more of our thinking.

I’ve been watching a lot of Christmas films lately. Not unusual for this time of year. There’s something about them that just works, no matter how many times you’ve seen them. You know the endings, you know the characters, yet somehow they still hit the mark. The thing is, they all follow similar story arcs. Whether it’s the Grinch up in his cave, Kevin defending his home, or someone trying to save Christmas, the pattern is there. And for some reason, we love it. It’s got me thinking about why these stories work so well and what happens to us when we hear them. We already know the ending (it’s a Christmas film, after all), but we’re hooked by the journey. Part of that is down to narrative bias. Our brains naturally prefer stories with a clear start, middle, and satisfying end. Even if life is rarely that tidy, stories give us that structure and we can’t help but feel good about it.

If there’s one thing I wish I’d known earlier, both when I was starting out in advertising and later, managing others, it’s that the human brain isn’t fully developed until around age 25. Now that I’m running a mental health charity alongside consulting and training, this knowledge has completely reframed how I think about supporting young talent. Knowing that young professionals are still developing crucial skills, like decision-making, emotional regulation, and impulse control, has helped me make sense of the challenges I faced myself and the struggles I’ve seen others go through. Marketing and advertising are famously tough on young people. We throw them into high-stakes situations and expect them to handle it like seasoned pros, often with minimal support. But by understanding where they’re at developmentally, we can rethink how we work with them. Here’s how we can create a better experience for young talent in our industry. Guided Mentorship and Structure They Can Actually Use Advertising is messy and fast-paced, and I used to assume people would just “figure it out” because that’s what I had to do. But young professionals need structured guidance, clear project outlines, regular check-ins, and support for managing pressure. They’re still building up their decision-making abilities, and the right kind of mentorship makes a huge difference in how they adapt and grow in this environment. Letting Them Dip a Toe In First Marketing roles often give young people big responsibilities from day one, but we’d get so much more out of them if we let them try different things first. Letting them rotate through various tasks, social media, analytics, brainstorming, gives them a chance to see where they really thrive and build a bit of confidence before taking on heavier responsibilities. This approach not only helps them develop more rounded skills but also gives them a better sense of what they actually enjoy. Creating a Culture Where Mistakes Aren’t the End of the World I’ve seen young people take mistakes really hard, thinking a slip-up means they’ve failed spectacularly – snot, ugly crying, the works. Understanding that they’re still learning has made me realise how important it is to create a culture where mistakes are part of the process, not career-ending disasters. When a setback becomes a learning opportunity rather than a crisis, it lowers anxiety, builds resilience, and encourages smart risk-taking, all of which are essential in a creative industry.

Humans have always been captivated by the desire to understand themselves better. This quest for self-knowledge has driven countless philosophical inquiries, religious teachings, and, in our modern era, the widespread appeal of personality tests, zodiac signs, and even those quizzes that tell you if you’re more of a Meat Feast Pizza than a Hawaiian. Whether we admit it or not, most of us have indulged in these seemingly trivial assessments at some point. But what is it about these exercises in self-discovery that draws us in so powerfully? The answer lies in our deep-seated psychological needs for self-discovery, identity, and social belonging, needs that have been integral to the human experience for as long as we’ve existed. The Search for Identity From a young age, we embark on a lifelong journey of forming our identity, our internal compass guiding us through life’s complexities. This identity is built through our experiences, social interactions, and internal reflections. It’s a dynamic entity that evolves as we grow, face new challenges, and gain new insights. As children, we learn about ourselves in relation to others, how we are similar, how we are different, and how we fit into the social fabric around us. These early experiences lay the groundwork for the more complex self-concepts we develop in adulthood. Our experience in the workplace is no different; the broader our experience and the more we connect with new ideas, the richer our pool of information becomes. Despite this ongoing process of identity formation, many of us continue to seek clarity throughout our lives. This is partly because our identities are multifaceted and influenced by various factors, including cultural background, personal values, and life experiences. We may understand ourselves in certain contexts—perhaps as a parent, a professional, or a friend but struggle to integrate these different aspects into a cohesive sense of self. This struggle often leads us to seek out labels, categories, and definitions that help us make sense of who we are and where we fit in the world. Personality quizzes, with their promise of quick insights into our deepest selves, offer an appealing shortcut to this clarity. They provide a way to distil the complexities of our personalities into digestible, relatable terms. Whether it’s understanding our ‘love language’, identifying with a particular Myers-Briggs type, or discovering which Hogwarts house we belong to, these quizzes offer validation and self-affirmation that can be both comforting and empowering. They give us a language to describe ourselves, which in turn helps us communicate who we are to others. The Psychological Appeal of Categorisation The appeal of personality assessments isn’t just about the results they provide, but also about the process of categorisation itself. Psychologically, the need to label ourselves and others, stems from the human brain’s natural ability for categorisation, a cognitive function essential for making sense of the world. Research in cognitive psychology, particularly the work of Eleanor Rosch in the 1970s, has shown that our brains are wired to organise information into groups and patterns. This categorisation helps us navigate the complexity of our environment by simplifying it into manageable parts. When applied to self-knowledge, this need for categorisation becomes a tool for making sense of our inner world. It’s not just about knowing whether we’re introverted or extroverted, but understanding how these traits influence our behaviours, decisions, and relationships. By categorising aspects of our personality, we create a framework that helps us navigate personal and social challenges more effectively. For example, understanding that you’re a ‘Type A’ personality might help explain your competitive nature and drive, while identifying as a ‘Type B’ might shed light on your preference for a more relaxed approach to life. These categories provide us with a sense of identity that is both personal and social. They allow us to see ourselves as part of a larger group whether that’s people who share our Zodiac sign, our Enneagram type, or even our pizza preference. This sense of belonging is crucial for our psychological wellbeing, as it connects us to others who understand and validate our experiences. It’s a way of finding our place in the world, not just as individuals, but as members of a broader community.

When I found myself in Amsterdam, at least twice a month, back in the days of pre-pandemic frequent travel, a saviour of my sanity was without a doubt Airbnb. More space, less formality, the chance to really know a city and cook your own food; made being away from home that little bit better. Their brand differentiator ‘belong anywhere’ was writ large in the end-to-end experience. With shares dipping significantly this week and a disappointing outlook predicted thanks to a soft consumer market in the US, it really got me thinking about Airbnb’s stellar achievements, its ability to survive a global pandemic and what their truly epic brand differentiation might allow them to do next. A little history Airbnb, founded in 2008 by Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia, and Nathan Blecharczyk, has grown from a small start-up into a global powerhouse and that’s a fact. Its inception was a masterclass in branding and differentiation, positioning itself uniquely in a saturated market. Airbnb's concept was revolutionary: an online marketplace for short-term lodging in private homes. The idea stemmed from the founders' personal experience of renting out an air mattress in their living room to make extra money. This simple, yet innovative idea tapped into the existing but underutilised inventory of spare rooms and entire homes, offering travellers a unique, local experience that hotels could not provide. Branding strategy From the outset, Airbnb’s brand emphasised community, belonging, and unique experiences. The positioning ‘belong anywhere’ encapsulated its mission to create a sense of home for travellers wherever they went. Practically that meant: Building a focus on user generated content, capitalising on and moving beyond the successful model created by TripAdvisor - guest reviews and host profiles built trust and authenticity throughout the experience (when an estimated 91% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, it was a strategy grounded in success) Creating localised and personal experiences, which was driven by consumer demand in the emerging Instagram era – want to go to a little-known bar? A beach that’s undiscovered? Your host, knows better than the best-of-the-best concierges Community building – the creation of forums and digital events allowed consumers to begin the experience before they left home and continue way past the end of the holiday – extending good vibes and elongating loyalty

Whoop! You made it past Black Friday – here’s how to never need this dark discount day ever again…  In our last post, we gave you 5 reasons to say no to the darkness that is Black Friday discounting, especially if you are a small business. But what if this all feels a bit terrifying, especially when you check your emails, and it feels like the entire world IS doing Black Friday? Well, here is our guide to a few things you can start working on NOW, to make sure you never get FOMO about Black Friday ever again! Know your value By this, we mean that you need to understand why customers choose you over your competitors – coffee is a great example here – there are literally hundreds of places you can buy coffee these days, but if you asked most shoppers, they won’t cite the coffee as being the reason they go to Costa, Starbucks, Greggs or the independent cafe, anywhere near as often as you think. It will be the atmosphere, the must-have seasonal mug design, the free Wi-Fi or the price. So, understanding what you offer customers that is different to your competitors, will set you on a path that makes it hard for competitors to replicate what you offer, and easy for you never to have to compete with them on price again. Quality beats quantity. Always. When it comes to being able to hold your price, it’s quality you need to focus on, to avoid the Black Friday blues. Where can you make the experience you offer great quality, or are there things you can do to enhance your product quality, so people understand that when they pay for your service, they’re getting a quality that they won’t get elsewhere? Be true to your values You don’t have to join in with Black Friday, just because the rest of the world is doing it, and it’s okay to let your customers know why that is – if being sustainable is part of what you are all about, then let customers know! Providing that what you’re saying matches up with the perceptions your customers have about you, then it’s a good thing to be honest about stuff like this – it helps customers understand that you’re authentic, and this, in turn, will help to make your brand strong in the long run. And what’s the result of a strong brand? No need to discount – ever (if you don’t believe us here, just have a think about the last time you saw Apple advertise any discounts…)!

How black friday is bad for business

As the clocks go back…and the nights draw in, we snuggle up in cosy socks, warm jumpers, sip pints in pubs next to roaring fires and eat casseroles for dinner. And the change of the clocks means one more thing, the imminent release of the eponymous John Lewis Christmas ad (other ads are available, but rarely as hotly anticipated). What do our feelings about the winter season and John Lewis have in common? Nostalgia - as big as a dollop of sherry trifle. It’s the emotional thread that weaves together past and present, creating a powerful connection between brands and their audience. Nostalgia is the sentimental longing for the past and evokes powerful emotions, which is why advertisers are very quick to use it, especially at holiday time. It transports us back to cherished moments, conjuring feelings of comfort, security, and happiness. When used effectively, this emotional resonance can significantly impact consumer perception and behaviour. And when times are particularly difficult, when people are experiencing all manner of hardships, this nostalgia becomes more powerful than ever. Nostalgia establishes a sense of trust and credibility between a brand and its audience. By tapping into shared cultural or generational experiences, brands demonstrate an understanding of their customers' history and values and connects with them. This familiarity fosters a sense of belonging, reinforcing the idea that the brand is a reliable companion on their journey. In John Lewis’s case we relate to the anticipatory feelings of the little boy in the Long Wait, or we think about distant relatives who we might like to see, like the Man on the Moon A brand associated with positive memories and experiences from the past is more likely to be viewed favourably in the present. Nostalgic marketing triggers positive associations, making consumers more inclined to choose a product or service that evokes those warm, fuzzy feelings – John Lewis use it to show how embedded they are (or would like to be) in your family traditions. Nostalgia also offers a unique avenue for differentiation. By invoking memories of a simpler time or a cultural touchstone, a brand can distinguish itself from competitors, creating a distinct identity that resonates with consumers – for John Lewis, this links to a time when we more often physically went to a store instead of cyber space to buy our Christmas gifts. The Christmas shopping event being part of our Christmas tradition, alongside social activities, and ‘family’ – we’re not just buying ‘stuff’, we’re creating our narrative, our way of doing things and our children’s future traditions – it’s powerful, heady stuff! Nostalgia has the power to leave a lasting impression. A well-crafted nostalgic campaign can etch itself into the collective memory of a generation. This year, it’s no coincidence that the tune the John Lewis team have picked is Imagine, by John Lennon, bought up to date by Lewis Capaldi. First released to speak to a generation which felt like it lacked hope, peace, and security – sadly, this has deep connection for all of us today. In an era defined by constant change and innovation, nostalgia serves as a powerful anchor, grounding brands in the hearts and minds of consumers. And whilst I wouldn’t necessarily predict a hugely rosy future for John Lewis on the high street, it will no doubt stay in our collective consciousness for a long time to come.

We're excited to be back at Salon International this weekend for the second year in a row. Last year we were talking all things digital and this year we'll be discussing all things brand. We'll be on the Business Live stage on Saturday 14th October at 3.30pm and we're excited to be joined by Nuala Morey, Jo Martin and Robert Eaton - we look forward to seeing you there.