Invest Now. Profit Later.

Advertising in a recession.

It’s 2008, and I’m at Disneyland queuing for the Tower of Terror. When I joined the line an hour ago I was buzzing. Excited, chatty, and confident this was the ride for me. Now I’m on the final approach, and I haven’t spoken to my boyfriend for ten minutes. I’ve morphed into a nervous nelly. And when this happens, I don’t speak. My brain is far too busy pawing through all its anxious thoughts while my eyes dart between watching what everyone else is doing, and pin-pointing an escape route.

We’re psychologically programmed during periods of uncertainty to take a bit of a ‘chin down’ approach. Paralysed by the unknown, we pause to maintain self-preservation. Fear of the unknown can be crippling. But I’d been there before – terrified of Space Mountain and then went round three times in a row. So why the hell wasn’t I learning from the past. Can you see where I’m going with this?

Hold onto your hats and glasses

There are four P’s your brand has to generate value; Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. In nervous times, the last P is often the first for the chop. But unless you’re saving cash to simply survive, or because you can no longer provide your service, cutting ad budget relative to your competitors is an extremely high risk strategy and opens you up to losing sales and, crucially, market share. In a recession, as with so many things in life, it’s important to ensure you’re P-ing properly.

A shift in consumer behaviour results in a diminishing role for short-term sales activation. But it’s dangerous to assume that should lead directly to ceasing promotion. There’s a plethora of research that’s screaming at us to maintain or increase ad spend to ensure recovery and continued growth. It’s the age-old smackdown between short-term tactical and longer-term strategic actions. And as the majority of ad spend tends to be tied up in multi-year activity; cutting it off isn’t just affecting your brand now – it’s exposing it to long term damage.

You should have thought about this when you joined the queue

So that paragraph’s convinced you to pick up your advertising again. Super news. The only downside is this is something you should have done months ago. The issue with a recession is that they’re usually identified and acted on retrospectively. Fail to prepare and all that.

If you want to take full advantage of a future recovery, you need to invest well before it arrives. The IPA cites it’s typically six months before increased sales or share can be attributed to brand building activity. Which just happens to be the exact same amount of time declining GDP needs to be published before we can officially use the ‘R’ word. Decisions we make right now on marketing investment don’t just affect us today, but will have big consequences through 2023 and beyond. Make the right one.

A quick reminder though – this isn’t just about shouting louder, it’s about shouting the right things, too. In a recession your brand is scared. So are the humans you rely on to stay in business, so a demonstration of humanity, understanding, and generosity in your advertising can go a long way. Be helpful. Be aware. Be Fierce.

Exit through the gift shop

I went on the Tower of Terror, and was terrified. But if I hadn’t done it, everyone else in the queue would have experienced that unique, adrenaline-soaked high, while I stood holding their coats. Clamming up and watching everyone else thrive wasn’t really for me, it turned out.

I even picked up a souvenir keyring on my way out. Something to remember that day. Turns out it can be helpful to look back 15 years and learn from experience. Don’t you think?

 

If you’d like to know more about Advertising in a recession and to tap into our wealth of knowledge (we’ve experienced as few in our time) then drop us a note saying “I ain’t scared of no ghost” here.

Does disruption really smash it?

Disruptive advertising.

Disruption is a pesky verb that seems to blur the boundaries of good and evil. Like Twitter, or Google Sheets. Disruption causes difficulty, frustration. But it can also introduce new ideas, and change the way things are done. 

And while it’s been a ‘thing’ for ages, I’m hearing the D-word banded about more and more and more in our industry as brands look to shake up their strategies.

A lot of buzz around disruptive tactics stems from the lightning fast speed that digital technology has evolved. You can’t do a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g online without having to close, scroll, hide, click away from, accidentally click on, watch for a few seconds, skip, answer, accept, or god forbid, actually read or watch an ad before you’re allowed to get on with what you were actually trying to do. It’s disruptive media for sure. But as a human being I find it irritatingly horrible. And while you might assume negative feelings towards this sort of advertising are transferred to the brands, sadly studies have shown the opposite. A study in 2017 saw participants that had been shown pop-up ads while playing video games displayed a preference for the advertised brands compared with like-for-like alternatives, despite perceiving the brand as more annoying.

So there’s some evidence to suggest it’s effective, but also seems lazy. Too much about quick wins and short term sales. Are we fine with being shamelessly annoying? Or can we inject a bit more intelligence into our ideas.

Clever disruptive advertising relies on re-examining rules, whether related to a product, brand, or space. It’s experimenting, and challenging. Going beyond what’s expected, and setting new standards.

Success relies on brands stepping outside of their category comfort zones, doing something different to elicit an emotional connection with a target audience that both achieved immediate goals, and shifts, elevates, or embeds brand perception. And it comes in all shapes, and sizes.

Think Outside The Tropes

Both Oatley and Oasis broke a norm by satirising themselves, and poking fun at their own ads. Lovely.

Take A Stand

Dove’s Reverse Selfie addresses the damaging journey young girls go to achieve the perfect selfie, shining a critical spotlight on the rise of digital distortion and starting an important conversation. It’s an uncomfortable watch with an extremely comforting purpose.

Change The Conversation

Back in 2015, Volvo asked people to tweet at them using the hashtag #VolvoContest whenever they saw an ad for a rival car company, encouraging them to include a nomination of something they’d like to win a free car. So every time potential customers saw a commercial for a different car brand, they immediately thought of Volvo and interacted with them instead. Hailed as the best interception ever, not only were people raving about its brilliance, the approach also contributed to a  70% sales increase too. It’s absolutely perfect.

We’re all vying to get cut through, stand out, rise above the noise, and any other marketing sayings you’d like to throw in at this stage. In order to achieve any of this though, we do seem to be running straight to complex solutions that always involve an algorithm, or artificial intelligence, or machine learning. A quick solution that’s done and dusted. But I feel like if you don’t just shut the lid at that point, and actually sit with the challenge for a little bit longer, you might just peel off a few more layers and arrive at a more creatively elegant solution.

#BeFierce

If you’d like to disrupt our day, then drop us a note saying “Make people love me” here.

2022: A year in review

One Black Bear 2022

What a rollercoaster of a year it’s been. From a new office to new clients, new colleagues to new fun challenges.

Here’s a look back at just a few of the highlights. Big shout out to all the amazing clients, film makers, illustrators, photographers, animators, printers, influencers and media partners who helped to make the magic happen. Also a special mention to Vantage, our builders; Katherine, our interior designer and Studio Gotz, our architects.

Looking forward to even bigger and better adventures in the coming year.

 

As always, full screen it and sound on to the max!!!

The Mayor and the Bears

Andy Street visits One Black Bear

Well, today was quite something in the history of One Black Bear as we welcomed none other than West Midlands Metro Mayor, Andy Street to OBB towers.

Rounding off 2022 in style, we showed Andy around our newly refurbished offices on George Street, JQ. Andy chatted to every single bear present and even took the opportunity to critique some creative scamps adorning our walls. Our esteemed Chairman, Paul Bramwell, also received a special call out for his continued Create Central contribution so all in all, what a great afternoon.

Jon and I explained how we’d invested significantly to transform an unloved, old jewellery maker’s cottage into a highly finished space and how this has helped our quest to reconnect the OBB team again post COVID. Job creation and developing young talent really drove our passion on this refurb’ project with five new recruits added since we flung open the doors.

The Mayor was also interested in how we’d retained and repurposed age-old features and also vastly improved the building’s energy efficiency rating at the same time. He also kindly agreed to a photo in front of our break out bar (wall art by the brilliant Jim at Seven 9 Signs) but avoided a little tipple.

Thank you so much Andy and Tom for finding the time to come and see us in our new home – it meant an awful lot to us.

West Midlands Metro Mayor Andy Street visits One Black Bear

If you’d like to visit us to find out how we can help you improve the West Midlands, drop us a note saying:. ‘Public sector is my personal passion’ here.

Adding to the Christmas Spirit at One Black Bear

Spirit Healthcare

We’re in very good spirits as we announce another healthy bit of new business.

Long established service providers to the NHS, Spirit Health provides a range of services to make life easier for healthcare providers and patients alike. Spirit Health can help save the NHS millions every year and improve patient care by working with local NHS teams and reviewing their use of medicines. They do this by identifying areas where savings and improvements can be made and working with GPs and healthcare providers in implementing these suggested changes, supporting patients and providing training.

Speaking about the appointment, Creative Partner of One Black Bear, Jon Harrison commented: ‘Spirit offers up some really interesting creative opportunities. Being a complex and heavily regulated sector really does make you work harder and think differently to create something with cut-through. We’re already enjoying putting our OBB creative and strategic stamp on everything we do.’

Matt Jones, Head of Marketing at Spirit Health added: ‘Having worked with One Black Bear before, I know I’m getting a driven, energetic and creatively brilliant agency partner. Having their fresh perspective on things has already seen us produce some eye-catching campaigns and I’m looking forward to what else the team comes up with in the coming months.’

The agency will work across a broad range of briefs including advertising, DM and social as well as product branding development.

If you’d like to know how we can improve your brand health, drop us a note saying “I’d like a spoonful of sugar” here.

MedMin prescribes One Black Bear to treat launch campaign

MedMin appoints marketing agency.

Get Well Soon specialises in elective day case surgery and those conditions the NHS has been forced to postpone because of pressures in the system. The service is targeted at people whose conditions are limiting their ability to work or live a pain-free lives.

Bold plans are afoot to launch Get Well Soon across the UK with Birmingham and the West Midlands being the first to benefit from the service.

Speaking about the appointment, Keith Duddy, CEO of Medmin commented: ‘One Black Bear came highly recommended to us, and from the moment we started working with the team there, it was apparent they understood what we were trying to achieve as we looked to make much needed changes to the way patients could access private treatment. 

I am delighted with the way they have embraced the brief, producing some great creative across the board and we are excited to see how we can build on that momentum in the months ahead.’

Kate Hartshorn, Managing Partner of One Black Bear added; ‘Get Well Soon offers a real alternative for patients who desperately need treatment and can’t afford to wait. Any initiative that alleviates pressure on the NHS can only be welcomed in these incredibly challenging times.’

Media plans are currently being finalised but are set to include outdoor, TV, and radio.

MedMin appoints marketing agency.

If you’re looking for a brand health check, drop us a note saying “I need to see a medical professional” here.

F. Hinds rings the changes with appointment of One Black Bear

F.Hinds rings the changes.

Still a proud, family business to this day and boasting 128 stores in the UK, F.Hinds are looking to differentiate themselves from competitors and push their message across key gifting periods such as Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day.

Following a competitive pitch involving five agencies, the two Birmingham outfits will now get to work on launching a new brand platform along with tactical activity for the brand.

Speaking about the appointment, Natasha House, Head of Marketing at F.Hinds said “This is something I have been working on internally for the past two years and I am glad that, after a long and very detailed process, we have finally found the perfect agencies to work with. Their experiences and expertise combined will lead us through what is a very new (but exciting) space for F.Hinds. We are looking forward to working with these two Birmingham based gems and I can’t wait to see what work we can do together”

Kate Hartshorn of One Black Bear & Emma Baxter of BBJ&K added, “We’re delighted to be appointed by such a leading, High Street retailer like F.Hinds. It’s great that two Birmingham based outfits won the day and we’re really looking forward to getting started. Thanks to still being a family run business, they have many virtues we can make the most of in a competitive marketplace.”

F.Hinds rings the changes.

If you’d like a shiny, glittering new agency to revamp your retail business, drop us a note saying “I do” here.

Ticking away the moments

Creative thinking time.

But today, time is ignored. We don’t want things to take time. And we don’t want to take our time. Fast fashion, speedy diet plans. Order some food and it’ll be with you in 37 seconds or your money back. And for goodness sake, that email has been in your inbox for over four minutes!!

*ahem*

Generally we associate speed with positive outcomes. Being ‘fast’ is perceived as good; being ‘slow’ is perceived as bad. I’m just writing this blog to confirm that this generalisation is, in fact, total bollocks.

The need for speed can remove the chance to think, devote attention, refine, check, care, reflect, improve. There’s a reason Baristas don’t serve Nescafé.

Daniel Kahneman’s theory of fast and slow thinking suggests thought comes in two forms – “System 1  is fast, instinctive and emotional; System 2 is slower, deliberative, and more logical.” While they don’t work independently from each other, this theory is cited in many areas, including marketing. Sometimes the best answers to creative problems come from taking the time to work through them properly. Pondering is power. (Wow, that’s deep).

Some things come quickly – a problem is easily solved, an idea speedily honed. Losing My Religion was written in ten minutes – I do get this. But all too often we want speedy turnarounds, instant results and quick wins. The time we have to deliver amazing ideas and beautiful work is getting shorter – the time it takes to deliver properly, isn’t. And the void between the two is growing. Rushing a job that shouldn’t be rushed can jeopardise the delivery of a great output. Yup, this is a one-woman-winge to ask for longer than 48 hours to fill in an RFI. More than 96 minutes for your D96.

Some things can be done quickly, some things shouldn’t be. Wanting time to deliver great work isn’t Fault. It’s Fierce.

Enjoy your Cup-a-soup. I’ve got six minutes of yoga to fit in before my next Zoom.

#BeFierce

Creative thinking time

Don’t put all your eggs in one agency.

Agency collaboration.

To be clear – this doesn’t mean a creative agency should be briefed first. To get the best results, media and creative should be briefed together. The point is that after this, it’s the creative that should be in the driving seat, with the media as navigator, advising the best routes to take.

If you’ve worked in the ad industry for more than six minutes, you’ll probably have an opinion on this, too. And I wholly appreciate the merits of meticulous media planning. But hey, as long as you understand your audience, you can start to form an idea. The KPIs, VTRs, Segmentation, Profiling and Optimisations can follow.

Trust.

Let’s not forget – the number one driver of trust when it comes to advertising is the creative. Effective advertising is achieved by expertly combining a concept, narrative and expertly crafted, beautifully produced assets with an audience that relate to it. An audience based on behaviour and choice. Not postcodes.

Just like trying to squeeze a square peg into a round hole, retrofitting a big idea into a pre-planned media space is far from ideal. It’ll be efficient enough to output some healthy stats and graphs, but ultimately – it could be working harder. ‘Efficient enough’ isn’t really what we’re about. Furthermore, it could stifle creativity, with the idea, concept or even just line, being given boundaries before it’s even had a chance.

And it’s not just the channel selection or ad size. I’d argue there are discussions to be had regarding budget sharing. More frequently media and creative budgets seem to be pre-assigned before either party is briefed. In instances where I’ve worked with a media partner to share a central pot of money, there’s not only been more opportunity for creative to take a lead, but more importantly, a platform for both parties to work better together towards a clearly defined objective from the outset.

Wouldn’t it be great for 2% less people to see an ad they ACTUALLY REMEMBERED?!

Remember the fundamentals.

And I know, I know – times are changing. Budgets are being squeezed as expectations sky-rocket. But that’s surely all the more reason for creative to take more of the lead as the industry shifts focus away from short-term performance to long-term brand building.

I’m not saying the creative should be finished before the media is even briefed – far from it. But I am making the argument for a bit of a heads up.

I once read that media is an investment against your strategy, while creativity is an expression of it. Both are only useful if they connect with consumers. And they’ll connect with consumers if they work well together.  

I couldn’t agree more. So this is my little call to stop the silo and start collaborating in a more collaborative way.

We’ll always need to make beautiful work fit into teeny, tiny spaces. But give us a chance to do some big thinking first, please?

#BeFierce

Agency collaboration.

If you’re looking for an agency that plays nicely with others, drop us a note saying ‘I’d like to share the love’ here.

You gotta have space-a space-a space-aaaaa

Less is more in advertising

There comes a time when we all just want a bit of space. Some time away from all the stuff and things you need to register, process, and react to to get you through the day.

It’s human nature. An area of study in the late 60s when environmental psychologists began to study how humans interact with their surroundings, and the effects different environments have on both experiences and behaviour. The space we’re in really does have an effect on how we think, feel and act.

Environmental psychology has been applied to everything from prison design, to museum layout, to understanding territorial behaviour. And interest in the area has spiked since people began working from home. Studies show people generate more ideas for novel and useful solutions to creative problems when they’re at home than in any other single environment. This is thanks to a link between physical expanse and creativity. 

It’s believed our physical space (as it actually exists or is perceived) stands in direct proportion to our mental space. This allows us to be more open to new ideas. Space and perception are connected. And allows our very impressionable minds to respond to things as much for what they imply, as much for what they literally are.

So, how does this apply to advertising?

Well, it’s a way of me trying to make the point that: Space. Is. Good. Something I’ve noticed is really difficult to explain when it comes to advertising. If physical space and mental space are so closely linked (so say the scientists), then this angle has to be worth a shot.

I’ve watched so much beautiful creative get shot down because it’s too ‘empty’. Add a strapline, a flash, some smallprint, some more copy, another image, a bigger headline! It almost feels like a race to see who can colour the gaps in quickest. And, it’s a natural reaction, particularly with ads becoming smaller and competition getting bigger. We want to say so much in tiny spaces. But as I’ve mentioned in past blogs, this isn’t something our brains always appreciate, and busy, literal ads risk being ignored altogether.

Doubters

Please can I assure all the doubters now that space – white, negative, whatever you want to call it does not appear in ads because we can’t think of anything to fill it. It’s there, and works, if creative is good enough to capitalise on it.

Good, effective ads have a narrative, and use images and words to lead people to the information they need. Overlaying a good, effective use of space can help to guide them to the focal point of an ad. It helps them build their own ideas, and ultimately interpret and retain messaging in a better way. This can take a couple of seconds, but that’s all you need.

This is one of a series of superb ads from Lego that beautifully communicates the sentiment of freedom and imagination with no faff. Your only focus is all you need to focus on. 

A different approach, but same principle, where space is used to add meaning without adding too many extra elements to the design.

All these ads tell a story, aided by the use of space that gives our brains a chance to focus on and interpret the desired message. They have focal points that have room to breathe. 

The art of using space is something that really does take an expert eye. Even more so today when ad space seems to be sold by the pixel rather than the inch.

Still not convinced?

That’s ok. But just remember next time you head to a fine dining restaurant. You’ll be paying a lot more for the delicate portion in the middle of a vast white plate than you would have done nipping down your local for steak and chips. And there’s a reason for that 😉

So when it comes to space being bad, I’d urge you to reconsider this foolish notion.

Less is more in advertising

If you’d like to give us a little space in your diary for a chat, drop us a note saying: ‘                         ‘ here.

Celebrated creative team join One Black Bear

Celebrated creative team join Midlands creative agency

Having met through professional dating website LinkedIn back in 2017, Jenny and Tristan have gone on to form one of the most celebrated boy-girl professional partnerships in the West Midlands since Rosie and Jim.

Their combined awards shelf holds two D&AD New Blood Pencils. Two spots on the Cannes Young Lions Shortlist. 11 Drum Roses Awards. And a Campaign Magazine front cover. Career highlights so far include making singalong TV ads with Aardman for Whitworths. Refreshing Britain’s biggest bike brands with Halfords. Harnessing the lyrics of So Solid Crew for Crucials Sauces. And helping the RNIB create the first braille Christmas cards for people with sight loss.

They’re very much looking forward to working with, and learning from, the longest standing creative team in Birmingham, if not the UK and maybe the world (over 30 years). Oh, and as their careers’ progress, they’re getting better and better at this writing in the third person thing.

See more of their genius by clicking here.

Celebrated creative team join Midlands creative agency

If you’d like to see what amazing ideas they can have to transform your brand, drop a note saying: ‘I want some Jenny and Tristan magic dust sprinkling on my briefs’ here.

One Black Bear grabs a pizza the action.

Dodo pizza appoints UK creative agency

Dodo, the international gourmet pizza chain has appointed One Black Bear to help push its continued expansion within the UK.
Already based in 15 countries, Dodo has bold ambitions to be the equivalent of Dominos with outlets right across the world. A truly tech’ led fast food business, Dodo currently has a handful of UK stores with plans for many more.

With its more artisan, gourmet approach to pizza. Ranging from its signature Roman-style dough and topped with local, British toppings including lobster & mango. To the most colourful and amazing salad bowls. One Black Bear will look to bolster awareness and propel the brand both tactically and strategically.

Speaking about the appointment, Kate Hartshorn, Managing Partner at One Black Bear said:. “This is a really exciting one for us. A pizza brand that’s looking to shake up a very crowded marketplace thanks to a fantastic product and a huge dollop of creativity. It’s our aim to grow with Dodo as they gain a foothold in the UK market and position them firmly in the mind of UK pizza fans.”

Misha Chernyshev of Dodo Pizza added:. “We have exciting ambitions for our brand and One Black Bear are a great fit to help us meet those ambitions. They have provided clever tech’ solutions to meet our marketing targets. Plus some completely crazy leftfield stuff to grab attention and create noise for our brand.”

Dodo pizza appoints UK creative agency

If you’d like to have a chat with us on how we can top that with your brand. Drop us a note saying: ‘Easy on the chilli on mine’ here.