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Public Relations, Nonsense and Gobbledygook

Many Public Relations Agencies Talk Nonsense

Anti Jargon Campaign by Bill Hunt Public Relations

I laughed at a Facebook status update from friend and author David Meerman Scott:

“Gobbledygook alert!! Osskinteractive. What does this company do? “results-oriented, cost-efficient solutions…”

Too right. Some of us like to think that we can be relied upon for straight-talking…..at least as far as you can be in PR.

A few years ago, while working for the Village PR, I launched our own anti-jargon campaign. We sent out a 100% cotton facecloth embroidered with the message “The Only Flannel You’ll get from the Village”.

Anti-jargon campaign by Bill Hunt - Instruction Card Front

We could have launched the campaign thus: “The worlds leading global communications specialists today announced the launch of a unique multi-platform media relations service solution which enables companies to leverage the latest cutting-edge copy creation techniques in the transmission of its brand messages to segmented target audience groups.”

Instead, we put out a release alerting people to the level of corporate flannel we found when researching PR jargon, and launched a service for other PRs to send us their press releases to be re-written in English.

We also called a few business journalists and discovered that their most hated words were “global, first, leading, cutting-edge, solution, leverage, and end-to-end”. One also said that if they saw another CEO “delighted” or “pleased” to be announcing something they would hit someone.

Anti-jargon campaign by Bill Hunt - Instruction Card Back

So why do PR people do it? Our theory was that the PR industry is fundamentally insecure. Although what it sells is very powerful – a client’s ‘story’ told by the influential voice of the media – the problem is that you never really know how the media are going to treat your offering. As a result, it has cosseted itself with a language to aggrandise itself but also to obfuscate clients and journalists.

Coverage from the Anti-Jargon Campaign by Bill Hunt

The best example of PR industry pomposity we found was from Quentin Bell who wrote a book called ‘the PR Business, an insiders guide to real-life public relations (1991)’. In it he claims he was so unhappy with existing definitions of public relations that he came up with this to describe what QBO (his agency) did – “The identification, segmentation and persuasive interpretation of valid messages to key audiences, the results of which can be investigated against strategic objectives.”

He also took 3 words – identify, interpret and investigate – which he “packaged” into a special logo which he sold as “an operating system, a failsafe methodology of implementing all and every PR campaign”.

This from a company whose job is to help companies communicate.

Other sins occur when PR people are actively trying to get coverage. Some stories capture journalists’ imaginations and run and run and others, apparently similar, only make it as far as the bin. Difficult when you have clients who think they should be on the 10 o’clock news for the launch of a pen when there’s an international war going on. So the tricks of the trade are applied to make a story sound more important than it is.

“leveraging a robust solution”

A terrible example of the aggrandisement of a story with corporate-babble and jargon is this press release from a clay tablet company, found by Jeff Chappell writing for Electronic News:

“The world’s leading clay tablet company, Babylonian Tablet Corp., is pleased and excited to announce today that it is launching ClayMud [TM] , a new world-class tablet technology. Leveraging the company’s experience in mud-brick technology, Babylonian Tablet has developed a new industry-leading state-of-the art solution that will revolutionize cuneiform writing. By mixing clay from the Euphrates River with mud from the Tigris, Babylonian Tablet has developed a uniquely robust offering for royal scribes. ClayMud [TM] is softer than previous generations of tablet clays, allowing scribes to work more efficiently, while drying in half the time of competing clays, improving royal time-to-market by orders of magnitude lower.”

And here’s how it appeared in their trade magazine Cuneiform Weekly:

“Mud-brick and clay tablet maker Babylonian Tablet Corp. (BTC) recently rolled out its new ClayMud material for cuneiform tablets. ClayMud utilizes Euphrates River Clay mixed with Tigris River mud to produce tablet material that BTC claims is softer than previous-generation materials but cuts drying time in half.”

As Jeff points out “so much for leveraging a robust solution.”

When the issue is keeping something out of the media, PR people do the opposite. They play it down and issue a boring ‘holding statement’, hiding the really nasty news on page 4 of the press release.

This example is of a company trying to hide bad news in a dense tangle of jargon and was singled out by a writer on the Business Journal in the US: “Boston Scientific Corp. today announced a global operations plan to increase productivity and enhance innovation through a series of initiatives designed to improve supply chain effectiveness, strengthen manufacturing process control, and optimise the company’s network of plants.”

The real story was that they were cutting millions of dollars in operating costs, cutting 1,000 positions, closing several plants and shifting hundreds of jobs to Miami and Ireland.

“…intensify our focus on operational excellence and increase our commitment to innovation…”

CEO Jim Tobin was quoted saying: “This plan will enable us to intensify our focus on operational excellence and increase our commitment to innovation. This is a forward-looking plan (as opposed to all those useless backward-looking plans?) that says innovation is our future, and that we’re creating the opportunity to make the necessary investments to support innovation and a robust future.”

On the other hand, here is what Tobin told The Wall Street Journal: “It’s a lot easier to run fewer plants well.” Now that we can all understand. Why didn’t they say that in the first place?

The Gobbldygook Manifesto by David Meerman Scott

To help us through the nonsense jungle, David put together a handy ebook – The Gobbldygook Manifesto which you can download by clicking on the image.

The Gobbledygook Manifesto by David Meerman Scott
The Gobbledygook Manifesto by David Meerman Scott

Talk about an all-in-one robust best-of-breed communications clarification solution.

And David was obviously thinking along similar lines here.

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Ways to be Creative in Public Relations

I put together this presentation on creativity in public relations and on how to come up with ideas in public relations. A task that is none too easy in many agency environments.

The contents of the slides can be found below:

1. Ways to be Creative Bill Hunt Public Relations

2. First comes strategy, then comes creativity in public relations

• Here is a guide to coming up with ideas, having formed the strategy – here’s a quick reminder of what constitutes strategy… • Strategy is the art/science of formulating, implementing and evaluating cross-functional decisions that enable an organisation to achieve its objectives • A strategy is your plan for how you will get from A to B – how you will achieve the OBJECTIVES • From forming your strategy you are then in a position to come up with a ‘creative platform’ out of which comes your ideas…

3. A taste of things to come:

• What is creativity? • Some myths debunked • The creative process • Brainstorming • Green light thinking • Red light thinking • Obstacles to creativity

4. What is creativity?

• A term widely used – and abused.. often easier to detect than define… • As an individual talent • As a process • As a product • As recognition by others • Arthur Koestler (in 1964) defined it as “two disconnected notions accidentally coming together” • “Disconnected notions” may be the raw material of creating ideas, but it does not automatically equate with generating “creative ideas”…

5. What is more creative? Image of pencil.

6. What is more creative? Image of painting.

7. Defining Creativity: • It could be argued both are equally creative, because they each offer added value in their respective tasks • Professor Morris Stein: “creativity is a process that results in novelty which is accepted as useful, tenable, or satisfying by a significant group of others at some point in time” • When faced with the task of ‘being creative’, we are in a world that is constantly changing (think digital media, guerrilla marketing, iPhone apps, etc)

• What is creativity? • Some myths debunked • The creative process • Brainstorming • Green light thinking • Red light thinking • Obstacles to creativity A taste of things to come Ways to be Creative Bill Hunt Public Relations

8. A Definition for the PR Practitioner:

• PR work creates or manages change. A working definition must therefore contain some form of process and end product “Creativity is the ability each of us has to create something new by bringing together two or more different elements in a new context, in order to provide value to a task.” “A creative task consists of not only originating but also evaluating the added value it contributes. It is not novelty for its own sake, but it must produce some form of value that can be recognised by a third party.”

Being creative in public relations

 

Being creative in public relations

9. A Context for Creativity: • We don’t have completely ‘free reign’ in PR – the creative platform / tactic must not compromise the brand or organisation values • We all have a level of ‘creativity’ within us • Creativity vs innovation: “Creativity is the thinking process that helps us generate ideas. Innovation is the practical application of such ideas towards meeting the organisation’s objectives in a more effective way.” Professor Simon Majaro, Cranfield School of Management

10. Some Myths Debunked: • Creativity is an incremental process – the Instant Big Idea does not exist • The myth of the left-brain / right brain theory • …but this does help us to categorise: • Convergent thinking – the intellectual ability to logically evaluate, criticise and choose the best idea • Divergent thinking – the ability to think of many original, diverse and elaborate ideas • The myth of ‘lateral thinking’ = creativity – it is the not the same as, or sum of creative thinking, rather a useful tool

11. Title Page: The Creative Process

12. Incubation:

“What I propose to you is the result of a long time pondering.. this has brought me to the conclusion that the production of ideas is just as definite a process as the production of Fords; that the production of ideas, too runs on an assembly line; that in this production the mind follows an operative technique which can be learned and controlled”. James Webb Young, A Technique for Producing Ideas

13. The Five ‘I’s of the Creative Process: • Information • Incubation • Illumination • Integration • Illustration

14. Information: • There are two elements to this stage of the process: • Posing the right questions • Restate the problem in as many ways as you can • Challenge any assumptions you have made about the problem • …this helps you to define the paradigm you face • And gathering the relevant information to assist with the task in hand • Gather information related to the client and market from as many sources as possible • Consume as much media as possible to know what is current

15. Incubation: “Having by a time of very intense concentration planted the problem in my subconscious, it would germinate underground, until suddenly, the solution emerges with blinding clarity, so that it only remained to write down what had happened, as if in a revelation”. Bertrand Russell, Philosopher

16. Incubation: • Poincaré defines incubation as ‘simply the facilitation of problem-solving by the passage of time’ • Incubation is essentially harnessing your subconscious mind into problem solving • It occurs at a deep subconscious level, but also when what is commonly referred to as ‘daydreaming’ • The incubation phase is often neglected (which is why it pays to send out a brief the day before the brainstorm)

17. Illumination: • The most famous example of illumination, which has since become the symbol of scientific discovery is Archimedes cry of “Eureka!” • Illumination often consists of seeing two previously unrelated items and making a link between them for the task in hand • Illumination often occurs during times of ‘low cortical awareness’ • Psychologists have also identified the ‘alpha state’ – the period while just falling asleep or waking • Make sure you’re always able to record your ideas

18. Integration: • Poincaré highlights a final verification stage, to check out that the idea actually works • Ideas are generated while the creator is working in the integration stage of the creative process • The integration stage involves using the incremental nature of the creative process to develop possibly a completely new creative product • Eg while writing a press release – you might think of a useful alliteration or metaphor, and further ideas will emerge

19. Illustration: • Ideas are often enhanced by the way in which they are presented • Selling the idea is a critical stage – don’t believe that an idea will somehow sell itself • For us working in PR, consider: • Legitimizing the source of the idea • Timing • Translating the idea • Keeping within the brand values • Presenting within the context of a relationship

20. Illustration – Translating the Idea: There are two fundamental approaches in the selling of an idea that are often overlooked • The preferred Thinking Mode • And the personality profile of the decision maker

21. Illustration – Translating the Idea: Preferred Thinking Modes • Visual thinking • People whose thought processes makes pictures in their minds • Thought to be around 35% of the population • Auditory thinking • Used by people who like to listen to the way you say things – the pitch, the pace and intonation • Estimated to be 25% of the population • Kinaesthetic thinking • People who decide on ‘gut instinct’ or hunches • Accounts for the remaining 40% of the population

22. Illustration – Translating the Idea: Personality Profiles • ‘Headline’ types or ‘directors’ • Strong on leadership and control their emotions, likely to be independent, energetic, assertive and lively • Like to be in control and making decisions • ‘Illustration’ types or ‘enthusiasts’ • Strong on leadership but also willing to show emotions • Can be thought of as competitive, dynamic excitable and optimistic

23. Illustration: Translating the Idea: Personality Profiles – continued • ‘Logo’ types or ‘team players’ • Low in leadership skills, but high in showing emotions • Likely to be polite, sensitive, accurate and realistic • ‘Body copy’ types or ‘analysts’ • Low in leadership skills and also control their emotions • Perceived as thoughtful, calm, reliable and steady

24. Illustration – Keeping within brand values: Effective creativity must not compromise the brand values of the organisation or product To guard against an over- protective ‘brand guardian’, use the ‘Inoculation Effect’ By stating a potential negative to the creative idea at the outset, you effectively inoculate the proposals against being evaluated negatively by the recipient

25. Title Page: Green Light Thinking – Creative Technique

26. Green Light Thinking – Introduction: There is no magic wand for coming up with ideas, but there are a number of creative techniques • These techniques, coupled with a knowledge and understanding of the five ‘I’s can aid in the creative process • Rather than trying to learn every technique, think about the process behind each one • Test them out, see which ones you’re comfortable with using – and which are effective

27. THE CREATIVE RANGE: Safe Bet Option Extreme Option • You are not looking for the elusive ‘Big Ideas’, but rather small ideas to fit within the Creative Range • This also helps to suspend judgement because you are not automatically screening every idea, but merely filling in the Creative Range Green Light Thinking – 1. Establish the Creative Range

Anti-jargon campaign for the Village PR

28. Green Light Thinking: Work backwards from the future • Visualise the end objective and work backwards from that point Create an imaginary person • Possibly based on someone in real life, and ask ‘what would they think about this?’ Snakes and ladders • Uses the incremental nature of creativity to quickly establish an overview of a situation identifying strengths and weaknesses Using a metaphor • People can be persuaded to look at something very familiar in a new way by the metaphor technique

29. Image Page: Green Light Thinking – The Snakes and Ladders Technique: Lack of brand awareness Personality of MD Lack of brand credibility Interesting photography Competitor activity Media apathy Forthcoming events / exhibitions News value of story Limited budget Green Light Thinking – The Snakes & Ladders Technique Credit: Andy Green CIPR, Creativity in Public Relations Fourth Edition, Kogan Page

30. Green Light Thinking: Forced combinations • The Matrix Technique can help practitioners generate 36 ideas in 36 seconds. This can be extended even further by combining elements (see over) Random word technique • Good to use by yourself or in small groups. Very quickly generates a range of new connections leading to either specific ideas or suggestions The checklist (SCAMPER) technique • Alex Osborn, a pioneer of creative thinking, used a checklist of ‘change’ words to compare with the situation at hand

31. Green Light Thinking – An example of forced combinations: Ceremonies Celebrities Location Message Tape-cutting Mayor Front of building New era for company Tree planting Sports celebrity Top of building No change for company Plaque unveiling Managing Director In foyer Landmark for company Gift Oldest employee Unusual part of building Celebration of success Handshake Child In front of city landmark Commitment to customer, etc Prop Showbiz celebrity In front of company sign New products

32. Green Light Thinking: The SCAMPER Technique: • Substitute • Combine • Adapt • Modify (make bigger / smaller) • Put to other uses • Eliminate • Reverse

33. Green Light Thinking: The focusing Method • In contrast to the ‘Creative Range’, this method involves concentrating on the one key element within the situation we are working with Attribute Listing • A great technique for ensuring all possible aspects of problem are examined – it breaks the problem down into smaller and smaller bits to ensure all possible aspects of a problem are examined Paradigm Busting • A method to avoid being ‘bound’ by certain assumptions in our analysis

34. Green Light Thinking: Attribute Listing for an Annual Report The Creative Process: Components Medium Print quality Images Photographs’ subject matter Financial information Binding Existing attributes Print Full colour Throughout Photographs Board members, site locations Stock Exchange minimum Information Stapled, stitched Potential ideas Internet, audio, video, etc Printing in black & white, company colours, etc Line drawings, computer-generated imagery, etc Products in use, customers, etc Breakdown of costs of key products, etc Bound with ribbons, metal bolts in hole- punched pages, etc

35. Green Light Thinking – Attribute Listing for an Annual Report: Chart

Anti-jargon campaign for the Village PR - back of card

36. Green Light Thinking – Paradigm Busting: • Although we rely on many methods of communication in everyday life, in problem-solving situations, we too often rely too heavily on one approach • So try using different types of communication • Visually • Verbally • Numerically • Sequentially • Conceptually • Emotionally

Green Light Thinking – Providing a structure to idea generation: Using Six Hats • Edward de Bono developed the ‘Six Hats’ method, designed to break down the thought process into structured stages: • Information gathering • Idea generation • and Critical evaluation • Each stage is marked by a different coloured ‘hat’. Pictured here as six windows.

37. Green Light Thinking: Edward de Bono’s Six Hats: WHITE HAT: At the outset, focuses on the information needs. RED HAT: Represents fire & warmth of feelings. Think of any emotions, intuitions and feelings about the task & express them. GREY HAT: The stage for caution, risk assessment and criticism, where the emphasis is on what can go wrong YELLOW HAT: Characterised by a logical, positive look at the task and looking in parallel for benefits and values. GREEN HAT : Judgement is suspended and the new creative effort is focused on the search for alternatives and new ideas BLUE HAT: The ‘blue sky’ stage, which aims to establish an overview and seeks to orchestrate the thinking process.

38. Mind Mapping • 1. Start with a drawing to act as a central image (and use a selection of colours) • 2. From the original central image, order your thoughts so that they radiate out in sequence of their importance Highlight keyword in capital letters • 3. Highlight the importance of key thoughts with the thickness of lines • 4. Show further connections between your thoughts be connecting lines to each other, linking and associating ideas with loops and arrows. Use happy and sad faces for positive & negative points. • 5. Help remember by using graphic elements or words relating to the senses where possible

39. Mindmap example – Copyright: Paul Foreman www.mindmapinspiration.com

40. James Webb Young: A Technique for Producing Ideas: • An idea is a ‘new combination’ which establishes a relationship between two apparently unconnected facts • The ability to make new combinations is heightened by an ability to see relationships • He then outlines a process similar to the 5 ‘I’s: • 1. Gathering raw material – specific & general • 2. The mental digestive process • 3. Drop the subject and put it out of your mind • 4. “The idea will appear…” • 5. The cold, gray dawn of the morning after

41. Techniques for Encouraging a Creative State of Mind

The Disney Strategy • A technique inspired by Walt Disney also uses a set of distinct stages to encourage creativity • ‘Dreamer’ stage: visualise a place in front of you to step into – you are free to create without any restraints • ‘Realist’ stage: choose a different place, sift the dreams, organise them and act upon them • ‘Critic’ stage: select a place to be a critic, or to evaluate • Now you have created three places, or states of mind, as ‘anchors’ for a particular thought process, and you can visit and revisit all three places at any time

42. Stand up, Incubation Rest, low-cortical awareness break. After 40 minutes or so in a meeting, simply get everyone to stand up, and do anything different. It can include just looking out the window, playing with Lego, swapping seats, swapping gossip about next-door neighbours, etc. Some great writers testify to the merits of giving yourself a break and a change of activity – from going out for a walk, relaxing in a bath, watching a bull terrier frolic in the snow, to taking exercise. This allows for an Incubation Rest or low-cortical- awareness break, during which further illuminations are likely to emerge.

43. Title Page: Green Light Thinking: Brainstorming

44. Green Light Thinking – Brainstorming: “We tried brainstorming once, but nothing came from it. All we got was a lot of far-out ideas.” A common response to a suggestion for a brainstorming session. An umbrella term to describe the process of ‘being creative’ is ‘brainstorming’. Here it is used to describe a formal group technique to generate new ideas. Pioneered by Alex Osborn in the 1950s in his book Applied Imagination, he suggested it should follow two principles – the deferment of judgement and generating quantity of ideas breeding quality.

45. Green Light Thinking: Brainstorming – Osborn’s Rules: • Brainstormers sit in an informal setting • Brainstormers are encouraged to run wildly intellectually • No one should criticize any one else’s idea • The more unusual or crazy the idea the better • The more suggestions the better • Ideas can be combined and recombined • All brainstormers views are sought • All brainstormers are of equal status • The process of generating ideas should be separate from the process of evaluation

The inside of a cheese grater, taken in my garden with my phone, with two Lightroom presets applied.

 

The inside of a cheese grater, taken with my phone, with two Lightroom presets applied.

46. Green Light Thinking: Brainstorming – Potential Issues: The process needs someone who ‘owns’ the problem, wants to solve it, and can do something about it. Otherwise it can be a self-indulgent waste of time if the session tackles the wrong kind of problem or is unstructured. Some participants tend to be ‘wall-flowers’, while other ‘talkers’ can completely dominate the process. Pressures to conform, deference and organisational politics can influence the extent that people take part. Despite the ‘rule’ of avoiding negativity, ideas are often evaluated, with discussion switching to arguing the case rather than looking for new insights.

47. Green Light Thinking: A New Structured Brainstorming: A senior manager analyses the brief • Situation: describe task & put it into context, with the key outcome stated as clearly as possible • Problems: raised by the brief that need solving • Objectives: Identify any new issues & add to if needed • Audiences: all groups you need to reach – you can be creative by extending the target groups or being more specific & targeted • Messages: Include ones & the brief & think creatively about any you can add • Channels: communication routes to your audiences • Resources: As well as the budget outlined, is there additional funds for extra creative ideas? • Threats: competitive activity, environmental developments, consequences of inactivity

48. Green Light Thinking: A New Structured Brainstorming: Opportunities: Use specific events or topical issues to add value by linking to it): seasonality – winter / spring / summer / autumn, events – theme weeks, days, sports or political events, commemorations, exhibitions, etc. Topicality – film, television, arts or fashion, VIPs – visits, endorsements or links with an organisation. The local area – cultural strengths / weaknesses. Programme: distill strategy & ideas into a coherent campaign, followed by evaluation – think up benchmarks and measures, working creatively, and ‘illustration’ – What ideas will help to sell the programme?

49. Green Light Thinking: A New Structured Brainstorming: Establish criteria • Use Red Light Thinking to establish criteria for evaluating ideas Devise an initial plan • Draft proposal for action, if you need more ideas, circulate to colleagues before the brainstorming session. They should read asap so as to capitalize on their incubation of ideas

50. Green Light Thinking: A New Way: Structured Brainstorming Brainstorming session • Only at this stage Prepare for a brainstorming session . Grab a flipchart, coloured pens and a set of post-it notes or cards • Appoint a ‘cheerleader’ and ‘scribe’, the cheerleader encouraging outrageous ideas, and the scribe (or recording device) recording them • Use Green Light Thinking to generate ideas, allocating a set amount of time to each section of the draft PR proposal • Work through each section described in stage no.1

51. Green Light Thinking: A New Way: Structured Brainstorming: Brainstorming session / continued. If there are enough people, split them up into groups to tackle specific issues – working independently encourages competitiveness. At the outset, set a strict time limit, and stick to it. Andy Green advises on 25 minutes for an optimum brainstorming session. The next day, the coordinator follows up with all participants to gather any further ideas – again capitalising on the incubation stage. The brainstorming session invariably stimulates new thoughts and ideas after the session.

52. Red Light Thinking • The next stage is judging and evaluating the ideas. Place the criteria (established in stage no.2) alongside the ideas noted. Rather than subjectively evaluating individual ideas, the criteria help to introduce an objective appraisal Establish the plan • Using your strategy, and the relevant ideas, begin to establish the programme. Give everyone who took part in the brainstorm a copy for their feedback The Creative Process Green Light Thinking: A New Way: Structured Brainstorming

53. Green Light Thinking: A New Way: Structured Brainstorming: Gain acceptance • Bring into play the illustration stage of the creative process to gain acceptance from those you need to sell the plan to

54. Green Light Thinking: An Aside – The Nominal Group Technique: The Nominal Group Technique (from the IPR Mind Link): Stage one, generate Ideas; Stage two, share Ideas; stage three, clarify and develop the ideas; stage Four, select the best idea; stage five, check the decision; stage six: confirm or modify the decisions.

55. Ideas that are ‘Made to Stick’• The ‘spectrum of memorability’ – ‘Kidney Heist’ vs unveiling of a company strategy • The six principles of ‘sticky ideas 1. Simplicity 2. Unexpectedness 3. Concreteness 4. Credibility 5. Emotions 6. Stories

56. Red Light Thinking: Evaluating Ideas

57. Red Light Thinking: Evaluating the Ideas – An Introduction• Evaluation of the ideas is often the most critical part • Base Green Light Thinking on creation, being uninhibited in thought and stressing the positive • Red Light Thinking emphasizes judgement, reason, evaluation and where things may or may not work • Red Light Thinking focuses on what makes an idea viable, robust from potential criticism and able to survive in order to do justice to the quality of the original idea • Red Light Thinking also prevents subjective judgements of ideas (“I like that one”, “I don’t like that one”…)

58. Red Light Thinking: Evaluating Ideas – Formal Evaluation Methods: Screening Method 1 • Is the idea compatible with the brand values? • Is the idea compatible with the PR objectives and strategy? • Is it legal? • Can it be developed within a realistic budget and timescales? • Is it likely to provide added value? • Are the commitments and risks acceptable? • Does the idea have novelty or has it been used before? Red Light Thinking: Formal Evaluation Methods

Four camels demonstrating their creativity in public relations.

59. Red Light Thinking: Evaluating Ideas – Formal Evaluation Methods: Screening Method 2 • Immediately put into action realistic ideas or themes • Intriguing ideas that are still embryonic but that have potential as a starting point for thinking about at a later stage • No-hopers

60. Red Light Thinking: Evaluating Ideas – Formal Evaluation Methods: Second Stage Screening • More detailed screening is possible • Rate the ideas against a specific range of objectives such as ability to promote a certain message • The criteria should be divided between ‘Essential’ and ‘Desirable’ • rate the elements 1-10 under ‘Essential’ and ‘Desirable’ • From these figures, it is possible to establish a scoring system for the ideas and come up with a solution based on the highest score

61. Red Light Thinking: Evaluating Ideas – Benjamin Franklin’s ‘Prudential Algebra’ Technique: • Divide a sheet of paper into two columns with the word ‘Pro’ at the head of one column and ‘Con’ heading the other “..I put down under the different heads short hints that at different times occur to me, for or against the measure. I endeavor to estimate their respective weights; and where I find two (one on each side) that seem equal, I strike them both out … Thus proceeding, I find at length where the balance lies…I come to decision accordingly.” Benjamin Franklin

62. Red Light Thinking: External Evaluation Red Light Thinking: Evaluating Ideas: • Ask a member of your target audience their opinion • Run ideas past a journalist • Consider who you can develop a ‘beta test’ relationship with • Formal external groups representing members of the target audience • YOU decide

63. Title page: Obstacles to Creativity

64. Obstacles to Creativity and Idea Generation: The nature of the problem • Poor Green Light Thinking in the creative process • Overcoming the fear of looking foolish • An intolerance of ambiguity • A preference for judging ideas rather than generating them • A belief that we are not creative • Use of poor creative problem-solving techniques • Stress • Laziness or lack of effort • Habit (the ‘we’ve always done it this way’ syndrome) • A functional fixation • The ‘early bird’ syndrome

65. Obstacles to Creativity and Idea Generation: • Poor Red Light Thinking in the creative process • Confirmation bias • Lack of motivation • Following the rules excessively • A focus on the downside rather than the quality of an idea • An overreliance on logic • Lack of consultation • Excessive reliance on external resources • Emphasis on doing rather than thinking • Being critical or negative • The insecurities of the expert • Poor management of the creative process

66. Obstacles to Idea Generation – Potential Obstacles in the Creative Process: Stage in Creative Process Potential Obstacles Information – Insufficient information to provide raw material of elements to combine and recombine. Failure to define the problem in an ill-structured situation. Incubation – Not enough time for incubation. Illumination – Poor Green Light thinking skills. – Failure to recognise and record illuminations. Integration – Poor Red Light thinking skills in sifting ideas, analysing their qualities and identifying their added value. – Poor technical and professional skills, which can hamper translation of ideas into reality. – The context may be inappropriate for the idea – an idea may be ahead of its time, or overtaken by events. – Poor organisational skills, resulting in the quality of the ideas not being matched by the calibre of the practical application. Illustration – Poor technical; professional and presentation skills, which can undermine the inherent qualities of the idea. As a result, the concept may fail to gain necessary approval from decision makers.

67. The Creative Individual

I wonder if he's being creative, despite his severe airbrushing.

1. Be uncomfortable – Change your attitude – Limit the risk – Reframing 2. Be a pig, a mule, and a Zebedee 3. Have a role model and a positive anchor 4. Overflowing your jug – Read as many newspapers as possible – Consume a variety of media – And enjoy a variety of experiences, people, and perspectives 5. Take your hunches for lunch

68. The Creative Individual: 6. Work, work and work 7. Parlez PR 8. See the paradox of situations 9. Speak the language of the positive 10. Keep clear goals in mind

69. Summary

• Having read this presentation, you should be equipped with: • A working definition of creativity • An understanding of the nature of creativity • An awareness of the creative process and how to manage it to optimum effect • Ways of overcoming obstacles that limit your creative abilities • A knowledge of Green Light and Red Light thinking • An appreciation of the ingredients that make up the ‘creative individual’

70. About Bill Hunt

I have spent 25 years in public relations, primarily in large agencies including BCW, Hill & Knowlton Strategies and HAVAS PR. I’ve held the position of Creative and / or Digital Director for HAVAS PR, The Village PR and Catalysis. Past ideas include a 7ft drag queen touring clubs to promote a camera for Nikon, having Helen Fielding write the intro to a press release as ‘Bridget Jones’ and sending Bertie Bassett to Sotheby’s to bid on old box of Liquorice Allsorts. I also suggested shooting branded dwarves into the River Thames to launch a mobile game. That idea went nowhere. I now work in the UK as an independent consultant advising agencies and clients.

71. A Quick Note: I have compiled this presentation having read many books on the subject, but much of the credit must go to Andy Green, and his excellent book ‘Creativity in Public Relations’. To get hold of this PR bible containing all you need to know, please click here, or here to buy the ebook. • If I have used your material without attribution, and would like me to add a reference to your book or article, or publish your article to accompany this presentation, please get in touch with me: bill[at]topdogpr.com

72. Go make some ideas. Then join me at topdogpr.com.

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Hidden Features of iOS 13

iOS 13 Hidden Features

2019 welcomed the 13th version of Apple’s operating system for iPhones, the iPod Touch and iPads. It appeared on devices around the world on 19th September. And it was quite a substantial update. Having updated from an ancient iPhone 6s to the new  iPhone 11, I was keen to research all the new features, and this post is for anyone with a life who hasn’t time to explore the ins and outs of their new device.

As of Sunday 6th October, Apple has released patches bringing us to version 13.1.2 which hopefully means the majority of bugs have ironed out.

And, with the upgrade from an old iPhone, the first thing I missed was the ‘home’ button. But the good news is that you can add your own ‘virtual home button. See the video and instructions below for exactly how.

Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > and turn ‘Assistive Touch’ on. Hey presto, the virtual home button appears. As you can see from the video, it can be postponed pretty much anywhere on the screen.

And, as you can also see, you can customise your button to add more icons and sub-commands. Most reassuring is that the quick double-tap still allows you quickly flip between apps, and close any that are not in use.

The second useful feature is one that I used to record the video above. You set it going in the control panel, it gives you a 3 second countdown, and then begins recording. 

To add screen recording to your control panel, go to Settings > Control Centre, and scroll down the list to ‘screen recording’. Access your control panel by swiping down on the upper right of your home screen, and the button, in white with the red button (while recording) will now be added.

Probably one of the most popular features of iOS 13 is the ability to silence unknown callers. That means no more cowboys trying to sell you PPI, call centre staff telling you that you’re entitled to compensation for an accident that never happened, or annoying record messages telling you that your Internet is about to be cut off.

To enable this feature…

Go to Settings > Phone, scroll down and flick the ‘Silence Unknown Callers’ button to on.

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Filming and Editing Apps and Kit For Your New iPhone 11 Pro or 11 Pro Max

Filming on the iPhone Pro and Pro Max

In my last article, I looked at the picture taking and editing abilities of the new iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max.

Many amateur and professional filmmakers are excited about the arrival of the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max, and with the combination of the three lenses, the fast and powerful processor and a selection of new filming and editing apps, the new models are likely to make a genuine impact on how films are made and edited. There is already a list of films made entirely on the iPhone, and this looks set to increase.

This article will look at the capabilities of the native iOS camera, compared to the leading film making app, Filmic Pro, and also compare the native editing app iMovie with one of the leading paid-for alternatives, Lumafusion. 

I was also keen to compare the inbuilt iPhone microphones with those aimed at professional filmmakers, so have reviewed the RØDE i-XY Lightning Stereo Microphone for iPhone and iPad, as well as the Sennheiser MKE 2 omni-directional clip-on lavalier microphone.

Starting with the native iOS cameras, the quality of the footage – as you would expect – is excellent. The only bugbear could be regarded as the occasional ‘jolt’ as the iPhone switches filming from one lens to another. This is evident in the following clip, but as you can see, I was zooming in and out incredibly fast – at a speed unlikely to come into play in everyday use.

That said, the inbuilt iOS video has a lot to be said to for it. The automatic video stabilisation is incredible, and the ability to add ‘soundtracks’ which are included in the iMovie app, which can not only match the pitch and theme of your video, but also automatically cut off at the end of your clip is a massive bonus. Gone are the days of having clips removed from YouTube or Facebook for potential copyright infringement. An example of one such soundtrack has been added to the video below, again shot on the native iOS cameras.

And the native iOS video is no slouch when it comes to speed. The next video shows a more realistic demonstration of the phone’s ability to switch between lenses – this time at a more realistic rate. Again, using one of the iPhone’s included ‘soundtracks’, what better way to test a camera’s speed ability than a loony bull terrier running around with a bottle?!

The next video also demonstrates the incredible stabilisation of the native video app, along with the inbuilt microphone.

And one final demonstration of  audio recorded, this time with me speaking from behind the camera. Perhaps a demonstration  that, for vloggers, for example, an external microphone might not be essential.

It should be obvious that I’m a big fan of the iOS video capabilities. But there are certain limitations if you are professional film maker, such as the level of manual control you have over what is being filmed. This is why I was happy to buy Filmic Pro, a highly respected filmmakers app. The pitch for the app is as follows: “FiLMiC Pro v6 is the most advanced video camera for mobile. Ever. FiLMiC Pro has been enhanced with cutting-edge capabilities and the most responsive manual camera interface available…Used in more high profile video projects than any other video app.” You may remember top bods from Filmic Pro teaming up with the Apple big cheeses to blow their trumpets in unison about the video ability of the new devices at the September Apple event announcing the new phones:

But it doesn’t come cheap (I wouldn’t expect it to) at £14.99, and, once purchased, there is an ‘in-app’ purchase of the ‘cinematographer’s kit‘ for an additional £13.99. 

However, judging by one or two scathing reviews, it should be pointed out that what could be argued as the ‘main feature’ – namely the ability to shoot with all four cameras and record four live feeds – is not available on the current version, and there is speculation (that could be completely unfounded) that Filmic Pro may charge for this feature to be added when it does become available. This video is also worth watching for some observations about the use of the iPhone Pro lenses.

Nonetheless, let’s take a closer look. Here is the quick start guide to Filmic Pro, and the full user guide if you’d like to take a more in-depth look. And here, recorded on my iPhone, is how the Filmic Pro interface looks whilst in operation. As you see, I clicked on each of the menu items to give you an idea of what is available from within the app right now.

Music for the above video provided by the very talented Josh Woodward.

And so on to external microphones you might like to consider for your professional grade film making. The first is the Sennheiser MKE Digital clip-on mike, which comes with a wind shield for outdoor interviewing.

Sennheiser MKE 2 Digital Lavalier Microphone

The pitch for the microphone is as follows: ‘The MKE 2 digital is a professional solution for mobile recording. Whether videos, recording or interviews: With its wide range of applications, the MKE 2 plug-in microphone is already regarded as a legend for large- and small-scale productions. While delivering top-quality musical images for speech and song, its tandem membrane provides it with a high degree of robustness against all environmental influences. The condenser microphone is connected via Lightning to modern iOS devices – allowing the jack socket to remain free for monitoring headphones as needed. An external converter from the Apogee high-end forge undertakes the digital signal conversion. With 96 kHz and 24 bit, the signal surpasses any CD quality available.’ And here’s a short video about the mic: 

With only Tilly the bull terrier in the house, my choices of interviewee were slightly restricted – short of going next-door to interview Derek about the waterproofing he uses to prevent moss growing on his roof, so I made a short video of my Apple Watch using the microphone instead (using Filmic Pro):

The Sennheiser MKE 2 Digital Clip on lapel microphone is available here.

RØDE i-XY Lightning Stereo Microphone

The second microphone I put to the test is the RØDE i-XY Lightning Stereo Microphone. Attaching straight into the iPhone’s Lightning connector, the microphone is excellent at picking up all ambient sound, in stereo. As you can see, it comes with a wind shield, along with a number of ‘clamps’ with which to attach it to your iPhone or iPad.

Here is a video to demonstrate the microphones’s stereo capabalities:

And finally, a video of the RØDE i-XY Lightning Stereo Microphone used indoors (so without the use of the wind shield).

The RØDE i-XY Lightning Stereo Microphone is available here.

Lumofusion on the iPhone Pro Max

If you’re looking for excellent on-device editing, look no further than Lumafusion. Again, not cheap, at £28.99, but Lumafusion is a great match for Filmic Pro, offering many more features than the native iMovie.

And with both apps, you’ll find a stack of YouTube tutorials for both Filmic Pro and Lumafusion.

You’ll find great advice on all aspects of Lumofusion editing  and excellent guides at Primal Video.

Finally, what film maker is complete without a decent gimbal? And this one is so new that it’s just left Kickstarter mode to go into full production.

SMOOTH-Q2 by ZHIYUN
Smooth Q2

The Zhiyun Smooth-Q2 is quite simply the smallest gimbal soon-to-be-on-the-market. With an acclaimed track record in the quality manufacture of gimbals, the Smooth Q2 has caused a genuine stir in the market, and has received nothing but glowing reviews when put alongside its competition.

Check out out a few:

Update: 6th November 2019: My Zhiyun Smooth -Q2 gimbal has now arrived, and it’s very impressive indeed. I haven’t had the opportunity to test every feature, and I look forward to watching the vast array of customer experience and tutorial videos already on YouTube. There’s obviously plenty to learn, and I’m looking forward to exploring every feature.

And it is these ‘added features’ that make the gimbal a worthwhile investment for the semi-professional filmmaker (along with the fact that it really does fit comfortably into a pocket), because as has been demonstrated, the inbuilt stabilisation of the iPhone 11 Pro Max is already mind-blowingly good.

And I must admit, if I hadn’t have snaffled one at the bargain basement price on Kickstarter, I may have thought twice about coughing up the full RRP which it is now on sale at on Amazon and similar sites.

Nonetheless, below is my very first effort using the gimbal at it’s most basic level. Don’t expect anything too exciting. It’s a dog walk in our local wood, not The Silence of the Lambs.

The only other kit to mention that will be of interest to the iPhone film maker is the anamorphic lens. Anamorphic lenses provide a means to capture a 2.39:1 ratio without having to make that sacrifice in resolution, adding a unique cinematic look to your iPhone videos.

There are three main players in the market for producing quality anamorphic lenses – Moondog Labs, Sandmarc and Moment (there are also a few versions available on eBay, which have received mixed reviews).

All of the manufacturers are falling over themselves to produce the first anamorphic lenses that will fit the unique lens configuration of the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max lenses, and Sandmarc look to be the first off the mark, indicating that the first iPhone 11 Pro anamorphic lenses will be available to ship at the end of October.

Here is Sandmarc’s introduction to filming with an anamorphic lens:

In a future post, I’ll be looking at some of the hidden features of the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max.

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iPhone 11 / Pro / Max Best Apps, Hidden Features & Kit

iPhone 11 Pro / Max Tips

All hail the new Apple iPhones! It seems universally accepted that the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max are set to transform both professional and amateur filmmaking and photography.

This next series of articles are intended to outline my experience with the new phone, to advise anyone thinking of buying one and to point owners towards some potentially useful apps, accessories and hidden features. 

Many articles have focused on whether the added features justify the steep financial outlay, particularly for owners of the iPhone X, XR and XS. For me, the owner of an ancient 6s, it was a no-brainer.

The New Apple iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max

And upgrading from such an early model, the contrast is immediate – and very exciting. The screen is large, bright and crisp, the battery life is impressive, and the picture quality, although not matching the crispness and clarity of my Leica, is great – and perfectly adequate for most professional purposes, perhaps unless you’re intending to print out huge posters.

From a humble but very capable mobile phone, I now have a very useful work tool that is capable of replacing a professional grade digital audio recorder, a 4K digital camcorder and gives my full-frame 35mm £4k Leica stills camera a run for its money.

iPhone 6s with Mophie Juice Pack

It’s early days, and I have a huge amount of learning to do, both about the optimal use of the device itself, and the amazing array of photography, filming and editing apps which I’m confident will increase my workflow, productivity and ultimately unleash the potential for some quality creative film making.

A plethora of articles describing the features of the phone already exist, so I’ll keep this section brief.

Here are the essentials:

  • iPhone 11 Pro
  • Super Retina XDR display
  • 5.8-inch (diagonal) all-screen OLED Multi‑Touch display
  • HDR display
  • 2436×1125-pixel resolution at 458 ppi
  • 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio (typical)
  • iPhone Pro Max
  • Super Retina XDR display
  • 6.5-inch (diagonal) all-screen OLED Multi‑Touch display
  • HDR display
  • 2688×1242-pixel resolution at 458 ppi
  • 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio (typical)

Useful iOS 13 iPhone 11 Apps

iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max hidden features

It’s also worth knowing:

  • Wide: ƒ/1.8 aperture
  • Telephoto: ƒ/2.0 aperture
  • 2x optical zoom in, 2x optical zoom out; digital zoom up to 10x
  • Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control
  • Portrait Lighting with six effects (Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High-Key Light Mono)
  • Dual optical image stabilisation (Wide and Telephoto)
  • Five‑element lens (Ultra Wide); six-element lens (Wide and Telephoto)
  • Brighter True Tone flash with slow sync
  • Panorama (up to 63MP)
  • 100% Focus Pixels (Wide)
  • Night mode
  • Auto Adjustments
  • Next‑generation Smart HDR for photos
  • Wide colour capture for photos and Live Photos
  • Advanced red‑eye correction
  • Photo geotagging
  • Auto image stabilisation
  • Burst mode
  • Image formats captured: HEIF and JPEG

To sum up, the combination of the A13 bionic chip set, the three 12 megapixel utrawide, prime and telephoto lenses and very powerful editing apps make the device a genuine powerhouse. All the technical specifications can be found on the Apple website. So, in terms of advice on whether an upgrade is right for you, I would say that would ultimately depend on your current model, your intended uses of the phone, and , of course, the size of your piggy bank.

1. iPhone 11 Photography and Picture Editing Apps

Camera Plus
Camera Plus is an excellent addition to the iOS native camera app. As well giving you control over manual focus, shutter speed, white balance and other controls, it has its own powerful photo editor. It also offers macro photography, cinematic video recording and remote control from your Apple Watch. All this for a snap at 99c, with in-app purchases. 

An iOS upgrade which has caused a stir with Apple commentators throughout the land is the brand new High-Key Mono Portrait Lighting effect in iOS 13. You Simply preset the native camera app to ‘high-key’ (the last button on the rotary dial in portrait mode), point your iPhone at a (human) face, and when iOS detects a face, it lets you know if you’re in a suitable position to take the shot, and then instantly blanks out the background to let you know it’s ready to shoot, giving the resulting image an impressive studio lit style. My mother kindly posed for me in her kitchen for the picture below. I’m gutted the feature doesn’t also recognise the faces of dogs. WHAT were you thinking Apple?!

High-Key Mono Portrait Lighting Effect iOS 13

Equally impressive is iOS 13’s ‘Night Mode’, another brand new feature. Night Mode magically lights up even the darkest scenes by taking a series of shots and picking out the clearest details from each to form a reasonably crisp image that looks as if it was taken in decently lit twilight. The two images below were both taken at 11pm in almost complete darkness, with no lighting apart from the small garden lights you see pictured.

iOS 13 Night Mode
iOs 13 Night Mode

Another slick feature of the iOS 13 camera app is its ability to almost seamlessly switch to shooting from the utrawide lens right through ‘prime’ to the zoom lens whilst in video mode.

Dark Room
Dark Room is a very useful, and incredibly intuitive photo manipulation app. Free to try, and £9.99 to unlock ‘all features’ – including the ability to export your altered images, With Lightroom-like features, the app enables you to adjust curves, white balance, crop, or apply filters individually, or in batches. Here is Tilly given the Dark Room treatment.

Dark Room for the iPhone

RNI Films
I remember back in 2014 when I bought my iPhone 6s, that apps that mimicked vintage film camera effects were all the rage. And most of them were pretty useless.

Fortunately this is not the case with RNI Films that offers real film simulation for mobile photographers. They did this by “digitizing their library of analog slides and negatives, building their profiles and packaging those profiles into a lightweight and easy to use mobile application.” And the results are very impressive indeed. Below, perfect ad placement I walked past yesterday in Poole, given the RNI Films treatment.

RNI Films for iOS

Sadly, 2018 saw the end of support for Aviary, and it is no longer available from the App Store or the Android store. However, if you’ve ever downloaded Aviary in the past, you can easily update the app on iOS 13. As it’s no longer available and there are apps that perform in a similar way, albeit not as elegantly, I won’t dwell on a review. But like me, Tilly, bids a sad goodbye to a great app.

goodbye Aviary

Yet another great feature of iOS 13 is the bokeh achievable, particularly when using the ‘portrait’ mode. But if the inbuilt bokeh is not up to your standards, then download Focos and, after a brief but sophisticated transformation process, your picture can closely resemble that of a professional camera with a large aperture.

Tilly processed with Focos

Another more basic app to mimic bokeh is AfterFocus. I’ve been a fan since the iPhone 6s release, and think it does a great job. Forget the Photoshop lasso and a slew of blurring effects, just run your finger around what needs to be in sharp focus, then in mid-focus, apply any one of a range of funky filters, and you’re in bokeh heaven. A much more basic version of Focos, Afterfocus is easy to use. For both apps, if you’re importing a picture to transform rather than taking it on your iPhone, it really helps to work with with as large a file as possible to get the best results.

AfterFocus App for iPhone

If it’s a basic ‘one-touch’ interface you’re looking for, Enlight Quickshot offers a huge range of filters. Many are verging on the ‘Snapchat‘, but there are also some interesting and quirky choices, such as the ability to add rain indoors, lens flare, a choice of skies, fireworks, etc. Some are a little more sophisticated, providing Lightroom-like colour and black and white filters at the touch of a button. But these effects come at a price, with Quickshot priced at £3.39 a month, £23.49 for twelve months, or a one-off payment of £54.99. This might sound steep, but any alternative that offers a one-off payment without tying you into a monthly subscription is worth a look. 

Quickshot filters

If you’re a fan of the Leica M Monochrom, you might also like the next app. SimplyB&W is a free app that offers some simple but very effective monochrome effects. These include the colour gradient toning filters, an impressive polariser, and the ability to add both a grain and vignette effect. 

Simply&W - garden
SimplyB&W Tilly

Finally, a very capable app which can both take and edit pictures with more filters than you can shake a stick at is VSCO, which pairs ease of taking pictures with editing. Around since 2014, the app received almost universal acclaim, but has recently encountered some criticism for removing the ability to save pictures within the app itself, instead exporting them to the native camera roll, and also for introducing an annual premium subscription cost of £19.99.

Father - VSCO

If you can recommend any apps, kit or features for the new iPhones, or just have an observation, please leave a comment below.

Please come back soon for a look at the very best video filming and editing apps, and for recommendations on essential kit for the iOS filmmaker.

 

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Ghosts of the Past – Munich

If you’ve seen my Auschwitz site, you’ll probably know I have an interest in history.

Last week I came across this post on Gizmodo, where a photographer had combined present day images with the same scenes from World War II. I thought the idea was complete genius, and as I’m living in Munich, an area where events took place that shaped world history, I thought I’d have a go.

Munich Ghosts of the Past
Munich Ghosts of the Past
Munich Ghosts of the Past
Munich Ghosts of the Past
Munich Ghosts of the Past
Munich Ghosts of the Past
Munich Ghosts of the Past
Munich Ghosts of the Past
Munich Ghosts of the Past
Munich Ghosts of the Past
Munich Ghosts of the Past
Munich Ghosts of the Past
Munich Ghosts of the Past
Munich Ghosts of the Past
Munich Ghosts of the Past
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An Interview with Oscar Udeshi

Oscar Udeshi was the youngest Chairman of the British Menswear Guild. He’s also a very nice chap. I paid a visit to talk to him about the thinking behind his clothing, his background, and his views on ‘traditional tailoring’. Being a gentleman, he suggested we did the interview over a coffee at his private member’s club on Berkeley Square, and having forgotten to bring along his business card, we gained entry by him showing the lady on reception his name on the label in his jacket.

I was impressed.

How would you sum up Oscar Udeshi in a few words?
Probably the ‘thinking man’s designer’, we make clothing for somebody that wants something a little different, but different for the right reasons, as opposed to a purple suit. So it’s more about the whole impression, the total look, but also the individual elements, the small details that make it up, that give it little bit of a twist, or that individuality.

Tell me more these ‘details’…
Well for example, all our cuffs on our jackets are functioning, like in the old days; we still have a lapel loop under the lapel for a flower. You probably won’t use it, but it’s nice to know it’s there. The inside of our jackets have a perspiration pad so that you perspire into that, as opposed to onto the lining, so you don’t get the lining staining. Or, for example, I watch way too many James Bond films, and so we have a red under-gauntlet as a little detail. We have pentagonal gussets which are little strips of fabric folded into pentagons on the side-seam of our shirts to enforce it, so it doesn’t rip there. Its little things like that that add up to a bigger picture. It’s like looking at an attractive woman and you know she’s attractive but you don’t exactly know why and then you notice the individual elements that make it up.

Men’s clothing generally tends to be a little bit more discreet – you have some of course, who run around in skirts, but given a very narrow field or narrow frame of which you can do things or which things are permissible, it’s quite hard to express your individuality into that – rather restrictive and confining, but for me I find it challenging because you only have so many elements you can change – for example we’re still wearing trousers – we’re not going to count skirts …

Apart from Jean Paul Gaultier…?
Exactly…nothing wrong with that, that’s a different look, it doesn’t look necessarily appropriate in a corporate environment – unless you’re in Scotland, but even then…!  So you have long and short trousers, short and long sleeves, a sweater, a jacket and a coat – and a coat being a longer jacket. That’s more or less it, that’s all you have to play with so you have to play with the individual elements and details that you have at your disposal.

What’s your opinion on the traditional Savile Row tailoring, and how would you say yours differs?
The traditional Savile Row tailoring is, as you say relatively ‘traditional’. I don’t think it really has evolved – and it shouldn’t necessarily evolve either, as much. There’s a correct way and a wrong way of making a suit, for example, and, yes, they do it correctly, but sometimes it misses that ‘flair’, that overall look, because the tailor will be concerned about making a suit fit properly, whereas what I do, and what I look at is more of a system of making the suit work in context with the person, with the shirt, with the tie, with his requirements, with his needs, with his lifestyle. And it’s putting all those elements together that differentiates our clothing.

Also, it’s a little bit younger. We have a slightly more suppressed waist, we don’t over-pad our shoulders. Our look is hopefully a little bit younger and more dynamic than a traditional, typical or perceived stuffy Savile Row suit. If it wasn’t there wouldn’t a reason for people to come to me. You have to offer a USP.

Oscar Udeshi jacket

And speaking of people who come to you, who would you say is your typical customer?
Somebody who is pigheaded. We drew up a business plan and said we were supposed to have this and that… the only common point I can see is that they are individuals. They are not one of these ‘me-too’ people. We don’t have too many accountants. We have people who are at the top of their game, be it in the creative industry, or in finance, who want to make a change, who see things differently. We don’t have too many ‘me-too’ people. And they want to express themselves also through their clothing, but in a discreet, subtle kind of way. Our youngest customer is 16 and our oldest, I think, is 84 – but it’s the mindset they have in common, that’s probably what draws them to us.

Have you noticed your customer base change, for example has it being getting younger over the years you’ve been trading?
Don’t forget I’ve been getting older! Supposedly, I’m not quite sure how, but we come across as intimidating to some people, and so our customer base has probably stayed the same, or has kind of matured with us. So the average customer (if there is such a thing), will come to us about 26 – 30, and then will hopefully grow with us. But, because of what we do with this curious hybrid between tailoring and fashion – which I think is the next big market, which is relatively untapped, we also find new fans every day; because not everyone wants a stuffy, traditional suit and not everyone can wear a ‘fashion suit’, be it a Dolce & Gabbana, a Tom Brown or Tom Ford. And that middle line, that tightrope that we straddle, I think we do quite well and there aren’t many other people that do that, so I think that’s one thing that makes us different.

Cheesy question, perhaps, but what inspires you?
Well, I can give the cheesy answer – ‘my client’. Which, in certain circumstances he actually does. A client and friend of mine kept having to go to weddings, and in the evenings kept having to wear dinner shirts and he kept forgetting his studs, or misplacing one of the four studs, or one of his cufflinks, or something else. And he got rather fed up about this. He said ‘can you please make me a dinner shirt that still looks smart, that looks like a dinner shirt, that is a dinner shirt, but doesn’t have anything I can lose?’ So, I thought ‘ok…’. So he only had some cocktail cuffs, otherwise known as James Bond cuffs, which are two button turn-back cuffs that look like French cuffs – so that was one, and with a fly-front, with a traditional Marcella bib front, which is also technically correct. So, by doing those two things we eliminated the studs or the cufflinks that he kept losing or misplacing, so just by that we’ve already offered something different. We’re just tweaking the rules slightly.

“Also, because I used to be one of our ‘clients’, so to speak, because I couldn’t find what I wanted in the stores, which is why I had to make it myself. In my lifestyle, and that of my clients, I constantly see things that I hope I can do better, for example, like the jeans I’m wearing now, we call our heritage jeans, they have a button fly – nothing special about that, have seam pockets which are a little bit more discreet, and side-adjusters, because I hate belts, and keep losing my belts. And, if I’m travelling, I’m that anal (and so are some of my clients), you know one day wearing a black pair of shoes, and the next day a pair of brown shoes, then you have to carry two pairs of shoes – and two belts. Faff, hassle. So instead, side adjusters – because the way jeans were originally made, because belt loops only came around at the turn of the century, but jeans were made before that, we’re going back to that tradition, that heritage, but on something that you can’t buy nowadays, because you can’t buy jeans with side-adjusters, they all come with belt loops.

And on Savile Row, we always maintain that a belt is for trousers that don’t fit – because if they did fit, you wouldn’t need a belt.

To expand a little on what inspires me, I’m very much into the form follows function of the Bauhaus Group, and of that era. It might look rather stark now, but if you look at it in the context of when it was created, it was a reaction to everything else that was there beforehand. Overly pompous, stuffy cushions, dodgy wallpaper and what have you. And pairing it down to that minimalism, I wouldn’t go as far as what Jil Sander traditionally did, which was just monotone playing with the subtle variations of texture – ours is not that basic, but it’s still hopefully very sleek, and what we do, hopefully very sexy, but still clean. So you’ll notice somebody who’s wearing a great outfit, but you won’t necessarily be able to pick up all the elements at once. It’ll just slowly grow on you, like the very cute girl next door. ‘That’s an interesting jacket – ah he’s got five buttons on the cuff, oh he’s just got a flash of red there, oh the lapel’s shaped slightly different, oh that fits the shoulders well, oh that shirt has got unusual buttons…’ it’s just pulling on those elements. So I guess its architecture, and I’m sorry, I’m a ‘car nut’, specifically racing cars – where form has to follow function. You don’t do it to make the car look pretty; you do it to make the car go as fast as possible.

And so these elements, and how things are built up, inspires me in the system I use for creating clothes. Usually we don’t put in unnecessary detail, or just for decorative purposes, it actually has to do something.  

You touched upon it then, but can you expand on what led you from the world of banking to what you do now? And also, is it true that you used to own fifty suits, and if so where did you buy them from?
I owned 80 ties, 200 shirts, and yes, unfortunately 50 suits. I started off at the low end, buying things off the rack, realising that wasn’t going to work. I inherited my mother’s bottom, so I had to buy a 38” jacket and trousers from a 40” suit – which doesn’t work. So, I first thought I was weird, and then realised no, they were just cut too small – everyone had the same problem back then. And then I had things made for me badly, and then things made for me to a higher level. I still wasn’t happy, and of course, I was a genius, and thought ‘this is easy, I can do this better!’…it took a while, but hopefully I’ve got there!

Oscar Udeshi Scarf

“And so over time, it is easily collected. I had a black velvet suit; I had a navy blue chalk stripe six button double-breasted suit. I actually wore that … and I look at it now and go ‘what was I thinking?’ And you make your mistakes at the beginning, like everybody does. It’s probably like trying to kiss a girl for the first time – you probably miss by miles! But, I thought I need to have this chalk stripe velvet suit! And so easily enough, fifty came together.

Shirts were one of my passions, and probably why I started, because I like shirts with double cuffs –not difficult to find; with rounded collar points – very difficult to find, and so that’s how I started having things made for me.

And do you miss the world of banking?
Let me think about this….. No way! Life is too short, and I realised there’s more to life than money, and I just wasn’t happy. I also realised at a very early age, I guess I have to be very thankful for having rather incompetent bosses at the time, that I was unemployable. I could not work for other people; I’m too much of an individual, or as the French say, caractère (which is something negative). I have my own ideas, my own ways of doing things for good or for bad, maybe call it maverick. And that’s how I got in to what I was doing, and didn’t miss banking at all. I missed the money initially, but that’s about it. I look at the quality of life I have now, versus friends and former colleagues of mine, and what they have now, and I wouldn’t change it for a second.

I’m very fortunate that, at a relatively early age, I found what I wanted to do. Some people go through their whole lives and in their 60s wake up going ‘oh…that was it…?’

I also had a car accident when I was back in banking. My life didn’t flash before my eyes, but I thought what if it did? And at that point I realised, no, I want to do something else. So thankfully, I had that push, that not everyone does.

You were the youngest Chairman of the British Menswear Guild. How did you get the position?
The British Menswear Guild is the trade body that was at the time, and still is, working with the Pitti Uomo show in Florence where we exhibited. And the more shows we did, and the more visits to the show – I think over seven or eight years, the more I became involved with the guild. The chairman rotates every two years, you become vice-chairman for two years, then you become chairman for two years, and then the baton gets passed onto the next person. And I guess my enthusiasm, or my wish or desire not to take things at face value or the status quo, and the desire to change things and shake them up a little bit, caught their interest. I was nominated as vice-chairman, and then became chairman.

Oscar Udeshi Coat

And what did the role involve?
It involved being the spokesperson or representative for the guild, from a press point of view in the UK and abroad, being an ambassador for the brands in the guild, towards the press, towards Pitti Uomo, to advertising publications. Representing the guild at various functions, be that Buckingham Palace, St James’ Palace, and also giving the members feedback on what we should be doing, looking at the various developments, and guiding it forward, having celebrated fifty years of British menswear.

We’ve already touched on it, but could you tell me your predictions, be it in terms of the crossover of tailoring and fashion, but also looking forward, what do you see as being the big changes in the industry?
Tailoring and fashion. This only happened fairly recently. Gucci was offering a made to measure service, which it didn’t before, Giorgio Armani has as well, Boss has upgraded its production for its Selection line, so there is a move from the fashion brands to try and capture the tailoring market. Unfortunately, maybe because of poor publicity or just incompetent staff, or whatever, that hasn’t necessarily quite caught on as well as I feel it should. For example, Gucci had a personalisation program that could personalise everything – I think that’s just died. And because you have Joe Bloggs of average build or size, and feels or desires he wants made-to-measure, if you don’t have the correct stuff there, or if you’re dealing with a production line – because these aren’t tailor made – they just don’t fit. I mean I’ve seen some people that walk in, and I shake my head, thinking ‘you paid money for that?’

And then, on the flipside, you have the traditional brands, or who are perceived as high tailoring houses, such as Brioni – they have the traditional silhouette, and yes, the suit fits, but it isn’t necessarily that flattering or appealing. And this is where I feel a company like ours can successfully bridge the gap between the two. I’m not sure if it’s a uniquely British phenomenon, because you also have in the same ilk, or sorts, not exactly, in my generation and the one before me, would be Timothy Everest, Richard James, Ozwald Boateng, possibly Mark Powell; but if you look abroad to Europe, there are very few companies who do what we do. Dior tends to be too forward or too extreme, and in the States you have Tom Brown, which is not really that wearable, and the clothes aren’t necessarily that great, but it is perceived as such.  And now you’ve got the Italian American version with Tom Ford’s range which tends to be a little bit more extreme, but to have something like Tom Ford’s line ten years ago, wouldn’t necessarily have been possible, or Tom Brown for that matter.

Oscar Udeshi Cuff

We, I think are at the right point in time, we have the zeitgeist where people will see the value in investing in a suit, see the value of investing in a wardrobe – it doesn’t necessarily have to be suits. Especially in a recession, people tend to dress up, but they don’t want to look like everybody else – they don’t want to stand out wearing a purple suit, but they do want to express some sort of individuality and say ‘look at me, I can deliver’ – be they a private banker, or working in hedge funds – ‘I’ve got that confidence, I’ve got that trust, you should trust me – you can see how I’ve put myself together’.

If you go to a bank manager, and he’s wearing sneakers, or his shirt is not tucked in, and he’s trying to sell you something, would you buy something from him, or somebody who is actually well put together and shows they’ve actually spent the five minutes to put himself together and has respect for the client. To actually come prepared, like you have with your questions, gives a much more professional experience and it just inspires more confidence. Unfortunately, and this is probably one of the reasons why I also got into this business, people judge you on first impressions. They shouldn’t, but they do. To stereotype is human nature, and you’re not going to take away thousands of years of conditioning. So, this is why women dress the way they do, and my clients dress the way they do.

Oscar Udeshi Shirt

This touches on a comment you made earlier, contrasting the Savile Row experience, where you said something along the lines of the fact that you prefer to dress ‘the whole individual’ rather than simply making a suit?
If you imagine going into a restaurant and ordering one course, steak and chips, or Chinese, whatever you want, you can have that one element, that will probably be very good, but I feel a meal, or the experience, or the total effect, will be much more enjoyable, pleasurable and positive if you also look at what you’re having as a starter, a main course, a dessert, what wine would complement it, who you’re having your meal with, what kind of ambience is it, what time of year is it – so if it’s in the middle of winter, you’re not going to be necessarily drinking a white wine or Rosé with ice cubes in it, whereas if you are in the South of France where it’s 30 degrees, you’re unlikely to have a big roast, you’d probably have something lighter, and everything around will co-ordinate.

And in the same way, just making a nice suit, yes, that’s all well and good, but if the rest of the outfit doesn’t match up, or it just doesn’t fit together, the overall impression is not as good as it could be, you’re not doing justice to the suit or the individual elements. So I feel it’s much better to dress the whole individual, where everything goes together and matches.

Oscar Udeshi

Two-fold question, are there iconic products that you would pick out as being unique to your brand, and how would you persuade a ‘typical consumer’ to come and buy clothes from you, rather than just popping into Selfridges and buying them off the peg?
In terms of trying to identify a specific iconic piece, everything we do has a reason and a story behind it, not because we like to make stories, but it has to be some kind of improvement, or it has to do something better, or it has to be different, because if it isn’t, there’s no point in buying it from me, you can buy it from anywhere else, even be it Selfridges. And so for us, for example, all our cufflinks, barring one or two basics, are all unique to us and have been designed by us. They’re all symmetrical for example. So when you put in a cufflink in, if you have it heavier on one side with a toggle, the whole cuff twists, which is annoying and irritating, and you keep correcting yourself. Clothing shouldn’t do that. Beautiful clothing, or clothing that’s right for you – not necessarily expensive, or cheap, or flamboyant – clothing that’s right for you. Everything should be seamless. So for example, the right sleeve length when you turn to look at your watch, the shirt and the jacket cuff should go back to reveal the time on the watch, that is part of my ‘system’, so to speak.

Some iconic products, we have the shirt with the turn-back cuff, or cocktail cuff – because I watch too many James Bond films, and they are very hard to buy. We have seven-fold ties, which again, are very hard to buy nowadays, we have our heritage jeans with side-adjusters, we have various coats with turn-of-the-century details or with satin velvet or with astrakhan (Persian lamb). We have purple suede loafers. I always kept buying loafers from a very famous Italian company, and after about two wearings, the stitching would fall apart. These don’t, and I wanted something a little more different, so I chose purple ones.

Why would someone come to us versus Selfridges? Selfridges is a wonderful store. Selfridges also has one of the worst customer service ethics, at least in menswear that I’ve known of. You could walk in, trip over, fall flat on the floor, and about 8:30 or 9:30, depending on which day of the week it is, the cleaner would probably very politely nudge you and say ‘excuse me, we’re cleaning up, can you please go home’. You have very little service – this was actually a criticism explained or mentioned to me by actual Selfridges buyers, saying that retailing in this country is not seen as a career unfortunately, it is in other countries, and so they usually have some student, or someone between jobs or what have you. There are a few professionals, but it’s just a very different structure from here than the US, where of course they’re paid on commission and they might too much in your face, whereas here, I’ve unpacked five shirts, just to see if that would create a reaction, and nobody bothered coming over – nothing. I’ve tried on jackets for 20 minutes – again, it provoked nothing.

And so with Selfridges, you’ll have someone who will try and sell you a brand, even if they’ll try and sell you that, whereas with us, you have a much more personalised service, and we actually want you to look good, we won’t sell you something just for the sake of selling it to you, because we want you to come back again and again, and if you’re interested in something that we feel just isn’t right, we’ll tell you, and we’ll explain to you why, and we’ll show you what could be better. And even if we don’t have it, we will direct you to the relevant person who could do it, because I’m always looking at what’s around on the market. So, for example, someone wanted a coin pouch in a specific colour, we didn’t have one, but I’d seen one in Liberty’s, so I sent them off there. Things like that, which as a small retailer, we can do, and we pride ourselves on.

We know all our regular customers by name, by their preferences, whereas in Selfridges, you are client number 4562 – whatever your Selfridges card says, and it’s just not the same.

Plus, hopefully, our clothing will speak for itself, and you’ll find something truly unique, as opposed to buying something off the rack which you could buy in London, or Birmingham, or Manchester, or wherever else the next Selfridges will open up.

How would you advise someone to avoid being ‘merely’ trendy?
Let me reverse the question. Why is that necessarily a problem? You put someone in something very classic or something very trendy, if it’s not that person, they are going to feel uncomfortable. You put Gordon Brown in a tracksuit or a hoodie, he’s going to look like a complete berk! You can ‘Chavtastify’ him with Burberry all over the place, he’ll still look uncomfortable in his skin. Similarly, if you put Amy Winehouse in a long elegant cocktail dress, it just doesn’t look right, I don’t think she’d feel comfortable, she’s probably fidget with her dress for the next two hours. So you have to be comfortable in your own skin. Ideally, if you’re confident as a person, or you know what you like and what you don’t like, you can pick out your elements and given that you might be wearing three of four ‘trendy’ pieces, it’s how you carry yourself – you might not necessarily come across as ‘trendy’, whereas if you’re uncomfortable wearing just one item, you’ll come across as trying too hard, or trying to be trendy because you’ve got a baseball cap on backwards or what have you, when everything else is right. So I guess it’s your own perception, and you should try and dress for yourself, and then for others. Because if you’re constantly trying to impress other people, that never works. You have to feel comfortable in your own skin, and for people with certain aspirations and desires, and those needs, we hopefully complement them. 

Pay Oscar’s website a visit here.

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Winston Churchill* Fails to ‘Win Back’ His Glasses in Northampton Auction

Winston Churchill for CW Dixey & Son

A Sir Winston Churchill look-a-like failed in his attempt to win a pair of Sir Winston Churchill’s glasses, which were auctioned for £11,210 to a telephone buyer, understood to be from overseas. ‘Sir Winston’ went along to the auction with the manufacturers of the glasses, and the world’s oldest independent eyewear company.

It was hoped that the glasses, which featured in an auction of antiques and collectables at Northamptonshire auctioneers JP Humbert could be ‘reclaimed’ by the manufacturers in an attempt to preserve them as an important piece of British history.

The auction catalogue described the reading spectacles as being made made in 1954 for the former prime minister who was often seen wearing the distinctive glasses when speaking in public.

Winston Churchill Lookalike

“It’s disappointing that we were unable to win the glasses. We thought the bidding was likely to go high, but we didn’t anticipate that the glasses would be quite as popular as they have proved to be!” the bidder commented

The timing of the auction couldn’t have been more perfect with the eyewear manufacturer  launching its first new collection in a generation. The collection, which is inspired by Sir Winston Churchill’s frames is now in shops.

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Rocket Fuel UK investigates the role of environment vs audience in effective brand advertising

I went to a breakfast debate hosted by Rocket Fuel UK (which has now been incorporated into Sizmek). For those unfamiliar, Rocket Fuel is a real-time ad targeting company whose technology combines all data-driven targeting techniques, from behavioural to contextual, into one system that automatically adapts campaigns in real time to get their clients most bang from their buck.

The debate was focused on the whether the most critical ingredient in effective brand advertising is environment or audience? Which has the greatest impact and traction, and should these tactics be combined or do they work better as separate strategies?

Rocket Fuel breakfast briefing

Marketers agree that getting the right message to the right audience at the right time is the holy grail of marketing. However, it does leave the question where budget is best allocated: Should the bulk of the advertising budget be kept in brand advertising within trusted and known content sites, or should this budget be reallocated to ‘the most precise audience you can reach,’ not necessarily engaged in reflective content.

Rocket Fuel - Dominic

The introduction was provided by Dominic Trigg, MD or Rocket Fuel UK who gave an overview of today’s discussion and introduced the speakers:

Tom Bowman, VP Strategy & Operations BBC Worldwide who’s presentation was entitled ‘Content is King’, and Pete Robins, Managing Partner of Agenda 21 talked on his subject entitled ‘Data is the New Oil’.

Dominic talked about the fact that digital advertising is no longer a secondary channel in the chief marketing officer’s arsenal. Once a bastion of simple banner flipping and annoying pop-up ads, display advertising is rapidly overtaking traditional media as the preferred channel to drive targeted awareness and the customer pipeline.

Yet with all the advancements in digital formats and devices, the dramatic shift to digital advertising is more likely a function of data—the explosion of anonymous online databases categorizing individual Web users based on their demographic attributes, surfing and purchase behaviour, and content preferences.

The demand for audience targeting has never been greater, and the demand for premium brand association has never waned. Getting the right message to the right audience at the right time is the holy grail of marketing. But it leaves the question, where to allocate your budget: should marketers keep the bulk of their advertising budget in brand advertising within trusted and known content sites, or should this budget be reallocated to ‘the most precise audience reachable,’ not necessarily engaged in reflective content.

This was demonstrated by a study carried out by Pubmatic in March this year with 644 advertisers and publishers – 2/3rds buyer and 1/3rd Publishers. This showed 97% using audience targeting this year), advertisers wanting the best of both audience targeting and premium brand association, and summed up by pointing out that publishers now have the ability to combine both in order to meet market demand and increase their yield from ads.

Trigg then pointed out:

• That in 2011, the available data volume is predicted to grow to 1.8 zettabytes (a trillion gigabytes).

• Data is crucial at Rocket Fuel, with the data warehouse having grown from five billion events to 30 billion events a year which takes 2 petabytes of storage

• Traditionally in advertising, content has been king, but significant impressions can be wasted.

• In the survey, asked if they could only pick one: “Right Content vs. Right Audience”, which one is more important, more than 70% of the respondents replied ‘audience’.

• The nature of data not only includes browsing behaviour, the referring url, site actions, etc, but can also track purchase intent, interests and psychographics, painting a rich portrait of the consumer, and reaching the consumer at the right time of day is crucial.

Rocket Fuel - Tom

The next speaker was Tom Bowman, VP Strategy and Operations at BBC Worldwide. He pointed out:

• That advertising needs to shift from commercial messaging to consumer-led stories, augmented content, be innovative, engaging and fun.

• That the best definition of a brand is ‘the most valuable piece of real estate in the world – a corner of someone’s mind’.

• The voracious appetite for content, with for example, 48 hours of content being uploaded to YouTube every minute.

• But that the appetite for advertising is smaller, with Advertising Association tracking data showing how public favourability towards advertising has been in steady decline since the 1990s, but are far more welcoming of sponsorship and product placement.

• When it comes to reach – the dominant role is still played by broadcasters and (perhaps surprisingly) this has not changed in the age of new media.

• Despite huge growth of content, TV watching is up, and viewers stick with respected TV broadcasters for the vast bulk of their media consumption

• That the role of the aggregator has been extended – it now covers the curation of content, a badge of quality and shortcut for consumers seeking great content on any platform. This is particularly important for brands looking to secure acceptance and viewership of content across multiple media platforms.

• The social network numbers for broadcast TV brands are an indicator of the potential for brands to leverage broadcast relationships across other media. This example is Top Gear, which currently has over 11 million Facebook fans across two profile pages.

• Brand augmented content can wrap around authentic, premium content that comes with guaranteed audiences, create a layer of utility, entertainment and extra information built into brand engagement, and an enhanced experience for content consumers.

He concluded with a quote from John Hegarty: “Targeting specific audiences is a wonderful science but unless you include broadcast in some way within your marketing strategy you’ll be talking to an ever shrinking audience. And that’s not particularly good for the long term health of any company.”

Rocket Fuel - Pete

The final speaker was Pete Robins, Managing Partner of Agenda 21 who spoke on the subject ‘From gut instinct to data instinct’.

Pete pointed out that serving effective ads is allowing exploration of content units in the form of ads or website hubs which means that data planning and exploiting technology becomes more crucial to get mass specificity.

And that a ‘mass of audiences’ is not a ‘mass audience’ – the message needs to be relevant to the individual given their scale and range.

He also pointed out:

• That more channels means more opportunities and therefore more need for media agencies to keep up to date… but that we’re waging a battle with increasing complexity.

• As digital becomes even more important to even more businesses even if you’re an agency, advertiser, media owner, audience aggregator, we’ll need stronger justification to support the inevitable growing share of market.

• It’s only going to get more complex too – we’re going to need ‘depots’ of data sources that are reliable and most importantly we have confidence in.

• He concluded that the rules of engagement should be that technologies within digital media channels are rapidly exposing weaknesses in communications strategies and that the key will be to establish ‘why’ an individual will be saying things rather than just ‘what’.

• Merging messaging with the right technologies which can increasingly take decisions based on swelling data sets should lead to be more specific across all digital touch points, and this will mean more relevancy – it means people will be able to opt in and opt out as they go, it ultimately gives them more choice and control.

Dominic Trigg concluded that it is not about using one tactic or another but it’s about understanding the usage and benefits of each and combining them to get the best results.

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