Market research is critical to businesses who need to clearly define their target audience and constantly optimise their product offering. It can be both qualitative and quantitive, yet by its very nature it tends to be presented in a dry, statistical format. Research is one of those things that marketing and brand managers can't live without, but surely must dread some of the presentations where endless statistics are spouted. It's nobody's fault; it's just that human beings aren't wired to receive and absorb information in this way.

The Storytellers went on air today to talk to the world of creativity, business and brands about the power of Storytelling. Thank you Monocle 24 for hosting the session, during which our very own Tom Grass (Creative Director) and Scott Garrett (CEO) explained why we do what we do: galvanise an entire organisation to unite behind a single vision and move the business forward with momentum and consistency, completely aligned to its strategy.

While Tom and Scott were talking so eloquently, we were pondering back at base, as we so often do, on what makes us so different from any other consultancy, and what it is about our approach that creates such magic. Here goes...

My university lecturer once asked me during a discussion about branding: 'what story are you trying to tell? I didn't have an answer at the time, but I was inspired to find one. My search led ultimately to my 10,000-word dissertation on the relationship between storytelling and branding. 

I love a good mantra. We hear lots these days from internal comms and HR professionals about mission, vision, values and such but in truth, a good mantra is hard to beat and can often take the place of all that cuddly guff.

On March 18^th 2011, Charlottee Todd sold a dress she’d made whilst at college for £78,000.  It had cost her thirty quid in fabric and by most peoples view was not the next big thing in design.  But the dress had a story.  It was the one that Kate Middleton wore - the one that caught the eye of the future king.

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...

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...

The story of Dave Carroll’s broken guitar caught my eye this week.  It shows just how far consumer power has come.  United Airlines managed to break the little-known singer’s prized guitar while he changed planes in Chicago – the mishandling could clearly be seen from the plane window.  After a year of trying to get compensation, Mr Carroll decided to use the best assets he had – his (repaired) guitar, his singing voice, and YouTube.

I was delighted to shoot in the only all-girls team yesterday at Peter Jones’ Fourth Annual Clay Pigeon Shoot in aid of the Peter Jones Foundation at the Royal Berkshire Shooting School as a guest of leading executive search firm Taylor Bennett.  Heather McGregor, MD of Taylor Bennett and who also masquerades as the FT columnist Mrs Moneypenny, is a great shot and much fun to be with, as were the rest of the team.  We came 4th out of 23 teams – no mean feat with some pretty daunting stands and high, fast birds and some equally competitive gents to contend with!  But I digress…

“We don’t do average.
Average is middle of the road,
and middle of the road is
where you get run over.”