Easter: New starts, new beginnings

Easter's a celebration of change and transition, so it seemed like a good time to share this video of Steve Jobs speech at Stanford University in 2005. He shares three stories about pivotal events in his life. It's a fascinating insight into the man behind Apple (and it's only 15 minutes).



But for any business - or business owner - who has been disappointed or frustrated by something that has happened to them over the past few years (or at any point in their career), the second story he tells is a great motivator.

So as we watch Spring unfold it's a great time to remember things can always get better. Just listen to Steve!

Happy Easter

10 big lessons from 10 big brands

On Wednesday 16 March we're going to be delivering 10 big lessons from 10 big brands. As part of the next Business Network SW lunch in Exeter, we're hosting the pre-lunch seminar, where we’ll be looking at some of the challenges companies face in a competitive market. We'll take 10 big lessons from 10 big brands and explain how they can have a big impact on your business.

As a business are you:
• Disappointed in the number of new enquiries?
• Struggling to stand out from competitors?
• Frustrated by missed opportunities?
• Finding it hard to sell to your target audience?

If the answer is 'yes', then you should join us. The seminar is aimed at business owners who are ambitious about growing their business, and serious about taking action.

You will learn how your brand can:
• Increase your volume of new business, by raising your profile
• Make you first choice, and differentiate you from your competitors
• Nurture loyalty, by clearly communicating the benefits you provide
• Grow your business, by reaching a particular market or sector.

So come and join us. It's an event that could change your business!

As well as our seminar, you'll have the opportunity to sit down to lunch with over eighty business leaders. The seminar and lunch costs £32.50. If you want to grow your business, it's a great way to spend 4 hours!

To book a place for the seminar and lunch contact Sean Humby.

Brand: Light up your business

“It was really useful attending the ‘Unlock the Value of Your Brand’ event as it ignited ideas in my head and provided me with a strategic checklist of how we can maximise our brand”.
Kate Came, St. Loye's

We get really good feedback from our seminars, which is great (obviously!), but what I liked about Kate's feedback was the word 'ignite'. It's such a powerful word - the first step in a process. But it also begins to paint a picture of your brand as this ball of combustible material, just waiting for the spark to unleash it!



And I think that's such a great metaphor for your brand, because your brand can play so many roles for your business.

Your brand can be a beacon - guiding customers to you through a sea of confusion and uncertainty.

Your brand can shed light - helping customers to understand more about your business and the benefits you can bring to them.

Your brand can provide energy - giving customers the momentum they need to move forward.

Your brand can give you confidence - when you take a new path and need support on your journey.

Your brand can provide protection - keeping competitors at bay when they come looking for your customers.

Your brand can give off a warm glow - drawing customers to you and making them feel comfortable and relaxed.



So what do you want your brand to do? Are you brave enough to strike the match? What's stopping you? Just think what it could do to your business!

If you'd like to find out more about what your brand can do for your business, join us at one of our free seminars.

January - the month of optimism!

Happy New Year!

January is full of optimism. It may be grey and miserable out the window, but the future's bright. The whole year lays before you - 12 months waiting for you to make things happen! It's an exciting time; a time to make plans, and start implementing them.



Towards the end of last year I came across this TEDtalk from Steven Johnson, and I thought this would be a good time to share it. The title is 'Where good ideas come from'. Without giving too much away, it talks about the importance of sharing knowledge and expertise in the development of great ideas. (It's only 17 minutes, and there's a great story about the origins of GPS). I don't know about you, but we've got lots of plans for this year, and I know we're going to need the advice and expertise of others to help us get them off the ground.

So in the spirit of sharing, I'd like to point you to something I put together in December, as a 'virtual' Christmas gift for followers of our blog. I think ideas, inspiration and innovation are key for any business that is serious about success, so we wanted to point people to some places where we have found exactly that (and one place where we try to pass that on to others). These are the four links:
• A video - Bringing you inspiration (from a tent in Wales)
• A book - Teaching you how to transform your business (in 2 hours)
• A green package - Showing the value of sustainable business
• An invitation - To unlock the value of your brand (at one of our free seminars).

I hope you find them useful. But what I'd really like to know is this:
• What is one source of information, advice or inspiration that you keep referring to, and would recommend to others? It could be a book, a blog, a website... anything that has made an impact on your business, and continues to.

Happy New Year to you all! I hope you achieve everything you have planned for.

A Christmas gift to you: Part 4

Each week this month we've been giving you a 'virtual' gift. Something that we hope you will find useful in 2011. Something to get you thinking.

This week we're giving you an evening out: an invitation to join us at one of our seminars. An invitation to unlock the value of your brand. We're offering you 21 years experience of working with brands of all shapes and sizes, distilled into 60 minutes (or so).



But don't worry if you can't join us in January. We run one every month. You're invited to join us whenever it suits you (The February date is already set). The seminars are aimed at business owners who are experiencing some kind of change within their business. For some businesses that change is the opportunity to grow their business - launching a new product or service to reach new customers. For others a period of change is time to consolidate their business - to look at what they do well, and what they would like to improve.

Whatever your strategy, this workshop is designed to help you understand how your brand can help to make it a success. If you want to make the most of 2011, and the opportunities it will bring, you should join us.

"If a succinct brand seminar, that runs to time, switches on a few lights and leaves you feeling focused is what your business is looking for - then I'd highly recommend you attend an Alder and Alder event."
Charlotte Quickenden,
Business Development Manager, Bow IT Solutions

If you haven't seen our other gifts this month, you should take a look. There's been a video, a book and an interesting green parcel. We hope you enjoy them!

So while you're making the most of those gifts, and making plans for 2011, we'd like to wish you a very Merry Christmas, and a happy and prosperous New Year.

A Christmas gift to you: Part 1

We firmly believe that in business it is always good to 'give'. And Christmas is the perfect time to do that. So over the next four weeks, we are going to be giving a 'virtual' Christmas present to anyone who visits our blog.

It's been a challenging year. A good one for us, but a real challenge. And it looks like 2011 will be more of the same. So we'd like to give businesses something to help them through the challenges they will face in the next 12 months. So each week we will be giving you a link to a website, which we have found useful. We hope you do to.

Like all presents, we hope it's something you haven't already got, but if you've already seen it: Sorry. Take a look next week and see what we've got for you then.

Our first gift is a video. It's always good to get a video for Christmas, and we'd like to give you loads of them! You will find them at www.dolectures.com. If you haven't come across the Do Lectures before, it's a bit like the TED Talks in a tent in Wales. Here's a short introduction from the founders:
"The Do Lectures were started from a conversation between David and Clare Hieatt (The founders of clothing brand Howies) over the dining table one night. They wanted to know what to Do about the things they cared about. Out of that came the idea that the Doers of the world can inspire the rest of us to go Do something. So a set of talks for Doers was born."



It's an eclectic mix of speakers, and you probably haven't heard of most of them - I hadn't. But it's a fantastic collection of ideas and inspiration. Look at it like a 'Secret Santa' present, or a dip into the Quality Street tin: You're not sure what you're going to get, but it could be a real surprise!

If you're not sure where to start, try Ed Stafford. He took two and a half years walking the length of the Amazon. It's an amazing story. But it closes with a great piece of advice: "Don't be afraid of taking risks... Don't be afraid of failing. If you can visualise the outcome, there's every chance that you can achieve your dreams."

I think that's great advice for every business in 2011. I hope you enjoy it.

Merry Christmas!

Customer focus - a great case study

Now, this isn't new, but I only recently came across it. It's worth sharing, because it has a really valuable lesson, that is relevant to any business, of any size:
• The importance of understanding who your target market is.

The clip lasts 5 minutes, so give yourself time to enjoy it in full!


When you've watched it, consider this. Your target market isn't always who you think it is. Who controls the budget? Who makes the decision? Who influences the decision? Who approves the decision? Make sure you spend your time, and your money, talking to the right people.

Few of us will be in a position to influence the election of the most powerful man in the world... but there is still a useful lesson we can learn and apply to our own businesses. A simple three step process:
1. Have a clear objective. (Get Barack Obama elected).
2. Have a clear strategy to achieve that objective. (Secure the elderly Jewish vote in Florida, by motivating their grandchildren).
3. Create the tools you need to implement that strategy. (A very targeted multi-media campaign).



This is a scale of activity that isn't relative to most of us. But that process of analysis and planning could be. It's time consuming. It's hard work. But is the outcome worth it? What are the objectives for your business? How important are they to you? What would you do to achieve them?

If you know what your objective is, but you don't have a strategy, get in touch. We'd be happy to have a chat with you about that. You can call us on 01392 248107 or email jonathan@alderandalder.co.uk. We always enjoy talking to ambitious businesses, so it would be great to hear from you!

Whopper Face

This a great example of what you can achieve with a little creativity and a little technology! Click on the image to take a look.



A great idea - personalising each customer's burger - to prove that each one is made to order. It's a really interesting example of how you can apply creativity to communicate an important business message: Our food is made to order. And give your customers a memorable experience, that will last far longer than the burger.



Now, if you heard about this, would you go to see what all the fuss was about? I know I would. So is there anything simple you can do in your business, to give your customers an experience, rather than just a service?

Thanks to @vikkichowney for the link posted on Twitter.

Be remarkable!

I want to share this video, because it discusses ideas that are absolutely central to branding and what we do. Now, I must confess, this isn't something new - it's seven years old - but the ideas that Seth Godin talks about are as relevant today as they were seven years ago. (For anyone who's not familiar with him, he writes a lot of interesting stuff about marketing. You can read his blog or just Google his name, to find out more).

If you've got 17 minutes, take a look, because there are some really useful lessons to take from it - especially if you're planning on launching a new product or a new business venture.



These are my highlights, which I want to share, because they can add value to any business.

Get your ideas to spread
This is great, because it should be at the heart of every brand. Your brand should tell people: who you are; what you do; how you do it; and where you're going. 'What you do' is all about getting your ideas to spread. It's not enough to be great at what you do. You have to tell people why that's a benefit to them. You have to spread the idea - you have to spread what the benefit is. That's what people are interested in: Not what you do, but the benefit. So the successful business is the one that communicates most effectively, not necessarily the one with the best product or service. The most effective brand wins.

Are you remarkable?
Whether it's your product or your company, do you stand out? Are you so different that people talk about you? It doesn't matter whether it's the packaging of your products, or the quality of the service you provide, make it remarkable. Make it something that catches peoples attention, and more importantly, catches their emotion. Make it something they fall in love with, because you can be sure they'll tell others. Your brand should make you remarkable - in every area of your business - so that no matter how someone comes into contact with your company, they find you remarkable.


If you'd like to have a chat about spreading your ideas or making your business remarkable, call us on 01392 248107 or email jonathan@alderandalder.co.uk

2010 - Half full or half empty?

Happy New Year to you all!

So what has 2010 got to offer us? Well, it's been a beautiful start to the decade, with this fantastic sunset at Exmouth...


...but on a more practical note, what can we expect from a business perspective?

Well, without sounding too much like a self-help manual, I think the futures ours, to make what we want of it. I would say that - I'm an optimist - but we spent quite a bit of time in 2009 absorbing information from a wide range of sources, to help us understand how to take our business to where we want it to be. Now I don't think it will be easy (2009 certainly wasn't), but I do think we control our destiny - rather than the economy, the government, our competitors, our clients or anyone else we want to blame.

I have no doubt that external influences will have an impact on us, but (as an optimist) I take a positive view of this. One statement that has stuck with me from an event we went to in the summer is 'surround yourself with like-minded people'.

And we do that. Whether it's our clients (I wrote about this recently: Working with winners), or the businesses we want to partner with (I plan to write about this soon). We're looking for people with the big ideas. People with ambition. People with vision. People with passion. These are the people that we help us take our business to where we want to be - whether they're clients or partners. If you think you might be one of them I'd really like to hear from you. Just email me.

"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." This is a great quote from Churchill (The politician, not the dog in the insurance advert), and I think this attitude is essential in business. It's not easy - but it's the difference between success and failure.

So what about you? What are your expectations for 2010? Do you see opportunities or difficulties? Is your glass half full or half empty?

Let me know. I'd be really interested to hear from you!

Working with winners

Something has slowly dawned on me this year (that I possibly should have realised sooner), but we work with a lot of successful businesses. I don't just mean that they turn a profit - they're winners: leaders in their field. They may not be household names or global brands (yet), but they are very good at what they do.



Some of them have awards to prove it. In the last 12 months we've worked with two award-winning food producers. One of them, Higher Fingle Farm, won Gold at the Taste of the West awards, for Elsa's Organic Duck Eggs. The other won a silver and two bronzes for their wheat and gluten-free cakes and pies. Another client has developed an environmental accreditation scheme - Green Accord - which was a winner at the EDIE awards for green innovation. Then there's YouGen, which has been shortlisted for the best Green Living Advice site at the Green Web Awards. (Voting closes 31 December - vote now!)



But it's not all about awards. Some of our clients are 'just' innovators, creating new ways to do things, because they have a vision of how to do something better.

These are exciting people to be around. It's a well-worn piece of advice that if you want to be successful you need to surround yourself with successful people. But it's true. In an atmosphere of success there is an expectation of results. Our clients have high standards, and they expect us to meet them. That expectation is a great motivator - it drives us to succeed and deliver results for our clients. And success is a cyclical thing. If our clients are successful, there is a greater likelihood that we will be too.

In the current climate success is a valuable commodity. Successful businesses are generally confident, and confidence is the key in challenging circumstances. Every client we have worked for this year has been confident; confident enough to launch new products, provide a new service or even launch a new business. As we look at 2010 we see a very exciting year. We have a clear vision of where we want to go, and what we need to do to get there. It will be challenging, certainly, but with the right clients, and the right partners to help us support those clients, it will be an exciting journey.

If you would like to join us on that journey, as a client or as a partner, email jonathan@alderanalder.co.uk or call 01392 248107.

What are the challenges for 2010?

The countdown to Christmas is well underway, and 2010 is just around the corner. So what are the challenges you're anticipating for next year?

Is it cashlow? Increased competition? Cautious customers? Lack of support from banks? Let us know by adding a comment, because if we share the problem, someone else might have the solution.

So come on, join in the discussion!

The value of perception

This is a great presentation from the TED Talks that I wanted to share. It's a fascinating insight into the concept of value, and how the perception of value can be altered.



What I find interesting about this video is that it's a very entertaining description of what a brand does; it creates perceived value in a company or product. 'Perceived value' is something you usually associate with premium products and brands; the reason customers will pay more for one car / suit / pair of shoes than another. But it's not always about high-value purchases.

We've got two clients who for whom perceived value is vital. One is an organic farm, the other a bakery that specialises in wheat and gluten-free products. The situation for both businesses is the same, and very simple. To produce their products - organic duck eggs and wheat and gluten-free cakes and pies - is more expensive than producing standard chicken and duck eggs or 'normal' cakes and pies. If they want to compete with cheaper alternatives they have to give consumers a reason to buy their products. They have to create 'perceived value', because the difference between an organic egg and a standard egg is intangible. Yes, you can taste it when you eat it - but you have to buy it first. You have to believe the product is worth its premium.

So how do you do it - how do you create 'perceived value'? Well, the answer is you develop a brand that reflects the appropriate values - and then you communicate those values. For these clients, it's all about packaging. It's the packaging of the products that creates the 'perceived value'. And we know that it's working. The organic duck eggs have been exceeding their targets, despite an overall drop in organic sales in the UK. One of the retail outlets selling the organic duck eggs was happy to admit that the packaging is the difference. For the bakery the process is still on-going as we develop the packaging. But the sample packaging has been well received by some very 'premium' retail outlets in London, so we'll let you know what happens.

Like Minds - My ROI

I was really interested in the idea of Like Minds from the outset, because the stated aim was to bring together a group of people who were united in attitude, rather than location or discipline - and that seemed a really refreshing approach. And as the dust settles on the event, interest and discussion about the topics and issues raised is still bouncing around the internet on Twitter and blogs. So did it deliver what was promised? Did I get my return on investment?

The simple answer is yes. Like Minds wasn't a conference about social media, it was a conference about what to do with it, and that's what I was looking for. (From some of the chat going around yesterday it seems that some people did want a conference about social media - how to use it, what to use etc. There's nothing wrong with that, and I know where you can find it - contact Dave Thomas at Bluegrass. He runs a great Social Media workshop). But Like Minds was about ideas, about what you can do with social media. Because social media is just a tool - a means to an end. It's not the end itself.



Trey Pennington (@treypennington) kicked the whole event off on that theme, by asking the question: What's the value of social media? The answer: It depends. What is the problem you are trying to solve? It's a simple answer, but the beauty of that is that it works for everyone. There was a lot more good stuff from Trey, and you can see it here. Social media is just a marketing tool, to help you achieve an objective. You have to have a clear idea of what that objective is.



And once you have your objective then you need to measure it, and that was where Olivier Blanchard (@theBrandBuilder) came in. On one level measuring your ROI from social media is the same as any other marketing activity: Compare activity after launching your social media strategy, to activity pre-launch. The difference is the impact / value - your ROI. You can find Olivier's presentation here. (Some people in the audience seemed to want something more tangible - but it's the same for any communication media: compare before and after. Yes, there are other variables. It's not an exact science. But it's the same for any media).

But out of those two presentations, and the discussion that followed, came the two nuggets that I took way - my ROI for my attendance at Like Minds.
1/ ROI is about business impact
2/ Small is the future

Business impact
This was the focus of Olivier's presentation. Social media ROI isn't how many people follow you, look at your blog, visit your website; it's what difference that activity makes to you business. It's revenue. It's financial. Now, it's useful to remember Trey's answer to the question of value - It depends. Because for some people the financial measure might be value per transaction, for others it might be the number of transactions. But the important thing to hold on to is that there needs to be some financial benefit for a business to be able to justify it's investment in social media.

Small is the future
This was a statement from Rick Waghorn (@MrRickWaghorn) as part of the really interesting panel discussion (also involving Vanessa Warwick (@4_Walls) and James Barisic (@jamesmb)), following Trey's presentation. There was a discussion about large v small and the panel's view was that big is bankrupt - big banks, big business, big media. They have lost trust. Small is the future. And social media is fundamental to that.

The reason is that social media allows users to communicate with their audience one-to-one, whether you're large or small. It levels the palying field. As Vanessa pointed out, it's easier for small businesses to be more personal, because they're much closer to what's going on in their business - it's more transparent, more honest, more real. And that's why a brand is so valuable for a business - whatever size - beacause it communicates the personality of your business.

This really resonates with me because a lot of our clients are 'small' in size, but not in attitude. And that's where our work with their brand can be so valuable. The personality of their business is the reason customers buy from them, and the 'thing' that differentiates them from their competitors - and social media is a great channel for communicating personality. (It's interesting that this came out of the conference, because giving your business personality is the theme of our next Brand to Deliver seminar on 11 November).


So what did I get from Like Minds? I got the opportunity to hear some really interesting ideas being given a thorough work out. That's always a good use of time. And the satisfaction of knowing that with our views and attitude we're not alone - that was a bonus.

But to close I must congratulate Scott Gould (@scottgould) and Drew Ellis (@drewellis) on the foresight (and energy, passion, enthusiasm...) to create Like Minds and produce such a good event. Can't wait for February!

To get some more feedback from Like Minds take a look at these blog posts from Alastair Banks (@banksy6), Director of Opitx Solutions and Nick Tadd (@nicktadd).

I've got an idea

There's a lot of problems out there. And a lot of solutions. But it's harder to find them. You have to really make an effort, which is why a lot of people don't bother looking for them. So when you find one on your doorstep, it's really exciting...

Like Minds is an event taking place in Exeter on Friday 16th October. It's a conference, and the theme of this first event is measuring social media. It's the brainchild of Scott Gould (A guest blogger in September) and Andrew Ellis. What interests me about Like Minds isn't the content (which will be really interesting - there's great speakers), but the attitude. I think there is nothing more exciting than people with ideas.

I came across a great explanation of what's so exciting about an idea. I found it at Ted.com, and it's part of their explanation about how TED started:

Core to this goal is a belief that there is no greater force for changing the world than a powerful idea. Consider:
• An idea can be created out of nothing except an inspired imagination.
• An idea weighs nothing.
• It can be transferred across the world at the speed of light for virtually zero cost.
• And yet an idea, when received by a prepared mind, can have extraordinary impact.
• It can reshape that mind's view of the world.
• It can dramatically alter the behavior of the mind's owner.
• It can cause the mind to pass on the idea to others.

And that's what's so exciting; with ideas the possibilities are endless. It's very neatly captured in the recent Christian Aid ad - if people put their mind to something anything is achievable.

As I said, there are plenty of problems out there. But there are solutions too, and we might just find one at Like Minds. Who knows!