An irresistible edge

As the supermarket price wars continue, the consumer is winning and the traditional big 4 are losing out.

After the recent news on Tuesday that Tesco had issued its fourth profit warning in a year and lowered trading profit expectations by £1bn, an article in the Financial Times asked: What has gone wrong at Tesco? And they aren't the only ones asking the questions.

I don't know many people that claim to love food shopping. Right there, with a lack of love, it's going to be hard to create a premium.

In the UK food is treated by the masses as a non precious commodity - it's seen as a 'right to have'. Therefore largely, it's perceived value has been lowered. Supermarket discounters such as Aldi and Lidl have realised this and delivered what the consumer wants. Unless you're a massive foodie with a high interest and likely higher value perception of food, the chances are you'll be tempted by the lower prices that the discounters offer.

Tesco and the like can win again but building soured / broken consumer relationships takes time and effort. To get back on track, traditional supermarkets will have to offer price and great user experience which delights and inspires.

And they better be quick. Aldi are already making stores bigger and better, making the weeks shopping less painful financially and enhancing in-store experience. To really win, traditional supermarket brands must do all this more effectively and show that they are helping to make the world a better place - all at the same time.

We know that technology changes markets and abundance drives down market value. Tesco and the like can hide behind stats but simply, savvy, switched on consumers are voting with their feet and they are saying that Aldi broccoli at 49 pence tastes just as good as the rest. This consumer movement would also suggest that the other discounted items all either taste great or they do the same thing.

You can see why the discounters are winning. But there is something else that I've noticed that is giving Aldi an unseen edge...

Having visited Aldi, Morrisons, ASDA and Tesco recently, in my area all the staff are all quite friendly. However, the staff in Aldi have an irresistible edge. Why? I think part of the reason is due to a united team spirit and also because they are winning as a business - it creates a feel good factor.

I've said this before; humans do business and we react to this. We don't often rationalise it, but subconsciously we can feel it: it's authentic, rubs off on us and if it's good, we feel good.

You can't buy this feeling but you can experience it and the Aldi staff are creating it. This is a huge part of internal brand communication. When it's done authentically, it becomes irresistible. It's viewed entirely differently by consumers who long ago have become deaf to the standard corporate auto-cue.

To fix a problem, first you have to recognise it. It's nearly always the small businesses and entrepreneurs that notice these market opportunities whilst the corporate giants sit pretending that nothing is happening. For savvy SME's it could be time for some 'Branding from the Edge'. Learn more > 

Simon Bell

Director

Sensation Creative

Where great ideas are born

Branding from the edge, where great ideas are born

Great brands and branding are so because they are authentic or are considered to be authentic. They are built from great ideas that come from the edge. 

The tools for creating brands and branding for business have never been more accessible. Due to the advancement and subsequent availability of technology, it's become possible for just about anyone to create a logo or a website. Furthermore, these basic branding elements and others can be produced for little or no cost.

Today, largely due to this, nearly every business has basic branding elements: a logo, stationery, a website - all the usual platforms that have become the communication standard.

Yet the inevitable paradox has created a new problem for businesses; our world is now overloaded with brands vying for our attention, meaning it's much harder for them to be heard. Additionally, the glue that binds branded communication platforms together is often missing, resulting in an inconsistent, watered down version of a brand message meaning it's not nearly as effective as it might have otherwise been.

The brands that will win are adaptable. They carefully position themselves on the edge, are fearless and inspire movements with an irresistible feel about them. They are the brands that understand the 'now' and lead by example with sustainable, authentic qualities. SME's must start thinking along these lines if they want to be heard.

We believe that brands that are considered, empathetic and authentic become more than a focal point - they become the very heartbeat of business. If branding programmes are correctly implemented; brands will be talked of favourably and help to inspire loyalty, providing growth and prosperity for business. Brands that adopt this style will create new meaning and relevance with the consumer and win a place in their heart.

Where great ideas are born, they will go on to help inspire great brand design. It's these brands will break away from the stranglehold of the middle and sit brilliantly at the edge, full of creative flare and individuality. Ultimately, these are the brands that will be doing the business.

Read the full article here> 

Simon Bell

Director

Sensation Creative

Logo: The projection of a brand's heartbeat

Just reading the Wally Olins Brand Book at the moment - incredibly interesting and truthful. It's written with true artistic style.

The late Olins appears not to have wanted to gain specifically from the publication but more to pass on his wonderful life experience of understanding and creating brands.

I really like his understated, 'buzz-word-bingo' free style. Even as a book, it's away from fads and trends and seeks to operate in an environment where really great ideas (and people) sit. I've always believed that 'good design' is so because of this. Good design functions as a solution to a problem, that is all. The longer it is able to function for, the better.

In my area, 'brand design', should be able to enjoy a long life; attracting a constant wave of new consumers, seamlessly transcending, able to communicate a consistent message and tell a great story.

When you look at brand architecture; corporate, endorsed or branded, they all share these common factors even though they are driven by differing levels of scale and strategy.

Often described as 'Just a logo' by today's 'savvy' consumer is a true testimony to the great people in my industry. These are the people that have helped to influence and build global economies by providing choice, creating brand loyalty, sometimes 'beyond reason'.

Logos are the heart beat of a brand - they are a projection of the entire brand feeling; good, bad or ugly. They have the ability to make you feel good about your shopping decisions in the process and make your life 'a little bit better'. 

To add my own spin on a Paul Rand quote: The fact that people in general are seeing all this as being so simple is why designing brand identities, is in fact, so complex.

Simon Bell,

Director, Sensation Creative.

A victory for culture, unity and ultimately, love.

In our hearts the majority knew it. We're better together.

The United Kingdom will remain as just that - united. We will continue to enjoy our rich culture, grow together and build upon our unified status which goes back to 1707.

I was nervous about the outcome, but need not have been. 

The Orkney Islands topped the ‘NO’ vote with a massive 67.2% in favour of staying together followed by the Scottish Borders with a 66.56% vote, and then Dumfries & Galloway with 65.67%.

I was particularly pleased to see the results from Edinburgh - a diverse city rich in culture. A whopping 61.1% voting to stay with the rest of the UK which I think is really good news and demonstrate how the people of Edinburgh, like many people in other areas of Scotland, see the UK.

I can tell you - everyone I know in England, myself included,  are really pleased that Scotland will remain as part of the United Kingdom for years to come.

The results of the vote have had an immediate effect on the strength of our economy and other notable people have spoken about the result.

Here are some key points / comments so far: (source BBC)

• Share prices rose as Scotland voted against independence.
• Royal Bank of Scotland said it would keep its headquarters in Scotland following the "No" vote.
• Wales's First Minister Carwyn Jones said he was pleased Scotland voted to stay in the Union, adding: "Together we will shape a new constitutional future for the UK."
• Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson said he was "delighted" Scotland would remain in the Union and he would hold talks with his Welsh counterpart to discuss the wider implications.

But the people of Scotland achieved something far greater than helping to maintain unity and create a stronger economy. They created a lasting effect in all our hearts - we are better together.

I sense a new, stronger bond between the whole of the UK emerging due to today's historic result.

So congratulations to everyone who voted for unity. I for one will be toasting this wonderful result with some of Scotland's finest whiskey this evening which neatly coincides with me becoming a year older today.

What a fantastic day to celebrate - CHEERS to SCOTLAND!

Simon Bell

Director, Sensation Creative

www.SensationCreative.com 

How strong is your emotional quotient?

Let’s measure your intellect. And then we can judge you like big data, accordingly. Nice?

There is no question that intelligence quotient tests have huge credibility attached to them but like many others, I feel like there is much more to measuring how ‘clever’ a person is than this. And it's called emotional quotient.

It’s worth noting what neuroscientist Donald B. Calne states:

"The essential difference between emotion and reason is that emotion leads to action while reason leads to conclusions."

Intellectual answers are based upon reason - what you have been stimulated to learn. Are you naturally more gifted than someone else because you can remember things well? It’s an essential part of any IQ test.

What Calne points out is that we aren't rational beings. Our primary motivation for our actions are emotionally driven. Sure, we like to walk round thinking we make ‘Mr Spock’ like decisions – perfectly logical, but the truth differs greatly from this. 

What are Characteristics of Emotional Intelligence?

Daniel Goleman, an American psychologist, developed a framework of five elements that define emotional intelligence: 

• Self-Awareness
• Self-Regulation
• Motivation
• Empathy
• Social Skills

I think it would be of tremendous benefit if we could understand how to measure EQ as effectively as we have with IQ. The problem is that it's much more complex. To start with the traditional test environment paves way for 'reason' to come in to play meaning that a EQ can't be effectively measured using traditional methods.

EQ is coming to the forefront and combined with IQ you can bet the worldview on how we measure 'clever' will change dramatically.

If emotion is responsible for shaping our primary actions, it means we may have been missing a great deal of things when it comes to our need to score and categorise people based on IQ levels alone.

For now it's worth remembering that emotion comes before reason. Therefore emotion quotient comes before intelligence quotient and must be an integral part of how we measure up as humans.

So don't brush EQ aside. A little like big data: Intelligence is one thing. Being able to read between the lines is something else entirely.

Simon Bell

Director

Sensation Creative

Just a little of that human touch

In a world that seems focused on 'big data's' explanation of what we like, sometimes its easy to forget the human nature of things - just like touch. 

Touch is like your brain operating outside your head; interacting with the world around you to provide an array of information through physical connection. If you can clarify product information that is presented via visual or spoken communication through the use of touch, you can vastly enhance interactive experience. For brands looking to connect with greater purpose this isn't to be missed.

Touch offers the chance to confirm visual information - we know this. It's well documented that once a product is picked up, the likelihood that a purchase follows increases dramatically. When our senses align we take delight (or disgust) in this as it provides information on which we can make rational decisions and it's this information that can provide the type of clarification required to make a purchase decision. 

Use of haptic focused marketing can increase our need for touch. Primarily we can achieve this though empathetic consideration and apply it to the creative process. We can use visual stimuli to enable this such as relevant design; shapes, images and text. If we can create synergy here we can also create greater purpose in the consumer for wanting to find out more information which very often leads to touch.

Emotionally connecting, touch provides an opportunity to empower the consumer by streamlining the rational decision making process, effectively simplifying choice and making life easier. 

Applying heptic marketing techniques can provide brands with an opportunity to enhance consumer brand experience and build relationships simply through connecting physically, bringing real life experience and meaning to visual communications. In turn, this can help to create greater respect, deeper emotional connectivity and higher consumer love for products. Seizing this opportunity then is clearly a no-brainer for brands.

The trick is of course, understanding the effect of haptic attributes and how to integrate them within different media to create relevant consumer brand experiences. Ultimately, full integration with our other senses would create the perfect holistic and humanistic brand experience.

The difficulty is that the more senses we look at incorporating with any creative process the more complex everything becomes. This makes the task of providing the simple, memorable solution that brands desire all the more difficult. If it is to be successful in business terms, haptic marketing must work in real life situations and engage with consumers in the long run in addition to the shorter term where fads usually operate.

Scientific research in to this type of marketing is in its infancy so we are currently presented with a brilliant opportunity to work with our own intuition and to my way of thinking that makes it all the more exciting.

What a fantastic time it is to be in the creative industry and made all the better with just a little of that human touch. 

Simon Bell,
Director, Sensation Creative.
www.SensationCreative.com

How people are creating 'Memories to Cherish'.

It’s a great thing to live a long and happy life but it’s equally important to have great memories.

At Sensation Creative we help create and sustain business which in turn helps to provide employment, new roles, new opportunities – new dreams.

Those that know me or read these blogs will also know that I’m a great believer in the power of dreams. I believe we should all try to reach, not just for the stars, but beyond them and that we should help each other to get there together, regardless of ability, race or gender. After all, the role of business is to make the world a better place – and it’s up to business leaders to make this difference.

The Trewan Sans Children’s Trust (TSC Trust) is a small charity that I have supported with small donations in the past and continue to do so with Sensation Creative. The UK based charity helps to create ‘memories to cherish’ – they help make dreams come true. This is right in line with my way of thinking and I try to replicate through Sensation Creative both by supporting charities like TSC Trust and in our work.

The people that created TSC Trust are inspired:

“Our inspiration to form the charity came when the son of personal friends developed a terminal illness; he was given only months to live so both his parents gave up work to spend precious time with him. Their dream was to have one last holiday together and their wish was to go to Florida. We got involved in fundraising for them and decided to do a sponsored cycle ride Atlantic to the Mediterranean across France. We cycled Bordeaux to Narbonne on a tandem and with our help the family got their dream. We realised that many families with poorly children can’t afford holidays and this planted the idea, we decided that if we sent children on holiday in the UK we could help a lot more children and families.”

There are some people more fortunate than us and there are some less fortunate. If we have the chance to make a difference then I think we should – it’s a good thing. And as I said; the role of business is to make the world a better place.

Regardless of who we are, we only have limited time. Make a difference today and start helping to create “Memories to Cherish” for people – start with the ones that touch your heart and go from there.

Simon Bell

Director

Sensation Creative

www.SensationCreative.com

4D is the real deal.

Cinemas are always fighting piracy. They do a great job with sight and sound but this can be replicated well enough at home. This is especially true now screens are getting ever bigger and better with sound to match.

It's time to get the 4D experience really going in cinemas.

If you aren't aware of 4D films, they address the senses of smell of touch.

3D is seen to increase user experience (and a sort of quick fix for piracy) but 4D is the real deal. The sensual power of smell alone is immense and it’s a fact that different scents can shape our emotions.

Using air flow technology, scents and temperature can be quickly changed to suit different scenes. Placing this is cinemas creates a new world of sensory emotions for consumers to experience adding greater meaning and value to the movie. This is 4D at it’s best.

Imagine a supernatural style film where the temperature drops and you suddenly feel a cold chill in the air or a warm beach scene where you can smell the sea air. How about a car chase with the smell of burning rubber – wind flowing through your hair (the moment the window is turned down!) - fantastic! Not to mention traditional romantic scenes in a restaurant with the smell of food or wine as the glass sits purposely under the nose.

What do different cities, even planets smell like? Are they hot or cold? What does it smell like on the bridge of the USS Enterprise in Star Trek? What does Angelina Jolie's perfume or Brand Pitts' aftershave smell like as the character they are playing in the scene of that movie?

The list is endless.

And it’s personal: Imagine being able to fragrance your home or car with your favourite smell from your favourite movie. I know people who would want there car to smell like Star Trek’s Enterprise! 

The licencing and copyright options for different smells are massive. Alone, they would have huge commercial value for brands.

You get the picture.

Intertwine airflow with scents and temperature with sight and sound and it helps deliver experiences that add an extra dimension of mystery, sensuality and intimacy to everything. This leaves one sense left untouched but I think the enjoyment of cola and popcorn could well fill this gap – it’s the movies after all!

By working together, movie companies and cinemas could introduce this technology to the mainstream quite rapidly. This would create a new world of experience for the cinema goer in the most dramatic way, giving new life and adding huge value to a industry that needs to find a new ways of interacting with the everyday consumer. 

The thought of being able to work in new dimensions must be hugely appealing to film directors too.

If the film industry is serious about delivering an unforgettable experience for consumers that far exceeds where where things currently sit today (and create new premiums), they really need to look no further than getting the 4D up to a commercially viable level quickly and adding to our sensual experience.

The technology is available but are the business people ready to deliver for the consumer at a commercial level yet?

The consumer is in charge. When he or she demands, business inevitably supplies. Is the consumer ready to experience this? I think so but for now we’ll have to wait and see. 

Personally I think 4D is very exciting and I’m really looking forward to seeing the impact it has sooner rather than later for everyone.

Simon Bell

Director, Sensation Creative Limited.
www.SensationCreative.com

A couple of ideas from Saatchi & Saatchi worldwide CEO Kevin Roberts.

I was at Saatchi & Saatchi London yesterday listening to a masterclass from their worldwide CEO Kevin Roberts. This is the man responsible for reviving Saatchi & Saatchi as a global company which employs over 6000 creative people. He also created Lovemarks which Saatchi & Saatchi call their ‘billion dollar idea’. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

I've studied Kevin’s work intensively for a few years now and I have learned a great deal. Here are three points that bought new focus to key areas from yesterday’s speech which I have elaborated on in my own words.

REVELATION not insight. Insights are past tense, they’re old news. In the age of now we need to inspire movements not tell people what they already know – that’s boring. Empathy is key so dig deeper and visualise what it’s like to be in the consumers shoes. From here you’ll be able to gain a better understanding of where the future points.

LOVES not likes. Liking something isn't the same as loving something – your time could be better spent elsewhere. As Kevin Roberts reminds us - ‘You don’t marry someone you like, you marry someone you love’. Here’s a brand example: You decide to make a new phone purchase. You might like a Nokia phone – they’re okay, but you LOVE the iPhone! Which one do you want to take home – the one you like or the one you love?

STORY SHARERS not story tellers. Create and provide stories that inspire people in to action. Don’t try to force them in to taking part in something they don’t want to – this will lose you respect in the long run (and even short). No respect – no love, bad news for brands and people. Always inspire – if you can’t do this yet start finding ways in which you can.

Remember, no one wants to be branded as a consumer. Of course we’re all consumers but we want more, we all want to feel special – like we’re getting something that’s tailored just for us. It reminds us that we’re human, that we’re loved and not just cash machines for brands (which I'm sure some fools like to think). Doing this helps to create loyalty not for a reason, but loyalty beyond reason where you’ll win in the hearts and minds of the consumer, AKA real people that love lots of things.

Be the one to reveal stuff that people love. In turn they’ll share your stories and you’ll be a success in ‘the age of now’.

www.SensationCreative.com

Special thanks to the kind Editor of Lovemarks Sarah Tan who made it possible for me to attend the event.

Brand communication for 2014.

It’s the start of a new year and everyone’s sharing creative ideas around the globe. Here are some of the biggest findings plus a few ideas on how to go about working with them.

Authenticity in globalisation. To start with we need to infuse authenticity into the globalisation effect we are experiencing if we are to fulfill engagement potential with consumers who are clearly stimulated by both areas.

As creative people, we will be providing major focus on this to bring tangible qualities to the digital age.

Increasingly mindful of life style and substance, authenticity will become increasingly sought after by people in all walks of life as they seek to create their own strategies and ideas to deal with circumstances. Mixing traditional values with new thinking and consideration on a global level is a hot topic - ask any religious leaders.

Instant gratification isn't as effective anymore. Brands need to develop means of pre-gratification. I see this as a way to incorporate a more authentic and humanistic approach to overall brand communication and strategy rather than something to hit on in the short term.

At the heart of everything for me is love – it always will be. We're humans, not robots.

However, as markets become more aware of this and so more immune to this style of approach. Brands will need to convince the consumer of their empathy if they want to create and maintain meaningful connections that enable a continuous dialog of engagement.

Celebrating imperfections. Perfectly imperfect will prove to be bigger than ever this year. This creates a more authentic feel to brands and brings the type of tangible qualities needed for business, especially online, to thrive in the digital age. Check out our work for Stilton Butchers over the past few years to see this in effect. Our work has helped to create back to back record years for the company in several areas including the bottom line.

Two second communication; the world in pictures. I’m sure you don’t need to me to point out the we are communicating more than ever with pictures. A high level of creativity and understanding of this quick and direct form of communication is key. Consumers get things much faster using this strategy but be careful; they will dislike as quickly as like.

To summarise: Applying harmony and authenticity to creativity that is skilfully integrated in to our complex, globalised environment will help to provide the nourishment we crave as humans.

Brands that do this will win in 2014 - and way beyond.

Simon Bell.

Director at Sensation Creative.
www.SensationCreative.com

Screenager Love

Mobile, Mini Tablet, Tablet, Laptop, Desktop, TV, The Big Screen.

Welcome to the 'Screen Age' where we are all ‘screenagers’, virtually immune to distraction away from our interest onscreen.

In this world, advertising for business has become all but a brand awareness exercise for many. Ads fail to connect, people are disengaged and harder to reach. Anyone that tells you anything different is not speaking the truth.

Consider how many ads you were subject to yesterday. Depending on your environment it could be 100, 200, 300 even more.

Now ask yourself this: How many adverts do you remember from yesterday?

Think of just three.

Struggling? Have you become immune to most types of advertising - have you switched off? You're not alone.

Now think about your adverts wherever they may appear, online in print it doesn't matter. 

Take Facebook as an example. You might have 10 thousand, 50 thousand or 100 thousand likes on your page but what is the real engagement with your brand’s adverts in a business sense - to actually make money - be honest with yourself, this is where the journey begins.

The fact is money to the tune of billions each year is wasted on ads that fail to engage with their own potential let alone potential with the consumer mainly because business assumes that it's safe in the middle.

Brands that seek to address the issue of real engagement, not statistics that point out the quantity of traffic or where it's pushed from, will find value in creating truly meaningful connections with consumers. These are the brands that will create the highest revenue both now and in the future.

There is a real need to move beyond, 'Oh that's the new ad for X,Y or Z' to 'Wow, I need this in my life!' Brands need to create a movement.

Businesses that want to understand this will find loyalty and even love for their brands that goes beyond price point, beyond attribute, beyond reason. And this is the most powerful position for any brand. This change will not come from the safety of the middle where everything is average – it will come from the edge where all great ideas come from, just like natural evolution.

This is part of the future beyond brands.

It will takes guts, a leap of faith, call it what you will, but it will work and will get your brand in a better position in the heart and mind of the consumer than it currently occupies today. If you have kept up with Sensation Creative you will know our client’s are proof of this.

In 2014, stop being a slave of the ordinary. Start creating meaningful consumer-brand connections and start experiencing some screenage love for your brand in the era of now. 

www.SensationCreative.com