Posts tagged "agency"

The joys of busy times, means that we haven’t really been out on a big one in a while. Total shame. With this in mind everyone piled into Chez Scorer last night for a hefty feast of ribs, ’slaw and baked starch, followed by 150 brownies and ice cream.

This mammoth calorie intake  saw us up until 3.30 this morning, putting the world to rights (Helen),  talking complete nonsense (Wyndham) and teaching Punjabi (Jas) and Afrikaans (Sheralyn).

I woke this morning to find my brilliant sister, had cleared up all the mess and deposited what must have been a tonne of bones for the bin men. I have since had 2 requests for my secret  rib sauce recipe and now am considered a Levi Roots style Hivey Hivey Sauce range.

Needless to say the office is a little quieter than normal today.

First off, if you’re busy, close this and come back to it when you’ve got 5 minutes and a cup of tea.

It’s not work, and it’s not urgent, but it is important.

This is a request for your help, and it’s a story about luck.  Let’s start with the story, and some audience participation.  Think of a number.  Got one?  Is it even?  Yes?  Well done, you win. That’s luck – 50:50 chance.  It was odd?  Never mind, you lose, but hey it’s not life or death.  Or maybe it is….

That’s basically the situation I found myself in April 2005, at 26 years old.  In what I thought would be a routine post surgical check up, I was told the suspected haematoma that was removed had turned out to be a fist-sized soft tissue sarcoma – a very rare and very dangerous form of cancer.  Just when I thought I would be told I could go back to play squash, I actually found myself sat in front of oncologists telling me I needed chemotherapy and radiotherapy.   I ended up as a hospital in-patient for 3 or 4 days every 3 weeks for 6 cycles, followed by daily radiotherapy that lasted until the end of the year.

So where does the 50:50 come in?  Well, those are the 5 year survival odds for the advanced type of cancer that I faced, and 2200 people in the UK face similar odds each year.   Bone and soft tissue sarcomas are some of the rarest cancers that exist, and as such have relatively little research devoted to them.  I had the same chance as you picking an even number, or tossing a coin and guessing ‘heads’.  I survived.  A brief look at the Sarcoma Trust fundraising page on JustGiving will tell you many sufferers aren’t so lucky.

There’s really no way to express the gratitude I have for the team that helped me, from the very first orthopod who wouldn’t take the easy option; the surgeon whose impeccable technique removed the cancer that not so long ago would have meant amputation; the medical oncologist whose first visit on landing from holiday was to see his patient; the clinical oncologist whose radiotherapy plan spared enough thigh muscle to be able to walk to radiotherapy across London every day; the wonderful staff at the hospital where I was treated; to the friends, family, and my beautiful girlfriend, now wife, who were by my side the whole time.

Which brings me to the second part of the story.  This part of the story is the plea for your help.  Of course, my survival is not just about luck.  I had a team of spectacular doctors, nurses and just as importantly friends, family and all those other wonderful people that contribute to making someone sick well again.  Without the skills, knowledge, care and love of these people, there’s a very good chance this email would be coming from someone in my memory, not from me. The Sarcoma Trust is a charity that was set up in 2007 to provide information and support to patients and their carers about this rare disease, and to support research leading to better treatment and outcomes for Sarcoma patients.  Sarcoma makes up about 1% of cancers in the UK, and more research means better care and hopefully more people surviving.

That’s where you come in.

Surviving a serious illness affects many people in different ways – it has a tendency to add a little perspective to your life.  Not too long ago I’d have lost the leg.  Now I go by foot or cycle everywhere I can.  On Saturday 18^th of September, exactly 5 years from finishing radiotherapy I will cycle from Purley to Brighton.  That’s 80 km, not a bad stretch for anyone.  Now consider I had a large chunk of muscle taken out of my left thigh.  Sounds tough doesn’t it?  This is a plea not only for you to help improve the lives of patients with this terrible cancer, but very importantly, a plea that you’re going to make the pain of that ride worthwhile!  I’m aiming to raise at least £1500 for the Sarcoma Trust, and I need your help to do it.  And for those with a slightly evil streak – if you can double it – I’ll even take a shot at riding back the next day too.

So how about it?  It’ll take moments – just click here and give whatever you can afford.  Or Paypal me, send me cash, a cheque, postal order, even stamps!  Go on, it’ll make you feel warm and fuzzy inside, I promise.  Then send this on to anyone you think might be feeling generous, put it on Facebook, Twitter it, Blog it…whatever!

50:50 – that was my chance, let’s see if we can improve the odds for someone else.

Thank you

Toby – Cancer survivor.

PS – If you want to show support, and are free on Saturday 18^th September, come and have a beer with me afterwards in Brighton, but let me know you’re interested, and I’ll let you know where.

PPS – if there’s something a little bit wrong with you (like me), and you want to cycle it too – then the more the merrier!  Again, just let me know, and get your friends and family to sponsor us too!”

Prior to starting my work experience with Hive I took a look at their website,( in the hope that it would give me a better idea of what I was letting myself in for!). The cartoon characters and other blogs instantly portrayed the sort of friendly and exciting company that I knew I wanted to be involved with. Before looking on the website I (like many others before me) probably wondered what the hell Healthcare communications was all about, but after a browse of the site, I soon got the overall idea about the great communications work they produce for pharmaceutical companies.

My first Friday morning was soon upon me and I donned an outfit that for most companies out there would be frowned upon (jeans and t’s) but I soon learnt that their enthusiastic approach to dressing down was something that definitely added to the play hard, work hard ethos of Hive.

I had been told that I would be briefed over breakfast at the Wolseley, and that breakfast would be on them, a real treat for anyone, but especially for a broke student like myself. Over breakfast myself and two of the account executives (Clare and Claire) were given our brief: that there are not enough graduates, science graduates in particular, aware of Healthcare communications and in particular Hive. Our aim was therefore to find a way to educate and drive awareness of the industry amongst science graduates as well as about the attractions of an account executives role (the entry level position.)  Over the breakfast meeting we chatted about how the 2 Cla(i)res – both Oxbridge graduates – had got into the industry ; as well as other just general welcoming conversations, our favourite pass times and in particular about Tim’s recent  trout fishing adventure with one of the other directors (Tip : your passion for fishing would be a great topic to bring up in an interview if you want to impress them both!) After finally figuring out how to use the tea strainer (very embarrassing !) we began to look like we ate breakfast here all the time and set about brainstorming a few ideas. The rest of my time at Hive continued in this manner, a lot of good fun, but even more hard work .The energy levels I found within Hive were awesome and I think this shows in the great end products that they produce.

Back in the office I immediately felt fully integrated with the team. For the whole time I was there I didn’t feel like a newbie, but instead someone they were intent on treating as an equal. Whilst on work experience I was never once asked to make a cup of tea, or to do any filling.

Later that day Tim ran through all the stages of the Hive business, firstly so I would get a greater understanding of what was going on but also so that at the end of my time with Hive I would be able to see if I had covered all bases.

Over the next few days in the office I spent my time researching and re-grouping with Clair and Clare. We shared our findings and any ideas we had, before speaking to the creative and copy write teams, who, following our brief, produced two amazing advertising posters for us. Once we were happy with these we set about compiling and then practicing our presentation and this was when the nerves began to set in. After spending  so much time working on this project I didn’t want to let the other girls down, or make a complete idiot of myself in front of the board of directors! Thankfully, they all seemed very pleased with our work and they are currently in talks about the budget that might be set aside for our project.

One of the great things about my work experience at Hive, other than the people( who definitely don’t live up to the typical stereotype placed on some Oxbridge graduates) was that I was able to work on a project from start to finish. I witnessed all the stages within the process, and to see the final result was great. I suspect that there are not many other places where a work experience student would be able to tick off all the departments and work stages at the end of their time with a company.

During my time at Hive I discussed with the team just how hard it was to get the right balance for a person on work experience, in that both the person and the company benefited from them being there. I don’t know how they feel, but I definitely think I got the better deal, but that just seems to be the thing about Hive. Unlike places I’ve heard about from friends, Hive are willing to go that extra mile to make you feel at home, to help you out, and most importantly to provide you with excellent work experience that not only inspires you but educates you as well. So if any of you reading this are even slightly interested in this industry and in particular Hive I would strongly advise you to get in touch with them as soon as possible and sort out some time with them to experience for yourself just what they get up to!

Our management meeting occurred yesterday.  It’s a surprise location each time. Last month saw us climbing walls (Flickr), and this time it’s Jas’s turn to choose a location. We arrived for breakfast at Giraffe on the Southbank, and headed upstairs to Festival Hall.

It’s a vast concert space, open for anyone with no pressure from security or the like to move on – it’s like an urban village green (with free chunky Wi-Fi).  The expectation of architect and owners are that the building is ‘community useful’ not just for concert goers or customers. But the likes of us!? Bloody marvellous.

It’s a place that we got settled into pretty quickly once you have got through the weirdness of having a big meeting out in the open. Adam (Creative Director), Kate (Ebee Managing director), Sapna (Financial Guru) and the three of us directors, (Wyndham’s in Dorset) move around tables and chairs to form our boardroom for the day.  We sat there surrounded by digital nomads, elicit liaisons, disciplinary meetings and during lunch time balloon carrying kids, kids, kids.

Our management meetings are a big day for us. Sometimes we do an activity, more often than not just knuckle down and get through the agenda.  This follows a set format, with us taking about 2 hours discussing each of the individuals within our 28 person strong group. We cover each individual, making sure that each is OK, where we are with development, workload and how each of us can contribute to any aspects of the discussion. It’s our bread and butter.

Following this most important part comes coffee and culture. Always focusing on who we started out to be, the importance of ‘beapart’, where we stand against this and how we steer ourselves in the right direction.  Although we have always pretty good at turning away from things that aren’t us, it’s the grey areas that give us the most discussions, definitions of patient centricity and innovation being yesterday’s chat.

The most rapid sections of these meetings is new business.  July’s pitch reviews, new sources of revenues, organic growth expectations, and linked resource planning all being much more ‘quant’ that the other softer agenda elements.

As you can imagine for an agency that’s growing as steadily as we are, the operational discussions are always exciting ones. Departmentalisation, workflow, the ongoing recruitment of writers and the increased involvement of clients in creativity all form the post lunch hour.

Finally what has been a biggie in the past ‘Group direction and integration’ capped our day. Group business strategy tends to be ourlast agenda item – how do we work together, how do we make sure the group companies are catalytic and where to next all form regular conversations.

It was a great day – one that resulted in a late night text from one of us – saying how “solid it was looking”. It’s made more symbolic by the simple connection with the space we were in. this particular space is very close to our hearts.

Prior to us having an office,  the three of us sat in Festival Hall all the time as the central place for all 3 of us. Jas coming from down river, and Ian and I from the West and North respectively. Festival Hall was our first workspace, where our lay lines met.  Each of us sat at two side by side tables, planning Hive’s point of difference, operational plan, and other early day foundations. Midst operational planning I couldn’t help smile at Ian and Jas – it all seems a long while ago we jostling for our one laptop.

The requirements of agency employment force you sometimes to just get on and do it.

Yesterday saw a classic example of this. Needing a place to mock up some audio. Guillaume decided to build a quick recording studio for some stuff he’s working on.

Apparently it works. Anyone got any egg boxes?

It would seem to me that in most other walks of life you know what you’re getting. I go to the supermarket and come out with £50 worth of food – job done. Go to the pub and get three pints for £10.40 (country prices, not London). Even pay the council tax and know that one day that hole the size of a Roman Emperors ego, outside my house, will be fixed. But why, oh why, when it comes to advertising are we so slow off the mark when it comes to testing whether what we’ve produced has worked? It’s not just down to ads but ideas. That beautiful, carefully crafted idea that we try hard to sell to clients, would surely be easier to sell if we knew that what we had previously developed had in fact worked. I find it a bizarre conflict that us, as pharma agencies, work with some of the best research specialists in the world (clients) – phase 1, 2, 3 and 4 clinical trials, the money that gets poured into it and yet there seems to be little demand to test the agency and their ‘mettle’. Come on – have a go if you think you’re hard enough.

So, my thought for the day, or should that be week, year, infinity is link communication (and ideas) to business performance. Communications are paid for out of profit (or if you get it wrong, loss), so demand to know what has worked and what hasn’t. If nothing else, in today’s lean times it may just be easier to hang onto your budget if you can prove that past activity has benefited the brand.

I have another Hive University Strategy School tomorrow morning for the suits here.

It’s finding me panicking loads, trying to figure out whether we should cover a case study or revisit some old ground with a real life business. Alongside this – I am trying to get hold of an entrepreneur to come and present their business for discussion live by the troops.

As I was sifting through a pile of interesting (but academic) notes on previous sessions and I came across this – a Powerpoint written by a Mark Sniukas a consultant I really like. It’s strategy simplified (well almost) and well worth a quick glance. Kicks off with Costas Markides, Professor London Business School and his frank views on the state of modern strategic discipline.

Visit Presentation

So far this week has had its fair share of highlights – last night I was told by one of our clients that I should investigate a career in phone sex (nb. pre multiple espresso Martinis!). However, the stand alone winner is Jas’ epic fail at getting through a door. The added bonus being it has created one of my new favourite photos – as Ian points out, she must have been pulling off a pretty jaunty strut to leave such a special smear pattern.

Anyway, this got me thinking. Our director fails to get through one of our internal doors – hilarious, unexpected, hopefully a bit of a one off (for Jas’ sake); but how can we expect proper new bees to get through our door if they don’t even know it exists?

I fluked upon this industry, this agency, this career. At uni, doing a science degree, I was given 2 career options: Science (of the hard-core lab variety) or the City (of the hard-core bank variety). Neither of which appealled – I’m pretty sure flourescent pink jeans are frowned upon in both settings, whereas at Hive they get called ‘bastard strides’ and prompt Tim to put on some sunnies. Despite knowing there must be something in between, it was bloody difficult to discover and relied on an awful lot of luck.

“What a ridiculous situation!” Hive cries…how can we fix this problem? How can we help young guns find out we exists? As yet we don’t know. It’s a work in progress, some serious thinking is about to be done (thinking hats on). Any thoughts/ideas give us a shout (unfortunately no ipad bribe this time). We’ll fill you in on the the thinking and if you’re really lucky maybe you’ll get an invite to the solution.

I seem to be spending more time in New York these days than here and whilst it’s a great city, getting away from it all for a bit of inspiration can be tough to the uninitiated. I know where to hide in London, where to drink, where to assault my senses and where to protect them. In NY it feels like constant assault.I needed help, so our local agency friends introduced me to life on the High Line. Its 10 blocks of elevated train line no longer used, that has been beautifully designed to become NY’s latest park. It’s an architectural marvel, and it’s amazing what being one level up does to the sound of the city. It’s a great place to work, a greater place to watch, and a place I’ll be spending a lot more time.

Technology is one thing, but the value in it is the application. In light of this and to the 1250 people who read our blog every month here’s your chance to contribute and help us.

We have a competition going on in here. Come up with a great idea that we can put on the ipad and commercialise within the healthcare sector and win the sodding thing.  We thought we’d extend it to everyone. So it’s simple. Send us in your ideas; however straight forward and the best idea submitted wins the ipad. The best way to start is probably to answer the question “what if you/ we could…” It needs to be relevant to what we do, supporting and communicating healthcare and medicines to people, but that’s as tight as the brief gets. We’ll do the judging, we’ll decide who wins, and the judge’s decision is final. Normal competition rules apply; see here for the legal stuff, names of winners published on request etc. Competition closes on the 18^th July so get those grey cells working.

To enter leave a comment here, or send your thoughts to beapart@hivehealth.com.

Competition rules available from http://hivehealth.com/privacy/

The year has flown since I last wrote about the Communiqué awards. Last year saw us hit highly commended as Best Small Consultancy or first of the Losers as we saw it. The previous blog on the Communiques tells our woeful tale.

The process of getting us to the Communiqués is pretty simple. 1. Write award submission, with full knowledge that the date can be extended for a few pounds. This year saw me and a fellow entrant Jan at Lucid, at all-day brand planning for a shared client, both of us confident that we would get it all done in time that evening.  I was also regretting the offer to ‘just leave it with me’ stubborn in me need to right the wrongs of last year. Later and way into the early hours of the morning I finished the subsequent poem, supporting team mime that contribute to our entry – send them to a snoring Ian and Jas for review.  2. Make it through to the next round. We receive the invite to an interview at Royal Society of Physicians – prepare presentation and practice the company song once again. Ian’s ‘bee flat’ joke practiced and delivered with aplomb. The audience was a cross section of agency folk, potential clients, all chaired delightfully. This year’s questions focus on the figures and the business structure rather than last year’s people focus – I guess a function of our recession. Frankly, we could have been better at the presentation. We were presenting at right angles to the screen and it was pretty weird as far as getting it together we could help but compare to our previous losing effort – which was pretty slick – we left the 2009 interview buzzing. We left this one and headed for a grumpy lunch. 3. Make finalist stage – email from the delightful Debbie T, thus far this is a road well trod for us losers. 4. Decide on table – old friends, new friends and bit of both. Last min drop outs (why does this always happen?!), last min replacements. 5. Attend event. Black tie – tied bow ties, dinner, drinks, and nerves. Prosecco shared in the agency. With ’09 in the mind we thought we would repeat last year’s example of film noir. This year we wangled a special pen spy cam courteously of Q-branch (Ebee) with the mind that you blog readers can share the moment with us. You know the beapart bit by now. So here goes;

(Unfortunately the special spy pen – is stuck in Kate’s bag. Film goes here)

WE LOST. WORSE THAN LAST YEAR. At this rate by 2015 we will be not even allowed to buy tickets.  Consistent losers  – I feel like Andy Murray. Congratulations to the winner’s awesome job. Brilliant news on Lucid s highly commended – lovely people.

Jas and I returned to Mayfair to lick our wounds. The rest of the evening saw a big crowd of us dancing until 6am and me getting advice on not taking winning too seriously by a very helpful Lawrence Dallaglio. Jas also had similar sage advice from a Russian dancing chick, who offered “to make good for losing by you spanking my behind”, an offer that remained untaken.

Thanks loads to all the many friends who shared commiserations with us, really lovely to feel us being looked after. Total respect to Bruno’s the location for post club breakfast – who returned my left watch to me this morning.

We’ve seen some rotten sporting decisions. We’ve touched the shame of Wayne. We admired Fabio in his sharp M&S suit. We watched the neglected Crouchy bobbing around in the warm up area. We met Mick McCarthy. We felt the loyalty of the fans undulating like a Mexican wave. We did it on South African soil, around the very grass that still steams with hot English tears.

Sorry, it’s not a good time to boast. I assure you, the sorrow of England’s crummy demise was ever more excruciatingly felt at close range. But it’s still wonderful being in South Africa. This is my first home, though my tickets were for England.

We got here the morning of the match vs USA. My little old car, now used by my brother in law’s mum, had been returned for my arrival. It was plumed with two flags: a big SA one and a little England one. You soon get used to the mad flapping noise. Everyone has them. The South African supporters also sport little mittens on the backs of their wing mirrors.

In Rustenburg I was almost decapitated by the volume of the vuvuzelas. Them Americans and Englishers can blow like pro’s. I was fresh off a plane, no sleep, wasn’t ready. Then I got my own vuvuzela.

Everyone’s itching to hit the stands. You get in a line, you get on a bus, you wish you’d remembered earplugs. You enter the stadium and arm yourself with a hysterically expensive Budweiser. You talk to people, exchange numbers,  you do a weird American bottom-bumping things in the air. You float in and out of the sponsors’ tents. You get to know the songs. The best one is “Give me freedom”  used by Coke. Is this on in the UK?  You should have seen me getting down. They have a great ad too of a little boy on the shoulders of giant deft-footed robots.

The local war cry is AYOBA which means something like “Hell yeah!” or “Let’s go!” The atmos is tremendous, and then it’s time. Here come the flags, laid religiously on the pitch. Then the streams of the teams and their little marching mascots. Then everything kicks off and actually it’s a bit boring. Then it’s really good. Then it’s a bit boring. But then it’s good.

There are also fan parks. We first experienced one of these in Cape Town. They feel like a tiny concrete festival. They are free to enter, with security as hefty as at the stadiums. The finger of Bud has rubbed the branding off every can of lager. It’s the local Castle lager, with the simple moniker “South African Beer.”

People stand around draped in their flags, cradling their unbranded lager, worshipping the big screens. On the stage, some lunatic in a yellow boilersuit stirs up the crowd. Another guy walks around offering sticks of dried sausage. In half time there are games to play – such as, the screen becomes an interactive pitch, with footballs falling from the top. The crowd waves and jumps to knock the balls into the opponents’ goal.

If you’re not getting a bus back straight away, you walk miles to the pub with your new friends, singing songs by the Smiths and the Jam. Everyone gets along and invites you to come. Met a nice German fellow travelling with two British backpackers. No aggro. I did find the jingoism of some of the English songs a bit distasteful. Far more fun sometimes to stick with the Saffers and watch them convert a vuvuzela into a device for administering pints.  “Smash it down your beak, bru”, is the invitation.  No thanks, pal.

In between games, there is gentle sunshine, wildlife, family, and plenty of food. It’s fantastic in South Africa. You should all visit here most definitively. Until then,  I’m hoping that heatwave is fast evaporating those tears.

There we were, gathered round a TV, looking to see one of our writers, famous for a second on the TV. You see she’s travelled all the way home just to go to a couple of sporting events that coincide with her holiday. Our eyes peeled, the whole office (well a few who understood what was going on and weren’t talking to clients) agreed to hold out for the whole 90 minutes of play just in case she cropped up blowing her vuvuzela. Sadly, no Debbie, we’ll have to try again at her next game. Incidentally, there were a lot of worried faces for the last 10 minutes as a group of highly paid professionals gave us all high blood pressure, but 1 is enough, through to the knock outs. Come on England, we know your there with Debbie somewhere…

It’s that time of year for us here where we finish quick sharpish at 5.30 and head up to Regents Park for the annual Taste of London pilgrimage.

Its a great night, and we would recommend anyone remotely foodie heading there, loading up on crowns (the TofL currency), and chowing down.

Favourite Hive dishes included Fino’s Suckling pig, Club Gascon’s Octopus and scallops, and the Yauatcha’s Dim Sum were mind blowing. As usual Atul Kothhur’s (Benares) Lamb chops were a destination for us all. Minty pleasure.

Also consumed on mass was Sussex Champagne NyeTimber which still kicks the ass of all the French pretenders present, and as always Chapel Down’s, vintage Reserve Brut and accompanying oysters proved a great starting point.

This year saw 25 of us from agency and client side hit the stands hard. We were also joined by two of our new recruits midway through their notice periods who excelled in their first hive experience.

Fuelled by foie gras and bubbles the resulting bag a celebrity chef  photograph competion kicked off. The winners being the boys who managed to bag Gary ‘Lamb’ Rhodes  in what I am sure you will agree is a good side profile poise by Gary.

A big event at Ian’s hit the agency hard this weekend as we all descended to the green and pleasant land of Wyck in Hampshire for a Saturday night party.

We were greeted by stunning summers evening, a marque, Harry the flare barman, a sloping dance floor of death and Fabric DJ, and our ace designer Krystal selling her soul with some mean 80’s classics.

The 1980’s themed event resulted in some appalling costume efforts, none more so that Ian’s highlighted hair, pink tee-shirt and linen suit combo. Coupled with eye liner, and a foundation clad face it couldn’t have been more upsetting.

As we danced the night away drinking Cosmo’s and Smurfs (blue Curacao, Vodka, Sloe gin, and Prosecco) it dawned on me that this would make a pretty good blog. All of us enjoying the evening, with different interpretations of an era  - beapart in reality.

It has also spurred me on to sort out a Flickr widget (see below right) – so you can share and view the agencies photos and especially party evenings like this one with us.

I hope you find the pictures suitable upsetting.

SirAlan has a lot to be blamed for – The Apprentice showed us the ugly side of driven people. Slimy, earless, end-justifies-the-means-bastards covered in the blood of a dozen mid-task cut throats. A show confirming the old folk cliché that business talent isn’t what they used to be. I have always wanted to take each episode (especially that one with the fish stall – arhhhh!) and a group of decent people to review what should have been done – make a short film on what might have been a better approach for the fin haired and over gelled. We could call it ‘Mentor’ and it could be a really useful tool for people learning strategy…but Channel 4 pitches aside.

With learning strategy in our minds the last 2 months have seen us kick off Hive Poly, a collection of lectures, articles and workshops aimed at demystifying the world of strategy, decision making and big business for our nearest and dearest bees. I landed this plum job, having previous as unofficial Head of Graduate Recruitment and Training (HOGRAT) at the old place.

If you were to measure my love of strategy in kilos – I could clearly demonstrate unfaithful infatuation. My office at home is filled with dozens of business books given up halfway through pure boredom. Most having been binned as soon as their predictable lust for lecture-tour-nouvelle-terminology sets in.

I still end up swapping most of the chapters for the fundamentals learned running various dodgy ventures in my youth, or whilst watching my folks and their businesses or from a bizarre hunger for military strategy. This love of all military thinking was discovered when I mistakenly woke up in a lecture on Clausewitz. I also discovered Amy Dinsdale that day – happy days. Clausewitz remained, Amy headed off with some EastEnder from Stoke City Football Club. A lesson in engagement and resources there and then.

Anyway – returning to the point. Planning and teaching strategy is something we have always wanted to do here. In our industry its usual done on the job – or done way too late – shame on us. And as I never found anything that could be cut and pasted; at some point we just had to do it. Getting it right is an illusive goal, where to start? What to cover? Get senior strategists in to talk or MBA style graphs and analyses or buy a market stall and stock it for a week with eager strategy beavers? Learn the old school way with crap products in Berwick Street market.

We took a predictable middle road and kicked off reviewing small local industries (Soho – typically providing court case collateral), their approach to a market, positioning, customer group etc and discussing each case by case amongst a group of us. It has been really interesting for me, watching the tools/terms I use all the time being defined and discovered. I have been forced to give thought to my own clarity. To be party to this new group of critical thinkers and their discussions has been really humbling. I would never get a job here.

Today we have just kicked off on the next bit. Upping the academia, by beginning a series of borrowed Harvard MBA case studies. The Harvard approach is pretty cool, a group sit around in a semi circle and get facilitated agreeing or disagreeing with each other. Educational Gold dust. This week featured a forthright company, a new business opportunity and a pretty big management decision. I was lucky enough to get hold of a film of this case study debate amongst the 2006 MBA graduate class – and the conclusions of the HBS elite and our lots are surprisingly aligned. Except “without the bullshit” to quote one of our most terminological intolerant. Apparently the MBAs termed “bait and switch” strategy is just plain lying, and stupidly short term.

For me, I am getting loads from this, the clear parallels from SEXSEXSEX Ltd. and Harvard, our best and their best is proving really insightful and I hope not a bad way of getting a faster understanding of business decision making.

We are growing steadily and need new bees. Three new bees to be more specific. We work pretty title free here – with all of us doing strategy, people development, and relationship management. But broadly we would love to open up a tin of biscuits with the following;

Client lead. The wonder of working an hourglass structure is upon us once more. Fancy selling a strategic approach that is truly different? Are you the one that stands shoulder to shoulder with clients working on gritty challenges? We imagine this person to be GAD, SAD or CSD level. Or have come through client side, fancy a hop and be at Group level. We need a good collection of people management skills, diverse healthcare communications experience and a good understanding of ‘the disciplines’.

Writer. Tasked with making it all come alive. Can you write the socks off a page? Take a brief and make it sing for audiences as diverse as kids with HIV to 67 year old surgeons? You should have a few years experience, and a broad portfolio of words, written for all over the place. Be warned you are joining a team with fierce music views from Chicks on Speed to Fiery Furnaces. (headphones will be provided).

Innovation lover. For our rapidly growing innovation company eBee. This person should love doing it differently, be intolerant of the status quo and want to drive innovation. eBee is an elite team of techs, designers and planners and needing a project facilitator. Organisational skills to the forefront, we imagine that this angel be a senior account manager currently, with strong healthcare background and having a tidy few digital projects under their belt. Do you yearn for a life with a research and development budget, and a chance to push back on ‘the usual’? If you are the geeky one stuck in an integrated health agency and fancy the next step into getting specialist – this is your role.

If being a part of something new sounds great, or having daily challenges and getting to grips with a new strategic approach is for you get in contact. We are on track, doing it really well, and would love you to make us better.

Not for you? Do you know someone that any of these might be perfect for; click the share this button below,  get them to tell us it it came via you. In the spirit of win/win – we are offering a couple of flights and a long weekends worth of decent hotel accommodation to anywhere in Europe for any referral that results in a new bee.

This time of the year sees Angelo, Sapna and Naila, wrap up and submit the Accounts for 2009.

It signals the time when Ian, Jas and I get the chance to sit all down to run through the year, in terms of strategy, people and bean counting – what last year saw and what 2010 will bring.

We do this with everyone across the group and it proves a bit nerve racking for us as its an audience and subject we hold dear to to our hearts.

This annual general meeting is fuelled with a healthy stack of pizzas to make sure that no one faints midst the adrenaline fuelled profit forecast section.

To sum up 2009 we bashed together this quick and nasty vid’ from the hundreds of photos collected on the Flickr account – made us all smile hope you like it.

This is a version of an article submitted to Pharmaceutical Marketing this week. Having been delightfully asked by the guys at PM for a thought piece on the future of agencies. Post submission –  I find myself being all a little A-level, that feeling when you have just submitted an essay and you wait eagerly for a C+. Anyway have a look at it early;

“My approach to this article is symbolic of much of the way client service business has evolved.  Life’s got full on, busy, juggling drive and discussion. I am desperately keen not to write a piece that’s another repetition – you know the world according to X approach, beginning with a story about how  a pause for thought has been remarkable, leading to a ‘cut and paste’ about globalisation, silos and some boxes and arrows.  To deviate from this course seems quite risky and frankly I don’t want to seem an idiot in front of you.  I don’t want to be the “you’re that guy, the idiot from hive”. My task is to secure succinct biting observation that truly connects.  A couple of scene setters firstly, I have never written a thought piece for a magazine before and only have 6 hours until flight BA185 lands in New Jersey and I have to file this copy. This pressurised environment is further aided when the small world we work in came crashing down on me.  Either side of me on this luckiest of flights are two potential clients. Both of whom I know, and each one is dead keen to read and review this as it’s written.  It’s being termed ‘helping out’.

“The traditional role of sage, always ends in a stuffing” is a phrase I wish my mother said, unfortunately she is from New Maldon so rarely quotable. With this in mind I imagine you having read loads of these. I imagine you’re sitting there, laptop and docking station, lanyard, and mock-ups scattered round a cubicle. Cesar like, thumb ready to be down-ended, at the faintest sign of a hastily written article.

Anyway I have hundreds of words to write all from 10F and two eager editors either side of me. How should  the agency evolve?

The death of the silo

It’s in no doubt that times have changed massively.  I have been lucky enough to work across all the usual silos in both big and small agencies.  I cannot help but think that we all in healthcare have supported and perpetrated a myth. From the agency side the silo simply doesn’t exist in the way many would have you believe. Whether by audience or discipline, the uniqueness and homogenous nature of advertising, medical education, PR is a fallacy. All agencies cross each other when it comes to many of the core activities required by a modern client. I am not talking about getting an ad man to run an advisory board or the PR lead to come up with an ad concept, but in the more grey activities. The communications business has diversified massively since the 1950s and continues to do so. Next time you have an all agency meeting ask who should be best placed to do the patient pack or a speaker meeting direct mailer. Or if you are having a particularly tough day wave the budget busting 100 page monograph artwork and watch the solid nature of silos in action as all clamber for this margin busting cherry of a project. The plain fact is that our silos are converging, with a few distinct specialized projects owned by a specific silo. This post silo confusion where all expect to be able to do everything should be a pretty rough time for all.  Perhaps we all can expect to merge – becoming healthcare communications agencies. Masters of nothing; all offering the same menu of services, competing on price. The onus is on us to realise this and find ways of driving differentiation between us.

The monograph meeting game leads nicely to the need for agencies to understand our businesses better. We in the past have not been very good at it. The rise of procurement and what seems like a new breed of operations director has been brilliant at forcing us to know where we make our money, to transparently cost our business and move away from licked finger and prevailing wind estimations. This is still forcing many to a new sense of honesty to what the business actually is. Our margin should be delivered through selling time, whether that be for thinking, doing or managing processes. Procurement have rightly prevented us from becoming shopkeepers and marking up pass through costs, but still loads needs to be done to professionalise our sources of income. Artwork is now a commoditised service, and for many a great source of income, with some agencies deriving as much as 50% of their margin from this. Is that really right? An output that’s so vulnerable being so crucial? It makes you worry for the business. It’s time for agencies to start transparently outsourcing artwork, operating tiered costing models  and developing  capabilities across the world to reduce down these costs. Enabling clients to do more, with the same budgets and get the value they demand.

Agencies are a diverse bunch ranging from the enveloping borg of the networks to the boutique creative shops.  The need to reengineer the model that we all have grown used to is dead clear. Pyramid shaped agencies that are run by few, with masses of junior implementers have to evolve. Agencies that specialise in knowing audiences need to listen to their clients more. Time and time again we hear from agency changers that they need senior people day to day. Implementation is a given, (you get fired for screwing it up, but not hired for it) but strategic support and decision making mid implementation can no longer be considered second class to the yearly brand plan day.  It’s a pretty straightforward conclusion that if you consider strategy mobile, and it needing to evolve alongside the environment then partners to this evolution need to be present, to support and evolve in real time.  The big kids are needed on, and not just in the business. The current agency approach most adopt drives the best strategists and most senior talent up and inward looking, spending an increasing amount of time managing the business.  Reporting up to the holding company, sorting out operations, succession planning, staff development all moving the most valuable players away from the coal face.

Loads of other industries face this challenge. When you describe the typical agency approach to a partner at a law firm they laugh at you, and rightly so. In the legal world partners are the blood of the business and kept freed up to face clients and drive value 90% of their time. These partners are supported by teams but lead the relationship. Learning is done internally, the machine is set up to front the most valuable, look after the rising stars and discard those who are not going to make this grade. Its food for thought perhaps that there are no B teams amongst the big 5.

The rise of digital has been the cause for dozens of slides delivered to loads of marketeers. Web 2.0, augmented reality, avatars, virtual this and that, ad infinitum. Our digital world and the increasing sophistication of our audiences will force agencies to start to consider digital not as a channel or (at its very worse) a production function, but as glue for everything we deliver. Consumer closeness, tracking and ROI all are facilitated by this rush for 0s and 1s. But we need platforms and integration not things. Those agencies that are going to be mega are going to be the ones who see digital for what it is – a seamless place to embed all activities and facilitate community. The world of digital is moving so fast that risk is inherent in its delivery, as producers of digital the risk must start to be taken in house at agencies. It’s the agencies job to push the boundaries not just borrow what Skittles are doing. Next time you see a presentation touting channel genius ask the biggie question of your crew in this storm; “In this ever changing world of digital innovation how much do you spend on R&D?” If the answer is nothing then you are already behind. Your agency should be sharing risk to deliver their margin and your ROI.

Increasingly our clients are alone. Head count pressure and the change to the model all have produced a new type of brand leader.  Too often under huge pressure, under supported and at risk. The clients we know and love are the ones that know this and want not just stuff done but help and partnership. As the need to differentiate brands theoretically grows we will find that so will the ways we understand problems, and develop solutions.  Move away from off the shelf solutions forces agencies to change and be more open, not have all the solutions, and be happy to open up their teams to work alongside clients to understand and co-create. This is a big ask for an industry that often has pretended that their ideation process is a black box of inspiration and genius – rather that good people slogging hard, and building and idea from humble beginnings. This is so true with more complex projects that result from pseudo briefings, and client/agency development teams working on prototypes for testing with audiences.

I am sure much of the above has been expected. It seems really clear that we need to evolve our model, man up in terms of transparency and define what business we are in. Most importantly for me is that I see great clients, good agency talent striving to do good work, often despite the model they work in. For me the ultimate aim is for agencies to be seen as Trusted Partners, on the inside, rather than service providers on the out. Anything that gets in the way of this simple aim should either be questioned or set alight.

With 20 minutes to land and for the skippers amongst you. In a small bag of macadamia nuts the future of agencies is as the follows; create your own silo, move the pyramid to an hour glass, insist on working with clients not for them, put you best front of house and keep them, fire your B team, jettison the commoditised business, show all how you make your money and be prepared for co-creativity.”

Fingers crossed it gets published.

I always want more art in my life. Maybe it’s because I can’t draw. Maybe it’s because my eyes get hungry the way most stomachs do.

Last year saw me being surrounded by more art than ever before and inspired by some extraordinary artists.

Did you see the Antony Gormley exhibition at the Hayward last year? I never went in, but loved each walk over Waterloo Bridge, seeing another isolated statue hidden on a roof top. Inspired, we launched our first Web 2.0 patient site with a mannequin installation around the client’s head offices. Andrew has magnanimously offered to let us keep one here at National House. Thank you so much!

Lichenstein’s Pop Art inspired another great campaign. Characters whose communications were limited to thought bubbles, became the patient voice in the HIV campaign we built.

We’re now working with a famous animation artist in New Jersey – my favourite bit of the day is our lunchtime review meetings. It’s a true art-science collision project. Left Brain. Right Brain. Love it. Satiates eye-hunger like nothing else.

Wow what a year. As we tidied away our desks on the 23rd it gave me a chance to reflect on what has been a pretty whirlwind year for us at hive. In place of  a long state of the nation style post (NY resolution No.3) and having had my expense spreadsheet signed off by Jas and sat for our end of year figures with FD Angelo. I thought it would be good to review the year in numbers.

So here goes. 2009 saw;

1 patient centered strategic approach
28 early adopting brand managers, community liasions and communications managers
7 client companies
17 pitches
4 losses
12 wins
1 decision still missing in action
100% of clients retained
1 new technology agency born - ebee
1 new office in Soho, London
1 new office in New York
75 blog posts
16 cases of wine
2 biggie parties
250GB+ of data (new server just installed) 
22 dozen external meetings
19 workshops
10 great newbees
1 huge thank you to everyone we have had the pleasure to work with in 2009

Ps. Would it be to much to add in 4 caipirinhas, and one very wet brazil ? I write this from down the road from Rio, where I am seeing the New Year in with a bang. At last 1 proper holiday  

Have a great New Year, looking forward to catching up with you all in 2010.

Last week we went to Berlin for the Christmas party. It’s because last week was so outrageous that this blog is only being written now.

Jas toiled for weeks on the plan – Bratislava? Devon? Stockholm?, Soho?  Tim’s house? Guillaume’s Circus?….

….We ended up in Berlin. Leaving Wardour Street in the morning, 18 of us piled on to the bus. 18! It’s amazing to believe what a huge family we have become in such a short space of time. All bright eyed and excited, we set out on our German mission.

Arvinder Grewal, of new found fame in channel 4’s The Family just happened to be our chauffeur – we tried to be cool, but we were all starstruck, each requesting  a signed photo.

By the afternoon we were sipping Gluhwein in the Berlin Winter Wonderland, by the evening Jas was shaking booty on the dance floor. Michael had his first night in a legitimate hotel.

It was great to have the two new Claires, Bhupi and Krystal join us for their first Hive party. And, Bhupi in particular taught us how to party – so hard – that when the alarm went off at 7 to catch the bus home, he slept straight through. And when we knocked on his door, he slept straight through, and when we rang his mobile, he slept straight through and when the hotel reception called his room phone, there was still no answer and when our Ryanair flight took off from Berlin he was still sleeping like a baby.

Awesome night. And Bhupi now knows Berlin airport like the back of his hand.

Next year we’ll head to Bognor Regis.

We offered the use of our offices to Epilepsy Action early this year as a handy central location for their weekend chair meetings. In return, we’ve received some key insights from the team as to how patients can be helped to cope with the condition. Since then, we have become firm friends with Barbara, Janet, Marie, Mary, Phil and the rest of their London forum.

We had the pleasure of seeing the group on Saturday as they came to the new Hive offices to hold their end of year meeting. I thought it started well, arriving in plenty of time to let them into the offices…until I realised that I had left the office keys at home. A mad call to Kate hoping she was in town, a mad dash from Kate to drop off her keys! Thanks Kate. We all decamped to Starbucks next door in the meantime.

All dramas sorted, 14 people settled into our boardroom to hold their meeting. My husband Simon and my two boys headed to Hamleys for some hard core toy shopping. Three hours later, I rejoined Barbara and the gang for Christmas nibbles and drinks. It was great to see the guys again and we look forward to sharing our space with them in 2010.

This week has been one of trains, literally I’ve been to Hull and back. Via Colchester. In fact I am on one now – Peterborough is whizzing by my window.

When I get a week with more than a days worth of travel I make sure I have my bag (the new and awesomely well designed Eastpak Pacer available at their delightful Carnaby St. store) packed with a business read.

This week What Would Google Do? Has been my company. I think Google is probably one of only a few organisations we could seriously ask this question of, without answering; ‘be smug and self satisfied’. Its changed business, moved the rules of market places, and I hate the word but I think a paradigm has shifted. Ahhhhhhh!

Anyways, the book looks at the economy, demand and supply and the whole long tail economics thing that we are all familiar with. But the section that shouted out at me was a statement that has prompted something I think we might try.

Jeff Jarvis, author of WWGD, and made famous for Dell Hell, says that in this world of interconnected customers- kill your ad agency. We produce ads, so get your hands off that door knob and cancel the cab. I think Jarvis is referring to the behemoths, the ‘advertising is at the heart of what we do’, 30 sec TVC are the only love guys, you know square glasses and a 7^th floor pool filled with  moccachoccachino.

With this blood on your hands, he suggests re-engineering the model, (please remember to wash bloodied hands prior to handling models) and making customer service the only focus. He shouts at us to consider this the new marketing. For us to strive for the best and let the interconnected market place champion this awesome service. Let the buzz create and drive your brand. In a market where interconnectness is a bit wonky – then I guess you could encourage it. This is what got me thinking.

It’s a good read, I barely remember Doncaster, and it made me wonder whether we could create a way for our clients to assess us publically, after every job, so that we could share the real us, the experience,  and move away from the powerpoint us. Perhaps it could grow and all agencies could be part of this showing the experience of working with them.

I would love a point of view from anyone who uses agencies out there. Is this feasible? Would it be worthwhile? Could agencies bin their ad spends, and rely on a platform of service visibility?

PS. Want a real example of  this new interconnected world? Now this blog has been published, search for ‘Eastpak pacer’. I’m there – bigging it up  Google P1, 6 down. No need for an ad – just a quality product, provided faultlessly with me and my opinion. How cool is that as a demo?

Did you ever visit us on Regent Street? Did you catch any of the guides’ commentary from the tour bus below? Then you know that Soho, a former royal hunting ground, is named for a huntsman’s cry – SoHOOOO!

Now the clarion has called us to W1F.  Monday morning, after convening in a café, we were led through the doors of National House, 60-66 Wardour Street.

We walked into our new office on the 4^th floor. It’s great. Come see.

So much thanks again to Jas, Tim and Ian who chose the premises wisely. And spent all weekend shifting, cleaning, sticking. We have a much larger, shinier foorspace now, art on the walls, lots of light. Plenty of storage. Our own boardroom, a perfect little kitchen and two charming loos. I would happily live here.

The bits
My favourite bit is the nap/ reading area. It’s a quiet corner with about 30 foam cubes that you can arrange into a bed, or a fort.

The faithful pink sofa, that lived at Tim’s when our old premises got too crowded, is back in business

Unfortunately we couldn’t get the vending machine up the stairs/ lift. We are looking into crane hire.

Kinsey is still hankering after a piano. Pipe down girl.

We’ve got a microwave and a sweet dishwasher, and a new fridge called Candy. Michael keeps threatening to bring in his Breville (grease) devil.

1950 steel lockers arrive end of October.
The launch
So we spent our Monday all energized and excited by the new space. It was hard to work with a party flirting at a distance like the brush of an intrepid fox. We’d been told to look sharp, but the evening plans were secret. At 6.30 we went to a cocktail bar. On the way, I looked in the Starbucks window to check my face out. Someone sitting at the counter ducked out of my sight. I thought this unusual, but my attention was diverted to the right by Justin Lee Collins.

Anyway, we had a few cockies and shot the breeze. Two hours later, Tim made some calls behind his sleeve. Time to wend through the streets…back to National House. Our office had been transformed into a restaurant. A handsome silver service situation with candles, flowers, wine. Tim’s wonderful sister Nicky stood by in chef ensemble…guess who was evading my sight in the coffee shop!

Wine was poured, starters delivered:  tuna carpaccio on a futon of baby leaves. Nicky’s walnut bread was stunning. She served up beautiful beef fillet with silky fennel and creamy potato roundels. Two tarts turned up for dessert: passionfruit and chocolate amaretto.

The time, the place, the moon – all perfect.

The office turned out to be a great dancefloor. The nap area came in handy as a chillout space. The cubes tend to separate if used for bouncing.

I got home at 3.30am.

We are still working our way through the cheeseboard, the cakes and the whole honeycomb. Jas threw the biscuits away yesterday. Everyone got the hump so she got more. So in a way, we haven’t stopped celebrating.

We arrived in our offices on Regent St. on January 2, 2008.  We were met by the cable guy, and a chap bearing four desks and a Viking direct man.

The afternoon saw us laying Cat5E  under the floor, relaying it properly and me running around Regent Street looking for someone to make us a giant wall sticker to give our space a little something, a place hive could call home.

Two dozen launches later it’s time to move, and my view is obscured by boxes and bubble wrap and Debbie disappearing under a mountain of shredded paper.

The new office is taken shape, oak, foam, glass, plastic, and dozens of wall stickers being applied. The next 72 hours sees us move from a place we once thought of as a massive office, and now consider to be too small, too cramp and not central enough.

Ten minutes ago we took the over dramatic step of taking the wall sticker down to survey the damage done to the deposit. It took me a little by surprise, but I am a little sad, this office is our first, the street has been good to us, hosted loads of friends, and sheltered our current band of people.

Monday morning sees us unveil the new Soho office to the gang. It’s a jump from what we have got used to – light, windows on all sides, rooftop views, 6 times bigger, much more what the team deserve. I hope everyone loves it, it’s a dramatically different vibe, and having been in charge of build and funkying it up – I am a little nervous –  this lot are a tough crowd.

Give us a day to get settled in – pop in and see for yourself. With our new space we able to go back to our old share-the-space ethos and of course you all are welcome, pop in – the biscuits are on us.

As many of you know we move offices at the end of the week to our new London office in Soho. Not content with the organisation chaos that comes with one office move (ask Tim what a dishwasher looks like these modern days) we have also been finalising arrangements for New York. This is it, our other new office. It’s our first formal entrée into the US. Based in Chelsea, with great views and full agency facilities we now have a lovely space in Manhattan. Many thanks to Roxanna, Kate and Lois for helping us. As ever, you are all welcome to beapart there too. For now though we don’t have people permanently based there so London is still your best bet. But watch this space because we aim to change that very soon.

Ian rocked into the office this morning, fresh from a PM magazine all agencies round table shindig with a number of agency leaders, MDs etc.

These mornings are a feast of fun for us in the office, a usually calm, collected and considered Ian, can barely contain his overnight simmer. He positively is busting for a chat, and Jas and I can almost feel him ready to boil over.

Anyone who encounters Ian will know it’s pretty hard to get a rise out of him (I can lay claim to managing to do this almost once – in an incident, involving my 6^th Nokia N95 in 2 weeks and a pint of cider. Although Vodafone’s dismal approach to customer service is co-culprit)

This need for an outburst lasted all through our first-thing-Friday People meeting until he could take it no longer. No AOB? BANG. The topic of this rare eruption?  Innovation, advertising agencies, the nature of conceptual creativity i.e. the ability to do a different more connective ad, versus innovation – the ability to provide solutions our clients are not expecting. Jas shouted INCOMING and we all hit the deck.

What stuck me – is the clear struggle Ian was having with wanting desperately for the industry, or more specifically agencies to grow up and evolve and stop boring each other with tales of clients, late adoption blah, blah (anyone still awake?), With the pleasure he was getting from seeing innovation being falsely encapsulated by an obsession with the ad, what goes into an A4 page, and whether illustrative style, or a bloody banner can be seen as ground breakingly progressive. blah blah blah.

I think what we were viewing can encapsulated by the term Schadenfreude. In fact I know it is because I have just spent ten minutes on Google trying to spell it. I was eventually able to confirm this is the case and that the term definitely isn’t German for pork chop.

I think one could argue that Communications holding companies buy ‘established innovation’ i.e change that’s margin friendly. Be that agencies that show high levels of creativity, an unusual regional speciality, or  integration model. It certainly was the case with the three I have been under (although I can only speak for healthcare). Their model is set up to buy novel agencies at the top of their game, and make sure that they keep doing what they are good at, never deviating too far from a formula that got them purchased. No risks and certainly no investment without return.

I was told that the agency world’s approach to innovation was ‘bloody stupid’ by a clever  guy, Craig, I often sit  next to at the  Company of Cutlers in Sheffield. He put it a bit like this; his world; the stainless steel industry is split into revenue from commoditized and specialist products. And all the players in the market know this. (To me it’s a bit like artwork, design, traffic and the sexier agency products services). They know that the commodity business is always under margin pressure and threat (when was the last time a page of artwork cost £400?). And they know that the specialist products migrate to becoming the commodised ones (conceptual writers at medical writer rates).

Sheffield steels answer to this reality is to set up R&D, cap the maximum margin and devote the remaining resource to innovation, partner with academia and the great and the good to push constantly what drives ultimate value – providing services and products that are first to market. Find ‘unused to’ products that meet existing needs but do so either more efficiently or in better way.

Given this I couldn’t figure out why agencies don’t have R&D. Why don’t they someone tasked with research, with finding new ways of solving established problems.

Is it because 20% margin and 4 out of 5 on the annual review is fine, and innovation requires investment and less short term returns?

I’ve been sitting here waiting to type this blog for about twenty minutes, trying to decide what to write about the launch of eBee.

I could mention the guerrilla marketing at the digital marketing awards.

I could mention that it was a night of firsts for me – first company I’ve launched, first time I’ve ever used spray paint, first time I’ve been asked to remove it.

I could tell you about all the people who have  made this possible: clients, patients, a team of inspirational, passionate individuals and the 5 months spent pre launch collecting amazing technologies to play with and developing the technical development capacity to make them work for brands.

I could tell you how lucky I feel to have been asked by the founders of Hive (the mothership) to turn a business concept founded on ‘borrowing’ innovation from other industries, making it healthcare relevant and turning them into reality.

But instead I’ll just invite you to visit and you can decide what you’d like to know for yourself

When we started, 4 of us sat in the big room we now find cramped and jammed. We often catch one of us casting a gaze from the photocopier beaming with pride at the people we have and the culture we have built.

As mentioned in a previous blog we move next month, in the mean-time we have more people than desks, and its changing the way we work. Our laptops are becoming our place of business and the location is too often, (for me anyway) Flat White in Brewer Street, a client’s office, a random desk  or even the kitchen table at home.

We are finding our mobile devices are defining how efficiently we work. The availability of bandwidth is trumping office space. We’re all becoming digital nomads. No longer tethered to Ethernet cables but free to work in whatever space we can get hold of or whatever space free our minds most.

The area we work in – Soho is geared for this. Everywhere has Wi-Fi, every table has a laptop, a latte and a nomad. Yesterday saw me grab a table for an hour proposal writing , co-create a tender document with a partner agency in Chiswick, join Kate on a conference call to chat through a web project, and Skype our  illustrators in Kolkata  who are running tight on a deadline due to their freak weather conditions.  How mad is that? All from a wooden table with the best coffee in London.

We’re very excited about our move to Wardour Street in a month or so. Tim is leading the build, making lots of calls and interrupting meetings for last minute eBay bids. He has plastered the walls with whiteboard plastic so that we can display, explain and necessarily defend our suggestions for the new office.

I thought I’d post what what we had in mind and update you later on what made the cut.

Perfunctory: A well-stocked stationery cupboard, meeting room, recycling bins, bicycle storage, colour, generous coat rack, giant teapot/urn, paper store, artwork prep area (glue room), library/ inspiration shelf, showers.

Inspired: Film nights, nap area, magnetic blackboard paint, bubble chairs for do-not-disturb moments, bubble chairs with built-in headphones, lockers, giant lego, colouring books, coffee machine, heat sensitive wallpaper, a very quiet area , a great big vending machine full of….

Fanciful: Picnic benches (but why not?), astroturf, piano, fish tank, juicer, hammocks, naughty step.

Aint gonna happen: Allotment , oompa loompa, kittens, massage area.

You don’t need a whole new office to nip out and get: Drinking squash, a flippin’ great thesaurus.

And who really needs a: Cereal dispenser, sandwich toaster.

Still wide eyed and charged with energy, I would describe my work experience at Hive a bit like spending a week in a sweet shop! I’ll have to calm my sugar rush before I produce any sensible comment.

The week kicked off over a coffee with Tim so I could understand the far reaching benefits of the Hive model. He was kind enough to offer me a choice of experiences and my hesitancy to close any doors too early prompted a somewhat vague answer; “a bit of everything “, I said.

Within the hour I was whisked off to a podcast recording with Helen. Talk about head first into the glamorous side of marketing! This challenging task was a great blend of analytical thinking and creativity that filled the day. To top it, at lunch we celebrated Jas’ birthday at a superb Indian restaurant just around the corner.

During the week I had a taste of the other great activities at Hive, from research to editing. Having spent time with Kieran learning about executing ideas, I fully grasped the idea of a patient focused healthcare agency. However, it was the client side request for the advertising that specifically intrigued me in addition to the innovative solutions at Hive.

It was with this interest in brand planning that I was fortunate enough to speak with Kathryn, who suggested that I would make most immediate use of my experience on the client side of pharmaceutical marketing. This made so much sense considering that my most simulating experiences so far involved understanding the raison d’etre for the various strands of client briefs. I thought to myself, “I want to be the person who writes these briefs!”

It was from this perspective that I continued with my work experience. The week ended even more glamorously than the start; an all day photo shoot! Working with an acute eye for detail for nine hours certainly works cogs, but by the end of the day we had a master piece to show for it!

On my way home from the photo studio, I was clear in my mind that I’d enjoy nothing more than working with the talented creative and strategic professionals at Hive from the client side.

So thank you to the entire team for my short, sweet and incredibly useful time at Hive!

At the weekend a palm reader told me I would write a book someday. That and I’d meet a handsome man with a head of blond hair, a white van and a posh voice, but I digress. I’ve never seen myself as much of a writer but perhaps, after being ‘persuaded’ to write this blog about myself, it might inspire me to action. So bear with me as I grapple with some words and phrases and try vainly to bring these together into a short summary as to how I came to join the Hive team, what I think of them so far (!), and my hopes and aspirations moving forwards; passing my probation could hang on this.

With three and a half years under my belt working in a small Med Ed team in a large agency I was looking for a new challenge. Meeting the directors at Hive quickly confirmed that this could be it. A committed team, with a new approach to healthcare comms; placing patients at the heart of the strategic process with lashings of healthcare professional insight. Also a pharmacist by trade, I’ve seen the effect of poor communication and a lack of consideration for the individual time and again, so this certainly makes sense. Sealing the deal though for me was their evident commitment to innovation and creativity in their approach, whatever the problem. Why do something as you’ve done it before, if it can be done better and in a novel and interesting way?

I’m being asked for my opinion on lots of things. I just hope that they really do subscribe to the “no idea is a bad idea” concept as I cautiously tender my suggestions for the new office…

All ‘new’ industries strive for legitimacy, a movement that is often accompanied by an entire lexicon of terminology and process. For a long time we have been developing terminology and processes that seek to formulate an approach, clarify our position and differentiate our offer. The world of  demand chains,  brand onions and disruption is one that all clients and agencies occupy.

Case in point is the numerous phrases that describe essentially the same thing — brand essence. Some networks have gone so far as to trademark their terms and the processes they use for determination. End result = terminology galore and as much process explanation as strategic clarification.

Spending some time on holiday last week – I revisited Kotler (it was this or be left with a book about a girl in love with a complex man she couldn’t love in the world within which she had to live and her struggle to make do with an empty life with a simple but good man who provided everything he could but not enough for her to be happy) – a comparitively magnificent book on marketing that I first brought to enlighten me when I first came into the industry. It’s a dry read and although wanders into the theoretical it’s pretty refreshing in its lack of terms.

I like Kotler’s steadfast use of the term Unique Selling Proposition (in my mind a potential forerunner of brand essence), a concept developed and named by Rosser Reeves of Ted Bates & Company. A 50 year old term that has stood the test of time and been universally adopted. Some argue that with the advent of product parity it has evolved into the Emotional Selling Proposition. ESP is certainly a concept much closer to our common understanding of “brand essence,” as its focus is on the brand’s intangible differentiator. Although I find it hard to believe that me-too products are a recent phenomenon I think that the ‘U’ still stands up whether that be a feature led ‘portability’ or due to some emotional unmet need like ‘popularity’. Either way to be unique emotionally or functionally is still to be different.

This book seems to either have been penned prior to or has ignored the multitude of copyrighted verbs describing the logical processes for develop brands by agencies needing with some irony, you guessed it – a USP. I would love to see each agencies model worked through with their own brand – please someone in procurement construct this legend! Two birds (process understanding & agency offer) with 1 stone. Please, please, discounted please.

Reviewing the alternatives to Rosser’s, here is a collection of words and phrases used to describe what is unique about a brand:  Brand Essence, Brand Soul, Brand Heart, Brand Mantra, Brand Promise, Signature Strength, Core Strength, Core Attribute, Brand Description, Brand Differentiator, Brand Uniqueness, Brand Individuality, Brand Meaning, Brand’s Central Nature, Brand Proposition…

Any more?

 As usual Tom Fishburne’s nailed the process here.

Ps. A note to purists: I admit that there may be shades of difference between some of these terms. You could make a case that brand personality and brand promise, for example, mean two completely different things. My point is that the differences are largely semantical and do little to advance the clarity of the branding process.

We just won a pitch. A product we have been chasing for months. Hive day one started with a call to this marketing manager then I made up 2 office chairs to sit on. Seriously, its been this long.

It’s a biggie, a parent proof product. “Oh I’ve heard of that” replacing “What’s Commerce Anxiety Disorder”. My mum even wanted to star in the behavioural change application mock-up.  She got her dream. She had to be 67 and meek and mild – which caused a few issues as she has been 47 for as long as I can remember.

Today we visited a big glass building with fountains and manicured gardens, went to discuss examples of our work that correlated to their problem. “Makes sense but where has it worked before” – A cry we can now answer with examples and metrics.  Team back at the office nervously waiting. Hoping we closed the deal. Jackets on and shoes all shiny. We got it. This afternoon I made up our 15^th and 16^th chair.

Our new clients mentioned the passion (probably more nerves and need than anything) and about how different our offer is. It got me thinking and wandering around the web on my return in post win daze and stumbled back across a blog I haven’t been to for ages http://headrush.typepad.com/. The blog champions passion in business. The blog that I crashed into covered the difference between what we now consider “old-school marketing” (otherwise known as The Four P’s — product, price, promotion, and placement — heavy on advertising and “branding”) and the “neo-marketing”  which we consider our end of town.

Here are a few ideas on some of the differences all a light read on a Monday am.

I have always loved the Communiqué Awards.

I attended as a young receptionist in 1997, when a last min cancellation led to a free place. Packed with PRs, booze and disco I was awed by the scale of such an event.

>>FastForward a considerably amount of time.

The evolution of our agency can be tracked by our approach to awards do’s. Year 1 saw us crash them all. The SAS of healthcare – business cards in hand, old contacts to be hunted out – driving business, mindful of our outgoings. I even remember being particularly proud of myself when I was thrown into an awards do in Chelsea by the security whilst pretending to be drunk and lost outside. As I brushed myself off and walked into the tent, I saw Jas coming out of the kitchens carrying a tray and Ian vaulting the outside wall, undergrowth-covered suit and all. Brilliant.

This year sees us attend the multitude of do’s a little more legitimately – We even paid for a table! I hope we never lose the ability to act like we did in the early days; efficient, streetwise and none too serious..

The Communiqués this year saw over 300 PR and Med Ed entries received and judged by a panel of communications professionals. One of those entries was for us.

The submission date for Best Small Consultancy landed during a day when it all was happening for us – two pitches, 1 review and a rather boozy board meeting. Staggeringly the resulting page saw us be shortlisted to a list of 4 agencies.

The subsequent interview, held with 15 big hitters, covered such delights as people, differentiation, margin and funding. We emerged eventually, confirmed as finalists. That surreal afternoon –Ian, Jas and I answering questions with seeming sense – was one we have recounted to each other many times. Thoroughly enjoyable – it all made so much sense.

Last night we attended the awards do to hear the announcement of winner. Our whole team was crammed on a table with more champagne than the table could bear. The tension built and the announcement was made and guess what?

WE DIDN’T WIN!

There is nothing worse than seeing a whole table disappointed at a result, gutted. Despite being totally over the moon to be a finalist, and to be highly commended,  it’s still a punch when you lose.

However, we did manage a clear victory in a dance-off with the award winners and will just have to make do with Highly Commended.

We hope being in the finals gives new clients the confidence to try our offer, to pick up the phone and let us share our approach. We really are a little different.

Damn. 

Every now and then we head out to see an individual talk about some mildly relevant subject. Last night – saw us be invited to Super Contemporary and a few hours with Wayne Hemingway – talking to 50 of us about design, inspiration, and life.

The Design Museum has joined forces with Beefeater 24, to bring a series of talks and gin to celebrate the fearlessly progressive spirit of London’s greatest creative minds, past and present. We were lucky enough to be invited along. Read more about Wayne here.  

Wayne was pretty insistent that us in the creative world;

1.  Stick to our guns and hold on to our principles despite the risk of missing out on short term cash. Do what you want to do, not what you need to do. 
2. Know our customer as well as we can. Research them, be with them, and understand them. For God’s sakes don’t hide in the office. See the white of their eyes. 
3. Understand that environments need to be built that fosters creativity. Gives space to make mistakes. Let the kids do it their way. Expect anyone to be able to do anything, give them the freedom to conclude themselves.
4. Champion the evolution. Humans instinctively want something better. They know when they are making do, OK is not a natural human state. But only very few ‘intolerants’ make a difference and change it. So be one.

At no time did regulatory, PI, sales aids or brand planning feature. But the 2 hours was so valuable and a real delight. How can this be beaten? Well – the next one sees us with Paul Smith. We have a couple of tickets spare – shout if you want to come along –  beapart@hivehealth.com.

Guillaume is here, our new art director and a maestro of multimedia and graphic design. He is an inspired artist, working away from the dayjob on a number of digital projects.

Guillaume stood out in interviews as a most talented, kind individual with a fascinating career backdrop. He has worked in places as diverse as Mexico, where he re-designed the façade of the World Trade Centre, to the British Council, where he loitered on the contemporary art scene.

We were  firstly attracted to his digital expertise: what clinched it is that he is also  a fantastic art director. He has worked for the likes of Damien Hirst,  BMW, and some jeans company called Levi’s…and loads more.

He is getting on with some great work for our nascent digital business e-Bee. Thanks Guillaume for joining us at Hive, and for putting up nicely with us calling you “Giam”.

Last night saw us all head up to Taste of London, a brilliant food filled evening. Despite a security alert which caused late opening, all of us celebrated having a great few months filled with cracking work for great brands.

We sampled dozens of dishes, favourites being; the sardine pie, scallop and cauliflower puree from Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester, the Pork from the Cinnamon Kitchen. Pretty special English Chapel Down Pink fizz started us off with a dozen or so oysters and Guillaume our digital guru ended us with viognier that was from just down the road from his parents house.

The word is civil, a very English display. We were ready, leaning out the window to see real “anarchists”. A peaceful, orderly, if noisy parade. I particularly liked the man on his chitty chitty bang bang bike with wings, kites and sign saying “love your mum”.

Well it’s been a year and we felt like a new digital wardrobe. Here we are, a more immediate site with a few new-bee elements to help us introduce ourselves to you better.

We have another first – a healthcare agency twitter. A service for visitors helping them to stay connected to us here. In a nutshell it’s a micro blog allowing us to frequently answer one simple question: What are we doing?

We also have file collaboration space to allow more sharing and interaction. Have a wander around and as always tell us what you think.

This week we welcome Helen Scott into the Hive. We have worked with Helen previously and have a deep respect for her account management skills.

With a degree in Pharmacology and Medical Neuroscience (she’s a geek), Helen has long been attracted to healthcare work – blood and needles excluded. She has substantial agency experience with Rx and Pharmacy brands.

Having been here all of two and a half days, Helen is full of enthusiasm for the challenges of working in a start up (evil laugh goes here). She looks forward to working on a variety of projects and accounts and getting stuck in on the new business front.

Helen’s worst job was standing in Sainsbury’s for five days, promoting Nectar Card in a very bad purple outfit. We hope to offer her a bit more stimulation. Also, we’d like to see the outfit if it’s still around?

Her first impressions of Hive are pleasing.  ”Everyone admits when they’re winging it, but seem to have an enthusiasm and experience that means they must be getting it right! ”

Thanks for joining, Helen – undoubtedly you will be a real asset in helping us grow into great shapes.