This is fantastic! A must watch, especially if you’ve seen the ‘Golf Sale’ sign holders on Oxford St – I love how he calls himself a ‘Static Outdoor Information Technician’.

This film was also the winner of Virgin Media Shorts 2010. I’m not surprised.

Sign Language – a short film from Oscar Sharp on Vimeo.

(Thanks for the heads up @ilicco)

While I was out and about in London last week I had the pleasure of reconnecting with two valuable business services that I think are well worth mentioning.

1. British Library Business & IP Centre

It’s well worth registering for a British Library Reader Pass (a business pass is free and lasts for three years) so you can get access to the Business & IP Centre.

Once you’re in, the Business & IP Center opens up a world of opportunity – networking events, seminars, access to publications (often from around the world), a ‘Fast Growth Club‘, a business funding clinic, a walk-in business surgery, access to expensive industry reports, dedicated research staff – the list goes on.

There are also cafes and desks within the library with free wi-fi so it makes a great central London base to get some work done between client meetings.

2. Mail Media Centre (Infobank Resource Centre)

This hidden gem (up a small lane in Holborn) is brought to you by the Royal Mail. The Mail Media Centre is the ‘central  source of intelligence and innovation for the direct mail industry’ and has Rory Sutherland as a key contributor which is nothing to be sneezed at.

It’s free to register and provides you with the latest marketing insights from industry experts, marketing masterclasses, tools for multi-channel marketing campaigns, brand-building research and events.  Their Infobank Resource Centre gives you free access to highly sought after (and expensive!) Mintel reports and TGi surveys, along with competitor analysis, consumer insights and trend forecasting – all amazing resources for any business.

I hope you find these useful – I’ll let you know if I uncover anything else!

Image courtesy of edunconferences.org.uk

Just before Christmas Drew Buddie (@DigitalMaverick) asked me to speak at TEDx Orenda – an evening event he was organising in conjunction with BETT2010.

I had been talking about my brand protection conversation with ED Hardy COO, Robert Farrell, and Drew thought this would be a good topic to investigate further, especially given the increase in Facebook groups being set up by students about schools and teachers.

And so my investigation commenced.

Firstly I noticed the way people were talking about Ed Hardy on social networking sites and was alarmed by the way brand perceptions can change and spread so quickly across the globe. It reinforced that while you can protect certain aspects of your brand (IP, business name, copyright etc), you can’t control what people think or say about you. It shows the increasing importance of monitoring what is being said about your brand, to encourage 2-way engagement and utilise real time feedback to shape internal business decisions.

I decided to go back to basics. I phoned my mum and asked how she had created such a thriving school environment at my primary school before the days of social media and the internet.

She had trained as a school teacher in Glasgow before moving to Sydney in 1970.  She passionately fought school bureaucracy and government policy to ensure the children were put first.

After 10 years of  teaching at difficult schools in Sydney, and masterminding creative ways to circumnavigate ineffective rules and regulations, she moved to a rural school and took over as Assistant Principal.  She understood the importance of connecting the school with the community so she ‘threw open the doors’ and did everything she could to engage parents and surrounding businesses. This included moving the Mothers Club meetings to the evenings and following them with Wine & Cheese events, hosting Pet Shows, Art & Craft Fairs, Dress Up Days, arranging excursions and bringing her horse to school for the kids to ride.

Before long an excited ‘collaborative’ buzz was created and people throughout the state said the school ‘shone like a beacon’. She constantly had visitors who wanted to get ideas for their own schools.

I believe there is no such thing as brand protection for the aspects of branding that you can’t control or police. All we can do is influence, communicate our vision, and reduce any gaps between what we say, and what we do.

If we build our brands (company or personal) with the essential ingredients of authenticity, integrity, transparency, passion and playfulness, it can’t help but inspire and attract ambassadors which results in a brand that protects itself.

Feel free to have a look at my slides from the event below, and as always, I would love to hear from you if you have any feedback or questions.

Carnaby Street is a great example of a consistently exciting brand, and their new Christmas display is no exception.  This magical world of designer shops and beautiful people is buzzing with camera clicking tourists and camcording locals alike, all capturing their ‘experience’.

The cool shops within the Carnaby Street area are masters at creating buzz and attraction. G-Shock drew a crowd during the re-dressing of their shop front. They didn’t do it over night or under cover, they simply had a camera on a tripod connected to some nifty image software on a laptop and a guy up a ladder with a spray can taking instructions! But they did it over a full day and got noticed.

What can you do to increase customer involvement and interest? Making a spectacle of you and your business might be just what your brand needs!

What Is It?

A chain of coffee shops called ‘Cilantro’ from Egypt located at 106 Tottenham Court Road and 193 Piccadilly Street, London.

What Makes It Remarkable?

Firstly, their refreshing tag line is ‘Appetite For Life’.

Secondly, they want you to feel ‘really at home’ and achieve this by offering free wifi, mobile phone charging, an expansive menu, excellent service and allow you to either have your food and drink to go, order it from the counter or sit down and relax and they will serve you at your table. Nothing is too much trouble.

Thirdly, their attention to small detail and additional value. They have created a pocket sized monthly ‘Cilantro Gig Guide’ listing music, film, theatre and art events in London – great for tourists and locals alike. 

Beautifully designed graphics and print material gives them an edge – they do things slightly differently and you notice. Like their free standing notice board with a map of central London, daily newspapers, their in-house magazine and posters of local events. Plus they have shelves with a range of novels – classic and top ten for customers to read while having coffee.

Then there is ‘The Big Red Book’, a gorgeously designed large blank page book for customers to write or draw in, without rules. People write messages for other people, comments and feedback for Cilantro, poems, tips about what to do in London, quotes, snippets of inspiration….

It’s a great place to get away from the hectic pace of the surrounding area, useful for informal meetings or as a base to get some work done between clients.

What little thing could you do in your business to provide remarkable value to your customer and got them talking about you?

During the course of the length of a customer’s stay in London, each time they refer to Cilantro’s gig guide they are seeing Cilantro’s logo and building a connection with their brand. The brand that cared enough to give them something over and above coffee and cake to make their time in London more enjoyable.

What is an inexpensive service that you could offer for free to attract customers?

When I’m in that area and need internet access for my netbook I know where I go (and I buy coffee and food while I’m there).

Image on wall at Icecreamists

It’s not often I fall this in love with a brand.  But this one’s exceptional, ticks above and beyond all the boxes and would make the perfect soul mate…

Describing themselves as “an anonymous troupe of provocateurs and iconoclasts with a background in staging dramatic high-profile events”, the Icecreamists are definitely a group to keep an eye on.

Matt O’Conner and his team are solely responsible for this sensational ice-cream boutique that certainly hits the spot in this new brand savvy experience economy.

He has reinvented the ice cream shop as we know it by making it interesting, exciting, unconventional, and cool and hot simultaneously.  The ‘vice-cream’ itself is divine, while the atmosphere is nightclubesqe with luxurious sofas, branded deck chairs, complete with DJ booth and catwalk.  Their gorgeous website and social media engagement has added another yet another dimension to their already attractive offering.

Sadly their last day at Selfridges in London was November 1^st however follow them on Facebook and Twitter to find out what they plan to do next…

Me and my friend Dan at The Icecreamists - Selfridges, London

Dan at the entrance of The Icecreamists - Selfridges, London

What is my Special Agent mission?

I rendezvous with top-secret contacts in exclusive locations to collect valuable Intel.

At a moment’s notice I deploy members of my undercover team to engage in client projects where specialists are required.

Would you like me to set you up with a sophisticated online presence?

Are you in need of a digital makeover?

Personal introductions to exceptional contacts in my Little Black Book?

Or a variety of dynamic personal branding solutions?

How do I undertake each Special Agent assignment?

I help you to stand out from the crowd by establishing your magnetic personal brand and teaching you how to get the best from social networking.  I leverage my quality relationships and uncover hidden possibilities in order to connect my clients with a variety of bespoke opportunities that will greatly enhance their business.

All introductions are personally vetted to ensure they are ethical, attractive to both parties, and have the potential to be highly profitable.

Where possible, all solutions are authentically eco friendly, whilst maintaining outstanding quality and style.