W.I.I.F.M: the art of developing compelling value propositions

Well thought through, meaningful propositions are vital to any brand, product or service. Idealogy have a very simple, single-minded and effective definition of a proposition that always looks at it from a customer perspective:

The short version: “what’s in it for me?”

The idealogy: what’s the single most differentiating thing we can say that will create a reason to believe?

Often, propositions are driven by ‘inside out’ thinking, whereas we believe the start point should always be the customer and therefore ‘outside in’.

Idealogy and the World of Apps! A slightly personal view…

With well over 300,000 Apps at our fingertips (and that number seems to be growing by the minute) people seemingly can’t get enough of them. But are they good for us or, for that matter, good for business?

Having an iPhone or Android phone and a business related App is no longer a choice. Depending on your
Business, its de rigeur - it's a modern requirement expected of today’s competitive marketplace. And it’s
becoming impossible to overlook the opportunity - it's even the same when you think about a mobile version
of your website.

Go back 10 years – then the debate was ‘do I have to get a website or not?’ People were unsure, but
today the answer seems obvious: if you’re not on the Web then you don’t exist, or you’re ex-directory. Either
way, no-one knows you’re there! So, by extension, will it become a requirement that you’ve got to exist as
an iPhone App?

With millions of new iPhone , iPod Touch and iPad users jumping on the App wagon every month, can your
business afford to ignore this as a delivery channel?

For the business who gets it right, an iPhone app opens up a world of possibilities for customer experience that
many only dream about. The right app allows your company to refresh your brand, identity and customer
touchpoints that really provide ‘stand out’ in a highly competitive world.

But then, of course, there’s the flip side of the story!

How did we ever survive before the world of Apps consumed us!

The Media, its responsibility, and the culture of self-absorption

As a very regular commuter on the IOW Ferry, there are certain moments in the journey where you just switch off. For example, I now seldom notice that the boat has left the berth at either end of the journey. It’s just part of the process of acceptance – it’s a 55 minute journey, it begins and it ends. Nothing remarkable in that!

But what I am always aware of are the on-board announcements about safety, facilities and, my particular favourite, “…don’t allow children to wander around unattended or unsupervised for the comfort of the other passengers”. What this unremarkable instruction asks for is an amount of care for fellow travellers. Don’t let your kids run riot and, perhaps more importantly, understand what it means to share space with other people.

Can you see what it is yet?

A reflection by Alan Mutter

People often say to me, “You know what…you're a really great 'drawer', I wish I could draw like that”. Which is quite a compliment, but technically flawed on a number of counts:

Firstly, everyone can draw a picture in some fashion or other, often not that 'photographically' accurate, but nevertheless drawn in their own style, be it immature, crude, childlike or just plain lacking in confidence. It is, however, a drawing. Which is what I do all day everyday (whenever I can).


Secondly, as a ‘Creative’, I suppose I do have more than my fair share of artistic skills (of which drawing is one), but really...Michelangelo was a great drawer, so were Rembrandt, Leonardo Da Vinci, Picasso and all those other guys, too many to mention. So is the autistic savant Stephen Wiltshire... and even good old Rolf Harris and Bradford’s own David Hockney if you must be 21st century! They are great drawers!

If, for a moment, I can be presumptuous enough to group myself within the aforementioned list, we can all draw, paint and produce 'images' that please the viewer in one way or another. What I do is 'bring a creative idea to life' visually in a way that really helps explain it. Something my old buddy Leonardo was fairly hot on. He was also a top 'problem solver' (and engineer, and mathematician, and scientist, and…).

I 'problem solve' all the time and, as a creative team member, what I do with my “old school” arty skill of putting pen to paper as opposed to sitting at the Mac all day, is to give a rough, but ultimately inspirational, version of what the 'creative concept' could look like eventually. The initial 'scamped' versions can often be open to any amount of interpretation by clients and other creatives, which allows everyone on the team to feel involved in the creative processes, something clients find highly desirable and very useful. It also gives the younger, edgy Mac-literate designers an opportunity to mock an old guy!
Bring it on! Magic Markers at dawn!!

Inspiring confidence - while you wait

Ever sat in an uber-cool reception? Ever relaxed on a couch, flicking through a copy of Wallpaper with an authentic Italian Mochaccino whilst taking in the latest icon product offering on display? Ever wondered how it all got there?

A great deal of thought goes in to making sure the best environments belonging to your favourite brands are great experiences - we know! We're currently working with Kenwood UK to give their HQ in Havant, Hampshire the Idealogy treatment that marks a continued drive into the really sexy world of what is now known in the trade as 'experiential design'.

The ‘A’ word and the art of sending people to sleep!

Appraisals! There, the cat’s out of the bag! I’ve said it.

But before you all drift off into a never-to-end, apathy fuelled coma, let’s all agree that we go through this for all the right reasons. And those reasons, loosely, are: -

1. To give employees the opportunity to assess their years progress and candidly assess performance against previously set objectives
2. To set KPIs for the next year
3. To identify skills and future training opportunities
4. To discuss what they have enjoyed and let them vent on anything they haven’t enjoyed in the process (You can’t please everyone all the time!)
5. To clarify any HR or Contractual issues

Which, now you mention it, isn’t very exciting is it?