Think pieces

Creating services in a socially-distanced world

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Brand experience plays a significant role in successful brand-led businesses, particularly in service sectors like travel, hospitality and retail.

We’re not saving lives

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People in our line of work often use the phrase, ‘we’re not saving lives’. I am not here to disagree with them. In fact, I’ve been guilty of throwing around the ‘it’s only advertising’ card myself.

Self-interest or national interest, advertising works

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Advertising’s role as an economic hero needs to be recognised. During life-changing times like these, as the behavioural economist Richard Shotton has observed...

Welcome back?

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The signage you create for the return to work will determine your business’ success in the coming year.

Why white people urgently need to get better at talking about race

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Last week one of my colleagues asked a group of predominantly white leaders how comfortable they felt talking about race with their teams.

An emergency guide to writing protest signs

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As protestors tap into the power of the slogan, Nick Asbury looks at some of the most effective techniques.

Top moments for black culture and hip hop during lockdown

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If someone had said to me back in December this is what 2020 is going to look like I would not have believed them!

How do we share the burden of change?

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The status quo that our society has been built upon is not fit for purpose. Racism and systemic racial disparities haven’t just come to light this last week

Ramadan, The Savoy and unconscious racism

Savoy Afternoon tea source Unsplash credit Christian Lendl
My LinkedIn feed this week has been full of posts about the recent brutal racist attacks on the black community in America.

Ben & Jerry's: Is a brand that stands for nothing a thing of the past?

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We know from experience that brands don’t like to rock the boat. Mistakenly thinking that it’s best to stay in the middle lane.

Black Lives Matter: brands who are doing it right

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Many brands are now making Black Lives Matter statements, but a rare few are actually contributing to change.

IN THE WAKE OF GEORGE FLOYD: the industry needs to admit it’s racist

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Dear marketers and advertisers, In the wake of George Floyd’s death we’ve seen some of you provide messages of support and solidarity

Modern marketers can learn a lot from the Scottish Enlightenment

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Great 18th century thinkers such as Mary Somerville, David Hume and Adam Smith didn’t have marketing in mind but their ideas can still offer inspiration, writes Rod Gillies

Black lives matter: why are so many brands silent?

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Twitter is full of coverage of Black Lives Matter protests in the US (and increasingly around the world). Every hour new proof of police brutality...

Human resilience: What your people need during COVID-19

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During a crisis like COVID-19, people look to leaders for compassion, care and confidence in navigating the company into the future. We detail specific physical, mental and relationship needs workers have, based on our data. We share a checklist for immediate actions from the C-suite on the people front.

COVID-19: Five new human truths

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COVID-19 is the biggest global event—and challenge—of our lifetimes. As such, it is changing human attitudes and behaviors today...

Is your programmatic working media actually working?

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Where does the money go, and who gets what? This is the million-dollar question of Programmatic Supply Chain Transparency.

If purpose can’t solve our problems, maybe taxes can

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I’ve always had a hard time swallowing our industry’s self-regarding and dishonest conception of brand purpose.

10 tips to harness the power of brand-led design

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I’m often asked about how to get the best out of creative teams when working on design and visual identity projects.

The return to business

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At the outset of the COVID-19 crisis, most organisations needed to focus on their immediate survival.

Brands go DIY

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With most of the world locked inside the confines of their homes, restaurants and F&B brands are having a trickier time than most.