Okay, so this post is 3 weeks late (sorry!) BUT, the last week was jam packed and the past few weeks back in agency haven't been much different.
So, in the last week, the Squared team threw a bit of a curve ball in and brought the pitch day forward a day. This wasn't the end of the world, but wasn't exactly ideal. The promise of a fun afternoon on the Friday (inevitably booze fuelled) was the light at the end of the tunnel for the final week.
The week consisted of a legal and ethical panel as well as feedback/reflection sessions and project time. We finally presented our projects to my MD (Ita Murphy) and Tim Irwin (COO of Maxus) who were very pleased with the result (we even got a "wow"). Out of all the projects this one scared me the most as we were really show casing ourselves and all we had learnt over the 7 weeks. However, it was an excellent opportunity to raise the "internal profile" and just proved how far I had come since the beginning of the course.
Our presentation was simple and clear and it went down a storm. We had developed a cyclical three horizon strategy that would grow and develop in real-time and we kept the explanation short and clear. The quote "I did not have time to write a short letter, so i wrote you a long one" served us very very well. There is a lot to be said in having clarity and being concise when explaining anything which leads me nicely onto my next point...
Pitches done and dusted we moved on to brainstorming the questions that we wanted to cover about the state of the industry. Never have i heard so much media wank in one room. If i had heard the word 'silo' one more time, i fear i may have gone into an unstoppable media rage. Sometimes, i worry that my hatred for the lingo will be my down fall in the industry but in my own potty mouth fuck it. I will keep revisiting this point as it really gets my goat, why does the media industry (largely speaking) feel the need to develop a language that is quite honestly unnecessary?
Now i am slap bang in the middle of my "work experience" and it is beginning to be really difficult to balance squaredness and work life. We have to produce an industry report detailing our view of the industry according to the 6 questions below:
Business: How are agencies evolving their revenue streams with the emergence of new technologies?
Technology: What technologies in 12 months time will affect your business and how is your structure prepared for this?
Operational: What structure do you think agencies will have to adapt to in order to succeed in the future?
Open: How can the industry best capitalise on youth and give opportunities to young talent in agencies?
Collaboration and Network: Collaboration is a buzzword in the industry at the moment. How do you see this operating on a daily basis both in and between agencies?
Clients and Marketplace: How do you prioritise clients' needs and agencies' needs?
(FEEL FREE TO ANSWER IN COMMENT FORM)
At the moment it's a bit of a friggin nightmare... trying to orchestrate 10 individuals with busy work loads and, believe it or not, lives makes team work no mean feat. Onwards and upwards... back to Squared next Friday for the beginning of the wrap-up week. My next blog will probably be post squared so stay posted! The end is nigh!
@kerrydatlen
Me Squared
Monday, 14 May 2012
Saturday, 21 April 2012
Project Three...
So after a lovely weekend free of pitch work it was straight into project three on Monday morning...
Project three is all about increasing a charity's online value according to a live brief that will be presented back to some of the big dogs in the UK media industry (many from our own agencies) and sent over to the charities themselves.
As per usual, we were split into teams and given our charities. My team was given the ileostomy and internal pouch support group- a very niche charity that, to be honest, I had never heard of before! Our task was to improve the website and suggest potential media opportunities to combat the challenges included in the brief. Luckily we cracked on with all the nitty gritty and so were in a good position for when the Squared team moved the day of presentation forward from next Friday to next Thursday. I will of course keep you posted on how this goes next weekend, but for now, all is well. I will urge you if you have friends or family affected by an ileostomy or internal pouch to direct them to http://www.iasupport.org/- the charity is doing some great work and the site hosts an outstanding network of support!
Aside from project work, we have had a panel session around Search Engine Marketing which really reinforced that search is an integral part any media plan/ activity. It has become something the majority of the population do every day and is something that can no longer be ignored by any brand that wants to be taken seriously in the digital world. It is the bread and butter of modern marketing, as it is a clear channel that links the offline world with online allowing for maximum conversion opportunity. It also allows for brands to learn a lot about their consumer's behaviour and tap into their searching mindset; allowing for creativity within search campaigns that are based on the people themselves. As Mark Mitchell (Heard of Search UK at Omnicom Media Group) "let's make search sexy"!
Had a bit of a personal achievement this week- Lizzie (a fellow square) and I made a short presentation about squared in our company meeting. It was hands down the most terrifying thing I have done in my short 21 years and marked a milestone in how much this programme has helped me improve my confidence. To say I am proud of myself would be an under statement. This was a great week.
Again, bit of short post but this week has largely been about project time! Follow @kerrydatlen for regular updates on squared life.
Project three is all about increasing a charity's online value according to a live brief that will be presented back to some of the big dogs in the UK media industry (many from our own agencies) and sent over to the charities themselves.
As per usual, we were split into teams and given our charities. My team was given the ileostomy and internal pouch support group- a very niche charity that, to be honest, I had never heard of before! Our task was to improve the website and suggest potential media opportunities to combat the challenges included in the brief. Luckily we cracked on with all the nitty gritty and so were in a good position for when the Squared team moved the day of presentation forward from next Friday to next Thursday. I will of course keep you posted on how this goes next weekend, but for now, all is well. I will urge you if you have friends or family affected by an ileostomy or internal pouch to direct them to http://www.iasupport.org/- the charity is doing some great work and the site hosts an outstanding network of support!
Aside from project work, we have had a panel session around Search Engine Marketing which really reinforced that search is an integral part any media plan/ activity. It has become something the majority of the population do every day and is something that can no longer be ignored by any brand that wants to be taken seriously in the digital world. It is the bread and butter of modern marketing, as it is a clear channel that links the offline world with online allowing for maximum conversion opportunity. It also allows for brands to learn a lot about their consumer's behaviour and tap into their searching mindset; allowing for creativity within search campaigns that are based on the people themselves. As Mark Mitchell (Heard of Search UK at Omnicom Media Group) "let's make search sexy"!
Had a bit of a personal achievement this week- Lizzie (a fellow square) and I made a short presentation about squared in our company meeting. It was hands down the most terrifying thing I have done in my short 21 years and marked a milestone in how much this programme has helped me improve my confidence. To say I am proud of myself would be an under statement. This was a great week.
Again, bit of short post but this week has largely been about project time! Follow @kerrydatlen for regular updates on squared life.
Saturday, 14 April 2012
What a Week!
First of all, I had an early morning (slightly hungover) epiphany which spurred me to get up and write this week's blog...
On the train home I was a little bit inebriated (post pitch booze up) and took that opportunity to catch up on some games in Draw Something. It was only when I read messages commenting on the quality of my drawings that I likened playing Draw Something pissed to the advertising industry. Because I wasn't focused on who I was drawing to and the quality of my drawing (or message if you like) I completely ruined our turn ranking (if you don't know what I am going on about- get Draw Something) meaning we had to start back at the beginning. I liken this to the ad industry because all too often a message is delivered by a brand that doesn't really consider it's audience who then goes back to the first stages of consideration. I suppose this analogy links back to everything I have heard throughout the course- be simple and considerate, know your audience and take time to plan the message and the channels to reach them. I just don't understand why something so simple isn't being put into practice a lot more? And what can I do to change it?
Ramblings aside, this week has been hard, tiring, stressful, but most of all rewarding. It was the final week of project three, so we were all frantically getting our pitches together for Friday afternoon. Each group pitched their idea and media plan to Paul Ridsdale (Head of marketing at ITV) and Helen Lawrence (Marketing Manager of new platforms at ASOS) and we impressed them so much Helen later tweeted:
""Wow. Amazing day judging incredible work from the Squared 2012 teams. So impressed. Amazing talent, they're sure to be millionaires by 30"
Other than project work, we had a toolbox session on Google Analytics, where we were asked to analyse the Google Store Website using real time data. I found it really insightful as it helped me consider where websites go wrong and potential solutions to problems. This is something I would like to take back in my agency work as it would definitely aid in effective digital planning. It was also nice to go back to looking at numbers #imissmyspreadsheets.
Simon Rogers (editor at the Guardian) gave a talk on "beautiful data" and the use of infographics in supporting explanation. He gave multiple examples of how data can be used in interesting ways, for example: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/interactive/2011/dec/07/london-riots-twitter and opened up new ways of thinking about and combining different data sources in order to create something people actually care about.
This week has been very full on, so apologies for the brief post as I am off to make the most of the sunshine and fresh air! As ever, keep up to date following @kerrydatlen. Project 3 starts Monday...
On the train home I was a little bit inebriated (post pitch booze up) and took that opportunity to catch up on some games in Draw Something. It was only when I read messages commenting on the quality of my drawings that I likened playing Draw Something pissed to the advertising industry. Because I wasn't focused on who I was drawing to and the quality of my drawing (or message if you like) I completely ruined our turn ranking (if you don't know what I am going on about- get Draw Something) meaning we had to start back at the beginning. I liken this to the ad industry because all too often a message is delivered by a brand that doesn't really consider it's audience who then goes back to the first stages of consideration. I suppose this analogy links back to everything I have heard throughout the course- be simple and considerate, know your audience and take time to plan the message and the channels to reach them. I just don't understand why something so simple isn't being put into practice a lot more? And what can I do to change it?
Ramblings aside, this week has been hard, tiring, stressful, but most of all rewarding. It was the final week of project three, so we were all frantically getting our pitches together for Friday afternoon. Each group pitched their idea and media plan to Paul Ridsdale (Head of marketing at ITV) and Helen Lawrence (Marketing Manager of new platforms at ASOS) and we impressed them so much Helen later tweeted:
""Wow. Amazing day judging incredible work from the Squared 2012 teams. So impressed. Amazing talent, they're sure to be millionaires by 30"
Other than project work, we had a toolbox session on Google Analytics, where we were asked to analyse the Google Store Website using real time data. I found it really insightful as it helped me consider where websites go wrong and potential solutions to problems. This is something I would like to take back in my agency work as it would definitely aid in effective digital planning. It was also nice to go back to looking at numbers #imissmyspreadsheets.
Simon Rogers (editor at the Guardian) gave a talk on "beautiful data" and the use of infographics in supporting explanation. He gave multiple examples of how data can be used in interesting ways, for example: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/interactive/2011/dec/07/london-riots-twitter and opened up new ways of thinking about and combining different data sources in order to create something people actually care about.
This week has been very full on, so apologies for the brief post as I am off to make the most of the sunshine and fresh air! As ever, keep up to date following @kerrydatlen. Project 3 starts Monday...
Sunday, 8 April 2012
Sir John Hegarty and Rory Sutherland all in one week...
As the title suggests, it has been a pretty epic week in terms of guest speakers!
We heard from Sir John Hegarty on Tuesday who addressed the problems we are having with creativity in today's media world. He went on to say that TV is not dead, we are just creating "fucking boring" ads for it. He suggested that TV should be used as a starting point for brands to create more interesting conversations then proceeded to play The Guardian Three little pigs advert: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iP88d87AV1k proving that TV ads can be extremely creative. What I liked about John was his no nonsense approach, he was asked multiple wanky media questions which all drove back to one answer: "It's simple, just be bloody interesting!". He kept his points concise and described technology as turning leaks into waterfalls- a point which many of the guest speakers have alluded to. Technology has given the consumer the tools with which to voice their opinions openly and publicly and the ability to share without limitations. This means that the consumer has the power to do a lot of the media work for brands- something I coined as "freedia". Like Sir John Hegarty said- it's simple, give the consumer something to talk about and they will do the work for you. I liked to look at it from the point of view that technology is creativity's wingman- who can both enhance/destroy an idea's game in one fail swoop.
The majority of the week has been taken up with project work for project 2, which is going well! We had our first client meeting that put a spanner in the works but all in all we are on track and I will give a full update once we have pitched on Friday (although we are doing karaoke Friday night so I may not be in a fit state to write on Saturday!). Aside from project work we also had a toolbox session around coding- although very interesting I doubt I will be a web producer any time soon!
The second talk of the week came from Rory Sutherland a man who is unbelievably eloquent and side splittingly humorous. At one point he compared queue jumping in Britain to paedophilia which basically demonstrates the tone of the whole talk. Rory largely spoke about behavioural psychology and our innate desire to rationalise everything. He stated that people always want to attribute success to a strategic decision instead of just accepting that it was pure luck or other factors that generate that success. He likened it to the riding of an elephant in that by in large the elephant will go where it wants to go, yet the individual riding it believes they have control over it. Rory suggested that we need to embrace system 1 thinking in order to produce successful advertising and go back to what people really want. It seems that simplifying the message according to what motivates the audience is the success SO WHY ISN'T THIS HAPPENING?!
In order to filter the media BS out of my vocab and get back to a simpler way of thinking, I have generated a list (work in progress) of words that are over-used and quite frankly irritating:
Silo, Zeitgeist, Beta, Adhoc, Caveat, moving forward....
The list will no doubt get longer throughout the remainder of my time in squared so keep up to date by following @kerrydatlen and feel free to add your own!
We heard from Sir John Hegarty on Tuesday who addressed the problems we are having with creativity in today's media world. He went on to say that TV is not dead, we are just creating "fucking boring" ads for it. He suggested that TV should be used as a starting point for brands to create more interesting conversations then proceeded to play The Guardian Three little pigs advert: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iP88d87AV1k proving that TV ads can be extremely creative. What I liked about John was his no nonsense approach, he was asked multiple wanky media questions which all drove back to one answer: "It's simple, just be bloody interesting!". He kept his points concise and described technology as turning leaks into waterfalls- a point which many of the guest speakers have alluded to. Technology has given the consumer the tools with which to voice their opinions openly and publicly and the ability to share without limitations. This means that the consumer has the power to do a lot of the media work for brands- something I coined as "freedia". Like Sir John Hegarty said- it's simple, give the consumer something to talk about and they will do the work for you. I liked to look at it from the point of view that technology is creativity's wingman- who can both enhance/destroy an idea's game in one fail swoop.
The majority of the week has been taken up with project work for project 2, which is going well! We had our first client meeting that put a spanner in the works but all in all we are on track and I will give a full update once we have pitched on Friday (although we are doing karaoke Friday night so I may not be in a fit state to write on Saturday!). Aside from project work we also had a toolbox session around coding- although very interesting I doubt I will be a web producer any time soon!
The second talk of the week came from Rory Sutherland a man who is unbelievably eloquent and side splittingly humorous. At one point he compared queue jumping in Britain to paedophilia which basically demonstrates the tone of the whole talk. Rory largely spoke about behavioural psychology and our innate desire to rationalise everything. He stated that people always want to attribute success to a strategic decision instead of just accepting that it was pure luck or other factors that generate that success. He likened it to the riding of an elephant in that by in large the elephant will go where it wants to go, yet the individual riding it believes they have control over it. Rory suggested that we need to embrace system 1 thinking in order to produce successful advertising and go back to what people really want. It seems that simplifying the message according to what motivates the audience is the success SO WHY ISN'T THIS HAPPENING?!
In order to filter the media BS out of my vocab and get back to a simpler way of thinking, I have generated a list (work in progress) of words that are over-used and quite frankly irritating:
Silo, Zeitgeist, Beta, Adhoc, Caveat, moving forward....
The list will no doubt get longer throughout the remainder of my time in squared so keep up to date by following @kerrydatlen and feel free to add your own!
Sunday, 1 April 2012
Project Two, Week Three...
The previous week's hard work was used to pitch on Monday to a panel of investors including one of the founders of asuitthatfits.com, David Hathiramani. Although our idea may have had some flaws (ONLY SOME), our pitch went down a treat and overall, it was a great team effort.
As soon as the previous project was over it was time to start a new one. So, on Tuesday, we were given the brief for project two and divided into new teams who we would be working with for the next three weeks. The task for these three weeks would be persuading a brand who has previously only invested marketing money in offline to move some budget into online. Initially, I wasn't really sure I liked the task in hand but as the week progressed I definitely got more into it. Now, I can report- all is going well and my team is working productively too.
So aside from project work, we also had a workshop on the use of Google adwords. I wish I could say I was any good at it, but... I tried! A big pointer I took from these sessions which I suppose I have been thinking for a while is that ads that are successful work well when you put yourself in the shoes of the recipient. Nowadays, I think it's easy for the marketing industry to get carried away with a big idea without really thinking of the people receiving the ads. This tool box session also taught me the skills needed to be a success in biddable media- something that we are seeing great growth in in the media industry.
Jeremy Bullmore (advertising legend) gave an inspirational talk which completely confirmed how simple marketing/advertising should actually be. He reiterated that the conversations between consumers and brands (we now see openly across social media) is not a phenomenon, but one that was previously unheard. People have always had conversations with brands- we are now just able to hear them. However, the amplification of such opinions are a reminder to brands that each receiver interprets their message very differently, and that more time and care should be taken in producing advertising that sends out a clear message.
Yet another busy week in Squared HQ... follow me on @kerrydatlen for daily updates :)
Sunday, 25 March 2012
Week 2...
Week 2, We were split into groups and given our first project of pitching an online business idea to a panel of investors.
The first half of the week was all about getting an idea together, a part of the process that has a tendency to really piss me off. Luckily, the week before had prepared me for working effectively in a group, so my concerns were happily aired and the team rallied round to keep me from exploding. We ploughed through 3 days of intense concept creation, 13 ideas, multiple reflection/feedback sessions and just as my patience was reaching tipping point we FINALLY reached an idea (one that we were all happy to go along with).
Then came the hard part... how would it make money? In order to guide all the teams in producing a viable revenue model we were given supporting talks from Mikael Ahlstrom on how to make money from online ideas. It was interesting to realise that the likes of Spotify, Twitter and Skype were making a ton of cash from seemingly free services. As the group identified over 30 revenue models I couldn't help but feel a bit like 'shhhiiiittttttt, we've got a lot of work to do'. Although I was allotted the role of 'revenue optimiser' a team member stepped up to solidify the revenue model that we would be using and I fannied about with the numbers.
Earlier in the week, I told the group that my weaknesses lie in research, but I found that it was actually an area that I really enjoyed. Getting the meat behind the idea is where I find the greatest satisfaction, probably has a lot to do with how anal I am with my organisation. Understanding the workings behind the idea also helped me to have faith in it, I knew what we had produced was viable and proven and then I let my creative mind takeover. I set my mind to producing the concept book that was meant to "tell our story" without any of the team being there in a creative way- because, I knew the facts and figures behind the story I found it easy to let myself go. And, to be honest, I am pretty happy with it, our presentation is pretty shit hot too.
Aside from the project work, we also had a toolbox session with the big dogs from Facebook, Twitter and Google + which ended in Matt Bush from Google talking about tweeting on Google +, and Bruce Daisley having some bants with two lads from squared who "looked like they were from LMFAO". This led onto considering my social footprint and how I could best listen to the socialsphere to understand my impact. I didn't realise there were so many free tools to listen into the social arena and I formulated a plan in order to achieve my objectives of listening to media industry professionals while creating my own conversations.
So, all in all, a great and hectic week. I don't think I have ever been so tired in my life but I am still really enjoying myself and looking forward to the pitch come Monday afternoon. Virtual luck is much appreciated! Follow me on Twitter @kerrydatlen for the results and daily updates!
The first half of the week was all about getting an idea together, a part of the process that has a tendency to really piss me off. Luckily, the week before had prepared me for working effectively in a group, so my concerns were happily aired and the team rallied round to keep me from exploding. We ploughed through 3 days of intense concept creation, 13 ideas, multiple reflection/feedback sessions and just as my patience was reaching tipping point we FINALLY reached an idea (one that we were all happy to go along with).
Then came the hard part... how would it make money? In order to guide all the teams in producing a viable revenue model we were given supporting talks from Mikael Ahlstrom on how to make money from online ideas. It was interesting to realise that the likes of Spotify, Twitter and Skype were making a ton of cash from seemingly free services. As the group identified over 30 revenue models I couldn't help but feel a bit like 'shhhiiiittttttt, we've got a lot of work to do'. Although I was allotted the role of 'revenue optimiser' a team member stepped up to solidify the revenue model that we would be using and I fannied about with the numbers.
Earlier in the week, I told the group that my weaknesses lie in research, but I found that it was actually an area that I really enjoyed. Getting the meat behind the idea is where I find the greatest satisfaction, probably has a lot to do with how anal I am with my organisation. Understanding the workings behind the idea also helped me to have faith in it, I knew what we had produced was viable and proven and then I let my creative mind takeover. I set my mind to producing the concept book that was meant to "tell our story" without any of the team being there in a creative way- because, I knew the facts and figures behind the story I found it easy to let myself go. And, to be honest, I am pretty happy with it, our presentation is pretty shit hot too.
Aside from the project work, we also had a toolbox session with the big dogs from Facebook, Twitter and Google + which ended in Matt Bush from Google talking about tweeting on Google +, and Bruce Daisley having some bants with two lads from squared who "looked like they were from LMFAO". This led onto considering my social footprint and how I could best listen to the socialsphere to understand my impact. I didn't realise there were so many free tools to listen into the social arena and I formulated a plan in order to achieve my objectives of listening to media industry professionals while creating my own conversations.
So, all in all, a great and hectic week. I don't think I have ever been so tired in my life but I am still really enjoying myself and looking forward to the pitch come Monday afternoon. Virtual luck is much appreciated! Follow me on Twitter @kerrydatlen for the results and daily updates!
Saturday, 17 March 2012
Is now, then?
After meeting everyone on the Friday before, I thought I was going into some happy clappy tree hugging cult, where I would be brain washed and spat out the other end being suitably "Googlefied". *Note: It's not Google squared, Just Squared :)
Tuesday brought an interesting talk from Mark Comerford (a self-confessed arsehole apparently) who basically after dropping the 'C' bomb, a few 'MF's and a whole heap of other profanities got to his point that "Change will fuck you up". He was right, change is disruptive and if you are prepared for it, it will reduce the disruption and basically reduce the fuckage. If you don't disrupt yourself, someone will come along and disrupt you and it has always been the most adaptable of the species that has survived this.
So, come Monday morning, I was pretty apprehensive and nervous about what the week was going to bring. I assembled sheepishly with the rest of my group (Team ABBA- don't ask!) after a quick introductory session and soon found myself presenting "Me"- this included my strengths, weaknesses, an anecdote and a pretty shit stick man drawing. It all got pretty deep and I found myself confessing my deepest darkest worries (something I rarely do with my friends let alone a bunch of randomers), the funny thing was... everyone else was doing exactly the same and we were all happy to share. I dished out and received feedback and finished the first day feeling pretty positive but still a little bit sceptical.
Tuesday, I learnt the importance of reflection in altering future behaviour. This involved drilling into my well of knowledge and driving past just reviewing previous behaviours and trying to understand the why behind them. Don't worry, I know you're probably thinking "WTF?! she really is in a happy clappy tree hugging cult", and I suppose before starting this course I would have thought taking 10 minutes to 'understand yourself' was complete bullshit as well, so I don't blame you! What I will say is try it...

One thing I took away from Mark's speech was that we as an industry see the digital world as some airy fairy non-tangible phenomenon, but need to realise that there is now no difference between the real world and the digital world. We need to look at the trajectory of these developments we are seeing and understand that now is then and make strategic decisions about where it's going to go (all very hardcore I know).
Tuesday also brought a talk from Ade Oshineye (part of the Google + project team) who although being clearly very intelligent and charming, delivered a speech that advocated the brilliance of Google which I found difficult to push past. He made some interesting points and reiterated the need for flexibility and adaptiveness in today's world, especially with the metrics on which we measure success.
The following days were spent learning theories and models about group dynamics and the stages that groups go through in order to reach performance and productivity. When I say we spent these days learning this, it wasn't through loads of notes and being talked at by a teacher... it was all through experience based learning where we were encouraged to live the different stages of group development. This involved a task where we were asked to potentially compromise our values which in turn created conflict within the group. There were a few tense moments to say the least, followed by a lot of reflection and feedback.
We ended the week after an intense 4 hour reflection session and a talk from Micke Ahlstrom (serial entrepreneur). The main point I took from his talk is the shift from story telling to story building, and that inviting people into your story will produce a higher level of engagement. He also encouraged us to think of potential mash-up companies using existing platforms. Of course, my little team's was the best... blobshop.com- combining Ocado, a menstrual calculator and a women to have tampons and chocolate delivered at her time of the month (true visionaries).
All in all, it has been a fantastic week that has completely changed my way of thinking along with my understanding of people and groups. I have met some lovely people and can whole heartedly say that I feel truly privileged to be taking part in the squared programme.
Follow me: @kerrydatlen - for daily updates!
Keep your eyes peeled for next week's- the group tasks will be starting so no doubt the claws will be out!!
Meet Team Abba...
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