livingbrands

November's Top Blogging

Another good month. Or maybe it's just that I'm reading too many blogs :-). Here's some I haven't mentioned already...

Non-verbal communication and the brain

Propositions...or not

How to overcome similarity

How stories repeat across categories

Does & don'ts of advertising in Second Life

12 consumer values for your wall

Paradox of trademarks

Pricing and the brain

Is email dead?

How to sell new technology

Fairness dissonance

What do ad agencies do?

Building brands like blogs

The new folk

What happened to funny

Is it OK to go off brand - a Bond example

How to get referrals

Advertising: a tax on the unremarkable

The Hughtrain Manifesto pt II

Cognitive seduction

Random thoughts on advertising

Viral tips

Santa's little helpers

Got the day off to go Christmas shoping with the good lady wife. Just thought you'd like to know.

Digital disconnect

I had a strange moment of synchronicity on the train yesterday when all my digital devices decided to run out of juice at the same time: so no MP3 player, no mobile phone and no Blackberry.

The sense of disconnection I felt freaked me out a bit. Not so much the disconnection itself, but the fact I was feeling that way: it was only a 35 minute journey after all.

Have we become so beholden to our gadgets, gizmos, widgets etc., and the sense of (supposed) connection they bring, that we can't cope without them?

Sad really, given that we are surrounded by people all the time, and it's probably only at those moments of 'disconnection' that we really become connected to the world around us...if only we could see it.

(image via Big Shiny Thing)

On the importance of being interesting

Nicking clips others have posted is a great way to bulk out your blog. And this is my second today (sorry!). But it is really good, and worth your while watching.

Jeffre Jackson, one of the founders of OIA, explains why what we say has to be interesting if we want to be remembered...

Think his point that being entertaining isn't enough is very important, given that 'being entertaining' is often what we aspire to. Entertainment is often great at the time. But there is rarely any reason to think about it afterwards.

But if you're interesting, thought provoking, difficult and challenging; if you leave people to self complete rather than giving them the whole story, they will think about you afterwards. And the more they think, the more your brand is embedded in their brain.

Thanks to Henry for posting this.

Why it's good to make mistakes

Great clip offered up by Iain at Crack Unit. Derrick May talks about how he produced seminal techno track, Strings of Life.

A combination of experimentation and making mistakes, intensively living with an idea and letting it brew rather than rushing on, and not being scared when you're breaking all the rules of what people expect

(interesting this last one - lots of people talk about wanting to break the rules, but all they really do is play with the conventions. That's because really tearing up the rule book freaks people out...me included!...and you've got to be brave to do it. But the results are there to see).

Anyway, good lessons to learn.

FutureScope 57

Just to let you know, the latest edition of my trends newsletter is now out: "emerging trends, new ideas and general thought stimulation"...or so it says on the cover.

IT problems

Along with office managers and receptionists, I've always found IT people to be amongst the most important to get on the right side of.

Behind the scenes they make work work, and never forget it. Because it's funny how smoothly things then turn out for you, but not those who (unfairly) rant and rave at the smallest IT issue (if you're going to shout anyway, they may as well send you straight to the back of the queue)

But sometimes things happen, which can get close to pushing even me over the edge. We have 3 pitches on. So naturally that seems a goods time to spend the weekend upgrading the computer system...closely followed by that curse of anyone who travels by train - let running engineering work.

Finally got logged on late morning, stopping me spontaneously self combusting.

Anyway, made me think of this. Great series, and I hope they make some more. Have you tried turning off and turning it on again...

Culture clash (UPDATED)

No idea what this is all about, but I really like it...

Basically, a mash up of two seemingly different yet strangely similar trends - graffiti and crafting (that's mosaic tiles up there). Which is a pretty good way to get npd ideas I guess: crash together two apparently contradictory concepts and pull something interesting from the wreckage.

If you want to see it yourself, it's on the Manette Street side of the arch that runs under the Pillars of Hercules pub.

UPDATE

Thanks to Organic Frog, who points out that this (probably) comes curtosey of his fellow Frenchman Invader. There's a bit more info here.

Open agencies

Dare have just moved in next door, taking the proverbial big corner office (Margaret Street and Great Titchfield Street).

This is one of their meeting rooms (not a great photo I know!)...

I must admit that I've never understood why some companies feel the need to make themselves so open to world. And judging by the look of slight embarrassment and discomfort you see on the faces of people in the room, they feel similarly.

Anyone from Dare reading? What do you think?

Blend it, shred it, any way you want it

Will It Blend has been going down a storm at work. This is one of my favourites. I love Tom's comment about not breathing glass dust!

And now Scoble has come up with some great numbers: they've shot 10 films which have been viewed well over 5 million times on Youtube, with some 10,000 comments...and counting. And that's not including views on their own site. All for $50 (allegedly).

And it a similar vein, there's now also Watch It Shred: fun with an industrial strength shredder.

Not quite as entertaining as Will It Blend. Or as directly relevant to your average punter. But maybe a touch more scary. (From Idea Sandbox)

But all goes to show that you can go very viral whilst still being simply and single mindedly rooted in a relevant product benefit.