muse

Leaders in the crisis: McKinsey Global Survey Results July 2009

Executives around the world are working longer hours, taking on additional responsibilities, and experiencing higher levels of stress as they struggle to address the economic downturn, according to a McKinsey Quarterly survey. Most respondents are working more hours since the crisis began, and nearly 40 percent have more responsibilities without the benefit of a new title.

Almost all, 95% are at least somewhat satisfied with their own performance as business leaders. Far fewer are impressed with the work of their direct superiors. As for middle managers, compared with more senior colleagues, they are less committed to staying with their companies, less enthusiastic about their work, less satisfied with their own performance, and far less satisfied than more senior executives with how their bosses are doing. Sounds like they could use some inside out thinking - I love my manager perhaps?

Click here to link to McKinsey in full.

Terry Pratchett is currently the second most read author in the UK. His status as a writer of cult fiction means he's often ignored by the literary elite. Despite this, his books are the most shoplifted in Britain.
(Wikipedia)

Billy Connolly goes cruising in with 3 Meer Cats

A couple of weeks ago, after our new Woodreed brand launch, we were all so mesmerised by the whole effect it was having on us, that we decided to hold a brand workshop, where amongst other tasks we were split up into 2 man teams and asked very compelling questions relating to how we perceived the brand ourselves, a task very difficult to react to since it had taken 9 months to arrive at a satisfactory solution.

In order to make the task easier, we were asked to choose what celebrity, what animal, what type of night out, or even what kind of drink or cocktail we thought might readily represent the brand.

We all staggered off giggling in our respective teams and then rendezvoused to present our thoughts to the mediator.

The eclectic mixture of responses was surreal as it was astonishing: We had Gordon Ramsay (witty, energetic, thought provoking, f*****g plain speaking, open and passionate) drinking a glass of ripe and satisfying Merlot whilst enjoying an exciting night at the Notting Hill carnival, a selection emerging butterflies flying into Stringfellow's nightclub, Goldie Hawn going off for a bash in her high specification formula one car with her pet barn owl on her shoulder. There was even our very good friend laugh a minute Jonathan Ross sitting in our very own Ragged Trousers slurping a strawberry Innocent smoothie.

But perhaps the most strange, if not the most thought provoking, was our favourite iconic comedian Billy Connolly pottering up Tunbridge Wells High Street in a beautiful beige pristine concours conditioned Morris Minor convertible, accompanied by 3 drunken Meer Cats, all of then guzzling their rather sophisticated gin and tonics.

Who said the creative industry is full of dreamers?

Poetry in motion

We held an agency competition to write a limerick that summed up our brand values. This one was the winner (and the most clean):

Woodreed dynamically work as a team,
At work, real world is their theme,
The people are great,
And they'll be your best mate,
Simply putting brand at the heart is their dream.