One of the most rewarding aspects of working within the tourism sector is time is spent documenting the stories & products of the tourism operators that we are employed to support. The end result of these projects is typically a set of highly produced videos and images. And whilst these do a great job of capturing the idyllic scenario of a perfect day with perfect weather – for the storytellers behind the lens, it doesn’t always look quite so idyllic. We face all sorts of challenges along the way in telling these stories, and sometimes that in itself can provide quite interesting storytelling – so I have attempted to share that story through images captured on my iphone 5.
Weather is usually the most challenging aspect of preparing and executing film shoots, especially when you can be moving between 4 or 5 different outdoor locations per day, all that have required previous permissions to be granted to film there.
Film schedules are always very time critical as we are always trying to pack as many locations and products into the storyboard. So unplanned holdups such as getting one of the production vehicles stuck in a sand dunes, can really play havoc with scheduling.
On this particular day (above) in Port Stephens, although the skies on the previous day had been clear, we woke up to thick heavy ash cloud shrouding the entire region in a blanket of darkness. We were booked on a dolphin cruise at 4am which we attended, but when the sun rose it was clear that we would have to cancel the next 3 days of filming and head back to Sydney.
As the famous saying goes – never work with children or animals. I’ve tried to shoot scenes with dolphins numerous times over the years and it never gets easier. They are so fleeting and unpredictable that trying to have a production team and models at the ready for long periods of time doesn’t play nice with filming schedules.
The helicopter shoot above was planned to capture the Australia Day Ferry Race through the harbour. The weather in the morning was relatively clear, but changed rapidly as the morning progressed. We decided to try for weather gaps, but it was a bumpy ride through very heavy rain. Footage captured by one of the hornets (below) that were out about an hour after us shows how heavy the skies were on the day.
Another challenge of filming is sleep deprivation. The money shots are always sunrise and sunset, so its usually a 4am start and commonly a 9-10pm finish. Having a clear mind to manage large production teams (sometimes up to 20 people) can be a challenge when sleep is scarce.
But for all the challenges faced on set, it’s always the people that make these projects rewarding. The camaraderie that forms within the team as we all battle sleep deprivation and the many unexpected curve-balls that come our way is always incredible to witness and be part of.
And of course there are those rare days when things do go to plan. The weather shines bright, the schedule runs to plan and you find yourself cruising over our beautiful state in a vintage sea plane with a friendly local sharing amazing stories of the region – and you realise just how fortunate you are to be a creative storyteller.
TRYING TO FIND MEANING We look at brands through so many lenses, but really at the end of the day, all brands are simply trying to find meaning in peoples lives.
TRYING TO FIND MEANING Access point into a brand
THE VALUE OF COMMUNICATING THE WHY BEHIND THE WHAT Access point into a brand
Fundamental beliefs on brands: – The importance of building in an access point for people to become part of the brand like the Port Stephens brand, changing the voice to that of the people
An ongoing journal about all things brand. I like that I’ve given myself absolutely no rules as to what can go on this page, everything from random thoughts, resources, articles, visual references, graphs or even quotes.
Brands courageous enough to invest in communications designed only to increase the appeal of their brand rather than shift the bottom line. Those that believe in the true value of building equity. Comes back to behaviour as opposed to voice. What you do, not what you say. Especially in a current empathy driven world where people are so focused on the need to be caring, thoughtful and
BRAND RESOURCES – Articles I read on a regular basis – this is a really important list – And maybe people on here as well – Truly Madly Deeply, Wolf Ollins for articles, RGA for articles and videos,
VIDEOS/PRESENTATIONS
RGA on Connected Brands It’s not often I used the word gamechanger, but this talk certainly felt like one. Possible because I’ve been part of developing so many brands and media strategies that do connect with a very traditional and outdated way, so this was a great eye opener and a refreshing truth to uncover. Thank you RGA.
ARTICLES
Start with Why – Matt Davies A quick 3min read on a concept that couldn’t more important in building brands – always start with why. This is one of those articles that I will no doubt keep coming back to on a regular basis, just to remind myself to start at the right place and not get caught up in the ‘what’.
GREAT MINDS
Simon Senek A great visual reference for visual brand material. I check in every few months and have been doing for around 8-9 years now.
Truly Madly Deeply Not only are they are a brilliant (AU based) branding agency, but their newsletter is one of few that really creates some excitement when it lands in my inbox. They always manage to find some unique insights in the world of creativity and branding.
WEBSITES
Identity Designed A great visual reference for visual brand material. I check in every few months and have been doing for around 8-9 years now.
Truly Madly Deeply Not only are they are a brilliant (AU based) branding agency, but their newsletter is one of few that really creates some excitement when it lands in my inbox. They always manage to find some unique insights in the world of creativity and branding.
The One Centre Not only are they are a brill
BRAND BEHAVIOUR NOTES/REFERENCES
Identity Designed A great visual reference for visual brand material. I check in every few months and have been doing for around 8-9 years now.
PODCASTS
Simon Senek A great visual reference for visual brand material. I check in every few months and have been doing for around 8-9 years now.
As humans I think the secret to getting the most out of life is filling it with people, places and sometimes even physical objects that continually inspire you. This page is dedicated to sharing a few of the things that help me keep life interesting.
Public libraries
It may seem like a strange one to begin with, but I’ve spent many a weekend in this room you see above, so public libraries have certainly added a lot of value to my life. This is the NSW State Library, and fortunately it’s only a 9min ferry ride from where I live. I find there is just something about being surrounded by history and knowledge that increases my level of focus. Added to that, the constant visual inspiration of being in such a grand hall just doesn’t wear off.
An Epic little boat
Whilst design, creativity and family might be my top three inspirations in life, adventure and a sense of freedom would have to be a close second. Since purchasing this little plastic runabout (more formally known as an Epic V5) back in 2016, my life has certainly had an elevated sense of adventure. Granted living in a city like Sydney with a mild climate, a beautiful harbour and very accessible waterways has certainly helped make the most of such a purchase, I think no matter where you are in the world, if you’ve got access to water, owning a kayak certainly provides a simple way to break up the monotony of big city life and get back to nature.
Memento Mori
To most the concept of reminding yourself about your fate is morbid and a bit strange, but it can also provide a very powerful motivating tool to ensure you are always getting the most out of life. It can change the way you live your life and how you stack the order of your priorities. However it only really works if it’s a frequent reminder. I find it fascinating seeing all the creative ways people think up to remind themselves – rings, calendars, watches, framed pictures and even tattoos. But not being much of a fan of the visual language (of skulls and bones) that sits around the concept, I decided to create a few subtle reminders for myself. My reminders are actually not about my own mortality (as that’s not important to me) but about the loves ones around me.
The first reminder I created was to set the diagram at the bottom of this page as the background on my phone. It reminds me of how little time I may have left with my parents, it’s confronting and powerful and it certainly works for me, especially as the phone is usually how I connect with them.
The second reminder I created was to download an iPhone app called ‘Years Old’. It’s a super simple app, it just shows the age of all the people you add to it. This app has been infinitely helpful in ensuring I always know which age to write in peoples birthday cards, but more importantly each time I open the app, seeing the ages of all the people I love and care about on one screen sends quite a stark reminder of how quickly life is passing by and that these people won’t be in my life forever.
Living close to water
It’s no secret that living close to water can be expensive, especially in Sydney, but for me it was the best investment I could have made. I certainly have to pinch myself looking at the photos above to think I was fortunate enough to live in such incredible locations. Living on and close to the water changed my life in a profound way. I didn’t know that I wanted water to play such a significant role in my life until I lived beside it. It was why I purchased a kayak and why every moment of spare time I can find is now spent on the water. I find living close to water has the power to inspire like very little else can. I think you would struggle to live by the water in a beautiful city and not end up having a very positive outlook on life – it just does that to you, even years later.
Old trusty iPhone 5 & the Optrix waterproof case
For a kayaker who takes a lot of photos from the kayak as I paddle, this was a great find. For years I had messed about with attaching wide angle lenses onto my phone that I would drop into the ocean on most trips. This cover by Optrix (who sadly are not in business these days) is fully waterproof and has adaptable screw on wide angle lenses. All of the recent kayaking photos on my instagram account were taken on this. Looking back, I am really not sure how I lived without it. Thankfully I haven’t dropped this cover into the ocean yet, however I have dropped previous phones. On one occasion it was dropped from the wharf in my backyard and continued filming at the bottom of Sydney harbour. True story – you can view the footage here.
The daily feed
Feedly has been my choice of news aggregator for last 5 years or so and I haven’t missed a day of checking my feed in that time. I use Feedly to follow 40 or so design blogs and track news from the tourism industry. It’s such a quick and effortless way to stay engaged with the design community on both a national and global level. I also utilise the key word tracking feature to pull specific articles in from news sites around the world. A quick fix of creativity every morning has always helped me feel more on the pulse and ensured the creative juices are flowing early.
Swapping the TV for a projector
Who knew TV watching could be more meaningful? For many years I’ve wanted to ditch our television but I am not sure if my kids would forgive me, so I think a projector is as close as I will get, and I’m actually okay with that. After months of research I went for the Vankyo 530W and it is BRILLIANT! It has turned my family into more discerning viewers, and by that I mean we are much more choosy about what we watch, and we watch less often. Watching TV/movies on a massive 4m wall actually makes you less inclined to just have it on in the background and actually make it a more of an intentional and planned activity and something you look forward to.
ONEtalks
The One Centre are a branding agency based in Sydney who hold monthly talks on brands that are disrupting their respective industries and in some cases creating new ones. John Ford, CEO and Founder of the company does a wonderful job of presenting the talks each month and the depth of research his team achieve is always impressive. Likewise the visual presentation is first class. For me these talks provide a real shot in the arm of business/brand inspiration and I always look forward to attending them with great anticipation – and I am never disappointed. John now also uploads theall of the talksonto the firms website for those who can’t attend in person.
A small App that’s big on bass
If the taste of an expensive fine wine is even slightly off it can completely change the sensation, and that’s how I’ve always felt about headphones. For years I tried to find the perfect set of noise cancelling headphones that would deliver a strong but very clean bass sound. There are certainly a lot of headphones that claim to have a clean bassy sound, but nothing really packed that punch I was after. I also experimented with a range of equaliser apps for the Mac hoping that would be the answer, but there was an artificialness to the bass they added, it never sounded rich and clean like the bass you get sitting in a cinema that hits you in the chest and transports you to another place. And so after so many years hunting, I came across Boom 3D. A simplistic little app for the Mac that claimed to add a rich and atmospheric three-dimensional layer to any audio coming from your computer. And to my surprise it did just that – suddenly I had that rich, deep, clean bass I was seeking and it has transformed how I work and my levels of focus. It cheap, its simple, and it’s a winner!
For many years I have admired brands as I’ve come across them, Ive never really had a central place to keep a record of them. So this page is exactly that, a list of brands that have inspired me in some way – be it clever ads, great design, inspiring stories or even just a product that I’ve used religiously for years and has added significant value to my life. These are not big corporate brands that are changing the world, but small creative brands that have found a unique way to inspire my world.
Allpress Coffee
For it’s humble persona and attention to quality
I was introduced to the Allpress Coffee Brand when these little hand drawn coffee cups subtlety started popping up around some of the suburban back streets of Sydney. The signs were so small that you certainly couldn’t make out the tiny little Allpress logo on the cup, so there was a real sense of mystery around what they represented. Obviously it wasn’t difficult to make the connection to coffee, but I remembering feeling like it was a confident move to be so subtle with their signage/branding so I was instantly curious. And from then on my love affair with Allpress has grown. Everything about the brand is simple, humble and refined, and there is a sense of warmth to the colour palette. I see Allpress as a perfect example of simple done well. And it doesn’t hurt that their coffee is delicious also.
Vice Golf
For it’s refreshing ability to see golf in a very different light.
This is a brand that in my mind provides such a great example of how to disrupt an industry. Vice Golf has injects a dose of youthful anti-establishment that golf so desperately needed. We need more brands like it in the golf space, to help pull golf out of the stuffy elitist rut it has been stuck in for so long. There is so much to love about this German Born brand. It’s a game of such small margins and constant refinement, and for those that play it becomes an absolute obsession – so the name speaks to a core truth of the game. And then there is the visual style of the brand – it’s everything that golf isn’t but should be – it’s bright, raw, imperfect, authentic, energetic, exuberant and brave.
British Columbia Tourism
For it’s courage and level of distinctiveness.
I could quite easily write an essay on what I love about this brand, so it will be a struggle to keep this short. But there is just so much to love…. not sure where to begin. But lets start with….the more you dig, the more you fall in love. Wild at Heart. Wow. Talks to place, both physical nature of landscape but also the character and personality of the place. but also the people. First item is support local. Start a movement and way of thinking. So great. 13 minute videos of just the sounds of nature, no audio, no voice over, just nature. Just so courageous. Actually looks like its just been picked from the forest floor Tone of voice, casual, conversational, witty, intriguing and consistent Great brand video that talks you through the guidelines, every set of guidelines needs this. And so detailed with how to use the brand, and clearly it’s worked. And the tiny leaf, small detail but something many brands would struggle to achieve but can be so incredibly valuable for a brand.
Rolleiflex – love affair with the cameras
MUJI – shame mainstream, but massive love affair in Japan
That Hunter Valley wine, designs all her own labels
Trying to win the morning has been an ongoing project of mine. Although I’ve never been unhappy with my mornings, there is always something that needs tweaking or refinement. So I decided to try and put my routine on paper a few years back, as I felt that having a master document to continually update and refine may help give my routine more structure and consistency, and keep it top of mind. I decided to borrow a format used by a website I used to follow called ‘My Morning Routine’ as they seemed to have landed on a good set of questions. So here is where I got to with it:
What is your morning routine? Well to begin with, I must admit that my Summer routine is vastly different to my Winter routine. My winter routine is very simple – wake up, look at the frost on the window, hit the snooze button and dive back under the blankets. So in light of this, I think I will write about my routine in the not so cold seasons.
My morning routine has two distinct phases – the first is focussed around exercise which involves golf, kayaking or running, and the second phase is family focused time.
Phase one has me waking around 5am, after hitting snooze on my apple watch a few times, before dragging myself out of bed. I walk out to our balcony to check if the water on the harbour is flat and wind is low, to detmine whether to kayak, run or play golf. I then head straight to the kitchen where I drink a small glass of water, eat a banana and grab a nutribullet juice (that in a perfect world I’ve prepared the night before) containing various fruit and veg, nuts, seeds and a swig of fish oil with Vitamin D. I throw the kayak on the car and hit the road. I sip the nutribullet on route to the harbour (or golf course if I am golfing), this way by the time I arrive, I hit the water with a full stomach. One of the things that really draws me to kayaking before work, is that the harbour is usually buzzing with other kayakers and they are all so incredibly friendly – before work I’ve already said “good morning” to 10-15 strangers and it’s a really nice way to start a day. After a quick 5km paddle, I stop in for a coffee at my favourite little beach-front cafe – Plonk!. They have a serving window facing directly onto the beach especially for dirty wet kayakers (like myself) who they would prefer not trudge wet sand through their freshly cleaned restaurant. This is the main reason I love this cafe, but they also do (as I will claim) the best bacon & egg roll in Sydney.
First thing when I arrive home is a shower, and then phase 2 of my routine begins. I throw down a cup of water with magnesium powder to rehydrate after the paddle and to help my muscles recover and relax through the day. I then prepare breakfast for my family. This always happens in a mad rush, so I find having a tea with my breakfast helps restore a sense of calm – even if only in my mind. I’ve always loved the smokier style of Teas such as Iribancha. I haven’t been able to find a local supplier for Iribancha, so when I don’t feel rich enough to ship it in from Japan, I substitute with Lapsang Souchong from T2 which also has a rich smoky flavour. Japanese Buckweat tea is another favourite also.
We have two rosella’s (Itchy & Scratchy) that fly onto our window sill just as we are sitting down to breakfast each morning, their internal body clocks are truly amazing! Their daily visit sends my daughter into a frenzy of excitement, so this makes for a very feel good start to the day for all of us.
The other thing that dramatically brightens our morning is music. I recently created an uplifting morning playlist that is designed to get the entire family up and about, and usually has us dancing around the house like energizer bunnies. I have my laptop wake itself up shortly before our alarm clocks using a great little app called Apimac Timer Pro (for mac) and automatically start playing iTunes. There is something special about waking up to the likes of Chuck Berry, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles and Cyndi Lauper that really activates your day.
Once fed and dressed I throw on my headphones and will usually tap into a Tim Ferriss podcast episode as I board the bus for the ferry wharf. On the odd occasion I have been lucky enough to spot dolphins from the wharf, so I usually spend the minute or two before the ferry arrives with my eyes darting around the harbour hoping to spot some.
My 9 minute ferry ride is usually spent ticking off the first item on my to do list for the day or checking my Feedly Account (link). I also try and use this time to select something to eat for dinner that night, so I am not doing it at the last minute on the way home. Out of pure frustration caused by frequently struggling to think of what to have for dinner each night, I developed a customised iphone sized cookbook, that has made this process a whole lot easier.
How has your morning routine changed over recent years? I tend to live by a series of experiments, so there is never any pressure on anything to have to succeed, so admittedly my routine is constantly being tweaked and redefined. If something I try works, then great, I combine it into my routine, and if it doesn’t, then no harm done as it was just an experiment. I find this becomes a very fun and creative way to live as you are constantly trying new things that are sometimes unique and a little left of field
Being a graphic designer by profession, I tend to live by visuals, so I recently decided to introduce a visual representation of my routine, which has certainly helped tighten it up and stick to it more often.
Do you use an alarm to wake you up in the morning, and if so do you ever hit the snooze button? Most mornings our little human alarm clock in the next room wakes us with a brain piercing cry before we make it to any alarms, and unfortunately she didn’t come with a snooze button. But when we do make it to our alarm time, this is where my apple watch has really added significant value. Having the ability to wake myself with a silent vibration on my wrist that doesn’t also wake my partner has been a big win. It still hasn’t solved the issue of me hitting the snooze button 2 or 3 times, but at least my wife doesn’t have to know any of this is happening.
Do you use any apps or products to enhance your sleep or morning routine? I find tracking my sleep on the apple watch has made me more conscious of trying to improve my sleep patterns and quality. Many of the sleep tracking apps require you to log when you start/finish sleeping, but a friend referred me to an app called Autosleep (link) which automatically tracks without having to do anything at all, and the visualisation of the data is captured is extremely impressive.
How soon do you check your phone in the morning? Instantly. And not because I am phone obsessed, but simply because if I fumble through enough content to locate something that actually resonates with my half functioning brain, then I find it works quite well to get me into a semi awake state, ready to start the day.
What are your most important tasks in the morning? I try and sort all the important tasks that drive a productive morning the night before, so my morning routine requires zero thought and runs smoothly. The most important task the night before is putting my sports gear (and work clothes) in the loungeroom ready to change into quickly when I wake up. I find that if I miss this step, it’s very likely that the morning exercise I had planned won’t happen.
How does your partner fit into your morning routine? I would say more than fitting into my morning routine, my partner truly is the key enabler of retaining any kind of consistency in the mornings. She is soo incredibly positive and fun to be around, and it is this positive energy that I believe is the very life-blood of what makes our family (and morning routines) run so smoothly.
Do you also follow this routine on weekends, or do you change some steps? On weekends we try and convince our energetic little human to have a sleep in by bringing her into our bed when she wakes, so Mum & Dad can catch up on some much needed sleep. The percentage of success is very low, so our expectation is always low also, but that lack of expectation means that when it actually works we really appreciate it. Weekends are usually completely dedicated to family time and move a lot slower, which is always nice.
On days you’re not settled in your home, are you able to adapt your routine to fit in with a different environment? Most aspects of my routine are focussed on family and sport, which is quite location specific, so I do struggle to achieve a consistent routine when away from home, but travel for work is quite infrequent in my role, so this doesn’t cause too many issues.
What do you do if you fail to follow your morning routine, and how does this influence the rest of your day? A day where I miss my routine always feels like I’ve set off on the wrong foot, and things become less intentional and positive, and more frantic and ad-hoc. When I start the day in the kayak or golf course I am on a high for the entire day, but if I have a very unproductive morning I am a very different person for the remainder of the day.
Anything else you would like to add? I think for anybody looking for a more inspiring routine, be it morning, day, week or life – I would suggest trying to live via a series of experiments for a period of time – even if only for a week or two. When something is an experiment, it simply can not fail, and therefore there is ZERO pressure around its outcome. I find this makes you try things that are a little outside the norm or comfort zone, and it becomes quite fun and addictive and encourages you to continually think up new things to try. I personally find it to be an extremely fun and refreshing way to live. And lastly for any parents of young bubs out there, a complete life-changer for us when our daughter was very young, was a song. Yes, a song – sounds strange I know, but it’s not just any song. Shortly after my daughters birth, my wife told me about a song that she had been using to calm our daughter when she would start crying/screaming in the car. She claimed the song was scientifically proven to make babies happy. I was a complete and utter non-believer and told my wife exactly what I thought about this so called ‘miracle’ song. So fast forward to today, our daughter is now 17 months old and I’ve used this song to settle her to sleep every night with a 100% strike rate. Whilst I obviously can’t guarantee that every child will be as responsive as this, I am still shocked at the effectiveness of the song and longevity of the results it has had for us. And given that it has racked up 13 million views on youtube, I guess it must be working for somebody else out there.
This is a short list of simple principles that I try and follow when developing brands, and to be honest it’s something I wish I had in my life so many years ago.
BE TRANSPARENT WITH THE why & how
A transparent brand that is courageous enough to reveal all its true colours, is one that is more likely to connect and engage people on a more meaningful level.
The more I think about brands, the more similarities I realise they have to us humans. If you meet somebody who hesitates to show you anything beyond the veneer of their persona, its harder to get in, and really get to know them. It’s no different with a brand. If you only show your fancy logo and latest campaign headlines, there is no depth of character for people to latch onto and feel connected to.
I’ve spent many years developing the strategic thinking behind brands (the why), only to package it up in nice presentations and store away forever. The consumer sees none of it. And only recently have I realised just how wrong this is.
A brand must have an entry point that allows people in, to become part of the conversation rather than being spoken to. It is when this transition occurs that truly connected brands are born.
CREATE AN ENTRY POINT
A strong entry point allows brands to bring their audience into the conversations and stories being shared – effectively speaking WITH them, rather than AT them.
Whilst I am conscious that this principle may not apply to all sectors and may not always be practical, it’s one that has created a strong learning for me personally. One of the key challenges I have faced over the years being involved in developing destination brands, is how to achieve a high level of consumer advocacy. Building advocacy for a corporate brand is never an easy challenge, as the focus is usually placed on business performance and tactical sales strategies, rather than building a stronger connection to the audience being served.
For those true believers of the power of brand equity (raising my virtual hand) who understand how much value can be generated by a brand that successfully builds a passionate tribe of followers, we will keep fighting to ensure brands are built with a stronger purpose than pure business acumen.
To provide a simple example of a brand entry point, I recently developed a new identity system for a coastal holiday destination called ‘Port Stephens’. Whilst the master logo had a visual treatment that was aimed at helping it be approachable, friendly and well liked, it still didn’t feel like it would be enough to bring the audience into the brand and give them some ownership of it. So I developed a supporting brand decal that shifted the voice to the local residents, and provided an entry point for them to participate in the brand.
The decal was adapted by the local community in more ways than I had imagined. It was printed onto paper bags that were used by retail shops through Port Stephens. Stickers were also printed to feature on shop windows. The stickers were also sold at the local tourism centre for local residents.
FOCUS ON A SIMPLE HUMAN TRUTH
A transparent brand that is courageous enough to reveal all its true colours, is one that is more likely to connect and engage people on a more meaningful level.
The more I think about brands, the more similarities I realise they have to us humans. If you meet somebody who hesitates to show you anything beyond the veneer of their persona, its harder to get in, and really get to know them. It’s no different with a brand. If you only show your fancy logo and latest campaign headlines, there is no depth of character for people to latch onto and feel connected to.
REINVENT THE GUIDELINES
Still so traditional, bring in line with new media, videos, movement – have to be engaging, not a university lecture.
The more I think about brands, the more similarities I realise they have to us humans. If you meet somebody who hesitates to show you anything beyond the veneer of their persona, its harder to get in, and really get to know them. It’s no different with a brand. If you only show your fancy logo and latest campaign headlines, there is no depth of character for people to latch onto and feel connected to.
