Brands Summit 2008 Glyn Britton 26 February 2008

Sorry, but I’m not Carolyn Managh

I’m Glyn Britton 3 years 6 years 2 years 2 years

3 years

Get this presentation www.albionlondon.com/blog

What I’ll try and talk about How Albion are helping eBay to reinvent their brand communications: From image building, to telling the truth in compelling ways. Death to cleverness - immediacy, immediacy, immediacy. The community is the brand, the company is just the enabler.

How Albion are helping eBay to reinvent their brand communications:

From image building, to telling the truth in compelling ways.

Death to cleverness - immediacy, immediacy, immediacy.

The community is the brand, the company is just the enabler.

How we work with eBay – in practice Multidisciplinary team assembles around each task combining different skills and channels e.g. branding, DM, digital, advertising Truly collaboratively with our clients – they spend 2 days a week working in our office, we spend 2 days a week working at theirs. Brand and communications thinking integrated into the business planning process. Sharing our clients’ business objectives. Working flexibly with specialist agencies or production partners –providing creative direction and production management.

Multidisciplinary team assembles around each task combining different skills and channels e.g. branding, DM, digital, advertising

Truly collaboratively with our clients – they spend 2 days a week working in our office, we spend 2 days a week working at theirs.

Brand and communications thinking integrated into the business planning process. Sharing our clients’ business objectives.

Working flexibly with specialist agencies or production partners –providing creative direction and production management.

How we’re helping eBay to reinvent their brand communications

20 million customers in the UK

Democratised auction culture

Increased competition

Now need to challenge preconceptions

So how are we doing that? How Albion are helping eBay to reinvent their brand communications: From image building, to telling the truth in compelling ways. Death to cleverness - immediacy, immediacy, immediacy. The community is the brand, the company is just the enabler.

How Albion are helping eBay to reinvent their brand communications:

From image building, to telling the truth in compelling ways.

Death to cleverness - immediacy, immediacy, immediacy.

The community is the brand, the company is just the enabler.

 THE  COMMUNITY IS THE BRAND.  THE  COMPANY IS JUST THE ENABLER.

 THE 

COMMUNITY

IS THE BRAND.

 THE 

COMPANY

IS JUST THE ENABLER.

A hugely successful branding device 84% attribution

84% attribution

Our characters need to evolve Dexterous Expressive Detailed Stylised Dramatise auction culture Dramatise the auction process Cast of unique characters who represent the eBay community Generically represent the eBay community Give meaning to eBay logo Symbolise eBay logo

Chi Mickey ( Poppy ) Olivia Benjamin Wilma ( Poppy ) Eden , (Miguel) Finbar Neville Wolfgang (Gabriel) - Tamal Norma - Jack Composer ( ISFP ): Synthesizing Performer ( ESFP ): Demonstrating Entertainer (SFP) Improvising Crafter ( ISTP ): Instrumenting Promoter ( ESTP ): Persuading Operator (STP) Expediting Artisan (SP) Tactical Protector ( ISFJ ): Securing Provider ( ESFJ ): Supplying Conservator (SFJ) Supporting Inspector ( ISTJ ): Certifying Supervisor ( ESTJ ): Enforcing Administrator (STJ) Regulating Guardian (SJ) Logistical Earthling (S) Observant Architect ( INTP ): Designing Inventor ( ENTP ): Devising Engineer (NTP) Constructing Mastermind ( INTJ ): Entailing Fieldmarshal ( ENTJ ): Mobilizing Coordinator (NTJ) Arranging Rational (NT) Strategic Healer ( INFP ): Conciliating Champion ( ENFP ): Motivating Advocate (NFP) Mediating Counselor ( INFJ ): Guiding Teacher ( ENFJ ): Educating Mentor (NFJ) Developing Idealist (NF) Diplomatic Martian (N) Introspective Expressive or Reserved? Directive or Informative? Cooperative or Utilitarian? Abstract or Concrete? Role Variant Role Temperament

It’s all about the community, not the company Finbar Neville Poppy Eden Rational Inventor Artisan Crafter Guardian Provider Idealist Teacher

Their context needed to evolve World of auction culture Empty white world Dynamically moving Standing in a line Four people interacting in the eBay world Four friends in a room Products to the fore People to the fore

World design in entertainment properties

Our starting point We are the citizens of eBay world. Our purpose is to create a vibrant modern civilisation built not on agriculture, industrial production or warfare, but colourful commerce. We are a contemporary egalitarian society all striving for the same goals and like all successful civilisations, we have our own constitution and belief system that we stick to in order to ensure harmony within our culture. Different is good. We’re proud to go against convention. That doesn’t mean we’re weird or on the margins of society. It just means that if we think that there’s a better way of doing things then we’ll do it. This doesn’t just apply to shopping, it’s how we live our lives in general. We try to inject fun into everything we do. We don’t clown about for the sake of it but we are always positive and see the bright side of life. Although trading is the raison d’etre of our society, it is never a chore, always fresh and exciting. We trust people. We have faith in human nature, not corporations and boadrooms. That’s why we’re happy to trade with our neighbours rather than rush to big chainstores to buy what we need. We support our people, not “The Man”. The constitution of eBay world

eBay World

A new kind of brand? Brand reflects your world You join the brand’s world Dove Nike Gucci Economist Tesco

A new kind of brand? You are the brand world Brand reflects your world You join the brand’s world eBay Dove Nike Gucci Economist Tesco Facebook

Incidentally… Sometimes eBay the company does need to talk. Then we use a quite different creative vehicle…

Sometimes eBay the company does need to talk. Then we use a quite different creative vehicle…

DEATH TO CLEVERNESS  IMMEDIACY IMMEDIACY IMMEDIACY

DEATH

TO

CLEVERNESS



IMMEDIACY

IMMEDIACY

IMMEDIACY

Make it a habit

Banners with a live feed, to show people what they’re missing

The first ever live TV ad

 FROM  IMAGE BUILDING  TO  TELLING THE TRUTH IN COMPELLING WAYS

 FROM 

IMAGE BUILDING

 TO 

TELLING THE TRUTH

IN COMPELLING WAYS

A blog in a press ad

A physical catalogue for an online company

eBaying in a social network

The future More digital. More experimental. Creating value for buyers. Playing with the business model. ?

What we’ve learnt (again and again) New kinds of brands, literally made of users. Participants, not consumers. Immediacy: If you’ve got something great to say, just say it simple. It’s better to try some things and see what works, than endlessly plan. Embrace richness, depth, texture and complexity. Coherence, not consistency. Not advertising. Conversations. The growing importance of ‘voice’. Anything’s possible with plug and play media. The best work comes from collaboration. The importance of internal culture.

New kinds of brands, literally made of users.

Participants, not consumers.

Immediacy: If you’ve got something great to say, just say it simple.

It’s better to try some things and see what works, than endlessly plan.

Embrace richness, depth, texture and complexity.

Coherence, not consistency.

Not advertising. Conversations.

The growing importance of ‘voice’.

Anything’s possible with plug and play media.

The best work comes from collaboration.

The importance of internal culture.

Thank you [email_address] Skype me: glyndot