Our Monthly Round-up of the key pieces in Marketing for February – we’ve chosen just four key articles, a podcast and a book preview, if you missed them and have some time they are well worth a catchup. All our monthly reviews are now available on our website http://haiconsulting.com/category/views/  With lockdown lifting / more widespread vaccinations here in the UK, there’s hope that the economy will begin to bounce back and clients will reset with their agencies.

1. Our top pick is an inspiring piece on Transformation change with Wendy Clark, the newly appointed Global Chairman and CEO of dentsu. Wendy presented her vision to the Adforum consultants in December. Now Gideon Spanier, (and it’s chapeau Gideon this month – award winning writer) has written a very authoritative summary for Campaign. Wendy is hugely ambitious, there’s an absolute whirlwind coming through dentsu at the moment, it will be interesting to see just how the new global team settle and deliver.

Here is the link: https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/dentsus-wendy-clark-if-i-dont-use-position-change-face-industry-shame-me/1707732

2. Our second pick is Les Binet this month. There’s something for everyone in our monthly review, this one is a short podcast called “The short of it” Les talks about brand optimisation, share of mind, emotional appeal, the difference between short term sales gains vs long term brand building – the need to intertwine both, but also the need to aim for fame.

Here is the link: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4OSr-Fwp7N8&feature=youtu.be

3, Third, we pick an article from procurement and the WFA. To drive improvement, marketing procurement needs to ensure that everyone is talking the same language. WFA’s Global Sourcing Board has created some common definitions for key terms and it’s an interesting read.

Here is the link: https://wfanet.org/knowledge/item/2021/02/03/Defining-world-class-standards-for-marketing-procurement

4. Fourth, we previewed Lucky Generals founder Andy Nairn’s book in last month’s review. In this exclusive extract from his new book, Go Luck Yourself, Andy explores the role of luck in building a brand and how a mathematician might approach marketing’s four Ps.

Here is the link: https://www.marketingweek.com/andy-nairn-brands-use-two-four-ps-tilt-odds-in-their-favour/

5. Fifth, we’ve become a great fan of  Rishad Tobaccowala newsletter: ‘The future does not fit in the containers of the past.’ How pertinent that in Edition 29 – Rishad writes in depth about ‘Scale’ and it’s a very good read, in fact we recommend all his newsletters.

Here is the link: https://rishad.substack.com/p/scale?r=8wtij&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email&utm_source=copy

6. Sixth, our book preview this month is currently the best selling business book in the US (January) and is releasing here in March. Traditional business models no longer work in the new normal. Written against the backdrop of the global COVID-19 pandemic and the further wave of consumer, business and societal change it has unleashed, ‘Digital Business Transformation’ is an important and timely contribution to business thinking and practice. Drawing on decades of experience helping businesses transform, author Nigel Vaz, CEO of digital business transformation company Publicis Sapient, shows established companies how to immediately adopt new ways of working and build new channels to connect with customers.

Here is the link: https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Digital_Business_Transformation/NQkLEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0

New Agency Alert: The ‘new kids’ on the block need a mention this month though this is no boyband –  but the immensely talented breakaway from R\GA  called Proto. It has begun it’s journey and with these credentials they are transformational, and certainly ones to watch. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/14dH6g0wphri5ZQT0ktZPn6KMXHyJO0F5lMwn2kaCRCQ/mobilepresent?slide=id.gbcf4cf07ca_0_45

Media: Facebook had a bit of tiff with Australia, or was it the other way round. London ad legend, and our friend Nicola Mendelsohn gives her side of the story and defends Facebook’s decision. https://about.fb.com/news/2021/02/the-real-story-of-what-happened-with-news-on-facebook-in-australia/

Time for the Work: If you’re looking for an Advertising Roadblock who would you speak to for advice? Congrats this month go to the well devised: Take the vaccine –  Ad road block. Who to call for assistance? Robin Wight – back to his best. https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/bame-groups-took-grassroots-takethevaccine-campaign-national-tv-adland-learn/1708378

Back to Henley: This month we have a new opening in Henley – British watchmakers Bremont have moved into a new state of the art factory. When I saw this one coming through the Henley Planning Committee a few years ago, I did feel we had to be brave and this could be iconic. It’s now come to fruition and the brilliant new factory has just opened called ‘the Wing’, designed in the shape of an aircraft wing. https://us.bremont.com/blogs/blogbook/the-home-of-british-watchmaking-an-update-on-our-new-headquarters

We are here to help you with your agency resourcing structures, agency reviews, and benchmarking to improve your marketing performance.

Kind regards,

Will

(If you would like this sent to your email next month, please update us with your new address)