Month: September 2013

Brand Experience, brand values, branding, Social media

Social Media in the life and times of the ‘Halo bitch’

Okay, cards on the table. Social Media is a waste of money. Wanking in public. Fake engagement. Corporate flim-flam to pretend you understand the wily ways of the youth market and does nothing to drive bottom line profits.

So, there. I’ve said it. It’s out. Now i’ll show you why I think it has some basis in truth.

It’s all to do with the ‘Halo Bitches’ who spoil it for everyone else.

So, why don’t I define what a ‘Halo Bitch’ is?

They are the ones who hang out with your brand in all or any of the social channels. Not because they actually care about your brand, but because they care about being seen hanging out with your brand. They have no intention of purchase, they want to glory in the halo of being seen to be aligned with what you do. They clutter your feeds, with the occasional gracious share amongst their peers to remind others which brands they want to be seen as associated with.

But as the brand owner we have to get over the fact that we have fewer likes and far fewer followers than Peer X or Brand Y, but the ones we do have actually buy from us. They are genuine customers and have a value that is infinitely higher than any Halo Bitch. ever will deliver.

So my challenge is to you to hunt out the Halo’s and kick them out. Give yourself more time to truly engage with those who deserve it and warrant your love and attention.

It’ll save a fortune in the long-run and be fun doing it to. Go on, I dare you.

Excellent Halo Picture courtesy of RAR who uses garbage to make jewellery and other wearable objects

Brand for Nottingham

RIP Andy Grogan – Great man, visionary for Nottingham and all round good bloke

I normally write about branding but I couldn’t let the passing of my good pal Andy Grogan go without saying a word or two about him. I met him through kids football, when his (very talented) son joined our team – the West Bridgford Sharks. He came on tour with us and laughed his way through a few seasons on the touchlines of Nottinghamshire and beyond.

But where I really got to know him was in his vision for our adopted City Of Nottingham. He had more enthusiasm and ideas than anyone else I know. He was desperate and determined to give Nottingham a Castle experience it deserved and perhaps even more excited by the prospect of revitalising Sneinton Market.

I don’t use the word visionary lightly, but he was. Perhaps he sometimes had more vision than follow through but he was an incredible talent and will be very sadly missed. I will always treasure a conversation we had one drunken evening on a footie tour in Scarborough where he put into context the work we were doing with the lads in our footie team in the year we won our league. He was one of the people who said thank you and meant it and if he disagreed with you he told you, but told you why. Thank you Andy. You were one of the good guys.

Andy Grogan RIP
Andy Grogan RIP – on tour in Scarborough back in 2009