the art of conversation

Heineken and the value of good conversations

I associate Heineken adverts with those polished baubles of lifestyle fakery from the Champions League ad breaks. 

Now comes a very different and rather good advert called ‘Worlds Apart’. Two strangers with opposing views meet and complete a task together, before their views are revealed and they must decide whether to leave or stay and have a conversation.

It’s a drastic change in style and IMO a brave attempt to play in the tricky ‘moral high ground’, the space between what matters to people and what matters to brands. This is not easy – just ask Pepsi.

Will Burns in Forbes magazine notes that the ad is being based on the idea that people want to be ‘heard’, or listened to, which fits with beer’s cultural values. Simon Mainwaring calls it a good example of combining purpose with profit, in keeping with Heineken’s 2016 mission to “brew a better world”.

Of course there is the inevitable backlash, such as this excoriating piece by The DiDi Delgado, who seems to have forgotten it is only an advert, yet calls us all stupid.

And we must be wary of the idea that ‘brands with purpose’ abound and are successful because of their sense of purpose – a false idea, as shown by Richard Shotton. 

But I rate it because the basic idea rings true: people want and need to be heard and listened to, but rarely experience this. As a result, we disconnect from each other, increasingly living within a ‘bubble’, often without realising it. We hide behind our beliefs or assumptions, reinforced by our media weapons of choice.

We are also ‘boxed in’ by conventional social interactions. Consider the average board meeting, focus group discussion, family Christmas dinner, political debate. Consider how much posturing goes on, how we defend/protect ourselves, judge others, how we dissemble, disguise, disengage, how we ‘play the game’.

Now that the populist forces of Brexit and Trump are on the march, are we becoming even less tolerant, less respecting of authority, less trusting of others, because we are angry and afraid? 

A good conversation is hard to achieve but all the more important to pursue. It is not easy to listen to others and to give up or put aside one’s own point of view, for a while at least. But such conversations are possible – I would say necessary - and can help to re-connect people.

Unhurried Conversations were started by Johnnie Moore and Antony Quinn as an attempt at this kind of genuine, open and honest conversation. They allow people to be themselves, not to act a role. It is less about taking more time than taking more care, allowing people to be more in tune with each other and what they're doing, to think differently and connect with people in a refreshing way.

They have now been run in the UK, Australia, Spain and the USA. I now co-host the London ones (details here – free and open to everyone) and I am applying the principles now to research.

So hats off to Heineken and here’s to more good conversations.

Listening to, listening from and listening back

I have been listening back to people I have interviewed, mainly women, talking about meals, families and cooking.

What I noticed was a kind of “Law of Thirds” rule. About a third of the content was good, insightful, useful, a third was OK and the rest was less good.

This made me consider how I had been listening while doing the fieldwork on this project. I like to think that I know how to listen to people, paying close attention, allowing pauses and silences etc.

I am familiar with the idea of ‘active listening’. (Although I learned, thanks to Johnnie Moore, that Carl Rogers came to reject the idea as gimmicky or technique-y).

Then I remembered someone using the notion of ‘listening from’. The idea is that ‘listening from’ is what you are REALLY listening to, what your latent perspective is, your hidden filters.

As Maria Popova puts it in ‘Lessons in Listening by John Cage’: we only hear what we listen to.

What were my filters, where was I listening from, in those interviews I deemed ‘less useful’? I think they included: ‘I’ve heard this before’, ‘is that really true?’ and ‘and …?’

There are several different listening styles. Qualitative researchers have to listen in different ways simultaneously: listening empathetically to the person and listening from the perspective of the research objectives. There is a view that we lean either towards a ‘person orientation’ or towards a ‘task orientation’.

I came to the conclusion that my task-oriented listening was getting in the way, in those cases where I felt I was not learning enough. Impatience stopped me hearing, perhaps.

But I also wondered, today being International Women’s Day, whether my ‘person oriented’ listening has recurring, gender-based biases. Did I hear women in a particular way? I thought about some of those closest to me. 'What now?' insinuated itself. 

The lesson I came away with was to pay attention to how I really listen, where I listen from.

And also to appreciate the value of listening back.

pic by Devlin Ralph

Ads with footballers: the bad, the good and the ugly

You'd think that the combination of global superstars and big ad budgets would lead to some good adverts.

Qatar Airways, €150m sponsors of the FCB all-stars, show us how not to do it. This lame, half-hearted, cliche-ridden effort does not even convey where they fly, given the distraction of Suarez et al poncing around. It's obviously for a global audience, but they deserve better than this drivel, which adds new meaning to the phrase 'embarrassment of riches'.

Turkey Airlines, on the other hand, have made some pretty decent ads, like this one which has a story, humour and originality. It also manages to convey where they fly to and that their food is good.

But Qatar/FCB still have some way to go before earning the accolade of worst advert with footballers, which must go to this ad from 2011 for Casillero del Diablo, which features some truly diabolical acting and is totally devoid of an idea. Along with the Qatar Airways shambles-fest, it's a reminder that advertising needs an idea rather than famous footballers and big budgets to succeed.  

Blinded by science

I passed an Adshel poster for this new Boots product and I had to stop to take a closer look.

Great packaging, looks expensive. But what caught my eye was an ingredient and the small print.

I thought that the key ingredient was 'Reversatrol'. As in, 'reverses the signs of ageing'.

So the product was some kind of elixir of youth ('fountain' of youth).

Was it a joke? Or has marketing come full circle and we are back to snake oil merchants?

Then I noticed that the active ingredient was actually 'Resveratrol'.

As found in red wine.

I set off home, needing no further encouragement.

Dyslexics of the world, untie! 

STREET SIGNS, VANS AND THE POWER OF BLOGGING

Here is more evidence of the persuasive power of blogging*.

Southwark Council used to have street signs around Borough so tall they could only be read from upstairs on a double decker bus, as we reported. Twice.

Now look at them. Beautiful. And so ... head-height.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nila, the food service delivery people, used to use sexual innuendo and bad graphics to advertise their wares.

Then we got on their case and their whole communications strategy changed (if not the graphics).

Their latest idea is to use a subtle Olympics theme, cleverly avoiding any direct references, which were banned.

The moral of the tale is never give up. And always carry a camera.

 * we have no reason to believe that we had no role whatsoever in bringing about this change

Nila Watch, 5

It is 2012 and change is in the air. Revolutionary democracy spreads across the Arab world. In Greece the fate of the Euro hangs in the balance. In Switzerland scientists are poised to unlock the sub-atomic secrets of the universe.

Meanwhile, in a small corner of north London, another revolution unfolds quietly, almost unnoticed. Thanks in no small part (or possibly in no part) to this very blog, mobile food service advertising takes a small but significant step towards the 21st century.

Nila’s the name, sexual innuendo was the game, until we came along. The full story is explained here. The illustrated backstory is here.

Nila started out with images of a blatantly sexist nature (or, was it effective?).

They then toned this down to 'phnerr phnerr' level. The latest development sees them downgrade again, from risqué to more playful and frankly, well, cheesy.

They have developed the role of product integration and also introduced a modern twist with consumer engagement (note the model’s teeth).

In a parallel move, Nila have transitioned from ‘the final name in food service’ to ‘we care more’.

And in a bizarre, if unrelated, twist to the story, Nila’s website was designed by a company with the same name as our studio, Propeller Studios. Could this be their revenge?

Nila themselves were unavailable for comment at the time of writing.

Nila Watch 4

Collecting is a sign of great intelligence, I think I read somewhere, once.

We are collecting Nila van advertising executions. Nila, the food distribution service, radically changed their advertising strategy in response (quite possibly) to our blog. They used to use innuendo and semi-nudity, until we exposed them. You can read the amazing story here and here.

In the latest dramatic twist, we saw this van yesterday at BBC headquarters, White City. They could be on the point of securing a TV series, based on the new trend for 'cringe comedy' (latest example, the excellent 2012).

Alternatively, they could have been delivering some extra large hamburgers. The image could be an oblique reference to the Gary Larson/B Kliban cartoon captioned 'never eat anything bigger than your head'.

But it's probably even subtler than that. And it's not about burgers. The woman is conspiring with us, as if to keep a secret. But who is the food for? Is it for her or is she delivering it, but to whom? Note how she holds the plate. Notice her forefinger, not just shooshing, but pointing. The lucky recipient? The angle of the plate suggests she is about the throw it away, to focus on her real mission. The tilt of the head and cheeky grin is designed to encourage a man to think that if he asked for a chip, she would give him one.

This is surely Nila returning to its core theme of seduction, with food on the side, which could upset people. A risque strategy, you might say.

We will have to wait for the TV series to find out what happens next.

Time for a new narrative in advertising research

Life used to be so much simpler.

You work on Madison Avenue, smoke and drink all the time and treat clients and women with equal contempt.

At least on Mad Men.

The reality of life in adland nowadays is much tougher: more media, more brands, more advertising, more cynical consumers.

It is hard to create truly original, impactful advertising ideas. And just as hard to research them.

All you can do is try to work closely with the team in the best interests of the brand.

 

So it’s galling when divisive old stereotypes from bygone eras are trotted out, usually along the lines of ‘Shortsighted Research bludgeons Genius Creative Idea’. And the example almost always chosen is the Myth of Those Great Heineken Ads.

Persuasive people have dined out on the story so often that it has stuck. It goes like this: agency creates brilliant and original advertising idea (‘Refreshes the Parts’), research says ‘don’t do it’, but brave client sticks by agency and campaign goes on to be massively successful for the brand.

This story is gleefully used as a stick to beat research with, so a while ago we decided to investigate.

Here’s a write-up and some charts. (Warning, contains research which threatens your creativity).

In summary:

• the first piece of (now infamous) research did call it wrong, but more research a few months later found the ads clever, amusing and impactful, but questioned longer-term brand equity, rather presciently as it turned out
• sales of all lager brands went up massively over the following two very hot summers but Heineken did not increase its market share
• in fact, the longer the campaign continued, the more negative brand equity was reinforced, until the brand was withdrawn from the market altogether

So research was blamed for trying to kill a campaign (except it didn’t) which became a massive success (except it didn’t). Cold-filtered Heineken joined the ranks of failed beer brands (Hofmeister, Skol) while some of its competitors thrive (Fosters, Carling).

The blame game undermines everyone. Not all creative ideas are genius, not all research is short-sighted, not all clients are timid (another brickbat often lobbed out). These days good communications require more of a team effort.

So it’s refreshing when a Young Turk like Tony Quinn, JWT Planning Director, says that planning needs to  embrace collective skills like curiosity and problem-solving, to be more humble and open to worlds beyond its own boundaries, because sharing is ultimately more rewarding than being right.   

‘ditch the cynicism, the undermining, the poking and the ranting, and  rechannel all that energy into a new attitude of sharing and collective inspiration’

The new generation of planners take a much more collaborative and inclusive approach and draw on sources like observation, immersion, semiotics, ethnography, analytics (research, in other words) because they know that great ideas and good thinking are not incompatible.

So, farewell divisive Heineken advertising myth, hello generous planning 2.0 and more effective communication.

New bagel ad

We had a hand in this, so to speak.

We think it's come out rather well. Very ... bagel-y. Hope you agree.

Fancy a Cwoffee? Or a Tipple?

 

What's your poison? A Cwoffee or a Tipple?

Well, if you're looking for either, and for it to be related to work, then there are two events running that may be of interest.

'Cwoffee' at Lantana, Charlotte Place (just off Charlotte Street in AdLand) runs alternate Fridays. It is a meeting of Planners and Researchers over an early morning, piping cup of coffee. It's a chance to meet informally with other like-minded people, chat about  ideas on projects / initiatives; exchange blog IPs, Twitter IDs and business cards etc etc. Started by planner  Will Humphrey, it has been running for a year or so and attendees can drop in at any time between 8am until 10am.   

If early morning coffees don't suit, then an alternative event is happening during the evening. Aimed at mid-level and junior researchers (from all qualitative agencies), the aim is to share a drink (or more), but also to have a research focus on bettering qualitative thinking by  sharing / discussing examples of 'good qualitative thinking' (e.g. from articles, papers or personal experience).

The first meeting is in Roxy Bar, 6:30pm-8pm in London Bridge on Monday 10th May. It will be a kick-off  social event, whereby we get to know each other over a tipple and chat about what we want to get in detail from the following events. And that includes a name. Perhaps 'Tipple Tattle'...

So, drop me an email if you would like to come along to either at [email protected] (or just leave a comment below). 

Would be pleased to see you.

Simon

In Praise of ... Magners adverts

We've been impressed by the current Magners ad campaign, 'There's Method in the Magners'.

Developed by Red Brick Road, the campaign plays on the cider-making idiosyncrasies of the community of Clonmel, Tipperary, where founder 'Willie' Magner began making cider in 1935. The two TV ads, 'Straight' and 'Catch', are stories that have a 'quaint Gaelic charm' and a quirky odd-ball style. Kind of Father Ted meets Napoleon Dynamite meets Jack Daniel's.  The campaign even brought one viewer to tears who left the following comment on YouTube:

    "I just watched this on TV. Don't ask why but it made me cry. Such a beautiful ad ... and believe me, I don't go looking for adverts on YouTube just to compliment them"

This is a noticeable step from Magners 'Time Dedicated to You' advertising where the current campaign positions the brand as different and premium  compared to its competitor ciders (e.g. Strongbow, or Blackthorn ). Interestingly, Scrumpy Jack have launched a campaign about Scrumpyshire in print and online, which also plays on setting, 'local-ness' and expertise - although arguably with less charm and humour.

Magners also seem to think about  their customers online. We are told that Magners' master tasters, including Billy who has been with us for 35 years, keep constant check on the whole process to  ensure each sip of Magners cider is as grand as the last.

    Magners' recent tactical print ads sticks two fingers up to the Treasury and nobly informs its customers that Magners have taken the financial hit on the increased alcohol duty itself, instead of passing it on to the customers. 

So a hearty thumbs up to cider-that-cares with an impressive campaign.

Magner-ifique. As they don't say in Clonmel.

Simon

Flakey Branding

We read the news this morning that Kellogg's has put their logo on to its individual Corn Flakes in an attempt to fight against the threat of own-brand Cornflake labels. 

"There has been an increase in the number of own brands trying to capitalise on the popularity of Kellogg's Cornflakes," claims Helen Lyons, Kellogg's lead food technologist. "'We want shoppers to be under absolutely no illusion that Kellogg's does not make cereal for anyone else.

However Warc reports today that consumers are still trading down, going for own-brand or promotions, as they still hit by tight purse strings. So will the high tech authentification startegy work?