Body language experts say that when you copy somebody else, you are saying…’I feel comfortable with you’

No, this isn’t a blog about my political persuasion, but what’s really interesting to me at the moment in terms of branding and marketing, is the brand alignment conundrum that our recent hung parliment has thrown up.

We all know very well that brand alignment can work exceptionally well, after all it’s no great shakes that Pepsi Max is embedded in extreme sports, as is Red Bull or that Zanussi recommends Ariel. Which all kind of makes me wonder about the overall success of a possible Conservative/Lib Dem coalition, yes Nick Clegg may get promises of a referendum on an alternative voting system but what effectively would the coalition do to the Lib Dem brand?

It’s a well mooted theory that many Lib Dem voters often go for the tactical vote in a two-horse race and plump for Labour in order to try and prevent a Conservative win. And as many of Labour’s policies are not as far removed it doesn’t feel too wrong for them. However, I do wonder how they feel about it all now. Plus, if you are viewing this from an internal communications standpoint many Tory and Lib Dem MPs have spoken out against such an alignment.

But, this is not the first time this has happened, Innocent in 2007 famously got into bed with MacDonalds and we all waited with baited breath to see what would happen. Many claimed initially that they had ’sold their soul’ but as a rather interesting school of thought pointed out at the time, it was felt that it would not harm the brand but indeed have positive effects on both. They concluded that in actual fact the product still remained the same and by selling it into MacDonalds it managed to reach, influence  and convert an audience it had not previously engaged with. MacDonalds, on the other hand tried to further their ‘look we’re healthy’ image.

That said, there are many examples whereby brands have not wanted to align themselves anymore with philandering sports stars who have discredited themselves in a variety of ways  - let’s face it, Gillete dropped Tiger Woods quicker than a hand grenade….

So how did Innocent manage the trial of one of their drinks in the outlets of one of the most demonised brands? Well, the product remained the same, they didn’t change how they looked or felt, plus they had an audience that truly loved them beyond all reason and felt very emotional about the brand. But, perhaps mostly importantly they asked what everyone thought. They called a meeting and discussed it internally, over lunch, and then they asked their customers via a blog….’to burger or not to burger‘. Look at this one post:

“I fully understand the other posters’ views and largely agree with the comments about McDonalds, however… Innocent is still Innocent – healthy drinks from an environmentally and socially responsible company. If this partnership leads to less children drinking rubbish, then great!”

And, those that were disgruntled will have forgiven as they went about it in true innocent style, honestly.

So, Nick Clegg, David Cameron say’s it’s decision time, but I say have you listened, have you engaged with your audience? Do you really know what your supporters want or have you just talked ‘at them’ on your blog? Will you back the right horse or at the very least go about it all in the right fashion, or will you damage your brand and lose some voters for good?

The great British summer has had me in a spin of late. One minute it’s hot and I am walking through town without a care in the world sniffing out the fabulous, pondering a Pims or a G&T…the next….well, I’m a drowned rat with my hair plastered to my head. Oh curse you, for making me look a fool! So how do you predict the weather?

Simple. With a hunk of wood.

And no, I’m not talking about the cast of Hollyoaks. 

Sébastien Wallet, has managed to design a funky gadget that can wake you up, tell the time, predict weather details 12-24 hours ahead, give barometric pressure measurements, indoor temperature and hygrometry information…are you still with me?

It also has a movement sensor built in so to activate it you wave your hand in front of the bit of wood and the display is lit. And here’s the best bit, as a piece of design it’s a corker: ergonomic, tactile, a thing of real beauty. 

So there we have it, buy it here and stop looking out the window in a morning pondering long or short sleeves. Let’s face it, is clearly the most attractive weather diviner since Wincey Willis (did I really just say that??)

Designer Henry Allen proves that being organised can be a beautiful thing. Taking typical desk items he has designed a pencil tray, a paper weight and a business card holder. Hoorah to an end to dreary desk spaces, I say. Go on, get organised here

Well it appears that my last post sparked an intense debate nationwide – given the amount of mail I received from it – the nations favourite drink clearly hits a nerve with  most folk. But none so much as the lovely people at Elmwood who sent me a pack of tea along with a lovely handwritten note (complete with brew stainage) this morning in the post. Imagine my utter delight!

I don’t mind admitting that I have the greatest respect for Elmwood and now I love them even more – I trust I can rely on them in court if I have to draft them in as an expert witness in the case of ‘Builders V Milky Rubbish’

So, many thanks guys you have made my Monday, keep up the good work and you can bet your builder’s ass, that when most folk are sweating and quaffing pints of water in this searing heat, yours truly has her hands wrapped tightly round a hot builder(s).

I’m no stranger to pantone references but i never thought of using them to solve the great tea debate. In our house I am builders and my other half only likes the tea bag shown to a milky, watery, liquid for a nano second thus producing something altogether a little more insipid (thankfully he has relinquished the cardinal sin of adding a sugar on health grounds).This causes huge issues as neither manages to get it right for the other, but hurrah, it appears we are not going to be in the divorce courts fighting over custody of the kettle because these lovely mugs are an answer to all my problems. 

So fear not Britain, we can all go to work on our favourite drink, just my cuppa tea. Buy them at Suck.

Woweeeeeee! I am not sure that the Fire Safety Officer that came to Purple Circle the other week would appove but I do  – these things are damn hot. They are produced by a french company called Fire Design and look fabulous, you can even create your own. But in honesty, when push comes to shove I am more likely to care about getting the hell out of there than thinking about how good I look weilding a cow hide extinguisher. But they did bring a smile to my face and therefore I’m favouring form over function (you know the rule – if it’s fabulous it’s in)….just to work out which one is foam and which is the CO2…..

Come on baby, light a fire!

I just simply love these award winning bird feeders from Born in Sweden. Made from recyclable plastic they can be mounted to a window giving you a prime viewing position to watch your feathered friends. And the best bit is, they look flippin’ lovely too – so you don’t look like you have your nan’s tupperware box taped to your kitchen window. Marvellous. Buy them at 95% danish for £14.95.

Who couldn’t do with a funky bird house in their soul?

The Lovely Package people have tracked down some great branding for dog treats – in a hugely cluttered marketplace this packaging really err takes the biscuit (err sorry can’t believe I just did that). But isn’t it great? Simple, stylish and wholesome I am sure this really appeals to those empty-nesters that are time poor and like to ensure their pets get the best. Bit like me really.

Pet packaging with personality – pure doggie style?!!

Hurrah for Rebecca Proctor who has launched a book jam packed with design loveliness and the best bit is: you can buy it all with a clear concience! Its called ‘1000 New Eco Designs and Where to Find Them‘ and its full of stylish buys including the Seat of London cushion which is made from recylced bus and tube fabrics. I spotted these delights last year when in Covent Garden at the London Transport Museum store, the cushions are made from a fabric called Moquette and you can purchase your own bit of transport history by choosing from designs initally launched in 1937 through to 2007 and applying them to cubes, cushions, chairs and all manner of things.

So buy the book, buy the products, and sleep soundly at night.

At Purple Circle, we always say that all ideas start with a blank sheet of paper. But to help us be more precise designer Colin O’Dowd has come up with the Graphkin – a napkin featuring a graph paper design. They are available at the Design Museum Shop, for designers and geography teachers alike.