An Idealogy Christmas in 3 parts...(or 3 bah humbugs and 2 Hail Marys)

CHRISTMAS CREEP (Part 3)

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Deadlines! Who needs ‘em?

They are the ultimate driver for everything we do in commercial life and at this time of year the ultimate deadline is Christmas. Having been in Brand and Market Communications for almost 4 decades it hasn’t escaped our attention that during December the deadline condition is amplified – creeping into the already exaggerated operational tension to create almost total panic! From the very start of the Advent season a form of terror sets in. It feels as if our partners, suppliers, even our clients, invent projects that seem to have appeared on schedules when the previous week they weren’t there. Budgets have to be spent (or we’ll lose them), when for the rest of the year budget management is always an unshakeable mantra. Diaries have spaces that need to be filled in an impractical attempt to continue the facade of ‘busy’, right up to the bitter end.

An Idealogy Christmas in 3 parts...(or 3 bah humbugs and 2 Hail Marys)

CHRISTMAS CREEP (Part 2)

For maybe the last 10-15 years, the spread of the festive season has crept into parts of our lives that many of us find astonishing.

Who would have thought, for instance, that the ‘competition’ for most decorated (not even ‘best’ decorated) family home would become such an emotive subject? There is no doubting the attention value of a local house illuminated from chimney to front door with snowflakes, Santa and his Reindeer, seasonal eulogies and even the Manger in Bethlehem – really! And, handled tastefully, it can create a sense of neighbourhood pride and a powerful festive fillip as we wander the streets posting Christmas cards to family and friends.

An Idealogy Christmas in 3 parts...(or 3 bah humbugs and 2 Hail Marys)

CHRISTMAS CREEP (Part 1)

Sitting here at the denouement of November, writing this 3 part set-up for how Christmas has changed over the years, I can’t help thinking that, just possibly, I am contributing to the condition of Christmas Creep – ‘if you’re not the solution you’re part of the problem!’ to paraphrase many awful movie scripts.

Comment without Responsibility – (or how The News Of The World came to the rescue of journalistic standards)…

Let’s begin with what many believe to be the lowest common denominator where research is concerned – good old Wikipedia.

“Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience.”

New clothes for the Emperor again! Pt.2

Time for some pragmatism, Time for a digital idealogy!
To be effective in digital strategy “Discover yesterday, enjoy today and visualise tomorrow”.

5 Digital Idealogies

1. Ensure relevant and manageable self-sufficiency
2. Turn existing assets and activities into profitable pilots
3. Prioritise your housekeeping - search, social, information architecture and content strategy
4. Always follow the chronology of strategy > creativity > technology
5. Test! Test! Test! There are no rules of engagement!

New clothes for the Emperor again! Pt.1

The digital galaxy is like the ‘Emperor’s New Clothes’ to anyone associated with the sales and marketing process.

The new technology, new challenges and the inevitable new sales initiatives that follow can leave budget holders completely bewildered.

Idealogy’s BrandPrint™ reputation spreads across 2 continents

It’s been a busy 9 months for Idealogy consultants. So far, 2011 has seen us roll-out our BrandPrint™ process in a number of glamorous locations around the USA and Europe – Frankfurt, Treviso, Tampa, Zurich, Chicago, Northampton, even Manchester – for several of our key B2B and B2C accounts looking to refresh, reposition or redefine their brand for internal and external business development.