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I recently met Jules at her gorgeous warehouse and mentioned that I had to leave at a specific time as I had to get the house ready for my daughters 12-year-old birthday party sleepover. “ Take some nail polish,”  say Jules.
 
My girlie side came out in force as I then spent the next fifteen minutes having an absolute blast carefully selecting a little bottle for each girl coming that I believed would match their own unique personalities, FUN!
 
The squeals of delight when I gave handed them over were amazing. BUT I realized it was not because it was nail polish; it was because they were given something that had been chosen to reflect and enhance their own individual personalities and spirit. There were lots of hugs and it felt wonderful!
  
With knowledge in both the beauty industry and a prowess in digital communications, Jules and her sister Meg had a burning curiosity to see if an online model to sell nail polish would work. Being insanely creative they also knew that if they were to embark on a business adventure they would have to do something a little different; hence the original concept of nail polish with a picture on the bottle. They built the online model and the first shades as they began an in-depth and intense learning process into the world of nail polish. Through this journey they were captivated by the online, almost cult like world of of all things nails, which led to viewing the most incredible and talented nail bloggers, and nail artists. They quickly fell in love not just with these girls but also with their dedicated fans.
 
Jules instantly knew that for her business to be a success she and her sister could not do this alone. She had to form a family; a sisterhood of like minded people and global creatives who not only bought the brand but also were an integral part of its creation.  
 
What started with 6 Collaboration shades has now grown to over 100 collaborations and an Instagram following of ½ million sisters! To colour, create and connect are not just words to Jules; its how their business breathes and evolves.
 
"One of the biggest things I have learned"  says Jules "is that sometimes the smallest things that can have the biggest impact on someone’s day. I never thought that these little bottles of love and light could have so much impact but the constant feedback direct to us and via social media is evident of this"
 
piCture pOlish can be likened to a global family of incredibly creative bloggers and retailers who put their heart and soul into every single nail polish creation.
 
Each polish has its own story of creation, and behind every shade has a mass of emotions; the emotions of the girls who created them. This is reflected in their positioning statement.
 
Paint your world a little bit brighter with piCture pOlish, the nail polish with a thousand different personalities giving you the freedom to express yours!
 
piCture pOlish has been existence for over seven years and continues to thrive because it’s brand is not just about one person or personality but literally the thousands that Jules chooses to listen to and embrace in action every single day.
 
Check out this remarkable business
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The biggest thing I learned from working with Reanna was that:
 
Engineering is not about a building or one particular structure; it’s about the entire community; how each facet lives, breathes and works to benefit and integrate in synergy with each other.
 
The foundations of the logo itself come from an open cube indicating the ability to think outside of the box. The symbol forms both the S and the C and symboloiszes partnerships that work effectively in synergy with each other. (Designer: Alba Moreta Rodilla)
 
A striking yet softer identifier is the energy cloud signifying a new movement in the industry and reflecting the energy, flexibility, curiosity and openness that Reanna brings to any project with her ability to always look at the bigger picture.
 
In addition we wanted to articulate that Reannas biggest difference is her level of solid communication and her ability to work with every personality that may exist on any given project.
 
Her unique strength is that she can actually ENGINEER; not just a product but also an entire project, an industry standard, a major benefit to the community. movement. Her voice is important and pivotal hence the positioning for the different sectors of her work; Engineering Communication, Engineering Industry, Engineering community.
 
Reanna's website is currently being completed but you can check her out on LinkedIn. 

I often get asked if Tag-lines or Positioning Statements attached to a company logo actually serve a purpose or are a waste of time.

My response is simple... "It depends if you actually LIVE what you say you DO"

What was so exciting about this though was that since the time of the re-brand I have seen them LIVE this mantra in so many aspects of their business.

From sponsoring the Gold Coast Women in Business Awards to the their year of their Walsh Accountants Entrepreneurs Cup Polo Day at Gold Coast Polo Club.  This is starting to gain an amazing reputation and I was honoured to emcee again.
 
Nearly 500 of their nearest and dearest came together with family, friends to watch local Polo Teams do their thing and more importantly relax enjoy and bond together on a Sunday afternoon.
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Its 10.00pm and I’m in the middle of Times Square, New York with my teenagers. It’s intoxicating; the lights, the people, the energy. It’s also an advertising overload on the senses.  A little concerning is that in my kids digital centric world, they seem to be oblivious to this.

We wander excited but aimlessly being part of an attraction that exists as an attraction just by being itself.
 
The kids get a tad excited when they spot the Hershey’s Chocolate store and before I know it we’re walking in the door accepting a Hershey’s chocolate on arrival. Yep… it’s delicious. We walk around taking the ‘like kids in a lolly shop‘ phase literally soaking in the smell and looking in awe at the largest chocolate bar in the world mind).  This store was over the top but a pure reflection of its brand… delicious, exquisite, and expensive chocolate.
 
I thought our chocolate infatuation was over until we walked out the door to be greeted directly across the road by a massive, overly cheery, ten foot blue M&M perched on top of a 3-story building.
 
Again, with two chocolate loving teenagers... I am overruled and in we walk.

The first level was chocolate. Lots of it. No surprise here. But as I looked around I started to feel quite uneasy. This uneasiness grew as we went up the escalators to Level Two. Yep Level 2 of a Chocolate store.
 
Now if this was a homage to Willy Wonka I would have been as excited as the kids believe me but this oversized floor looked more like the merchandise store on the exit of a Theme Park than anything to do with chocolate itself. M&M branded EVERYTHING. Umbrellas, t-shirts, caps, towels, babies BIBs, babies’ rattles (I am not joking).  Even more concerting was the amount of people spending their hard-earned dollars on this crap. They were literally buying M&M baby rattles!
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​At this point my apparent deep seeded dislike for 'in your face' over commercialism seem to quickly boil to a surface as I led two perturbed  kids out the door ( ‘but we haven’t gone to level 3 yet? ’)
 
My rant on the stupidity of people, on over-commercialism and over branding (yep…they’re lucky kids having me as a mum!).quickly led to an interesting debate with my eldest stating ‘M&M are a smart business. They’re using their brand really well and are obviously making money so who cares?’ 
 
He had a point. No body else in that store appeared disturbed. They are paying for one of the most expensive commercial rent spaces in the world and they appear to be rocking it. BUT at what point have they sold out in order to ‘make money’. When does a cute button chocolate in rainbow colours with two little letters neatly placed on the front turn into a giant merchandising warehouse?
 
Does this make people love and want the brand more? OR does it, like me, make people shudder in disgust and never want to pop one in their mouth again.
 
I have spoken to many retailers over the years about the concept of ‘Over branding’. Former Gold Coast company Unit believe a major catalyst to the downfall of their incredibly successful global business was due to the expanding retail operation where the brand quickly went from being a ‘cult’ offering to a standard form of urban street clothing accessible to everyone.
 
Should brands expand as much as they can in order to provide a more solid grounding for commercial success or is there something about keeping an element of exclusivity and surprise… about staying true to why you existed in the first place?
 
I would love to know your thoughts so feel free to comment below!

Anyone that has ever owned a business (of any kind) will know it is incredibly rewarding and incredibly tough. The hardest part is taking the time (even a few hours) to actually stop, chew the fat and gain clarity as to what is currently happening and what needs to happen for continued success.
 
In June I had the pleasure of conducting 3 Brand Workshops for 3 incredibly different businesses. The proximity in timing of the workshops made me acutely aware of the different issues that every business does face and that there is no cookie cutter approach when working with the multiple personalities that are business owners.
 
Whilst similar in structure, I don’t believe my workshops would be as effective if in the preparation phase the following question is not asked. 

The reality is that the wants and needs for each client are very different.

My first workshop was for one of Australia’s most respected engineering consultants who was looking to establish her consultancy but unsure how to position and sell herself. 

What did she want from me?

• Clarity that she could make this work.
• The correct words and tone to position her business
• My management and concept skills to work with a designer to create and build her visual brand identity. 

The second for a furniture business that had not had success in their first 2 years of business. This was not due to their products but due to internal team dynamics and confusion as to who they really were.
 
What did they need want from me?

• Facilitation of robust conversations between the team.
• An injection of motivation and direction to move forward.
• Clarification of WHO their business was and CORE services to focus on
• Priority Action list and time-line to ensure marketing strategies would be implemented within specific time frames.

My third workshop was for an incredibly successful online retailer whose nail polish brand had been exported successfully around the world for the past five years
 
What did she want from me?

• An opportunity to sit, stop and brain dump.
• An opportunity to discuss current business obstacles and discuss alternative marketing solutions around this.
• Clarification of the brands relevance in the current market.
• Recommendation of marketing ideas to implement in the next 12 months of the business.

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All three sessions were fantastic for the client (and for me). I love working with people and seeing them come out with renewed vigor and more important clarity of how to move forward with purpose.

In all areas of your life business and personal don’t be afraid to ask the question “What do you want from me?” It will provide YOU with clarity, direction and a space from which you can create real purpose for the people and things you love.

I believe in separating whites in a washing cycle, keeping junk food as ‘sometimes’ food, keeping your personal life out of view from complete strangers watching enthusiastically from their lounge rooms and absolutely in niche marketing.
 
However I don’t believe or understand in separating elements of the marketing mix as if they were complete strangers. 

Working in advertising for the past two decades, even prior to the influx of digital marketing, I have always been perplexed at how essential elements of the marketing mix are often treated as separate entities.  I have been tasked with the creation of the concept and creativity of annual campaigns yet not had the opportunity to sit in the same room with the PR agency or Production team working on that very same campaign. That just doesn’t make sense.
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Whilst it may be necessary to ensure specialists implement some elements of the marketing mix, the actual marketing strategy itself should be designed as a collective process to ensure consistency across all channels. The point of this is so the consumer (the reason you are bothering to do this) is not left confused about who you are and what you actually can offer.
 
The way that consumers receive and filter information has changed drastically over the past 5 years.   

With Digital Marketing weaving it’s way into so many aspects of our world it is imperative for business to get their head around the multiple tools that are accessible to have a better chance of reaching their desired customer.
 
However, many companies fail to remember that the message itself is as important (if not more) than the way in which the potential customer receives it.
 
A dress may look amazing at first glance but if the fabric is not of good quality, if the shoes are a mismatch or if it just doesn’t ‘fit’ with the person wearing it, the love affair may only last a night as it stretches out of shape, shows tears or creates a ‘what was I thinking’ response the morning after.


Digital marketing is an essential part of the Marketing Strategy perhaps in some cases the holy grail piece of the jigsaw puzzle that once you get the others seem to fit so nicely around. However, I have seen very few puzzles that can be finished with just one hero piece.
 
I agree the term integrated marketing is perhaps one of many overused marketing terms  (we have a lot in our industry!!) but it is one that actually does make sense.

I have copied and pasted a definition because I couldn't explain it better than this.

“Integrated Marketing is an approach to creating a unified and seamless experience for consumers to interact with the brand/enterprise; it attempts to meld all aspects of marketing communication such as advertising, sales promotion, public relations, direct marketing, and social media, through their respective mix of tactics, methods, channels, media, and activities, so that all work together as a unified force” Belch, G. E., & Belch, M. A. 
 
In short Integrated Marketing is a process designed to ensure that all messaging and communications strategies are consistent across all channels and are centered on the customer.
 
For business today there is a whole lot more choice and with that often comes confusion. It may help if you view all elements of the marketing mix as members of the same family.  They all have their different personalities and roles to play but ultimately need to understand the ground rules and the overall direction in order to come together as a unified team. 

If you need assistance, contact me!

PS It's okay and normal to make mistakes from time to time (sometimes the whites do get mixed with the colours!) After all marketing is a lot about trial and error and working towards finding the key triggers that prompt action.
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I will admit that many moons ago the word ‘Personal Stylist’ gave me the same internal reaction as ‘Tax Agent’.
 
Really, people get paid to tell other people what to wear? Normal people just can’t figure out themselves what to put on in the morning and realize that gym wear isn’t suitable for job interviews?
 
However, getting to know two people very well who have chosen Personal Styling as their career and working in an industry where I've now witnessed the work of a stylist first hand, made me aware that I was being incredibly ignorant. Also I realized that my accountant probably had similar thoughts at my lack of knowledge of his business too ‘’Really, after 14 years running a business you still get shocked each quarter that you have to pay a BAS statement?”
 
Another misconception of personal stylists is that they really only work for people with enough money to warrant paying to get assistance in choosing the exact shade or red that was in season for their latest Louis Vuitton bag, wrong again!
 
After many years and closer observation I now see that the real role of a personal stylist was actually to bring the best traits inside a person OUT for the world to see in a physical, tangible sense.. Really not much different to what I do when creating and positioning brands in the business world.
 
In the advertising industry whilst organizing and being on set for photo shoots I have witnessed first hand what can happen when a good stylist is employed; it’s something about their creativity and observation of the finer details that can turn a great shot into a magic shot that sells.
 
Harvey Specter from the legendary Suits also taught us (and Mike!) that having the right clothes can make a huge difference to pulling in the big guys with the big bucks.
 
However, commercial stuff aside for one moment, I have witnessed two people literally changing the lives of everyday Australians via their Styling work.
 
Here on the Gold Coast, Elizabeth McMahon is well known for her superb work as a stylist and educator. She has worked with many celebrities and graced catwalks around the world but her passion is imparting her knowledge of fashion & style to others in a tangible sense that ‘lifts’ them as a person.
 
A lot of her work is with business clientele and she has seen an increase in the number of male clients who understand that their brand reflects their business.
 
“My mission is to make the most out of my client’s individual appearance and improve their look based on the image they would like to project. It is the reward and satisfaction of seeing people’s confidence shine and how they feel after one of our sessions – that is the most meaningful to me”  Elizabeth McMahon.
 
In addition to the business world she imparts confidence and educational workshops to students all around Australia.  As adults we know that confidence starts from the inside out so her role is to help our youth find their own special qualities.  She then uses her skills to help them define and own these qualities via the way they walk, talk, dress and present themselves..

‘Everyone deserves to look good and feel fabulous, no matter their age, shape, size or shopping budget’ is Donny’s mantra. Check out what he means here.
 
So do I believe that the role of Personal Styling has substance?
 
Absolutely! If the lines between personal branding and business branding are blurring as fast as we think the role of personal stylist in its true sense will have an increasingly important role to play in our aesthetic world.
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Last month I was asked to speak on the evolution of branding at the 2017 Entrepreneurial Women in Business Leadership Program.
 
What struck me the most in preparation was how drastically the form in which brands used to sell themselves had shifted in the past two years.
 
Branding in business used to be very much an Us  vs. Them mentality. Great big shiny walls were put up by companies signifying that ‘we’ are superior to ‘you’ and you need us.
 
However, as Social Media continues to proliferate our lives, a brand's biggest ambassador or critic is  now a mere mortal who has the incredible power to voice their opinion on a global scale. The smarter companies are realising that in order to get these people away from the dark side and over to the light they have to been seen as one of THEM.

In 2016 people lost trust in established institutions in a big way, it was perceived that our leaders in Government and Business let us down. People are sick of being lied to. They are sceptical.  They want to be heard, understood  and they want trust to be earned.
 
To be heard and understood is one of the most intoxicating elements of human existence. It goes right into the psyche of the ego (which is what triggers us to ‘buy’). It screams YOU ARE IMPORTANT.
 
Marc Mathieu, SVP Marketing for Unilever recently said,
"Marketing used to be about creating a myth and selling it, nots it's about finding a truth and sharing it".

This is a direct reflection of Marketing in 2017 where conveying a  HUMAN CONNECTION is the BIGGEST trend.
 
REAL Human Connection works when people see a TRUTH in what you are promoting.
 
Take a look at two of the most successful campaigns (from both a social and commercial perspective) from the past six months.
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Notice the ‘talent’ that has been cast. These people are deliberately made to look like you and me; casual clothes, no overdone make up, minimal airs and graces. They are cast deliberately to be a replica of their target audiences.
 
Notice the use of the cameraman and production equipment in the actual advertisement itself. The aim is to make this to look as raw, real and truthful as possible because it is a way of establishing a trust with the viewing audience (i.e. yes we use cameramen and production equipment and we want to show you this because you are so smart and get that this is a television commercial BUT we are shooting REAL people)
 
We can also learn a lot about Marketing trends via pop culture. We are all so used to shiny, polished, manufactured boys and girls grinding to an overproduced, fabricated beat it barely makes us blink.
 
Then, in 2016, in walks the likes of Amy Shark and Gretta Ray. 
 
Gold Coast girl Amy Sharks song Adore struck such a chord it was played across all commercial stations right through to taking out the number two spot in the Triple J Hottest 100 2016. 
 
Take a look at this video clip and notice what she is portraying to her audience.

What do you see?  Over polished, manufacturing or honesty, rawness, realness and emotion?

She was real and audiences fell over themselves.  She allowed them to feel again.  ( We won't even start discussing Ed Sheeran right now but you get the point).
 
Don’t get me wrong this is STILL marketing and branding and the bullshit still exists. The Kardashians are still bigger than Ben Hur but it's just that as more savvy customers we can chose if we want to be part of it and let it leave it's mark or walk around it.  Plus as humans we still have an instinctive desire to believe that politicians and brands still care for us, even just a little bit.
 
If Authenticity is revealing your truth, ACTIVISM is putting money where your mouth is and living it BOLDLY.
 
Once upon a time we were told Business and Personal life should be separated. Heck it took me years to allow any business connection on my personal Social Media page.
 
But as individuals WE are our brand. Our business can’t promote one thing and us as a human another, that doesn’t make sense to people any more because it's not real.
 
My generation  grew up being told not to discuss politics, sex, religion or money at dinner parties.
Now it is almost expected. Due to our behaviour in the digital world, an opinion or actively taking up a position on the side of the fence indicates that we are human and more-so that we care. In business this is becoming more imperative.
 
The big boys know this and have used it to their commercial advantage whilst making you fall in love with them for their social stance.
 
Check out ANZs most successful advertising campaign in 2016.

(for extra reading read about what Lyft, Starbucks and AirBNB pledged to the public when Trumps new tough immigration laws were enforced abruptly in November 2016 and the commercial impact it made to their business).

The lesson in this for branding is that sometimes it’s okay to get off the fence and put your personal views out there.
 
Finally, and this is not just relevant for 2017 but for ANY time in branding a business, it is essential you Find the Erogenous Zone in your business that can lead to the Sweet Spot of your customer.
 
Whether you choose to acknowledge  it or not, your business is really no different to your competitors and their competitors.  In 2017 it is no longer enough to differentiate by the 4 P’s.
 
You’ve got to dig deeper and find the special bits that will draw customers to you like bees to honey. Like other activities where this is important (!) once the customer finds it, it's addictive. They won’t want anyone else’s touch but yours.
 
I understand it's not always easy finding your those erogenous zones for your business and knowing how to translate them into  messages that connect is even trickier.  That is why I am here so please contact me if you need assistance.

For now start thinking about if and how your business is  currently real and relevant for the audience you are aiming to reach.  As a reminder:
 

1. Remove the jargon, find the human connection, your truth, and share it.
2. Don’t be shy to occasionally take a stand. It shows you are human.
3. Find your Erogenous Zone. Master it. Own it. Use it on your clients sweet spot every chance you get.

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