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August 2019

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In MUSIC

CRAFT.

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I am always interested in which craftsmen and women.

That other true craftsmen and women admire.

So I was interested to hear which eight pieces of music George Michael liked most.

When he appeared on Desert Island Discs.

In 2007.

George’s Favourites.

So here they are:

  1. Kanye West – “Gold Digger”
  2. Rufus Wainwright – “Going to a Town”
  3. Gnarls Barkly – “Crazy”
  4. Goldfrapp – “Paper Bag”
  5. Pet Shop Boys – “Being Boring”
  6. Nirvana – “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
  7. Roxy Music – “Do The Strand”
  8. Amy Winehouse – “Love is a Losing Game”

George’s most favourite from these eight.

Was Amy.

Goldfrapp.

Here’s one of George’s choices that I’d not heard before.

Goldfrapp.

Paper bag.

Please go here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jw3Z-kUMC7g

 

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In BRAND STORYTELLING

STARING.

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You know what I heard?

I heard that some people.

When they post something.

On that social media.

To one of those social media platforms.

They then just sit there.

Or stand there.

Refreshing the page.

Over and over.

Staring.

Staring.

Apparently.

They stare for ages.

Waiting.

Refreshing the page.

Waiting to see who looks at whatever it is they’ve posted.

Waiting to see who likes it.

Or comments on it.

Or shares it.

Or if they cannot actually sit there.

They stand there.

Making coffee.

Or tea.

Before picking their phone up again.

Even as the kettle begins to boil.

And staring again.

Then they break away to quickly spoon coffee into a mug.

Or drop a teabag into a mug.

Then sugar.

Before hurriedly pouring in the milk.

And then quickly picking their phone up again.

Refreshing the page.

Waiting to see who looks at whatever it is they’ve posted.

Waiting to see who likes it.

Or comments on it.

Or shares it.

Then.

As they pop the phone down and pour the water from the kettle.

And as they stir the coffee.

Or the tea.

They pick their phone up again.

And stare.

Refreshing the page.

Waiting to see who looks at whatever it is they’ve posted.

Waiting to see who likes it.

Or comments on it.

Or shares it.

Mood.

And do you know what else I heard?

I heard that these people.

As they stand there.

Refreshing the page.

Waiting to see who looks at whatever it is they’ve posted.

Waiting to see who likes it.

Or comments on it.

Or shares it.

These people have their actual mood dictated by what happens.

What I mean is.

If lots of people like whatever it is they’ve posted.

Or comment on it.

Or share it.

They actually feel happy.

Real happiness.

And if lots of people don’t like whatever it is they’ve posted.

Or comment on it.

Or share it.

They actually feel sad.

Real sadness.

Businesspeople.

And you know what else I heard?

I heard that these people.

These people that stand there.

Refreshing the page.

Waiting to see who looks at whatever it is they’ve posted.

Waiting to see who likes it.

Or comments on it.

Or shares it.

They’re businesspeople.

Actual businesspeople.

Business Founders, in fact.

MD’s.

Real life leaders.

Standing there.

Refreshing the page.

Staring.

Waiting to see who looks at whatever it is they’ve posted.

Waiting to see who likes it.

Or comments on it.

Or shares it.

Having their mood dictated by what happens.

Their actual mood.

As they stand there.

Staring.

Staring.

Staring.

What I heard.

It’s just.

You know.

What I heard.

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In LOVE & LIFE

ENDLING.

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Want to spend 12 minutes of your life watching a film about a snail?

Me neither!

Unless, of course, that snail is called George.

And he is an ending.

Endling.

An ending is an animal that is thought to be the last known living individual of that species.

George died on New Year’s Day in 2019.

Please watch this.

It is a story of ethical responsibility.

And love.

https://www.50odd.co.uk/endling/

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In BRAND STORYTELLING

HERE & THERE.

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There is a downside to being a brand.

Yes, brands stand for something.

So this means that they matter more to consumers.

And therefore they attract more attention.

And more customers.

So they have the potential to last longer.

And (run right) make more profit.

But even after all that good stuff.

There is a downside to being a brand.

Here & There.

Basically.

Just because a brand works (resonates) ‘here’.

It doesn’t mean it will work (resonate) ‘there’.

In fact, it is very often the case that because a brand resonates ‘here’ it will not resonate ‘there’.

The short version of the rule is this.

If you are a brand, you matter.

And whatever it is you matter about.

Dictates where you (should) work best.

Virgin.

Let’s take the Virgin brand for example.

Virgin stands for ‘The People’s Champion’.

Over the years, Virgin has nurtured the perception that they are looking out for us.

That they are on our side.

And because they have delivered on this promise enough times over the years to keep the brand resonant in this way.

They do hold this perception with very many people.

Even today.

The Rules. 

But the rules of brand dictate that even global brands like Virgin.

Only work where the brand position resonates.

Virgin really should work well in the banking sector.

Because banks treat us like crap.

I can ‘feel’ that Virgin should do well as a bank.

And when Virgin went at trains.

I was pleased.

Because the Virgin brand resonates in the train category, too.

Because – just like banks – train companies treat us like crap, as well.

(Virgin aren’t doing so well with trains.

But it’s not because of the brand’s perception, I’d suggest.

It’s because they are failing to get the operational parts right.

Or because they are failing to do the right deal.

For whatever reason).

Virgin Cola.

But Virgin’s brand.

As famous as it was.

Didn’t work in the Cola category.

Yes, Coca Cola and to a lesser degree Pepsi Cola took steps to block Virgin.

But a brand that stands for ‘The People’s Champion’ was never going to work in this space.

Because we just didn’t need saving from Coke and Pepsi at the time.

The Virgin brand didn’t resonate here.

Brand Extension.

If you really do crave brand extension that much.

If you really do want to do new things.

But you realise that your current brand won’t resonate in the new category.

Start a new brand that will.

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In BRAND STORYTELLING

OUT OF ORDER.

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You know those signs that people stick on things.

Or screw to things.

I’m talking about professionally produced signs.

Or hand written signs.

Well; imagine that those signs weren’t signs at all.

Imagine they were actual people.

Stood there.

Inside your business.

Saying what you want to say out loud.

OUT OF ORDER. 

So that ‘OUT OF ORDER’ sign you printed in shouty block capitals.

In black.

With a couple of exclamation marks.

On ordinary 80gsm A4 paper.

The kind of paper that curls and somehow attracts dribbling dampness within minutes.

Before you Blu Tacked it to the vending machine at eye-height.

That kind of a sign is, I suppose, the signage equivalent of some horrible scruffy bastard stood in front of your vending machine and shouting.

Into my face.

With no apology.

And no explanation.

That the thing I was hoping would work.

Doesn’t.

Touchpoints.

Such things.

In the world of brand building.

Are called Brand Touchpoints.

In actual fact, every single thing that every single one of your customers experiences in your business is a Brand Touchpoint.

And you always have a choice.

So you can choose:

OUT OF ORDER.

Or you can choose:

Argh! We’re really sorry. We noticed this vending machine wasn’t working when we came on shift on Tuesday 27th August at 9am.

We’re looking to have things back up and running by 5pm on Thursday 29th August. If you fancy a snack in the meantime, please pop to reception.

Thank you for your patience.

Or better still:

Argh! I’m really sorry. I noticed this vending machine wasn’t working when I came on shift on Tuesday 27th August at 9am.

I am looking to have things back up and running by 5pm on Thursday 29th August. If you fancy a snack in the meantime, please pop to reception. (Ask for Penny. Or Claire. And tell them Paul sent you!)

Thank you so much for your patience.

Paul Jones. General Manager. +44(0)7960 112 367 

Attentive is better.

Attentive and personal is better still.

Signs. 

Professional signage is very often just as bad.

Shouty.

And just plain rude.

KEEP YOUR DOG ON A LEAD. KEEP YOUR DOG OFF THE GRASS.

 Means just the same as:

Hello there. Very young children and babies play and crawl 0n this Family Grass Square. So no dogs are allowed on at any time, please. There’s a separate field for dog walkers just behind the bar. It’s 30 yards away and please always clean up after you. Have a great day – and thank you.

Paddy Power. 

It’s all about giving a shit.

Giving a shit about how you and your business make people feel.

And if you’re clever.

Really, really clever.

You can tell people something bad.

Like the vending machine is broken.

Or that you are not allowed to walk your dog here.

Or that we are too busy to even talk to you.

And make them feel good at the same time.

Want proof?

Call Paddy Power’s Customer Support line on 0800 056 5275.

And hope that they are too busy to speak to you.

There’s a lovely Irish guy that chats on about what you can do whilst you’re waiting.

Eat a slice of toast.

Make a cup of tea.

Listen  to your favourite tune.

Except if it’s Bohemian Rhapsody.

He quips in his lovely Irish drawl.

Because we’d hope to be here to help you much quicker ‘dan dat’.

‘Love him!

Even though he’s just a recording.

And even though he’s telling me that everyone Paddy Power is too busy to speak to me.

I just like the thought they’ve put into it.

Because even though a business cannot always give everyone what they want.

They can make the effort to help them to understand why, and try their best to make them feel OK about it.

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In CREATIVITY

WONDERWALL.

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Take a look at this picture.

They painted the wall: https://www.50odd.co.uk/wonderwall/.

Blue. 

OK so it’s smoother now.

Neater now.

Newer now.

And bluer now.

But this wall.

That sits about 30 yards from my house.

Down by the marina where I am lucky enough to live.

Was so much more interesting before.

20 Years.

Before it was painted recently.

This wall had had 20 years of weatherbeating.

So it was mottled.

And where water had run down from a hole near the top.

There was a lovely, winding auburn trail.

Take a look: https://www.instagram.com/p/B0BKVNxAKFH/?utm_source=ig_web_options_share_sheet

I preferred it that way.

Because it made me wonder how it would change next year.

It made me wonder how each of the 20 years previous had created such a unique texture and layering.

It made me wonder how the white marbling would develop in the next 20 years.

It made me wonder how each new photoshoot that we did by the 20 year old blue wall would look.

As it changed and evolved.

Wonderwall.

And all I wonder now.

Is why they don’t see what I see.

That – as something gets older.

It can become more beautiful.

Not less beautiful.

So it’s not much of a Wonderwall at all any more for me, really.

What a shame.

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In CREATIVITY

NICE.

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Last weekend.

In Jesmond.

In Newcastle.

I came across this: https://www.50odd.co.uk/nice-2/.

Bookhouse.

It’s a nice thing.

It’s a little wooden house.

On the edge of a green.

Containing books.

And written on this little.

Err.

‘Bookhouse’.

It instructs:

Take a book.

Leave a book.

Nice. 

My Izobel.

Aged 3.

Took a book.

And next week we will leave a book.

But the nicest little thing about this nice little thing.

Is the nice conversation that I then had with Izobel.

Because, as we didn’t buy the little dinosaur book she chose.

Izobel learned about generosity.

And it made her want to leave one of her books there too.

Two things. 

I left this experience thinking two things.

First.

Niceness breeds niceness.

Second.

Someone has to start.

And that got me thinking of a third and fourth thing.

Third.

That I can start a nice thing.

(I’m thinking).

Fourth.

So can you.

(Please think too).

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In BRAND STORYTELLING

SOMEONE.

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I have a three word answer to questions like this.

Michael, why are you trying to create the best hand knitted jumpers in the world?

Michael, why are you trying to create the most talked about daily blog in the world?

Michael, why are you trying to create one of the first Brand Communication agencies that only works with businesses wanting to make a contribution?

(As opposed to working with brands that just want ANGELFYSH help them to flog as much stuff as they can.

To as many people as they can.

Whether the customer can afford it or not).

Three words.

My three word answer is always the same.

It’s:

Someone has to.

I don’t know what else to say, really.

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In BRAND STORYTELLING

“SORRY. WE’RE CLOSED”.

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There were 11 seasons of Cheers.

My favourite sitcom.

The sitcom that I watch all 257 episodes of.

Each and every year.

Remembering.

This is a short story about remembering.

Remembering who or what helped you to get where you are today.

Remembering the good people.

And the important people.

Coach. 

Coach.

Or Ernie Pantusso.

Played by a fine man called Nicholas Colasanto.

Was only in the first 3 series of Cheers.

Because he died before the making of Series 4.

However.

(And I like this).

Coach was remembered in every single season ever made.

The first 3 season because he starred in them.

And the last 8 seasons because of the photograph of Geronimo at the back of the bar.

Just across from where Cliff and Norm sit.

Geronimo. 

This photograph hung in Nicholas Colasanto’s dressing room during the first 3 seasons of the show.

And from the fourth season to the last season.

It hung in the bar.

It was always there.

Because the cast and the crew wanted coach to be remembered.

So much so that.

At the end of the final episode.

Aired May 20th 1993.

Just after Sam Malone says the final words ever to be said on Cheers:

Sorry. We’re closed.

He then wanders slowly over to Nick Colasanto’s photograph.

And gently straightens it.

Remembering.

This is a short story about remembering.

Remembering who or what helped you to get where you are today.

Remembering the good people.

And the important people.

Here’s the clip: https://www.50odd.co.uk/sorry-were-closed/

 

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