Simon Mainwaring

We First provides consulting and training to help companies tell the story of their good work in ways that build their business

Brands

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Social media is not an end in itself. It’s not there to create ‘arm’s length’ relationships that exist only in “cyberspace” sheltering participants from intimacy through relative anonymity. Social media is there to enhance our experience of the real world. To allow us to connect, collaborate and inspire one another so that we might enrich […]

Social media is not an end in itself. It’s not there to create ‘arm’s length’ relationships that exist only in “cyberspace” sheltering participants from intimacy through relative anonymity. Social media is there to enhance our experience of the real world. To allow us to connect, collaborate and inspire one another so that we might enrich …

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Uniquo, the tirelessly inventive Japanese design company that won the digital Titanium Grand Prix last year, had a fascinating t-shirt stand at the Cannes Festival last week. Each t-shirt had a simple panel stuck to the fabric that felt just a little bit thicker than the cotton shirt around it. A short animated sequence was …

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I recently had the chance to work with a great brand, Brine (top lacrosse brand in the country), and their partner ad agency, JWT Detroit (whose digital arm and Honest deserve huge props for building the site and app so quickly). The challenge was to bring a little edge to the brand without cannabilising the …

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1. BE HUMAN No matter what you say, or where you say it, people won’t hear you unless they can see themselves in your brand. So speak from a human truth. It can be funny, thoughtful, serious or stupid. That’s how people really are. If you don’t, you and your potential customer might as well …

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Social media is revolutionizing our lives as individuals and as marketers. In the last year, Facebook exploded globally and Twitter grew by a staggering 1382%. Last week Google launched the ‘Wave’, a new in-browser collaboration tool, ushering in the era of real time, aggregated communication. Leading corporate brands are responding. The list of Fortune 500 …

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Lego isn’t just undergoing a revival, it’s a born-again cult in the making. But they haven’t changed, it’s the same old stuff, there’s no whiz-bang technology, right? Lego is doing three things brilliantly. Connecting emotionally with their audience, re-establishing relevance, and selling their fundamental proposition – the power of joyful imagination. Here’s how: 1. They …

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