We help business leaders connect their people to strategy, vision, values and change through the art of storytelling.
What we think...
Washington and San Francisco. Barack Obama and Steve Jobs.
In America on 27th January 2010, two men gave two very different speeches. Both President Obama and Steve Jobs took to the stage last night to command the world’s attention. President Obama’s first State of Union came in the wake of a media storm following last week’s Massachusett’s election, while Steve Jobs introduced the iPad, having managed to generate a whirl of popular speculation around Apple’s latest launch without saying a word.
Burns Night, Monday 25th January, saw many of our team, clients and associates participate in a very special whisky-tasting event at Century Club in Shaftesbury Avenue. This wasn’t just about an excuse to indulge in the amber nectar, nor simply an opportunity for a social; it was a superb, seamless piece of storytelling, delivered by the Ambassador of one of the UK’s most celebrated single malt scotch whiskies – The Balvenie – Dr Andy Forrester.
Is anyone else as besotted as I am with meerkats? I just love them. They’re so cute, confident and cool. Not just the real animals of course – I mean the pretend ones on Compare the market’s fabulous TV ads.
I have been taken aback on two occasions recently as I realised the sheer power of the way humans share things digitally.
First, I noticed my son Dominic (who is 16) using phrases such as “No Charlie” and “That hurts Charlie” dropped into everyday speech – as 16 year-olds do! There was a particular way that he said it, a kind of baby-talk. I just dismissed it as a “different generation” thing. Then, he was on the computer playing youtube videos, and happened to play the one this came from. I was on the London underground a few days later – and a small girl was using exactly the same phrases. I have since discovered that this youtube video has been viewed 149 million times! From a chance filming on a home camera of a couple of kids new phrases almost instantly appeared in youth speech!
(This from our colleague Dan Honeywell, whose expertise in all things Mandarin earns him huge respect from the team):
Isn’t language fascinating? I have always been amazed at how squiggles, lines, dots and sounds can combine to form such beautifully intricate forms of communication.
Each Christmas as the fire begins to burn low and the full impact of culinary over-indulgence takes its effect, I find myself perusing the presents of others. This is not to say that there is any dissatisfaction with my shiny stockpile of gifts – far from it. It is more a combination of curiosity, downright nosiness and the lack of physical ability to move further than the length of the sofa by the end of the day.
In these recessionary times, companies around the world are cutting back on bonuses and cash rewards because they can’t afford them, with the exception it seems of certain banks.
Found this great, two-part article on the BBC News site. Commissioned by BBC2’s ‘Working Lunch’ programme, executives and entrepreneurs are asked about the literature that has inspired them in business.
Within organisations and the community people look to their leaders for guidance. Their messages are often powerful, inspirational and influential. So what happens when your leader communicates a controversial issue? Recently a Parish Priest openly supported and encouraged desperate people in need to steal.
Watching Chris Hollins win Strictly Come Dancing on Saturday evening provoked a great conversation amongst my friends gathered to watch the final. How we all love to see an underdog win, how an engaging personality could triumph over real talent, how small and vibrant won ahead of tall and elegant and then one person said ‘I think it was the journey he took….’.
I went to a Christmas carol service on Saturday in Lichfield cathedral. Not through any great sense of religious conviction, but just because it’s a nice thing to do at this time of year. And the carols – sung by bright young things with hopeful faces – were great.
Barnardo’s have always created great adverts. Adverts which communicate the lives of those they strive to help. And their recent TV spot titled ‘Turn Around’ is nothing less than brilliant.
CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) has been around for many years. In fact, since the 50’s when the phrase was first used by academics and business leaders to identify and articulate the impact of global businesses on society. (I imagine the phrase was near strangled by the booms and busts of the 80’s and 90’s when the environment was not at the forefront of a businesses strategy).
I’ve just received a really nice set of postcards from Two Sides Paper featuring six illustrations by Holly Sims.
Illustration has always been close to my heart, having been an avid Beano and Dandy collector as a small boy. Its ability to share and communicate stories is, I suppose, what draws me in (if you can excuse the pun).