From Easter Island statues, to communication tips to the influence of accents, engage reflects on ideas, thoughts and observations that surround our daily lives.
life
something to think about“ A lot of people say there’s a fine line between genius and insanity. |
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Socrates – the ‘anti-athlete’ made cool
With an unwavering fondness for cigarettes and alcohol,
Socrates was a qualified doctor, who refused to play
football professionally until he completed his studies
aged 25.
At 6ft 4in tall he was known for his physical strength, as
well as two-footed vision and skill. Widely regarded as one
of the greatest players of all time, he was captain of one
the greatest teams in 1982, in one of the most memorable
games against Italy in that World Cup. Socrates and that
Brazil team will be remembered by generations of football
followers. He died aged 57 on Sunday 4th December.
Liking a lie-in in people’s genes
People who like a lie-in may now have an excuse – it is at
least partly down to their genes, according to experts.
Experts, who studied more than 10,000 people across
Europe, found those with the gene ABCC9 need around
30 minutes more sleep per night than those without the
gene. The gene is carried by one in five Europeans, they
say in their study, published in Molecular Psychiatry.
The researchers said the finding could help explain “sleep
behaviour”.
the art of communication
Our series of signage which just have to be admired!
outlook
Our series of artists who have captured our imagination.
Jim Whitty
Much of the inspiration for my work comes from exploring the Somerset countryside, discovering secret places, chasing sunlight and its magical effects and wallowing in the enveloping gloom of twilight as it passes into night reducing the colours and spaces around us.
I try to reduce an image, often leaving it empty of detail but full of colour and mood, giving it a meditative quality to which the viewer can bring their own thoughts and emotions.
www.adamgallery.com
communication tips
Be client orientated
This is probably the most common – and most preventable – marketing mistake that businesses make. They know what they want to say. But do they know what their prospects want to hear? In their marketing, they talk about themselves, their product, their service, their length of time in business, yet they fail to address what their product or service can do for their customers.
Can you save your prospect money? Can you solve a problem they have? Can you make their life easier or their own business more profitable? That’s what a potential customer really wants to know: “What can you do for me?” Never forget this.
We are not all the same
Do not assume that everyone likes to receive information the same way. You should be flexible in how you liaise with clients.
E-mail is great for conveying information, but don’t use it for emotional issues; e-mail messages are too easy to misconstrue.
Phone calls and face-to-face meetings are not always efficient for disseminating information, but great for discussing nuanced issues. Furthermore, some people are listeners, while others are readers. Listeners won’t focus on written memos but are great in conversation. Readers write great memos and are also glad to read them, but conversation sometimes fails to fully engage them. If you talk to a reader or write to a listener, your message might not get through.
Be assertive
You can leave much of your power and influence on the table just by using qualifiers such as “I think” or “we might” or “I hope to” before your points. It shows confidence to commit and put a stake in the ground. Consider the difference between “I think we’ll hit our goal” and “We will hit our goal.”
As a bonus, what you declare is more likely to happen. It may feel uncomfortable to be so resolute when hedging is the norm. Therein lies its power. And besides, you’re just as responsible for the commitment anyway.
Start paying attention to how you use language, and if you’re hiding behind qualifiers. Ask a colleague to take note of when you use them, and find a comfortable phrase to replace them such as “I plan to” or “I will.”
Be persistent
It can take nine (9!) or more repetitions of a message before it sticks in a prospect’s brain. Don’t be alarmed if a single advert, mailer or whatever doesn’t yield a phenomenal response.
Keep at it with consistency, and you’ll see results. Small business owners tend to have so many things that they’d like to do and try but too little time. As a consequence too many marketing ideas are never seen through – company newsletters and blogs being two of the main ones to be ditched because they take a long time to show results. Don’t waste time and money starting something that you can’t follow through.
size does matter
Obesity facts
The World Health Organisation predicts there will be 2.3 billion overweight adults in the world by 2015 and more than 700 million of them will be obese. Figures for 2005 show 1.6 billion adults were overweight and 400 million were obese.
Eight in 10 British workers are overweight or living with long-term illnesses that limit their productivity, according to early findings of a 25-year study of people’s wellbeing. Workers who are both overweight and have three or more health conditions – more than 10% of the total – are taking over three weeks’ sick leave every year.
Food portions
In the last few decades, the portion sizes of food sold in shops and served in restaurants has grown tremendously. A study by the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) found that burgers have doubled in size since 1980. And pasta servings are about five times larger.
A study in 2003 controversially suggested that fast food was as addictive as heroin due to the sugar and fat content. It suggested that eating these foods created what they described as ‘pleasure chemicals’. This theory could well be borne out by the 2008 survey that showed 44% of Americans and 45% of Brits didn’t think they could give up their fast food fix because it tasted so good.
Cost of food
Food prices in British supermarkets are rising much faster than in other leading nations a report from UBS shows. Commodity price inflation over the past few months would justify a 3 – 3.5 % increase in processed food prices, but stores have increased prices by 6 – 6.5 %.
The UK fared the worst for price rises – including bread and cereals, fish, and oil and fats – when compared with the six major economies.
At this same time, the UK’s fast food sector has developed its presence by more than 8% in the last year. Pizza chain Domino’s has increased its growth by a whopping 50%, while healthy fast food group Eat boosted its portfolio by 36.4% and sandwich chain Prêt A Manger by 29.7%.
keep branded
Why do I need a brand?
The way you present yourself and your business services makes an impression; that impression is your brand. You can’t avoid it so why not make he most of it? The benefits are;
Differentiation – branding highlights the differences that make your service better.
Connecting people – branding creates a bond between what you offer and consumer loyalty.
Added value – brands create value by adding an emotional significance that exceeds
the basic value of the product or service.
Signifying change – the launch of a brand is an effective way to communicate change
within an organisation.
Be an ambassador
Lorry legend, Eddie Stobart, changed the face of freight and built up one of Britain’s biggest brands (the firm’s official fan club boasts over 25,000 members). Having started with eight trucks and 12 employees in 1976, the current fleet has over 1,000 trucks and 2,000 employees.
Drivers of Stobart trucks wore collars and ties and were instructed to wave back and honk their horn when signalled by a passer-by. The company created badges, kids’ spotting kits which became a huge success.
Giving lorries female names was one Stobart’s brand signatures. The first was named Twiggy, followed by Tammy and a Dolly, after singers Tammy Wynette and Dolly Parton.
Brand flexibility
The ‘Kit Kat’ brand goes back to 1911. The original four-finger bar was developed after a worker put a suggestion in a recommendation box for a snack that “a man could take to work in his pack up”. In the 50s, JWT London, created the iconic advertising line “Have a Break, Have a Kit Kat.”
‘Kit Kat’ bars contain varying numbers of fingers depending on the market, ranging from the half-finger sized Kit Kat Petit in Japan, to the three-fingered variants in Arabia, to the twelve-finger ‘Kit Kat’ family-size bars in Australia and France.
A two-finger bar was launched in the 1930s, and has remained the world’s bestselling biscuit brand ever since.
A simple campfire story
A familiar brand carries with it an expectation of performance. Potential customers need to understand your brand in an instant.
You want to make sure that everything you believe in comes across immediately. Branding is far more than just a logo; it is your service, culture, attitude and, importantly, your staff. They are your brand ambassadors.
A brand is like a campfire story – if its good you will be gripped and relay it on to friends. So, remember a good brand story should:
• be simple• be emotional
• be credible • be surprising