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Jaguar: genius tease or brand disaster? You decide:

Brand refreshes are often controversial, but few have generated as much negativity and comment worldwide as Jaguar’s car-less, logo-less, seemingly gender-less, teaser promotion. But is it teaser genius or brand suicide?The hot topic of news shows, podcasts and even political commentary around the world – even featuring on my favourite podcast, the 100 million download The News Agents – Jaguar’s move to ‘copy nothing’ and move away from its (insufficiently large) tweedy, older audien...

Why delivering on the Broader Outcomes is like mowing the lawn

As we head towards the weekend, some of us lucky people will be wondering if the weather will be good enough to allow us to run the mower over our gardens - while others will no doubt be hoping for a massive downpour so they can stay inside and binge-watch Netflix... Whatever your motivation level, it makes me think about how the Government’s Wellbeing Agenda is a bit like gardening. Yes. Really. I must be thinking about this a bit too much - perhaps I should use the weekend to have a good old...

Insights from our Why Wellbeing Matters event: 22 July 2020

It was so great to welcome a packed room at Generator and many people on Zoom for our social procurement insight event: Why Wellbeing Matters (if you want to win work from Government). MC:d ably by David Maurice, who coped admirably with the challenges of hosting a hybrid event that switched between multiple locations, our two speakers spoke on two aspects of activity in this area: Andy Cochrane, Director Beacons - Construction Accord at MBIE, spoke powerfully and ...

Want to win more work? All the clues were in the Budget speech

If you are a company that wants to win a slice of national, regional or local government work in New Zealand, clues to everything you need were in Grant Robertson’s speech last Thursday, says George Hulbert:...

Need help being useful when you communicate?

Amid the Covid lockdown it may seem that now is not a good time to communicate. But if you do it right, it could be the most valuable thing you ever do:...

Many procurement processes are still forging ahead – so are you?

Are you using the lockdown to prepare your plans and proof, so you’re ready to win the contracts that are coming – and do you need help to complete the bids that are happening now?...

What COVID messages are getting through to you?

We’re big into message at The Clarity Business. Which ones are getting through to you at the moment?...

Test: Are you ready to win work aligned with Government’s Broader Outcomes?

Are you part of a company that wins work in NZ from government departments, agencies or from local government? If so, you might want to pay attention now:...

3 PR disasters in 2019 – and a triumph

Here we are at the end of another year of reputational cataclysms and catastrophes – plus a few coups as well. Is it me, or has it been a more dramatic year than usual?...

Lessons from my father

by Kim Baldock:...

3 tendering secrets hidden in Elvis song titles

Bet you didn’t know that Elvis was a master of the tendering process, as well as being a snake-hipped singing god. Well, he sure can help you do better in your approach to tendering – and just looking at his song titles can help you. Here’s how:...

Become outstanding in standing out

Are you looking to be just another tree in the forest, or the one that truly stands out, asks Kim Baldock:...

5 secrets from the gym on how to communicate better

It’s amazing – gyms aren’t just for pumping iron or getting a sweat on. They can actually teach us a few things about how we can communicate better in our working lives. And not just about grunting in public. Yes, it’s true!...

What does positive Sentiment mean for winning work?

AECOM’s regular Sentiment survey results event is always fascinating: but what does the latest survey mean for companies looking to win work through tender?...

You can change your life for the better, even in a terrible year. Here’s how I did:

People have been asking me for a few months why I haven’t been writing a blog about my year, which has seen so much change. Well, here it all is, in one self-indulgent go:...

Push your social media to work harder, better, stronger over the holidays

Black Friday is coming up! It is increasingly seen as the start of the retail holiday season, which ends after the Boxing Day sales that often last until mid-January.  At this time social media marketing can help your business to gain new customers and brand advocates, as a part of the overall marketing mix, along with increased revenue.  You can get your social media to work like a well oiled machine over the holidays if you implement the following tips:...

Want to win industry awards? Here’s how:

The awards season is upon us - yay! A time of tuxedos, toasts, and tension… as you wait to hear if your name will go up in lights. Or will you walk away gritting your teeth sickly as your arch competitor takes the title from you again?...

10 lessons from 10 years of Clarity

Ten years ago, The Clarity Business launched out into the pounding waves of the Global Financial Crisis. Great timing! Here are ten things we've learned since then:...

3 simple tips to communicate complex information

George Hulbert was chuffed to be asked to give a guest lecture to the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) PR & Communications course recently. The topic: Communicating Complex Information. Sounds hard? Here are three tips that help George to make it easier: ...

Six creative ways to get more customer testimonials

By Athena DennisThe most effective way to grow your audience is through the power of testimonials. Testimonials are the old-fashioned way to build reputation and legitimacy for your brand. Although without the right tools at your disposal, getting testimonials can be like pulling teeth. The most effective ways to get testimonials is to leverage the power of the internet....

Ten Great Ways to Optimise your Landing Page for Conversion

By Athena Dennis No matter what kind of business you’re in, your website needs to effectively sell your offerings. Organisations that deliberately and consciously invest in conversion optimisation are twice as likely to see a boost in sales. However the reason many businesses don’t, is that they are far too focused on BAU – the business as usual syndrome. When more pressing tasks need to be addressed right now, then optimising the home page of your website takes a backseat. Although...

Six marketing trends that will dominate 2019

by Athena Dennis. As the year ticks over into its second half, right now is a great time to consider future trends in marketing for 2019. No matter what industry your business operates within, it pays to know about the next big thing around the bend. ...

The concert that became a circus

Quiz time. What do a former Aussie rules player, the 80s popsinger Phil Collins, a knighted scientist and former Prime Minister Helen Clark all have in common?...

6 ways to stimulate social media engagement

Here’s a guide on how to structure your social media and content strategy, in order to get the best outcome for your real estate business:...

Gayford takes the bait

Got ‘em. Two words (or part thereof) that almost certainly would have been uttered at the editorial desk in the NZ Herald this week after the recently appointed first man Clarke Gayford found himself reeled in by an inflammatory column....