A long overdue update on agency life. The truth is that Impress is an ever-changing entity that inspires some and infuriates others. It is the same for many a small business striving to be a real 'player' and learning the harsh lessons of business reality on the fly. One just keeps hearing the same story: staff problems, cashflow, client demands and a host of other frustrations that drive the entrepreneur to distraction.

A commonality exists among many lead clients and, as their agency, I can empathise and offer advice, but I have the same issues too. This is why Impress is what it is. We are on a journey together and some days it can be fabulous, other days it can drive you to distraction. As ever, today has been a mixture, but one client totally thrills me for their endeavour, passion, commitment and sheer belief in what they are doing. That client is Big Bang Events (www.bigbangevents.co.uk) and I had a long meeting with their managing director, Alison Welsh, this morning.

Impress have been working with BBE for around a year, building their websites, developing an online strategy, negotiating media deals and extolling the wisdom of the 'brand thing' as Ali memorably described it. Now, this 'brand thing' is actually really starting to work for the business, even if I say it myself. Web traffic on both company sites is growing week by week, Google loves the SEO, PR articles are appearing in the trade press, enquires are pinging in from listings on various online directories and the magazine ads have been unified and now look genuinely cool.

The timing is spot on as it is prime time for BBE. The company has an exclusive on a fabulous London venue, Cannon Bridge Roof Garden (www.cannonbridgeroofgarden.com) which is exactly as it says: an outdoor garden with a marquee perfect for summer parties. We are currently promoting an open day at the venue on the 19th April across all media channels. The facilities are wonderful and the views absolutely stunning. Sipping champagne, marvelling at the capital's skyline, whilst being waited on hand and foot... just imagine, it's that good.

And so together we are slowly but surely building a brand: the values, the principles, the corporate ID, the tone of voice, the structure, the culture, the communication. Brand is never easy, but the Big Bang girls have collectively bought into the concept inspired by Ali and the constant witterings of their marketing agency!

Out of all my clients, and there are many, Big Bang Events has the best chance of truly establishing a brand identity - as the passion, the will and the belief stems from the head of the company. Now we go a step further and I have agreed to become, in effect, BBE's Marketing Director working out of their offices for five days a month. I have done this for one reason and one reason only: not for money, not for a cushy life, not for the trips to the smoke, not because every company employee is female, but because the company embraces the big picture and is prepared to go through the pain, the disciplines and the processes of brand building. It's about ambition, values, trust, integrity and vision.

The omens are good, and three things have happened today that convince me this is the right thing to do. Firstly, an email came into BBE today from a potential client, part of which read: "I spotted your ad in several magazines and your venue on the search engines and was incredibly intrigued. Then I saw an advert for the open day; if this is available to the public, please can I attend with a colleague?" Think about it: the ad, the strategy, the search engine optimisation, the event - all integrated and working in harmony. Wonderfully, this email was sent by a representative of a leading PR agency operating in the event sector.

Secondly, for months I have been trying to facilitate a contract between BBE and the influential London Launch website. It has been tricky. Numerous promises from commission-hungry account managers, email tennis, standing my ground, convincing Ali that it is a few quid well spent. Twitchy. Nervy. Understandable. And then tonight, the weekly London Launch Enewsletter is broadcast to the industry and there we are, sitting almost at the top of emailer under the headline "Start the season with a bigger bang"... logo prominent, copy strong, the right picture, timing perfect. Strategy, strategy, strategy....

And finally a defining moment during our meeting, and this was the deal-maker. Readers of this blog and those who know me will be aware of my admiration for Lovemarks (www.lovemarks.com), the brainchild of Saatchi & Saatchi CEO, Kevin Roberts. I have a personal profile on the Lovemarks site and once in a blue moon, I add one of my own Lovemarks. The other night I posted a Lovemark about Babington House on the site. I soon forgot about it. It's my online world that I thought no-one ever took any notice of. (Perhaps I am an avatar after all!)

And then, towards the end of our meeting, Ali says, "I read your Babington House thing on Lovemarks last night". I was amazed. She has added her own profile too. Somehow, my witterings have sunk in. Lovemarks inspires and Lovemarks is inspiration. That was it for me. We have to take it all further. We have to take it to the max. "Loyalty beyond reason", "life beyond the brand", "winning the consumer revolution" and all that...

We even got onto Richard Edleman at one point, but that really is another story....

One step at a time!!!

It's a rainy Wednesday night in Somerset and my cosy apartment is filled with the music of my beloved Sisters of Mercy. Outside, the first taste of winter upon the wind and a sleepy silence. The Sisters is the band that I love the most in the world. A band that for an all too brief few years touched the highest echelons of brilliance; lyrically intelligent with the subtle touch of a poet perhaps wasted on the pop medium; live - an exhilarating head rush of adrenalin that stole my heart every time, even the bands' logo, house font (Caslon Antique) and sleeve designs appealed to my design sensibilities even way back then in the pre-Apple era and only added to their magnificence in my minds eye.

So. What has this got to do with Impress, marketing and brand? Well, surfing the web I came across the Saatchi & Saatchi website and, more importantly Lovemarks (www.saatchikevin.com), the brainchild of the companies CEO - Kevin Roberts. For those who don't know, Lovemarks is a concept, a spirit and a 'vision thing' that looks beyond the brand. In his own words, "Lovemarks are brands that inspire loyalty beyond reason. People love them because of what they are, not because of what they do. Their appeal is emotional. Companies may own brands. But Lovemarks are owned by the people who love them."

And this is just the beginning. Within a few clicks I am reading some of the most inspiring marketing stuff ever written. The transcript's of Kevin's speeches just cut straight through all the crap and banish many traditional theories to the trash can where I have long believed they belong. Just check this out -

Management is a fallen hero. Doing things right, does not sustain enterprise. Nor does leadership, doing the right things. The message from the freezer box of business is that inspiration is the killer app.  That while none of us is as strong as all of us, it is the power of one that ignites. You are here today because as individuals you have the courage to make a difference in your respective fields. As instigators. As inspirers. As activators. After 35 years in business on four continents, my haka to you is to be an inspirational player. To be "in spirit". I ask you to inspire life. That means doing more than managing and leading. It means going to the end of the earth for what you believe in.

This is just for starters and I hope Kevin does not object to my cut and paste job from his text. His site is a revolution, an explosion of ideas, passions and expressions of the human spirit that is a 'must read' for every entrepreneur, marketer or brand manager, sole trader or company director. It warms the heart and is a rock-solid affirmation for all those great motivations which inspire anyone to start, run or manage a business.

On a personal note as MD of Impress, it is poignant stuff as I work with countless clients many of whom are having a tough time at the moment. Cashflow, economic uncertainty, staff problems; I hear it all and experience it myself on a daily basis. As their marketing agency, I urge positivity, visionary treatment of customers, aspirational values and unconditional dedication to the respective cause. It's hard, bloody hard especially for the SME market. Consumers, that most fickle of bunches, just want to feel loved over and over again. We are all human beings and love to be loved. Business is no longer just a functional transition. It is an emotional environment where feeling valued is king. Win the love and you win the dollar.

And so, The Sisters play on and on and I have now listened to all three original albums from start to finish. Joyous. This is the band that inspired me to write and publish my first fanzine which somehow (by default) dragged me into the marketing world in the first place.  

Each CD is being re-released this month. I already have the vinyl, the promos, the Japanese imports and Christ knows what else, but I have already ordered the remastered and repackaged versions from HMV. And all because I love and I will always love The Sisters of Mercy. Get it? Loyalty beyond reason..... 

Last week a friend who I had been trying to persuade to talk to Impress about marketing confessed that he had probably done the wrong thing.

I asked him why he felt like that, he said that he had gone to another agency, highly recommended and very creative and they have eventually produced a rather beautiful brochure. Now, I had spent an evening chatting to my friend about 2 years ago about the power of branding.

You didn't have to spend millions on advertising but you had to be sure that you were doing the right thing by your business and therefore your brand.

Essentially I extolled the brand virtues that any company large or small can achieve. It's a simple formula but one steeped in art and magic - your product or service & your customer = your brand. Where the & is the key, the magic, the emotional tie that makes an existing customer so loyal and a potential one seduced by the brand.

My friend said he had a lovely brochure, with beautiful graphics, artwork and reproduction, but an older friend of his said "It looks great, but what about your brand?" He has a stunning piece of creative but where was his brand?

Each and every business contact that we meet we talk to them about branding, about owning a position, of sticking with your key messages and brand values, of creating awareness of your principles and remaining consistent to your core.

So, it's all about brand, whether it be your personal brand - your ethos, or your business brand - what your company stands for. It is like a faith, we all have belief.

Impress work with many entrepreneurs, some internationally successful others striving to create their own space, but whether your are big or small, hugely successful or a legend in your own bath time - when you come to talk to me or Andrew you know you are getting a strategic, brand marketing outlook on your business, and no matter how big the budget you will get the very best marketing advice that we are able to give to achieve your business and marketing objectives.

A brand is a brand is a brand - the triple mantra of many an organisation - from the Labour Party's education, education, education to Estate Agent's location, location, location - the brand is king and long may it live!

I declare from the outset that I like my threads. A sharp suit from Boss or Hetcher used to be my favourites. Shirts from Nigel Hall, shoes by Oliver Sweeney or Jeffrey West all used to have me reaching for the plastic with barely a thought for the cost. So what has happened? Well, the aforementioned  brands all still produce great gear, but somehow they have lost me as a customer/client. Perhaps I am a clothes snob, but Boss & Hetcher are now stocked in department stores and Hall seems to have lost that edgy-cool design element that I used to love. West & Sweeney just don't seem to have moved on and clumpy, rounded toes have just never been my thing. It is, of course, hugely subjective and I thank these companies for raising the profile of male tailoring over the last five years in particular.

However, brand loyalty is rooted in the sub-conscious and my favour has been won by new brands that seem to stand for something that little bit extra. Reiss is one such brand. Every major city has a Reiss store in the High Street which are characterised by a slightly 'dark' image. I cannot speak for all the outlets, but recent visits to branches in Birmingham & Bristol seem to justify the statement. In a previous life, I was a regular visitor to Reiss' flagship store in High Street Ken. and adored their clothes even then. Now the brand seems to have upped the anti.

Beyond the shopfitting, the clothes are superbly stylish. Sharply cut and dominated by this season's greys, browns and dark reds. And of course purples. The pair of women's shoes that dominate the left hand window in the Bristol store are simply to die for. Purple with black pattern, heels that scream sophisticated girl power and a fabric as sensuous as a Saturday night, just demand to be worn. Matching skirts and blouses provoked a gasp from the girl on my arm and the plastic was unquestioningly removed from my wallet.

By the time I reached the men's floor downstairs, I was already a few hundred quid down, but captivated by the array of ties, suits and shirts that dominated my eye. The fact that the instore hi-fi started playing the second Nouvelle Vague (www.nouvellesvagues.com) album only enhanced the brand seduction that I was experiencing. I managed to resist the suits, but quickly purchased a couple of shirts and ties which I justified in my own mind as a much-needed Autumn collection. As if....

The staff were great too. Fun and informed without being pushy. Sympathetic and not at all patronising which is something many of those oh so trendy boutique shops in Bath could learn from.

The flash website (www.reiss.co.uk) reinforces all the company brand values with an emphasis on both sexy and contemporary. The global expansion plans of the group are outlined in the About section with an air of confidence and corporate ambition that captures the essence of the clothes themselves. So, congratulations David Reisse for the vision thing that your brand has become. Inspiring stuff for entrepreneurs and marketers everywhere.