Branding Bournemouth
I was going to kick start this post with my talk on branding but that was a modicum of my Bournemouth experience.
When I was recommended to discuss branding by my beloved friend Danielle Newnham, I was elated. A new space, a different crowd.. which millennial doesn't love a challenge? I landed around 16:00 on Tuesday 11th July... to rain. But very early on in my life, I've learnt to find gratitude in typically annoying and unpredictable situations. Our content creator was able to join me, so he pulled out his camera, grabbed my scarf, headed straight to the beach and began shooting; just as every "tourist" guide would instruct.
As soon as we hopped off the bus, the Ferris wheel grabbed our attention, and just like any social media squad would we documented via Instagram Stories and Snapchat. But I couldn't help but acknowledge the beautifully designed restaurant nearby. The further we moved along, the better the architecture, who would've known?! The design was an indication that there was more to Bournemouth than I had anticipated, and I couldn't wait to share the experience with the team.
We then met Matt Desmier, the person who put the call out on social, and what a good aura he has. Matt re-confirmed that I would be amongst 23-50-year-olds, Hosted by Bournemouth Council comprised of Lawyers, Creatives, Agency Executives and more; and luckily before my talk, I had the chance to connect with a few strategists and account managers, of whom informed me that there were quite a few agencies Based in Bournemouth.
This allowed me to reposition my talk. Much rather than speak on how other brands had done it, much rather than sound like an article on Branding, I tailored my message to the audience. Something I recommend every speaker to do. Speaking shouldn't be a PR opportunity, even if you feel as though your business would benefit from it. Avoid the 'salesly' as it'll reveal itself, attempt to provide as much value as possible to your audience. Give, don't take.
Now to the talk: Welcomed with warm energy, I dug straight into personal and company branding. I discussed how deconstructing the teams that were to work on 'Branding Bournemouth' would have a huge impact on the work. Of course, there were quite a few things I discussed.. but that's a super long post so I've shared the slides from the night. Feel free to drop me a line if you have any more questions.
Post talk, from myself and John Brown, four groups then went off to brainstorm, identify areas of improvement and growth for Bournemouth. This was an extremely enjoyable part of the evening, so there was no way was I ready to get up and leave, I had to engage. Check out some shots below.
I came to discover that businesses are rapidly expanding, with new restaurants, hotels, bars and cafes opening, which also accommodate the expanding university and tourist climate. Regular unique festivals and events such as the air shows, new forest festivals, bar shows touching base, are allowing Bournemouth to build itself as a cultural capital.
All in all, it was a great day. I suggest you head out/down to Bournemouth and explore it for yourself. The journey only took 2 hours from London Waterloo, and I heard it's pretty cheap if you book it two weeks in advance 😉
Do let me know your thoughts below or send me a tweet!
