Stop being mean to content creators: Knowing SEO doesn’t make you God

Following on from pointing out the popularity of content doesn’t mean it is useless, I thought I’d tackle the problem of resentment towards content creators by SEO copywriters. It bemuses me a whole heck of a lot to see SEO web copywriters all pooh-poohing content- via their blogs mind you, and their social. “Pssst… wanna hear a secret? Not everyone finds what they want simply by clicking through on the first page on Google.”... Read More

Stop being mean to content creators: We didn’t ask to be popular

There’s a bug in my ear and sand in my swimmers over this whole “content ain’t the new black” flim-flam. Yes, I have a vested interest in putting forward a case for content being all that and a bag of chips- it’s what I do after all! But here is two reasons why I am so very tired of the whole snicker, sneer and carry on associated with content being popular. Content was here first Long before everyone marched onto the SEO train, starting... Read More

Why I broke up with Hootsuite

Why I broke up with Hootsuite As a self confessed marketing nerd and social media lover, Hootsuite and I have had a lovely, long and generally happy relationship. However, after being introduced to another scheduling suite by the name of Buffer App by my client TaskRunners, Hootsuite and I are no more. Consider this my “so long and thanks for all the fish” and why I broke up with Hootsuite story. The glance across a crowded market When I first... Read More

Yes, you do benefit from social media- PART 2

To social media or not social media- that is the question. Well, at least it is for some companies and I am here to answer that with a big fat YES. There are a lot of benefits to be had by using social media. If you missed the first instalment, please pop through to Yes, you do benefit from social media- PART 1. For those of you who’ve already done the first part of the blog, let’s get into it! Are you ready? Let’s go!   Customer Service becomes... Read More

Yes, you do benefit from social media – part 1

According to some companies and heads of marketing, social media is a nice to have, but a non essential. They’re still playing the “yes but where’s the proof it generates sales?” game. So I’ve put together what I think is the case for social media as part of your marketing mix. The Penguin and Panda changes to Google have made social important to SEO Penguin, Panda and Social SEO Since Google updates Penguin and Panda, social media interactions... Read More

Case Study: La Maison website copy and communications strategy

Background: Working with Second Storey Productions, La Maison Sydney, makers and retailers in eclectic furniture and homewares, was looking for a completely new online solution. Unashamedly Creative was brought in to assist with the voice development, copywriting and social media review and planning.   Objective: To create a new website with SEO friendly copy that did not lose the beauty and personality of the La Maison range or the lead designer... Read More

Case Study: Copywriting for PosterCandy

  Background: Combining years of printing experience with new technology as an Instagram print creator, PosterCandy were in the market for copywriting and branding advice for their brand new product. Objective: To create a welcoming site with simple, clear and fun instructions on how to use PosterCandy to create wonderful prints and posters from an individual’s Instagram feed. The product is consumer neutral (anyone can use it), so the language... Read More

Is your marketing too clingy?

Don’t be a clingy company. Once you get a customer, it can be hard to let go. But what’s the difference between holding onto a customer and being way too clingy? Read on!   Awkward Email Unsubscribe Guess what? Customers (potential and actual) will occasionally sign up for your email newsletter and then decide it isn’t for them. Don’t make their unsubscribe process hard. Don’t ask them to enter passwords when you know full well they... Read More

5 Ways your website is driving people nutty

Having proved that yes, you do need a website, now let’s look at the ways your website could be driving people nutty and therefore not converting them into customers. Blocking Content When someone is reading on your site and getting to know what you do, stop blocking them with pop up prompts or floating social media that makes it hard to read. It’s like being at a concert, wanting to get into the action and then having some 6 foot 5 behemoth stand... Read More

Marketing Myth Busting

Marketing isn’t some magic witchery found on the high of a mountain once you say the secret code to the gatekeeper. It’s actually a form of communication that combines branded storytelling, creativity, sales and product education in such a way as to attract customers. Let’s get rid of a few marketing myths that keep popping up so that you can make your marketing practical and useful. Ready? Let’s go! People don’t buy gibberish You don’t... Read More

Writing without pants: The life of a creative copywriter

My bum is in the wind, feeling a bit of an early chill as it wisps past. The butterflies in my stomach are playing shuttlecock with my breakfast Berocca and I can’t quite decide if it’s Jimi Hendrix or the Gossip who will get me through the day. Yes folks, I am a modern day adventurer. I’m jacked into the internet tighter than a ‘Snog, Marry, Avoid’ casualty is into her spandex. I wear to great clumping robot arms on each wrist to stop my... Read More

I’m Crowdsourcing an eBook. Am I crazy?

Earlier this month, I popped up a little post about the Spunky Little Marketing eBook. If you missed the story, basically it’s about inspiring myself to write an eBook by using Deadline Party Theory. I’ve promised myself I would write an eBook most of 2012 and have failed to shuffle that bad boy up from TO DO LIST to the magical place where red pen is applied as a sign of completion. As important as I think it is (especially being a copywriter,... Read More

Roadtesting: No B.S Trust Based Marketing

Taking the opportunity to catch up with some reading during my holidays, I tackled No B.S Trust Based Marketing. I was seeking something that could help the countless startups I have worked with, some information and guidance on how to foster trust with consumers quicker. What started out as promising very rapidly deteriorated into a complete an utter waste of my time. Here’s how:   Customers are Irrational “I bought the entire book... Read More

Going Mobile!

Things are getting super mobile in the world of Unashamedly Creative of late. It’s pretty amazing to see the explosion of content and usage of mobile Apps as more and more people change over to smart phones. Currently, I have 3 projects now on mobile with another to come (which I will talk about closer to release). Check them out!   Gomi: A new client of mine, Gomi, is a great little App that allows you to keep your local streets clean and... Read More

Spunky little free marketing eBook

Must be all the festive season stuff happening but I have decided that I’d like to write my very first eBook and give it away. I need your help! To be honest, eBooks have been high on the priority of 2012 and I simply haven’t made the time to do one. So I am calling on the crowd to help me kick that nasty habit of simply looking at the idea on the TO DO LIST and adding a bit of deadline party theory to it. You need to inspire me to get it off... Read More

Obnoxious Social Media Boils My Potato

Today appears to be rant day for most of my Facebook friends so I figure why the hell not join in? Here is my rant on why obnoxious social media boils my potato. First of all, what is obnoxious social media? Well, it’s the kind that hasn’t quite come to grips with the word “social” being in the title and is still standing up and screaming like traditional advertising, only worse. It’s trying to cajole you into bending to its will on a social... Read More

Why Tweet Regularly on Twitter?

To say I tweet a lot is an understatement. At current count I was tweeting under 4 active accounts with two others currently having a nap. Anyone who follows any of my accounts such as my Unashamedly Creative Tweeter @noshamecreative or my side project for women @discordia_Zine knows I usually schedule a fair whack of content in there too. So why do I do it? Because it’s super beneficial to what I do. Here’s why: Your imagination goes wild Snuffling... Read More

The Dumbest Mistakes a Startup Can Make

Having worked with the likes of successful startups Space Heroes Universe, Pozible and Open Shed, as well as keeping my finger on the Australian and overseas startup scenes, I’ve noticed a couple of really (and I mean face palm central here) mistakes startups can make. Want to know what the dumbest mistakes startups can make so you can avoid them? Great! Let’s do this thing. 1.       Not Taking Content Seriously This is pretty much the... Read More

Guest Post: Five Profitable Green Business Start Up Ideas

Carlo Pandian is guest blogging on a subject I just love- green businesses! take it away Carlo! Read More Like my style? Enjoy the content? Contact me if you need custom content created or marketing help!  Read More

69 Ways to Keep Your Sanity When Marketing

It was my birthday the other day and I realised I have been in marketing for over 17 years. In that time, I have seen a heck of a lot of things change. So it made me wonder how I have managed to stay sane, keep with the times and metamorphosis into a strategic freelance marketer. 69 Ways to Keep Your Sanity When Marketing is a result of that pondering. The various forms of advice help keep me going in the right direction. I hope you enjoy it and... Read More

Roadtesting: Maverick Startup

I picked up the Maverick Startup by Yanik Silver as it seemed to have a bit more substance than the usual “go team go!” style startup book. Startup is a difficult subject because in reality, there isn’t a road to fame and fortune, a bunch of stencils you need to fill in for guaranteed success or even consensus in the approach you can take to be a success. Startup is in essence the ultimate bootstrapping challenge. And as you are bootstrapping... Read More

Retail Survival Guide: The real reason why online kicks butt

Bricks and mortar retail- hitting a brick wall? The reality is you can still walk into a bricks and mortar store, stand around for ages whilst the staff have a giggle fest, once they finally notice you are there they can’t answer any questions and then you find out the model you want is 3 weeks away, can’t be delivered to your house and doesn’t have extended warranty. As soon as after care is needed, no one is picking up the phone,... Read More

Retail Survival Guide: Myths and Misconceptions

We’re hearing a lot in Australia currently about how retail is suffering and having a bad time of it. So how can you as a retailer, small or large, help yourself to survive? Consider this your retail survival guide! Myths and Misconceptions First of all, dealing with this problem effectively needs to start with a little bit of myth busting. Ready? It’s not cheap imports via internet shopping that is causing you problems. Price isn’t always... Read More

6 Roadblocks That Cost You Customers

Imagine if you had a long deserved holiday planned and you had to travel in the car for a couple of hours to get there. Now imagine if little things beyond your control started making the drive longer, unpredictable and stressful. You’d end up starting your holiday with a poor first impression that may even affect the whole vacation. The same applies to your online experience. Customers are travelling to your site to enjoy your product. That journey... Read More

9 Things Your Product Cannot Be

No, I am not talking about whether your moose nostril hair trimmer will fly, I am talking generally about the 9 Things Your Product Cannot Be in terms of what will survive in an increasingly competitive market and survive as a startup. Are you ready? Your Product Cannot Be… For everyone Seth Godin says “a product for everyone is a product for no one” and it’s true. You need to know who your fine little wedge in the market is and speak... Read More

Roadtesting: Word of Mouth Marketing

You’d have to be living under a rock somewhere not to know the power of word of mouth marketing. Trouble is it’s such a hard thing to cultivate it often ends up in the marketing too hard basket. So in an effort to check out if there is a magic formula, I picked up Andy Sernovitz’s Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking. Here is what I got from it. People trust opinions from people who haven’t let them down previously.... Read More

Copywriting No-No List

Being a creative Sydney copywriter, I do dig around in cyberspace a lot checking out how people go about their writing. Sometimes I stumble across things that make me cringe, wonder what the heck the person was thinking or shake my head in bemusement. If you don’t want someone like me or your customers having the same reaction to what you write, avoid the copywriting no-no list! 1. Writing to ‘match’ your competitors. Find your own... Read More

The Results of the TaskRunners Survey

Thank you to everyone who who took the time to respond to the very first survey by new collaborative consumption business, TaskRunners. For those of you who don’t know, TaskRunners aims to carve out opportunities for free time and extra cash by sharing tasks across neighbourhoods and communities. This exciting little client of mine is run by soon-to-be-mumma on a mission Cheryl Leong who is throwing her all behind hooking up people with assistance... Read More

Roadtesting: Who Killed Creativity?

As someone who carries a title of ‘unashamedly creative’ and talks about being a ‘creative copywriter’ choosing a book called “Who Killed Creativity?” seemed like a logical thing to do. I was super sceptical at first when it talked about paralleling crime scenes and psychological profiling with the creative process but having now finished it, I am really, really pleased with this book. Having read a heap of business, marketing, abnormal... Read More

Pozible Crowdfunding for Startup

Last night I crashed an intimate evening of people discussing how to use crowdfunding for startup with Pozible Co-founder Alan Crabbe.   Why crowdfunding and startup? Crowdfunding is a great way to measure early adoption of your product and/or to financially support your goals in a way that can also be used to demonstrate popularity with Angels, funding bodies and more. But how do you use it to its best advantage?   The platform is a tool: The... Read More

Bill Tai at SydStart 2012

Bill Tai was someone I was definitely looking forward to at SydStart and he didn’t disappoint. There is just something nice about understated honesty and you have to respect a guy who compares business to the thrill and adrenalin of kite surfing. According to Bill, a startup business is like a wave- you can only ever be in front, behind or on the wave itself.  Too early and even the best idea will just end up not quite getting to shore, too late... Read More

Be your own strategic freelance marketer

It’s easy for me to stand up on the roof and shout “look at me, I’m a creative Sydney copywriter and strategic freelance marketer!” but what would be the point if I didn’t take my own medicine and try to write a lot and market myself? When you become a freelancer your clients don’t just turn up at your door asking to hire you. Even the super popular ones are rocking it through making themselves known to people on a regular basis. You... Read More

TaskRunners becomes Unashamedly Creative!

The latest startup as part of the Australian collaborative consumption movement, TaskRunners Australia, has joined the Unashamedly Creative portfolio! Since the collaborative consumption (or collcon as it is affectionately known) hit Australian shores in earnest, over 60 new businesses have sprouted around the country. The latest, TaskRunners, is about bringing people together to lighten the domestic burden, help small business operators and give... Read More

Roadtesting: The Mesh by Lisa Ganksy

Considering the rise of collaborative consumption in Australia, it was time to take a look at the Mesh by Lisa Gansky. Here is what I gained from reading it. Trust: Anything to do with community, trust is fundamental. Trust is a social currency too and the best way to build it is through hyper-social activity. The more social people feel, the more likely they are to connect and the more connection they make, the more trust will follow. The more trust,... Read More

Customers are People First

In this day and age, where we know that people have access to Google, review sites, social media and word of mouth in order to make an informed purchase decision, it still boggles the mind that some companies and products insist on treating their intended customers like idiots. It might be oddly comforting to think everyone fits into one cookie cutter design, or that we truly are “sheeple” that have no clue what we are buying but attitudes like... Read More

Roadtesting: The 4 Steps to the Epiphany

Part textbook with worksheets, part case study and all customer development model book, the 4 Steps to the Epiphany does read like homework, but it is the homework that a lot of businesses fail to do that could increase their chances of success. Here is a book trying to educate people away from failure using a very common sense idea- develop for the customer. The 4 Steps to the Epiphany refutes the notion that start-ups should “fail fast” (the... Read More

Always Start From Scratch

When you are invited to do some else’s marketing or copywriting, it can be tempting to take a look at what has gone before and go from there. But the trouble with this approach is you don’t give yourself or the product in question the opportunity to take advantage of a fresh eye. Here are the top 4 reasons why you should always start from scratch. 1) Fresh Eyes Are Invaluable When a group of people have been working on something for a while,... Read More

My Experience: Freelancing in account management by Carolyn Stebbing

Another freelancer has dropped by to share her experiences- welcome Carolyn Stebbing and her experience of freelancing in account management! Take it away Carolyn.   My Experience: Freelancing in account management by Carolyn Stebbing  Earlier this year I dipped my toes into the freelancing pond. I was keen to adjust my work-life balance and freelancing offered the change of pace I’d been craving. I figured that in between contracts I’d... Read More

Roadtesting: Purple Cow by Seth Godin

There are a lot of books written on marketing and now with blogs, it can be a situation of truly wondering if you are going to get some real advice, or just “marketing wash” to sell the book or blog itself. Some advice is so dated it sounds like a “comes with free steak knives” style ad in your head. Other stuff is just pure SEO work that values ranking over content. Snore! But once in a while there is a marketer who truly knows what they... Read More

It’s not “Do not buy anything ever” month!

Can you help me defend what is a cracker of an idea? “Buy Nothing New” month is being featured in a poor light in the Daily Telegraph. Take a look at the article here and please make your own determination but… This October, it is planned that two people will be housed in a sustainable pop-up house in Sydney’s CBD. They will have to source all their clothes and all the furniture for the house second hand. It’s promoting... Read More

Drivers Ed for Backseat Drivers

Anyone who has ever worked at an advertising or marketing agency, as a freelancer or in roles like product manager knows just how annoying backseat driving can be. Beyond being annoying backseat driving is downright dangerous. Let me explain why being a backseat driver not only sucks, it’ll cause you to crash. You asked for directions for a reason… When you approach someone for help it’s because you have already identified you need someone... Read More

Put the Fishing Pole Away

It’s great to get advice on your creative endeavours and your business ideas. In fact, working with people and collaborating is a great way to get a fresh insight on what you are doing. But sometimes asking for advice really does come down to one simple question: Do you want opinions or do you just want validation? We are all guilty at some point or another of wanting to hear what we want to hear, but when it crosses over into the business world... Read More

Don’t be a Start Up Slum Lord

I was shocked and horrified to see a blog on an Australian women’s site recently about how entrepreneurial it was to use online auction sites. It really, really yanked my chain as both a freelancer and a woman that they would offer such a solution, especially under the guise of entrepreneurial spirit. Are you having a giraffe? I have worked with countless small businesses, NFPs and start-ups and I know the budget is tight but seriously, let me spell... Read More

Acing Email Marketing Campaigns

As a creative copywriter, I have been asked to make suggestions and generally improve overall performance of email marketing campaigns for more than a decade. Consider these tips your guide to help make your email newsletters and/or campaigns sparkle! Choose Responses over Clicks One of the most common dilemmas my client’s come to me with is that their click through rate has gone down. This is worrying sure, because one of the metrics we are trained... Read More

Quick and Dirty Guide to Collaborative Consumption Renting

You’ve opened up your shed, cupboards and in all the nooks and crannies to find stuff to put on Open Shed, and now you have a list of things you would like to put on the site. Yet it all looks a little daunting, right? Well fear not little Share Bear! Here is your Quick and Dirty Guide to Renting on Open Shed! Break it Down Easiest way to start is to grab a piece of paper and pen and just write down what you have and see what you think would be... Read More

Just Don’t Move: Pt 3

I often talk about empowered customers and how we all have so much choice, flexibility and options these days. It isn’t until you move and you deal with utility companies however that you realise how screwed in certain departments you are. Here is my third and final part of the series entitled “Just Don’t Move”   We’re rolling out a National Broadband Network…Unless you live in Waverley- iiNet is my provider and have... Read More

Just Don’t Move: Pt2

I often talk about empowered customers and how we all have so much choice, flexibility and options these days. It isn’t until you move and you deal with utility companies however that you realise how screwed in certain departments you are. Here is my second part of the series entitled “Just Don’t Move” Second Hurdle: Entering the Gas Company Wasteland- We have a very old airy house and one gas appliance- a gas heater. Considering... Read More

Just Don’t Move: Pt 1

I often talk about empowered customers and how we all have so much choice, flexibility and options these days. It isn’t until you move and you deal with utility companies however that you realise how screwed in certain departments you are. Here is my first part of the series entitled “Just Don’t Move” First Hurdle: My Electricity Company Thinks I am a Shapeshifter- I notified the electricity (Energy Australia) of our new address... Read More

Just Don’t Move- Intro

I often talk about empowered customers and how we all have so much choice, flexibility and options these days. It isn’t until you move and you deal with utility companies however that you realise how screwed in certain departments you are. After dealing with my recent move from Redfern to Waverley I have told my partner I never ever want to move again. They’ll need one hell of a big shoe horn and a crate full of tranquilisers to get me out... Read More

Roadtesting: Juicing the Orange

The funniest reaction I have had to reading this book is someone half jokingly asking “Do you really need a book for that?” Not sure if they have a 50% leaning to me being somewhat dim enough not to know how to make orange juice (I can…well, I could if I wanted to, honest!) or commenting on why creativity is needed so desperately in marketing, but here it is, “Juicing the Orange”.   Obviously what attracted me was the idea of creativity... Read More

Do you follow brainmates?

Are you a Product Manager? Do you follow the brainmates community? Then they need to hear from you! As a member of the brainmates Product Management community, brainmates are inviting you to help improve the quality of their offerings via the brainmates Customer Satisfaction Survey. It is their aim to create a brainmates experience that really works for you- from training through to consulting, content and eMuse, events and more- based on your feedback.... Read More

Help Open Shed Out!

I have a client in the collaborative consumption space called Open Shed. If you haven’t heard of collaborative consumption before, it is about taking an item sharing it with another person- check out here for details. This great little start-up needs help from people like you! Yes you- ordinary community minded people who share their time, belongings and spirit with each other! Open Shed offer people the ability to list their own stuff so others... Read More

Updated: Some Pretty Cool Stuff

The internet has become a pretty cool playground! Whether you are creative, into business or chasing a new way to crack a project, there are some definitely head turning newbie’s out there. Here are a few of my current favourites. Note: I have taken them from the angle of how they help creative people and businesses because that is what interests me. Most of these do however have much further reaching applications. Plan Big: PlanBig has been around... Read More

Crush it- I freakin’ love it!

I did the super uber nerdy reader thing in January and went to one of those “50 Books You Have to Read” for business people. What can I say, I was a little tired of re-reading my current collection and really don’t like snuggling up with a good blog before I go to bed. From that list, beyond the Richard Branson books I already had (being a card carrying Fanson, you know I had to have them!) I chose an unremarkable number of books- 6 to be exact.... Read More

The Empowered Consumer

We hear a lot these days about how we as consumers are the mercy of big corporations, are being dealt a rough hand by paying over inflated prices or are being mislead by advertising more than ever. I have to say, what utter hogwash! It appears to me consumers (and we are all consumers in one way shape or form) are more empowered than we have ever been. Here’s how: We can shop however we want, whenever we want Australia really has come into its own... Read More

A Game Plan for 2012

Tucking into another busy year? Here are a couple of tips to help you start with a level playing field through planning out your game plan for the year. Start the Game Right Imagine the new year ahead like a chess board and get ready to start the game. Think of the white pieces are the things you can control and the black pieces are the competitors and things that crop up outside your planning and control. To identify your white pieces: List out... Read More

More Word of Mouth Goodness

The Secret of Word of Mouth, 2nd edition, by George Silverman More word of mouthly goodness… (if you have missed the first instalment, check here ) Getting the Right Attention… Getting Attention is important for the right reasons and using the right methods. In order to get this right, think about the following: What does your product improve? The faster you deliver a positive experience, the more loyal your consumer will become Focus... Read More

The Secrets of Word of Mouth Marketing Pt1

The Secrets of Word of Mouth Marketing, 2nd edition, by George Silverman Admittedly, I am only half way through this book so I hope it doesn’t end with a big fizz. However, I have already grabbed some great points from it I would like to share. Well, actually I am half way through and made about 10 pages worth of notes, so if I leave it too long it may overwhelm me with the sheer amount to write up, but I digress… Here is what I have found... Read More

Retail and the Multi-Channel, Mobile Australian Consumer

By far the biggest impact on retail seen in the last twelve months has been the maturation and genuine arrival of mobile commerce in Australia. And of course when you get a room of 100 clever, on the ball Product Managers in one room together, brainmates Product Bash 2011 was dominated by the influence of mobile commerce on the retail experience. Our panel of Mark Rowland, Co-founder of online shoe retailer Style Tread, Andrew Rechtman, Product Director... Read More

How to Stay Afloat in a Competitive Retail World

As brainmates continue our exploration of the discussion coming from Product Bash 2011, our panel of Mark Rowland, Co-founder of online shoe retailer Style Tread, Andrew Rechtman, Product Director of PayPal Australia and Daniel Roberts, Head of Online for the Woolworths non-food businesses Dan Murphy’s, Big W and Dick Smith, shared their thoughts on “The Internet Super Mall and the Future of Retail”  in relation to how to stay afloat in... Read More

Road Testing

If it is at all possible to claim you can “collaboratively consume” an idea, this is what I am kicking off now with my book, DVD and whatever the heck floats past road tests. After being an avid follower of the journey of Lisa from Open Shed and Co-founder Lisa’s blog I realised just how important it is to share the finds you make as you traverse the Internet. Reading Lisa’s overview of books, videos and ideas has helped inspire me basically... Read More

December eMuse

Welcome to the December eMuse for 2011! This edition we wrap up our remainder of Product Bash 2011 articles, uncover the results of a retail survey in our latest whitepaper, check out the Agile Conference, think about the year that was 2011 and push forward to training in 2012. Hold onto your pencils Product Managers, it’s a big one! In this issue: Product Bash 2011 – Continued Retail Survey: A fresh perspective from brainmates Agile... Read More

Product Bash 2011: The Future of Retail and Burning Audience Questions

At Product Bash 2011, brainmates asked their panel of Mark Rowland, Co-founder of online shoe retailer Style Tread, Andrew Rechtman, Product Director of PayPal Australia and Daniel Roberts, Head of Online for the Woolworths non-food businesses Dan Murphy’s, Big W and Dick Smith, to put on their best gypsy garb and take a deep longing gaze into the retail product manager’s crystal ball to give their perspective on the future of retail in relation... Read More

Why Do Australians Pay High Prices in Retail?

There is no secret that even as Australia experiences a strong dollar against the US currency, our prices seem extremely high, especially when compared to what we can choose to pay if we shop online from overseas. So why is this the case and how can local retailers manage to compete? The Product Bash panel of Mark Rowland, Co-founder of online shoe retailer Style Tread, Andrew Rechtman, Product Director of PayPal Australia and Daniel Roberts, Head... Read More

Make the customer the centre of your retail experiences

brainmates saw 100 passionate and hungry Product Managers join us at the beautiful Gaffa Gallery in Sydney on the 10th of November, 2011 for the end of year wrap up, Product Bash. This year we tackled the affect of the growth of mobile and online commerce on more traditional forms of retail under the topic heading “The Internet Super Mall and the Future of Retail.” We were very pleased to have join us Mark Rowland, Co-founder of online shoe retailer Style... Read More

Don’t wait for help, create help yourself

I’ve been examining why my head has an issue with the #occupy movement. It’s really hard for me as I agree we need to fix the inequality in the system yet feel so sceptical and puzzled by this movement. I have almost felt a traitor to my beliefs and the beliefs of my family. But then it hit me last night why it bugs me. It reinforces the concept of entitlement. It kind of smacks to me as though “we can do what we like for ourselves and don’t... Read More

Seriously sales girl, calm the $X#@ down!

I am completely and utterly allergic to “in ya face” sales techniques. In order not to increase my own blood pressure or worse still, be court ordered to pay for some poor unsuspecting retail shop assist’s counselling for Post Meeting-Angry-Bek Syndrome, I have given myself the following limitations: I have completely abandoned shopping at major department stores due to an overwhelming desire to head butt staff who seem to not watch what I... Read More

It’s all relative

Welcome to that awkward moment where the Facebook friend you can rely on to have their bottom lip out and their rant pants on a regular basis is trying to tell others Facebook isn’t for whinging and to stop their belly aching. You scroll down their page and wonder what you see that they don’t. To that moment where another Facebook friend is espousing the values of the “Occupy Wall Street” moment with dizzying fervour, eagerly anticipating... Read More

7 Years of brainmates with Nick Coster

What led you to first get into Product Management? I didn’t initially think of it as Product Management at the time. This first Product Manager role was for a dial up Internet Service Provider and the objective was to try and remove any barriers for customers to engage with the product in an attempt to reduce call centre costs. It began as a cost rationalisation role but then evolved into a Product Development role. I was tasked with looking at... Read More

7 Years of brainmates with Adrienne Tan

What led you to first get into Product Management? My first role after University was at On Australia. On Australia was a joint venture between Microsoft and Telstra, one of the first Internet Service Providers in Australia. On Australia was essentially in start up mode and I was fortunate to be able to help define the (now BigPond) product. It seemed natural to move into Product Management. After my role at On Australia as the Billing and Credit... Read More

Is that a Groupon in your pocket (or are you just happy to fleece me?)

Is that a Groupon in your pocket (or are you just happy to fleece me)? Australia certainly has seen a boom in growth for the online group buying schemes in the last 12 to 24 months. Along with it, the mixed reviews of just how much of a bargain the group coupon experience can be. So why is group buying so appealing and what can we do to make sure what we buy is the value item we are looking for? Let’s pick up the group buying phase and gives... Read More

Welcome to the June edition of brainmates eMuse!

In this edition we want to share the highlights of ProductCamp Sydney 2011 that the brainmates team and other volunteers helped organise earlier this month. Here we saw over 50 passionate Product Manager’s shoulder to shoulder at the third product ‘unconference‘ of its kind in Australia. Many well designed and helpful explorations of key Product Management topics were tabled and considering the inspiring nature of the event, this... Read More

How to leave a store when fighting the urge to beat someone to death with your newly purchased shoes

Have you ever had one of those days where you have had a pretty great start until you make the seemingly stupid decision to shop somewhere you are clearly not wanted at lunch time? Where you wake up to an early start and begin the day feeling energised and happy and are being uber productive and then someone really takes the fire hose to your good mood for reasons you cannot fathom? When even a polite questioning about store policy or product warrant... Read More

It’s not easy being Green

Kermit the Frog really did have it right when he uttered the immortal words “it’s not easy being green” but I am not sure the world’s current eco crush was what he had in mind at the time. As I trawl through another day of the online world and I see more and more people purporting the green message, I sometimes wonder just how well informed the well intended eco consumers of today are. Something doesn’t seem quite right with this equation... Read More

All you can ever be is yourself

I recently had an incredibly delightful client of mine during a persona discussion lay something on me that a lot of us here in marketing land forget- all you can ever be is yourself and if you are trying to be something else, people can spot it. So what do we risk when we are caught up in our own concepts and perceptions? A lot… and here’s why. My firm belief is every single product ever created has a market, an audience. The reason it exists... Read More

You know you’re self employed/freelancer when…

1.      Your washing doesn’t include much business attire, but you have a sensational set of “work pyjamas”. 2.      Debt collection is done through subtle begging and threats of standing outside non-paying businesses with cardboard signs stating “WILL WRITE COPY FOR FOOD”. 3.      An agency calls and asks how much you know about aardvarks for a two day gig, you put down your latest cardboard sign and respond with gusto as... Read More

Will Sydney lose another venue?

It all began with a fairly innocuous occurrence- the SMH writing a paragraph on Justin Hemmes’ recent purchase of the Excelsior Hotel and his big plans for the venue, and others in Surry Hills like it. Soon Facebook started popping up links to the article everywhere as musicians and punters alike started to feel the first cold dreadful feelings about what this could mean for a scene that can still feel the loss of its beloved Hopetoun. Would Surry... Read More

Why are retailers crying foul of online sales?

With the recent outbreak of apparent foot and mouth disease from Harvey Norman’s Gerry Harvey, online shopping has hit the headlines and controversy regarding whether it is OK or not to allow online retailers sell their products without tax. But as online shopping grows as a local and international choice, what other reasons could retailers have for being so upset about the envisaged unfair take over? Beyond offering lower overheads to businesses... Read More

The rise and rise of Swap Creative

Now that the holidays are out of the way, the Unashamedly Creative office has come back with a lot of bang and buzz for 2011- with the majority of interest being generated from Swap Creative. Swap Creative came about through wanting to satiate the desire to assist small businesses, most of whom usually lack budget to do major marketing activity, as well as regain some of the “niceties” lost after moving away from a steady salary towards working... Read More

The weird, the whacky and the wonderful

Sometimes when I talk about my experiences with various different jobs I have had or clients in any form, people are kind of amused or bemused by some of the things done in the name of marketing. So rather than do a usual kind of retrospective and look back on 2010, Unashamedly Creative presents some of the weird, the whacky and the wonderful marketing stories of my marketing career. Grand Final Beer It’s great to be creative, but sometimes an idea... Read More

Why truth in marketing?

Why truth in marketing? Doing a little bit of on-site tidy up of content yesterday made me think about an article I have left out that is so important to what I do- why truth in marketing? Having worked on both sides of the fence in terms of being the marketing person who works with a consultant or agency and being that agency who services the marketing person, I have realised there is one common problem- not understanding there is a place for truth... Read More

The Swap Creative Application Form

Unashamedly Creative is proud to present a new way of looking at your marketing budget with Swap Creative. In order to keep myself and my Labrador in the style we were previously accustomed to, and also help fellow small businesses get that all important word out, I will be taking applications for businesses who are interested in being my exclusive Swap Creative clients. I am looking to hear from any business that may think we could have an ongoing... Read More

Introducing SWAP CREATIVE!

Unashamedly Creative is proud to present a new way of looking at your marketing budget with Swap Creative. Being only in the early stages of operation, Unashamedly Creative has been a small business for twelve months, often working with other small businesses as clients or suppliers to get projects done. Anyone who has ever been in business for themselves or part of a smaller operation will understand sometime the cash flow isn’t available as readily... Read More

The real reason why dinosaurs become extinct.

Gone are the days of suiting up and doing your business in long languid booze driven lunches. Or grasping at a fistful of dollars hoping the client is none the wiser. People are getting smarter, as are brands and this, to a certain extent, has brought about a bit of a revolution. If the GFC taught us anything, it is the value of productivity and that nothing is certain. If it showed anything to the Australian public, it was more by far and away to... Read More

Generation Z: Kids with Conscience.

Termed Generation I, Z or Alpha and sometimes referred to as “The Millennials”, the generation of children born from 2010 through to a minimum of 1995, are the first complete generation of first world children to not know life prior to internet (Article: Children of the Tech Revolution. SMH, July 15th 2008). According to an ACMA study in 2007, the average Australian family household had 3 mobile phones, 3 TVs, 2 computers, 2 DVD players, 2 portable... Read More