How CoCreate could help.

We’ve recently read the Portas Review, an independent review into the future of our high streets, and there were a couple of things in particular that got us thinking.

- The first was this, in section 1 of Mary’s report.

“Put in place a “Town Team”: a visionary, strategic and strong operational management team for high streets.”

- The second was in section 27 of Mary’s report

“Local people become co-creators of the space (empty properties) and take forward what they want to see on their high street.”

We can see potential in both the above, and wonder if the two thoughts could be combined so that the “Town Team” become the co-creators of how the high street should develop. This would combine a range of varied stakeholders from the town to work together to make a real and lasting difference. From our experience of using Co-Create we believe this approach would generate new thinking and action very quickly.

Reasons why we think this would work are below.

5 benefits of using Co-Create to help transform the high-street.

1. Co-Create removes hierarchy and provides an equal voice for all.

2. Co-Create involves all the stakeholders of high street development from the start, and in every part of the process, which removes the need for lengthy and bureaucratic approval processes.

3. Co-Create encourages pioneering thinking and solutions that go beyond traditional conventions.

4. Co-Create means that ideas are created by a varied community of the town, not only the official bodies.

5. Co-Create supports shared ownership of ideas and decision-making. Thus inspiring the belief and energy to try new things and make new things happen.

There is no doubt that our high streets and how they evolve over time will change.

In Marys words…

“High Streets must be ready to experiment, try new things, take risks and become destinations again. They need to be spaces and places that people want to be in. High streets of the future must be a hub of the community that local people are proud of and want to protect.”

Mary has a point that needs consideration, and by using CoCreate we believe that solutions can be found and implemented that will move the high street from where it is now, to something that is a much happier, loved and a more positive part of its community.

To read more about CoCreate by SHARP try the links below.

CoCreate by SHARP – Unlocking the Huddersfield Brand.

CoCreate by SHARP and the NUS I Am The Change campaign.

CoCreate by SHARP and our DMA Silver Award!

CoCreate by SHARP proves that great minds don’t always think alike…

CoCreate by SHARP and involving consumers in the creative process.

Here is a pic, and the recipe is below if you fancy making one yourself. Remember. You saw it here first (we think...).

Last night I was working late, so I had no option at all but to order a Pizza. Now like most people at this time of year I am trying to eat healthily to lose the Christmas pudding sitting around my waist, so I ordered a full on meat pizza, with a thin crust (for the health benefits) and a 2ltr bottle of Coke (full fat).

The thing is, after 10 days of eating sensible food this pizza tasted better than great. I am not afraid to say that every bite was heaven sent and washed down with a satisfying glug of the american dream. The pizza juices dripping off my chin were simply awesome (ok too much information…).

So I sit there pondering one of the great questions of life…why does food that’s not recommended as healthy for you taste so wonderful (McDonalds Fries, Panacotta, Fish and Chips, Fried Eggs…etc…you get the picture), and food that is good for you tastes generally very boring (celery, water, sushi, brussel sprouts (steamed of course), Hake (grilled with a little splash of lemon juice)…etc…).

Now I appreciate that taste is a matter of taste so I raised my debate in the agency this morning. And essentially no-one agreed with me. Apparently if you eat lots of salad you appreciate and love the taste, and different types of fish all do taste wonderful (surely fish deep fried in batter all tastes the same?).

So it would seem that I am a food neanderthal, and that got me thinking. Was there was a way to have a salad that was kind of like a Pizza and with a little bit of help (thankyou Katie our Canadian copywriter) the super healthy Lettuce Pizza was born.

Ingredients:
For the Pizza Base – Lettuce
An absolutely huge tomato
Olives
Chilli
Salami
Olive oil (not too much as we do want to be healthy)
Balsamic vinegar
Salt (not too much as its bad for you in large amounts)

Preparation time: 33.3 seconds.
Cooking time: 1 minute and 12 seconds

Instructions: Prepare a base of lettuce. Chop the huge tomato into slices and then cut the slices in half and lay them artistically across the lettuce. Sprinkle a little bit of crunchy salt (remember not too much) on the huge tomato slices. Arrange the salami slices in a way that visually pleases you. Pop a few olives and sliced chilli on top. Pour a touch of olive oil across it, and a sprinkle of balsamic, and hey presto you have your lettuce pizza.

All I can say is that I loved it, I hope you will too, and a big thanks to The SHARP Agency for helping me see the light.

Richard

We recently had a very enjoyable and thought provoking conversation with a friend of ours Kelvin Collins.
It seemed such a relevant subject as we enter 2012, that we asked Kelvin to write us a blog to share his thinking.

Is it time to think differently about how we own a fridge?

Could there be a better model to owning our white goods? Surely we’re not emotionally attached to our dishwasher, or fridge?

Do you remember Radio Rentals?

It was a business idea that was absolutely of its time, and in fact could be still, but for a national change of attitude towards ownership of, well, pretty much everything.

Radio Rentals was set up in 1932 to do just what its name suggests. By the 60s most people rented their TVs from the company, technology was by then seen to be moving at such a pace (!) that it made no sense to save up to buy electronic goods, plus of course the goods themselves were very expensive.

The company stayed around until 2000, but by then it had dropped out of our collective knowledge as its products had become so cheap that most of us could just buy them off the shelf. It rebranded to Boxclever, but that’s a different story….

With that in mind let’s consider white goods for a minute.

Most of us buy our fridge, freezer, washing machine, dishwasher etc. We run it for a few years, hopefully ten, completely ignore suggestions of regular servicing, and then when it starts to go wrong we buy another. Sounds a familiar story?

What if we rented them instead, could that create a better usage model?

I’d like to propose that it could be better for us, and our environment.

I’m not talking about the rather badly priced white goods leasing market that fleeces those too hard up to buy, I’m proposing a new model where leasing is a conscious choice for a better solution to ownership.

Let’s say you take a dishwasher on a three-year contract. At 18 months someone comes and services it. At three years it’s still in great shape, and if you like it you keep it. Moving parts are upgraded if necessary; a new chip ensures it is completely up to date, working as efficiently as the newest available.

After six years perhaps you fancy something new. No problem, the machine has many years of life in it yet and it moves to a new owner who benefits from a great machine at a lower price. As most are hidden within a kitchen’s units its look matters very little.

What if the consumables were included in the contract? McDonough and Braungart propose this in their brilliant book Cradle to Cradle. Most washes use only about 5% of the detergent that’s put into them so perhaps more efficient use of powders could do something about all that waste going into our rivers and creating the foam we see on our beaches on a rough day. Could the machine call down the amount of detergent it actually needs?

We were pondering this whole idea recently when we read about Phillips leasing their otherwise expensive LED lighting systems. It means the client always has the most up to date product at an affordable and predictable cost, while the manufacturer can constantly learn about product deterioration in a real life environment. Even retro fitting is financially viable for the user because of the huge reduction in power costs of LED over traditional lighting.

So what’s the environmental angle? Primarily a massive reduction in raw material usage, with the potential to dramatically reduce waste in consumables too. This becomes all the more relevant when you consider the poor output of recycling metals, the second generation product will be a fraction of the quality of the original, what we referred to as down-cycling in a previous blog.

With the manufacturer in control of recycling there is a single point of responsibility, rather than the thousands of points of responsibility when individuals or businesses are in control.

Shifting to a lease model for large household goods may sound like a huge behaviour change, but it’s happening already in the corporate world. Look out for changes in the way we own appliances, it could be around the corner.

And Radio Rentals? Well it’s still going strong down under where Kiwi and Australian attitudes to ownership differ from ours in the UK. Will we see a move back to leasing of the machines we use for living?

Kelvin

In June this year we held a ‘CoCreate by Sharp’ for the town of Huddersfield, to rediscover a brand opportunity that would capture the unique spirit of the town, and promote it’s businesses and the people behind them; the true heart-beat of the town itself.

The response was overwhelming.

Over 20 Huddersfield based businesses and individuals came together that day with SHARP partners (Mandi and Richard) moderating the session to deliver a bundle of inspiring ideas. Teams were equipped with flipcharts, coloured pens, play-dough (to inspire creativity) and a method for democratic voting that would funnel out the most popular ideas. The CoCreated concepts presented back were inspiring. There was palpable excitement and also a sense of urgency in the room.

One of the main messages from the day was that this Huddersfield brand needs to have many owners not just one. That the people and businesses who care about the town will enthusiastically shape it and promote it.

Since this day, the evolution of ideas and plans has been a participative affair

We at SHARP think this is a fabulously unique way to develop a ‘destination brand’ with the people who literally ‘live the brand’, shaping the delivery of it.

So. Huddersfield the place to make it became a reality.

Next we collaboratively created a simple adaptable logo that any business could use, and a campaign identity based around one of the most popular ideas the businesses voted for at the CoCreate workshop. The idea was to develop a campaign that would showcase the many innovative but often ‘under-played’ facts and success stories about Huddersfield. From Harold Wilson’s birthplace to the place where HTFC keep making history… to the town where Buckingham Palace carpets are woven. All sorts of genius that is evidence for ‘Huddersfield the place to make it.’

Standing out to attract new businesses, talented individuals, recession-busting visitors, and to breathe new life into our local high streets is increasingly important for small towns in Great Britain. It takes the involvement of key individuals to make positive changes and keep our many districts current and full of life.

Our work with Huddersfield proved this, and also that there are many people who are keen to get involved. To do their bit within their own networks and organisations. To ‘make it happen’ in Huddersfield.

This journey like most of the ‘CoCreates by Sharp’ has been extremely exciting. We continue to work as part of a group of interested business people in the town to launch this new brand identity and find solutions to inspire business and optimism in sometimes challenging times. To see more examples of our award winning process ‘CoCreate by SHARP’ then click here.

To find out more about the brand and the companies involved in bringing it to life then visit www.theplacetomakeit.com

And a few more Huddersfield facts…

A campaign we created for the NUS has just gone live. The insights and inspiration for the campaign came from a day long ‘CoCreate by SHARP’ workshop. The campaign is called ‘I Am The Change’, and its objective is to encourage students to make and campaign for change however small that change may be. The campaign positions NUS as the support partner for those changes. The animation we created to launch the campaign is below.

British innovation reuses waste glass and brings new meaning to TV repeats!

First glass sample.

Molten de-leaded glass

We’ve been familiar with the concept of recycling for many years now and it has long since moved from being the preserve of the beardy sandal wearing brigade to a mainstream habit. The trouble is though the term itself lends a bit more value to the act than is perhaps deserved.

What we call recycling is probably better described as down-cycling as few products perform in their next life as well as they did in their first. Glass will almost always have a myriad of imperfections, paper will get weaker and even metals are usually much less valuable in their recycled state. Take the humble drink can, it uses a different alloy for the top and bottom as it does for the sides, but can you imagine these being separated before they are melted down?

Given this we were delighted to hear about British inventor Simon Greer and his business Nulife Glass. Simon has perfected the first recycling plant that can handle Cathode Ray Tubes (CRT) from old style TVs. Remember how heavy your last TV was? There was about 2 pounds of lead in a 34” screen!

Rather than down-cycling the raw materials. Simon is left with green glass ready to be reused and valuable lead oxide. Another huge bonus is that the process has no toxic wastes or emissions.Simon’s process will replace the previous solutions for what to do with CRT glass – there were three potential routes – Reuse, that gets our vote, but there is no demand any more: Smelting the metal from the glass, but with 50%+ wastage: Or that age old favourite of the landfill. Landfill is particularly dangerous as the lead leeches into the soil creating a new bio-hazard.

We applaud Simon and would love to hear more stories of great uses for products at the end of their first life that up-cycle rather than leave us with a lesser product after recycling. Don’t be depressed by the down-cycling reality – it’s getting better all the time and example shows how true recycling is possible too.

It was with great excitement this week that we attended an award ceremony in Billingsgate London, and won a Silver in this years DMA Awards. The client we won for is Best Western Hotels and the project was the summer campaign “Where Stories happen”. The category is “Best Business to Consumer Direct Mail”. The Direct Marketing Association Awards don’t just reward beautiful creative. They reward excellence in commercial results and pioneering strategies that result in creative work that makes things happen for its for clients. And at SHARP, that is what we are all about!

Where Stories Happen

The Brief
The brief was to encourage Best Western customers to book a holiday in summer of 2011, with an offer that had remained unchanged year on year.

Strategy and Creative
We developed a strategy which directly involved consumers from 3 life stage groups, in our “CoCreate by SHARP” workshops. From this we gained real consumer insight, and found a connection between consumer desire (they all want a holiday ‘story’) and a brand truth (Best Western Hotels all have a ‘story’). This knowledge led the creative development, a DM book of short stories written by authors we commissioned, which dramatized Best Western breaks, and were based on the concept “Where Stories Happen”. Each was accompanied by a bookmark, with the subtle but strong CTA, “Where will your story start?”. The books were followed with a postcard, decorated with even more story inspiration.

Impact
We can’t publish all the results here, but we can say that the ROI was 18:1 against a target of 10:1.

We love a good story at SHARP, and recently a good friend of the agency Kelvin Collins was raving about a hotel he stayed in. We loved the story so much we asked Kelvin to write about it for us. Kelvin’s words are below…

Can great service overcome price – a dog’s story?

The difficulty with great service is simply – how do you know how good something might be before you’ve experienced it? I guess that’s why word of mouth is so valuable.

Here’s a great example we experienced over the past couple of days, it’s a dog’s story, with a motive:

We had to go to London for two nights on business, and we had to take our dog Polly  with us as it was too short notice to arrange for her to stay with friends. A solicitor friend had told me that she’d stayed at the Rubens at the Palace in the past with her dog and so that was the first place we rang.

The room rate was a tad high for us, but we didn’t have a lot of time to play with – we were already thundering south on the M1 and so we booked in. Booking included giving them the dog’s name.

Here’s a short digression to give context for anyone reading this who doesn’t have a dog. Going somewhere smart in town with a dog doesn’t necessarily guarantee an open arms welcome! In fact often the opposite is true.

At the Rubens the receptionist came out from behind her desk to welcome Polly. In the room (great room by the way) Polly had a bed ten times as good as hers at home, a dog’s toy, some treats and… And she had a little tin within which was a dog’s tag engraved with her name, and the hotel details. Genius.

It goes on. Every time we walked through reception Polly was greeted by name. They took a picture of Polly in the reception and gave it to us framed when we checked out.

In the room there was a dog and cat menu!

The Rubens is immaculate in every way, especially that all-important atmosphere. I asked the manager how he creates such a great feeling when most of his competitors are efficient, but somewhat removed. He said he gives his people the license to enjoy their work, and said the whole dog care approach is part of that. His people are allowed to make a fuss of the guests, whether they are people or their pets. And the guests just love it. Other guests were commenting on how great the welcome for our dog was too.

So what? Well we came home yesterday, and this morning I made a tally of the number of people I’d told about this experience. It’s 28 so far – and now all of you. I’ll also put it on Facebook and my personal blog, so I reckon at a conservative estimate 200 people will hear my recommendation. I estimate the extra effort would have cost the hotel about £8, even including cleaning the dog bed every time. And I estimate their efforts repay themselves a hundred times over.

Kelvin

http://www.rubenshotel.com/your-stay/pets-welcome

Ideas come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes we can see how good an idea is – but we can be a little scared by it too. I guess that’s what progress and change are all about.

In the advertising industry we love an awards ceremony, and none more than the annual Cannes Lions. This is when the great, the good and the hangers on all trek to the south of France for a great few days to celebrate the very best of the previous year of work.

Something that stood out for us this year was a truly scary piece of work from Tesco in South Korea.

It’s worth reading about Tesco in South Korea anyway as the British giant has adapted and adjusted in some incredible ways to fit the culture. It has become number 2 retailer, snapping at home grown E Mart’s heels while other market entrants have given in and gone home. It even changed its name to Homeplus and has created a store unlike anything we’d recognise.

But here’s the scary bit…

To best cater for one of the world’s hardest working peoples Tesco took the store to them in the most clever way.

The retailer has created a virtual store at the underground station. Like the little sweet and cigarette kiosk at Baker Street in London – but oh so much more!

Anyone who has travelled to the far east will know that the range of items you can buy there from a vending machine is pretty surprising – but this takes it to a whole new level.

As the image shows – a wall of backlit pictures mimics a store with all its products. The registered buyer then just scans the products required, hits go – and their shopping is delivered to their home shortly after they arrive. It strips out every ounce of emotional engagement – except for that hugely important element for such busy people – it gives them some time back.

We love this for the brave innovation, and taking the down time of waiting for a train and converting it into useful shopping activity.

Introducing new products could take longer, and we guess that only core products can be sold this way – imagine the length of the shelves were everything to be displayed! But we can’t deny the spirit of adventure. What’s more online sales have increased by 130% since its introduction.

Might be a little while, but we expect to see simple versions of this in the UK before too long.

Richard at #NoteToSelf creative consortium Huddersfield speaking on inspiration, lady gaga and tales from Huddersfield.

Richard Sharp at #NoteToSelf from Note To Self on Vimeo.