Sweat the detail.

"We've got this saying, 'performance by the aggregation of marginal gains,'" Brailsford continued. "It means taking the 1% from everything you do; finding a 1% margin for improvement in everything you do."

Sir Dave Brailsford, Team Principal at Team Sky Pro Cycling was talking about the reason for Team GB's emphatic domination at this years Olympic games in London, but he could so easily have been talking about branding. You'll have big programmes - marketing, hospitality, sponsorship - but don't lose sight of all of the tiny touchpoint details because this is where performance and differentiation live when all brought together.
To learn more on 'Sweating the detail' contact us to come and chat.

Comms: A bit of GIF thinking.

We know it as a short, repetitive, visual message that just cycles and cycles. The GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) has just had it’s 25th birthday but it struck me recently that it still has much to offer if you just look at those qualities again...

Short - In large organisations communications are often overwhelming, constant chatter feeds of information all demanding to be heard - some relevant, some not so. It’s a cocophony of dischord, a screeching, a baying crowd of communicators all trying to tell you something. Short, punchy and relevant is good.

Repetitive - Those white-coated scientists have already proven that no matter how smart you are, as a human being you will still need at least six opportunities to see a message to properly absorb it. Many Internal Communicators send it once, assuming ‘you’re bright, you’ll get it’ but that’s not really going to do it. Think about those corporate values, latest products, innovations, one-off events or just plain,old risk notice reminders that never quite stuck.

Visual - paint a picture, tell a story with words or just be functional. Pictures still get attention so think about the channels you have to use a visual medium. An uber long corporate video doesn't always have to be answer - in fact, it frequently isn't.

As a communicator you still have to prioritise, segment, target and measure. I didn’t say it answered the whole challenge. But as a format it has already lasted over two decades, as a tactic it's worth a thought.

So, small in size, visual, flexible, repetitive, entertaining even and easily shared. Brands like Calvin Klein and Coca-Cola have embraced GIFs as a means to reach potentially untapped audiences on platforms such as Tumblr. GIFs are part of the cultural zeitgeist of 2012. What could using GIFs do for your communications?

This is not a restaurant review.

Damien Hirst artwork at Tramshed.

I recently dined at Mark Hix’s Tramshed on Rivington Street, Shoreditch.

What Hix has created in brand terms is a restaurant experience with absolute binary focus - great steak or great chicken. With it’s pared down food and drinks offering; trendy - but not achingly trendy staff and spacious, industrious environment, Tramshed is a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
We’ve yet to mention the sparse but pertinent artwork of Damien Hirst, the historic atmosphere of the building or the simple, articulate food menus and pricing.

Cumulatively the ethos of ‘do fewer things but do them spectacularly’ really shines in this example. The rarest of brands - simple, effective and holistic. If only more were to take this approach.

Food for thought:
Is your customer experience as innovative and distinctive? Think what the simplest version of what you do might look like. Are you offering too much choice? How could your product be better? How might your staff behave differently? How would your pricing change? What would decorate your walls? How would your communication change?