The more mature minds on both the agency and client sides of the communication fence can currently be seen nodding sagely in the comfort of their favourite watering holes... "Crisis, what crisis? Back in '91... now that's what I call a down-turn."
And, to a certain extent, they're right. The latest financial cut-backs and credit crunch fears have not yet reached the nightmarish proportions of earlier recessions. But now, like before, the atmosphere is decidedly edgy and the snip-snip of marketing managers trimming their budgets can be heard above the other more acceptable sounds of long, lazy summer evenings.
However, there are a few calmer voices amidst the gathering gloom, including a reasoned and measured response from the IPA... "cutting budgets will only be profitable in the short-term and ultimately the brand will emerge much weaker... the reality is that the cost of recovery is three to four times greater than the saving made."
They've even produced a book developing their persuasive and fact-based arguments in support of continued investment in communications programmes. Essential reading for every brand custodian starting to go wobbly at the knees.
At MGA, we've been doing a bit of detective work of our own, culminating in a thought-provoking agency document entitled 'Advertising in a recession'. It's already produced some lively internal discussion within the MGA Group companies and we are currently contacting existing and potential clients to extend the debate.
If you'd like some ammunition in support of a more bullish approach to the current climate of economic slowdown, please contact our Strategy Director, Jeremy Taylor, to arrange a presentation for yourself and any interested colleagues, including your financial director.
Blog
We work in an industry which mustn't allow the proverbial grass to grow around its feet.
At MGA we make a point of moving with and often ahead of the times. We're happy to share news and insights with you.
Let's keep talking.
Great (ish) Ideas
(Wednesday, 11 June 2008)
An idea is a fulcrum - a point of support around which great works can be leveraged. That's how great ideas take off - by making great things happen. To reach the crucial point where an idea can be applied, a good deal of hard work and serious thinking must be done.
But ideas also take inspiration. There must be a point where the initial seed is planted in the mind of whoever has the thought and decides to run with it. Quite often this inspiration comes from the most unlikely sources. Below are some such examples of those strange occurrences and unlikely mistakes that have resulted in some truly great ideas.
1) A mouldy cantaloupe
The challenge of mass-producing penicillin had been daunting research scientists since its discovery in 1928. Half of the total supply available in the early 1940s was used on just one patient. By June 1942 there was just enough U.S. penicillin available to treat ten patients. After a world-wide search, in 1943 a humble moldy cantaloupe in an Illinois market was found to contain the best and highest-quality penicillin. The discovery of the cantaloupe, and the results of fermentation research on corn-steep liquid, allowed the USA to produce 2.3 million doses in time for the invasion of Normandy in the spring of 1944.
2) The hand mould
A hand mould is a simple two-part mould used for casting small metal objects and, as the name suggests, it could be operated by hand. In 1450, Johannes Gutenberg cast individual metal letters to use in a printing press. He subsequently had invented moveable type; often regarded as the most important invention of the second millennium, being far quicker and more durable than woodblock printing. The lettering was also more uniform, leading to typography and fonts. The high quality and relatively low price of the process established it's superiority, and printing presses rapidly spread across Europe, leading to a revolution in the availability of the printed word.
3) Falling off horses
A bad idea in general, but one which led to the invention of the stirrup. This simple foot support, incorporated into the design of a horse's saddle, gave greater stability to a rider and has been described as one of the most significant inventions to alter the history of warfare, prior to gunpowder. The basics of mounted warfare were significantly altered - a rider supported by the invention could deliver a blow with a weapon that more fully employed the weight and momentum of horse and rider. The introduction of the stirrup not only made the mounted warrior supreme in medieval warfare, but may have initiated complex and far-reaching social and cultural changes in Europe.
4) A dead frog
Luigi Galvani, an anatomist, was dissecting a frog when the frog's leg began to twitch. Galvani thought was because of some type of electrical action in the vicinity. Scientist Alessandro Volta realized through experimentation that the two metal tools holding the frog leg might be the source. Over a period of several years Volta discovered that the wet muscle tissue conducted a current between the two types of metal. He modified this effect to produce the first continuous flow of electric current, and invented, in around 1800, the first wet battery, and inspiration for all modern batteries, the Voltaic Pile.
5) A prickly walk
The hook-loop fastener was invented in 1945 by Swiss engineer George de Mestral, who lived in Commugny, Switzerland. The idea came to him after he took a close look at the burrs (seeds) of burdock which stuck to his clothing and his dog's fur on their daily Alpine walks. He examined them more closely and saw the possibility of binding two materials reversibly in a simple fashion. He developed the hook and loop fastener and submitted his idea for patent in 1951. The patent was granted in 1955.
6) High blood pressure
Sildenafil (compound UK-92,480) was synthesized by a group of pharmaceutical chemists working at Pfizer's Sandwich research facility in Kent, England. It was studied for use against high blood pressure and angina pectoris (a symptom of ischaemic cardiovascular disease). The first clinical trials were conducted in Swansea. Phase I clinical trials, under the direction of Ian Osterloh, suggested that the drug had little effect on angina, but that it could induce other, rather unexpected, effects. Viagra was patented in 1996. Annual sales between 1999 and 2001 exceeded $1 billion.
7) Dropping things
Edouard Benedictus, a French chemist, was working one day in 1903, when he accidentally dropped a glass container on the floor. Annoyed and expecting to pick up lots of small pieces of glass, he stooped to clear up the mess. He found, however, that the glass shards were, in fact, stuck together after being coated accidentally by the plastic, cellulose nitrate. This prompted the invention of safety glass, initially intended to reduce car accident injuries. Safety glass was first manufactured on a widespread basis, however, for the eyepieces in gas masks for the 1st World War.
But ideas also take inspiration. There must be a point where the initial seed is planted in the mind of whoever has the thought and decides to run with it. Quite often this inspiration comes from the most unlikely sources. Below are some such examples of those strange occurrences and unlikely mistakes that have resulted in some truly great ideas.
1) A mouldy cantaloupe
The challenge of mass-producing penicillin had been daunting research scientists since its discovery in 1928. Half of the total supply available in the early 1940s was used on just one patient. By June 1942 there was just enough U.S. penicillin available to treat ten patients. After a world-wide search, in 1943 a humble moldy cantaloupe in an Illinois market was found to contain the best and highest-quality penicillin. The discovery of the cantaloupe, and the results of fermentation research on corn-steep liquid, allowed the USA to produce 2.3 million doses in time for the invasion of Normandy in the spring of 1944.
2) The hand mould
A hand mould is a simple two-part mould used for casting small metal objects and, as the name suggests, it could be operated by hand. In 1450, Johannes Gutenberg cast individual metal letters to use in a printing press. He subsequently had invented moveable type; often regarded as the most important invention of the second millennium, being far quicker and more durable than woodblock printing. The lettering was also more uniform, leading to typography and fonts. The high quality and relatively low price of the process established it's superiority, and printing presses rapidly spread across Europe, leading to a revolution in the availability of the printed word.
3) Falling off horses
A bad idea in general, but one which led to the invention of the stirrup. This simple foot support, incorporated into the design of a horse's saddle, gave greater stability to a rider and has been described as one of the most significant inventions to alter the history of warfare, prior to gunpowder. The basics of mounted warfare were significantly altered - a rider supported by the invention could deliver a blow with a weapon that more fully employed the weight and momentum of horse and rider. The introduction of the stirrup not only made the mounted warrior supreme in medieval warfare, but may have initiated complex and far-reaching social and cultural changes in Europe.
4) A dead frog
Luigi Galvani, an anatomist, was dissecting a frog when the frog's leg began to twitch. Galvani thought was because of some type of electrical action in the vicinity. Scientist Alessandro Volta realized through experimentation that the two metal tools holding the frog leg might be the source. Over a period of several years Volta discovered that the wet muscle tissue conducted a current between the two types of metal. He modified this effect to produce the first continuous flow of electric current, and invented, in around 1800, the first wet battery, and inspiration for all modern batteries, the Voltaic Pile.
5) A prickly walk
The hook-loop fastener was invented in 1945 by Swiss engineer George de Mestral, who lived in Commugny, Switzerland. The idea came to him after he took a close look at the burrs (seeds) of burdock which stuck to his clothing and his dog's fur on their daily Alpine walks. He examined them more closely and saw the possibility of binding two materials reversibly in a simple fashion. He developed the hook and loop fastener and submitted his idea for patent in 1951. The patent was granted in 1955.
6) High blood pressure
Sildenafil (compound UK-92,480) was synthesized by a group of pharmaceutical chemists working at Pfizer's Sandwich research facility in Kent, England. It was studied for use against high blood pressure and angina pectoris (a symptom of ischaemic cardiovascular disease). The first clinical trials were conducted in Swansea. Phase I clinical trials, under the direction of Ian Osterloh, suggested that the drug had little effect on angina, but that it could induce other, rather unexpected, effects. Viagra was patented in 1996. Annual sales between 1999 and 2001 exceeded $1 billion.
7) Dropping things
Edouard Benedictus, a French chemist, was working one day in 1903, when he accidentally dropped a glass container on the floor. Annoyed and expecting to pick up lots of small pieces of glass, he stooped to clear up the mess. He found, however, that the glass shards were, in fact, stuck together after being coated accidentally by the plastic, cellulose nitrate. This prompted the invention of safety glass, initially intended to reduce car accident injuries. Safety glass was first manufactured on a widespread basis, however, for the eyepieces in gas masks for the 1st World War.
It's time for a think
(Thursday, 17 April 2008)
Here at MGA, we're all about ideas. So sometimes it's good to sit back and appreciate some of the truly great ones. Here are seven - one for every day of the week.
1) Ideas.
Plato was a great thinker, and someone who had more than his fair share of ideas. But he was also one of the first people to discuss the very idea of ideas. One of his thoughts was that ideas weren't formed in someone's mind, but existed in a 'realm of ideas', independent of anyone who may have thought of them. The great philosopher believed that ideas were perfect - unchanging and eternal - and so represented true 'reality', whereas material things were changeable and imperfect versions of reality. So we're right in thinking that ideas are pretty important, because Plato said so.
2) The Wheel.
It may be an obvious choice, but it can't be ignored. The idea may have come from a substantial ancient Mesopotamian grasp of the physics of friction, gravity and relative forces on object and surface. Or it may be that whoever was pushing a heavy, square piece of stone noticed that his colleague's round piece was moving faster. Either way, the idea's applications have been vast, and nothing has yet beaten it for land-bound transport.
3) The Spinning Jenny.
An invention that transformed the textile industry by allowing the mass-production of affordable fabric, this is something that forced an industry forwards and helped to finance the North of England for years. The multi-spool weaving machine, invented by James Hargreaves in Lancashire, dramatically reduced the amount of work a single weaver needed to do in order to produce the required amount of finished cloth. The idea was so successful that it angered the spinning community in Lancashire and forced the inventor to flee to Nottingham.
4) Dwarf Wheat.
One of the many ideas that made up the 'contribution to the world food supply', for which Norman Borlaug received a Nobel Peace prize. The concept was based on creating breeds of wheat crops with shorter stalks, so that they could support heavier seed heads, and so produce larger yields, in less-than-ideal conditions, than their taller counterparts (that would collapse under the extra weight). The breed of wheat substantially improved the harvests of many countries worldwide and is credited with saving billions of third-world lives.
5) Cat's Eyes.
The inventor of Cat's Eyes was Percy Shaw of Halifax, Yorkshire. He was inspired, by the light reflecting from his own cat's eyes, to create something that could be used as pavement markers to guide pedestrians during the blackouts of World War 2. It was originally made up of two pairs of reflective glass spheres set into a white rubber dome, mounted in a cast-iron housing. The basic design is now used all over the world, and is credited with saving many lives.
6) Text Messaging.
"Txtin is gr8.Usin SMS n mobiles,txtin has chnged the wrld of communication n given millions of teenagers sumthin to do.But dnt go ova 160 characters.Thnxs :-)"
This is probably a contentious choice, given the fact that most people hate the 'tap tap tap' of the unthinking fellow-traveller, but text messaging has revolutionised the mobile phone world, making the handset the accessory of necessity and more popular than the wristwatch.
7) The Panini.
Here we refer not strictly to the sandwich itself - the 'Panino' is simply a sandwich made from a small loaf of bread - but to the recent development of the Italian classic that has led us to believe it is the saviour of the lunch-time culinary world. The Panini, if anyone hasn't noticed, is just another variant on a bap, bagel, baguette or bun, but put something in it that melts (usually cheese) and then heat it up. Add an extra pound onto the price, and you're sure to reinvigorate, and halt the falling sales of, any sandwich shop or coffee place. This has proved to be a truly great idea.
The list obviously goes on and on, so please feel free to add to our seven great ideas, or even make your own list by adding your comments below. We'd love to hear some of yours. All ideas welcome....
1) Ideas.
Plato was a great thinker, and someone who had more than his fair share of ideas. But he was also one of the first people to discuss the very idea of ideas. One of his thoughts was that ideas weren't formed in someone's mind, but existed in a 'realm of ideas', independent of anyone who may have thought of them. The great philosopher believed that ideas were perfect - unchanging and eternal - and so represented true 'reality', whereas material things were changeable and imperfect versions of reality. So we're right in thinking that ideas are pretty important, because Plato said so.
2) The Wheel.
It may be an obvious choice, but it can't be ignored. The idea may have come from a substantial ancient Mesopotamian grasp of the physics of friction, gravity and relative forces on object and surface. Or it may be that whoever was pushing a heavy, square piece of stone noticed that his colleague's round piece was moving faster. Either way, the idea's applications have been vast, and nothing has yet beaten it for land-bound transport.
3) The Spinning Jenny.
An invention that transformed the textile industry by allowing the mass-production of affordable fabric, this is something that forced an industry forwards and helped to finance the North of England for years. The multi-spool weaving machine, invented by James Hargreaves in Lancashire, dramatically reduced the amount of work a single weaver needed to do in order to produce the required amount of finished cloth. The idea was so successful that it angered the spinning community in Lancashire and forced the inventor to flee to Nottingham.
4) Dwarf Wheat.
One of the many ideas that made up the 'contribution to the world food supply', for which Norman Borlaug received a Nobel Peace prize. The concept was based on creating breeds of wheat crops with shorter stalks, so that they could support heavier seed heads, and so produce larger yields, in less-than-ideal conditions, than their taller counterparts (that would collapse under the extra weight). The breed of wheat substantially improved the harvests of many countries worldwide and is credited with saving billions of third-world lives.
5) Cat's Eyes.
The inventor of Cat's Eyes was Percy Shaw of Halifax, Yorkshire. He was inspired, by the light reflecting from his own cat's eyes, to create something that could be used as pavement markers to guide pedestrians during the blackouts of World War 2. It was originally made up of two pairs of reflective glass spheres set into a white rubber dome, mounted in a cast-iron housing. The basic design is now used all over the world, and is credited with saving many lives.
6) Text Messaging.
"Txtin is gr8.Usin SMS n mobiles,txtin has chnged the wrld of communication n given millions of teenagers sumthin to do.But dnt go ova 160 characters.Thnxs :-)"
This is probably a contentious choice, given the fact that most people hate the 'tap tap tap' of the unthinking fellow-traveller, but text messaging has revolutionised the mobile phone world, making the handset the accessory of necessity and more popular than the wristwatch.
7) The Panini.
Here we refer not strictly to the sandwich itself - the 'Panino' is simply a sandwich made from a small loaf of bread - but to the recent development of the Italian classic that has led us to believe it is the saviour of the lunch-time culinary world. The Panini, if anyone hasn't noticed, is just another variant on a bap, bagel, baguette or bun, but put something in it that melts (usually cheese) and then heat it up. Add an extra pound onto the price, and you're sure to reinvigorate, and halt the falling sales of, any sandwich shop or coffee place. This has proved to be a truly great idea.
The list obviously goes on and on, so please feel free to add to our seven great ideas, or even make your own list by adding your comments below. We'd love to hear some of yours. All ideas welcome....
Punching above your weight
(Monday, 18 June 2007)
Hand on heart, even the multi-nationals of the communications world would be hard pushed to claim best in their field for every cog in the wheel. The days of doing everything in-house are long gone and the real beneficiaries of a more open attitude towards ad hoc groupings of top professionals are our clients. They get to work with the committed bunch of people they know and love on a day to day basis - the people who pitched for their business in the first place and sign their Christmas card - but when the need arises they also get to access big hitters in specialist fields.
Let's face it, many of the best people in the business choose to work independently. Freelance is no longer a euphemism for 'unemployed'. I recently worked on a project that partnered the core agency team with an eclectic mix including everyone from Washington lobbyists and New York pollsters to FTSE 100 marketeers and Middle Eastern specialists. The whole process gets a lift when the team contains genuine 'galacticos' and people raise their game accordingly. The agency has to set some parameters and police the contributions but if all concerned respect the team ethos and natural mavericks harness their contribution to the collective good, then the melting pot approach can deliver against even the most complex briefs.
At the end of the day, we're all in the business of providing the best solutions for our clients and if that means opening the door to the best minds then so be it. Packing extra clout comes at a cost but if the end result is of a high enough quality then neither the agency nor the client can afford to be inward-looking. By all means let's nurture the talent that clocks in on a daily basis but let's also recognise the buzz that collaboration an a global scale can bring to the party.
Let's face it, many of the best people in the business choose to work independently. Freelance is no longer a euphemism for 'unemployed'. I recently worked on a project that partnered the core agency team with an eclectic mix including everyone from Washington lobbyists and New York pollsters to FTSE 100 marketeers and Middle Eastern specialists. The whole process gets a lift when the team contains genuine 'galacticos' and people raise their game accordingly. The agency has to set some parameters and police the contributions but if all concerned respect the team ethos and natural mavericks harness their contribution to the collective good, then the melting pot approach can deliver against even the most complex briefs.
At the end of the day, we're all in the business of providing the best solutions for our clients and if that means opening the door to the best minds then so be it. Packing extra clout comes at a cost but if the end result is of a high enough quality then neither the agency nor the client can afford to be inward-looking. By all means let's nurture the talent that clocks in on a daily basis but let's also recognise the buzz that collaboration an a global scale can bring to the party.
Taking clients to the theatre
We should never lose sight of the fact that any interface between agency and client is an opportunity to entertain as well as inform, sell, educate and all the other stuff on the business agenda. Clients look to their agency to provide a distraction. They like to be let off the leash with ideas that celebrate their brand and engage with a world that doesn't answer solely to bottom lines and sales projections. They can and do interact with any number of worthy business partners and the last thing they want their agency to be is another one. They want to be hit with ideas they can really get off on. Something they couldn't come up with themselves in a month of brand symposiums. They want theatre.
It doesn't always have to be big budget West End stuff either. There's a lot to be said for watching your kids school play. If the client is in love with the brand (and most of them are) they'll enjoy even low key, experimental productions. As long as the brand has a starring role. As long as the thing's done with wit and style. As long as there's an idea. I recently worked on a brief for a trade launch of a new product which initially seemed to possess all the entertainment potential of a visit to the dentist. But by plugging into the client's own enthusiasm for the occasion - a captive audience for a born salesman is always a turn on - we were able to choreograph an event that delivered all the relevant information in an unexpected and memorable format. The venue wasn't a conference suite in a hotel chain, it was a modern penthouse with views of the Thames to die for. The product demonstration took place with Big Ben and the London Eye as a backdrop. And when the lights went up after screening the offbeat product development film and the mould-breaking launch commercial, there was a visual twist in the tail. The artwork on the penthouse walls had been magically transformed into Lichtenstein and Warholesque images of the product in all its pop-art glory. Pure theatre and the evening's entertainment was up and running.
It doesn't always have to be big budget West End stuff either. There's a lot to be said for watching your kids school play. If the client is in love with the brand (and most of them are) they'll enjoy even low key, experimental productions. As long as the brand has a starring role. As long as the thing's done with wit and style. As long as there's an idea. I recently worked on a brief for a trade launch of a new product which initially seemed to possess all the entertainment potential of a visit to the dentist. But by plugging into the client's own enthusiasm for the occasion - a captive audience for a born salesman is always a turn on - we were able to choreograph an event that delivered all the relevant information in an unexpected and memorable format. The venue wasn't a conference suite in a hotel chain, it was a modern penthouse with views of the Thames to die for. The product demonstration took place with Big Ben and the London Eye as a backdrop. And when the lights went up after screening the offbeat product development film and the mould-breaking launch commercial, there was a visual twist in the tail. The artwork on the penthouse walls had been magically transformed into Lichtenstein and Warholesque images of the product in all its pop-art glory. Pure theatre and the evening's entertainment was up and running.