Strengthen your promise. On average, it takes more than 2 months before a new behavior becomes automatic. The more consistent you are with communicating and backing up your promise, the better. Consistency only makes your promise resonate stronger. Be authentic and deliberate in all that you do! As part of our series about “Brand Makeovers” I had the pleasure to interview Nick Platt. As the CEO and Chief Creative Officer of LO:LA, Nick Platt is carrying out a lifelong ambition to not only re-imagine advertising creative that resonates but is also “Made with Love.” With a career spanning two continents and three decades, Nick Platt creates magic in the moments that matter. Prior to founding LO:LA Nick was Executive Creative Director at RAPP, responsible for all creative output produced in the agency’s Los Angeles office, including creative campaigns for clients such as Toyota, Nescafe, Bank of America, Flemings, Roy’s, and Mattel as well as pro bono work for the Special Olympics and Stand Up to Cancer, among many others. His particular focus was on delivering creative solutions that are simple, relevant and original. He also worked in that role for the past 14 years, 6 years of which he spent in RAPP’s London office, where he was responsible for managing accounts including NSPCC, Apple, Sony, Barclays Bank, and CRUK. During his 30 years of experience in advertising and direct marketing, he has worked at a range of prominent agencies, including Saatchi & Saatchi, Proximity, and TBWA\GGT, among others. He has won numerous industry awards, including the Grand Prix at the New York Festivals, Gold at the ECHOs, D&AD, John Caples, DMAs and London International Advertising Awards. Nick is proudly a big agency ex-pat determined to prove that independent creative shops can be nimble, fast and cost-efficient without sacrificing quality. He’s making outstanding advertising available. Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit more. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path? When I was at school the one class that gave me the greatest pleasure and comfort was art. I just loved to draw, and to find myself making it into a career has been a blessing, branding and advertising are more than just drawing but to be able to use creativity to solve problems and make products relevant to people, is a skill that goes back to those art classes of my youth. Having my vocation turn into a lifelong career certainly does “beat working for a living”. Can you share a story about the funniest marketing or branding mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that? I think one of the biggest mistakes I made was trying all too often to write ads that I just liked, about things that I personally thought where cool, which, in a sense, narrowed my outlook. In my earlier days, you could always tell the ad work I had created- which initially may have come across as a novelty, but over time likely provided some amount of amusement for my colleagues. Getting out of my own way and headspace and truly creating work for others was the lesson I learned. Are you able to identify a “tipping point” in your career when you started to see success? Did you start doing anything different? Is there a takeaway or lesson that others can learn from that? I guess for me that goes back to when I first started out. Nothing would make me happier or prouder than immediately showing my latest ad or campaign to my mum, for which her response would often be the same: “That’s nice dear!”. I’d always walked away a little deflated and confused that mum couldn’t see what I could see. Then one day, I brought home an advert for a travel company and this time I’d really taken the time and effort to understand the audience and make something for them and not me. My mum’s reaction said it all. She wanted to know how she could book the holiday, she actually bought into what the ad was selling and wanted the product. My “ah-ha” moment was in the difference in how I approached the problem, the task. And since then, I have never looked back. Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people? Yes! We have just embarked on a partnership with an emerging electric vehicle company called ZEV. They are really innovating the EV space, for both consumers and businesses. They are on a mission to break down the barriers of adoption and make ZEV the preferred choice of mobility for every person on the planet by democratizing it, making it accessible to all. ZEV came to LO:LA (my agency) because as brilliant as their technology and mission is, they needed to find a way to turn it into a compelling story- for customers and investors. This is a brand that really understands the need to express it’s “why” to the world. We have helped ZEV better position their brand and create a real sense of purpose. We are now applying that to how they pitch to investors and licensing partners, how they market to individual customers and business fleets, as well as how they educate the general public on how ZEV will revolutionize the world…for the better. All very exciting stuff! What advice would you give to other marketers to thrive and avoid burnout? Pause. Breathe. Taking time for yourself, being away from the problem(s) you are trying to solve can be a great way of putting together that puzzle. Find a way to make the time where you get to really unwind and relax. I have found channeling creativity in other areas of my life can also be a great help. And get over the concept of perfection, you’ll never get there. I’m not suggesting you ever settle for second best, but the stress involved with looking for perfection creates a sure-fire road to burnout. Ok, let’s now jump to the core part of our interview. In a nutshell, how would you define the difference between brand marketing (branding) and product marketing (advertising)? Can you explain? First of all, you need to define your brand’s “why” along with a story that embodies and conveys this concept. Many businesses also miss that their brand is a promise you make to customers, to the world. Once you have your “why” and brand story established, then you can concentrate on the advertising or marketing, determining what are the best ways and platforms to articulate your brand’s promise (and most importantly, how you keep your promises). It’s all about engineering an experience for people through your brand, helping them to perceive and connect with the value in your business. This is how you should look it: your brand is your promise, and your advertising is the evidence you are keeping that promise. Can you explain to our readers why it is important to invest resources and energy into building a brand, in addition to the general marketing and advertising efforts? It is so worth spending the time, energy and budget to truly build (or refresh) your brand, to define your audience and story in a way that exemplifies how you want customers to view and connect with you. As critical as this first step is, it’s often missed. Many businesses look to jump right into actual marketing efforts, searching for tangible ROI’s and KPI’s. However, without a clear and cohesive brand, message and story, any marketing efforts will come across unauthentic to both internal and external customers. And I challenge you to start by first looking internally, to galvanize your company around a single thought so your team can become champions of your brand. All too often employees don’t know the why, the purpose behind what they do within a business or organization. This only permeates to confusion in the eyes of your external customer. Your brand should focus on creating a reason for customers to come back to you time and time again! Look at creating or refreshing your brand as an investment, rather than a cost. Having a fully developed, ever-evolving brand provides you with value, synergy and clarity as well as saves you an exorbitant amount of time and money in the long run! Let’s now talk about rebranding. What are a few reasons why a company would consider rebranding? A company should consider a brand refresh or rebrand when they see disconnect and confusion within their own internal teams. And if a company is not sure if a disconnect exists, just go ask a handful of employees why they are there, how they perceive the brand and the brand’s purpose. If you get different answers, you know you have a problem. And if your brand’s goal is to drive more loyalty amongst current customers and/or grow or connect with new types of customers, a rebrand can absolutely accomplish that. Also, many brands don’t think about their customers from the perspective of their ongoing life journey. As people, we all change and evolve- our beliefs, priorities, our perspectives, etc. Shouldn’t your brand evolve as well? Rather than ramping up your advertising spend. It may be wiser to look at revamping or repositioning your brand (and also might be a simpler and cost-effective route as well). Are there downsides of rebranding? Are there companies that you would advise against doing a “Brand Makeover”? Why? If it’s not broken, why fix it? I think you do need to look at all the indicators of a broken brand first- low net promoter scores, bad customer reviews, lack of repeat orders or transactions, declining sales as well as “softer” indicators like internal buy-in, unmotivated teams, competitors growing market share, etc. If these descriptors don’t apply to you, then you don’t fit the mold of a broken brand and I would suggest you keep doing whatever it is you are doing. But you can never lose by turning your attention to ramping up advertising that shares your promise to the world (and how you keep it). Ok, here is the main question of our discussion. Can you share 5 strategies that a company can do to upgrade and re-energize their brand and image”? Please tell us a story or an example for each. 1. Inspire your customers. Focus on the “why” of your business or brand and back it up with a consistently great story and experience for your customers. 2. Make a promise. Your brand is a promise kept. Create a consistent value or experience that customers can expect from you. Answer an unmet need your customers face. Then do it again, and again, and again. 3. Tell the world about your promise. Be creative in how you communicate your brand (aka your promise) to current and target customers. Use all channels available but make the communications relevant and consistent to that promise. 4. Keep your promise. Be singular and stick to what you say and convey. Customers, more than ever, are savvy and inundated with information and advertising. Always try to go beyond expectation and offer surprise and delight wherever you can. 5. Strengthen your promise. On average, it takes more than 2 months before a new behavior becomes automatic. The more consistent you are with communicating and backing up your promise, the better. Consistency only makes your promise resonate stronger. Be authentic and deliberate in all that you do! In your opinion, what is an example of a company that has done a fantastic job doing a “Brand Makeover”. What specifically impresses you? What can one do to replicate that? Right now, I think Burger King has done a great job of sharing a brand refresh that is built on the promise they made to the world- delivering an engaging and authentic alternative to McDonalds. Going back to their roots and staying true to their promise has helped create a tone and look that is playful and distinctive, which sets the brand apart from other fast-food chains. Burger King has done brand refresh that hits all the right notes. You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. J I think we should all take the time to find out our why. Why am I here? Why do I do what I do? Why would customers (or even employees) care? I think if we all encourage each other to find our why, the world might just benefit J Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life? We are not alone in this world and we will always need each other to create something truly great. Intelligent collaboration has been a life lesson for me- the idea of embracing teamwork and opening your mind to new ideas and approaches is how to do things. Any other way is just too difficult (and much less fun). How can our readers follow you online? Instagram: @lo_la_creative Facebook: @TheLOLAAgency LinkedIn: LO:LA (London: Los Angeles) Thank you so much for these excellent insights! We wish you continued success in your work. https://medium.com/authority-magazine/nick-platt-of-lo-la-brand-makeovers-5-things-you-should-do-to-upgrade-and-re-energize-your-brand-76f0a186e06a

But First, The Brand Whenever businesses look to engage and grow their customer base, many go right to the advertising- digital marketing, paid ads, video content, print media, etc. Unfortunately, the act of first creating or refreshing the brand is often overlooked and can be a major misstep. Without first having a cohesive and purposeful brand, any marketing or advertising spend is at risk to be wasted. Skipping the brand refresh seems to occur most with smaller to mid-sized brands. Perhaps the thought is that only larger companies have the time and budget to spend on branding? Maybe it’s only larger agencies that offer the really great brand ideas? Or perhaps the thought of going through the whole branding or rebranding process makes small to midsize businesses feel overwhelmed? But I challenge those reading this that a brand refresh is absolutely worth considering! A Brand…In A Box? At LO:LA, we offer the concept of a “Brand in a Box”. The process is quite simple, efficient, cost-effective, and is always done in collaboration with the client. We start with the goal of shaping what the brand wants to be while conveying it’s noble purpose (also known as your brand’s “Why”). It then consists of all the components needed to successfully inspire and engage your product or service with target customers: from establishing the brand’s position and developing a brand house to creating a fresh logo and key messaging, a compelling yet friction-free website, and captivating imagery and videos that can be leveraged across various mediums. The end result becomes the basis for all of the brand’s marketing efforts going forward…concise, cohesive and AUTHENTIC! “80% of people crave good stories but wish brands were better at telling them. People crave authenticity, they want to be emotionally engaged.” Source: Scott Magids, Alan Zorfas, and Daniel Leemon.”The New Science of Customer Emotions” Fine-tuning your brand to communicate and act at its most eloquent should always be the basis for subsequent marketing and advertising. It is an effective way to not only stand out and show the world who you really are, but to drive authentic engagement and loyalty with your customers and audience. A brand refresh should be viewed as the catalyst to more impactful marketing, especially when you don’t want or are unable to spend heavily on advertising. So maybe it’s time to ask yourself…how might a brand refresh help my business? Nick Platt is Founder and CEO/Chief Creative Officer of @LO:LA, a boutique creative & marketing agency HQ in Los Angeles, CA. With a career spanning two continents and three decades, Nick has worked at a range of prominent agencies including Saatchi & Saatchi, Proximity, and TBWA\GGT and has won numerous industry awards including the Grand Prix at the New York Festivals, Gold at the ECHOs, D&AD, John Caples, DMAs & London International Advertising Awards. Nick’s goal is to create magic in the moments that matter and is determined to prove, together with his experienced team of advertising professionals, that independent creative shops can be nimble, fast and cost-efficient without sacrificing quality.

Sprockets announced a $3.4mm venture raise, allowing them to further drive innovation in the hourly workforce and empower their customers to hire applicants that are the precise fit for their needs. Lytical Ventures of New York City led this round of investment for the SaaS company after they had such a successful year despite the global pandemic. Due to their growth before and during COVID-19, Sprockets showed strong demand from verticals dependent on the hourly workforce with high employee turnover. This raise sets them up for significant expansion within the foodservice, healthcare, and hospitality markets. AJ Richichi, CEO of Sprockets, shares his thoughts on what this investment means for the company and its mission: “We started Sprockets to make a profound change to a hiring process that is plagued with inefficiencies and bias. This investment changes the scale of that mission, and we were thrilled to find partners that believe in its integrity.” Sprockets’ software offers a simple solution to a complex hiring problem. The Applicant Matching System evaluates potential hires based on the traits of a company’s best employees to determine if they will be the right fit for the organization. There is no guesswork, frustration, or expense of high turnover. They’ve already helped numerous franchisees of companies like McDonald’s, Chick-fil-a, and HomeWell. Anya Schiess, General Partner of Healthy Ventures, one of three other investment firms in this round of funding, states some of the reasoning behind their decision: “With a ~10% U.S. unemployment rate, finding entry-level employees isn’t a problem. Identifying which employees will be the best performers within your organization is a problem. Retaining your best employees is a problem. Maintaining a productive culture is a problem.” Sprockets solves these problems. It’s also rare for a South Carolina-startup company such as Sprockets to receive funding from outside the Southeast region. Richichi knows this is a sign of great things to come, expressing the utmost confidence in his team and excitement for the future. “Fundraising as a South Carolina-based technology company during a global pandemic was not easy, but I couldn’t be more proud of our team. Together, we will be able to share our technology with the world.” This round of investment included ​Lytical Ventures​, ​Thayer Ventures​, ​Healthy Ventures​, and VentureSouth​. Each of these VCs brings years of experience in various industries to connect and expand Sprockets’ reach to verticals dependent on an hourly workforce. Richichi goes on to say, “We have aspirations to become one of the fastest-growing companies in the Southeast.” Sprockets is certainly on track to fulfill his goal with this raise.

Be authentic to your brand. So many times, I have seen success prevail when you go back to the fundamentals of your business, getting everyone on the same page and demonstrating the grit to see that through will make all the difference. In this interview series, we are exploring the subject of resilience among successful business leaders. Resilience is one characteristic that many successful leaders share in common, and in many cases it is the most important trait necessary to survive and thrive in today’s complex market. I had the pleasure of interviewing Nick Platt. As the CEO and Chief Creative Officer of LO:LA, Nick Platt is carrying out a lifelong ambition to not only re-imagine advertising creative that resonates but is also “Made with Love.” With a career spanning two continents and three decades, Nick Platt creates magic in the moments that matter. Prior to founding LO:LA Nick was Executive Creative Director at RAPP, responsible for all creative output produced in the agency’s Los Angeles office, including creative campaigns for clients such as Toyota, Nescafe, Bank of America, Flemings, Roy’s, and Mattel as well as pro bono work for the Special Olympics and Stand Up to Cancer, among many others. His particular focus was on delivering creative solutions that are simple, relevant and original. He also worked in that role for the past 14 years, 6 years of which he spent in RAPP’s London office, where he was responsible for managing accounts including NSPCC, Apple, Sony, Barclays Bank, and CRUK. During his 30 years of experience in advertising and direct marketing, he has worked at a range of prominent agencies, including Saatchi & Saatchi, Proximity, and TBWA\GGT, among others. He has won numerous industry awards, including the Grand Prix at the New York Festivals, Gold at the ECHOs, D&AD, John Caples, DMAs and London International Advertising Awards. Nick is proudly a big agency ex-pat determined to prove that independent creative shops can be nimble, fast and cost-efficient without sacrificing quality. He’s making outstanding advertising available. Thank you for joining us Nick. Can you share your story about ‘grit and success’? First can you tell us a story about the hard times that you faced when you first started your journey? After 30 years at large, global ad agencies, I decided to open LO:LA in 2017. LO:LA stands for London:Los Angeles. We bring big agency and in-house experience matched with the flexibility, attention and “outside the box” thinking of an independent shop. We are a modern, creative agency and specialize in helping B2C and B2B businesses engage, evolve, and most importantly THRIVE. Our mission is to ensure our clients always have access to quality creative for their budget. We always want to make good ideas accessible and experiences meaningful. This is our noble purpose. Through it, I thought it would attract the right people to the business, both clients and staff, and in turn it would foster a strong culture. Looking back now, perhaps that thinking of only good people would want to be a part of this was a bit naïve. So, there we were, with the business barely started, busy trying to attract new clients and projects and produce work that lived up to our noble mission. But it became clear other forces were at work that were undermining us and putting the agency in a bad light with partners, vendors and clients alike. This created a “do or die’’ situation where our reputation and very existence were at stake. It was a time when I felt very alone and at a loss for what to do. It was only the action of stopping and going back to the purpose of the business that I could see a way through, becoming disciplined and doubling down on our mission, rejecting anything that couldn’t be held up to our highest standards. Success after this epiphany did not happen overnight and the road was very bumpy, but it was the true north we needed to guide us to a better place and lay the foundation for all business moving forward. Earlier this year when COVID-19 hit and changed business as we know it, we stuck to our mission of making good ideas accessible and experiences meaningful. We did not lose focus, but rather made the necessary shifts and pivots to go where our services were needed (and valued). We are not out of the woods yet, nor are any of us I suppose, but it gives me the focus and energy to keep going, move forward. This firm belief in the purpose of a brand and how it behaves has a fundamental part in one’s success. For LO:LA, it is what guides all that we now do and the mindset we expect from everyone we work with and for. Being ardent about its implementation has meant we are now attracting the right people, no longer a romantic thought but a DNA for our perspective, attitude and mutual success. Where did you get the grit and drive to continue even though things were so hard? Grit is something that I learned early on. As a boy, I was involved in a bad car accident, which left me in a coma with a fractured skull and while in hospital I contracted meningitis. My recovery was difficult. After the coma I had to learn to walk all over again as well as lost the hearing in my right ear due to the meningitis. The world had fundamentally changed for me. I was faced with the prospect of succumbing to my situation or to fight and try to get back to how I was before. Grit and determination are, in my mind, the key factors that made the difference. My recovery wasn’t quick, it wasn’t pretty, and it had many setbacks. But focusing on what I wanted and making sure that nothing stopped that goal from becoming real made the outcome all the more attainable. The idea of simplifying what you want to achieve and discarding anything that gets in the way are rules that I recommend to any leader as they are faced with tough times. So how did grit lead to your eventual success? How did grit turn things around? To me, grit involves passion. And passion is infectious. But it’s what you do with that passion. I often say “do” is greater than “say”, for it’s your actions that show more clearly than anything that’s intended. When you concentrate on your talents and strengths, and match that with your passion, people will hanker to be a part of that. I believe by buckling down, going back to why I opened LO:LA, and focusing on what we do best has been the key to our success thus far. And we have really just embarked on a path to some amazing things. Like I tell my team and our clients, what we get to do every day…it beats working for a living! When in doubt, I always turn back to the work being produced. It’s the product that people want, and you can control everything else out of your hands. We use the phrase, ‘made with love’ as our contract of quality with our clients, if it’s felt it’s not made with love, we have an opportunity to get things back on track, an unwritten rule we live by. Based on your experience, can you share 5 pieces of advice about how one can develop grit? (Share a story of an example for each) Be authentic to your brand. So many times, I have seen success prevail when you go back to the fundamentals of your business, getting everyone on the same page and demonstrating the grit to see that through will make all the difference. Trust your gut. When times are tough, you will get advice from everyone, solicited and unsolicited. It may be well-meaning, but often those giving the advice never have a full understanding of the whole situation. You do. Therefore, trust your gut even if it says do nothing listen to it. Never give up. Giving up will always be a 100% guarantee to lose. Even if the temptation is strong and when things look their darkest- push on and stick to your mission. Then revel in the work and see what happens! The only way out, is through. Just as giving up is not the answer, there is no other way than to go but through. It might be tough and stressful but it’s the only way to get to where you want to go. And often there is a reason why or lesson to be learned by doing so. Trust the process. It might feel like one step forward then two steps back at times, but embrace the process. Be open to things not going as planned. Eventually you will see light at the end of the tunnel. None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped you when things were tough? Can you share a story about that? Ian Haworth was my creative mentor and leader for many years in London, I also reported to him when I came out to Los Angeles. Ian was always there with encouragement when things got tough. There was one time when I was involved in running the day-to-day of the London agency’s creative department and where we had a long and successful relationship with a large utility company. Over time the relationship had started to fade, and a review was called. I led the creative response for this review, and unfortunately, we failed to retain the client. Needless to say, I was quite distraught. But Ian had a tremendous ability to see the bigger picture, to not get caught up in the obvious moment of regret, but rather to keep our eyes on our vision, the future. He showed me to accept the situation for what it was, learn from it, and then focus on were the agency was going and the type of work we wanted to create. He clearly saw that what the client wanted and what we wanted no longer aligned. How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world? I always try to share my perspective and experience with those I feel people will most benefit. Recently I have been helping a great group of people called Upcomers, an incubator to help young people looking to get into the creative business. Although someone trying to get their first job in the business might not feel their situation is the same as mine, I find there are always parallels that can connect, and how having this same focus can benefit them as much as it has me. Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people? We have recently started working with a SaaS startup that specifically helps independent, small businesses thrive by introducing tried and true operational processes. A great company (and founder) with a real purpose, solutions built from real-world experience. We are building out their brand voice and then applying to their website, sales materials, and marketing content. I feel what they have to offer can really help any budding entrepreneur that needs the guidance and support to turn their dream into a thriving business. What advice would you give to other executives or founders to help their employees to thrive? My advice is simple: stay the course and be disciplined, accept (and learn from) the bad as well as the good and remain focused on what you want and why you want it!

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THE DAVEY AWARDS ANNOUNCES WINNERSBEST IN SHOW WINNERS UNVEILED, GOLD AND SILVER AWARD RECIPIENTS ALSO NAMED New York, NY (October 20, 2020) – Winners of the 16th Annual Davey Awards have been announced by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts. With nearly 2,000 entries from across the U.S. and from around the world, the Davey Awards honors the finest creative work from the best small shops, firms, and companies worldwide. Please visit www.daveyawards.com to view the full winners list. The Daveys are judged and overseen by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts (AIVA). The AIVA is an invitation-only member-based organization of leading professionals from various disciplines of the visual arts dedicated to embracing progress and the evolving nature of traditional and interactive media. Current membership represents a “Who’s Who” of acclaimed media, advertising, and marketing firms including: Spotify, Majestyk, Big Spaceship, Nissan, Tinder, Conde Nast, Disney, Microsoft, GE Digital, JP Morgan, PGA Tour, Wired, and many others. Visit www.aiva.org for more information on our judging body. About the Davey Awards: The Davey Awards exclusively honor the “Davids” of creativity, the finest small shops, firms, agencies, and companies worldwide. David defeated the giant Goliath with a big idea and a little rock – the sort of thing small agencies do each year. The annual International Davey Awards honors the achievements of the “Creative Davids”, who derive their strength from big ideas rather than big budgets. The Davey Awards is the leading awards competition specifically for smaller agencies as they compete with their peers to win the recognition they deserve. Please visit www.daveyawards.com for more information. LO:LA is honored to have won 4 Golds & 1 Silver for our work in Branded Digital Content, Websites & Art Direction in the small business, food & bev, and social responsibility categories. A big THANK YOU to our clients NOM, GRRRL and Total Wine & More! #daveyawards #advertising #marketing #branding #digitalmarketing #video #websites #smallbusiness #creative #socialmedia #advertisingagency #content

As a part of my series about “How to Create a Trusted and Believable Brand”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Nick Platt. As the CEO and Chief Creative Officer of LO:LA, Nick Platt is carrying out a lifelong ambition to not only re-imagine advertising creative that resonates but is also “Made with Love.” With a career spanning two continents and three decades, Nick Platt creates magic in the moments that matter. Prior to founding LO:LA Nick was Executive Creative Director at RAPP, responsible for all creative output produced in the agency’s Los Angeles office, including creative campaigns for clients such as Toyota, Nescafe, Bank of America, Flemings, Roy’s, and Mattel as well as pro bono work for the Special Olympics and Stand Up to Cancer, among many others. His particular focus was on delivering creative solutions that are simple, relevant and original. He also worked in that role for the past 14 years, 6 years of which he spent in RAPP’s London office, where he was responsible for managing accounts including NSPCC, Apple, Sony, Barclays Bank, and CRUK. During his 30 years of experience in advertising and direct marketing, he has worked at a range of prominent agencies, including Saatchi & Saatchi, Proximity, and TBWA\GGT, among others. He has won numerous industry awards, including the Grand Prix at the New York Festivals, Gold at the ECHOs, D&AD, John Caples, DMAs and London International Advertising Awards. Nick is proudly a big agency ex-pat determined to prove that independent creative shops can be nimble, fast and cost-efficient without sacrificing quality. He’s making outstanding advertising available. Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path? Creativity was always something that was part of my life, I always loved art and problem solving, it was something that just fascinated me. As a creative this was always who I was, what I did and what I wanted to do. To then have taken the step to manifest that by creating my own agency is, to me, the best expression of my life-long passion for creative problem solving. Can you share a story about the funniest marketing mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that? I almost went to prison for believing whole heartily in something that was an opinion-changing idea. I learned in real time the power of great ideas and the responsibility to deliver them in the right context. Connecting with people in a relevant way is the ultimate goal of everything we are striving for at LO:LA. What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story? Made with love is our mantra, I know anyone can say that, but we really try to live by it. It’s embedded into our framework for what we develop and share with our clients and enables is to provide them with the best solutions. And once we are all invested in this philosophy, processes and outcomes become clearer. Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people? Everything is exciting! But right now, the process of helping our clients stay meaningful to their customers is our focus. Context has changed, yet people haven’t. The imperative to remain real and helpful is driving all our thinking. We have just finished a film for one of our clients that wants to acknowledge the power of the enforced loneliness of COVID-19, how it can be a time of great renewal, and understanding that what we do next as people and brands will shape our collective futures, coming out from this we can be stronger. Ok let’s now jump to the core part of our interview. In a nutshell, how would you define the difference between brand marketing (branding) and product marketing (advertising)? Can you explain? To us that is simple, there should be no difference as they are irrevocably linked. But it must start with the brand. The brand story must be on point in order for product marketing to happen. A brand is a promise kept, while advertising is how that promise is expressed. Finding the place of alignment of where the truth of your brand and the most important thing a customer feels is what we look for. Once you have achieved this, the simple and quantifiable things like aesthetics, tone and performance become easy and measurable. Our goal is to help everyone come together to express the idea in a more cohesive and aligned way. Too many times there isn’t a sense of common purpose or focus on a mutually understood outcome. It is the brand idea that ties it all together. When brand marketing is true and right, the product marketing is then simple. Nike has been brilliant at making product ads and brand ads one in the same. Can you explain to our readers why it is important to invest resources and energy into building a brand, in addition to the general marketing and advertising efforts? I believe history speaks for itself. When you look at the brands who were rigorous at putting the brand idea first, then you see how many became successful, how many thrived. Any business that has a desire to create efficiencies and believes in a strong and singular brand will win. We refer to this notion as the new ‘ROI’ or ‘RETURN ON IDEAS’. As marketers we are tasked with helping brands become profitable and remembered, we think this becomes paramount in how they behave to drive success. Can you share 5 strategies that a company should be doing to build a trusted and believable brand? Be authentic This isn’t so much an example as an observation of the times we find ourselves in. Right now, in the time of the pandemic, the whole idea of “in this together’ and “we have your back” can be received as empty statements and may come back to bite a brand, unless that brand fulfills on those promises. Be singular Say one thing well, say it often, and don’t deviate. Staying true to your brand voice and tone are crucial. And in times of uncertainty, there is a human urge to make different choices, chase or do things that might be different to how you would normally. We urge brands to have the discipline to hold true to who they are, this is key to remaining relevant in the minds of customers. Your brand idea should be a guiding light in good times and even more so in challenging times. Be humble Never brag. Simple rule, but if observed, it will help your brand become more empathetic and respected. We always try to advise our clients against shouting loudly about their product when offering a softer, yet more empathic approach, can be much more effective. Be generous Be generous with everything, always. Your perspective. Your product. Your whole self. Showing the world, you are worth sharing is important, an open and inclusive perspective. Be invitational If generosity becomes a brand mantra, then it is only natural to be welcoming and inclusive. And we feel this is an important step in creating harmony and loyalty with customers. Participation is key in helping the future of a brand, to make it something that is co-created and opening new and undiscovered innovation for the brand. In your opinion, what is an example of a company that has done a fantastic job building a believable and beloved brand. What specifically impresses you? What can one do to replicate that? There are many brands that have done (and are currently doing) a great job of authenticity, being who they are, making their brand believed and wanted right now. The shift and pivot from COVID has produced some interesting examples of this. Clorox, already the go-to authority on cleanliness, has deepened that notion by partnering with other brands who have a point to prove and a customer base to reassure. Personally, I love those brands that have truly put their money where their mouth is. Brands like REI will always resonant with me for their ambition to celebrate ‘the outdoors’, to cherish it above all. Articulating that by actions like closing on Black Friday (because of their fundamental belief ‘That being in nature is more important’) is such a wonderful and powerful articulation of their brand idea, and it resonated with customers. In advertising, one generally measures success by the number of sales. How does one measure the success of a brand building campaign? Is it similar, is it different? Brand success is the ultimate success, crafting a position and tone that connects time and time again. Every brand message is an advert and every avert is a brand message- the point is simple, they are inextricably linked, one needs the other. What role does social media play in your branding efforts? Social media is crucial in the success of a brand today. The discipline needed is to master continuity in messaging and staying true to the brand. What advice would you give to other marketers or business leaders to thrive and avoid burnout? Breathe. I wish I could say the job wasn’t everything but taking the time to look around and appreciate what is around you is important, life has so much more to offer. You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂 Make everything with LOVE. Make this your single rule and you’ll be surprised at what you can achieve. Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life? The quote that I really like is “A rising tide floats every boat”. If we all think in this way, to look to help each other, then it can create opportunities and produce benefits for many and in ways we haven’t even thought of yet. We are blessed that very prominent leaders in business and entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world with whom you would like to have a lunch or breakfast with? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂 Hamdi Ulukaya - Founder of Chobani. I found his Ted Talk truly inspiring.

Brands used to be in control, dictating what consumers should think, what they should buy and what they should watch. This is no longer the case. The control is now in the hands of consumers and staying relevant has become the most difficult job for a brand. So, what’s the answer? Why are some brands more successful than others at becoming (and staying) relevant? Maybe it is because those brands are ‘elastic’, their ability to stretch over many different product lines, resulting in more relevance and value for the customer, while still staying true to the core of who and what that brand is. To be clear, it’s not just the newcomer brands that have managed to be relevant over disparate products and stealing the limelight. Some storied brands have with effortless grace, managed to remain relevant and engaged with consumers by offering meaningful product extensions. Apple is a great example of an ‘elastic’ brand. They have successfully launched ever more diverse product extensions while always maintaining brand equity. As a brand, they have set the bar for computers, phones and other technology, yet you probably wouldn’t pull a funny face if they next came out with an Apple-branded clothing line. This is what I mean by The Elastic Brand. History is full of stories of brands that have attempted reinvention through new products, yet only to crash and burn. Many of those who have tried this actually cause consumers to question the true intent of that brand. If “Can I trust you?” starts to cross the minds of once loyal customers, that usually signals an impending downward spiral. These missteps come at a cost to the brand — and to the bottom line. The path to reinvention should always start with the DNA of the brand. What do people associate with it? Establishing this is the first step in understanding how to make the next move a successful one, whether that’s a new product line or simply a new method of consumer communication. Once on this path, the right questions must be asked, such as: what discipline or methodology could a brand apply today to stay relevant? How far does a brand have to go to totally reinvent itself in order to remain relevant? Brands often try desperately to stay relevant by offering what they feel are more compelling reinventions of their products. The word “new” seems to be becoming old at a rapid pace. So how do you make the next brand extension stick? It must resonate in a deeper and more emotive way. Customers want to be emotionally connected. Next, one must take a long, hard look at the core of the brand. Is the brand associated with prestige, or is it more functional? What makes your brand known or famous in the first place? Not only is this critical in understanding a brand’s elasticity, but it also has the wonderful byproduct of reminding the team that they can feel proud of who they are and what they stand for! (But this is a subject for another day.) Honda recently had a branded content piece for their music concert series, featuring up-and-coming talent, celebrating them and their potential success. Now it seems these days everyone is sponsoring a concert series, but this stood out. What did Honda do that was so different? The answer was simple. This wasn’t about music content; it was about a true understanding of the brand concept. They weren’t selling cars by the association of their product with music; they were selling Honda’s brand promise: “The Power of Dreams”. By sticking to what was fundamental about the brand concept, they achieved relevance and authenticity. Honda is a functional brand and, as such, has to work harder to make its brand elastic than, say, Mercedes-Benz, which is perceived as a more prestige-based concept. A brand’s elasticity is first governed by a simple perception. The more abstract the brand concept, the more elastic it is and the more it can successfully stretch into other product categories. It’s important to recognize here that people find it more plausible for prestige brands to expand their offerings beyond their normal area of expertise. For example, Mercedes-Benz could more easily develop a fashion brand than Honda. But Honda has no trouble selling anything with a motor in it, from boats to lawnmowers. This is an important distinction. A functional brand has analytical assumptions made about it. The style of people’s thought about a functional brand is more rational. Aligning brand and consumer more perfectly requires both parties to bring something to the table. It also requires identifying the customer’s style of thinking – is it holistic or analytical?” People who think holistically view subjects not only by their features, but also by how they exist in the wider context. They think about more than just the product; they think about that product’s place in the world. Does it affect the environment? Will my friend approve if I buy it? Does this product (and brand) match my values? An analytical thinker, however, questions the features of a product, such as how does this product compare side-by-side with the competition? What’s the MPG? Which offers the best financing deal? No single brand can say, “We only have holistic-thinking customers”, but it can still target them. Or, more to the point, it can attempt to change how their customers think, to be more holistic in their appreciation and judgment of the brand. These two things — identifying whether the brand concept is prestigious or functional and determining whether the customer’s thinking style is holistic or analytical — form the bedrock upon which a brand can determine how to create and benefit from its elasticity; how to shape extensions and communications that are greeted with approval and acceptance, rather than dismissal or irrelevance. As an innovative creative agency, LO:LA is constantly looking for ways to help brands relate to customers, to stay relevant. We take data, insight and intuition and turn them into experiences that make people feel things, say things and then do things. Our goal is to find that sweet spot between the most relevant brand story (the brand’s DNA) AND the most salient consumer truth (how the customer thinks). This is where the magic happens. We call this approach ‘THE NEW ROI’ (return on ideas) Through nimble, intelligent collaboration with our clients and partners, we help guide a brand as it begins to listen and to anticipate their customer’s needs and communicate that through the products they create and the stories they tell.

As an independently owned advertising agency, we know how much being without each other affects our lives and livelihood. And as creatives, we are tasked with looking at every situation through a different lens and finding new ways to connect us all. In these unprecedented times, LO:LA has taken a pledge to help. If you are a business or brand in need of a pivot to your current offering or services, to create new moments that inspire customers, or to take another look at how your brand or business is connecting with the world…we are here to help! LO:LA would like to offer your business a free marketing and media audit- fresh eyes and ideas on how your brand can best make a shift- whether it’s creating new messaging or simply using what you may already have differently. Contact us to discuss how we can be of service. We truly are all in this together. And together let’s keep the wheels of life (and business) turning. Cheers!

It is always satisfying when you get to do what you love. One of the greatest pleasure’s we know as a group of like-minded souls is when we are out on location, pulling a story together. Earlier this year we had the challenge and pleasure to bring to life the stories behind Total Wine & More’s Winery Direct program. Who wouldn’t turn down the chance to spend 10 days in Napa interviewing and filming what are effectively the rock stars of Californian wine making. But I guess that is the rub, how do you do justice to a request like that with limited time and limited resources? Intelligent collaboration is the way we do things and bringing together the right team for this job was, for us, theory in practice. Five days, 10 vineyards, and what felt like an infinite number of products to capture, to do justice to this request was only going to be achieved if we thought differently about things. Just creating content was never going to be enough. Today we seem to live in a world where content is king, but that isn’t enough, less really is more. Rather than just flood the world with more things, we need to create better things, we need to connect with consumers on an authentic, sincere level. On a lifetime value basis, emotionally connected customers are more than twice as valuable as highly satisfied customers, these emotionally connected customers buy more of your products and services, visit you more often, exhibit less price sensitivity, pay more attention to your communications, follow your advice, and recommend you more – everything you hope their experience with you will cause them to do. So, deploying emotionally – connection-based experiences can help drives significant improvements in business outcomes. At LO:LA we seek out and engage with the emotionally connected customer. The Brand Storytelling Report 2015, commissioned by content marketing agency Headstream, revealed that while 80% of people (UK adults) want brands to tell stories, 85% of them can’t remember a good one. So, we’re constantly looking for ways to relate. To us it’s about holding up a mirror to consumers and letting them know the story starts from and with them. “Show customers you know them and show them you care” This then became our mantra for how we went about capturing our content. To deliver on this we strive to be as authentic as possible. We believe that having a nimble crew is not only cost effective for the client, it’s also improves our ability to be authentic. When large crews show up talent has a tendency to feel overwhelmed, especially when they aren’t hired talent. The winemakers we interviewed were relieved when they saw the size of our crew and more relaxed. Nothing was scripted, just a list of questions tailored to capture the topics we needed in the cut. We were able to move around from vineyards, tasting room and barrel rooms, capturing product still photography, b-roll and drone footage within a few hours. Having a nimble crew was a huge advantage for us as well. We were able to cover two wineries a day. Even on days when we drove from one wine region to the next, we delivered on the ask. Each location had unique elements we wanted to identify and capture. With walkie talkies in hand, we would split up and scout the best options and quickly get set up for the interview. Meanwhile, our photographer set out to capture product stills. Very passionately, we were amazed with what he was able to pull off with very little direction. Creating content is a labor of love. Having trust as a team instills trust with the interviewees and the client. Being open to all suggestions and working with a team that shares your passion and strives to deliver the best result is how we deliver on our promise of intelligent collaboration.

As the marketing landscape changes around us, it’s good to look for inspiration in unusual places. Inspiration can be found in life-changing historic events and experiences. Tactical Mastermind In 1804, Napoleon was crowned the Emperor of France and established himself as Europe’s dictator and is widely considered a tactical mastermind. But the aspect that interests me in this particular victory is Napoleon’s invention and use of the Corps system, an assembly of small armies that have everything they need to engage an enemy: infantry, cavalry and artillery. These armies of 10,000 to 40,000 men march together in close proximity — no more than 10 miles apart — and could, at short notice, assist each other in fighting an enemy. At a predetermined time and location could come together to provide overwhelming fire power and defeat whomever stood against them. The Power of Small Teams In 2013, Gallup released a report called “The State of The American Workplace” which showed that smaller companies have more engaged employees. In fact, 42% of employees working at companies of 10 employees or fewer are engaged at work, compared to only 30% of employees engaged at larger companies. We can equate these 10-person companies to 10-person teams. A recent Forbesarticle shared one of Jeff Bezos’rules, or philosophies, at Amazon: if a team cannot be fed by two pizzas, then that team is too large. The reasoning is quite straightforward and basic. More people requires more communication, more bureaucracy, more chaos, and more of pretty much everything that slows down projects, hence why large organizations are oftentimes pegged as being so inefficient. FORBES ARTICLE: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jacobmorgan/2015/04/15/why-smaller-teams-are-better-than-larger-ones/#3b46ef021e68 FAST COMPANY ARTICLE: https://www.fastcompany.com/3037542/productivity-hack-of-the-week-the-two-pizza-approach-to-productive-teamwork But beyond the virtue of smaller, fully-functioning teams is the magic of decisive leadership. Smaller teams move faster, iterate at a higher frequency, and provide greater innovation for the company. The Volkswagen Golf GTI, one of the most well-known hatchbacks in history, was created by a team of eight. A little appreciated fact is that many of today’s largest technology companies created their first successful products with teams of fewer than 10 people. This point is illustrated by J. Richard Hackman, the Edgar Pierce Professor of Social and Organizational Psychology at Harvard University. His rule of thumb is “no double digits.” Hackman has said, “Regardless of the exact, magic number, the idea of working within small teams is believed to help diminish various innovation killers like groupthink and social loafing. There are several other benefits for working in small teams like more effective communication, greater trust among team members, and less fear of failure”. MIT SLOAN ARTICLE:https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/get-things-done-with-smaller-teams/ Think Nimble It’s Napoleon’s example of what we call ‘intelligent collaboration’ and ‘nimble thinking’ that inspires us at LOLA; the notion that you don’t need everything in great depth, but rather the ability to adapt with just the right understanding of everything that is needed to solve a problem. A network of similar organizations with specialized knowledge can be called upon at the appropriate moment, but not necessarily at the beginning of a project. For any brand, a network of agile, nimble, and skilled people is essential, but the art of bringing to bear the right person at the right time requires a set of lateral moves coming from a more creative mindset. Giving clients this ability is something we strive for.Our goal is to help brands develop efficient, simple and extremely effective solutions. Napoleon’s tactics for winning the battle of Austerlitz is a sure shining example of just that. Sometimes to shape the future you have to look to the past.

Brand president: ‘It’s an all senses immersive experience’ As the leaders of Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar discussed how to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the brand’s first restaurant, chef-partner Kevin Monahan said he wished he could give guests an inside look at the inspiration behind the Chef’s Table menu. That included telling people about his grandma’s Fig Upside Down Cake, a special dessert on the carefully curated menu. “If people can just talk to my grandmother about why she’s so passionate about the dish,” Fleming’s President Beth Scott said, recalling Monahan’s suggestion. Fleming’s, whose parent company is Tampa, Fla.-based Bloomin’ Brands, took that idea and rolled with it. Earlier this month, Monahan’s wish came true when the flagship restaurant in Newport Beach, Calif. debuted a new immersive “Taste the Future” dining event for guests. The 360-degree behind-the-plate experience is reminiscent of Disneyland’s defunct Circle Vision “America the Beautiful” attraction. The wall-to-wall multi-camera movie gives diners an inside look at local suppliers — from Baja California fisheries to Napa Valley vineyards. Flemings Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar chef-partner Kevin Monahan. Monahan and other artisans narrate stories about each coursed dish. At the inaugural Taste the Future event, the dining room “theater” walls projected an aerial view of the picturesque Baja California coast as guests were served a striped bass dish. Waves crashed against rugged, rocky shorelines. A school of sea bass blanketed the screen. The visuals and Monahan’s narration give diners a glimpse behind the plate: “I am inspired by the people who are dedicated to their craft,” he narrates. “When I learned the story of the sustainable striped sea bass farm in Baja, I felt like the coast was calling me. It was meant to be part of this menu.” Scott said the goal is to “transport guests to the time, place and season that their food is from with sensory surprises throughout the five-courses.” When a Wagyu ribeye medallion with roasted root vegetables is served, the film shows chef Monahan using his expert knife skills to cut the delicate vegetables. He can smell their freshness, and he relays that to guests in the voiceover. “It’s like eating a plate out of the garden,” he said. Sanjiv Gupta, operating partner at Fleming’s in Newport Beach, acts as the host of the evening. He often tells a story about the wine paired with each meal. The striped bass dish, for example, is paired with a Robert Mondavi Fume Blanc. The screens show the rolling hillsides of Mondavi’s Napa Valley vineyards. Gupta, glass in hand, tells diners the legendary story of how the famed vintner created and coined the dry, barrel-aged Fume Blanc. Gupta, who along with Monahan was awarded Fleming’s Partners of the Year in 2018, also gives tasting notes to guests. In the fourth course, a Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve from Daou in Paso Robles, Calif. is paired with the Wagyu dish. “It should be luscious and silky to your mouth,” Gupta says. Taste the Future is not just a Disneyland-style visual show. It’s also a sensory experience that brings “storytelling to the next level,” Scott said. At the center of tables, draped with starched white tablecloths, is a box filled with items diners can touch or smell. Each item has ties to the dish they are being served. The first course, for example, is Alaskan octopus (left) served with a squid ink reduction. In the box, diners can touch a piece of the white coral used as a home for the octopuses. Diners can also grab a few slivers of mesquite wood, the same kindle Monahan uses for the second course: smoked tomato soup. “It’s an all senses immersive experience,” Scott said. “It is a creative way to do farm to fork in a different way.” After fine tuning the system for several months, Fleming’s in Newport Beach debuted the first event Aug. 1. The chain plans to offer the experience, which cost $200 per person, once a month. The next one is scheduled Sept. 7. Fleming’s declined to offer the captial investment. In addition to the monthly events, Fleming’s said it is open to create a customized experience for private or corporate events. It could be a curated Paris-themed birthday with a French-inspired menu and a visual journey throughout the City of Light. “We are letting it take a life of its own,” Scott said. And, for now, she said the immersive experience is only available at Fleming’s in Newport Beach, founded in 1998 by veteran restaurateurs Paul Fleming and Bill Allen. There are no plans to roll out Taste the Future to the rest of the 69-unit chain, which has been busy upgrading older venues. The Fleming’s in Newport Beach is among a handful of restaurants that have recently been remodeled to “deformalize” the look of the dimly-lit steak house, Scott said. Eight remodels will be completed in 2019. The changes include adding more natural light and “getting rid of the dark smoky club atmosphere,” she said. Is Fleming’s trying to attract a younger demographic? Not intentionally, Scott said. The idea is to be more relevant by providing guests of any age the kind of experiences they are looking for today, she said. That philosophy is what led to developing Taste the Future, an attempt to turn “fine dining” to “fun dining,” Scott said. “People want something that is more fun and interactive rather than getting steak on a plate,” she said. Contact Nancy Luna at nancy.luna@informa.com Follow her on Twitter: @fastfoodmaven