“ Master the topic, the message, and the delivery.” — Steve Jobs, Co-Founder, Apple.
I deliberately dug this quote out of the bag, well that is a lie, I used Google to search for a good quote on writing content and chose this one out of three from the search results. One of the other quotes is below. Why content? Me being a smart ass? No. Because I am re-reading Fahrenheit 451. Well, listening on Audible if honest. I am lazy and that’s okay. And it is 4.27am on Saturday 23rd of March and I cannot sleep.
And what is Fahrenheit 451? It the temperature at which books burn.
For anyone who relishes or for that matter writes, consumes, uses, or has content play a part in their life this is a must read book. A testimony to the power of content and of how it can be controlled by the unscrupulous or more frighteningly the lost.
Job’s quote is double edged. I shall explain.
Good writing is important for conveying something that is important to you. That’s the substance of your content. Know you topic. What is it that burns you up? That’s important because it is the passion. Next, how do you say what you want to say? What’s your Prose? How is this consumed or interpreted by readers? Yet delivery in this day and age is vital and Job’s was a master of the last two elements. Topic? Computers and stuff. Bit dull if you ask me. He mastered the message and delivery.
Job’s quote can be viewed as sinister. If one thinks of content as this three step process then we have a very simple way in which content can be consumed to nefarious means. Set topic, message to to the masses, deliver en masse. Sound like Populism? You bet ya!
Books and what they contain have been outlawed and are burnt by Firemen
The crux of the novel (sans spoilers) is that books and thus content is outlawed to the masses and instead the Parlour or interactive technology as Bradbury describes it delivers defined content. Does this sound familiar? Society and its characters become devoid of emotion, of life itself.
This is my worry with books, and content, and all the SHIT that now appears on the Web and is so easily consumed via Jobs second and third elements from his quote; ease of message and delivery. I allude to social media, Apps etc. and it is worrying. The advertising community is helping dictate content via the search engines hence the term Search Engine Optimisation.
Here is another quote to elaborate on what I think.
Make it simple. Make it memorable. Make it inviting to look at. Make it fun to read.– Leo Burnett.
It is the simplicity with which people can be convinced that have been leveraged by the advertising and of course Politicos. Simple (“They, Our”) media is messaging that is delivered via an easy to use and access channel(s). The message of a brand across to that of a political party and it’s theme. Hence the term “Their, Our” Media - the media of organisations or brands, and people can be brands. This is mass media in its purest form. You will and do consume what “We, They” have to say.
Hang on a minute you cry… You are writing for your blog and Pot, Kettle, Black. So WTF are you doing?
Peter Cobley’s thoughts
Neatly summed up via a paragraph from Wikipedia that summarises how Bradbury felt and I certainly feel.
“In later years, he described the book as a commentary on how mass media reduces interest in reading literature.[8] In a 1994 interview, Bradbury cited political correctness as an allegory for the censorship in the book, calling it "the real enemy these days" and labelling it as "thought control and freedom of speech control."[9]”
We are all seeing a challenge to freedom of speech, but this is phrase that has been worn out and become misunderstood in popular vernacular.
I do embrace the dissemination of content that the Web has allowed for and created; shifting control of media from “They” Media of the traditional Press/Media Barons to “My” media as created by me and others. Unfortunately two things have happened that warrant concern and need redressing before the balance shifts too much into dystopia and we have to fight a rear guard action.
Under the cover of “My Media”, my ability to create content, the big boys of business, politics have snuck in under the guise of how great the Internet and Web is and of benefit to all to peddle their shite. See Citizen Kane. And remember the phrase, “ A wolf in Sheep’s clothing.”
“My Media” of the newly empowered individual has taken a nose dive with a vast quantity of further shite appearing across digital media. You could argue I do the same and stop reading what I write. People have been influenced by the type of message and it’s delivery (remember the Job’s quote) and are aping what the big boys and girls do rather than be authentic and real and true. All content thus blends into one, including audio visual and becomes a societal pastiche with no originality. A far cry from the heritage that literature evolved from - fiction, biography, social commentary, parody. Think of Shakespeare or Thackeray for example.
Note that Press Barons of old (Citizen Kane was allegedly based on Hurst) have now morphed to the likes of Google or Facebook (Messaging carriers) allowing a Pandora’s Box of shite to hit the airwaves. There is no POLICING of this, but…
The concern of a Governmental policing takes us down a slippery slope of who decides what is correct content. Yikes. Best left to people to decide what is content that needs consuming. Been going on for years since Adam was a lad. What government needs to do is batter and kick the content carriers who in my opinion are facilitating the shite. In old money we need more virtual printing presses and need to expose Zuckerberg across to Musk for what they are, Wolves in Sheep’s clothing. The base utilisation of content to generate money. Police them by all means but allow for more carriers.
The bloody frightening addiction of online and digital
This goes hand in hand with what I have just written previously. Topic, Messaging, Delivery are clouded and become further clouded as we sign up to non-stop drivel via addictive technology and this worries me. Have a read of the Fahrenheit 451 and of how Bradbury blends technology into the book in the 1950’s and you’ll see how prescient he actually was, or fooking hell very true to later life.
Again from Wikipedia as I am being lazy.
“In writing the short novel Fahrenheit 451, I thought I was describing a world that might evolve in four or five decades. But only a few weeks ago, in Beverly Hills one night, a husband and wife passed me, walking their dog. I stood staring after them, absolutely stunned. The woman held in one hand a small cigarette-package-sized radio, its antenna quivering. From this sprang tiny copper wires which ended in a dainty cone plugged into her right ear. There she was, oblivious to man and dog, listening to far winds and whispers and soap-opera cries, sleep-walking, helped up and down curbs by a husband who might just as well not have been there. This was not fiction.[81]”
Where are we going as people, as society, as individuals?
This all worries me, as one who was almost lost himself.
We need to act before it is too late.
We need to read, to write, to read and write together, to stick two figures up at those who feel they can both dictate what is content and how it is delivered.
Do get out there and write or go and buy a ticket for an independent play or show.
Responsibilty
We all have a role to play in taking action and stopping this decline and decay into puerile content and more so those who peddle it, especially people like me who work in advertising. We do know better.
Consult, consult, consult. Erm, just help
Consulting can be a maze and all you can see is a wood and no trees. Trepidation, frustration, waste of money? A proverbial Gordian Knot. But brute force (graft) equates to action. Action slices through your knot whether client or consultant. Drop the BS Consultant. Client, what action is needed from outside source/stimulus?
Consult is a big work in big business and one that I use but also get fed up of. What is consulting? Snake oil? Pithy words easily sold? Pithy words easily taken and paid for? In fact a quick Buck?
Goyt Valley, Bredbury - March 2024
Sat here on a Thursday relaxing and thankfully getting rid of this dratted cold and cough. Stuff to do that includes volunteer work with OCD Action from 11am - 1pm. But I am allocating some time as to found us. Few e-mails to people and business contacts, rest as still drained, and some web work including this blog.
Consult, business “cuddle”, chat, or action?
I prefer action and always have done. To me I try not to dress up what I do when working with others, just deliver. If honest I was like others, the market, the advertising business as I would look to use big words and plans. I now call this polishing the turd and this is the proverbial advertising turd, and a turd that I no longer wish to polish.
With a bit of time, experience, personal illness, and getting more serene and tolerant with age I realise that my role is to act as one of a team, a pal, a friend, and someone who should look at speaking my truth, being honest, and focus more on the moment versus grandiose plans delivered as an armchair general.
This has had quite a huge impact in how I deal with clients and their businesses. The truth hurts is a very old adage but one I am now comfortable with.
So what is action?
Really straightforward and oft forgotten. It is about getting involved with detail way before applying anything, whether that be what you know or from a book, or a plan.
Money, money, money
I have always known that money and cashflow are the most immediate things that can scupper a business. And something that I look at daily with a business, just how much working cash do we have and what is the daily burn rate? I am not too bothered as to assets and liabilities as these are not per se immediate problems.
Looking at salary and rent are big ones. Salaries including expenses and rewards keeps people motivated and people work to live and not the other way around.
Paying suppliers is another huge one for me, morally and sensibly. There is nothing worse than waiting for a bill to be paid and this applies to our suppliers.
This gives me an immediate handle on cash and what we can do with it. Important in the service industry that is advertising.
(Assets and liabilities can be examined later, but one thing to note is that I always like a business with money aside for emergencies. Ideally I like a business to be able to trade for a quarter without issuing an invoice.)
Sales and Marketing
We then have selling the business, its people, and letting everyone know what you do and that they should engage with you. Simples?
We can be more simple.
WHATS - What are we selling, how do we make it, what area do we sell in, to whom do we sell it to, and what are out special features?
I always like to lift the bonnet and have a look at the engine. Is what we sell sellable? Is it what the market wants and needs, or are we flogging a dead horse? Questions that must tie into the “to whom” are we selling? Who are our clients, punters, people we like working with and what do they think of our service and product?
The rest of the acronym is self explanatory.
People, staff, colleagues
Always important to try to sit down with all members of staff, and that’s all staff and not just managerial. Information must flow from the ground up and not down. Takes time, but worth it. People and what they do are the bread and butter of the standard advertising firm. And how they do it is so damn important. It is all very well to say, “what’s the margin?” That’s a given. But are we honestly delivering good service, product, and value for money? Do our staff and clients have pleasure in what we do? Life is for living and seizing a moment. Past has gone, so don’t dwell on it or you are playing catch up in real time, and thus also jaundiced what is to come.
Plans, yawn, plans
Planning is important, very important, but don’t miss the wood for the trees. It is very easy to get wrapped up in planning and not to do anything.
My philosophy is to hit the ground running and figure it out afterwards. Information is important and its immediate acquisition allows for action, plans can sadly stifle this, and you need to be aware and this is why it is important to have communication with staff.
Oh and always keep your feet on the ground.
AND THAT ALSO MEANS ASKING FOR HELP. Giving advice means being humble enough to ask for help from staff and people you know. Some consultants can be aloof and arrogant. Don’t be, this is poor and leads to mistakes. No one person is infallible.
Meeting Peeps in the NQ and Ancoats
Today was a good day, despite having a horrid cold with hacking cough, as I ventured by tram from Ashton into central Manchester to catch up with three old advertising comrades for a natter over coffee. Very productive and well met with people I have known for years.
The first person was met at a prompt 9.30am, but in fact I was 10-15 minutes late due to underestimating the tram journey to see the very unique Mark Varley. We met at Foundation on Lever Street and it was interesting to see Manchester’s Northern Quarter still resembling a Costa Del Sol building site. The coffee was very strong, but nice, and drove some good nattering between a pair of individuals who started their careers together in London a few moons back.
In fact we are both so prehistoric that we can remember using dial up modems and the Mosaic Browser. And it was Mark who introduced me to a sh*t new search engine that had no content or advertising called Google.
It was interesting to hear that the advertising market is flat at the moment and will probably remain so until two elections happen. One here, one across the pond, and may the Lord have mercy on our souls.
Mark and I had a good chat over consulting, an area we work in and one we are looking to develop, both mulling over working together again. And we both are lucky to have straddled offline and online media and so can add a certain something when working with companies at senior level. And we’ve held a number of board positions previously and gained a lot of useful experience, not to mention having the privilege of working with some clever people.
Next was a quick walk into Ancoats to catch up with someone who can only be described as a character. This being Simon Wharton of PushON, the established eCommerce consultancy and a company I rate and well led by the front of house Simon. Interestingly it was good to catch up with him having recently referred a Shopify build from a large luxury car dealership brand.
It was nice of Simon when being photographed to pose with his legendary resting bitch face.
Simon kindly brought me up to speed with the eComm’ market including platforms such as Magento, and it was interesting to hear how PushOn does not just advise on eCommerce and tech, but has a razor sharp marketing team that specialises in eComm’ executions - certainly worth bearing in mind, and why I recommend PushOn.
We chatted as to family and friends in the beautiful Beehive Mill in Ancoats, before I moved onto the next meeting.
The next catch up was with the wonderful Heidi Kenyon-Smith at Another Heart to Feed on Hilton Street back in the Northern Quarter. I’ve known Heidi for a number of years and originally helped her move from client side to agency, and she has now moved back to client side as General Manager of the female brand Simply Be, where she excels.
We chatted family especially her two children, Betty and Ralph, and my heading up to the Isle of Mull to be with Claire later in the year. Heidi was clearly saddened at the number of redundancies at Dentsu where she worked previously; which in my opinion is so short sighted and will have extreme consequences for the UK business. Yet again, London always seems to know best about the regions when it comes to the advertising business and time will tell.
We only had an hour before I had to head to Piccadilly for a train for another meeting, spluttering with a cough as I went.
It was a good day. That’s it. A good day with nice genuine people.
What makes me happy? What are Dreams?
What makes me happy and what are dreams? I decided to write this Blog entry feeling that with all that's happened, is happening in this world, we all possess a golden opportunity to make and bring about change, and one’s own dreams (I prefer this to goals) and make the world a better place.
Tarmachan Ridge in the Scottish Highlands - fell running dreaming…
Part of this process is embracing happiness and from that follows the achievement of dreams.
I’m certainly embracing being happy, whilst continually making changes, and maybe this will give some people inspiration.
We all have a prime opportunity to change our happiness outlook, whilst initiating personal change, so pursuing dreams in times of flux, and in so doing help ourselves and others to a happy, productive, and meaningful life.
Traditionally we set goals (dreams), then plan behind them. Is this too formulaic and misses a key point. Namely, are we happy? Not always. I suspect goals are set around what we think makes us happy, from a peer and societal perspective. When “doing” that which does not actually make us happy we lose the all necessary motivation and direction - it all becomes a chore.
How about actually doing what makes you happy? From this all falls into place behind you. Rather than setting a goal or dream you think is what you want and expecting it all to fit neatly into place; it is happiness driving change.
Being happy in the moment, doing what makes you happy also avoids setting unrealistic dream, and over-planning, suffering defeat, and being miserable. Why not makeit up as you go along, letting the Universe guide you?
(We can also leverage the new technology we are all now familiar with in order to do this.)
Brexit, Covid, now Ukraine
The advertising industry and others have, and were hit hard. I don’t need to go into the exact details as we are all aware of how people were affected, including businesses, and countries.
I personally believe the advertising business has ticked along. I know that found us certainly did through Covid - there was business to be had but I must admit it was sparse. I do though count myself lucky in the circumstances.
That said, I am glad to be here today and working away - over 8 years since I started the business. And I still love working with people.
But I do not necessarily think the advertising industry is ramping up, I’d say more treading water. But there is hope, there has to be.
Ukraine is something that is a proverbial “wildcard” and emotionally has impacted myself and my wife, as we sit here helpless and watch utter and unnecessary carnage. Of course it will impact the advertising industry. Why? Uncertainty and it’s effect on consumers.
Being Happy - driving change
Is this a tricky one to address, and am I stating the obvious? Maybe not.
“Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be” Abraham Lincoln
This is an important concept. We all have choices, and one of those is to choose to be happy, positive, whatever you want to call it. I constantly remind myself of this in the current climate or I would spin downward like Icarus into the sea, the sea of sadness and lethargy. And I refuse to do that. I will only no change, no development, no growth; only stasis and ennui.
I strongly suggest reading this Forbes article called Bill Gates’ 5 Secrets To Happiness Are Surprisingly Affordable
1. Ditch your 20-year-old self and talk to your future self.
2. Follow through on your commitments.
3. Give to others.
4. Do more exercise.
5. Put love first.
It is about “doing” happy, because in being happy I honestly believe the dreams and goals, plus the money naturally follow. And please note that being happy does not mean chasing money.
What of found us?
I used the Covid et al down time to look at what makes me happy in business and work, and obviously my private life. I realise that I enjoy working with people but wanted to push more into consultancy and remove the emphasis on head hunting, whilst gearing up specifically for sales and marketing consultancy or commercial director roles, which is what I am good at and love; it involves working with people which I enjoy.
Don’t get me wrong. I do enjoy senior headhunting and continue at this. In months past I’ve placed a senior marketing role across to working on a CEO role - both head hunting briefs with a twist, where I helped look at the business commercial needs, not just the brief. As of late I am about to act as a non-executive director for a couple of days a week for an up and coming agency, focusing specifically on commercial, sales, marketing. But sales initially. And I am excited, very excited.
Dreams (Goals), Change, and Businessballs
Advertising types do have a habit of over complicating things - business plans, meetings, blah, blah, blah. To be frank I do not miss it.
Keep it simple. A goal is a dream, and you plan for it. But you have to live in the moment, letting go of the past, and of what may come.
If you have struggled with Dreams (Goals), planning, or implementing change I suggest you have a look at a well established website called Businessballs.
Specifically look at:
You need to decide what you want out of your life - holistically. Don’t divide it into work and private life. Where do you want to be and when?
Planning. So you have a dream (goal)
What are plans? It is okay to plan but don’t over complicate, nor use software or other to project manage your life. You need to live in the moment as that is all that you have. And act. Don’t worry about setbacks or risk as they are part of growth. Don’t regret the past, nor close the door on it - learn from it, don’t live in it. Tomorrow is yet to come, and don’t waste time on it. A plan is simply a task with a time that you want to achieve to reach that dream - but read Businessballs for a more formulaic approach.