11 years after his death, the campaigning principles honed by New Labour’s strategist are as a relevant as ever. Both inside, and outside, of politics. Remembering Philip Gould, here are his 10 campaigning principles (plus one from me). “There are few, if any, fixed rules of campaigning. My approach is dynamic and based on the … Continue reading Philip Gould’s Principles of Campaigning →

Pam Johnston, my nanna, died on the 24th December 2021. Nanna about to fly over the Serengeti (with a broken back) I didn’t really like my Nanna growing up. I loved her, as a grandson must love his grandmother. The cards I wrote said I loved her. But I didn’t particularly like her. She was … Continue reading Notes on a Nanna. →

“Celebrity is capitalistic voyeurism. We pay money to access people’s lives.”Greg Jenner, Author of Dead Famous At the Hay Festival, Greg Jenner spoke about his new book, Dead Famous. A history of celebrity. Watching the conversation it became apparent that there were lessons brands could learn from these dead famous, dead people. Buffalo Bill Consistency … Continue reading What can five dead celebrities teach your brand? →

My talk at Google Firestarters on the 25th November 2019. How can comedians help marketers to reveal better insights? Please share. At the start of King Lear, the old king, the mad king is dishing out his land to his three daughters. In return for land and power, he asks each to make a declaration … Continue reading Fools speak truth to power →

What is the most common personality type for strategists? Isabel Briggs-Myers and Katharine Briggs I recently asked 100 planners and strategists to fill out this personality test: https://www.16personalities.com/ This is what I found out. The most common personality was ENFP. The Campaigner. Just over 20% of planners are ENFP. Whereas ENFPs are about 7% of … Continue reading Planner Personalities →