the cover of Daemon Group's calling card; THINK 02 Issue 2
you meet a lot of people in this business, most of whom leave you with a warm feeling, a couple of action points that you promise to yourself you'll do, and a business card. no so the Daemon Group, the day after a meeting with whom, I received a magazine designed, written and produced by the agency.
it's a collection of thoughts and analysis of everything from design concepts to social issues, taking in behaviour and international reportage on the way... and it's a pretty great read.
the stats on social, just one of several articles on the changing communications landscape
the idea of a more personal calling card isn't necessarily new; moo have been providing the best of ways to personalise and add character to your 'keep in touch' collateral... nor is the idea of the company magazine...
but what stand's Daemon Group's effort apart is the sheer commitment to quality... the quality of the not only thinking, writing, and production, but also the quality of contact... the magazine was delivered fresh to my desk the morning after my meeting with Richard, the group's chief executive. the commitment to following up the meeting with me was matched only by the commitment to the collateral delivered.
the two big implications for brands and the planning of marketing communications are clear. one, invest in quality collateral... don't say you're passionate about what you do, have collateral that proves it. don't gesticulate on the quality of your thinking, have collateral that demonstrates it... buying media space that tells people how good / fast / impressive / [insert USP here] you are, is for a time now long gone by...
we live in the age of evidence.
claims, counter claims, and statements no longer cut it. in the age of evidence it's what you do that counts, what you produce that get's noticed. in the age of evidence reputations are built on what you craft and deliver to make your case to the world.
the second implication for brands is to have good, considered connections planning. the too-often used phrase that means, simply, to have a plan for how you create and manage connections with people. Daemon Group's magazine means nothing to me whilst it's sat on their Chief Executive's coffee table. how much of what a brand actually does remains locked up? hidden behind policy doors and content management gates. brands that love their collateral set it free, fueling connections with people...
because that's what the best communications planning, at it's core, is... what evidence can we create that proves the truth about what our brand is and represents; and how can we ensure that the right people encounter that evidence in relevant and meaningful ways?
I'm grateful that in a complicated world, which sometimes seems to move faster than I can keep up, a magazine landed on my desk to remind me how elegantly simple it all really is. the challenge isn't to keep up with a changing communications landscape; the challenge is to remember that you can.
oh, and there's an article on Mr Potato Head too - who doesn't love that...
Comments