Stories of Conviction

When your customers remember the room, not the brand that booked it.

Behind every enduring brand is a moment of decision - when belief had to become action. I thought I’d revisit and assemble a few I’ve had the privilege of contributing to. If only for my own entertainment. They’re not about best practice, but about what it takes (in the immortal words of Dolly Parton) to find out who you are and do it on purpose, when the easier path might have been to compromise.

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Like what do you do when you are disproportionately reliant on paid search and find that your customers are booking accomodation but have no memory that it was through you?

That was the challenge facing booking.com.

You refocus on the top of the funnel, and remember what Theodore Levitt said about people not wanting to buy a quarter-inch drill but wanting a quarter-inch hole. You recognise that near-infinite inventory is just the means, own the category entry point, assert your superpower - delivering the delight of right - and brand the living daylights out of it. Then you revel in the (baffling) fact that the launch spot became one of the UK’s most complained about TVCs.

Sometimes all you need is an eye-opening data point, the tiniest shittiest ‘war room’ ever, five people and one week to go from pitch to pre-production - and birth a long-term global creative platform.

Need help finding your brand’s superpower and manifesting it in the world with intent, conviction, and authenticity?

Let’s talk.
martin@emdub.co