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This Tuesday at the Marketing Society, Howard Schultz shared some of the marketing story behind the Starbucks brand, and as it’s a business we’re fascinated by, I went along to find out more, accompanied by Anne MacCaig, CEO of Cafedirect. Midway through a media tour publicising the company’s involvement in the Red project, and fresh from an encounter with the Today programme, Howard gave a polished performance, with a big emphasis on the company’s CSR efforts including a whopping $300 million investment in staff healthcare in the US. Coming from relatively humble origins in the Projects, he was keen to explain his personal motivation:”I wanted to create the kind of company my father never got the chance to work for.”

With this as his start-point, his focus has been on building the company, not building a brand. This year the Starbucks marketing drive during the economic downturn has been single-mindedly on reconnecting with the core customer and the brand is now number one on both Facebook and Twitter. And this energy and engagement has been sustained by social initiatives like giving away a free coffee on the day of the US presidential election to anyone who came into any branch of Starbucks and proved they’d voted.

Howard was keen to point out that CSR is not marketing for him; it’s part of the Starbucks ethos As you might expect, Anne asked a searching question about Starbucks’ relationship with the growers – one of Cafedirect’s greatest passions in life. It was an interesting discussion to open up – whilst Starbucks is one of the biggest buyers of Fairtrade coffee in the world, it’s still a tiny proportion of their whole product, but Howard’s justification was that the Starbucks product strategy is to put quality first above all else. Howard also pointed to a micro-lending scheme and a water programme. Anne’s view was that in reality a corporation of that size could be doing a great deal more to help growers achieve the right product quality with fairer trade, and that with their scale they could have a massive, immediate impact. Howard’s philosophy in business is about rising to the challenge; as he described it “you have to take the hill everyday” Now leading a business that has grown from 3 stores when he first joined to 16 000 worldwide with 180 000 employees, that’s one hell of a lot of hills he already has under his belt. Given Starbucks’ commitment to being a responsible employer, embracing the people who supply their product, as much as the people who serve it, seems the logical next step for the business. Maybe that’s Howard’s next hill…

Watch ‘An Audience with Howard Schultz’

I went along to the IPA’s 44 Club talk at the London College of Fashion on Tuesday night. It was a talk from three of the marketing industry’s top clients: Peter Buchanan (COI), Alex Lloyd Davies (P&G), and Ian Armstrong (Honda).

They were brought together to explain to a room full of account handlers exactly what it is that clients want. Having worked for a period of time in both camps (ie. client and agency side), I was particularly interested to see whether my impressions of what makes a happy client, based on my personal experience, aligned with the opinions of these industry experts.

The presentations that ensued were varied and extremely insightful. Peter (COI) launched the event with a detailed look at how public sector advertising differs from the commercial sector. This was followed by Alex’s (P&G) top tips on how to create the perfect client-agency partnership, based on her experience of having worked with a host of different creative agencies. To complete the session Ian (Honda) approached the question from a more personal perspective, outlining the Honda company ethos, and illustrating how all his colleagues (both agency and internally) belive in the same fundamental set of values.

I’ve pasted by notes of the main points from each speaker below to share my newfound knowledge. In resonse to my personal quest – to discover whether there were similarities between what I felt clients were looking for, and what the clients who worked in vastly different industries had articulated – I found that the overwhelming desire was to be treated as partners – regardless of the industry.

Peter Buchanan (COI) – important factors to consider when working on a public sector account:

• You will often be dealing with unconventional audiences
• Insight into the attitudes and behaviour of the target audience is very important (and often difficult to get hold of)
• Bear in mind the different factors that might influence the message reception (ie. try and look at the ad through the eyes of a journalist, as the political context may mean that the ad has a political message that can be spun out of it…)
• UK offline can be as valuable as online marketing in the public sector (people still expect traditional response mechanisms) as well as a large proportion of the population still don’t have access to a computer

Alex Lloyd Davies (P&G) – top 11 tips

• Show how the creative/strategy work will make the client’s business grow
• Show why the work is clever – what is it that makes it quicker/cheaper
• Work with the client like they are a partner – use inclusive vocabulary when addressing them – talk about ‘our brand’ etc
• In a large business, ask up front who you should talk to if you have a particular idea or some interesting data you have received
• Ahead of a meeting, call the client up and give them a brief heads up on the idea and running order of the meeting
• Try and weave the idea in to an initiative/strategy that is already planned (as marketing budgets are so tight at the moment the only work that will run is one that is aligned with the core objective of the brand)
• Show how the work is measurable (and be honest if it isn’t) – do not be afraid that work will be rejected on this basis alone
• Proposals should be short and sweet
• Show the client what the consumer will actually see (ie. show the work in situ – whether banners on a website or POS material)
• Think whether you would spend the money if it were your own? Do you think you are giving your client good value?
• Value the small jobs as much as the large ones (as small jobs done well can instil confidence in your agencies competency which can lead to larger jobs)

Ian Armstrong (Honda) – top 10 tips

• Clients want good, creative work
• Show an understanding of the client’s strategy
• Demonstrate that you have the emotional intelligence to work with others (you need to be able to work well with people from all over the world from a diverse range of backgrounds)
• Honda works with people whose attitudes and values are aligned with theirs – their colleagues have strong behaviours (the visible manifestation of attitudes and values) that get the job done
• Their agency must be passionate and embrace challenge
• Agencies must be consistent in their delivery
• People must be open minded and receptive to new ideas
• Operate in a state of ‘mild agitation’ – have a sense of urgency to the work to get the job done
• “We can all be doers” encapsulates the attitude of Honda

The last Albion Society of 2009 took place yesterday at Patisserie Valerie, Spitalfields. George Magnus a Senior Economic adviser at UBS and someone who is widely credited with being one of the first economists to foresee this year’s credit crunch hosted the event talking about the ageing population; an The Age of Ageing.

For the first time in history life expectancy is currently rising and at the same time fertility is falling. This is increasing the number of dependents (people too old or too young to work) relative to the size of the workforce which is having major implications for economic growth and public finances.

George covered 3 potential solutions: increase the retirement age, (thus making people work longer), increase immigration (substitute workers from overseas for UK workers); improve Total Factor Productivity so that we can increase economic output even though the labour force will be smaller (get more from fewer people working).

In a room predominately filled with people below 60, it stirred up much debate as they conjured up thoughts of  their own futures. David Wethey from Agency Assessments raised the question of how far we will be able to solve the problem if we manage to address the prejudice of ageism?

The morning was wrapped up by one of our very own Senior Planners, Sam Ashken who highlighted the possibilities and opportunities an aging population can have for businesses and entrepreneurs – there are tremendous opportunities to target this ‘growing’ market  - answers on a postcard.

Have your say on the Game Changer of the last decade and vote now by going to goviral. One of our very own pieces of work has been entered The Skype Nomad

The Turkeyoff began on Thursday afternoon when we launched www.turkeyoff.com to help our friends Michael and Phil at the Christmas Farm. They are newbies at the farm and have grown attached to two of their turkeys.

So we’re helping them save one by getting people to vote for the turkey they think should stay alive and the turkey that should be eaten. Remember that’s why the turkeys are at the farm, so if we can help keep one alive then our work has done good.

People can follow the turkeys Brad and Beyonce by becoming a fan of them on Facebook, Digg, Linkdin or Twitter. The agency has been split down the middle with half on Team Beyonce and the other half on Team Brad – the battle has commenced!  Now it’s your turn to join in.

Yesterday we were asked to submit to an industry event what we thought were the best, most viral online ads of the decade. We did this list as an Albion group effort.

Teddy remarked that its all very recent which either means we all have very short memories or the work is getting better.

I think its the latter.  So here you go.

1. Subservient Chicken: coz it was very funny http://www.bk.com/en/us/campaigns/subservient-chicken.html
2. Lynx ‘Tickle’: boys like to tickle a girl with a feather and watch her giggle. http://www.axefeather.com/#
3. Nike Photo ID by AKQA http://awards.akqa.com/Awards2008/iab/Nike_Photo_iD/default.html Amazing integration of complex image processing technology with a mobile device.
4. Orange – Worlds first internet balloon race http://www.playballoonacy.com/ Just a really innovative online advertising campaign that took ‘being viral’ to another level.
5. Skype Nomad: www.skypenomad.com – Did we really get her to do that?
6. Carousel for Phillips http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQ3D4CqHbJM –  Because it was beautiful and amazing and online.
7. Why So Serious (for The Dark Knight) for Warner Bros ….the promotion was so good it was better than the film (no good link, not a genuine anyway)
8. Uniqlock for Uniqlo http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=C1CED11F8DD7D820&search_query=Uniqlock+for+Uniqlo+Advert made us think the brand was uberchic not cheap
9. The Great Schlep for the Jewish Council for Education and Research –  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCqofKxjDZY Funny, Funny and got people to vote
10. Whopper Sacrifice. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI4uzOAtPiE Delete ten friends and get a free whopper. Genius because it tapped into an existing truth- you have friends on facebook you care so little about, you’d swap them for a whopper.

All thoughts welcomed and god bless all those people out there that made them happen.

The FT’s recent analysis of the impact of recession on the pace of change in media and advertising was as you’d expect ‘on the money’. They recognise that not unlike the music industry the impact of the internet is having a seismic impact on how media owners and agencies do business. It was also a seminal moment for us as they picked Albion as the reference point for the future model agency which is navigating all this disruption and  seeking out new approaches to marketing our Client’s businesses.  Have a read of the article here and let us know your thoughts.

Hello.

The nice people at Marketing magazine asked us to write one of their little ‘Brand in the News’ columns on Twitter.

They ran our ’sensible’ version, but here is the original version – written as a Twitter conversation, with 140 character sentences.

@glyndot Would you do Brand in the News on Twitter? It’s had lots of media coverage lately.

@MarketingUK Twitter *has* been in the news a lot, but for the wrong reasons…

@MarketingUK 2007 was 2nd Life. 2008 was Facebook. 2009 is Twitter. Any lame idea can get into the papers, as long as it involves Twitter.

@MarketingUK Or egomaniacal celebs sharing the minutiae of their lives.

@glyndot OK, but what are the right reasons?

@MarketingUK Customers are talking directly to real people inside brands and loving it. See #comcastcares

@MarketingUK See what people are saying about your brand in realtime. Try a Twitter Search for your brand: http://bit.ly/S1nM9

@MarketingUK Simple open system enables new communications opportunities e.g. Objects talking to people.

@glyndot Yes, but is Twitter a brand?

@MarketingUK It’s a great bit of brand*ing*. Great naming system, cute visual identity, clear what it stands for.

@MarketingUK But it doesn’t earn money, emotional attachment is low, and it’s not half as mainstream as people would have you believe.

@MarketingUK My verdict: Massively important, but for reasons that aren’t clear yet. Don’t experiment with it at your peril.

1. Amplify your history

Find an anniversary. 150 years. 100 years. 25 years. 3 months and 6 days since your CEO got some. Whatever. Grab hold of it. Design a commemorative logo. Revert to your old logo. Put it on a poster. Print it on some hand-screened bunting with your reissued product laid out in a wheelbarrow full of straw. Make it smell like 100 years ago. Don’t have any history? Get a corporate dog. Make it Twitter.

2. Give your customers access to the top.

Print your CEO’s direct line on your napkins. Print your CEO’s wife’s mobile number on your website. Invite criticism. Acknowledge your mistakes. PR your mistakes. Run an apology ad with a witty headline. Invite your biggest critic to an open debate. Invite them to dinner, with a film crew. Admit they might have a point. Don’t want to open yourself up? Get a corporate dog. Make it Twitter.

3. Give back to the community

Create an event. Create entertainment. People need entertainment. Make it free. No, make it cost a tenner but print a t-shirt and give the profits to charity; after you cover your costs. Make the event micro local. Have a street party. Now pump it global. Have a street party in every goddam street in every goddam neighborhood in every goddam suburb in the world! Sell street stalls to every multinational business on the planet. Too much hassle? Get a corporate dog. Make it Twitter.

3. Crowdsource your marketing

Find your fans. Give them the tools. Let them evangelise the shit out your business. 1000 monkeys, 1000 typewriters. Wait for art. Place the content in a Superbowl slot. Unbranded. With a 3 minute user generated content back-story. Don’t have fans?  Get a corporate dog. Make it Twitter.

5. Go green

Make your packaging compostable. Make your packaging factory compostable. Go carbon neutral. No, go carbon positive. Plant 6 rainforests for every sheet of A4 you company consumes. Get your customers to do the planting in exchange for green points redeemable against 6 participating green household utility companies. Now. Design a logo for it – make it look handmade. Crochet it out of hemp. Pump it on solar powered, ethically sourced, timber billboards. Happy pillaging the planet? Get a corporate dog. Make it Twitter.

6. Create a cause and effect

Selling batteries? Give two packs of batteries to the third world for every packet you sell. Hell, give the third world a torch and some batteries for every pack you sell. No, give the third world a torch factory and two packets of batteries for every pack you sell. Don’t need another cause? Get a corporate dog. Make it Twitter.

6. Give your minnows a voice

Find your lowliest minnow. Preferably middle-aged and a single parent. Give them a blog. Give them a megaphone. Make them the voice of the company. Let them construct a stand-alone customer service sub brand that hates your business. Or just make them CEO.  Don’t want to promote a minnow? Get a corporate dog. Make it Twitter.

7. Invent a new local product line

Everyone likes local. Even if you’re a global behemoth raping the planet, you can still do local. Time to add a new product line. Find a local business that makes things by hand, preferably hand-reared on their own property. Give the local community the profits to build a new library. Everyone likes books. But most importantly be OPEN about your involvement. You want to bask in the warm glow. And the locals need your authentically locally-laundered cash. Run out of new ideas? Get a corporate dog. Make it Twitter.

8. Create an unexpected product experience

Got High Street shops? Create a pop up tent in people’s back garden. They will like you and be excited by your spontaneity. Flogging a packaged good? Create a giant community version of it and let people suck the udders of your civic spirit. Can afford to be unexpected? Get a corporate dog. Make it Twitter.

9. Fail a little

People love to see others fail. And they especially like to see companies fail. So invest in some failure. Aim for the stars but really, aim to make a giant arse of your brand. People will like you for it. And it feeds back into Number 2. There are many ways to fail, but it’s most important that you give people something to talk about. Change your service. Make it more complicated so you can say sorry and recognise that the customer was right. Invest in a new corporate identity and completely ignore your product or service. Or sell your customer data. All great ways to appear to be more human. Prefer reliable success? Get a corporate dog. Make it Twitter.

10. Get a pet

Everyone likes animals. Have you seen the hits funny cats get on YouTube? Get a corporate animal. If you get in quick you can still exploit the cute cat/dog thing. Make it real. Make it open. But most importantly, make it Tweet.

A friend of mine, @hullrobbie just asked me a question, via Twitter: ‘My latest CorpID project is on Twitter. Menu changes every day, and we’re pushing content all the time. How do we get followers?”

I sent him a series of 10 DM’s back, but in the interests of digestability and sharing, here they are. I’m not claiming these are comprehensive, or will even work. But it’s what I do (#glyndot) and what we do with #albionlondon.

1. Make sure your profile features interesting and relevant keywords so people can find you through Twitter Search.
2. Tweet often and regularly. Stay on topic. Don’t be a brand, be a person.
3. Don’t just broadcast, but join conversations, with lots of @replies.
4. Be open. Why did you use a DM rather than an @ for your question to me?
5. Share lots of links (with Bit.ly URLs), especially photos (using TwitPic of course).
6. Be nice and follow back people who follow you (apart from obvious bots / spammers).
7. Say interesting things that people want to Retweet. Special / limited offers?
8. Use relevant #hashtags in your posts.
9. Link to your Twitter profile from everywhere else: Your website, LinkedIn, Facebook…
10. Possibly register in directories like Twibes (although I haven’t tried this).

Does this mean we’re a social media agency now?