If you’ve got a problem

Don’t panic help is at hand.

In 2000 a crack agency team was assembled and although we’ve never seen the inside of a maximum security stockade we’ve been entrusted with some pretty high-profile support projects over the past 18 years. Projects including the London 2012 Olympics, Commonwealth Games and important  tech launches. The sort of projects that simply have to get delivered on time – no plan B, no fail. We’ve also become a first port of call for our clients when things go wrong and large-scale, complex communication tasks have to be delivered swiftly and accurately in hostile operational and media conditions.

When the briefing starts with “we are waiting for the announcement from the Minister / PLC Board / Owner…” we know it’s time to suit up and get ready to mobilize the troops. Our clients rely on us for fast turnarounds, accurate delivery and a calm, confident bedside manner when the nasty stuff hits the fan.

How do we do it?

Make it real – we brief the project team as early as possible about the background behind the task we face, so everyone understands the client’s position. This engenders a feeling that we are all in it together and on the same side. This level of empathy really drives determination to deliver, especially when timings are tight and the stakes are high.

Get ahead – Experience and close, strong client relationships allow us to pre-empt some disaster recovery scenarios. We check key personnel availability to ensure the right team is in place and we are not shorthanded when the balloon goes up.

Don’t get lost – If embarking on a long hike to a set destination, the first few steps are vitally important, if you start off one degree out on your compass bearing by the time you finish you’ll be miles off track. That’s why at the start of a project we carefully and calmly check with clients their exact requirements, key milestones and critical dates. If we all know the rules of engagement we can all work to a common goal, and stay on track.

And finally, don’t forget to breathe! – There is always time to check, and check again.

So when the pressure is on just remember, if you have a problem, if no one else can help and if you can find us, maybe you can hire – the GUERILLA TEAM.

GDPR a great opportunity for marketers

By now you have become intimately acquainted with your clients and / or your own companies GDPR obligations and have spent an unprecedented and unwelcome amount of time attempting to comply with a complex, subjective and shifting piece of legislation.

With the final flurry of GDPR deadline emails imploring you to opt in, opt out, or simply do nothing, you must be as amazed as I am, at how many mailing lists you belong to. Mailing lists you never subscribed to, or have the faintest interest in. Which goes to prove that the last decade or so’s obsession with the Holy Grail of data-centric marketing has been largely (if not entirely) as most obsessions are, a frantic waste of time.

Less than 5% of most marketing databases are active – ie the recipients of the emails actually know who is mailing them and are interested in what they have to say. The other 95% just hit delete if they make it past the junk filter, and yet they keep coming.

GDPR could, and I stress could, be the saviour of properly engaging direct marketing activity for those marketers who are brave enough to allow their precious, though largely impotent, mailing lists and databases to wither away and actually focus their attention on the few who are interested, work out why, then find more of the same.

Start with the brand, what it means to people and why those who love you, love you. Revisit what you are all about and amplify those messages.

Be brave and switch budget out of data and into channels which engage audiences in places where they are making decisions about the type of things you sell.

Stop being part of the tidal wave of unwanted digital messaging and actively ask customers what they want and if they do want to ‘join your club’ sure, welcome them in, sit them down and make them comfortable.

We’re all different, we’re all individuals so there is no off-the-shelf solution in this Brave New World, but if you’d welcome a grown up conversation about how your marketing strategy could thrive post GDPR then please get in touch.

Gus@guerilla-creative.co.uk – 01628819007

 

Wise words

We have recently refurbished Guerilla Towers taking advantage of the post New Year lull, we now sport minimalistic ‘Scandi’ fixtures and fittings, white space, clean lines and yes lots of green plants (only some of which are real).

One new arrival we are particularly pleased with is the stenciling around the office. These are all quotes about the nature of creativity which we put up to a) make the place look more arty and b) remind us on a daily basis of why we are here and what we are best at.

We had a lot of fun in defining creativity whilst choosing the quotes which adorn our walls and it reminded us about the process we employ to get the best creative results for our clients.

As Leo Burnett tells us above the coffee machine; “Curiosity about life in all of its aspects, I think, is still the secret of great creative people” and you may be curious to know how we come up with our amazing creative ideas, so here you go…

1. Firstly fully understand the brief – ask questions, be curious and be clear on the objective
2. Then get inside the mind of the target audience , talk to them find insights about how they think and feel in our clients ‘space’
3. Crucially, simplify the core proposition into a single thought
4. Remember to free your thinking from the past, don’t just do what you did last time
5. Finally, be brave and have fun

“Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way” Edward De Bono quietly insists from the wall beside the printer. And he’s right.

In an increasingly digitally homogenized world, the success of a campaign or brand depends ever more on the beauty of simple creative ideas. Whether we are trying to help a new grocery brand fly off the shelves, rebuild the reputation of a train operator or create a revolutionary new Healthcare brand, the Guerilla philosophy, backed by the wise words which surround us, ensure we are true to that aim. And that’s why the work we do is so successful.

Oh and the last bit, about fun, if we enjoy the work we do so do our clients and
after all, who can disagree with Albert Einstein who famously said “Creativity is intelligence having fun.”

 

 

 

And that was the year that was 2017

It’s been a busy old year creating projects for all of our fabulous Clients. We’ve been putting bums on seats, selling stuff, educating, engaging, emailing, socialising and generally getting creative on behalf of train and bus companies, FMCG brands, service sector B2B and healthcare.

But it’s not just about work – we have made some changes at Guerilla towers  – welcoming new staff on board, moving our shopper marketing team in-house and giving the office a face-lift.

And on a personal note it has also been an eventful year. Gus continues to go the distance, completing the Windermere marathon, Hayley went the extra mile (well 27 miles to be exact) on a charity hike for a local Hospice and Ian went on a lot of courses, well played a lot of golf, eventually winning a tour of the Algarve.

Steve is going to be a Dad, Sam became a Dad, Tim moved to Ealing, Matthew helped develop things across the channel, Andy continued to spin his decks and we welcomed two new faces to the design team. Charlie loves the local wildlife, especially tickling salmon and Holly is moving soon to be closer to the office.

So lets hope 2018 is just as rewarding. Don’t forget to pick up the phone and give as a call if you need any Guerilla creative added to your marketing plans.

Merry Christmas from all at Guerilla

looking after your ideas machine

Our brains are amazingly complex idea machines, allowing us to think the impossible, to imagine the unimaginable. However all too often in our day-to-day business life we allow ourselves to be boxed in by preset rules.
So how can you make sure your brain is open to new ideas and receptive to innovation, from your own ideas machine OR someone else’s.

Here are five Guerilla tips to keeping your ideas machine at the top of its game

1. Bugger off.
Take your holidays regularly make sure you never go more than six weeks without at least a half day doing something different. A refreshed brain is a powerful tool.

2. Look to the heavens
Well the sky anyway. Why? because to do that you have to get outdoors. The great outdoors, literally a breath of fresh air, works wonders recharging the brain.

3. Power nap.
Sleep is vital to re-charge your brain cells. As well as a solid eight hours a night a power nap during the day will leave you ready to power on being your awesomely creative self.

4. Wander lonely as a cloud.
Metaphorically at least, reading and writing poetry is illogical, training your brain to forget its dominant logical side, or at least put it aside, will help idea generation. And physically getting lonely can help. A bit of quiet contemplation helps the ideas generation machine compute the thoughts spinning round it like a whirling dervish.

5. Graffiti.
Writing or drawing an idea on a wall will help you to literally step back and examine it. It’s often a good idea to scribble it on a wall and see if anyone else comments on it. At Guerilla we have a massive white wall for this but a good old flip chart works just as well. (No put the spray paints down)

Other great ways to improve your brain power are said to include:

• Playing Tetris
• Drinking red wine
• Making new friends
• Drinking coffee
• Getting laid
• Exercise more
• Learn a new skill

We are working our way through the list trying to see if they work. Want to know how we got on? Give us a call.

And if all that fails and you are still staring at a blank sheet of paper – call the ideas guys at Guerilla Creative.  www.guerilla-creative.co.uk

Say Cheese – It’s red nose day.

This month we’ve been very busy putting a smile on the face of shoppers in major supermarkets with Babybel for Comic Relief . Using creative derived from YandR and shopper marketing techniques from CoretoStore, Guerilla delivered a POS and sampling activity at major stores across the UK.

Activity included in-store POS at fixture and city center leafleting and sampling. So put a smile on your face, say cheese and do your bite for charity today!

Happy Red Nose Day everyone!

 

 

A question of size

Size should matter because for today’s Marketing Manager. Smaller, more agile, multi-disciplined creative agencies can offer greater variety, react quicker and deliver outstanding value.

Over 16 years ago, frustrated with big London Agency culture, where client briefs vied for creative attention depending on size of spend, we set up Guerilla Creative a compact and flexible agency with an extended network of freelance talent on tap. At the core of the agency are experienced creatives and strategists delivering the right solution to clients both in terms of creative and deployment without the big price tag. As a client this means you know your brief will get the attention it really deserves.

It works – find out more at online Guerilla Creative

What’s in your creative pencil case?

It’s back to school (and back to work) time so while preparing yourself for a new term in the office you need to check you’ve got all of the right tools to help you get results.

 

Whatever you are aiming for; growing sales, brand awareness, more users, more site visits, internal comms, Guerilla creative can help you by applying a set of fundamental principles to your brief to ensure you get the results you need.

1. Get the core proposition right based on audience insights – Planning
2. Have a great idea and bring it to life for the brand – Creative
3. Work hard to ensure your audience gets the message – Targeting
4. Measure everything to see what works and prove success – Measurement.

Here’s a campaigns for Vouchercodes.co.uk which delivered great sales results because it has a simple core proposition, spot on for the brand, targeted at the right audience and evaluated by a unique response code.

Send us a brief, we’ll do our homework and come back to you with a recommendation, including a budget and creative concepts at no risk or commitment from yourselves.

We just want a chance to come top of the class in your next creative pitch.

Give us a call on 01628 819007 or drop us a note: team@guerilla-creative.co.uk

All systems go at Guerilla-Creative

We have had great fun last month working with the new Thameslink brand style. We have used it to develop a campaign for The key – a smart card that offers rail commuters a speedy and secure alternative to traditional paper season tickets. This is one of the first campaigns to use the new brand styling and we have to say we think it looks rather smart.

If you need someone to take a fresh look at how your brand communicates or just want to breathe new life into your advertising tap our number into your phone, touch base with someone from the Guerilla-Creative team and we are good to go. Next stop some awesome new creative ideas for your brand.

http://www.guerilla-creative.co.uk

01628-819007

team@guerilla-creative.co.uk