Keeping it real when your business is growing

In today’s increasingly digital world, we humans are desperate for real connection. We don’t just want a product or service that meets our functional need, we want something that satisfies our soul. We want to deal with brands we can trust, with engaging experiences and values that support our own. The need for brand authenticity […]
Hundreds of ways to diminish your brand position

Recently I bought a new washing machine. I was disappointed that the ridiculous cost of repairing my, relatively new might I add, machine meant that the best option was to replace it. So, right from the beginning I was a reluctant buyer. Having trawled through the mass of customer and pricing reviews, I knew exactly […]
What marketing lessons can we learn from the recent election?

No matter which way you voted, it was back to work on Monday after the unforeseen election results. As everyone settled back into the daily grind, we took some time to reflect on the weekend’s events. Of course, being a marketing agency, we couldn’t help focusing on the marketing lessons arising from this year’s election. […]
The power of the promoting employee

Who would you say is the best trumpet blower for your brand? Was it your satisfied customers that came to mind? Obvious choice. Traditionally customers have been the number one brand fans that if treated right would sell your products or service for you. Their gospel praise for your brand can be effective however, imagine […]
Times up on gender inequality – Navigating gender in advertising

Any conversation on the topic of gender is a minefield these days. It requires an up to date point of view, a sense of compassion and a belief in equality for all. Either that or you risk the full wrath of the female population, their male allies, and anyone who’s rejected the gender binary code. […]
Workplace Identity – how your workplace is perceived

Identity is a word of monumental proportions, with definitions a plenty, including i). displaying certain characteristics; ii). in reference to self; or iii). reference to social category. For the purpose of defining workplace identity, let’s look at the first option; displaying certain characteristics. That leads me to my first question: how do you present these […]
Smoke and mirrors

Smoke and mirrors is actually a classic technique in magical illusions that makes an entity appear to hover in empty space, sometimes passed off as conjured spirits. There’s a simple “sciencey” explanation for this. Sounds cool – huh? Since this technique was documented in 1770, we have gone on to incorporate the phrase into real […]
Can you survive on word-of-mouth alone?

The short answer is no. What!? A blog that answers the initial question in the first line and doesn’t make you read all the way through to the call to action at the end? Crazy right!? Make sure you tell all of your friends how crazy we are. WHY IS THE SHORT ANSWER NO THOUGH? […]
The true cost of false advertising

“You’ll feel better on Swisse.” This is the slogan that Swisse, a Melbourne health and wellness company, was forced to defend against false advertising claims. In March 2012, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) forced Swisse to cease using the slogan as it could not be proven that people did actually feel better when using the […]
2017 Design trends – what’s been hot?

Well, with 2017 getting older and spring almost upon us, we thought it time for a little reflection on what trends have been popular this year. We’re looking at the usual suspects of colour, typography and layout and within each of those we have seen some notable standouts. Here’s a quick summary of what’s been […]