Dustin Curtis was so appalled by his experience at American Airlines’ website that he drew up a redesign and sent them an open letter.
I did exactly the same thing recently. My aunt’s ouiji board is more in touch with web design and best practice than what a company had created for a young, energetic start-up I know. So I redesigned it and set them my creation. My chosen patient wasn’t anywhere near the scale of AA, but its foe pars put it on the critical list and, like Dustin, I simply couldn’t resist.
But unlike AA, if I had published my critique (instead of sending privately), the site’s owners wouldn’t have noticed. AA did notice and their response is here. How about you, are you awake at the wheel?
If and when your company is mentioned online are you listening?
Adam & Eve are on the up. Not only did they win the John Lewis account earlier this year, but the ‘young communications company’ has also secured the enviable task of creatives at Williams F1.
What an exciting and innovative client Williams F1 will be. Still, you can’t help but wonder what their view of having RBS in the stable will be. Will it make courting new sponsorship deals more or less likely?
Either way, Adam & Eve will take encouragement that financial companies are still willing to pay £80m to get themselves onto footy shirts. Surely then, the O2s, Intels and Ciscos of the world would like a slice of the F1 pie?
Tom Asacker recently said,
“…That is what strategically building a strong brand is all about today. Sure it’s about being different and creating desire and preference. But it’s also about evoking compassion, passion and pride.”
I’d go a smidge further and say that since our near complete capitalist meltdown (not yet fully avoided) there’s a new strain of business ethic and decency breaking through the scorched earth. The bankers, real estate guys, mortgage brokers et al have vividly painted a canvas of greed followed by ruin. GM, once the largest company in the world, is just the latest example of how wrong things have been.
Non-myopic businesses can highlight the error of our ways and show a better understanding of decency, purpose and belief. Of not doing ‘it’ simply because you can; because it’s legal and within the rules or guidelines. Of doing more of the right thing even if it hurts your immediate bottom line.
Unfortunately it’s not going to be an en masse phoenix-like regeneration. Things will be much subtler and change will take time, but surely consumers will migrate to those organisations that act more correct: more ‘green.’
If only our politicians had realised more of this selflessly, rather than playing by the Enron book of ethics and being browbeaten into change by the Telegraph.
Photo credit: davetoaster
It’s the time of year when schools christen students with some work experience by sending them out to organisations to be blooded with genuine toil.
I vividly remember donning a snazzy tie and Hush Puppies and turning up for my fortnight’s work experience at a high street bank. They were great. No floor polishing or coffee making for me: I sorted the personal cheques (remember them?), I printed statements, I opened mail and weighed coins. They even gave me the code for the door so I could get back in from lunch!
But thinking about this also brought back memories of the cheery store manager. He was a large character that would be right at home holding forth in the golf club bar. On day one, I thought he was a nice chap.
Then I saw him grab one of the female teller’s backsides as she walked past him. Between repeating this on several prey and dishing out overly long hugs that had women craning their necks away from his leer, I soon changed my mind.
Sexist rubbish in the workplace has come a long way in twenty odd years but a business forum I recently attended tells me it’s not come far enough.
The opening speaker was littered with innuendo and lewd comments. Granted, there was a sporting slant to the day (Joe Lydon’s coaching talk was excellent) but the title of the event was ‘High Performance Society,’ not ‘Bar Room Tales of Totty.’ Three of the seven seats at my table complained; two left early asking for their money back.
We’ve still got further to go gents. Much further. Even your work experience student can probably point that out to you.
Photo: one of my favourite business women, Mary Portas
I’m driving on the weekend with my three-year-old in the back of the car. “Where [are] we going, daddy?” I reply with, “B and Q.” From behind me comes the cutest singing voice, “You can do it when you B and Q it.” I was flabbergasted.
The only TV she watches in any quantity is CBeebies which runs no adverts, let alone adult DIY targeting. Amazing.
For all our new media talk of Web 2.0 sounding the death knell of TV advertising we shouldn’t underestimate the power of the old fashioned jingle. For penetration and awareness it clearly still packs a hell of a punch.
