Beyond branding

beyond branding with christian james

First let me get a rant out of the way. Manchester to Liverpool – 35 miles, takes about an hour. Manchester to Leeds – 44 miles, takes about a light year. Does anyone actually commute from Manchester to Leeds anymore? How? It brought home to me how all the rhetoric about Northern Powerhouse is completely academic without a transport solution. We can talk about linking up Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield intellectually, creatively and culturally (don’t laugh) but without actually being able to get there it’s a complete waste of time starting the discussion.

 
Moving on to a more positive note, how amazing is Leeds Uni these days? It was a stunning day in the Yorkshire capital yesterday and the campus struck an impressive chord as I arrived to give my sermon to the Marketing MA and Design students.

IDEA V EXECUTION

The brief was to deliver ‘An inspiring talk about Brand ideas’. The central point I wanted to get across was that the brand idea should go beyond marketing – it needs to act as a filter for the culture and decision making across the entire business. We explored the difference between Idea and Execution using a number of examples to bring the point to life.

 
Our IF brand idea is ‘inspirational response’ which helps to guide us in terms of not just what we do, but how we go about it; from the type of people we recruit into the business, to the way we go about answering client briefs. I’ve attached the slides from yesterday’s session which should still make some sense without my narrative – perhaps more!? 

GETTING OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE

Every now and again, I’ll find myself in front of a group of bright eyed and enthusiastic students. With the cost of being at uni now, it’s noticeable how much more attentive the students are these days. Yesterday was a triumph….not one sleeper amongst them! It’s hard finding the time to put together something different and fresh, I’d be far more comfortable presenting a new campaign to the board of a plc. But getting out of your comfort zone and reminding yourself what’s really important is never a bad thing.

LEEDS LEEDS LEEDS

If you’ve got a teenager thinking about a career in marketing and looking for university courses, I can definitely recommend Leeds Uni as an option. Whilst the terraces may be a little bit quieter at Elland Road these days, the City is a vibrant hub and the university commands a great position over it.

As for the Marketing MA students, they are probably not waking up this morning and mulling over the finer points of my presentation, but I’d like to think some of it at least made an impression.
As I said to them yesterday, if you find yourself falling asleep, just make sure you read the last slide – that’s the one to remember. Now, back to the day job.