# Sue Unerman > MediaComment ## Posts - [The power of archetypes to supercharge effectiveness](https://sueunerman.com/2026/04/the-power-of-archetypes-to-supercharge-effectiveness/): The use of images in advertising is powerful and effective.  Images using universal archetypes are supercharged.    Archetypal images are very ancient pictures that have been shared over millennia and which have hidden meaning for the unconscious mind.  Carl Jung believed that they live in the collective unconscious and that they have power beyond the superficial. The use of archetypal images in advertising has been chronicled by Margaret Mark and Carol S. Pearson in their book “The Hero and the Outlaw: building extraordinary brands through the power of archetypes”.  This led to innumerable workshops where brand managers and agencies debated […] - [Why experience matters](https://sueunerman.com/2026/03/why-experience-matters/): There are four stages of adult competence according to a study from New York University in the 1960s.  The first stage is unconscious incompetence.  It’s when we arrive at a new workplace, it could be for your first job, or it could be starting somewhere new.  You think that you know what you’re doing, you may even believe that you know a much better way of doing things, or so you imagine, than the current ways of working, but you do not.  Sometimes this is pointed out to you by a kindly mentor or work buddy.  Sometimes you find out […] - [A shot of creativity to boost your 2026](https://sueunerman.com/2026/02/a-shot-of-creativity-to-boost-your-2026/): Its not just opinion it’s science. January has, of course, become a month for improving health and wellness after the excesses of the holiday season.  The gyms are packed with enthusiastic reformed characters, promising themselves that this year will be different.  Many people trudge their way through Dry January with February 1st coming as a huge relief to those that have given up alcohol. At which point some people more than make up for the drought.  There is a notable rebound and surge in alcohol sales (28% more wine bought versus Jan.)  Veganuary sees a boom in launching new vegan […] - [25 for 2025](https://sueunerman.com/2025/12/25-for-2025/): Here’s 25 things I have learnt in 2025 1.        Great leaders make other people feel special.  This started as a quotation I read from the consultant and coach Mark Evans, but it evidence has been building through the year that proves it again and again. 2.        Some CMOs are shifting power to influencers and fans.  Evident in Cannes in speeches but also in the kind of work that is winning awards.  If you can harness the truth that the community surrounding the brand knows about it, then you can use that power to grow. 3.        Politics is the Achilles heel […] - [Marketing at christmas, what works and why](https://sueunerman.com/2025/12/marketing-at-christmas-what-works-and-why/): The meaning of Christmas (advertising.) It isn’t about the content, it is about the moment. It isn’t the medium or the message (for once), it is the occasion. It isn’t the relevance of what you say, it is how you get talked about. It doesn’t matter what the ad is, it is all about the communication strategy. There has been a cracking batch of Christmas adverts this year.  LinkedIn is buzzing with expert and inexpert opinions. Private Eye has chipped in on the John Lewis ad with a cartoon featuring a teenage son saying to his dad : “I know […] - [How is the patriarchy doing these days](https://sueunerman.com/2025/12/how-is-the-patriarchy-doing-these-days/): Patriarchy has been around for millennia.  While there recently have been steps to reconstruct society and the workplace in a fairer way AI looks set to reinforce patriarchal practices and make them stronger. One of the most iconic Cosmopolitan magazine editors Marcelle d’Argy Smith published a book of essays, in the latter years of the last century, one of which took a satirical look at modern life from the perspective of gender politics.  She described a fictional universe where women at work at a building site whistled at men passing, where posters exclusively featured semi-naked men posing and where power […] - [Surviving AI](https://sueunerman.com/2025/11/surviving-ai/): Is AI coming for your job? Yale University have released the first in what will be a series of updates on the impact of AI on the job market (thanks to Andrew Spurrier Dawes for sharing this). The first thing to note is that AI has been contributing to huge anxiety about job losses.  This is something that is remarked on too by diversity champions The Pipeline’s report on women in work which particularly highlights this amongst young women in the workplace.  The Yale report suggests that any impact of AI on the US workforce is likely to materialise in […] - [The crucial importance of breaking patterns](https://sueunerman.com/2025/10/the-crucial-importance-of-breaking-patterns/): The importance of breaking patterns of thinking. Remember the white-gold/blue-black dress controversy?   Exactly ten years ago, the mother of a bride who was about to get married in Scotland, was planning what outfit to wear.  It was an important decision of course.  Every mother knows that this is her moment as well as her daughter’s and that after the wedding dress, her outfit will be scrutinised and judged.  She sent a picture of her proposed dress to her daughter.  Now if there is one rule about what to wear as a guest to a wedding it is you do not wear […] - [Its always sunny in wrexham](https://sueunerman.com/2025/09/its-always-sunny-in-wrexham/): In season 4 of Welcome to Wrexham, the Disney documentary about the renaissance of Wrexham FC under the ownership of two Hollywood stars, Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) and Rob McElhenney (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), there is a crucial match on the calendar.  In previous shows we have seen team talks given by the potty mouthed manager.  For this game Rob Mac is asked to give the talk. It’s inspiring.  He begins by (nearly) name dropping some iconic North American sportsmen hinting that this is the kind of coaching that the most famous of golfers and basketball players have received before important games.  […] - [2 ingredients for success: Chutzpah and Strategy](https://sueunerman.com/2025/08/2-ingredients-for-success-chutzpah-and-strategy/): For marketing campaigns, for career progression, and for fox encounters, it’s good to have both. We’ll start with the fox.  The archetype of the fox as a trickster is ancient, global and lasting.  From the ancient people of Peru who believed that the fox was a warrior who used his wits to fight,  Kuma Lisa in Bulgarian folklore, Reynard in medieval Europe, Aesop’s Fable foxes and of course in UK children’s TV Basil Brush mischievous foxes are everywhere. Machievelli said “The successful prince must have the traits of both the lion and the fox. As the lion cannot protect himself […] - [5 from cannes 2025](https://sueunerman.com/2025/07/5-from-cannes-2025/): It’s been a controversial Cannes, as Campaign have pointed out. The Economist was also in Cannes and gave this headline to its report from the Croisette: “Creative destruction: The new age for admen.” Although most of the activity in Cannes takes place in a very small, very hectic town centre, it is no longer just one festival.   If you have a Palais pass, it’s one thing. If you have the ambition/energy to attend all the Spotify parties, it’s another thing. The festival outside the festival is another again, fantastic sessions at the beaches that are open to more people than […] - [“Great leaders make others feel special”](https://sueunerman.com/2025/06/great-leaders-make-others-feel-special/): Absolutely agree with Mark Evans.  Mark, my former client when he was a CMO, is now an advisor, coach, trustee and plural NED.  Mark has focussed on leadership for many years now, and it is always worthwhile to read his blogs and listen to The Places We’ll Go podcast on marketing. Less than great leaders have the opposite effect, and on the basis that sometimes it is good to reflect on what NOT to do, here are the 5 top traits of leadership that you should avoid as a leader yourself, or that you need to regard as a red […] - [lies, statistics and Ai](https://sueunerman.com/2025/05/lies-statistics-and-ai/): Is it all lies?  Everyone lies, everything lies, sometimes. Meta have announced the use of AI to check if children are lying about their age to get onto their social media platforms.  Ofcom in the UK estimates that one in three kids has a fake media age of 18+. So there are millions of kids, or now young adults, who have started their interactions online by lying.   I know grown ups who have lied about their age to Meta too – calculating that if they register as over 90 years old they will be served fewer ads.  AI lies […] - [Sunlight, Soil and Strategy : nurture a brand as you nurture a garden](https://sueunerman.com/2025/05/sunlight-soil-and-strategy-nurture-a-brand-as-you-nurture-a-garden/): There may be no better place to discuss the impact of creativity on business than the Eden Project, where the Anthropy 2025 conference ran in early spring.   The debate was convened and moderated by Dave Allen from Brandpie, who asked “Is creativity the key that unlocks growth?”.  John Rudaizky, Global Chief Brand and Marketing Officer/ CMO EY gave an insightful argument about ensuring that every aspect of creation is covered, it isn’t merely about ideas it is also about the execution and delivery of those ideas.  Lucy Frazer, former secretary of state for culture, media and sport revealed the intricacies […] - [2025 to 2050: where is power rising?](https://sueunerman.com/2025/04/2025-to-2050-where-is-power-rising/): 2000 delegates recently gathered in Cornwall at the Eden Project to discuss and debate the future of Britain.  Dubbed by the founder John O’Brien as “The Davos of Britain” the Anthropy gathering was diverse.  Representatives from government, NGOs, charities, marketing, advertising and youth leaders congregated to discuss a wide ranging agenda in the cold spring sunshine and in the flower filled biodomes.   There’s much to mull on from the 3 day event, but I’m going to start at the end.  One of the final panels on the closing morning was on the topic of “A Vision for Britain: visionary ideas […] - [AI changes everything, but who will benefit the most?](https://sueunerman.com/2025/03/ai-changes-everything-but-who-will-benefit-the-most/): “AI will be the most profound shift of our lifetimes” Sundar Pichai; “The largest change to the global labour market in human history” Dario Amodei; “all workers are going to be ceos of AI agents” Jensen Huang;  “In a decade perhaps everyone on earth will be capable of accomplishing more than the most impactful person can today” Sam Altman. “AI models can be manipulated to generate fabricated scientific arguments, which can be used by ill-intended actors to systematically jailbreak strong LLMs.” Cornell University Paper: LLMs are Vulnerable to Malicious Prompts Disguised as Scientific Language In the ongoing sea of speculation […] - [integration: the 3rd wave](https://sueunerman.com/2025/03/integration-the-3rd-wave/): WARC’s recent report, The Multiplier Effect, argues that many brands are missing out on significant revenues and profits because of an incomplete approach that means there are “false choices” leading to an ineffective marketing and media plan rather than a multiplier effect from real integration across the media and marketing mix.  Getting the best people on an account is one thing.  Getting one team with one goal is another.   Can you imagine going into a highly competitive situation with the best people, but with each of them playing their own game? You don’t have to look far to see this […] - [Don't just follow the waggle, be independent](https://sueunerman.com/2025/02/dont-just-follow-the-waggle-be-independent/): The psychologist and social scientist Jonathan Haidt has stated that human beings are part bee.  As well as the established habits we have hung on to from our ape ancestors, of wanting to stand out and be recognised by the alpha in the group, we also have the bee habit of collaborating and doing what is best for the hive.  You can clearly see both patterns of behaviour in most teams.  There’s a desire to fit in and work towards a common goal (bee) and also a simultaneous drive to stand out and be one of the favourites of the […] - [A dozen things I learnt in 2024](https://sueunerman.com/2025/02/a-dozen-things-i-learnt-in-2024/): I’m inspired by Tom Whitall’s 52 things learnt in 2024 (I found number 35 particularly interesting), but one a week really is a lot of lessons, and so, here is my shorter list, just a dozen things – so one a month – I have learnt in 2024.   And to make it a “Baker’s Dozen” or for 13 for the  price of 12:  - [Is there enough creativity in your business?](https://sueunerman.com/2024/12/is-there-enough-creativity-in-your-business/): The term ‘Mathephobia’ was coined by mathematician Mary de Lellis Gough in 1953 after observing her struggling students.   In the US, almost inconceivably,  researchers have found that 9 in 10 adults have some kind of anxiety about math (that is maths to the readers in the UK, of course). Sian Beilock, a cognitive scientist and president of Barnard College in New York, says the idea that you are either innately good or bad at math persists in western countries, and it seems to be socially acceptable to be bad at math. “You don’t hear adults bragging about not being a […] - [Watching the detectives](https://sueunerman.com/2024/12/watching-the-detectives/): The best fictional detectives never follow the establishment rules.   Crime and detective fiction is one of the most popular genres that there is.  Fans demand a strict adherence to a story arc, which for most of them runs as follows: Vera Stanhope, always arrests the criminal, never gets promoted because she won’t follow directives and always walks alone.  Columbo, scruffy genius of LAPD, never rises above Lieutenant.   James Bond is suspended from duty.  Cormoran Strike (JK Rowling writing as Robert Galbraith, the grumpy detective never plays by the book). Jack Logan, or Robert Hoon (for fans of Scottish Noir) […] - [Stop that.](https://sueunerman.com/2024/11/stop-that/): Do this.  Stop that.  In a world where there are so many new things to do and to consider it is absolutely crucial to transform what we do. In order to do new things well people need to know what they should stop doing.   If you have ever encountered change programmes that don’t work that well, this is one of reasons why.  It isn’t that people are necessarily averse to doing things differently.  It isn’t that they reject the new ways.  It is that they are given a whole new set of stuff to do as well as the old […] - [New season, new start](https://sueunerman.com/2024/09/new-season-new-start/): On my new journey to work I keep seeing an ad for a drink that proclaims “don’t act your age; defy it”.  I wonder if it is aimed at me, (though it might be that I am not in the desired target market.)  I am certainly not defying my age.  I am revelling in it, and the new opportunities that I am facing.  A fresh start, with the experience I have accumulated one way or another over my years in this business, gives me energy and a platform for the future. I’m travelling into London now on the Underground Northern […] - [In a high performance business there is only one team](https://sueunerman.com/2024/08/in-a-high-performance-business-there-is-only-one-team/): In a high performance business, whatever your team is called, it is also the team that helps clients’ business growth. In a discussion about the parlous state of the National Health Service in the UK, one commentator remarked recently that nothing would change until every government department understood that it was also the department for health. The department for education: also the health department because nurturing children to better physical and mental health would ultimately benefit us all. The treasury department: also the health department because in eradicating child poverty everyone’s ultimate outcomes are better. The department for levelling up: […] - [What is media strategy, and why is it important?](https://sueunerman.com/2024/08/what-is-media-strategy-and-why-is-it-important/): At its simplest any strategy is a longer term view of a plan, a way of achieving a longer term objective. Of course that isn’t enough.  Anyone can write a longer term view.  What you need, (or otherwise what’s the point?), is a winning strategy.  And a winning media strategy will contain three elements: Let’s use an example that the writer Richard Rumelt explains in his  book Good Strategy, Bad Strategy. At the Battle of Trafalgar the English Navy led by  Admiral Nelson was outnumbered by enemy ships.  A traditional sea battle in the 18th century meant the opposing forces […] - [Cannes 2024 takeaways](https://sueunerman.com/2024/07/cannes-2024-takeaways/) - [Start spinning](https://sueunerman.com/2024/06/start-spinning/): New vinyl, new gifting I have missed the smell of vinyl.  Growing up, buying a record on vinyl (the main format when I was a teenager) was hugely exciting.  After months of saving up you would venture out to the quite intimidating record store, staffed by trendy young adults (everyone who worked in a record store was very cool).  The experience of buying it, and the almost religious experience of carefully unwrapping and playing for the first time was unforgettable.  The smell of fresh vinyl was an intrinsic part of this. This week, joyfully, I was gifted a new (old) […] - [There’s more than 2 Fs.](https://sueunerman.com/2024/06/theres-more-than-2-fs/): When you are in a stressful situation at work there are famously two reactions that you might feel: Flight or Fight.  These ancient responses make sense if you think of a pre language situation, where danger, at the dawn of mankind, might be sensed by the snap of a twig in the antediluvian forests.  Your reaction, like any cornered animal, is fight or flight. But these two Fs are not the only instinctive responses to danger.  There are in fact another 3.  So if you feel that Fight and Flight are not your normal gut reaction to stress, read on […] - [“Gradually, then suddenly.”](https://sueunerman.com/2024/05/gradually-then-suddenly/): Ernest Hemingway fans will recognise this as the apparently contradictory yet ruefully truthful reply that Mike Campbell gives when he’s asked “How did you go bankrupt?” in Ernest Hemingway’s iconic novel The Sun Also Rises. It’s an important concept. It might seem contradictory, (if its gradual, how is it sudden?) but it isn’t uncommon and can lead, as in Mike’s case, to catastrophe. When change is obvious, you can deal with it, when its gradual, it can be easy to ignore until it suddenly accelerates, when coping strategies may fall short. In the absorbing and extraordinary book Blue Machine, how […] - [What does Taylor Swift do right?](https://sueunerman.com/2024/05/what-does-taylor-swift-do-right/): On April 2nd 2024 Taylor Swift officially became the 2545th richest billionaire on the planet.  (There are apparently a lot of billionaires these days).  According to Forbes she is the first musician to achieve this from talent alone (not needing side hustles).  A new concept has been named for her.  Swiftonomics, coined by Bloomberg, originally was conceived as a way of explaining how her 2022 tour bucked the overall economic trends in the US.  Advance sales of her tickets sold out and huge premiums were paid for resale.  And the trend has only continued to accelerate.  Apparently profits from her […] - [ITS NOT FAIR](https://sueunerman.com/2024/04/its-not-fair/): Do you ever feel like this? I’ve blogged in the past about the fact that we are part ape and part bee.  Not just you and me, but humans in general.  It’s the theory of author and social scientist Jonathan Haidt who says that whilst deep down we are still pack animals, social creatures who need affirmation from our leader, we are also bee like.   Bees work for a common cause, not just for individual recognition.  They don’t compete with each other within the hive.  The hive works together to make honey and ensure the survival of the next generation. […] - [Career stalling? Need a boost? It is all about technique](https://sueunerman.com/2024/04/career-stalling-need-a-boost-it-is-all-about-technique/): Misty Raney Bilodeau is one of the stars of Homestead Rescue, a very snackable Discovery Channel makeover show. The twist for this version of the tried and trusted format is that the Raney family turn up at the homes of Americans who have moved off grid.  They have left the modern world and are living in the wilderness, trying, and failing to make a success of man versus nature.   The families fall victim to predators (bears, coyotes, wildcats); the weather (snow, tornadoes, desert conditions); and their own idiocy (building a home in front of a collapsing mountain, buying a property […] - [How best to get what you want: Hard or Soft power?](https://sueunerman.com/2024/03/how-best-to-get-what-you-want-hard-or-soft-power/): If you have to choose between having hard or soft power, which should you go for? In 1919 the British Empire was at its largest.  It covered a quarter of the land mass of the world, and ruled over a fifth of the population.  This was hard power, command and control, and it has mostly and thankfully been dismantled.  They used to say that the sun never set on the empire.  To quote Shane McGowan “It is now deep in darkness”.  But there is an aspect of Britishness which still is pre-eminent around the world.  In terms of soft power, […] - [What can we learn from Ronnie the Rocket about winning?](https://sueunerman.com/2024/03/what-can-we-learn-from-ronnie-the-rocket-about-winning/): Ronnie O’Sullivan is unlike other legendary sports people in a number of ways. First of all, he’s got huge longevity: he is the only snooker player to have won the world championship as both the youngest, and now the oldest player. Secondly, at the same time as being on top of the modern game, in some ways he is traditional. He won’t switch chalks. Most snooker players use the TAOM chalk which apparently reduces friction better. Ronnie has stuck with the old Triangle chalk. It certainly doesn’t seem to be holding him back from being both one of the most […] - [For love or money? What is professionalism?](https://sueunerman.com/2024/02/for-love-or-money-what-is-professionalism/): Nick Dunlap made golfing history in January 2024 when he won The American Express PGA Tour.  He is the first amateur to win a PGA Tour event in 33 years.  The prize money for the event is £1.5m.  However, because he is an amateur golfer (Dunlap is a university student), he doesn’t get to win any of the money. In a 2019 episode of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, Jerry Seinfeld takes his friend and guest, fellow comedian Mario Joyner to the barber.  Jerry insists that Mario’s beard needs trimming.  Leaving aside the strain that this might put on any relationship […] - [A good boss is a servant leader](https://sueunerman.com/2024/02/a-good-boss-is-a-servant-leader/): Happy 2024. As the old year turns into the new year there are often added pressures. Where it is acceptable to move a meeting from June to July or from October to November, moving a meeting from one year to another seems much more epic, and rude, so maybe the last weeks of the year have been especially fraught with added pressure to squeeze catch ups in? For organisations with calendar reporting there is all the busyness of finalizing year-end figures, and crystalising business plans for the next 12 months. Then there are awards, the new season is also starting […] - [Please don't bore us, get to the chorus.](https://sueunerman.com/2024/01/please-dont-bore-us-get-to-the-chorus/): First lesson of presenting: Say what you’re going to say.  Say it.  Say what you have just said. I learnt this in my first ever presentation training and it is true not only of presentations, but every time that you want to communicate. Got some feedback for a team member.  Say what you’re going to say, say it, say what you just said. Pitching for a payrise.  Say what you’re going to say, say it, say what you just said. Breaking up with someone… Say what you’re going to say, say it, say what you just said.  Writing an awards […] - [Breakthrough in the New Communications Economy: Culture and Communities](https://sueunerman.com/2023/12/breakthrough-in-the-new-communications-economy-culture-and-communities/): The final week of November saw a week of breakthrough presentations at EssenceMediacom and EssenceMediacomX from our partners, our teams and a wide set of inspirational people. Everyone was asked to come and deliver their view on how brands can breakthrough in the New Communications Economy (NCE). One clear theme stood out from many amazing sessions.  Culture has undergone a transformation in the last decade.  It used to be that there was a dominant mono-culture.  This would either be dictated by or amplified by established media platforms.  The glossy magazines would set an agenda for the season, or TV shows […] - [And the winner is.....](https://sueunerman.com/2023/11/and-the-winner-is/): “I always was a big believer in things on a global level,” Arnold Schwarzenegger. I was recently invited to be the seconder for the opposition for a motion at The Debating Group event in the House of Commons, this October.  The motion in question was: “A strong UK ad industry is key to returning the economy to good health.”    My first instinct, as was the audiences’, was to support the motion.  As a proud Fellow of the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising, surely this must be right?  In fact, I was asked to oppose the motion, at the request […] - [Orcas and Advertising: how to survive.](https://sueunerman.com/2023/11/orcas-and-advertising-how-to-survive/): It was world menopause day on October 18th.  This is one of the newer world days of note.  When my mother went through menopause, she, and of course billions of other women throughout history, at least those that lived long enough, had to manage without a day of commemoration.  For something that is so material in the lives of 50% of the humans on this planet it is good that it is no longer hidden or shameful, as it once was.  Menopause has been shrouded in mystery and secrecy in most societies, and the understanding of its biological implications is […] - [Farewell Campaign Print Magazine](https://sueunerman.com/2023/10/farewell-campaign-print-magazine/): I started out in a full service creative agency in the 1980s as a TV buyer.  Straight from university, with no particular interest in advertising (I was just filling time until I started a law conversion course), I didn’t know about the esteemed industry trade press organ until I met a fellow grad intake who proudly boasted that he had already been mentioned, before he had even started in his first job, as a face to watch. For my first couple of years I only saw glimpses of Campaign when I could beg, borrow or steal an issue. Media Week […] - [What motivates people?](https://sueunerman.com/2023/09/what-motivates-people/): With a global talent shortage, and as we get “back to school” for the autumn, after the summer holidays, it is important to unpick, and then refresh, motivation at work.  Season 2 of The Bear is streaming now on Disney+.  Spoiler alert, the season leaves many unanswered questions (including will Carmy ever get out of the walk in fridge).  During the course of the show we see the process whereby the Chicago sandwich café The Beef, which protagonist and Michelin starred chef Carmy inherited from his brother, is rebuilt and reopened as fine dining restaurant The Bear. It’s clear that […] - [Break Expectations](https://sueunerman.com/2023/09/break-expectations/): “Chloe Kelly thumped home her winning penalty for England against Nigeria.  At 111km per hour, it was more powerful than any Premier League goal in 22-23” Mailonline It’s just not that long ago that the papers were debating whether women’s football was ever going to be as interesting as the men’s.  It’s in fact not long ago that the FA still banned women playing football. And now look. There are many societal expectations that we all grow up with.  Some are about gender and physicality.  Some are deeply personal. Its never a good idea to manage expectations, either for yourself […] - [Have you transcended the Umwelt today?](https://sueunerman.com/2023/08/have-you-transcended-the-umwelt-today/): Transcending the Umwelt If you’re wondering what that is and why it matters, the Umwelt is a way of thinking and feeling that is specific to individual brains of different species, (and artificial intelligence).  Transcending your own Umwelt to understand others is crucial to being a planner and creating great communications for brands.  Understanding the Umwelt of power is crucial for your career.  Empathising with the Umwelts of others is the key to creating diversity of thinking in your organisation.  Being clear about the Umwelt of AI  is important to maintain your edge.    Jakob Johann von Uexkull was a […] - [5 take outs from Cannes this year.](https://sueunerman.com/2023/07/5-take-outs-from-cannes-this-year/): Lots of discussion on the impact of AI on our industry in the broadest sense.  From the optimists who are already experimenting and using AI as if it comes naturally to them, to the pessimists who are worried about the impact on their jobs and on ethics.  There is overlap between the two cohorts of course (optimistic about transformation, anxious about chaos) but once again it feels like the sector is taking sides, as it did over the metaverse, as it originally did over the internet itself.  And there’s the lesson.  Stick it in the “one day in the future” […] - [“Great marketers tend to be great convenors”](https://sueunerman.com/2023/06/great-marketers-tend-to-be-great-convenors/): Says Becky Moffat, CMO at HSBC. But what is a convenor? Its not a word that I had in my vocabulary at all until I took on the role of deputy and then convenor of the IPA Effectiveness Awards judges.  During this period, from 2018 to 2022, when I read more words in IPA awards submissions than there are in War and Peace and Lord of the Rings combined (with less fights, and fewer hobbits), I found myself talking about and thinking about convening more than in the rest of my career. Becky was talking about the fact that the […] - [If you can measure it, you can improve it.  If you are measured, you will game it.](https://sueunerman.com/2023/05/if-you-can-measure-it-you-can-improve-it-if-you-are-measured-you-will-game-it/): If you can measure it, you can improve it. Dr J is one of the greatest basketball players ever.  Julius Winfield Erving 11, better known as Dr J won 3 NBA championships, 4 most valuable player awards and is an inductee of the Basketball Hall of Fame.  In 1994 Sports Illustrated named him one of the 40 most important athletes of all time.  He has a reputation for bringing artistry to the slam dunk. I saw him speak at a Converse basketball shoe marketing conference in the 1990s, just after he’d retired.  He described his upbringing in New York.  He […] - [Conditions for transformation](https://sueunerman.com/2023/04/conditions-for-transformation/): Lionel Shriver is not noted for her optimistic outlook on the world. She is an author and spokesperson, her breakthrough book was “We need to talk about Kevin”.  This was a dystopian description of a mother’s journey to explain why her son killed 9 people at his high school. Lionel was born Margaret Ann in 1957 and changed her name to Lionel when she was 15.  She’s an American, but lives in Bermondsey.  I once heard her speaking about the NHS, and the dire state it finds itself in.  (Not that this needs emphasising in a week of junior doctor […] - [What do you really do?](https://sueunerman.com/2023/04/what-do-you-really-do/): During a visit to the NASA Space Centre in 1962, President Kennedy noticed a janitor carrying a broom. He interrupted his tour, walked over to the man and said: “Hi, I’m Jack Kennedy, what are you doing?” The janitor responded: “I’m helping put a man on the moon, Mr President.” Is everyone you work with clear about what they are doing there? Often the job description, even the key performance indicators which you will be judged by, are not the real reason you are there. If the janitor at NASA was putting a man on the moon, not sweeping the […] - [When ads are welcome](https://sueunerman.com/2023/03/when-ads-are-welcome/): One of my esteemed colleagues used to like to reflect annually on the continued decline in the numbers of people who agreed with the TGI statement “The ads are better than the programmes on TV”.  The glorious Tess Alps, ex ceo of Thinkbox would counter that this was because the programmes had got better. People always avoided ads.  Back in the 1970s they had to get up from the sofa and go to the kitchen to make a cup of tea to do so.  In the 1980s there was a mini crisis in the media community when the widespread use […] - [There are 48 ways to be creative.  Here’s number 10: Build communities.](https://sueunerman.com/2023/03/there-are-48-ways-to-be-creative-heres-number-10-build-communities/): What’s creativity for? One use is creative destruction. To destroy and to clear away old and legacy models so as to allow you to create new mores and standards.  Sometimes it is impossible to create the new if the heritage of the past hangs heavily on your organisation or culture. If this is your intention then building a community can enable you to get support from the crowd and is a good place to start. For many millennia your community meant a local community in real life within a few miles from where you were born.  Most people knew the […] - [If every aspect of your customer experience does not support, or even exceed, the promise of the brand then you’re limiting your business and its growth.](https://sueunerman.com/2023/02/if-every-aspect-of-your-customer-experience-does-not-support-or-even-exceed-the-promise-of-the-brand-then-youre-limiting-your-business-and-its-growth/): In 2008 a Chicago based marketing man Jonathan Salem Baskin wrote a best selling book: “Branding only works on cattle”.  The argument in the book was that if you focussed solely on building a brand in a silo, separately from customer service and pricing, then you would never optimise the full commercial potential of that brand. Jon and I followed up with my first co-authored book, “Tell the truth, honesty is your most powerful marketing tool”, in 2012, with dozens of case studies proving the efficacy leveraging the brand power across the whole marketing experience.  In 2023 the necessity of […] - [The power of inviting everyone in.](https://sueunerman.com/2023/02/the-power-of-inviting-everyone-in/): For a couple of years way back in the seventies there were basically two tribes in the UK.  You were punk or you were not.  The Sex Pistols were storming the charts despite being banned (or arguably because they were banned), and the simple addition of a dog collar – that is a collar for a dog, not the thing vicars sport – or a safety pin to an otherwise boring outfit or school uniform broadcast your allegiance to society. It didn’t last long.  To quote the much lamented and missed Vivienne Westwood: “punk collapsed with the death of Sid […] - [The one thing you must have to win in 2023: an asymmetrical advantage. ](https://sueunerman.com/2023/01/the-one-thing-you-must-have-too-win-in-2023-an-asymmetrical-advantage/): Here’s two ways of achieving this.  Better use of data than your competition.  Better imagination (powered by better empathy and creativity). Author and journalist Derek Thompson says Moneyball has ruined baseball for him.  And ruined the music charts (he’s an expert here with his book Hit Makers, the science of popularity in an age of distraction), and in his opinion has also ruined most forms of entertainment, and pretty much culture in general. For those of you who have missed the 2003 book and the 2011 movie, Moneyball, the art of winning an unfair game, detail the way that use […] - [Advertising has got better](https://sueunerman.com/2023/01/advertising-has-got-better/): This might be a controversial statement for some.  And it depends of course on what you regard as “better”.  After all we are no longer in the so-called Golden Age of Advertising.  Creative legend and OG Dave Trott has recently posted lots of great ads on Twitter with his notes on how they cut through and were mould breaking.  This includes his Victory V ad with a man with his head blown off.   His comment: “Did this poster with Derrick Hass – no headline, no copy, no logo. In those days we trusted consumers to have a bit more nous.” […] - [There are 48 creative techniques.  Here’s number 9: Strip it back.](https://sueunerman.com/2022/11/there-are-48-creative-techniques-heres-number-9-strip-it-back/): Rick Rubin is a legendary American music producer, co-founder with Russell Simmons of Def Jam, home to Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, Public Enemy and Run DMC.  According to MTV in 2007, he was the most important producer of the previous two decades.  He’s also produced Red Hot Chilli Peppers getting them their breakthrough album, and his work with Johnny Cash repositioned him as an artist (not just a pop musician). JayZ’s 99 problems?  Resolved by Rubin. When Lauren Laverne interviewed him recently she noted that in the many pictures she had seen of him at work most don’t show […] - [Don't work in an echo chamber](https://sueunerman.com/2022/11/dont-work-in-an-echo-chamber/): Back to live events. It’s great to be able to attend conferences in person again.  The IPA Effworks week of sessions was vibrant, informative and stimulating. But have you ever (at other conferences of course, never the IPA), ended up feeling that you have been shortchanged because the panel on stage just end up agreeing with each other, or selling their particular point of view without real scrutiny from the other panellists? In an era when disruption is everywhere and new models of thinking are essential, it can be disappointing if you don’t hear or engage in real debate. One […] - [Stop judging.](https://sueunerman.com/2022/10/stop-judging/): Watching old movies on a long haul flight I caught the 2010, teen movie Easy A with Emma Stone.  It’s essentially a movie about judgement.  Loosely (very loosely) based on the Scarlet Letter by Nathanial Hawthorne, it recounts the experience of Olive, who is condemned for being promiscuous based on rumour – to be fair much of which she brings on herself.  One thing is clear, Olive can’t get through high school without being judged.  At the recent conference I attended in NYC (hence the flight, and opportunity to spend time with old movies), the topic of women being judged […] - [Sex sells: A proposal for Sexuality Offsetting](https://sueunerman.com/2022/10/sex-sells-a-proposal-for-sexuality-offsetting/): Access to modern contraception is vital to the empowerment of women and girls worldwide.  There are 160 million women worldwide who do not have access and a $59bn cost to fulfilling unmet contraception needs.  Even when contraception is available, cultural pressures: social norms, traditional gender stereotypes, prejudices and stigmas mean that many women do not have the choices that are available to most readers of this blog. One session at the recent World Woman Foundation’s United Nations General Assembly 77 conference focussed on the inequalities that this engenders across the globe. I was privileged to be part of a panel […] - [Ensuring that the price is right](https://sueunerman.com/2022/09/ensuring-that-the-price-is-right/): Pricing is a marketing issue, especially as cost of living crisis mounts. “We should not talk down the power of advertising in the wider marketing mix. When a brand buys advertising, it sends a message: that it wants to be noticed and win approval, that it wants to generate desire and drive behaviour.” Gideon Spanier, Campaign editor in chief. Of course, one other thing that advertising does is drive a price differential versus other, less desirable, brands.  And in the cost of living crisis, it is crucial that marketing has influence, a significant one, on pricing. The great Jeremy Bullmore […] - [There are 48 ways to transform creativity. Here’s the 7th. Go outside.](https://sueunerman.com/2022/09/there-are-48-ways-to-transform-creativity-heres-the-7th-go-outside/): Going outside is a transition, a transformation.  And readily available when anyone is stuck for ideas. Going outside can be the start of a new adventure. There are, of course, more than one way to go outside: you can go through a door, step outside of your social or work bubble, dive into the natural world, exit your comfort zone, experience a liminal space.  The exemplary of going through a doorway in many UK childhoods is when Dr Who steps outside the Tardis and a new adventure begins accompanied of course by the  Vwoorp Vwoorp sound of the Dr Who […] - [“The past has a vote, not a veto”](https://sueunerman.com/2022/08/the-past-has-a-vote-not-a-veto/): The world has changed, but the way that we operate in many spheres has not changed enough. Not enough systematic change.  This is true of many sectors, including advertising. Not enough change.  It’s true of fiscal policy according to Conservative Party leadership candidate Liz Truss.  She’s advocating tax cuts, arguing that the Treasury has outdated views on what works in stimulating the economy.  Not enough change.  It’s true that this is one of the barriers to inclusion, equity and belonging.  Newer tech has been shown to carry the prejudice of the past when algorithms endorse the biases of old.  As […] - [Why our industry could do with being a bit more Wimbledon](https://sueunerman.com/2022/08/why-our-industry-could-do-with-being-a-bit-more-wimbledon/): Serena practicing at Wimbledon. Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images A new film about John McEnroe was released as this year’s Wimbledon tennis tournament came to a close, which prompted me to think a bit about tennis. McEnroe is famous of course for being outspoken.  In a corporate world some people find speaking bluntly can be difficult.  McEnroe’s view was that he was the “normal” one on the tennis court: “What I’ve always thought about myself is that I’m more like the normal guy than Björn is,” he goes on. “Björn’s the freak that could go out there and not change […] - [5 things I learnt at Cannes 2022](https://sueunerman.com/2022/07/5-things-i-learnt-at-cannes-2022/): I won a free pass to Cannes this year, VIP, access all areas.  You can win one next year – just enter The Brief #2 – exercise some creativity for good, and, if you have the luck of the draw that I did, meet some friends for life and become part of the exclusive Cannes 1954 club. Because I won a free pass I was particularly keen to make the most of it, and attended 20 sessions, took over 70 pages of notes (many of which were written in the dark of the theatres, and so may or may not […] - [There has been little or no improvement in diversity or inclusion at work despite increased focus on this area over the past two years  - new research reveals.](https://sueunerman.com/2022/07/there-has-been-little-or-no-improvement-in-diversity-or-inclusion-at-work-despite-increased-focus-on-this-area-over-the-past-two-years-new-research-reveals/): Despite more than £6 billion being spent on Diversity and Inclusion initiatives, the workplace is still full of inequality, prejudice, discrimination, marginalisation and harassment. More than £6bn ($7.5bn) is spent on diversity and inclusion initiatives every year. There is very little evidence, however, that this expenditure in fact leads to increased diversity, especially at the top of business. Newly published research (carried out in two phases, in early 2020 and then in late 2021)  shows that – despite the huge focus on this area that followed the murder of George Floyd and the BLM protests – the workplace is still […] - [There are 48 ways to transform creativity; here's #6](https://sueunerman.com/2022/05/there-are-48-ways-to-transform-creativity-heres-6/): There are 48 techniques that can transform the creativity of the work that you do.  Here’s the sixth technique:  What if we exaggerate? Take an idea, take a problem, take a question and exaggerate it to help you find a creative outcome. One of the most iconic pieces of advertising did this beautifully.  The Sony Bravia ad featuring huge dollops of colour cascading through the landscape took the literal idea of enhanced colour and exaggerated it into something that would not just transform your TV experience, but which would transform your whole physical and emotional experience.  The art director Juan […] - [Challenging times for brand building](https://sueunerman.com/2022/04/challenging-times-for-brand-building/): A Forrester report in Campaign from late 2021 claims shockingly that only a third of USA ceos think their marketing chiefs grow business. This just doesn’t ring true to me. Every CMO I’ve met is driven by growing business, effectiveness and creativity. Is there an issue with the language of branding in those board rooms? The increase in ad bombardment has consequences for trust and interest in advertising.  60% of adults say that they see too many ads and as media consultant Nick Manning has written: “The user experience is suffering and the traditional compact between the public and the […] - [Creativity does not have to be limited by zoom](https://sueunerman.com/2022/03/creativity-does-not-have-to-be-limited-by-zoom/): “You can’t be creative on Teams or Zoom.” “You can’t bond with people without meeting them.” “You can’t expect brilliant work from people working remotely.” I’ve heard all of this said over the last few months, and I have proof positive that it’s not true. In mid-November 2021 I signed up for a new global creativity competition.  For the first time ever Cannes Lions launched their Creativity for Good competition.  It is open to anyone and. everyone in the world (not just creative agencies but any member agency).   My own recent experiences have been in judging awards (including the prestigious […] - [Take a breath.](https://sueunerman.com/2022/03/take-a-breath/): It’s all about breath. Athletes and actors both know this Participants in the superb RADA for business executive presence for women course are taught four breaths to change your state, reputedly recommended for statesmen and presidents before they speak to their nation.  (Techniques of course learnt by RADA alumni like Tom Hiddleston, Ken Branagh, Ben Whishaw and Nazanin Boniadi.) Breathing is also crucial for allyship at work. It’s almost impossible to bring your best effort into the workplace when you feel that you are not included for whatever reason.  It might be because of your skin colour, race, sexuality, age […] - [How busy are you? How busy should you be?](https://sueunerman.com/2022/02/how-busy-are-you-how-busy-should-you-be/): Ad people love to look busy.  Busy means needed, important and valued.  Looking busy means needed, important and valued often too. A recent Economist article referenced the brilliant Seinfeld episode where George gets a proper job, but works out that if he acts irritated he doesn’t need to do any actual work saying: “When you look annoyed all the time, people think you’re busy.” The columnist, Bartleby, then goes on to claim that there are even more ways to pretend to look busy in a hybrid world.  He says that work has become more “performative”.  You can do less by […] - [48 ways to transform creativity #5: Think like a shaman](https://sueunerman.com/2022/01/48-ways-to-transform-creativity-5-think-like-a-shaman/): There are 48 techniques that can transform the creativity of the work that you do.  Here’s the fifth technique:  Ask yourself, beyond the brief, how does this deliver really long-term success? Shamanism is one of the oldest belief systems.  Beliefs incorporate a strong sense of family, ancestry and animism, the idea that spirits exist in every natural object, making respect for the environment core. “Mankind does not end its existence because sickness or some other accident kills it animal spirit down here on earth.  We live on.” Nalungiaq, Netsilik woman. Clearly with this perspective comes responsibility to the spirits of […] - [Welcome to the 5th age of advertising](https://sueunerman.com/2022/01/welcome-to-the-5th-age-of-advertising/): There have been roughly 4 ages of advertising.  We have now entered the 5th age.  The Age of Relevance. In the  1st age in the 1950s, in the Age of Interruption, consumers were happy to pay attention to advertising and essentially to do what it told them to do because they actively sought the reassurance of brand names and tended to trust what big companies told them.  Culturally advertising represented an antidote to the scarcity of the war years. In the 2nd age, the Age of Entertainment in the 1960s and 70s people would still pay attention to ads, but they needed […] - [The 4th way to transform creativity: be iconic](https://sueunerman.com/2021/12/the-4th-way-to-transform-creativity-be-iconic/): There are 48 ways to transform creativity.  Here’s number 4: Make an Icon. We are surrounded by icons, we navigate our lives by their light.  In his book How brands become icons Douglas Holt says “The crux of iconicity is that the person or the thing is widely regarded as the most compelling symbol of a set of ideas or values that society deems important”.  James Dean or Harley-Davidson bikes represented 1950s American rebellion against crushing mores of convention.  Budweiser became the beer that championed overlooked ordinary men.  VW Golf created iconicity around independent womanhood in the 1980s.   And when […] - [Style or Swagger?](https://sueunerman.com/2021/11/style-or-swagger/): “It’s all about the detail” This could be a comment about media planning, or advertising.  Strategy is fine, but its nothing without the detail. But in fact this what Bryan Ferry said to me about men’s tailoring.  Ferry, a pop star and fashion icon, first came to my attention when he was on Top of the Pops as lead singer of Roxy Music in a blue leather suit. I met him, years later, when I was a plus one on a trip to Paris where Mark Edwards was interviewing him for the coolest magazine of its era, Arena.  The interview […] - [There are 48 ways to transform creativity. Here’s number 3. Use an old idea.](https://sueunerman.com/2021/11/there-are-48-ways-to-transform-creativity-heres-number-3-use-an-old-idea/): Recently the grand ad man Dave Trott gave a potted history of great advertising at the excellent ZeeMelt21 conference.  This is a masterclass in what was the golden age of advertising as entertainment, and effective transformation.  Any strategist who is concerned with the role that TikTok will play in their 2022 plans would do well to start by going back and looking at the standout strategies of the past.  Before you try and cut through in the metaverse, it is powerful to consider how cut through worked in the world before computers. One of the new studies from IPA Effectiveness […] - [What are your transformation priorities?](https://sueunerman.com/2021/11/what-are-your-transformation-priorities/):   “I get 200 emails a day, and 3 quarters of them are people breathlessly telling me about their wonderful solution that will change my life. Some percentage of them are probably right but I don’t begin to have enough time to read all those emails let alone answer them… it is one of my greatest sources of anxiety: how do I keep up? How do I know what’s going on?  How do I know what I need to know?” Peter Horst CMO Hershey from CMOs at work It’s our role in agencies to answer this question, and every year […] - [A new commercial and marketing playing field requiring new rules, experimentation and effectiveness in advertising and media](https://sueunerman.com/2021/10/a-new-commercial-and-marketing-playing-field-requiring-new-rules-experimentation-and-effectiveness-in-advertising-and-media/): When I was 6 years old I fell in love.  In fact, I found the man that I wanted to marry.  I found him on TV. Captain Scarlet was my first love.  He’s good looking, he has piercing blue eyes, he’s indestructible, you can count on him in a crisis, he saves humanity repeatedly and he talks like Cary Grant. My big brother was quick to react to this.  He basically mocked me for my choice, saying that there was no way I’d end up as Mrs Scarlet because the captain wasn’t a real man.  Captain Scarlet is a puppet. […] - [Tired ? Take a break from yourself](https://sueunerman.com/2021/09/tired-take-a-break-from-yourself/): Sympathy is exhausting.  Empathy gives you energy. What is sympathy? Sympathy is feeling pity and compassion, and it’s can be exhausting. What is empathy? Empathy is actually feeling what someone else is feeling. It is not imagining how someone is feeling by putting yourself in their shoes.  It’s a nice thing to do of course. But it is different from real empathy.  The phrase many people use is imagine walking a mile in their shoes.  I heard one CMO say that he took some shoes that his customers might wear to a board meeting so that the senior management could […] - ["We could all use a little less suffering"](https://sueunerman.com/2021/09/we-could-all-use-a-little-less-suffering/): To be match fit your mental and emotional wellbeing is as crucial as your physical health. Recent events in the Olympics have highlighted this truth.  It shouldn’t be so surprising should it? Yet when Simone Biles – four-time Olympic gold medallist, multiple world champion and arguably the greatest gymnast of all time – withdrew from the team and all-around events at the Tokyo Olympics, it was headline news across the US and the world. As Sam Quek, 2016 Olympic hockey medallist, speaking on BBC TV puts it mental & physical health are equally important.  He added: “As the story unfolded […] - [48 ways to transform creativity #2](https://sueunerman.com/2021/08/48-ways-to-transform-creativity-2/): There are 48 techniques that can transform the creativity of the work that you do.  Here’s one of them.  The power of burning bridges. Stan Lee was the co-creator of Spiderman, the X-Men, Thor, the Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, Ant Man and the Wasp, Nick Fury and more Marvel household names.  He was born in 1922 and started work at 17 as an assistant at Timely Comics.  The interesting point of his career came in the early 1960s, a time when most of the characters that are famous household names now, came into existence. Until […] - [Adland needs to reinvent, rebrand and reimagine when it comes to inclusion](https://sueunerman.com/2021/08/adland-needs-to-reinvent-rebrand-and-reimagine-when-it-comes-to-inclusion/): To be match fit your mental health is as crucial as your physical health. Recent events in the Olympics have highlighted this truth.  It shouldn’t be so surprising should it? Yet when Simone Biles – four-time Olympic gold medallist, multiple world champion and arguably the greatest gymnast of all time – withdrew from the team and all-around events at the Tokyo Olympics, it was headline news across the US and the world. As Sam Quek, 2016 Olympic hockey medallist, speaking on BBC TV puts it mental & physical health are equally important.  He added: “As the story unfolded .. I […] - [Do you always know exactly what you are doing?](https://sueunerman.com/2021/07/do-you-always-know-exactly-what-you-are-doing/): Know what you are doing, do what you don’t know. You have all read lots about the Euro 20 final.  Let’s look at another game that has lessons for us at work. Spain versus Italy in Euro 20 was a football lesson about the importance of a balance between clarity and chaos. Both teams played very characteristic football.  Both teams scored once during the 90 minutes and Italy won on penalties (sounds familiar). The Spanish football was beautiful to watch – a case study in their trademark tiki-taka play. We wrote about the spirit of their game in our case […] - [This one weird trick will transform your career](https://sueunerman.com/2021/07/this-one-weird-trick-will-transform-your-career/): There are 48 techniques that can transform the creativity of the work that you do.  Here’s one of them.  The power of diverse voices. Its not a secret that I believe that diversity drives business growth.  It is also crucial to creativity, and truly creative people, whoever they are, synthesize different voices to create powerful new work and ideas. In 1963 Mike Nichols (who subsequently went on to direct and win an Oscar for The Graduate, a movie that is more interesting by the way from the point of view of Mrs Robinson than the other characters) was just about […] - [Do you believe in data magic?](https://sueunerman.com/2021/06/do-you-believe-in-data-magic/): Are we mixing up magic and science (again)? It’s always been true that people can manipulate data to fool others. (A index chart with a scale that starts at 50 not zero for instance is a classic and somewhat disappointing feature of some awards entries to exaggerate impact). Now data may be manipulating us as AI takes control. The consequences of this are far reaching and profoundly dark.  We should not believe in what we see without interrogation.  For some this has echoes of the pre-enlightenment mass belief in magic. Until the late seventeenth century in the west the magic […] - [Is your career suffering because of all the noise?](https://sueunerman.com/2021/06/is-your-career-suffering-because-of-all-the-noise/): The Media Week Awards are back The awards, which Campaign calls “the most highly prized awards in UK commercial media” are now open for entries with deadlines looming in June and July. I’m honoured and delighted to have been asked to judge again.  I have seen the growth of professionalism and rigour in the judging over the years.  But a new book, by Nobel prize winner Daniel Kahneman, makes for grim reading as far as judgement in terms of the effects of what they categorise as “Noise” on human judgement. The book (with co-authors with Olivier Sibony and Cass Sunstein) […] - [What if we did less?](https://sueunerman.com/2021/06/what-if-we-did-less/): The power of minus. The power of “and” has been well documented.  Best selling author Martin Sharp has spoken about the power of a “life of combinations”.  He exhorts people to replace “but” with “and” for a richer existence. Recent business book, “The Power of And: responsible business without trade-offs” by Edward Freeman, Parmar and Martin argues that the business of business is “responsible action, not simply profit seeking”. “Yes AND” is a creative technique born in improv comedy and translated into idea generation where you build on each idea rather than dismissing anything. But what if instead we did […] - [The cure for zoom fatigue](https://sueunerman.com/2021/05/the-cure-for-zoom-fatigue/): Are you exhausted by video calls? You’re not alone.  Many colleagues and friends have complained of this.  And speculated on why they are exhausted. Some say they miss the energy they normally get from being with team members.  If you are an introvert then Susan Cain’s theory in Quiet might mean that this would not apply as she says that only extraverts are said to get endorphins from being in a room with other people, whereas introverts find this tiring.  Clearly some people are really suffering from losing the physical presence of others, and it just isn’t compensated for by […] - [Look at the whole of the moon](https://sueunerman.com/2021/05/look-at-the-whole-of-the-moon/): Are you looking at the moon, or are you pointing a finger? The Buddha is said to have pointed at the moon to indicate its wonders to his disciples.  They immediately copied him, raising their own arms to point.  They were concerned with getting it right.  They had many questions: Should they point with their whole hand, or just a finger?  Should the palm be raised upwards or lowered?  Was the pointing best done with the right or the left arm? They of course did not really see the moon, because of their concerns about getting the pointing right.  In […] - [Delivering transformation: Push what moves.](https://sueunerman.com/2021/04/delivering-transformation-push-what-moves/): The RSA’s head of design is fond of advocating the idea that in order to get change and transformation you need to “Push what moves”.  Note, push what moves, not what is most impactful.  The Royal Society for Arts, manufactures and commerce was founded in 1754 with the purpose of finding practical solutions to social challenges.  Its members have included Charles Dickens, Benjamin Franklin, Stephen Hawking, Karl Marx, Nelson Mandela, David Attenborough and Tim Berners-Lee.  It is highly influential and at the forefront of leading edge thinking about the future of work.  (For disclosure, I’ve just become a fellow.) Push […] - [How easy it is to find that you do not belong.](https://sueunerman.com/2021/04/how-easy-it-is-to-find-that-you-do-not-belong/): Let me count (some) of the ways: You are the only woman in the team You are the only person over 50 in the team You are the only person of colour in the team You are the only LGBTQI+ person in the team You are the only disabled person in the team You are the youngest person in the team You are the only northerner in the team You are the only English person in the team You are the shortest person in the team You are the only introvert on the team You are the only married person […] - [Can we re-imagine the workplace to make it smaller ?](https://sueunerman.com/2021/03/can-we-re-imagine-the-workplace-to-make-it-smaller/): It’s a small world after all. 2020 (amongst many other things) was also the year when the world shrank.  We could and did collaborate with colleagues from China, New York, Canada and Columbia at no cost of time, travel or to the air pollution of the planet. In 2021, as business begins to return to normal, will the world get bigger again?  Will a meeting with the global CMO of a client based in Chicago require a long haul flight? Business travel is of course one of the oldest professions.  The three wise men were probably carrying gold, frankincense and […] - [What does leadership mean to you?](https://sueunerman.com/2021/03/what-does-leadership-mean-to-you/): As we enter week whatever it is of lockdown, even with a roadmap in sight and yet with the winter wind still chilling us to the bone and the sunny spells alternating with rain drizzling outside our windows, it is more crucial than ever to look after each other.  We are personally being tested in all kinds of ways emotionally and mentally.  Relationships are under strain because we have never spent 24 hours a day with each other for such a prolonged period before.  People living on their own, who might normally prefer this, are vulnerable now that they are […] - [The unexpected impact of football without crowds](https://sueunerman.com/2021/02/the-unexpected-impact-of-football-without-crowds/): The inability to fill stadia with fans has had a terrible economic impact on clubs of all sizes.  However the lack of fans may have had another effect too.  This season there is less of a divide between how the top teams are doing at, well, the top, and how the rest of the pack is faring. Lowly placed Burnley ended Liverpool’s 68-match unbeaten home run and bottom-placed Sheffield United beat title-challenging Manchester United at Old Trafford. These performances together with transformations like John Stones’ metamorphosis from an erratic, often-criticised performer to being arguably the best English centre-back in the […] - [What do successful digital transformation and business culture projects have in common? Extreme ownership](https://sueunerman.com/2021/02/what-do-successful-digital-transformation-and-business-culture-projects-have-in-common-extreme-ownership/): Extreme ownership by everyone is essential for success in terms of both Digital Transformation and a true culture of Belonging. There are two items to prioritise for most businesses in 2021.  The pandemic has given added importance to both. Digital transformation, in light of the fact that excellent delivery of goods and services via digital is obviously a game changer for every business in lockdown. Belonging, because having a better and kinder culture in every workplace, while always important for the well-being of employees, is even more crucial when we are working remotely (and will continue to be as we […] - [Instead of segmentation, try inclusion – it will get you more sales.](https://sueunerman.com/2021/01/instead-of-segmentation-try-inclusion-it-will-get-you-more-sales/): For years the marketing industry has been busy segmenting.  For a couple of decades it has been common best practice to segment customers into types of people to target everyone else who falls into the same segmentation. These are often expensive exercises and can take months to complete.  They may be of huge use to the brand, although all too frequently they are conducted in isolation of media and therefore channel intelligence has to be merged on separately after the first party analysis, and digital behaviour cues now often are better signals of intent to purchase. The naming of the […] - [Get active, be EPIC.](https://sueunerman.com/2020/12/get-active-be-epic/): One in three people at work have personally experienced bias, harassment or inappropriate behaviour at work. Do you think that this always happened when they were on their own with someone?  I think that we know that this isn’t the case. Our unique research, by Dynata, for our new book Belonging, states that 39% of the workforce overall acknowledged that they have witnessed such behaviour, but this rises to 57% of people who work in marketing or pr. We have surely all, at some point, been bystanders.  We have all perhaps been in the position where we have not felt […] - [Belonging, The Key to Transforming and Maintaining Diversity, Inclusion and Equality at Work, by Kathryn Jacob, Sue Unerman and Mark Edwards](https://sueunerman.com/2020/11/belonging-the-key-to-transforming-and-maintaining-diversity-inclusion-and-equality-at-work-by-kathryn-jacob-sue-unerman-and-mark-edwards/): Given the focus on diversity and inclusion and the £6 billion spent on it why is it that there is no concrete evidence of change? What is holding back something that is so evidently fair, has proven results on both profitability and revenue and which has been talked about for years? Over the last 18 months we have been investigating diversity and inclusion in all businesses, not just advertising.  From over 100 interviews, unique quantitative research conducted for us by Dynata and more than 150 talks we have uncovered why the return on the investment of significant time and money […] - [The source of great marketing is businesses that commit](https://sueunerman.com/2020/10/the-source-of-great-marketing-is-businesses-that-commit/): The best marketing comes from businesses that commit. I learnt a lot as 2020 Convenor of the IPA Effectiveness Awards. The intense (most intense in advertising worldwide?) judging process begins with reading thousands of words.  Over 60 papers of 4000 words plus appendices.  Then as convenor I attended three rounds (6 afternoons) of judging on zoom: Technical judges; Industry judges; Client judges. The wisdom and commitment of all the judges was unquestionable.  The process was long, hard and argumentative.  More argumentative than 2018 when there was more consensus of opinion.  This year there was plenty of debate and discussion, opinions […] - [Come out of the casino, this isn't a gamble](https://sueunerman.com/2020/10/come-out-of-the-casino-this-isnt-a-gamble/): To craft a strong effective media plan you have to challenge everything, including yourself. We are all subject to confirmation bias.  This means that when we hear something that we have heard before, or that we would like to believe, we are more likely to have faith in it.  We are not as rational or logical as we think we are, and understanding this is crucial to how and when you make data work for the best possible returns. In “The Loudest Duck” Laura A. Liswood tells the reader that they should “tell grandma to go home”.  What she means […] - [With near empty offices what happens to office culture?](https://sueunerman.com/2020/09/with-near-empty-offices-what-happens-to-office-culture/): What happens to company culture without everyone in the office most of the time? For months now we have been working remotely in most parts of advertising and media.  Many offices have been closed.  Around the world many have opened up again, although in the UK this is recent and then just for a proportion of the workforce in many cases.  The Economist states “The fight over the future of the workplace has just begun”, and points out that the office structures we have grown up with are based on the emergence of corporations in the late 19th century. It […] ## Pages - [About](https://sueunerman.com/about-2/): Strategy and Transformation Expertise       [comment]: # (Generated by Hostinger Tools Plugin)