‘The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop … Continue reading Episode 56: In Defence Of Being Difficult – Here’s To The Mad Ones
Writing in Quartz, Kevin Delaney recently stated that he doesn’t “think anyone should have the word strategy in their job title”. Needless to say, I beg to differ. But what is the basis of the argument he articulates? What is the case for the prosecution? The first of the two points he makes is that ‘the distance between strategy and execution is unfathomably wide for most … Continue reading Episode 55: Don’t Be A Strategist – The Case For The Prosecution
Many years ago, while scuba diving in Dahab in the Sinai I watched as an octopus fought for its life. Perched on the side of an underwater cliff, this octopus was being attacked by half a dozen fish. These fish were working together to pull it off the wall and out into the open water where presumably they were going to tear it apart. Every time it … Continue reading Episode 54: Be Water, My Friend
“In Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love – they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock”. That’s Orson Welles as Harry Lime in the 1949 classic, The Third Man. The subtext is clear; … Continue reading Episode 53: Innovation Through Conflict
There is an undeniable trend towards building in-house teams and away from using agency services. This trend has led to fierce debate and introspection in agency land, not to mention a fair amount of self-pity. But I would argue that if handled appropriately, this is a positive development that should be embraced and that reinforces the value of the digital strategist. The trend to building … Continue reading Episode 52: Working With In-House Teams – How Not To Be Left On The Outside Looking In
Octopus Digital Strategy 