Here are video highlights from this morning’s wild swim at the Hampstead mixed ponds at 7.30am. It was part of our preparation for the Three Peaks Challenge next month.
We’re raising money for Macmillian Cancer because cancer is a bloody awful, seemingly indiscriminate disease that touches everyone. All donations gratefully received.
Ok, so Wadds leaves me in charge and I make a total balls up of it! I managed to copy my third post over my second post. Sigh. This is what the second one said…
Next to speak is the lovely Dick Powell, of SeymourPowell. His is, incidentally, also the Creative Director of the Loewy Group. Dick is giving us his 10 tips on creativity.
I managed to note down 11 tips. I think I must have made one up. But they all sound good, so I think I’ve got away with it…
His final thought which really should be our mantra when it comes to creativity – be different, be courageous and give yourself time.
Our final speaker for the morning is Ant Lucas from Epoch. He is taking us through an example of how his team worked to bring their creative solutions to life for the client.
Epoch rely heavily on illustration and drawing their ideas. This is particularly impactful on clients who tend to rely on lots of information in their internal communication. It is also more personal and feels more real than a standard presentation.
Go into a pitch believing the client wants you to succeed. Confidence in the ideas you are pitching is going to rub off on the client and leave them with more of a belief in your ideas.
Challenge the brief if you don’t agree with it. Presenting ideas which you don’t feel are the right ones will never win you the business – and if it does, it will only lead you to work you are not passionate about.
Bring your ideas to life for the client. Show the client what your idea will look like in the real world – giving lots of examples helps create a fuller picture for people who are not as immersed in your discipline as you are. Sometimes apparently irrelevant videos may help illustrate the point.
Finally, consider also presenting ideas which your client has not asked for.
Very intersting to see how other companies in our group approach pitching their ideas. And very useful.
Cheers Ant!
Firstly, my thanks to Wadds for letting me loose on his blog. Mwahahahaha! (that was an evil laugh, in case it wasn’t clear)
So, to the matter in hand… Today we are downing tools to spend the morning immersed in our own creative juices.
Richard Williams of Williams Murray Hamm has kicked off proceedings defining creative solutions as ‘Stuff you’ve never seen before’. Neat.
In a creative industry, we must aspire to create campaigns that contain things that our clients have never seen before in order to set ourselves apart.
But in order to have the opportunity to be truly creative, we need clients who want to see that kind of ‘never seen before’ work.
At WMH they work with clients who value creativity and so the agency is able to deliver creative solutions that will be appreciated and understood. But it wasn’t always so straight forward – they had to build their reputation by actively seeking out opportunities to flex their creative muscles. In their early years, the agency focused on entrepreneurs who had the freedom to be braver than big FMCG clients and that way they were able to create award winning campaigns which then brought in the kind of clients who admired the work. Creative case studies delivered creatively-inspired client.
His lasting thought on how to develop a more creative practice? Don’t worry about the money because that will hold you back and ask yourself every day ‘is it creative enough?’
After a successful trial at Charing Cross station Mayor of London, Boris Johnson has announced that wifi will be rolled out at 120 tube stations throughout London in time for the Olympics. The network will be accessible only at platform level. There are no plans to extend coverage into the tunnel network.
The Omega’s Olympic clock in Trafalgar Square, London is working again, after failing shortly after it launch of Tuesday.
Spotted last night outside Kings Cross station in London, a stand promoting a product that helps you stop smoking, located exactly where commuters would normally light-up. I’ve no idea whether the product is any good or not but it certainly got attention from smokers. Seth Godin would be proud.
Are you or your organisation looking at podcasting for your business or clients? According to RAJAR radio listening is at saturation and 15 per cent of us regularly download and listen to a podcast.
Planet Content’s Chris Lee has lined-up a free evening on Tuesday 16 November with expert podcasters to learn more on why and how to podcast and learn from those who have used podcasting to generate new business and revenue streams.
Here’s the schedule.
6.30pm – Why podcast? Building the business case (Chris Lee, Planet Content)
7.00pm – How to podcast: Entry level to business class (Andy White, WireWorldMedia)
7.30pm – Podcasting success case study (Kelvin Newman, Site Visibility)
8.00pm – What makes a good podcast? (Gary Andrews, TwoFootedTackle)
8.30pm – Q&A and networking
Capacity is limited to 40 so its first come first served. We’re providing the venue and the beers.
Reference Tree is running a reverse graffiti campaign around London South Bank University. The ad is pressure washed into the grime on the pavement using a stencil and should last for the remainder of the academic term.
Here are two videos from inspirational speeches who were part of the TEDxChange line-up yesterday.
Hans Rosling scrutinises statistics, questioning assumptions about what data really tells us and how this can inform public health. He is Professor of International Health at Karolinska Institute and Director of the Gapminder Foundation.
Mechai Viravaidya was an incredibly engaging and witty speaker. He is a former politician and activist in Thailand who popularised condoms using innovative marketing techniques to manage population growth and to halt the spread of AIDs.
