From always on to mostly off March 13, 2018
Posted by nicholas gill in addiction, mobile, productivity, thought leadership, Uncategorized.add a comment
I can remember my first wireless mobile device. It was a BlackBerry. I got it even though officially my grade wasn’t high enough but because I had to deal with a range of clients and partners in the Wunderman network across Europe in person and across email and calls. A BlackBerry would help. And at the time I felt very smug and happy. Email on the go. Executive. Life was good. It was made better by the fact that the WPP email system at the time was bafflingly Lotus Notes; perhaps the most inefficient and incomprehensible email system ever. Inbox management using the BlackBerry was the only way to survive this terrible affliction. I only used Notes when sending or receiving attachments. So looking back, here’s where all the problems started. Thanks, Sir Martin.
You got used to managing your life on the go. Because it made your life better. And you felt important. Sitting in airport lounges in Köln for hours on end became sitting in Köln airport for hours on end reading and writing emails. We had to sit in Köln airport for hours on end because the agency agreement with the client was to fly super cheap so we had to get the 6am flight from LGW and then only ever the 9pm flight back. Even though the fortnightly meeting always finished just after lunch. Unless you wanted to brave GermanWings and then have the trauma of getting back from Stansted, by which time you’d be later than the original EasyJet flight home. Which was then another 2.5 hour drive home. So figure in a 3am start and typical 1130/midnight finish. There’s prudence… and then there’s madness.
I digress. You felt important though. And then there was that little red flashing light that told you there was a new email. It attracted you like a crying baby – you can’t ignore it.
And so fast forward some years and moving from BlackBerry to iPhones. The technology has changed but the problem remains. The flashing red light is now a fruit machine of notifications, noises and shouts for your attention.
Much has been made of the founders regret at causing anxiety in users needing the dopamine hit of instant gratification of their content and this Atlantic long-form read is fabulous.
But while acknowledging there is neediness built in, what can we do about it?
I flip-flop between addiction and abstinence but I’ve found the following tips/hacks/guidance work for me:
- Hard cover. I always thought these were crap. They got in the way of you looking your phone and then the cover flapped around when you were trying to make calls or take photos. But then I accidentally ran over my wife’s phone in our car one day (long story) and the phone survived. It was a heavy car at the time, a Ford Galaxy. Over gravel. Pretty impressive. So I ordered one. And then I realised that when you can’t see your screen, you stop looking at it. Stupidly simple.
- Turn off the sound. Beep! Bing! Or whatever alert sound there is, turn them off. I only have sounds activated for when the phone rings or text messages. Or vibrate on silent. Everything else is just a distraction.
- Turn off all notifications. All of them. Apart from calls and text. Yes, even WhatsApp; which continues to demand I turn notifications back on. Resist. In doing so you’ll also lose the tiny little number in a red circle that although elegantly designed, is designed to drag you back in.
- Airplane mode is not just for airplanes. Absolutely use at night. The only permissible function could be an alarm clock. And if you can’t trust yourself to not have a sneaky peak in the night, buy a damn alarm clock.
- Turn the screen to grayscale. It’s amazing how less exciting the world looks in black and white. You will spend less time surfing through social media and focussing on completing tasks. Intention trumps attention. It will also extend your battery life.
- Clean your screen top. Move everything into folders. Move all folders to at least the second page. Not seeing the glut of apps stops you. Adding friction to your experience makes it just that little more effort.
- Make eye contact with people, not pixels. If I had a Samsung phone, I’d be downloading this Thrive app.
- Break the habit. Stop looking at your phone first thing in the morning or last thing at night. Put it away. At least an hour before sleep.
- Delete apps. I killed Twitter in May 2017. Took a few days to stop looking at the cess pool but I don’t miss it all all. I managed to kill Facebook until we were trying to sell some old baby stuff. I only use Instagram to share micro-updates. I don’t follow anyone because otherwise I’d be looking at it all the time. Not following anyone avoids this temptation rather than some uber self importance statement. It may also be a short-term project.
What other tips do you have? Next time, let’s talk about email…
Photo by Rob Hampson on Unsplash
Everything has changed but nothing has changed February 5, 2018
Posted by nicholas gill in book review, thought leadership, Uncategorized.add a comment
As part of my little experiment, I’m going to read more and share more. Here’s some thoughts on Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari. Where years later we’re still doing the same things our ancestors did.
This staggering book is a tour of the last 70,000 years of humankind. How we came to be, why we do the things we do and how it will shape us in the future.
Sapiens follows four key revolutions. From the cognitive revolution, where we changed from an ape of no significance to the rulers of the world, through to the scientific revolution which accelerated humankind. It has us on the precipice of being able to alter forever humankind as we know it.
At almost every turn, the book blows your mind, covering an enormously broad range of topics. Starting with the fact that homo sapiens, were not the only form of human species that walked the earth. Even now we are uncovering evidence and it is said that up to 4% of European DNA is from other human species and up to 6% in Asian countries. There is no purity of form.
We evolved through fire, which enabled us to cook things we could not naturally process, decreasing the size of our teeth and shortening our intestines. This enabled more energy to go to our brains, making them jumbo-sized and accelerating humankind. With this came civilisation and then globalization, making the business world what we know today. It is evolving at a much faster pace due to the advances of technology and the efficiency needed to fit people’s lives. Food is still of the upmost importance but in the current day, food comes to us.
It used to be that food was foraged, making humans move from place to place, eating a varied diet. When we found high calorie food such as fruit, we gorged on it before other animals did. This gorging is hard-wired in our DNA and why we gorge on food now. Because it’s so much easier to get food now, obesity is the result. The action of gorging and greed has been applied to all different aspects of human life including businesses who are often being accused of monopolizing markets making it hard for smaller competitors to stake a claim. Everything has changed but nothing has changed.
The book points out that food also became the enslaver of humans. The domestication of crops and animals was a great lie. Rather than making lives easier for humans, it made it harder. Settlements require more work than foraging. In a desire to create plentiful harvests, we worked harder in ways unnatural to the body, we created more people, which required more food and more work.
It’s no different today. We work ridiculous hours in the hope that we will retire early. But by then we have huge mortgages, partners, children to school and a liking for holidays, cars and food – so, we repeat the same mistakes from 9,500 BC. Nothing has changed while everything has changed.
Gossip was the basis of language that separated us from animals which also helped alert us to danger. Language allowed us to move beyond this, to discuss who hates us, who we like, who to trust and who not to. Gossip, which is now proxy for social media, is now global. Nothing has changed while everything has changed.
Language gave us the ability to transmit information about things that are not real. If humans increased in numbers and empires formed, our need to collectively believe in things grew. This imagined order helped maintain law and order. Fiction, myths, gods became figments of our collective imagination. So strong was this belief that they became real in people’s minds.
This imagined order started as polytheist religions – where many gods were appealed to. Over time, people favoured one of these gods and monotheist religions began to rise. This accelerated with Christianity and then Islam, both of which became fast-spreading. Interestingly, polytheism inserted itself back into monotheism in the way of saints – each of whom looks after particular areas of interest in the same way as the many gods. Everything changes but nothing changes.
Segregation is still rife in modern day but we are starting to tackle problems like gender equality. It transpires that the mythology of the imagined orders are also to blame for that; assigning roles to genders with no basis that have stuck. The only theory that suggests why we ended up in a largely patriarchal society is that while women are just as good at hatred, greed and abuse, men are more willing to engage in physical violence.
So if imagined orders enabled the unification of humankind, the highest order is money. There is nothing that comes close. Which is why our economies are accelerating and the pursuit of money is overtaking the imagined orders.
After 4 billion years of natural selection, science and money together are challenging our morals, beliefs and capabilities by engineering new paradigms in human and animal life. By 2050 some humans will have achieved a-mortal status. Bionics is already commonplace and our language is already evolving beyond words. Mathematical script is accelerating AI, and a new future of computing is becoming real.
In time, the human form will change, seeing a new species of human appearing. Will they accept the same imagined orders as us? Will they make the same mistakes? Will we view them as friend or foe? These humans may well be viewed as mutants, like us but not, the same as we were viewed 70,000 years ago. Everything has changed, but nothing has changed.
Tools of Titans or Follies of Fools? Today’s the day. January 31, 2018
Posted by nicholas gill in best self, life coach, personal brand, productivity, Uncategorized.add a comment
Today is the 31st January 2018. I’m two years into co-running my own business. It’s demanding but we have great clients and projects. I have a stable and demanding home life and a loving family. But I’m feeling overwhelmed.
Not so much that I can’t cope and need time out. But that I’m far too easily distracted. That I can’t focus. My mind flits everywhere all at once and I’m struggling to maintain focus and direction. Too much noise, not enough signal. I have plans but then don’t execute. I put off. Procrastinate. Write lists but get bored. I feel impatience rising. I can’t concentrate with general hub-bub.
Over the last year or so I’ve been listening and reading more and thinking, “that’s a great idea, I could try that.”
Sometimes I do and it works. Sometimes it stays in the Slack private message to myself or Evernote – the digital equivalents of the scraps of paper, overflowing drawers or scribbles in notebooks. I have those too. I’m currently carrying around three note books, a journal and a plastic wallet with stuff in. Because all have bits in that I need. Or I think I need. But haven’t sorted them out. My bag is like an old woman’s handbag in this respect.
I’ve been listening to podcasts for the last few months. I have a long drive, it helps. And I enjoy them. But then quickly forget.
And then last night I was listening to Tim Ferriss’ interview with Bozoma Saint-John – the new Chief Brand Officer at Uber. And it was interesting, very interesting. As 90% if Ferriss’ work is to me. But it wasn’t the stories about marketing but her experience of living on 10c bread rolls in New York City and the kindly Asian shopkeeper who took pity on her, giving out life advice and human warmth without expectation. And the thing that hit me was this:
“Today’s the day!”
Everyday she would say this to Boz.
Relentless optimism in the face of adversity.
I’m drawn to the optimistic view. I was once knocked down in an appraisal because I see things through rose tinted glasses. It still smarts some 15 years later. I guess the point they were trying to make – badly – is that sometimes you need a balance but you know what? Forget that. I like being positive and optimistic. ‘Can do’ and ‘relentlessly optimistic’ are things I do. Things I like. I’m a positive, no. 3 type person. I struggle with any negativity or confrontation. Let’s make it happen.
“We spend far too much time complaining about the way things are and forget that we have the power to change anything and everything.”
– Bozoma Saint John
Today’s the day.
So I decided that today would be the day. Why wait till February 1? Why wait for the start of the week?
Start today. Because today’s the day.
And try out these things. Make the changes. Try the things that started to work and the you stopped. Try new things.
So I took inspiration from some of Ferriss’ interviewees and those that appear in Tools Of Titans and Tribe of Mentors and started. Today.
My first start was early. 5am early. Because early risers are more productive. Allegedly. Let’s try it. I’m pretty good at getting up. But then so are two of my three children. And this morning the smallest one beat me to the 5am alarm announcing that he’d wet his bed. 4.40am. At least I was awake. I was heading into London on the early train anyway.
I just don’t recall any of Ferriss’ interviewees or ‘titans’ having to deal with 4 year olds and wet mattresses. So instead of meditating or journaling, I was stripping sheets and loading washing machines and trying to get him to use his quiet voice. That’s why I’m going to call this series Tools Of Titans or Follies Of Fools?
For now, at least.
But today’s the day. So I get to London and I’ve achieved one thing.
My phone has been in airplane mode. All this time.
I get to Century Club on Shaftesbury Avenue – my peaceful place in town – and while having a nice coffee I get my journal out. I’ve tried this before. But today’s the day. I like the premise. I bought the Best Self Journal. It’s lovely. Nice texture. Solid. Looks great. I struggle with a few things in it that I’m going to try and solve over the next weeks. More on that later but what I do enjoy is the focus on what are your top 3 things to achieve today – or as they say, “what will make today a win?”
3 things written. 1 done, 1 in progress, 1 yet to start. Better than the to do list that just gnaws away.
And then and only then do I turn the phone on.
More thoughts on that another time.
And I started a new Instagram account to do micro updates on this experiment.
I have lots of things I’d like to do better and improve. I’ll be sharing them here. Feel free to share your experiences.
Today’s the day.
Today was a good day Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash
All others by me.
Be nice. November 27, 2017
Posted by nicholas gill in agency life, pitch, Team Eleven, thought leadership, Uncategorized.add a comment
In John Niven’s book, The Second Coming, God returns from holiday to discover the world has gone to shit. And he’s none too pleased about it. So he sends his son, Jesus, back down to Earth to sort it out. Along the way via much debauchery and swearing, we see JC come to prominence through the modern cathedral – the talent show. In his journey, JC also reveals that there was actually only one commandment. It’s just that Moses thought one was too simple and decided to write some more. And add more complexity and confusion.
The original commandment was: Be Nice. Two simple words that everything hangs off. If you subscribe to Be Nice, you don’t need any other rules or nonsense.
Be nice.
Sounds simple doesn’t it?
I was reminded of this recently when working on a multi-agency, multi-country pitch. Locked in the bowels of an agency meeting room in Torino for 4 days straight over a weekend, I was an outsider to a team that had already been working on the pitch for the past week at least. Be nice – drop in, say hi, ask how you can get involved, listen and learn. Go out for dinner even though you’re knackered and would rather curl up in the hotel? Yes. Because that’s nice and you really get to know people over dinner. And also a very strange mountain drink that you pass round and keep drinking until you pass out.
Be nice and offer opinion in a constructive, non-confrontational manner. Debate, listen and discuss. Be nice and learn from those with a different experience, different culture and point of view and enrich your own experience along the way.
Be nice and surprise and delight people when you take their words and really focus on making the presentation as best you can. Be nice and make sure everyone feels comfortable, prepared and ready to go. Join in, be collaborative and immerse yourself fully and commit to the cause. Be nice and send a note of thanks for the experience and make new friends along the way who you never know may be the gateway to future opportunities. Because people like to work with people they like which is a fundamental principle we have at Team Eleven.
I write this because I also experienced the opposite of Be Nice that weekend. Of people who would arrive late, be aloof, detached and not be part of the team. With some distance its easy to see but only vindicates what you believe in when you see the opposite. Being part of a team means you commit to it and behave with professionalism and dignity.
Be nice.
Playing catch up: collaboration, automation, FinTech and CMOs. November 24, 2017
Posted by nicholas gill in thought leadership, Uncategorized.Tags: CMO, CMO.com, FinTech, Houseparty app, marketing, Shots Magazine, Team Eleven, technology, Virgin Entrepreneur
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So it’s been some time. Here’s a round up of some articles, comments and thoughts I’ve penned in the last few months while we’ve been busy launching pan European campaigns, creating content, expanding our minds, developing business and brand strategies, winning pitches and generally fuelling business growth for clients. More on that soon. Enjoy these in the meantime…
July – automation will give human insight a boost not the boot. Commenting in CMO.com
April – commenting in Shots magazine on ‘that’ Pepsi ad, highlighting why the distance of an agency from the inner-workings of a client business allows for objectivity and critical analysis that many not always be possible with in-house creative teams.
March – what does the future hold for FinTech in Finance Monthly.
February – comments in Digiday on how brands could use Houseparty as a live research environment.
Digital vs Traditional: what works best for you? December 16, 2016
Posted by nicholas gill in advertising, digital, digital advertising, Team Eleven, thought leadership, Uncategorized.add a comment
Latest thought piece in Marketing Business Forum on digital and traditional marketing.
Print circulation numbers are down. On-demand and streaming services – sans un-skippable ads – are on the up. So what’s a marketer to do? Ditch the dinosaur channels and throw the entire budget at Larry, Sergey, Zuck and their contemporaries? Targeting, re-targeting and the ‘viral’ promise are all reasons to believe digital and social now reign supreme for the modern marketer, but in this we neglect to acknowledge the in real life (IRL) experiences and halting moments that also drive word of mouth and brand consideration – online or otherwise. So before you do throw everything at the digital plan, please ponder the following…
Magic in the mundane
If you haven’t heard the term ‘mindfulness’ this year then you’ve probably been living underneath the proverbial rock (and who would blame you in these turbulent times). It’s a reaction to our age of hedonism and the breakneck speed at which we’ve been living our lives, and like most trends, this desire to slow down and simplify is being reflected in publishing and advertising. In April this year, Ronseal decided to take a risk with a live TV spot which offered Channel 4’s Gogglebox audience three minutes of the unthinkable – watching actual fence paint dry. It was an inspired and effective product demonstration that earned them a trending spot on social media.
Stop the press
The digital evolution of the print industry is representative of the consumer’s move to more accessible, tailored and instant news without the barrage of irrelevant print ads. Despite the declining print figures, some brands still have the foresight to take advantage of reactive placements in bulk circulations, which often hit a captive, educated audience of commuters who will be reading cover to cover. Norwegian struck an extremely timely note in September this year following the news of Brad and Angelina’s break up, with a stark but cuttingly comic ad promoting their LA price promotion. The result: a viral campaign that puts it firmly in the hall of fame with Oreo’s ‘dunk in the dark’.
The great outdoors
Out-of-home and experiential marketing are truly challenging media. Bus wraps are hardly remarkable and being chased by a sampler at Waterloo while you try to catch your train isn’t entirely conducive to positive brand perception. The Economist challenges that notion. The publisher is infamous for its minimalist and innovative OOH creative, but it turned its hand to an unsettling on-the-ground activation in 2015 which was rebooted in the US this year. ‘High-protein’ is the new “on trend” claim for the food industry, and The Economists’ ice cream samplers achieved theirs by adding insects, the new proposed solution for the global food crisis which it covered in a ‘future of food’ feature. The campaign generated significant online press coverage and was branded ‘eye-catching genius’ by Business Insider.
The learning? Search for new value in formats that have become hackneyed and contrived. Opportunities to reach a cynical populace using these traditional methods still remain and can be extremely successful for the creative and confident marketer. Whether you’re aiming for ‘disrupt’ ‘be bold’ or ‘surprise and delight’ don’t miss the simple proposition with cut-through messaging that’s right in front of you.
Rebrand shakes off naff 70’s image of ‘Spritz’ November 22, 2016
Posted by nicholas gill in thought leadership, Uncategorized.Tags: Team Eleven, the grocer, thought leadership
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Commenting in The Grocer on the revamp of the Blossom Hill Fruit Bloom (Membership required for the link – see images above).
From a wine consumer perspective it makes sense as ‘Fruit Bloom’ doesn’t help you to distinguish what the product is or why it is different from the main Blossom Hill range of rose, whites and reds. ‘Spritz’ has shaken off it’s perhaps ‘naff’ 70s image, particularly with the resurgence of the Aperol Spritz in the last two years and this association will help to firmly place the revised product packaging into the light and refreshing category, something which a lot of people are looking for as an alternative to serious wine consumption.