Ogilvy launches Ogilvy Earth

Ogilvy and Mather, the advertising, marketing and PR group, is set to launch a new unit, Ogilvy Earth, which will be based in 30 offices around the world and focus on issues relating to sustainability, as its seeks to move beyond its current role and become a "business accelerator". 

The company, part of the WPP Group, was recently appointed to develop a campaign heightening awareness of a UN conference that is to be held in Copenhagen later this year, aiming to galvanise consumers, the private and public sectors to take a more active role in countering climate change. 

It has also previously worked on environmentally-focused communications such as "Beyond Petroleum" for BP, the oil giant, and "Smart Planet" for IBM, the solutions and services provider. 

According to Miles Young, the agency network's chief executive, the move is intended to position Ogilvy as "business accelerators", a role that agencies have surrendered in recent times. 

Young argued that the "industry as a whole has slightly dumbed down, so at one point management consultants were making serious attacks on some of the roles of communications agencies." 

However, as "their attacks have receded," there are now "opportunities to make incursions into their territory" and "move back to being a partner at an intellectual level with our clients." 

O&M's new approach has also been prompted by broader changes in consumer behaviour, as the "view of taking a message and shooting it at people is shifting to a new world where communications is about content and content knows no boundaries." 

Data sourced from Financial Times; additional content by WARC staff, 26 May 2009 

Hoe groen zijn de partijprogramma's?

Ik moet gaan stemmen.

Maar welke partij heeft nu echt een goeie visie over over hoe onze economie en levensstijl dikke vrienden kunnen worden met de aardbol en vooral alle moois dat erop rondkruipt, zwemt, klotst, waait...?

De Bond beter Leefmilieu heeft haar analyse online gedeeld met haar levenminnende medemens. Zoals ze zelf aangeven: geen absolute waarheid, maar wel degelijk huiswerk zoals we van hen gewend zijn.

Klik hier voor een overzicht

Creating Hero brands

Hero Brand Summary

View more OpenOffice presentations from Guillaume Van der stighelen.

My previous boss, Guillaume Van der Stighelen, co-founder of Duval Guillaume wrote a book called Hero Brand. In this book he explains how the process of becoming a brand is similar to the process of becoming a hero.

On his blog "heldenmerk" he answers questions about the book. In this 30+ conversations so far, you find smart thoughts and angle points on how to market "urban biking", "social services", "fundraising", non-profits, even the reputation and self-esteem of a country, and many other cause related subjects.

Interesting reads, fresh views on branding, always in relation to the broader societal and empathy driven context.

You can buy his book here, and the English version will be available soon.

FOOD INC. The inconvenient illusion about our food

This new documentary, Food Inc, coming out this summer that exposes some of the realities behind food production. It's interesting that Stonyfield Farm, who's founder features in the film is getting so involved in promoting the movie. It's on the company's website and I am sure we will see it on its yoghurt cartons soon. 

Anyway, a first point in the strategy that I appreciate: This is no advertising. Advertising is what the food industry is doing.

 They create something that is interesting (a movie), not something that interrups the movie. On top of that, the movie provides a 'body of knowledge' that: 

- provokes competition

- builds opinion that is attractive to adopt and share

- and will be part of people's conversation

 

 

Let's cheer you all up

Playing For Change | Song Around The World "Stand By Me" from Concord Music Group on Vimeo.

This is love-and-piece, hippie and flowerpower-stuff version 2.0 from the "playingforchange-project"