in to email, Teams and Slack all week, not feeling the need to just “check-in”. Just to let go. I think you forget just how draining this past year or soContinue reading "unplug"
Going on a Birss-a-thon
I met Dave a couple of years ago when I had booked to go on the Spark.me conference on a whim. It was in Montenegro. I didn’t know what to expect but it was great for a number of reasons. I came away inspired, enthused and excited. One of the stand-outs was the working sessionsContinue reading "Going on a Birss-a-thon"
gin and football – a tale of two brand experiences
Gin and football. Not necessarily two things you would put together. Nonetheless I found myself experiencing them in a very different way this Bank Holiday weekend. Gin has had a massive resurgence in recent years. Long-lamented for being 'mother's ruin', the rise in all things artisan and some audacious flavour combinations has seen the ginContinue reading "gin and football – a tale of two brand experiences"
Business spells and taking yourself somewhere else
I feel fortunate that I have seen Marcus perform twice. I use the word perform because that is what he is. A true performance artist. I still have corporate yolo-ism flashbacks. To watch Marcus on stage is a joy. To follow Marcus on stage must be awful. How do you follow that with your crappyContinue reading "Business spells and taking yourself somewhere else"
