branding
I’m back! Away within a client business, snow and Christmas (was it really 8 weeks ago) have kept me out of Purple Frog during daylight hours for much of the last 4 months.
In that time I’ve obviously become comfortable with the pace of activity, peace and quiet in my temporary working environment because the vibrancy, speed of thought and action and sheer desire to do more that is the Purple Frog way, has been something of a shock to my returning system.
It’s not that my ‘home’ for the last 4 months has been slow or dull. Far from it. It’s just that the complexities of inter-dependent teams, workstreams, logs, programme meetings, ‘brown paper’ meetings and meetings about meetings all seem to conspire against any dynamic forward motion. Sure things get done. In some cases there have even been real ‘outcomes’ but everything runs at a pace that erodes the ability for keen minds to resolve, create, plan and deliver in a diligent, inspiring and efficient way – barriers are built not removed.
Now I’ve worked within corporate client businesses before – sometimes for 12 months or more – so I should have got used to this modus operandi. The trouble is, when you work in an agency like Purple Frog, it’s easy to be hood winked into believing that our working environment is the norm.
Some businesses have tried to address the inevitable inertia that gets created within cultural and operational systems that are essentially bureaucratic. Meetings without chairs, brainstorm/blue sky sessions etc. Others create brand values designed to motivate lean thinking and action but the real answer is to create environments where the people that want to speak up, move forward, create and inspire – even if this means rubbing the status quo up the wrong way – can flourish rather than becoming suppressed.
Somebody said to me recently that the trick in meetings is to avoid asking questions that require debate and answers. Better to keep quiet, let the agenda run its course and then everyone can leave on time and go about their business. This is the priority over defining purposeful direction and action or resolving issues.
As my Dad (who was a world beating business maverick) once said, “This is no way to run a railroad”.
It’s only a short film but it speaks volumes about how we work. Profiling the creative development of a new, groundbreaking B2B brand aimed primarily at the professional and social photographer, the film describes initial conception through to launch. Behind the scenes, Purple Frog also worked with the client to create new business strategies for all portfolio brands – but we’ll save that story for another day. (more…)
Written on Tuesday, August 11th, 2009 by Marcus and stored in branding, marketing
A great way to get someone’s attention – scare the living daylights out of them. (more…)
Written on Wednesday, April 29th, 2009 by Steve and stored in branding
Brands and branding are responsible for many of the world’s problems today.
Capitalism and globalisation in the form of homogenised corporate monsters rule ok. They get inside our minds and make us do things that, left to our own devices, we would avoid like the plague. (more…)
Written on Monday, December 29th, 2008 by David and stored in branding
“In the knowledge economy, where agility outperforms size, where the customer is king, and creative, passionate people your only armament – new forms of leadership and team play are keys to success. (more…)
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