The Merger of Equals

WPP has seen its four-year reign as marketing/PR leader dwarfed by the merger between Omnicom and Publicis. The second and third market leaders respectively, combined their assets over the weekend in a merger that will see the new entity carry revenues of £15Bn ($23Bn) and a stock market value of £23Bn ($35Bn.) This completely overshadows British company WPP's figures of £6.8Bn ($10.4Bn) revenue, as well as pushing the new entity far ahead of other prominent competitors such as Japanese company Dentsu; (owner of Aegis Media, with whom I shall be working via the Carat subsidiary this year.)

The history of the industry has never seen such a colossal amalgamation, with some British brands voicing concern within the lobbying group, ISBA (Shell, P&G and Tesco,) who fear a "mega-agency merger" and associated advertising competition threats (ISBA's Bob Wootton.) The move was defended by Publicis CEO Maurice Levy who explained the dramatic change within the industry regarding ongoing digital developments as the reason, claiming that the merger would deliver greater digital and analogue services to the entity's clients, amongst which will be: McDonald's, P&G, Apple and Pepsi. The case has been brought forward to the Office of Fair Trade (OFT) who shall decide on the issues surrounding anti-trust and competition concerns. The company will be based in neither France nor the US, but instead will be situated within the Netherlands. This was clarified as not being for tax advantages, but rather for neutrality.

The recent developments in the international media market has seen exponential increase in online activities, with marketing budgets being devoted, on average, to increasing digital spend by 21-30% for this year alone, according to an eConsultancy report. The same report also stipulates the opinions of a statistically significant number of marketers and agencies who are also mostly (70%+) in favour of increasing time and money devoted to new-/digital media. This has lead to new media giants, according to Levy, such as Facebook, whom he wishes to counter with the larger company and its increased operations/finance, in order to deliver more for associated clients.

This development of course is still underway, with more opinions surfacing such as that of ITV CEO Adam Crozier, stating that his company will be able to 'hold its own' against the giant that will come to own and purvey 30% of all UK television adverts. This is indicative of general support and adoration so far across the industry. Will the new venture succeed or fail in the long run, or will the OFT retract initial decisions? Only time will tell at this point, though personally, I am hopeful for its success and the continued growth for the marketing industry overall, in times of bleak economic outlook and high unemployment.

LINKS:

- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/10208339/Publicis-Omnicom-what-the-new-company-will-look-like.html
- http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/british-brands-issue-competition-warning-182738202.html
- http://econsultancy.com/uk/reports/marketing-budgets (Marketing Budgets 2013 Report [PDF])
- http://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/jul/28/omnicom-publicis-merger-france-united-states
- http://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/jul/30/publicis-omnicom-itv
- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/media/10209746/British-brands-issue-competition-warning-over-Omnicom-Publicis-merger.html 

WPP: Overtaken Media Giant

Nineteen Eighty-Four (Book Review)

Last week I finished reading the book 1984 by George Orwell, a classic that just about everyone has either read or has at least heard of. Orwell's seminal work has influenced not only literature of the post-1940s world, but -possibly more importantly- has changed social and political thought in a way that no book ever has, with terms and concepts such as 'Newspeak,' 'Doublethink,' 'Thought-Police/Thought-Crime,' and the often-referenced 'Big Brother (is watching you') entering common language use to this day.

The book didn't take long to read at all since it certainly was a page-turner if there ever was one. Although the story of the totalitarian state is depicted, the book seldom delves into an 'action-oriented' narrative but rather, the protagonists interact with the world while the third-person narrative describes the mechanics of the frightening society that exists in the year that is also the book's title. This format is especially engaging when the story focuses on character dialogue that questions the concept of truth and metaphysical abstractions, where antagonists justify the totalitarian party's techniques at suppressing truth. If the book appears daunting to you as a potential reader, please don't let this get in the way of enjoying such a magnificent classic for possessing the appearance of a 'hard' book. It isn't. In fact, I would go as far to say that it is very easy to read, much easier than some contemporary books even.

In short, the language is crisp and completely non-superfluous, making the storyline quick to advance and as a result, the page-turing increasingly enjoyable. The protagonist of Winston is not quite a 'cookie-cutter' figure but rather a reasonably well-defined character with certain complexities. He isn't exactly a character with whom you can easily relate due to certain constrains placed upon him by the story, but his being coupled with additional protagonist Julie adds an interesting dynamic, the pair complementing one another in their structure as characters. A final point on characterisation is on the antagonists who -unlike in other stories- are decidedly evil and have little characterisation to the contrary, which -as you would imagine- could potentially make the story less complex with good and evil well-defined as opposed to blurred. But this evil characterisation of the antagonists plays well into the dystopia of the book, with intelligent character dialogue where antagonists attempt to justify their evils, as mentioned already. These justifications only serve in most cases to increase dislike of the antagonists, but nevertheless, this kind of scene serves the book well as far as its dystopia and sense of hopelessness goes.

In summary, 1984 is a book that I will remember for years to come. An all-time classic that is more relevant today than at any point in history.

   

A New Project: Chapter 1

Below is the first chapter in the space opera mentioned in the last post. Please, feel free to feed back if you wish; bare in mind though that it's just a first draft but nevertheless, I thought it seemed good for a first attempt. Hope it leaves you begging for more :)

Untitled: Chapter 1


Ferdren Ord gulped back the last of his drink. The alcohol swirled in his throat as it descended, tingling against the walls of his gullet. The glass went back down with a thud, spinning as if contemplating the consequences of falling to its side. 
   
Contemplating; that was what Ord was doing in that moment, his large hand propped under his chin, his eyes beaming across the gunmetal bar, slicked with drinks spilt by clumsy patrons, beginning to clean itself with nano-drones. He blocked the commotion from his mind, thinking only of his ship.
   
He was into his first century, 113 years old, which was nearing middle-age for the Daros System. His caucasian skin was mostly white yet ever so tanned, naturally. His shoulders sat like a small, foil-covered table in his flight suit. Slim-built, his frame was more muscle-bound than puny, though he was not –and nor did he ever claim to be- a warrior, gladiator or any other kind of physical archetype. No, his speciality was flying, far if necessary. He knew everything about the pathways through the galaxy and the various trade routes that the Daros system so depended on. He was one of the best pilots in the system, able to outrun most ships, even those afforded by Intel Corps, the intelligence unit.
   
He waited for his comrade-in-arms, Hendrick Sunt, his co-pilot who had accompanied him on his last journey. They had only arrived back two hours earlier and didn't have time to change, but God was he thirsty. He liked wearing the suit anyway. He often said that he felt naked without it: A laser-resistant, heatproof GI- (General Interstellar) Flight Suit. It was light against his body, (had to be,) yet warm in the chill of the autumn air. 
  
The moons sat watchfully behind him, illuminated by the large fire on the beach, a cool breeze drifting up from the distant, crashing waves. He turned on his seat to see people clad in swimwear, metallic and flashing, designed with distress protocols and luminous technology that would call for help from lifeguard drones if necessary. People scooped and poured water into large containers, drinking thirstily whilst others held drinks acquired from the bar. Their oceans were saltless on the planet Urz and made for fresh drinking water, contamination resolved by ocean-based facilities.
   
“Ferdren?” Shouted a voice. 
Ord turned around once again to see an identical suit, the mask covering the face. The man deactivated the suit’s helmet, the AR (Augmented Reality) holograms disappearing as his face was revealed. More tanned than Ord and more wrinkled; both men were clean-shaven. 
“Hendrick!” Ferdren sounded pleased enough.
“How’ve you been?” Hendrick asked.
“Not received any greetings yet, you’d think being gone for seven months they’d miss us.”
“Oh you know what happens around here. Life moves so fast people don’t have much time to ponder a disappearance.”
“Indeed.” Agreed Ord, taking a sip of his fourth drink, a blend of genetically engineered fruit and natural sweeteners. A very healthy option, as far as alcoholic beverages went.
  
  Sunt collected his own drink, fitting the small tumbler right over his face, drinking thirstily as beads of liquid swam down the sides of his face, dripping to the floor. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve.
“So,” he coughed, “tell me about this message from Intel Corps.” He leaned with both arms upon the bar’s surface.
“They want to see us, well, me, about a special assignment; they said it might help restore some street cred.”
“Not still bitter about what happened on Whurzite, are you?”
“No, it’s just-“
“I can help you.” Hendrick interrupted.
“It’s not help I’m worried about. They haven’t told me what the job is exactly, only it’s on the other side of the galaxy someplace. They said the voyage would take over a year. Not exactly sure how much longer; only that it's a big job. A 'once-in-a-lifetime opportunity', according to the drone they sent."
"So you've not even met them yet?"
"No, Hendrick, but I'll still pursue it."
"Think about it man, if you commit they'll want you there, it's asking a great deal I'm sure. You might even get killed."
"I know that, thank you. Still, curiosity beckons and I'm sure they'll give me ample room to deny the request. It's not like Intel to be short of agents, is it?" He smiled.
"If you say so," Hendrick looked away and sipped a second drink more slowly, "but still, why do they want you? I mean, it's not like Intel to headhunt."
"That's what I thought." Ord sounded distant now; uncaring as he sipped away and descended into drunkenness.
"Maybe it's an initiation test, finally recognising your talents. They probably want you to join." Hendrick piped up ecstatically, touching Ferdren on the shoulder encouragingly.
"But why? I haven't really been all that relevant in recent years on the interstellar scene."
"But you've got a rare proficiency in flying; great experience. They might want you to retrieve something." Hendrick pondered.
Ferdren knocked back the remaining liquid, paradoxically feeling thirstier as he part-slammed the glass back onto the bar. "Well, if they want me to do anything too dangerous, I'll just tell them 'no'."
   
A woman with blonde hair clad in a silver swimsuit approached the pair:
"Either of you guys want a Firebomb; only for alcohol aficionados." She chirped in a typical sales-woman voice of ear-piercingly-high pitch.
"No, thankyou, please leave." Ferdren shooed the woman away, trying not to offend her as he broke the sentence into timid chunks.
"You sure." Hendrick chipped in.
"I'm fine."
"Come on, man."
"No Hendrick, I'm fine"
"Just the one, please." Hendrick smiled at the woman, who smiled back with a glinting, perfect smile. He flashed a sour face at Ferdren:
"What's wrong with you. You've not been the same since we got back." He fired the blood-red liquid down his mouth like a water-fall of lava:
"You not been…" He belched "… the fucking same at all." The glass crashed back down on the bar, falling to its side and rolling to the edge, an AG field prevented its fall to the ground. A drone carried the container away. 
"I've got other things on my mind." Ferdren was becoming agitated with Hendrick's questions, which soon ceased before Hendrick diverted back to the offer:
"You know I'll be coming to the meeting with you."
"I'm sure you will, I imagine they'll want me to go to this place with somebody else."
"Why's that?"
"The drone's message gave a hint as to the job type, saying it was of 'military significance'."
"Hmmm," Hendrick's facial expression changed to one of deep thought, "you don't suppose it's anything to do with the war do you?" 
"What? The war with the Spurzitians."
"Yeah."
"It can't be. Official reports say there's little chance of them succeeding in a full-frontal assault on our closest colony and even if they did, we'd take it back very quickly. We've got the power, the tech, the soldiers and the right reason. We could obliterate them today if we wanted to, but we don't want them dead, only changed."
"Ah yes, the 'reason', most important of any motivation." Hendrick didn't sound as convinced. 
"Exactly, they started the war and now they're paying the price. But I think we're pretty reasonable, which is why we don't just kill them outright."
Hendrick nodded, secretly questioning the benevolent nature of the government who, despite their lauding themselves as pacifistic, seemed to enjoy warring with others who didn't share their relaxed ideology and very liberal social nature. Yearning to be the paragons of the galaxy yet acting contrary to prove it.
Hendrick was awoken from his contemplation with Ferdren's announcement:
"I'm going outside. Get some fresh air, maybe a sobering drink."
   
He walked outside into the darkness, the two lover's moons sitting side-by-side, one a pinkish-red, the other white, nearly touching from the distant perspective but in reality several kilometres apart. People yammered and cheered and danced and laughed as drinks were drank and fire burned on the cold sand. He walked to the coastline and scooped water into his hands, cold across the fleshy bowl. He gulped and wiped excess from his face and continued to stare at the ageing night, the moons and stars glinting in his eyes.  

700 Days Later . . .

A milestone was reached yesterday: The completion of SKYSCARR's first draft. Having begun the work on Monday 15th August 2011, it has taken 700 days (100 weeks) to complete and that's just draft 1. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I was going to leave it before beginning re-drafting it and during that time I have since started the plotting and planning of a space opera novel inspired by Iain M. Banks' 'the Culture' novels, that I have begun reading. I also plan on reading more space opera/military SF, starting with Jack Campbell's 'The Lost Fleet' series, which seem very interesting. Hopefully I'll continue to hone my skills and with some hard work, it might just pay off in the end. I'll try and write more entries in the future but for the time being, it's good to have finished a draft of something finally.

The Brand & Its Components

Hi all, a marketing post to kick-start this month; sorry it's been a while since my last entry. To be honest I was running out of ideas and nothing seemed to be manifesting and so, out of fear of neglecting this blog for too long, I thought it was time to explore another concept: The brand. What is it and why do companies have them? What are they made of? Let's find out!

Introduction:

Brands have been around for a very long time. Traditionally, the word 'brand' has referred to the literal thermal branding of cattle in the middle-ages, used to denote the property stamp of a certain farmer for trade etc. purposes, the word deriving from archaic Norse lexis 'brandr' meaning 'to burn'. The primary sentiment of distinguishing is still present today albeit being much more sophisticated thanks to developments in psychology, media technology, and other tools marketers use to enhance their IMC campaigns.

Defining Its Purpose:

Brands, like all other tools and mediums, have their purpose. Like marketing, of which it is a part, it is designed to satisfy consumer requirements profitably, according to the CIM, with similar agreements echoed across other professional bodies. That being said, brands will naturally wish to engage with their audiences in a way that meets those objectives, giving their respective companies a personality with whom consumers will engage.

The objective of distinguishing fits in with this concept of corporate personalities because, after all, it can be useful when building relationships. This in turn is echoed by an official definition from our friends at the American Marketing Association (AMA,) who define a brand as a:

"Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."

With distinctions being made between one brand and another, generally, the product in many cases can also be different, but not always. For example, one of the world's most recognised and valuable brands is Shell. The product(s) sold by Shell are virtually the same as those sold by all other petroleum companies whereas, Apple, for example has very distinctive products that intwine with the brand e.g. the i-Pod being aesthetically different to other music devices.

In summary, these collective pieces form our brand. The construction of the visual logo relies heavily on semiotic theory and other theories surrounding colour psychology, typography and saturation etc. of shades. However, there are other components relying on different concepts.

Construction:

Firstly, brands are names. Brand names linguistically refer to several things depending on their desired effect. See below:

*Initialism: These are obvious brands that shorten the actual name e.g. UPS, BBC etc.
*Personification: A fictional character that tries to 'humanise' the brand e.g. Aunt Bessie, Betty Crocker etc. (Can be a mythological character e.g. Nike)
*Founder's name: Be careful to not confuse this with personification e.g. Disney, Hewlett-Packard, Samuel Adams etc. (Name can also be of a famous person who did exist, not necessarily the founder.)
*Evocative: Names that evoke a relevant image to the word e.g. Amazon, Apple etc.
*Neologisms: A neologism refers to a completely new word that has literally been 'made up' e.g. Xbox, Sony etc.
*Lone words: Words lifted from foreign languages e.g. Samsung, Volvo etc.
*Assonance & Alliteration: Rhyming words e.g. Reece's Pieces etc.
*Descriptive: Names that describe the product e.g. Bitter Lemon
*Geographic: Names that evoke a specific location e.g. Zurich, FujiFilm etc.

These are the primary categories of brands with some brands becoming so success that they become 'brand eponyms'. These brand names are used to describe the very product such as 'Hoover' being used with regards to ALL vacuum cleaners, or Ping-Pong for table-tennis, Sellotape for sticky tape, Coke for  cola in general and the most popular of all: Googling something. 

I may write more on this topic in the future but for now I hope you found something interesting in this entry. Have a nice day.