Facilitation is core to my consultancy role and workshops range from problem-solving, to idea generation, strategy development or capability build. Agendas vary widely but they all share an expectation of a great collaborative experience that delivers excellent results. Here's 10 tips for wonderful workshop results 'facilitated' by my experience: 1. Start with a stretching (but... Continue Reading →
I need to declare an interest. I am a Ben & Jerry's fan. That said, the brand's collaboration with Tony’s to address the inequalities of chocolate sourcing and specifically slave labour is, I think, objectively brilliant. About a year ago I listened to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's recommendations for the "great food redesign" which called... Continue Reading →
I have just finished two excellent books. The first is Angela Duckworth's Grit which explains the winning combination of passion and perseverance (or "grit") that powers high achievers. The second, is Daniel Coyle's Culture Code which reveals "the secrets of highly successful groups." Together these books offer learning to both nurture high achievers and create... Continue Reading →
Patrick Radden Keefe's Empire of Pain is a compelling read for anyone, but especially those involved in marketing. Extensively researched it explores the history of the Sackler family, their private company Purdue Pharma and the introduction of OxyContin. It highlights greed, corruption, failures in regulation and unrestrained, ruthless marketing among the contributors to the opioid crisis in... Continue Reading →
New research has got me thinking about the relative importance of images and words in persuasive communication. We know there is power in the right image. People process pictures instantly, are hard wired to recognize emotions, find images easier to remember and don't read beyond headlines. Studies also show adding photos increases the believability of... Continue Reading →
Peloton has gained a lot of recent attention with reports of slowing sales, unhelpful fictional heart attacks and investors calling for the CEO to resign. A share price comparable to that before Covid-19 is certainly eye-catching for a business that has grown paying subscribers from around 1 million to around 3.2 million last year. Something... Continue Reading →
Pepsi is working hard to attach their brand to popular fast food choices. The #BetterWithPepsi campaign is backed by a blind taste test claim that their fizzy drink goes better with Big Mac or Whopper burgers than rival Coca-Cola. Recent creative work has been superbly distinctive and provocative. Showing wrappers for Burger King, McDonald’s and... Continue Reading →
Octopus Energy has achieved 'double unicorn' status with a valuation in excess of $2 billion in just five years. It seems to be on track to be the world's leading renewable energy business. The foundation for this remarkable success is clever and agile business model thinking and here Octopus offers inspiration for start-ups and established... Continue Reading →
One of my most rewarding projects of late has been helping the Unilever ice cream business accelerate growth across delivery platforms such Uber Eats, Grab or Deliveroo and food-chain partners. Teams are dotted across the globe and manage digital communications to drive sales from their own virtual stores, grocery partners or from food-chain orders. Collectively... Continue Reading →
Oatly makes it emphatically clear that you should be drinking Oatly and not (dairy) milk. The side of the carton invites you to join the post-milk generation, the website informs you that the milk lobby think you're stupid and advertising suggests dad's drinking milk have a bit of a problem. This confrontational, zealous anti-establishment communication... Continue Reading →
Facilitate Success 