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June 13, 2006
London Calling
In lovely London this week to speak at TMP's Global Conference but spent yesterday wandering around, trying to stay awake until bedtime, London time. And I was struck, yet again, by what a different color scheme London advertising uses.
Out West (as in the West Coast of the US), we don't often see bright green or bright orange. (Yes, I know they're there, but typically as accent, not primary colors--and when they are, it's the exception that proves the rule.) Even though you'll see them more as you move East, it's a question of degree, not kind. But in London, I'm seeing them everywhere as a primary color vocabulary.
To my eye, the net effect is clutter. But I'm quite sure the same isn't true for London locals. And that's very interesting, from a brand management standpoint, because of the emphasis, at least in our recruitment space, on global continuity.
Yes, we typically manage to get the employers we work with to message in multiple languages (though many are convinced that an English-only approach is somehow helpful), but to what extent do those messages really succeed in cutting through the local clutter?
Obviously, it depends. When we have a client receptive to this kind of market insight, we typically supplement narrative research reports with photographs and videos to give more of the look and feel--the atmosphere--than narrative can convey. But the key problem that remains is a brand management challenge. With more brand managers empowered to say "no" than to say "yes," getting the support to push the envelope can be, well, a challenge.
(Beth C., thanks for your comment. I'll respond soon.)
Posted by davidkippen at June 13, 2006 05:15 AM