When images speak

Right, I know I have been truly appalling at updating this blog!!

I have been busy getting another couple of projects off the ground, alongside the usual pile of work.

The first of these is my photography website www.karlturley-photography.co.uk I have been spending a lot of time behind the lens and exploring the interaction between emotion and images, I am not sure I have cracked it yet, and I'm not sure I ever will.

To bring it back to what this blog is about, what intrigues me about pictures is the way in which every individual will interpret its meaning differently, which if carefully managed can make any piece of communication feel like it was designed specifically for them.

All to often the copy and the image are conceived as separate entities and lack any form of real role in the story. Great communications use the strength of both to work together to create a story, on there own meaningless only together does it make sense.

Just doing Stuff

So as you may have noticed my posting, has been, urm well none existent for the last month or so. Work has been completely mad and in a fit of new years madness I decided that I would run a half marathon and learn to play guitar, blah blah blah. 

Well to get to the real reason, it is the fact that I just haven't found anything really interesting to say. Yeah there have been a few nice ad's (Cadbury's), but there hasn't really been anything that made me think, or is it that I am just not seeing the emerging trends like I used to, am I becoming blind because I am focusing on the delivery rather than the understanding, and well, is this wrong.

So is there anyone out there seeing things clearly, and can point me in the right direction, or are we all just focusing on doing things, because times are hard.

Inclusion Planning

We are moving into a new era, one where the consumer actively seeks brands with which they can get involved in its development, help shape its culture and products. No longer can companies just put products into the market knowing that the consumer will be there.

The smart brands are tapping into the knowledge of their community, creating an inclusive feeling and asking for help. This is happening with companies advertising, with brands like Cadburys and Sony openly encouraging consumers to take and remix their advertising, providing the brand with a large number of advocates that have an emotional investment in seeing it spread.

I guess that is the point really and a lot of smart people have been talking about ‘Doing Good Things’, people are more prepared to invest in, talk about and become involved with companies that are shaped by the people they service and are doing things that are collaborative and serve more than just the single objective to make a profit, they do things because they are good for everyone involved, the consumer and the environment included.

Deflation

A Single Minded Proposition

It is one of the abiding laws of advertising (well if there are any), in other words keep the main thing, the main thing. This is a lot easier said than done by the way! We have all been there with the brief half written and struggling to find that one key insight, that single minded focus that makes everything clear.

However recently I feel as though I could do with a single-minded proposition for my life, there seems to be loads that I want to do, but nothing getting done. I would quiet like to blame lack of time, but lets be honest there is always time.

I guess I need to spend a little time prioritising and find that single-minded proposition. Anyone got any ingenious ways that they arrange their lives?

While I’m here a little creative awesomeness, with a definite single-minded proposition.

The Age of Conversation 2 Launch – Wednesday 29th October

As you will know if you have been following this blog I have contributed a chapter to the new Age of Conversation collaborative book. The time has come for the launch, with 237 authors from 15 countries contributing.

With such a diverse range of authors it should make a good read, all answering the question ‘why don’t they get it?’. If that weren’t reason enough all the profits are going to the Variety Children’s Charity.
The book will be available from Lulu on Wednesday 29th October in three forms Hardback, Paperback and e-book so head over and pick up a copy. Safe in the knowledge that you are doing your bit for a good cause and getting an interesting an intriguing book.

The list of authors can be seen below:

Adrian Ho, Aki Spicer, Alex Henault, Amy Jussel, Andrew Odom, Andy Nulman, Andy Sernovitz, Andy Whitlock, Angela Maiers, Ann Handley, Anna Farmery, Armando Alves, Arun Rajagopal, Asi Sharabi, Becky Carroll, Becky McCray, Bernie Scheffler, Bill Gammell, Bob LeDrew, Brad Shorr, Brandon Murphy, Branislav Peric, Brent Dixon, Brett Macfarlane, Brian Reich, C.C. Chapman, Cam Beck, Casper Willer, Cathleen Rittereiser, Cathryn Hrudicka, Cedric Giorgi, Charles Sipe, Chris Kieff, Chris Cree, Chris Wilson, Christina Kerley (CK), C.B. Whittemore, Chris Brown, Connie Bensen, Connie Reece, Corentin Monot, Craig Wilson, Daniel Honigman, Dan Schawbel, Dan Sitter, Daria Radota Rasmussen, Darren Herman, Dave Davison, David Armano, David Berkowitz, David Koopmans, David Meerman Scott, David Petherick, David Reich, David Weinfeld, David Zinger, Deanna Gernert, Deborah Brown, Dennis Price, Derrick Kwa, Dino Demopoulos, Doug Haslam, Doug Meacham, Doug Mitchell, Douglas Hanna, Douglas Karr, Drew McLellan, Duane Brown, Dustin Jacobsen, Dylan Viner, Ed Brenegar, Ed Cotton, Efrain Mendicuti, Ellen Weber, Eric Peterson, Eric Nehrlich, Ernie Mosteller, Faris Yakob, Fernanda Romano, Francis Anderson, Gareth Kay, Gary Cohen, Gaurav Mishra, Gavin Heaton, Geert Desager, George Jenkins, G.L. Hoffman, Gianandrea Facchini, Gordon Whitehead, Greg Verdino, Gretel Going & Kathryn Fleming, Hillel Cooperman, Hugh Weber, J. Erik Potter, James Gordon-Macintosh, Jamey Shiels, Jasmin Tragas, Jason Oke, Jay Ehret, Jeanne Dininni, Jeff De Cagna, Jeff Gwynne & Todd Cabral, Jeff Noble, Jeff Wallace, Jennifer Warwick, Jenny Meade, Jeremy Fuksa, Jeremy Heilpern, Jeroen Verkroost, Jessica Hagy, Joanna Young, Joe Pulizzi, John Herrington, John Moore, John Rosen, John Todor, Jon Burg, Jon Swanson, Jonathan Trenn, Jordan Behan, Julie Fleischer, Justin Foster, Karl Turley, Kate Trgovac, Katie Chatfield, Katie Konrath, Kenny Lauer, Keri Willenborg, Kevin Jessop, Kristin Gorski, Lewis Green, Lois Kelly, Lori Magno, Louise Manning, Luc Debaisieux, Mario Vellandi, Mark Blair, Mark Earls, Mark Goren, Mark Hancock, Mark Lewis, Mark McGuinness, Matt Dickman, Matt J. McDonald, Matt Moore, Michael Karnjanaprakorn, Michelle Lamar, Mike Arauz, Mike McAllen, Mike Sansone, Mitch Joel, Neil Perkin, Nettie Hartsock, Nick Rice, Oleksandr Skorokhod, Ozgur Alaz, Paul Chaney, Paul Hebert, Paul Isakson, Paul McEnany, Paul Tedesco, Paul Williams, Pet Campbell, Pete Deutschman, Peter Corbett, Phil Gerbyshak, Phil Lewis, Phil Soden, Piet Wulleman, Rachel Steiner, Sreeraj Menon, Reginald Adkins, Richard Huntington, Rishi Desai, Robert Hruzek, Roberta Rosenberg, Robyn McMaster, Roger von Oech, Rohit Bhargava, Ron Shevlin, Ryan Barrett, Ryan Karpeles, Ryan Rasmussen, Sam Huleatt, Sandy Renshaw, Scott Goodson, Scott Monty, Scott Townsend, Scott White, Sean Howard, Sean Scott, Seni Thomas, Seth Gaffney, Shama Hyder, Sheila Scarborough, Sheryl Steadman, Simon Payn, Sonia Simone, Spike Jones, Stanley Johnson, Stephen Collins, Stephen Landau, Stephen Smith, Steve Bannister, Steve Hardy, Steve Portigal, Steve Roesler, Steven Verbruggen, Steve Woodruff, Sue Edworthy, Susan Bird, Susan Gunelius, Susan Heywood, Tammy Lenski, Terrell Meek, Thomas Clifford, Thomas Knoll, Tim Brunelle, Tim Connor, Tim Jackson, Tim Mannveille, Tim Tyler, Timothy Johnson, Tinu Abayomi-Paul, Toby Bloomberg, Todd Andrlik, Troy Rutter, Troy Worman, Uwe Hook, Valeria Maltoni, Vandana Ahuja, Vanessa DiMauro, Veronique Rabuteau, Wayne Buckhanan, William Azaroff, Yves Van Landeghem

The Conquest

Times are hard, we can see it all around us, hell we have all had to pay to save those institutions that you should be able to trust. Pretty much every market you can think of is feeling the pinch with the size decreasing as consumers tighten their belts, and sales fall.

In times like this, there is only one thing to do! Increase your market share, conquest your competitor’s customers and out perform the market. This requires advertising that is bold and creative, to quote Dave Trott, ‘is like a brick through the consumers window’. When times are hard you need to compete hard, be straight forward and to the point. Show the consumer why they should chose your product over a competitor, no messing about.