Accent on London

By Jean Grow

We wrapped up our London ethnographic brand tracking on Monday. If there was one constant that made our visit a success it was everyone at Accent. Robbie was an extraordinary guide, making London come to life at every turn. Natasa, and her staff, made our time in London delicious on every level.

After more than a week of agency visits and tracking brands in culture the students have become fine fledgling ethnographers—with many thanks to the inspiring words of Alfie and Adam at Flamingo International.

Our agency visits helped us see the sweet spots that underline British advertising. Lucy at Wieden+Kennedy encouraged students to take chances and be willing to make mistakes. Gareth and his team at EuroRSCG demonstrated global branding brilliance with three case studies. Students left with a deeper understanding of global branding—inspired to consider the possibilities for advertising justice with the tck, tck, tck campaign.

Off we went to Manchester to learn about British B2B, from the best of the best at IAS. More on that in my next post.

We ended our time in London making a cultural collage with contributions from each student—none of which could be purchased. Check our their interpretation of the collage in the form of headlines posted in the comment section.

More from the north soon.

Jean Grow is an Associate Professor in the Advertising/Public Relations department at Marquette University. This summer, she leads a global brand tracking class through London and Prague to explore advertising across cultures. Follow her class’ blog at http://globalbrandtracking.wordpress.com.

The Dirty Business of BP’s Corporate Reputation Cleanup: Examining the PR Response to the Gulf Oil Spill

By Jennifer Janviere

If the situation weren’t so catastrophic, one could almost focus on the irony: British Petroleum, one of the world’s largest oil companies, spent millions re-branding itself as “Beyond Petroleum,” the eco-friendly oil company, only to eventually be linked to one of the country’s worst environmental disasters.

Over one month since the Deepwater Horizon rig failure and millions of barrels of crude oil leaked into the Gulf of Mexico, the company is still at a loss for containing the spill. The effects are already apparent in Gulf Coast communities: oil washing up on beaches, damaging both the natural landscape and the industries on which the local population depends, such as fishing and tourism.

How does a company respond to a devastating crisis with such long lasting implications for so many people? Immediately following the rupture, BP sprung into action, attempting to settle for damages with the people of the Gulf Coast. The company offered residents a cash settlement in exchange for residents and businesses waiving their right to later sue the company, that is, until this was quickly halted by a U.S. District Court and the Alabama Attorney General.

24 Hours in London

By Jean Grow

It’s amazing what a good night’s sleep can do!

We began my first full day in London with a visit to Vinopolis. There, Will Brix provided us with an amazing brand experience, sharing the fascinating back story of Bombay Sapphire.

Then it was off to Borough Market. There, in the world’s longest continuously running public market, students conducted some ethnographic fieldwork.

We wrapped up back at Vinopolis for wine tasting—thanks Will—and dined on Indian tapas at Imli in Soho.

Jean Grow is an Associate Professor in the Advertising/Public Relations department at Marquette University. This summer, she leads a global brand tracking class through London and Prague to explore advertising across cultures. Follow her class’ blog at http://globalbrandtracking.wordpress.com.