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An upstream creative solution to the Banking crisis

Posted on 19/12/2011 by Hugh Salmon

If, as discussed last week, the Eurozone is a mish-mash of politics and economics, then the banking crisis is even more of a hot potato.

On the one hand, the word ‘bank’ comes fraught with vitriol. On the other, we seem prepared to alienate anyone to save our precious ‘financial services’ industry.

How can financial services be good but banks bad? Aren’t banks financial services?

To make things more complicated, are all banks bad or just some of them?

Again brutal simplicity of thought is required. Indeed, such is the mess the banks have caused, we must think the unthinkable. We must be creative. Continue reading →

Posted in Blog posts | Tagged banking, behavioural insight, capitalism, Creative, debt, economics, financial crisis, financial services, Innovation, national debt, politics, simplicity, simplicity of thought, upstream creative | Leave a comment

An upstream creative solution to the Euro crisis

Posted on 13/12/2011 by Hugh Salmon

We are surrounded by news of the Eurozone. But what positive solutions have we offered by way of Big Society neighbourly help? Or have we just covered our own backsides?

I am proud that our country punches above its weight in creative talent. In technology, music, drama, film, television, comedy and, yes, advertising, Great Britain is a creative force.

Have we mobilised this talent? Can we help by finding a creative solution to this crisis?

In this spirit, I would like to offer some ‘upstream’ creative thinking of my own. Continue reading →

Posted in Blog posts | Tagged brutally simple, China, Coalition, creative solution, Creativity, David Cameron, David Ogilvy, drachma, economics, Euro. Eurozone, financial services, fiscal rules, Greece, Hong Kong dollar, leadership, Maurice Saatchi, Nicolas Sarkozy, politics, The Bahamas, upstream creative, US dollar | Leave a comment

When, even if you are right, you are wrong

Posted on 05/12/2011 by Hugh Salmon

This is the last of my trilogy on what can happen if your boss gets in the way of your good work – and the consequences of his of her exacting revenge at the threat you have become.

The last line of my last post advised that if you have to leave, do so ‘with dignity’.

You may have gathered that I speak from personal experience. In the world of work, what follows is the one lesson I would pass on to my kids. For those young people who, I gather, read this blog early in your careers, eager to succeed and keen to learn – this one is for you. Continue reading →

Posted in Blog posts | Tagged career advice, Desert Island Discs, human behaviour, integrity, loyalty, office politicians, reputation, right, Sir Clive Woodward, wrong | Leave a comment

The better you do, the worse it gets

Posted on 23/11/2011 by Hugh Salmon

Further to my last post where I showed how my boss was holding back the best interests of the company we were working for, there follows the human problem I have experienced of how to overcome this tricky situation.

You can find yourself placed in a ‘no win’ situation in terms of your own career.

You have two choices. You report the situation to someone even higher up the hierarchy, in which case your boss will feel betrayed – or you confront your boss yourself. Continue reading →

Posted in Blog posts | Tagged behavioural insight, human behaviour, office politics | Leave a comment

The affliction of intellectuals who see all sides of an argument

Posted on 18/11/2011 by Hugh Salmon

Last week, I read the obituary of former Cabinet Minister, Sir Timothy Raison. He served under Edward Heath and Margaret Thatcher, apparently ‘gaining a reputation as the keeper of the party’s conscience on such issues as immigration, refugees, child benefit and social policy’. Bigots would instantly dismiss him as ‘Tory’. To me, it seems he was a good man. My condolences to his friends and family.

One particular sentence in his obituary resonated with me:

‘he suffered from that common affliction of intellectuals: the ability to see all sides of an argument’.

Early in my career, I worked with people like this. They are not evil. Nor do they mean any harm. In fact, as Sir Timothy appears to have been, they may even be kind, considerate and well meaning.

But they can be a nightmare to work with. Continue reading →

Posted in Blog posts | Tagged Advertising, Bigots, Box-Busters, brand, Campaign A List, child benefit, Conservative, considerate, Creative, David Ogilvy, Dove, Edward heat, immigration, intellectuals, Kind, Margaret Thatcher, refugees, Sir Timothy Raison, social policy, teachers, Tory, truth, TV commercial, upstream thinking | Leave a comment

Leadership – Be Driven. Be Smart. Be Human.

Posted on 07/11/2011 by Hugh Salmon

I have been thinking about ‘Leadership’ as a topic for this post. What a nightmare.

The thought occurred with wry amusement that the ‘Leadership for a Better Britain’ theme at the Conservative Party Conference was followed, within days, by the biggest back-bench rebellion Cameron has faced as Prime Minister.

Then I started researching Leadership as a topic. How naïve was that? Leadership is all over the place, especially online.

There is so much Leadership on Twitter that it becomes impossible to follow. There are Leadership Quotes and Arts of Leadership and The Leadership Mystique and, for all I know, Leadership of Leadership. Continue reading →

Posted in Blog posts | Tagged Amazon, Cameron, Conservative, Driven, energy, Felix Dennis, Human, insights, Kind, Lakshmi Mittal, leadership, Michael Baulk, Ogilvy, online media, parliament, Smart, Steve Jobs, Twitter | Leave a comment

Catch-22 of a rotten political system

Posted on 13/10/2011 by Hugh Salmon

It is legitimate to discuss political parties as brands. After three weeks of party Conferences, the Liberal Democrats, Labour and Conservative parties have shown the world their wares and their performance has been open to debate (sic).

I understand the Party conferences were so overcome by lobbyists and commercial interests that, last week, the Prime Minister was talking to a half-empty hall. Open debate indeed.

Surely the management of the economy, and the good of the people, is fundamentally important to marketing and the marketing services businesses? In a strong economy, consumers spend more money and hence oil the wheels of the economy, which encourages people to spend more. One follows the other. Everybody is better off. Continue reading →

Posted in Blog posts | Tagged AV, Catch-22, change, Coalition, connectivity, Conservative, Creative, criminal, David Cameron, economy, Emily Pankhurst, General Election, human behaviour, Innovation, Joseph Heller, Labour, Liberal Democrat, Mad Men, marketing, marketing services, Middle East, political parties, Prime Minister, Something Happened, Tories, upstream thinking, X-Factor | Leave a comment

Conservatives a careless brand

Posted on 11/10/2011 by Hugh Salmon

First published on Brand Republic on 6 Oct 2011

Last week, I dutifully recorded Ed Miliband’s speech at the Labour Conference.

I watched it in the evening and stayed up late writing my post only to find that, apart from the unique human insights to which you are accustomed, most of my views were reflected across the mass media.

“Get a life”, said the wife. So less to read this week, you will be pleased to hear.

In 2007, I advised the Conservatives how to win the last election. You can read it here: ‘The Conservatives may be doing the right thing, but in the wrong way’. In the same post, months before the riots, I told them the human effect of their savage cuts would be social chaos. Alienating people is not good leadership. Continue reading →

Posted in Blog posts | Tagged BBC, Brand Values, care, Conservatives, Council Tax, David Cameron, Disability Living Allowance, DLA, Ed miliband, George Orwell, human behaviour, Labour, needy, Nick Robinson, poor, Ryanair, sick, upstream, Upstream Insights, women | 1 Comment

Labour a confused brand

Posted on 11/10/2011 by Hugh Salmon

First published on Brand Republic on 28/09/11

This week it is Labour’s turn to make us cringe.

At ‘Conference’ (cringe), did Ed Miliband clarify his own position and his party’s positioning, for surely the two are intertwined?

The answer, as with all these interchangeable career politicians, is that it is very difficult to pin down what they stand for. You have to go by what they say.

But how much of what they say can you believe? Continue reading →

Posted in Blog posts | Tagged Banks, Big Idea, capitalism, conviction, Ed miliband, execution, Gordon brown, human insight, integrity, Labour, New Bargain, New Labour, objective positioning, predators, producers, simple, socialism, strategy, Tony Blair | Leave a comment

Liberal Democrats a compromised brand

Posted on 11/10/2011 by Hugh Salmon

First published on Brand Republic on 22/09/11

It is Party Conference time, which really is a silly season.

I have never been to one and cannot imagine doing so. The tone of voice seems so false and obsequious, I think I would shrivel into a little cringy ball.

They are all over the media – to the extent that you can read the Party Leaders’ speeches in the newspaper before they orate them. I am not a PR man but idea of making the speech yesterday’s, rather than today’s, news has always seemed a rather bizarre tactic to me.

What is the status of our three main parties as brands?

And, as brands, do they have any integrity? Continue reading →

Posted in Blog posts | Tagged AV, Coalition, democracy, democrat, freedom, individuality, Lib Dem, liberal, Liberal Democrat, Nick Clegg, party conference, riots, tribalism, vested interests | Leave a comment

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