Olympics, Chimps and The Future - What it means for BD!
I’ve been looking forward to Beijing 2008 ever since the curtain came down on Athens four years ago. The Olympics is my favourite 2 weeks of sport - nothing, not even the footy World Cup comes close for me. There’s so much more romance, more personality, more to lose and more to gain. Clearly, like everyone in the country, BD is buzzing with the achievements of Team GB. So many impressive performances, great results across a number of sports and a bunch of Brits actually living up to the hype, and then delivering more. So, as I lay awake the other night, thinking about whether I should have been a rower, a cyclist or a rhythmic gymnast, I found myself asking…
WHAT LESSONS CAN A MARKETING AGENCY TAKE FROM BEIJING 2008??? … obviously…
1) Don’t Listen to the Chimp
I read the GB Cycling team are ruthless in their decision-making and their preparation. One of their mantras is to ignore what they call the ‘Chimp’. Decisions are only made on one, clear, logical criterion - “Will this make us more likely to win a gold medal”. Anything else, emotional, irrational, political - whatever - is said to be the Chimp speaking. Their success has been put down to tiny decisions on detail adding up to one massive competitive advantage - and the number of golds they have won is testament to this. We can apply this thinking when working for clients… and make sure that every decision we make on campaigns or pitches is done without any Chimp input - with only “will this make our work more effective for our client” applicable.
2) Respect your Competition, but be Better.
It has been well documented that Team GB has been bench-marked against the Australians (that has led to more than a little friendly rivalry). However, much of this is because we have learned a lot from the Aussies based on their approach to structure, funding and coaching. It’s not a question of following a formula, but just being humble enough to respect the success of another nation and take what they have done on board - rather than being arrogant and dismissive. Too many times, agencies and clients can look at the work of the competition and pick it apart - simply because they didn’t think of it first. The fact is (and it galls me to say it) the are at least 3 brilliant ideas out there that didn’t originate at BD… so we need to be humble enough to respect and learn from them, so that we can be the best we can for our clients.
3) China - it’s the Future
Look at the medals table. It’s probably the biggest indicator yet that China are probably the most significant super-power on Earth - and that’s not me being glib. Putting political and cultural prejudice aside, every agency and brand needs to factor in how the shift in economic and consumer power is going to effect them over the next 10 years. It’s a massive opportunity, and China have clearly made a statement of intent to be part of a global economy. This doesn’t mean that we’ll suddenly open BD Beijing, or that we’ll all be buying Chinese cars/coffee/beer/banks/tellies/trainers… but it’s a factor that should be on every business plan.
4) Embrace Technology to Achieve
Seems obvious, and it’s true in every sport. We all know the impact that Chris Boardman’s bike made to track cycling back in ‘92 - and the legacy is there for all to see. This year, it’s perhaps most evident in the pool, where the new skin-suit technologies have helped swimmers smash a number of records. Technology in marketing can deliver a real competitive advantage. Of course, not every innovation is a step in the right direction, so you need to be clear on why you’re committing to something… so ignore that Chimp. At BD, we’ve got people who actually know what they’re talking about when it comes to tech, and rightly they sit at the heart of our business.
5) Celebrate Every Victory
One thing that seems to be happening is that every Gold medal (or Silver or Bronze) is being rightly lauded and celebrated. The Chinese have set a great precedent - with the home crowd going bananas every time one of their athletes crosses the line first. Team GB seem to have this approach too, and it’s great to see. China have over 70 medals right now, and will finish with a load more. They know this overall success is down to the dedication, talent and nerve of hundreds of individuals and teams. As an agency, we need to keep our culture of really celebrating and lauding every individual achievement that helps BD and our clients move in the right direction.
…So on that note, well done me for writing this blog…