TRUTH LOVES... 2017
It's no secret, we love brands and what better day than today to share our own love stories. For some it's a short but passionate affair, for others it's a slow, smouldering romance, here are Team Truth's 2017 loves. Spread the love peeps.
It's no secret, we love brands and what better day than today to share our own love stories. For some it's a short but passionate affair, for others it's a slow, smouldering romance, here are Team Truth's 2017 loves. Spread the love peeps.
Jo loves Netflix
It feels as though most people have a Netflix account nowadays. From its impressive selection of golden oldies, to original titles; when you consider the impetus that Netflix has achieved as part of our lifestyle in the UK, it's quite impressive. The brand not only works with intelligent algorithms, tailoring content to suit you, yours and even small people; it has created a brand vernacular that is commonplace within our modern day lives...
Streamed viewing is just what many of us now do. Netflix binge. Netflix and chill...
The brilliance of Netflix has developed a fundamental content strategy within its very own platform to wholly engage its audience base. A pretty impressive brand retention strategy. Simple, yet brilliant.
As a brand it connects its audience with stories, encourages curiosity, and enables you to explore; but that's all before you've actually viewed any content. How many of us settle on the sofa for an episode but simply can't stand the anticipation of the next one - so keep watching to four or five?!
But what I really love about Netflix is it's brand identity system. Smart businesses realise that a brand is so much more than a logo-mark; Netflix offers a plethora of different products but it has successfully unified the customer experience thematically and visually, so that as a brand it stays cohesive. Great branding works when as a consumer you don't need to see the logo to feel a connection with the brand.
Chris loves Google
For years Google appeared to the world as a WordArt experiment gone global, all be it with the world’s most creditable search engine software behind its multicoloured facade. We all respected google for what it was, but as the brand became more outwardly polished I started to respect Google for what it could be…Apple and Microsofts biggest headache.
What first made me sit-up and take notice was a change in design ethos. Google now feels slick and personable, a modern tech-giant built on almost 20 years of reliability and as the company has started to diversify it has showcased how strong the foundation of this new design philosophy is.
Recently we have seen the emergence of the Gsuite and the Pixel, both of which evince Google’s mission to challenge the biggest software/hardware companies of the 21st century. The Gsuite feels like a slick cloud based version of Microsoft’s Office, a package that has been the 'go-to’ both for personal and professional needs since the early days of Windows, while the Pixel boasts the highest rated smartphone camera and in its short life-span appears to be the first true challenger to the iPhone in a long time.
Apple and Microsoft have sat in relative comfort for years, Google bring a level of competition and tech muscle-power to shake that perch. It will be fascinating to watch how all three companies strive to push their boundaries, and if indeed we will see dominant player.
Jordan loves Pokemon
If you're not into it, you just won't make sense of it but for a large amount of people in my generation Pokémon is full of childhood memories, either by playing the game on a gameboy (I still have mine) or trading & battling with the cards in school (which I also still have).
Throughout my 22 years on this earth I've collected and played every Pokemon game Nintendo have produced and it's safe to say the originals are still my absolute favourite.
The story begins the same way in every game and it never seems to get old, your sent into the Pokemon world at the age of 10 with your first Pokemon given to you by a professor (Professor Oak, etc...) and you then start your first battle, from then on you take control of your own little world traveling from town to town asking people questions and working out how to complete the story all while finding, fighting and capturing Pokémon and gym badges along the way.
Pokémon was so immensely special to me as a kid and I guess this is why I love it. No matter how much I might try to explain to someone how amazing it is as a game and as a piece of child focused fiction.
I’m fully aware that if I hadn’t played the game nearly every day of my childhood life... I probably (like most of you) wouldn’t give a toss about it today.
This year my love for the Pokemon has definitely been rekindled and this is because of Pokemon Go. I'd been anticipating the release of it for a long time and what made me love it even more wasn't that people of all ages were playing it, it was actually seeing people walking up and down streets looking for fictional animals that only appeared on their phones. I've even seen people running to catch a one.
But, I guess you've 'Gotta catch'em All!
Terry Loves Lego
I am now enjoying Lego for the second time in my life...with some considerable years in between the two. Only the other week, we were told that Lego was the worlds most powerful brand, not surprising with the toys strong appeal with both adults and kids, and as of this month the spin-offs with the Lego Batman movie.
I first enjoyed Lego as a kid, many years ago...then it was large green bases and pretty big bricks, where you could knock up a decent construction. Now I have been introduced to it again by my grandson, who can’t put it down. The pieces are now pretty small and intricate (often to be found down the side of the sofa cushions) and you can make some impressive things, usually a themed kit...with moving parts and accessories, which still all click together with ease, and with characters to go with it, including Batman and his comrades, make for endless hours of fun...all over again!
Fiona Loves Lush
When it comes to skincare, I tend to stick to the brands I know and love such as Neal’s Yard, Faith In Nature and Green People, ones that not only suit my skin but are ethically produced. LUSH may have been around for years on the high street but its products are a new addition to my bathroom cabinet.
Having previously avoided the bustling, multicoloured, perfumed shops synonymous with the 90s bath bomb craze, I found myself in a store last year, looking for an aluminium free deodorant and have been a convert ever since. My top three must haves are Dream Cream, Salted Coconut scrub and Ultrabland.
The LUSH values of creating products that are fun but effective, accessible for all and have a strong stance against animal testing permeates the whole brand experience. The store environment can be a bit full on for the LUSH novice but the warm, welcoming and knowledge staff makes every visit a real pleasure. Granted they certainly know how to get you to spend more, but I’ve loved every product recommended to suit my particularly need. The packaging might be a bit basic for some and lack a certain amount of shelf appeal for the average skincare snob, but I think it’s spot on for its no nonsense eco approach to providing great products that are cruelty free. The brand has bags of personality, from its engaging and cheeky tone of voice through to the illustration of who made your product on every pot.
Joanne Loves Instagram
As an avid user of social media, I’ve become slightly bored of the constant “check-in” or “status” updates, I want to be inspired and not made to feel as if my life is a little dull in comparison. I wanted to find something different and once I found Instagram (although a little late) I fell head over heels in love.
Instagram gives me a little bit of escapism and the ease of looking at beautifully captured images by total strangers has become relaxing and almost cathartic. I don’t know these people, they don’t need to know me and there’s no pressure of having to “like” their post - I can just enjoy their photo. A simple, well taken photo can say so much more than 140 characters and I can take it all in, in an instant!
Instagram gives me that daily inspiration to be creative and maybe a little bit daring. I would even go to say that it has even given me the confidence to try things that I probably wouldn’t have before! From the colour of my walls (Farrow and Ball, Hague Blue), the Zara rose gold biker jacket (which to be honest I will probably never wear!) my fabulous Michael Jackson inspired boots and to our summer holiday in Naxos, Instagram has certainly enriched my life.
Instagram has made me look at things in a different way and I now try and find something beautiful in most everything I see, even on the most depressing, rainy Manchester days!
Jaselyn Loves Pinterest
I have a secret.
Slipping inside a cosy, candle-lit room with a glass of wine in hand, I get ready to indulge in a secret love affair… with Pinterest. The visual mood board has become my go-to site for just about everything – after all, excessive pinning inspired my candle-lit living room décor!
Spread across 10 carefully labelled boards are thousands of hairstyles I’ll never try, clothes I’ll never buy, home DIY I’ll never attempt and make-up looks only Kim Kardashian could master. I’m obsessed. But, I’m willing to bet I’m not the only one.
Whilst Pinterest is one of the fastest growing social networks, it’s argued that Pinterest isn’t a social network at all. Think about it, when have you ever ‘socialised’ via Pinterest? It’s an online shopping portal masquerading as a social hub. Spot an outfit on a celeb? Related pins will help you find it! In fact, summer 2016 saw the introduction of buyable pins to select US retailers; meaning users could purchase multiple items from various retailers without ever leaving the platform. So, to make a long story short, Pinterest is ‘Shopaholics Anonymous’ and yes, I am a member.
Sophie Loves Disney
Even at the old age of 22 I still get excited about anything to do with Disney, and I know that I’m not the only one who does.
Disney is a brand that has touched most people’s hearts, no matter what your age it’s hard not to feel some sort of connection to a Disney film or one of the Disney characters that have been there as we grow old.
Born almost 100 years ago, in a small office by two brothers who created the animation we know and love as Mickey Mouse, the brand has transformed into a world wide phenomenon.
The brand, which ignites everyone's imagination, has also created a world where in fact dreams do come true. Disneyland is labelled ‘The Happiest Place On Earth’ and if you’ve ever been lucky enough to visit you can truly see that customer service and creating happiness is at the forefront of Disney’s mind.
Disney is an inspiration to all, it shows that you should dream big and reach for the stars.
And as Walt Disney would say himself: “If you can dream it, you can do it.” And that’s why I love Disney.
Lucy Loves Youtube
Whether you’re looking for new music, inspirational talks or funny animal videos you can always find what you need on YouTube. As one of the most popular video sharing websites across the world, YouTube has allowed people to have their own voice for over ten years and has even propelled some careers.
You may say that all social media platforms allow people to have their say, but for me I believe YouTube does it best, as sometimes it’s easier to express how you’re feeling or what you want to say out loud rather than writing it down.
What I love about Youtube is that despite being a Google company, it has managed to keep it’s own identity as a stand alone brand. It has created singers, dancers and vloggers who have gone on to become huge influencers in the social media and advertising markets. I love that you can lose track of time watching video after video and how it can bring people together with just six simple words: “Have you seen that YouTube video?” .
What brand has caught your eye this year, let us know?
My 10 Years of Truth. Passion, Love and Relentless Tenacity…
It’s the summer of 2005 and I return from a girly weekend in Madrid to my husband and soon-to-be founder of Truth. I’ve been happily working in client services, learning my craft at McCann Erickson before a two-year stint at what became Gyro International. Darren is currently senior designer and head of typography at McCann Erickson. He’s at the top of his game and respected industry-wide.
#1 The Idea.
It’s the summer of 2005 and I return from a girly weekend in Madrid to my husband and soon-to-be founder of Truth. I’ve been happily working in client services, learning my craft at McCann Erickson before a two-year stint at what became Gyro International. Darren is currently senior designer and head of typography at McCann Erickson. He’s at the top of his game and respected industry-wide.
As I put down my case and plonk on the couch he tells me that he’s leaving McCann, where he’s been for the past 10 years… going to freelance for 12 months and then set up his own agency. That’s a lot of information in five minutes when you’ve just arrived home – but his passion for what he’s about to do is unshakeable, and in August 2006 Truth is born.
#2 Reebok UK.
I can whole-heartedly state that 2008 was a critical turning point for Truth, both commercially and creatively. A long-standing friend and photographer, Jon Shard had referred us. We won the brief to deliver branding and associated visual identity for Reebok’s sporting asset, Amir Khan (Amir is still using our logomark to this day). Working with Reebok would last until 2015… and my love for the brand still remains to this day.
Reebok is in my top 10 for hundreds of reasons, but the photography shoot with Amir Khan, whilst Darren and I were 10-weeks into expecting our first child, was probably one of the greatest moments (aside from feeling as sick as a dog). It launched our little business into a respected agency creating global branding.
#3 Versus Cancer ‘09.
Our second year running supporting this amazing charity founded by Andy Rourke (ex-Smiths) and Nova Reman (ex-tour manager to Ian Brown, to name just one). The visibility we received from VC was again phenomenal, leading onto numerous in-bound new business opportunities.
The 2009 campaign sticks in my memory the most. Cue Darren sending me a text message watching Noel Gallagher’s full set rehearsal, whilst sat next to non other than Paul Weller. You couldn’t script it.
#4 Lisa and Fi.
What started as a casual conversation over lunch in 2010 with my ex-colleague and friend at Pret-a-Manger with Lisa Margis (not yet French), ended up being what is now one of my proudest moments in Truth’s history.
A frantic phone call from France (there’s a lot of French references here, which is complete coincidence!) brought Lisa and Fiona into the Truth family as partners and directors of what has become an incredibly successful PR and Digital Outreach operation.
I’m proud to call them my partners, my allies and my close friends.
#5 The Unexpected Call.
One referral Darren and myself never expected arrived in 2011. I remember his face of disbelief when he came to tell me that ITV had just called with a brief out of the blue.
The call turned out to be an identity brief that would showcase the on screen brand of Coronation Street, off-screen for commercial opportunity. Those kinds of calls don’t happen too often!
#6 NYC – Baby!
Having worked with UK parenting brand Bounty for a number of years, the business decided to look at international markets to grow its commercial opportunity. In 2012 their parent company, Treehouse Group, invested in a bedside baby photography business know as Mom365.
I joined the UK marketing team in 2012 on a trip to New York, culminating in one of the most memorable strategic proposition and branding presentations I’ve ever given. I don’t think anyone since has given me a round of applause when I finished the presentation…. I LOVE New York!
#7 The Big One.
I remember quite clearly sitting in the PZ Cussons reception with Darren in 2012, waiting to go in and pitch our thoughts on their global corporate identity. It felt huge for Truth, but we knew our strategy and brand creativity was solid.
We were pitching against the big boys and we didn’t think we’d win for a second. But we did – and we continue to work with the business to this day, it’s an organisation we’re both incredibly passionate about.
#8 2014 Transform Awards.
We’ve never been an agency for entering awards, Darren’s cabinet is pretty full so our reward comes from seeing brands grow and happy clients.
So when we transformed both corporate and operational brands for GC Aesthetics and our client wanted to enter, we were thrilled to win!
#9 Robinsons’ Internal Launch.
Having developed the corporate identity for Robinsons Brewery and re-invigorating the 176 year old brand, we were invited to launch it to the entire business in December 2014.
As Darren and I stood in front of the board, management and employees to reveal the new identity, we were met with gasps, silence, then laughter and smiles. It was a proud moment I’ll never forget.
# 10 Top Three.
Three weeks before our agency turns 10, I travel to London to the annual event hosted by the Drum – the UK’s Independent Agency Census. I’m thrilled to discover that Truth is voted by its clients and the Drum as not only an elite agency, but in the top three UK agencies. Wow.
It’s at this moment that watching my business partner and husband realise his dream, being by his side to create this fantastic agency, and seeing how far we’ve come, that I don’t think I could be any prouder.
Written by
Jo Scott, Managing Partner.
Truth delivers digital services for Rosewood Pet Products
Manchester-based brand storytelling agency, Truth, has extended its 5-year relationship with Rosewood Pet Products to support the company with a wide range of digital and content marketing services.
Manchester-based brand storytelling agency, Truth, has extended its 5-year relationship with Rosewood Pet Products to support the company with a wide range of digital and content marketing services.
Work includes delivery of consumer-facing PR and social media campaigns, blogger outreach and the provision of a 24/7 press office function. Truth is also currently developing and enhancing Rosewood’s website to improve the user interface and experience and promote greater brand consistency.
The additional remit builds on Truth’s long-standing partnership with Rosewood, which has previously involved rebranding its global packaging, creating new product identities, designing corporate literature and relaunching the trade customer ‘Market Place’ section on the website.
“We have enjoyed a hugely successful five year working relationship with Truth so we were wholly confident they were the right partner for the next phase in our marketing strategy. The agency has the creative, technical and strategic skills we need to enhance our digital presence in both trade and consumer marketplaces and we are already seeing tremendous results.”
With Truth’s support, Rosewood has seen a 74% increase in social media followers, is enjoying an average engagement of 5% and has reached over 8,500 people with its last three Facebook competitions. Average dwell time on the website’s ‘Market Place’ section has increased by 40%.
Integrated brand storytelling agency, Truth, offers design, digital and PR services to global, national and regional clients. It employs 16 people and was established in 2006.
Has Instagram killed the art of photography?
Not too long ago capturing professional-looking images was a elitist pursuit of those with an expensive SLR and later a DSLR. Then the iPhone came along. And yes, there were digital compact cameras long before, and there were even other camera phones before the iPhone. But the first iPhone changed everything, particularly the apps, and more specifically Instagram. Instagram combined the basic human instinct of showing off on social media with the ability to turn an average shot into a masterpiece.
I love photography and I have an enormous amount of respect for the people that are good at it. It is an incredibly hard craft to learn and near impossible to master. It is a beautiful crossroads where science meets art, and the great practitioners of the art are as much skilled technicians as they are creative artists. They capture spirit and emotion and freeze it in time as an everlasting testament to that precise moment in history. They manipulate light and shadow to evoke mood and create atmosphere. This takes not only great skill but a great awareness of the world and a finely tuned creative eye. They are also so in command of their equipment that it has become an extension of their eye, they no longer have to think about the technicalities anymore - it’s simply intuitive. They are automatic reactions to the situation, the subject, the light. The ability they have to capture a perfect image in a fraction of a second still amazes me every time.
Not too long ago capturing professional-looking images was a elitist pursuit of those with an expensive SLR and later a DSLR. Then the iPhone came along. And yes, there were digital compact cameras long before, and there were even other camera phones before the iPhone. But the first iPhone changed everything, particularly the apps, and more specifically Instagram. Instagram combined the basic human instinct of showing off on social media with the ability to turn an average shot into a masterpiece.
Lomo had already started a pre-iPhone trend called ‘Lomography’. This involved taking quirky ‘shoot from the hip’ images of everyday nonsense on cheaply made, expensively priced Soviet analogue cameras. These highly revered ‘toys’ were very basic, and hard to focus as this consisted of a choice of ’near’ or ‘far’ and then you had to pay to have your film developed which took days. All this, only to discover your shots were blurred and unusable. If by some small miracle you had a useable shot you then needed to scan it to share it digitally via the web.
Instagram captured the spirit of Lomography and the iPhone put it in everyone’s hand, and more importantly their pocket. You no longer had to drag around large conspicuous and costly equipment. You no longer needed to understand aperture, depth of field and f-stops, the iPhone took care of all that. You just had to point and click.
Suddenly everyone became a photographer and could freeze moments in time and keep them in their pocket forever. They could share them instantly on social media and print them at home on there desktop printer. Instagram’s nifty little filter effects meant users could adjust their shots to look professional and change the composition by cropping it. It made people more aware of the skill set of a photographer without needing to have them yourself.
The beautiful thing that Instagram does is it makes people look at the world differently. You see supposedly ‘non-creative’ people change as they begin to see the world through the eyes of a photographer, and they start to look for the beauty in everything. They start to appreciate light, form, texture, they consider the composition before pressing the button, they begin to think creatively. They experiment to explore what works and what doesn’t. It really opens your eyes and makes you really look at what is in front of you.
Six years after its launch some argued that Instagram has ‘devalued’ or ‘debased’ the art and made the captured image disposable. I would argue that it has brought photography to the masses and heightened people’s appreciation of the art form, making it more revered than ever before.
Many of the world’s best professional photographers have now embraced Instagram as a platform to showcase their work. Steve McCurry one of the most celebrated photographers of his generation is an ‘Instagrammer’ (@stevemccurryofficial) and currently boasts 1.3m avid followers.
That is why in my opinion to say Instagram has changed the world maybe a bit of a stretch, but it has certainly changed the way its 400 million active users look at it. And I believe the great photographers of the past like Ansel Adams the landscape genius or the posthumously discovered street photographer Vivian Maier would approve too.
Written by
Darren Scott
Creative Director – Truth Creative
Follow Darren on Instagram: @darrenexplores
The loves of our branded lives...
Some people are quite open about it. Some shout it from the rooftops. Some deny it and remain in the closet. But, I know that everyone has a brand they love, and what fascinates me most is the reasons why. Is it the product? Is it the Service? Is it the way they make you feel? We all have our reasons.
With this in mind and with Valentine’s Day fast approaching I decided to ask the Truth team which brands they are feeling the love for this year. Here is what they said.
Some people are quite open about it. Some shout it from the rooftops. Some deny it and remain in the closet. But, I know that everyone has a brand they love, and what fascinates me most is the reasons why. Is it the product? Is it the Service? Is it the way they make you feel? We all have our reasons.
With this in mind and with Valentine’s Day fast approaching I decided to ask the Truth team which brands they are feeling the love for this year. Here is what they said.
Darren loves Tesla
I am a sucker for the next big thing, and particularly products or brands that utilise smart design and technology to enhance our lives.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s goal is to ‘change the world and make the future better for all humanity’. This sounds like a bold claim, but Tesla are an innovations company, and they are really doing it.
What I really really love is about Tesla is they are giving away their hard earned electric car patents for free as open source, allowing their ‘competitors’ to benefit from their advancements and accelerate the advent of sustainable transportation. This selfless and counterintuitive act of open collaboration will allow a leap in technology that will potentially solve the world's energy crisis. In 2015, Tesla Energy announced a suite of batteries for homes called Powerwall that store electricity for domestic consumption and backup power.
Elon Musk is also the CEO of other innovation companies like SpaceX and Hyperloop, Founder of PayPal, and he is pioneering solar technology with SolarCity.
Tesla cars are a bit out of my price range (for now at least), but when they’re not, I’m in.
Jo loves Illy
Ground Espresso Roast Coffee. The can-opening-whoosh, the scent of roasted coffee aromas, the freshness… For coffee-lovers the world over, Illy gives you a little-smidgen of barista in the comfort of your own home. I would (in typical style) say that the brand is critical, but the packaging is more so. What Illy has done, is use its take on protecting the coffee’s vital aromas through a pressurised tin. Yes, there’s a very strong argument that almost seven quid for a can of coffee is a little indulgent, but for me? It’s worth… Every. Penny. There’s a controlled branded experience here – like no other, and that’s what makes me swoon.
Packaging-gush over, and add the GAGGIA machine, the Illy-branded espresso cup and the finished crema to boot, and my valentine really is coffee like an Italian would. Oh, and not forgetting the all important brand red. The colour of success. Italian style.
Chris loves Air bnb
For me this brand showcases how great and methodical design can elevate a company. Transforming what used to be (at least in my opinion) a pokey way to find a bnb – something of a last resort – into a household name to discover rare travel gems.
For me the worst element of travelling is finding a destination, it can be a monotonous trawl through web pages leading to an overly complex booking process, what I love about this brand is that it has taken what was an arduous process and through great design transformed it into a service that not only delivers but also inspires, quickly tapping me into new locations to discover and then delivering a simple journey through to purchase.
Ant Loves Channel 4
4creative in collaboration with DBLG, SQUA, Brody Associates and Jonathan Glazer recently served us up a new identity on air package for Channel 4. From the simplified iconic logo, controversial Horseferry typeface to the clever deconstructed logo pieces that captivate as they bounce around the screen, this will and has split opinion. What it does do though is reaffirm Channel 4's continual position the innovative and experimental channel.
Rosie loves Les Mills
Les Mills is an international provider of group fitness classes that are distributed to health clubs and gyms, including Lifestyle Fitness Manchester – my local gym.
Throughout my adult life (which isn’t long) I have been to a variety of gym classes with varying levels of enjoyment. However, I have been an active member of the Les Mills programmes for over two years, helping to improve my fitness and gain strength.
Unlike most, these classes are very short (30—45 mins) but consist of highly intense and specialist workouts. My favourite being BODYPUMP and HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training).
I love this brand because it does a simple job extremely well. Exercise classes are not new but LES MILLS has brought something new to the world of fitness, allowing me to train in a short space of time.
Ruth loves Green & Blacks
Working in an office full of sweet tooths, it seems obvious to turn my mind to confectionary when nominating a brand that I love. The sheer variety of sugary snacks that come through our door at Truth could make for a not-so-short 'short list' of amazing confectionary brands but for me there is one that really stands out, one that through its brand positioning has created the ultimate in sweet treats – a guilty pleasure without the guilt.
Beginning its life as Britain’s first winners of the fair-trade mark, Green & Blacks set its stall out from the off with its ethical stance and this really makes me admire their brand. Even the environmental origins of their chosen name ‘Green’ win my heart and as a huge advocate of substantiated CSR policies (and as a consumer of vast quantities of chocolate and coffee) I find myself drawn to brands that trade fairly on commodities grown in developing countries. Of course, it would be naive of me to expect that CSR should be more important to a business than its bottom line but Green & Blacks are a fine example of how CSR should be engrained in a brand right from the start.
Helen loves Sofar Sounds
In a world where mainstream music rules, Sofar offers a welcome reprieve from the commercial sound we’ve become accustomed to. The basic premise of the business is to offer up and coming artists an intimate platform in which to showcase their music. ‘Intimate?’, I hear you ask. ‘How?’ Sofar is on a mission to bring us closer to live music around the world in a very unique way. The business calls on like-minded music lovers to host gigs in their homes, on their rooftops, or wherever else they see fit, in a revolutionising musical venture. The location of the gig is kept secret until 2 days before the event. The talent is promising. And it’s BYOB. What’s not to love?!
Richard loves Levi’s
I recently went through a traumatic experience and one I wouldn’t wish upon anyone… buying a new pair of jeans. An impossible, joyless task and one I had continually put off. Eventually, with my old reliables unravelling, I plucked up the courage and headed into town. I hadn’t been shopping for a while and had forgotten that the majority of high street stores are awful places. Terrible music being blared out in an under lit, over heated changing room. The staff were miserable, I was miserable and I wasn’t having a good time.
But when I thought all hope was lost, I stumbled into the Levi’s shop. I don’t know what led me to those hallowed gates; I’d never owned a pair of Levi’s before or had any previous with them. Whatever the reasons were I’m glad I did. As soon as I walked in, I knew I was in the right place. The relaxed atmosphere, the genuinely helpful staff, the quality of the products; everything felt premium. It was actually enjoyable and within a few minutes I wanted them to take my money. (They didn’t even have my size in stock, instead tailored a larger pair to my size. In store. All within an hour!) I only needed one pair of jeans but came out with two, blowing my budget out the water…
Basically, to sum up, if a customer has a good experience with a brand, they’ll love them, they’ll shout about them and ultimately, they’ll spend more. From having no real connection with Levi’s, I became an advocate and I’m looking forward to the next time I need to buy jeans
Jack loves Tinder
I fully appreciate the ironic notion that this conjures up in a blog looking at brands the team love in the run up to Valentine’s Day… I stagger in, eyes squinting at my phone, dating app open and a thumb that’s gained a repetitive strain injury. However, I love Tinder.
Here’s why. I refused to join this app for a very long time and I only recently converted. I’ve come to realise that it’s a great way of meeting new people, especially working in a profession that can be particularly hectic at times. It’s also a more socially acceptable way of meeting new people (who knew simply talking to someone face to face by way of introduction wasn’t?)
I haven’t tried any of the competitor apps, happn particularly freaks me out due to the potential for stalkers (cue the ‘you should be so lucky’ line) but Tinder’s original dating app status and the recent updates which allow you to communicate with GIF’s mean that I probably won’t stray. I love a good GIF.
What else do I love? It’s simplicity, ease of use and speed. It’s damn efficient as well and y’know; ‘time is money’ and all that. Only down side is probably the increase in spend on social activities and dates as a result. Perhaps in this way it’s a love/hate relationship with the brand.
Looking at the bigger picture; 9 million matches worldwide, examples of marriage and some general fun and tom foolery for many, what’s really not to love about this little app?
Jas loves Inner City Music
Whether it’s jazz, funk, reggae or electro, music is a universal language that’s celebrated from every corner of the globe. Performance is a fine art, and nothing can compare to raw talent.
This is what Manchester’s Inner City Music brings to the cultural table. The non-profit organisation heads up a variety of eclectic musical events throughout the north, and is the backbone of the Northern Quarter’s legendary Band on the Wall venue.
Whilst I love nothing more than to ‘Keep it Unreal’ at Mr Scruff's Swan Street residency, I can’t help but admire the charity’s wider goal of nurturing emerging talent. Working within the community and at local schools, the charity’s dedication to budding musicians is evident through its exciting education programme, which features some of the regions most talented tutors.
The venue itself is a notable part of the city’s history and, judging by its work within the local community, Inner City Music will continue to play a huge role in Manchester’s notorious music scene.
Lisa loves Head Over Heels
As a mum to a very energetic toddler, finding an environment / experience that entertains both me and son is like stumbling upon gold dust. My beautiful boy likes chasing after footballs in the pouring rain or climbing up and down colourful foam-stuffed-plastic in a cold and soulless warehouse. Meanwhile, I like cocktail bars, spa days and watching / playing tennis – and for some reason, my little cherub isn’t a fan of any of those. I know, I can’t believe it either!
That is why I am such a huge fan of Head Over Heels Play Centres. They have got the brand experience bob on – for both children and parents. The play areas are interesting, interactive, bouncy - everything my son loves. Whilst also being absolutely spotless and in pristine condition - everything I am reassured by as a (sometimes) anxious parent. They are also warm and cosy, well decorated AND they serve really high quality food and drinks. And by food, I mean well balanced, nutritious meals for my son. And by food, I mean mouth watering, delicious cakes for mummy.
Furthermore, the staff are very friendly and clearly love children, taking time to interact with them even if it’s not specifically their job. They are also very security conscious. You practically have to take a DNA test to prove your child belongs to you before they let you out the building.
I’m not a huge fan of the brand mark but the brand values are evidently clear through all the customer touch points and very engaging. It’s impressive. I actually think I’d live there if I could.
So unless anyone creates a venue that hosts high profile tennis matches that you can watch whilst eating a muffin, drinking a margarita and having a back, neck and shoulder massage, whilst also meeting all my son’s expectations - you'll find me at Head Over Heels
Terry loves BBC FOUR
BBC FOUR for me for the Friday night music programmes, great variety, looking into all areas.
Taking on a particular music style of a band or individual in a particular era, 60s 70s 80s, usually unseen footage with the story of their rise and inevitable fall. in a documentary style followed usually by a concert performance of the band, very nostalgic and great viewing… and listening.
Always leaving me saying…I didn’t think it was that long ago!
What brand has caught your eye this year, let us know?
Autocorrect spells trouble
The human race's reliance on technology is nothing new. I know this. Calculators are used for basic sums. Sat Navs replace the need for any sort of map reading ability and of course these concepts serve to make our lives easier but they're making us lazy and they're making us forget that we could actually perform these simple tasks without the assistance of machines. But then why would we want to when the technology is there to do the thinking for us?
Having recently traversed the continent of South America (you need to know this for context, it's not just a shameful gloat) I found myself writing e-mails on computers that weren't set to English. Not a huge problem. Obviously I speak English, so writing an e-mail without the assistance of an English-speaking computer shouldn't be an insurmountable challenge - or at least one would hope. But as I settled into the task at hand each word I typed, most of which for the record was actually spelt correctly, a sea of autocorrect 'red mist' underlined everything I wrote - the spell checker, obviously set to Spanish, wasn't recognising what I was writing. In that moment I felt a cold pang of vulnerability and only then, with my trusted English autocorrect having deserted me (as an aside - desert and dessert are amongst the trickiest offenders) did I realise that I am somewhat reliant on having a machine check my spelling. So if I wanted to have a perfectly correct e-mail to send to my loved ones, it was down to me and me alone.*
The human race's reliance on technology is nothing new. I know this. Calculators are used for basic sums. Sat Navs replace the need for any sort of map reading ability and of course these concepts serve to make our lives easier but they're making us lazy and they're making us forget that we could actually perform these simple tasks without the assistance of machines. But then why would we want to when the technology is there to do the thinking for us?
Perhaps I'm being harsh. Maybe it's just me that allows my typing to be ruled by a spell checker - which I sincerely hope isn't the case otherwise this is going to quickly become a confession to my boss that I can't spell! Thankfully I don't think I'm alone. In fact I know I'm not because there are occasions when autocorrect doesn't even give you the choice. Take the iPhone for example. As you type, it skips ahead of you, guessing and then 'helpfully' suggesting words you might be trying to muster before you've finished. It's becoming a cocky know-it-all! It's like when you search on Google and it starts patronising you with 'Did you mean?' when it doesn't recognise something. No. Just stop interfering and search for what I asked for cheers Google. I digress.
I don't know if there's a lesson for us here. Should we all switch off the spell checker and see how far we get before we fail? Might be worth a try but it's certainly not conducive to efficient working having to look up from your desk and sheepishly ask a colleague for help on how to spell such tricky words as necessary (just remember 'coffee and two sugars' for that one and you'll be fine).
The truth is, without being a hypocrite I can't implore anyone to abandon the technology that does actually make life a bit easier but perhaps we should all have a little more confidence in our selves. If you see a red line under a word you swore was written correctly, let your finger hover for a brief moment on your mouse's right click button to see which alternatives spell check has suggested. Ignore the impulse and try typing the word again!
Incidentally I wrote this with autocorrect switched on. Old habits die hard! Told you I'm a hypocrite.
* I probably could have easily changed the autocorrect to English but I don't know how, nor do I know how to ask in Spanish for someone else to do that.
Ruth Thomas - Account Director, Truth PR.
Do clients get the design they deserve?
I strongly believe that great design is achieved by great people collaborating towards a common goal, and great clients get great design because they are part of that great team. The point I am making is that clients should see themselves as the facilitators of great design. A great client values design and understands its role within a business, it empowers progress and inspires people along the way. A great client can really affect the process in a positive way, with the decisions they make shaping the strategy and defining the journey.
Do clients get the design they deserve?
I strongly believe that great design is achieved by great people collaborating towards a common goal, and great clients get great design because they are part of that great team. The point I am making is that clients should see themselves as the facilitators of great design. A great client values design and understands its role within a business, it empowers progress and inspires people along the way. A great client can really affect the process in a positive way, with the decisions they make shaping the strategy and defining the journey.
Insight
The ability of a client to provide valuable insight into their business and the market is an essential part of the briefing process. Obviously, a good design agency will endeavour to research and understand both your business and its potential market. However, they will never know it better than someone who lives and breathes the brand, so a great client will add real value to the design process.
Freedom
A great client demands great design, but at the same time is also very open minded to what that design might be. They come to you with a problem to be solved, not a solution to implement. They will also give the team the freedom and time to explore possibilities and evaluate their potential impact on both the business and the consumer. They then interrogate the outputs through the eyes of the target audience, disregarding personal preferences.
Vision
A great client has to be a visionary, they need to see past barriers to the potential success and its eventual rewards. There will always be barriers to creating groundbreaking design, it is how you overcome those barriers that can define the success of a project. If you are ahead of the curve you are always going to have to knock a few walls down along the way to make structural changes, shift the perception of new technologies and systems, or change habitual or cultural behaviours.
Some of the most influential design in history is the output of one passionate visionary with an idea and a dream. For example, Steve Jobs launched Apple out of his garage in California with a vision to create the world’s first affordable personal computer. He had no big R&D team (just Woz), he didn’t have a fancy office or a big budget, just a great idea and the drive and determination needed to implement it well. Jobs later proved with the iPod, iPad and iPhone that this visionary approach can be scaled up effectively with a great team of like-minded, talented people and a great captain to steer the ship.
Relationships
One of the most important things in any team process is relationships and great clients understand this. Great ideas are built on trust as much as anything else. If a client doesn’t trust the team appointed to deliver, then it will cloud judgement and the relationship will ultimately breakdown. It is really important that you feel comfortable enough in the relationship to have open and honest dialogue about what does and doesn’t work. This is why getting the fit right when appointing your agency is the first step on the road to great output, and ultimately great results.
Quality
The quality of the output is a direct result of the input. But it is also the ability to identify what quality is, a great client can spot a great idea from across a room. However, not all agencies see quality output in the same way. Quality output can be defined in several ways depending on your objectives, and it depends on the brief. Some value aesthetics more, some emphasise the value of the idea, some are only concerned with results, but the great agencies blend all three perfectly.
If you have a great team, a great brief and a great insight then the output should be great, right? You would hope, but it is not always the case. Particularly when budgets and timings are thrown in to the mix too.
Budgets
‘I don’t have the budget for good design so just knock me up something quick’. This all too frequent comment really sets the scene for bad output. This popular misconception that good design is born out of a big budget isn’t really true, a good idea doesn’t care how much money you have.
A good idea takes the same amount of time as a bad idea, that simple electrical impulse in the human brain is not restricted by budgets. What money does buy is more brains with bigger offices and bigger expenses. I believe a good idea can be born out of any budget if the environment is right and the insight is good. Granted, a bigger budget will buy grander executions and more exposure, but no amount of exposure will make a bad idea better. You’re just buying bad exposure.
In fact sometimes the best ideas come straight away and might be scribbled on a beer mat in a moment of inspiration, whereas you can labour for weeks trying to get a bad idea to execute well, this is often because of bad initial input.
Bad design will always cost a business more time and money in the long term, as Apple discovered during their ill-fated, ill-designed rudderless years when Steve Jobs was exiled in the nineties from the company he founded, only to return to, well you know the rest…
Time
Great clients plan ahead and put processes in place to facilitate good design. Finding the time for research and workshops to gain insight and test outputs. Making sure there is adequate time for designers to absorb themselves in the problem and challenge the obvious solutions. Time is always tight, but it is possible to change the company culture to accept that, great design can take great planning and great patience.
So, do clients get the design they deserve?
Sadly, not always. There are lots of great businesses out there that don’t maximise their true potential by harnessing good design. Where they are failing is hard to tell as a outside observer, but what is clear is that a lot of great clients don’t get the great design they deserve. Equally there are probably lots of great agencies that have really frustrating clients I am sure.
The truth is that clients must demand great design and inspire the team to deliver it, only then will they get the great design that they deserve.
Written by
Darren Scott
Creative Partner / Founder – Truth Creative.
The importance of thought leadership?
A thought leader is an individual or firm recognised as an informed opinion leader, and the ‘go-to’ person in their field of expertise. They are not only the trusted sources that move and inspire others; they turn ideas into reality and know how to replicate success.
The importance of thought leadership?
A thought leader is an individual or firm recognised as an informed opinion leader, and the ‘go-to’ person in their field of expertise. They are not only the trusted sources that move and inspire others; they turn ideas into reality and know how to replicate success.
In the context of brand strategy, this is an incredibly powerful tool. Once the solid industry term of corporate PR: today’s multi-channel opportunities enable any brand to drive end-user and consumer engagement through challenging the equilibrium.
For any brand to harness the power of thought leadership it must run deeper than a press release or social media campaign. It must be an integral culture of a business. Why? Because the competitive advantage most brands are vying for is not easy to achieve in an ever-changing, sceptical world. Nor should it be. True thought leadership must breed innovation from the foundations of a business and the collective individuals who make it happen. Only then can a business project its thought leadership to a wider, external audience.
Great thought leadership challenges the norm; it doesn’t simply provide commentary. It is driven from the individuals behind a brand who ask why? Or, what if? And, more often than not thought leaders, who inspire an organisation, aren’t necessarily the right people to communicate it, internally or externally.
So how can a brand truly harness thought leadership?
A brand can really engage its users by embracing a differentiated brand proposition, enabling the business individuals to live it in everything they do. This breeds innovation, new product development and above all, brand advocacy through distinctive, campaign-able conversations.
The best way to understand this is to cite the brands that do this well.
First up, the obvious one. Apple Inc.
You might argue some of the thought leadership has waned since we lost the brilliance of Mr. Jobs. But my view is, he did more than enough to launch Apple into a position of thought leadership for years to come simply by breeding innovation throughout the veins of his business. The result? A plethora of brand advocates who genuinely love the familiarity they get from the intelligence of intuitive products from the very first time they pick them up, to the ‘nothing-is-too-much-trouble’ in-store experience.
Second, SAP. Yes – I’m being serious.
As a business software powerhouse that wants to show how your business can leverage the latest innovative technologies to solve problems, SAP is a thought leader in its own right. The content provided by SAP is about leading and helping, not simply selling. SAP is thinking of its brand as a media outlet producing content that is relevant to its target audience. It does this by establishing itself as a bright mind that can help your business solve problems. It also provides a great showcase for its internal leaders to position themselves as experts in their field. IBM’s alignment to implement its intelligent systems on the ground, is not without piggy-backing innovative thought leadership…
Third. It’s TED.
TED is a brand built on thought leadership. The nonprofit organization’s talks and conferences represent the world’s most relevant and influential thinkers, and the ideas distributed through videos and blog posts impact a widening range of industries and disciplines.
The organization’s actual target audience is made up of individuals representing decision-makers in every aspect of business, education, technology and other industries. Now TED is branching out to create conferences centered on a range of subjects and locations; 2014’s TEDMED is serving as the brand’s first conference dedicated to one discipline. This is how TED is able to influence industries and audiences in ways that most brands only dream of.
A final thought…
All three of these brands operate as thought leaders by moving their audience in a very pertinent way. They engage, innovate and stretch once they’ve mastered what they’ve been doing thus far. Thought leadership isn’t commentary, and it isn’t PR – it is about communicating a brand’s ability to deliver results to help improve both lives and business.
Written by
Jo Scott
Managing Partner – Truth Design.
Designed for mass production
Rewind 4 years and I'm leaving uni with liver on the brink of failure, but a head filled with ambition, I'm leaving uni with 89 other communication design graduates, from a university that's one of the 130 higher education establishments in the UK. A few quick sums tell me that's a hell of a lot of competition for a coveted design role, a role that I've just spent more money than I've ever seen learning how to do…
Rewind 4 years and I'm leaving uni with liver on the brink of failure, but a head filled with ambition, I'm leaving uni with 89 other communication design graduates, from a university that's one of the 130 higher education establishments in the UK. A few quick sums tell me that's a hell of a lot of competition for a coveted design role, a role that I've just spent more money than I've ever seen learning how to do…
It's nearly four summers later and I've been doing said coveted role for every summer since - somehow amongst all this fierce competition for jobs and mass design production I've made it stick - phew! Now there's a fresh crop of talent on the horizon, champing at the bit, with the same shaky liver and more importantly the same lofty goals that my four years younger self set out, and as bleakly discussed earlier it's tough out here - but with a will there's a way!
Every budding designer will approach the industry differently and landing a great role is always part talent, part determination and a little slice of luck - but promising, hungry designers will find success. So enough of the negativity, I want to share with the new breed a few nuggets of advice that helped me land the roles I've wanted so far:
Be selective.
There's a lot of fresh talent scrambling around to land a prestigious spot around this time of year - but don't succumb to desperation. Your portfolio will become your lifeline in industry, it's your access key to the roles you want, and the truest reflection of the skills you can offer. So starting at a studio that you don't have an appetite for will lead to a lack of conviction in your work - a conviction that you won't easily be able to shake when you show your book. Target the agencies you want to work at and believe in yourself.
Get noticed in the physical world.
Having an online folio is pretty much essential, but can you really make your website own-able, does it truly reflect something of your personality without compromising the integrity of the work that's on it - it's a hard task. Make something physical because a lovely piece of print, showing an investment of time and skill is a hard thing to discard. Get yourself out there, poking your head in your favourite agencies. Why? Because people buy into people, you become more than just another website tab waiting to be closed, you’re creating a greater interaction between yourself and your chosen studio.
Don't try to be the finished article.
If you feel you’re a fully rounded designer don't bother looking for a job, set-up your own studio! But like the other 99% you probably have strengths and weaknesses, try to identify these and pull out your best assets in your book. As a young creative, experienced heads will be looking forward to shaping you into a refined product, you don't have to be complete, you just have to show that what you do best really adds to the agency.
So good luck to the next crop, don’t be anxious, there's a fair sized mountain to climb ahead, but like every peak it's not just the climb that's rewarding, it's the view once you reach the top.
Written by
Chris Ebden
Designer (and former intern) – Truth
Truth Achieve Elite Status in Drum Design Census
The valued support of our amazing clients and peers has elevated us to the dizzy heights of the No.7 on the Elite Agencies Table which means we are not only ‘excellent at what we do’ but we are also highly valued by our clients. This is clearly reflected by our position of 3rd on the Client Satisfaction Table. It is this number that really means the most to us, with client satisfaction and personal service being our priority.
We are feeling rather pleased with ourselves at Truth.
We have been voted onto the UK Elite Design Agency Table.
How did we do?
No.7 – Elite Agencies Table.
No.3 – Client Satisfaction Poll.
Top 15 in the Peer Poll.
Top 15 in the Financial Table.
What is the Design Census?
The Design Census ranks agencies based on the three criteria used in all The Drum’s Census reports: financial performance, client satisfaction and peer recommendation.
Financial performance is ranked by information supplied by agencies, whilst client satisfaction is measured using the RAR (Recommended Agency Register) system of client ratings. Peer recommendation is measured by a public poll on The Drum website. Agencies to appear in all three rankings will then be ranked against each other to form an Elite Agencies Table.
The Results
The valued support of our amazing clients and peers has elevated us to the dizzy heights of the No.7 on the Elite Agencies Table which means we are not only ‘excellent at what we do’ but we are also highly valued by our clients. This is clearly reflected by our position of 3rd on the Client Satisfaction Table. It is this number that really means the most to us, with client satisfaction and personal service being our priority.
To hear more about the great relationships we build with our clients. Get in touch.