I spent a happy two years at Google thinking about and advising brand owners about this question. Here is my advice, just published in the spring issue of Market Leader ( which is the UK Marketing Society’s quarterly journal) PDF attached Julian Saunders
Category Archives: Storytelling
Why brands decided to save the world
Last year The Cannes Awards saw many examples of brands trying to “do good business by doing good”. I expect this year there will again be many awards entries that aim to engender brand loyalty by being good corporate citizens. Aurora commissioned me to write a piece about this undoubtedly big trend. I have takenContinue reading “Why brands decided to save the world”
The Anatomy of Humbug
is the title of a new book by Paul Feldwick about the history of thinking about how to create effective advertising. It is short, clearly written (as you would expect of PF) and full of fascinating stories. Any one in the biz should read it. Some of the things found interesting Many people inContinue reading “The Anatomy of Humbug”
We are fundamentally ignorant about most of the facts of our society
This slide from a quantitive survey by Ipsos Mori came via slideshare The full presentation is worth a read – it’s an easy read This is a worry – as most politicians will seek to trade on these perceptions rather that take a stand for the truth. They have learnt to go with the grainContinue reading “We are fundamentally ignorant about most of the facts of our society”
Matisse cut outs at Tate Modern
Matisse is the perfect artist for Tate modern. He already adorns a thousand pieces of merchandise from greetings cards to mugs so he is a good generator of extra revenue through the well-positioned and well-stocked gift shop that (with Ikea like ruthlessness)you have to pass through as you exit the show. He is joyfully easyContinue reading “Matisse cut outs at Tate Modern”
Why we need stories
One of the shortest explanations of our profound need for stories comes from EM Forster, with these two lines “The King died , and the queen died” ” The King died , and the queen died of grief” The first line plays to our deepest fears – that life is just a series of randomContinue reading “Why we need stories”
Brands get public spirited big time
There are emerging trends and then there are fully emerged trends If you take the Cannes 2013 awards as a guide then the idea that brands should take on public spirited causes is now a fully emerged trend I mean by this not just a commitment to being responsible in the way they do business.Continue reading “Brands get public spirited big time”
Cameron needs to bring back the adpeople
The big thing that the advertising people understand (that the PR’s don’t often) is that success comes from the long view. Tactics will not be enough to win- you need long term strategy too. The branding game is all about trying to occupy a position for a brand in the mind of consumers (or citizens) andContinue reading “Cameron needs to bring back the adpeople”
Tips on sports promotion from Barry Hearn #under the spotlight
To The Marketing Society for an Under the Spotlight evening to hear Barry Hearn speak about his career as a sports promoter. Great fun and full of insight and useful lessons about life and business His career started by accident – he was FD of a fashion firm-which he had joined from KPMG (very respectable!)-Continue reading “Tips on sports promotion from Barry Hearn #under the spotlight”
how to write advertising copy that people don’t mind reading
Robert Levenson ( legendary DDB copywriter) was asked how he wrote such good copy for ads I like his answer- “I always started by writing ‘Dear Charlie’, like writing to a friend. And then I would say what I had to say, and, at the end I would cross out ‘Dear Charlie’, and I wasContinue reading “how to write advertising copy that people don’t mind reading”