Hansel and Gretel and true word of mouth
I went to see Hansel and Gretel the opera (yes it does exist!) last week and what an experience!
The sets were amazing – contemporary, hyper-perspective, using projections and lighting to transform the simplest of boxes into an inviting forest, an imposing nightmare or angelic vision. The songs were surprisingly familiar (although I’m not sure where from) and the artistic direction at times bizarre (our first glimpse of the witch wearing comedy breasts with pneumatic nipples which she thankfully buttoned in to her cardigan). Amazing – I immediately came in to work the next day and told everyone about it.
Why am I telling you this? Well, it all comes back to marketing really – true word of mouth – engaging someone enough that they not only are captivated but tell others about it. And the ROH got it right – not only was I delighted with a exceeding of expectations (I knew it would be good, but hell, it was great) but it also surprised me (the modern sets, the comedy boobs).
What we do, the marketing, spreading the word about our clients and their products should attempt to abide by the same rules: Talk to people about the stuff they are interested in and then blow their expectations out of the water. Truly surprise and delight them. Make the brand or service relevant and allow people to interact as they wish.
Offer something of value, allow them to experience and people will talk. We always have. It’s only the ways we’re talking that has changed - it’s still just talking. The speed and potential for messages of worth to travel is vast (as anyone who experienced the avalanche of e-vouchers over the past few weeks will attest to). We all love to share, pass on latest info, trend, savings or just something cool.
It’s finding the relevant place for your brand or message that’s the thinking part – where is the personality fit and why? Make it an authentic experience – true to both brand and the audience. We can all spot a fake or where money’s been thrown at a problem and it doesn’t get respect or loyalty.
So, back to the ROH – an amazing experience that I’ll keep wibbling on about for a good few weeks to come, so stop me if you’ve heard this one before…
Becky in Brand Republic
Becky has had an opinion piece featured on Brand Republic this week.
She discusses techniques brands use to reach a female audience.
Here’s an excerpt:
‘Everyone understands that a key driver for women throughout all aspects of their life is talk — talking to friends about feelings, to colleagues and clients about projects and aspirations, with suppliers about the market and innovations. It is a female trait to gather as much information, from as many sources as possible, to use in making decisions.’
Read the full article here
Women in Marketing
There does seem to be a renewed interest in ‘The role of women’ in the industry currently; who is where? how long have they been there? are they getting as good a deal as the chaps in the same position? (unfortunately a recent UK survey still said a resounding ‘No’ with a 22 percent difference remaining).
I think this fervour is more a symptom of the realisation that women are growing in consumer power and a panic reaction of ‘Oh golly, do you think the girls in our place think the same way?’
As a female creative director you are in the minority – the final bastion of testosterone remains to be the creative department and that means we women at the top have learnt to play the game to the satisfaction of the system. A male constructed, endorsed and supported system. What it doesn’t recognise is what else we are bringing to the role – not only inspirational leadership and dedication to the highest possible standard of creative work (as is expected of the position) but more female characteristics of building relationships, caring and nurturing environment (where people feel able to suggest ideas without being ridiculed or put down), an open, team-like department where everyone has a role to play and the ability to affect the direction we are taking.
One of the core traits of women (as everyone knows) is talking, or to put it professionally – communicating. We are constantly asking for comments, feedback, feelings, reactions (from all manner of sources) and use this information to inform the decisions we make. Once made, the decisions are open to constant re-evaluation – using the information we get to address and re-consider, searching for an ever-more appropriate solution. It is a much less linear approach to traditional male strategies and may well enable us to keep up with the ever-changing play-field of today’s markets and increasingly demanding clients.
Once the ‘added-value’ elements of female leadership have been recognised we may then be able to hope for a more understanding and valued progression – god forbid that one day we can get to the age of mid-thirties and not have the sucking of teeth over the potential costs of maternity. The benefits of dynamic, non-linear thinking and the changes to environment and culture should well out-weigh any potential mathematics.
There are definitely many opportunities for women in the sector – we just need to develop a better understanding and support for those who may not feel as at home within the ‘boys club’ environment. I recently was asked to speak at SheSays, an exciting venture encouraging young women within the industry by allowing them to meet other women/girls for advice and mentoring. It’s a great initiative, which I’d be proud to be a part of (and kick myself I didn’t think of).
We need more, ground-up assistance for confident young female creatives, rather than an industry endorsed ‘take it easy on the girls’ approach. Historically it has been harder for women to battle to (and remain at) the top but with an increased awareness of the benefits of female thinking in an ever-changing media environment and initiatives like SheSays there’s a strong and attractive future ahead.
Becky McOwen-Wilson, Creative Director, Geronimo
Many awards to my name - ISPs, IDM, MCCAs, DMAs and Frontier - as well as having the pleasure of judging DMAs 2005 & 2006.