Seth Godin, Author of the Purple Cow, The Dip, Meatball Sundae and he’s latest book Tribes. Some points and thoughts from the article in ‘the marketer’ (12.08/01.09)
Godin describes how marketing has changed; it’s no longer thrusting marketing to the masses but being leaders of tribes. “The new marketing is leadership”.

There are two routes you could go if as a marketer you find yourself in a company your values don’t align too, either quit or lead a change of culture from within. Seth Godin states that organisations need people who are the later.
What struck me is that Godin says that conservative people do not follow tribes. People who do not join tribes do not want to improve life and want to keep everything the same, so they aren’t looking for a new product or service therefore not looking at your ads. Your audience are the ones who want change, who gather like tribes and connect with each other. Adding to this most people want to follow and to be lead by someone. The new leader according to Godin is the marketer.
‘What people are waiting for is someone to say, “here’s an idea or here’s a service or a product or a candidate that will take us somehere new, let’s go.”

He goes on to say that tribe building is easy, as long as your customer/member is delighted in what you do and not feeling ripped off, they will help build your tribe by recommendation. Spreading your ideas freely also attracts interest, membership and sales.
“Once you have it, a tribe makes money all by itself. If you go into it saying, ‘I want to make money from this’ you fail.“
Personally, what I’ve got from this, is that I want to create that kind of feeling in my business, becoming very tribal!!!! This is how I see the business culture at IE Design and the customer relationship and philosophy with keepandshare.co.uk.
Godin ends this article on advice to marketers with the recession in mind.
• That this is the biggest opportunity any of us will ever have.
• He believes that great companies and brands are built in this environment.
• To create real value and real change.
• And to hire amazing people who can’t get ordinary jobs because there aren’t any.
“This is what you’ve been waiting for and I hope you don’t miss it.”

I’m going to take this on, that he is right and see what I can create in the world!

See Seth Godin really cool blog! http://sethgodin.typepad.com
Look you, if you are a Seth Godin tribe member you can get a doll to!

Amy Twigger Holroyd was great. Sticking to her personal values she has successfully branded her rural Hertfordshire, knitwear company as an ethnically minded product based on building relationships between herself and her customer.
From research on her MA in European Fashion and Textile Design, on sustainable fashion, she based her ethos for her Knitwear Company. Amy feels that using recycled materials in the fashion world is really just scratching at the surface of the problem. If we keep the over massive consumption and recycle a bit on the side, it makes us feel good but doesn’t actually solve any problems. Amy took that provocative statement and investigated in what other approaches she could find to look at sustainable fashion, not just remodelling old clothes. The more definitive solution is to keep something; this became her mission, to create garments that people want to keep for a long time.
‘The more definitive solution is to keep’ View on Colour, 2002
She now designs not just the look but is conscious of how people will feel towards the garments. In a way designing their emotions. She found that people kept garments that had some emotional attachment or story behind it, like an interesting or memorable experience when they buy the garments and/or how they interact with her.
Amy describes herself as an individual designer and does not design by focus group. Although she has learnt what works in the way of which style and colour sells best, at the end of the day, if she likes a particular colour she will use it.
Amy sells to both retail and wholesale but concentrates mainly on the retail selling through her website www.keepandshare.co.uk. Not only is selling direct to the customer more financially rewarding, (selling at 2.5 times her retail price, as there is very little profit in the wholesale price), but it’s more personally rewarding as she builds up a relationship with her customers and gets feedback which informs her what works for future collections. Her market research is ongoing and contributes to her success.
A year into her business a London PR agent contacted her and for about 5 years she worked with them. The PR agent was extremely effective with articles in Vogue boosting her sells at home and aboard. However since the downturn, Amy now does that in house as it was not becoming cost effective. However PR is not a struggle in that the magazines know who she is because of the relationships she has cultivated.
Amy describes her approach to her business philosophy, by not even trying to compete with other designer knitwear, ‘don’t stand out of the crowd, stand in a completely different room’ which really sums up Amy. This is shown in that her personal dislike of celebrity culture, she would not dream of using the celebrities status to promote her knitwear.
I’ve never come across this, but you can borrow garments before buying to see how it fits in with your life. Amy informed us that giving the trust out has worked as most people buy the garment but if not they return it in perfect order. Remarkably she doesn’t take down any cards details but it’s a reflection of the type of person that buys from her.
Another amazing service that she provides is a washing and mending the garments, not something you get from many online and high street stores!
Since the downturn Amy has diversified in her approach to survive; she now barters for free pitches at festivals, in exchange, she teaches knitting on her stand. Amy now, runs knitting workshops so now you can knit your own cardigan and this embraces her central philosophy of creating memories around her garments. From left over yarn from previous collections, Amy now produces her very own yarn and finally, she provides a make-over service for your old T-shirt, a form of recycling and individualism which really describes Amy being a totally one-off original.

On Wednesday (22 April 2009) I attended a private reception of an exhibition of photos by Pogus Caesar. From Jamaica Row – Rebirth of the Bullring is a selection of 15 limited prints of photographical portrayal of the destruction of the 1960’s Bullring to day before of the opening of the new iconic landmark of today.
After an introduction from Roger Shannon, Pogus said a few words about why he took it upon himself, without funding, to document this historic event for Birmingham over the couple of years it took to reconstruct. He remembers with fondness, like me, shopping trips with his mother and spotlessly cleaning the stairs at his home, so he could hang out at the Bull Ring, presumable with his mates (not like me). Sharing this, brought memories of my childhood and I reflected on my own relationship with Birmingham.
We have to thank Pogus for recording this transformation, as nobody else thought it important enough to do so, which even though the old bullring, too some, wasn’t the most aesthetically pleasing, it was still a part of Birmingham’s history and should be acknowledged, at the very least as being that. I hope that some of our 1960’s buildings do remain, as they are equally important to Birmingham’s history, than the admired Victorian and Georgian buildings of Colmore Row etc.
Lets hope the bulldozers don’t flatten all the iconic 60’s buildings in Birmingham!

Not only did I meet the man himself, Pogus, but I meet some other very interesting people, two of which, Gary Hoctor and James Fair from hellocamera are looking into setting up a film festival in rural Ireland. Having just completed an assignment for my MA, looking into an International Film Festival for Birmingham, it was interesting to discuss this and offer a copy to them in helping with their project. As I’ve mentioned in my previous blogs networking is a key element in success. Somebody said, and I can’t right now remember who, said, ‘Your net worth is your the worth of your network’ or something like that!

The exhibition is on until 30th April 2009 at Kinetic AIU Studio, The Factory, 108 Northwood Street, Birmingham B3 1TH and is by appointment only. Catherine Fudge at Kinetic AIU, T: 0121 212 3424, E: cf@kinetic-aiu.com
Sponsors are ERCO, Kinetic AIU, OOM Gallery, Swish, Barefoot Wines

For more information please visit: http://www.birminghamlifemagazine.co.uk/features-capturing-history-in-the-making–91982

http://www.oomgallery.net/gallery.asp?location=1&c=5479

No holds barred, Alison really pumped us with nearly 2 hours of TV industry insider knowledge. From day one in her first job Alison learnt a important lesson – to be one step ahead of the game, which influenced her not only on a daily basics on how she operated in the workplace but also how she managed her career.
Networking, was the key in her career progression, something that hasn’t until recently really hit home personally for me! In TV networking is crucial at all levels.
When you are making a TV program who are the audience?
Who are you selling to? Viewers..Broadcasters Commissioner..Advertisers?
All three of these are valid as your audience.
How TV has changed. It’s not just about making the show for TV broadcasters etc. A lot of money can be generated through the value of rights! By just having a great idea you can sell it, license it and receive royalties.
Interestingly, this came about from government policy change in 2005. It allowed the TV production companies to hold onto the rights of the program and elements of it. This changed the working practices of TV companies and opportunities to exploit their brands and ideas on a local and global platform, a part of the information economy.
A Cambridge graduate with a MBA, Alison has worked as a production manager to being involved in the strategy of the ‘bigger picture’ of TV. Now, a consultant for TV companies, Alison has worked for companies like Fremantle Media and Hotbed Media.
I wish to thank Alison on behalf of everyone in taking time out of her busy life to talk to us.

Ollie Leggett is the director and founder of IE Design, based in the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham, West Midlands. IE Designs main focus and strengths are web, interactive media, design and brand identity. Currently IE Design employ 14 people and have a client list of mainly high value based companies with a concentration on education and charity based organisations.

Ollie displays characteristics of a cultural entrepreneur by having an individual, collaborative and holistic approach to work, motivated by solving problems and being a servant leader. He has learnt new skills in producing and managing creativity throughout his career, mainly project based work for clients and has managed risk by concentrating on a 20% profit margin dropping clients who do not produce that kind of margin. Ollie’s company is involved in the majority of time, in producing and distribution of his client’s commissions especially around web based projects. IE Design developed a management system for themselves which they then marketed as periscope, an online creative management system for creative enterprises becoming producer and consumer or rather in this case consumer-producer, a trait of a cultural entrepreneur. Ollie foresaw 7 years ago, that interactive and online services would be the way to go and so brought on board Oliver Westmancote, as a company director. Seeing and predicting market needs is a distinct trait of an entrepreneur. (Southam et al, 2005)

Ollie Leggett is a cultural entrepreneur because he inspires artistic leadership in those that work for him in small teams and understands the creative process so managing it effectively to create an economically viable, high culture and value based company that produces visual media in print, interactive or web based output. ‘Forming such a business is not only an economic but also a creative act, for it involves shaping a complex cultural web of identity, relationships, communication, language and technology.’ (Rae, 2007: 194) It could be said from the previous quote, that Ollie Leggett demonstrates this with his management and business leadership service to his customer and employees.

Hope you enjoyed and please comment:

Rai Jenkins

Good grief that went quickly…….on the 24th February, a group of eager students listened attentively…Ollie Leggett founder of IE Design, Birmingham, Rachel Hargrave, Phoenix Partners Leicester and freelance producer- Alan James.

Ollie Leggett of IE Design, was totally inspiring from how he obtained his first client, to his approach in running his business. His personal values have shaped his business ethos. When Ollie started his company he created his core values which he still works by today however he did say that it’s a daily struggle to keep to them when he has to let someone go etc. His ‘Key Values’ are non negotiable and suggested that to ‘Be true to yourself and live it’

Ollie stated that he lead not managed his company and went on to say that only 3% of us are ‘Natural Leaders’ however the good news is that you can learn to be one!!!!! He referred to a book ‘Developing the Leader within You’ by John C Maxwell.

Most of what Ollie spoke about reflected current management thinking……I really think he should write it down!

Second up was Rachel Hargrave with a totally different approach to her business. Rachel, is a partner of Phoenix Partners based in Leicestershire which she set-up 7 years ago. Organic strategy comes to mind in how Rachel approaches her business, responding to clients needs with ‘Yes we can do that to’ then finding a way! Moving from live events and film and video into different areas such as PR and graphic design has been a business strategy that has benefitted the company in the downturn as the projects and budgets have been slashed in Live Events. Rachel recognised that she has to be more structured since the early days where she was very much hands on, she now finds herself managing and moving the company forward. Something she admits seems at times rather alien to her. How she wins work is being really good a what you do – helping people to communicate their story in a variety of multi platform and cross discipline work, that is memorable and full of impact.
Alan James, a freelance producer shared with us his experience of producing a unscripted improvised live band with an orchestra and live writing composers. The Band –“The Bays” based in London.
10 years ago, a group of session musicians from well know acts came together and decided not to make records but only play live totally improvised with no rehearsals and no vocals. The four piece, The Bays, are drums, bass, keyboards and ‘science department’ – effects with a special guest each night. Alan explained the difficulties in working with an improvised band with an orchestra and how it was overcome by the use of technology.
All these speakers had qualities of passion, commitment and creativity in what they produced and how they ran their business or project. I would like to thank all of them in taking the time to come and talk. Thank you for reading…

Well this is just a test and eventually I found the login area at the bottom. I must be quite dim at times! As you can see I’m blogging about nothing.

I’ve done the assignment and what I’ve learnt is that entrepreneurs are not just someone who starts their own business like the Americans definition. Entrpreneurs creates a new business model, market or product. Most creatives create but not all make a product that creates it’s own market demand or fullfils a unreleased niche market. However there seems to be a blurring of being entrepreneurial in the creative industries. Haven’t quite got the Cultural diffusion idea…..on the David Rae part especially as Loudmouth doesn’t appear to exist now and that was his ‘case study’. Lost interest at 3.15am this morning after a hour of exhaustive searching via Google. In case you are wondering why I’m working that late – I think better without distraction.

‘As Leadbeater and Oakley (1999) argue, cultural entrepreneurs ‘blur the demarcation lines’ between consumption and production, work and non-work, individualism and collaboration’ (Rae, 2007:194)

I might be following Maddonna on this next assignment or perhaps the guys who set up Lovehoney.co.uk. They were both pushed and pulled into it!!!!! Maddonna wasn’t, she pushed!!! Or Ollie Leggit?

Has anybody got any ideas???