For those who would like to see some of the projects Digital Marmalade have produced in the last 12 months

After a while of using this blog writing a few opinions and random thoughts I thought it was time to begin to 'reveal' myself a little more - so here goes....

I've been in the digital design industry since 1996 - in a time long long ago before the Internet had begin to weave its web in the UK. There have been ups and downs, regrets, opportunities, some amazing personal moments and so very stressful moments - but with all that behind me, this is about taking all that professional experience, and begin to share my thoughts and work for anyone wishing to take an interest.

So below is a slide show of some sites and projects I've helped, along with everyone at Digital Marmalade, to develop over the last 18 months or so. If you like any, then I've titled the image with the URL - so feel free to check them out and let me know in the comments area of each image

Hope you liked what you saw - I'm immensely proud of the quality and impact of the work we are currently doing, and look forward to sharing more about the working side of myself.

What's the perfect project?

This has always been an interesting question to ask yourself, and indeed your staff. When you drill down into people's suggestions and break through the obvious - then it gets really interesting.

So think about it - what would be your ideal project. At a superficial level, I'd expect you've selected a sector/idea that you've always wanted to get involved in - maybe build a football site, or do a travel site or maybe a music site.

Whatever the subject the fact is the work is the same - different pictures, different word, and maybe (if you are creative and lucky) an innovative idea - but is that an perfect project.

Maybe it's a sign of my age, or new responsibilities or even length of time in the industry but I now look beyond the subject matter, as it is basically irrelevant.

Next in line is does the project give you scope to develop - in other words being given a blank canvas, some aims and then setting off. Again, this is exciting, worthwhile and definitely very satisfying (if successful), but is it perfect? At the end of the build - a build that becomes your baby, your labour of love, you have to give it up - give it up for someone else to take forward, with their ideas (which might be different to yours) and trust me, it's very difficult - very frustrating and actually not very rewarding in the end. So nope, that's not perfect, or ultimately professionally fulfilling - except for that moment for delivery. I'd go as far as to say it's similar to what Sir Alex Ferguson says about winning trophies - once it's won, its history and you need to forget it, and focus on the next trophy. So if you land the big one, do you revel in your glory and relax, or do you strive on to outdo it, thus driving yourself onwards and upwards.

Is an perfect job one that has the potential to change lives? As it is well known I've recently started work in a particularly relevant area for myself - that of Youth Violence. Relevant for me as I have young children who will need to grow into a dangerous world full of violence, gangs and knives - well that is if you believe the press. I'm lucky enough to work with many passionate people at the very highest level and my initial perspective is words are cheap, but change is expensive....and I mean that literally. Raising money to give yourself the chance is amazingly hard - without naming names if I go to the bank to ask for £5,000 to pay off a debt, I'm pretty sure I could get that easier than if I asked for £5,000 to build a module that would make a significant difference to a target audience. Taking away the issue of whether it would work or not - the facts are it is harder. So in answer to whether working on a project that has the potential to change lives is the perfect project I'd have to say no - too much begging, politics and if I'm honest too much noise.

Is an ideal job one that pays well, on time and runs smoothly - maybe, in fact in these times probably, but ideal digital production has to be more than that.

So it must come down to an elusive combination of factors, which I can begin by saying is down to

- the people you work with
- the ability to deliver and say goodbye
- scope to change behaviour
- fair pay for a fair job

Obviously that list is not a definitive one, and I'd be interested in what additions you can come up with. However, thinking back to the majority of mid-sized work I've done in my career, it would match up with these four points - so there it is, so after all that I'd say there is not one perfect job, there are lots of perfect jobs.

So now - I'd like to ask you - directly - what is the perfect project for you?

Did the Internet create the global economic downturn?

Bear with me on this, but I can't help feeling that the growth of the Internet and general thirst for news have combined to make this recession happen much quicker and cut deeper than it would have 20 years ago.

Had people been left to react as they felt necessary then surely things would have taken longer to evolve - I recall listening to 5 Live and a conversation about why deflation was not good for the economy. I didn't realise that if prices come down then people hang on to their money waiting for a better deal meaning a stagnant economy and longer recession. The effect it had on me was that I should hang on to my money because there were deals to be had later down the line. I changed my behaviour due to information provided by my continual interaction with the net. The more discussions the more doomed it seemed we were, whilst all the while money hadn't seemed to have got much tighter - ignorance was bliss.

The other aspect that the Internet played was speed of information - news broke in America that took months to have a real impact. It was coming and went through a crazy, extreme cycle of events, but I wonder if it wasn't really known whether governments and the public might have done things a little differently. We got updates on every single aspect of the money markets, twitter grew into a mobile space and then news took an injection in terms of delivery. Now when there was a fire in a pub in Soho a couple of weeks ago - twitter picked it up and within 10 minutes though I was in Kent I knew about it - powerful stuff. The death of Micheal Jackson, the reporting around the mysteries, the grief - all delivered in super quick time where ever you are. These all combine to magnify any natural feelings, meaning the power of the Internet and it's genuine potential to move people and change their behaviour is one that is going to bring extreme highs and low in terms of its effect in the real world.

It is probably the merging of the digital space with our real space that is the interesting space - how that battle is fought, what it will be used for - if you think about it, the power of harnessing the Internet is now proven and so it could be used as a force for good - projects around social inclusion, helping improve lives in so many great ways. Alternatively it could become a force of control - modifying behaviour, providing dark connections and invading people's lives like the TV of today.

Maybe the point is both can co-exist and prosper, which means we are five steps into a five mile walk in terms of what connecting people through technology means and where it will lead. As our children (who have never known a world without the Internet) have their turn in control it will evolve beyond our considered opinions. Like our grandparents before (who remember a world before televisions) our time is now - we got the period of development, the frontier to expand and to some degree the most fun - a new technology, no rules, opportunity. In years to come regulations will be put in place, barriers put up and the opportunities dominated by corporate giants. On the massive plus side the creativity and collective brain power will move the technology where it needs to go.....quickly

So be prepared for higher highs, lower lows, more caution with amazing developments - from WAP phones to 3G to iPhone in 8 quick years....all on steroids and I can't wait.

What's next for the World Wide Web?

Back in the day, when I used to call UK companies asking them if they'd like a website, the most common UK reply was, "Internet - what's that, we'd never want one of those".

Since then we've had the dot com bubble (remember whenever you went to a party or restaurant and everyone you met had an idea that would make a million) through to the dot com bubble burst (the end is nigh) through to Web 2.0 and now Social Media.

All through that period I've wondered where the net will end up - what will be its purpose - obviously it started as a research resource, then became a marketing tool and then a set of mash-ups that would take two ideas and merge them into one.

I now believe that the web has reached its plateau - namely a tool to affect people's lives in real tangible ways - arranging social life, making friends (virtual or otherwise), photo libraries, video uploads - all fantastic - but where will it go from here - have we seen the greatest innovations, and now we are refining them and finding different ways to interact (TV, Phone, Gaming Consoles etc) or is there more to come.

I'm not sure - think we are in a round of 're-furbs' - much like pubs who need to tidy up every 5 years and come up with new concepts to sell food and drink. Sooner or later there will be a new giant step forward - and my guesses are

• Fuller video experiences (ie proper interactive videos where you choose/contribute/affect and watch content with infinite variations).
• 3D computing - not 3d models on a 2d screen, but real 3d
• Full emersive experiences in your own home - in other words no more watching nature programs, but real 360 degree experiences that are as life-like as being there.

But something is nagging me, and that is that all of the above are not real innovations - they are logic steps - where will the jump come?

Alien contact by computer? - random I know, but think about it. Many years ago, people didn't really know what was going on in London, then as television came people could watch the 1966 World Cup or the Queen's coronation. Next up was air travel - 20 years ago we didn't really know what was going on culturally in China - now it is a 10 hour flight. Globalism has come and made the world a much smaller place - with the Internet playing a huge part in that.

Whether its updates from Tibet or Tweets from Richard Branson - technology has made everything feel so much closer. I'll lay money that part of the reason that this recession came so quick and so deep was down to technology and how quickly news (and fear can spread).

So if the world is getting smaller, information reaching us much quicker and virtual contact increasing, is it so unreasonable to assume that the next giant step for mankind might be contact from space. The Sci-Fi enthusiasts amongst you have always known that Aliens have superior technology, so surely it would be the easiest method of contacting us - who knows they could already be posting blogs and using chat rooms.

Like I said very outlandish, and very unlikely, but it dreaming the impossible will , in the end, mean technical evolution - question is where do you think it will go?

What makes a good digital agency?

In the beginning, specialist companies could fulfil the dreams of clients (well, the early adopters). At that time those dreams were essentially movies on a computer or converting slides into presentations (what innocent days those were). In order to stand out from the crowd, clients were willing to pay a premium, and have projects developed in an innovative way. However as the industry grew, and new products were launched (most notably PowerPoint and more stable movie compression software) the goalposts were moved - agencies had to keep ahead of the game and moved in line with that, embracing CD-ROMs and the web. Whilst this meant a potential to grow the market, and indeed profit margins - the adopted method was to use a lot of smokey mirrors and explain it away as computer voodoo. (In fact a lot of people just saw this industry was a cash cow). I've found, in my experience, that the bigger the agency, the bigger the language, the higher the price - the silly thing, was that clients believed the more complex the language then the probability was they knew more. I'd suggest that reverse was true - in fact I'd even go as far to say that if someone can demystify it, and explain concepts, technologies in a manner that the client can understand, the it is likely that that person actually knows more about the process. That is what fuelled the dot com bubble - VPs who didn't understand, journalists who wanted to believe that this industry was a complex one, MDs who believed what the 'new kids on the block' were telling them---cunningly disguised as 'consultants' - the fact is it was quite simple.

Which brings me to the point of my subject - what makes a good agency? - aside from the expected elements - a competence to deliver what is promised, correct usage of technologies, knowledge of the potential opportunities - it is SERVICE.

That is an easy thing to say, but I'm originally from a service industry - Catering - where the motto (which is ingrained) is that the 'customer is king' - we are, after all is said and done, providing a service, where clients can be difficult, rarely say thank you, look for deals - if you want to attract them, and make sure they come back - then make sure the service is good. If you think of the top restaurants (or even any restaurant), what makes people go - sure the food, but good food can be found anywhere - it normally boils down to the service offered - bad service equals no return, good service means you can debate whether the ambience or decor was good, or if the food was as good as last time.

In relating that back to our industry, most agencies are much of a much ness, and this is a people industry. A good agency is there to provide a quality service, and always remember that. Far too often I hear of designers complained that the work is not demanding enough, or MD wanting to move clients in a different direction to fulfil their stated corporate aims - in fact sometimes you get the feeling that some agencies are doing the clients a favour by working for them - you are lucky to have me working for you on this (bit harsh but I'm sure have all seen that occasionally). I think it is no co-incidence that some of the best Account Managers / Directors - come from a Catering background - it is a thankless task, but essentially the aim of the catering industry is to provide a good service, get a tip and perhaps see them again - is that really any different?

I'd really welcome your thoughts on this, I know there are other areas that make agencies better than each other, but remember the question - what makes a good agency?

Business Innovation in a downturn in 2009

Afternoon all,

It seems my writing style/ability has surprised some people who should know better - so looks like this blog is creating a discussion of sorts - hopefully it will move so that people actually post their comments on this site.

OK, today's subject matter is that of partnering up in a commercial sense. In these times of so called economic gloom all companies (large or small) need to look at how they can make a difference to their bottom line.

Whether this is looking at costs or income, the facts are the same - everyone needs to be innovative in terms of looking after their business. Some companies will cut costs, others will increase spend, some might look at alternative ways of reaching their audience (social media being the topical case in point) but the key question is which way is the best way.

If you take the old perceived wisdom of

1. identifying your targets,
   
2. running a specific campaign,
   
3. measuring the impact of that campaign
4. then following up the leads
5. and push for sale

then it seems like a lot of wasted effort to hit that magical 1% of target that will result in a sale. The new way seems to suggest embrace your network, grow your network and see where it leads - which to many is an equal waste of time.

However if you really step back and think about it, it is exactly how most humans behave anyway. Imagine that you are a parent wondering which school to send your beloved child to - how do you go about that, well I'd suggest that you will probably

1. Ask friends and locals about the best schools
2. Check Ofstead reports / league tables (to either confirm what's been said or to create a list of possibles)
   
3. Do some online research (starting with Google probably)
4. Read school / local authority literature/websites
   

Not much different to the on-line world - or asking your network for a recommendation, if they have none doing an on-line search, and that fails then responding to any advertising / links you come across.

So what does innovation in a recession mean?

1. Firstly it is about a new considered relationship with your potential clients - especially if you think that 4 years ago YouTube, Facebook, Flickr & Twitter didn't exist, and that Twitter is growing 40% week on week.
   
   
2. The sales funnel is now different, it is about
   

• Creating Content (Content is King!)
• Generating Conversations
• Converting to Exchanges
• Meaning new trusted relationships

To me, this means looking at extending your business network as wide and as far as possible - as you never really know who finds you interesting, or indeed who you might surprise with your ability to write.

It means generating as much relevant content as possible (stories, PR, Tweets, Blogs etc) and having as many face to face conversations as poss. This might mean forming informal relationships with people/companies - for instance a client of ours has started pushing events, the events company rang me to see if I wanted to attend, we spoke (got on) and I spoke about how bad their site was. The person then suggested I put that in writing - which I did. This led not to doing the events site, but a very high profile charity site for the MD's famous friend.

Another innovation is to ensure people can find you - when did you last Google your own name?

Finally, and this I think is the interesting element - find like minded companies and huddle together - its warmer in the cold if you huddle. We are looking at formalising some company relationships - so that we create more opportunities to have that face to face conversation, as well as making our offering stronger and perhaps most importantly being able to offer your clients a solution that they might need - as per the MD's famous friend.

Next question is how do you manage all those relationships effectively - don't know the answer to that yet, but that's where one of you can contribute and initiate your own content.

Hope that made sense

Tony

The line...

It has always made me laugh in marketing circles - the line - you know

• below the line
• above the line
• through the line
• online
• offline

Probably a few more lines out there, but has anyone ever asked what is the line?

There must be a point at which offline & online meet - or below the line becomes above the line. I know that talking about a line must have been a very clever analogy at one stage - but it is time for the line to go, and be replaced.

Now I'm certainly not clever enough to come up with a newer better description - and to be fair it took a little time for it to become mainstream business language, but surely someone, somewhere can take this across the line and give us all a better line to use.

As it is Friday (and there are probably people out there in blog land who really really care about the line and its meaning) here is the best (and shortest) explanation I could find - though if you are really interested here is the link to Wikipedia. Please note the description below is not associated with me in any way.

"..So whether the best direction for our client is above the line (brand), below the line (direct), through the line (brand and response), online or offline, we have the expertise..."

- Zed Media

That's it - no more talk about the line - for those, sick to death of the line like me - try these

• How a line should be used

• How a line can evolve
  
• How a simple line can bite back
  

Ok, that's me - no more mention of lines from me ever

Enjoy your weekend

Corporate Social Responsiblity Funds

Why is it that everything, once you scratch the surface isn’t as it seems.

I should have realised that from my Hotel Catering days - if you've ever worked at a hotel, you'll know what I’m talking about - but the front of house always looks great, but behind the scenes in the staff room, or the service corridors it always looks like the worst hostels you’ve ever been lucky enough to visit.

Still it doesn’t stop me from judging a hotel by what they want you to see, rather than what they don’t want you to see!

Same happened with football. In 1999 I had the luckiest job in the world, which involved getting paid to interview and spend time with the 12 modern footballing greats (Cantona, Schmeichel, Rush, Wright, Zola etc).

It was all for a project called the FA Premier League Hall of Fame and gave me exclusive access to the club, the agents and the players themselves. Though it a chance for me to live the dream, it didn’t work out that way, as it mean I knew too much – and as a result watching the game became a collection of stories about things that had happen – you know this person said that, that club are this, did you know such and such is sleeping with such and such.

As soon as that element of my work was finished, I could get back to know little about the people and enjoying the romance of the game.

I’ve always had a theory that football to men is like soap operas to women – it’s more about the chat around the game, the need to gossip potential sales, to follow the sub plot (‘..Whether Berbatov’s purchase has meant that Tevez won’t stay with the club..’) – the actual football is the fix, but the industry around the game is the craving.

Imagine, if you were a massive EastEnders fans – sitting in on a script writing debate – dream day out one might think, but then they start debating a storyline for one of your favourite characters which will unfold over the year. Now not only do you know the secret (which means no build up for the year while they build up) but you also know what they could have chosen prior to that actual secret being chosen.

As you may know, I've been working with the Damilola Taylor Trust for the past couple of years, and just like football, when you get to look behind the scenes things are never quite what they seem. The trust itself is one that truly strives to make a difference and it a massive credit to Richard Taylor who has worked so hard to establish it. It is an organisation that seems to work equally well in a corporate environment or out on the street. People name check it regularly, the government court Richard’s approval and even make him the official envoy to the Prime Minister for Knife Crime – but yet behind it all stands 3 or 4 people – all striving to make a difference. Clever people who can engage on sort of levels, people who can innovate, who understand what needs to be done – but people for all their connections, ideas, respect cannot effectively target funds.

We hear about companies having large social corporate funds, though I suspect with the current recession this will be cut (and yes I used the ‘R’ word).

The point is, again scratching behind the PR surface, is corporate social responsibility about actually making a difference, or is it about ROI?

We all know from a PR perspective, it is about Company A putting back into the community, but I wonder if there was no publicity attached, but a single life was saved whether Company A would actually still invest.

Anyway I’m just getting into this blogging – hope you find the piece slightly thought provoking and worth a revisit.

NOTE:
The views expressed in this blog are my own, and nothing to do with the Damilola Taylor Trust.