substance:text

A Story of Substance.

So let’s get the formalities out of the way…Hello. My name is Sedick. And I’m a creative. (Everyone together now: “H e l l o S e d i c k”)

I’m here to tell my story.You could call it my life story, but that would just be blowing it way out of proportion. The story is about creativity, and how to use it.Properly.Now, just so you know, I don’t work. I loathe the concept of ‘work’. So I chose to look at it differently. Being creative is not a job or a career to me anymore. I chose to LIVE it.

*substance:text - volume 1Copyright © 2010 Substance Creative Communications. All Rights Reserved. This book is a compilation of articles written by Sedick Sasman at www.substance-creative.co.za

Any characters, situations or events portrayed in this publication are exclusively from the mind of this guy and are almost completely fictional. If you feel offended or if you feel that a piece of writing is about you, there’s nothing that can be done about that. Maybe seek some psycological help.

If you have access to a printer, please PRINT this book. Feel free to share it with your friends/colleagues but please keep the original text intact.2

Well…

that’s me, and

my story is

just getting

started…

I believe that a successful brand/business combines it’s vision, creative strategy and design into one strong message or “story”. One that grabs the attention from the right people, for the right reasons, and at the right time. I believe all brands/businesses have a story to tell, a personality if you will, and I want to show you how to create one with substance.

P A U S E for

dramatic EFFECT

…cue the slightly scary orchestra music… 3

Have you ever seen a rendition of Shakespeare’s Hamlet performed through interpretive dance?Don’t. It’s stupid.Some crazy art nut tried performing it on a busy street corner once, trying to promote his new “play”. It wasn’t elegant, beautiful, or dramatic. It was a massive failure. I guess you could say it was tragic.But it did prove something. Creativity gets attention. Even if it IS the type of creativity where a grown man dances around in a far-too-revealing tight yellow leotard.

To each his own.

Creativity sells. Maybe even more than sex. But that’s notthe type of creativity I am talking about. And it’s certainlynot the type of creativity where you wear ridiculouslytight outfits and traumatize the world with your loosedance moves and your tight packed balls.

I am talking about a creativity where instead of getting asmuch attention as you possibly can; it is about getting attention from the right people, for the rightreasons, at the right time. I am talking about a creativity with a strategic direction. I am talking about a creativity with purpose.

Creativity with Purpose.CH

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Now that is only a small example of the horror that is going on everyday. But at a larger scale, businesses/brands are making the very same mistake all over the world; they are spending all their time on the “flash” of aesthetics and forgetting about its direction, forgetting about its strategy. They believe that what has worked for them 10 years ago will still work for them today.But the consumer has changed.ALOT.Creativity with purpose is a better way of thinking. It’s about considering every angle before communication. It’s creativity driven by strong strategic direction – Achieving the balance between aesthetics, function and result.For Mr. Yellow Leotard, it might mean understanding

his target market before showing his package again. For businesses elsewhere, it is about developing well thought out creative materialthat connects with the consumers they want. And not just the type of connection that you get when strutting your stuff through interpretive dance, but the type of connection that welcomes their attention and interests them enough to WANT to engage.Consumers are looking for much more in your communication than flashy dance moves or pretty pictures. Too many things are fighting for their attention already. They need the intellectual stimulation as well as the emotional response. They need the creativity as well as the conviction of a strong brand strategy. They need more than just the aesthetics.They need substanceCreativity with Purpose.

Copyright © 2010 Substance Creative Communications. All Rights Reserved. From the mind of Sedick Sasman. www.substance-creative.co.za 5

Anything Worth Doing.

So now we’ve established that bad publicity or a bad impression can destroy your business or brand. How do we then, create the right message, in the right tone, at the right time?Firstly, those business cards, letterheads and flyers you saved tons of money on printing at your brother-in-law’s friend’s nephew’s son’s little print shop down the road;chuck it! (Yes, you read correctly)These might be okay when you’re amongst your friends, exchanging cards and

comparing costs, but if you want the trust of your target market, it pays to do it right.Think of it this way, before you got where you are today,you probably had to start working for “The Man”. Youwent to great lengths to ensure your CV/resumé was in order, and that it communicated the right message. You also got up early on the morning of your interview, took a 2 hour shower, and ironed your perfectly matched I-am-a-professional outfit… Twice.You then rocked up 30 minutes early for the meeting. Efficient, I would say.Similarly, the type of meticulous, almost compulsive, attention to the impression you’re creating is what your brand/business has to go through. Everyday.

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Anything Worth Doing.

Your business is constantly in the job application phase, and you have to treat it as such. Many companies adopt a “me too” approach to their creative communications.“Hey, John around the corner has glow-in-the-dark flyers, and all it says is: if you can read this, you need me. Let’s make our stuff glow in the dark! It’s going to be awesome!”It’s not.John has a lighting company, so for his business it makes some sense. It says something about his brand. You, on the other hand, own an investment business.Get real.It won’t work for you.Your communications should be tailored to your specific

service. What is it that you want to say?Think of your CV and interview…You need a creative communication strategy that tells this“story”.

This strategy can be as simple as solving these few questions:• What is the “personality” of my brand/business?• Does my logo appear the same everywhere?• Is the same paper type used for printed material?• Are my colours consistent?• Do I use the same typeface everywhere?

These are some of your most basic day-to-day “handshakes” and job applications. It is worth doing properly.

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The Story of YOUR Brand.

You now have that job. There is a standard you have set and need to consistently uphold. (It doesn’t help if you were dishonest in your application. Actually, you’ll probably get fired eventually.)You need to build and maintain the trustbetween your brand and your client.Now, it’s very difficult to do this if youhave already screwed up by beingdishonest. It’s not entirely impossible, butextremely difficult. (But more on thatlater) The best way to build and maintain trust with your client is to be consistent with

your message. Ensure that what you arecommunicating is the same on all levels.From advertising, PR, right through to the internal workings of your company. Convey your story properly.For example, your brand/business made a first impression that… well, impressed your new client, who decides to take the plunge and buy your product or service.Proceeding with the sale, you package it in a 10c unbranded plastic bag and your cashier, who didn’t wash his/her oily hands after lunch, hands him a generic hand written receipt. You might be thinking, “Oh hell no! I wouldn’t do that!” Maybe you won’t, but all these small details count, and there are two ways that this can end:

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The Story of YOUR Brand.

1. The client remembers the bad service, tells his friends, and never comes back.2. It was such an uneventful experience, he tells no one, and forgets about you.None of these are good.You need to put in a bigger effort to ensure that yourclient knows that you value his time and money spentwith you. Whether it be spending a little bit extra onpackaging, or making sure your staff conduct themselvesin way that echoes you brand’s values. These little thingsgo a long way in ensuring return business. You need tocontinue telling the story you introduced with your initialcommunication material, be it flyers, ads or even word ofmouth.

“But what if the markets and economy changes? Would I not need to adapt my budgets?” Companies have the tendency to buckle under the pressure of the economic state we all fall victim to. This does not have to happen. Your story can continue even when on a tight budget. The key is to make an economic crisis work for you, and to make every effort to not ever water down your story.


Do You... Who

It’s all good and well that you have a brilliant concept for telling your story, but now the hard part starts. Who wants or needs to hear it? Are you strutting your stuff to the right audience? Is your story relevant and will they understand it? Refer back to Mr. Yellow Leotard. If he maybe chose a better place to show off his package loose dance moves, he might have just gotten the attention of a fewtheatre loving people. Or people who likeyellow for some reason.

(Maybe even people into men in tights, but hey, I’mjust putting it out there!) Anyway, some of these people thought: “Hey, this looks really interesting! I wantto see more!” They bought tickets, front row mind you, and enjoyed the mind-boggling spectacle of men and women in under-sized clothing.And that’s what we want initially, those few bright, savvy minds. Find them, and you can convey your story… in vivid detail! Because they will want to listen. If it’s compelling enough, your story will be told and retold… continuously. (or 10-Fold, if that makes sense to you)Brands forget, sometimes, to connect with their customers as people and not just mobile ATMs.They lose sight of what their core message is and just

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Do You... Who

sell to make money. The audience becomes expendable to them. Now you might be wondering where to find your devoted, long standing followers. The idea that‘everyone, everywhere’ is your market does not work. Yes you might pick up a few customers outside your market, but that’s not the ideal place to focus your energies.

Most die-hard business folk will tell you to rely on “Market Segmentation”. This involves things like demographics, age, gender, income, race (yeah, they STILL do that!), education, lifestyle, and so on. This is important stuff but is it still the only essential factor in your strategy?Audiences can change, so you need to be ready for it.

Research your target market until you nailit, then, keep on researching. Once you’re in the process of conveying your story “on theground” you’ll notice that this could also be a valuable source of information.Think about it.The world has evolved and shrunk tremendously. People have become more intelligent (seriously), more open to suggestion, more curious and, dare I say, immune to marketing and design tactics of old. They see through all the fakeness that bombards them everyday.This is the situation that we as small businesses find ourselves in. Some will see it as a bad thing. To others it’s the best situation to be in. We need to be part of those ‘others’.It all depends on WHO you are telling your story to. As for how? Well… that comes next.

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Selling the Drama

What is this “drama” you ask? This is what is going to keep your audience engaged. This drama is theessence and the climax of your story.This “drama”, my dear person, is what your brand stands for. It is what will make crowds stand up and cheer your name. (and sometimes take their tops off…) It is what you will be remembered for. Imagine this: Your product or service goes on sale after a shiny-over-the-top marketing campaign. You sell out and make millions!

Successful, some might say. But, is it really? What are you going to do now, besides buy a yacht? Have you captured the hearts of your audience? How about, NO.You have created a business that makes a huge amount of money. No drama. No substance. No encore.A one hit wonder. A relationship between you and your audience was not formed. Remember your first love. (Yes, I’m going there… mostly because I can… and nobody isstopping me.) You all know what I’m talking about right? Either partner wanted the other to know exactly what they wanted, when they wanted. (Please stop thinking what I think you’re thinking!) You had to develop a sense of mutual understanding, trust, and a little bit of telepathy.You ignited the passion in each other and rooms came alive with your presence. Every song was about you and your lives were dramatic, thrilling and exciting. Now you didn’t get here by being a douche-bag.

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You took the risk of letting your partner into your life. And THAT risk is an important one.Even if this sounds like a fairy tale to you, the relationship between your brand and customer is much the same. Or at least, when you start believing that your customers are partners in your brand’s success rather than just buyers. Your customers are as much a part of your brand, as your brand is of their lives. Keeping that in mind, ask yourself these questions: “Do I know what my partner wants?”(“partner” being your customer… focus!); “Do I want my partner to stick around because of my awesome products or my brand’s values?” And the most important question: “Do I want my partner/customer to be part of who I am?”The answer to that last one should be “Yes”.Now take a look at what your brand is communicating. Your brand should be conveying the right message by selling, advertising and marketing more than just its products and services. (Like you eventually convinced the love of your life that you are more than a flashy car.) Honesty and transparency in your creative strategy plays a bigger part in this than you might think.

Remember when I went on and on about your corporate ID being your “CV” and your introduction? This is the follow-through. Your creative communications needs to convey the essence and the climax of your story. It needs to make crowds stand up and cheer your name.

In other words, you need to invite your customers to share in the DRAMA that is your brand. You want them to buy INTO your offering. If you communicate this effectively, you will not only gain customers, but lifelong partners. This is a good risk to take. (Unless you like spending your days writing sad sonnets in the basement.)Your brand is your customer, and yourcustomer is your brand. Making money isnot the primary objective. Your communication should strive to make them aware of this by having a story of truth, and with substance.


A Poet, A Madman... and a Box.

They did not walk into a bar. That would be dumb. This is not that kind of story. This is a story about food. Whaaaat? Food.Everyday we go about our daily motionseating out of a plate, eating soup with aspoon, having our drink from a glass.Who said it has to be this way?When you eat out, or order in, what is itthat makes you choose your meal? Mostof the time it will probably be somethingthat someone, somewhere out thererecommended. I guess we do it because

it’s tried and tested. Someone else liked it,so it should be good. Well, maybe. But what if we applied our minds like that of a poet ? (Whoa!) Harmonizing our thought process, thinking abstractly and letting our emotions steer our decision. What experience do we want out of it? Or what if we twisted our minds like that of a madman, creating our own meal with bits of everything on the menu? Why do we not create something unique and off base?How about some chocolate, chili and cheese? (That actually sounds awesome, I’m going to try it!)It’s easy to fall into a comfort zone, ordering the weekly special. Which, as it turns out, is not that special. We need to take that first idea we had and roll with it.

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A Poet, A Madman... and a Box.

You know the one I’m talking about. The one where everybody said: “That’s a crazy idea! It will never work.” That idea is most likely the best one you’ll ever have. It’s what we need, a little bit of crazy.Forget about the “box” people speak of. Trying to think out of it just leads you to focus on it more and you end up creating another box to think your way out of. Not ideal.It all starts with having some fun. Loving what you do and being yourself. Facebooking or gaming all day is not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about taking that riskand putting the idea you’ve been “saving” into action. Ignore the cynical critics, (maybe even show them the finger,) and do it.NOW.

Building a brand around the uniqueness (and craziness) of you is the most rewarding thing you can ever do. Being successful is not making tons of money. It’s about feeling good about what you are doing.

It’s about being the poet AND the madman and taking the night, making it yours. When you get this right, it will resonate through your brand and it’s communication to youraudience.

So how about that chocolate, chili and cheese?


One Day... When I Grow

That day is today.

You might feel uneasy about it, you might not like it, but that’s the way it is. So, deal with it.

You’re probably thinking to yourself: “I have a super cool idea but I don’t knowhow, or if, it can make money.” If this iswhat’s stopping you, you stand a goodchance of missing out on Awesomeness.And awesomeness is not about adding atitle to your name to make more money.

It’s about making that little change, shouting “YES!!!” to that voice in your head, and following your heart.So, what DID you want to be when you grew up?“It doesn’t matter what you are doing now, you can still do what you love.” – Sedick Sasman.Write that down.Now I’m not saying you can be ANYONE. (Just take a look at some of yesterday’s presidents) I’m saying that you can DO anything, by being YOU. Read that carefully.You know the feeling you get when out shopping and you see shoes that you just HAVE TO have, or the new i-thingy-ma-jig that just launched (or leaked), sitting there on a shelf calling out your name? All sense of reason and logic escapes you. You don’t care whether you have

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One Day... When I Grow

enough money, you just charge it and worry about the money later. (Or top up your credit!)This is the type of energy you should be channeling into your ideas; the sense of taking ownership of something great. Let’s have a chat, contact me here, and maybe we can talk over some coffee. (or peanuts.) Let’s make those ideas happen already!

That day is today.

UPIt’s about making that little

change, shouting “Yes!!!”


Anywhere I Lay My Hat.

There are brands/businesses out there that started out full of fire and with visions ofgrandeur, but then suddenly vanished.Maybe their marketing plan failedeventually; maybe they just sucked.Or maybe… they didn’t connect enoughor effectively with their customer.Remember the story about your customersbeing a part of your brand? You don’t?Shame on you! (Move back 6 spaces)One of the major struggles, especially forsmall businesses, is gaining and keeping

momentum. Slumps happen all the time.(If you’re laying on the beach somewhere, that’s your own fault) It happens to me as well. One day you arefully energized and ready to take over the world (or a small island), and the next… nothing. Nada.Full system shutdown.The thing is, if you create that connection with your audience, losing some momentum now and then may not be THAT depressing. Ok that sounds a little melodramatic, but you get the idea. (Right?) Your audience has the power to keep it going. The ‘force’ is strong with them. It just takes a little bit of openness and a pinch of selflessness. Add in some trust and you’re good to go.

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Anywhere I Lay My Hat.

I’m sorry to say but these qualities are sorely lacking in many brands, companies and especially in the people themselves. It’s easy to say that you can build your brand without them. Maybe you can.

But can your brand survive without them?


Music. Magic. Muchness.

What is it about you or your brand that makes people want to dance?We spoke briefly about selling the dramaand how important winning the hearts ofyour audience is, but you also need amethod for doing this.Think of this method as your soundtrack.The world is, after all, one infinite playlist.(What? You didn’t know? C’mon,EVERYBODY knows that!)Can YOU put a soundtrack to everythingyou do, or the way you do it?

Once upon a time, I had to sit through a meeting with some quite important people. Initially the thought of it was exciting and intriguing, but after the 1½ hourpresentation (or rather 2 hours, since they were ridiculously late) I was left confused and tired with a splitting headache. The presentation was filled with information that did not really focus on what we were there for. The presenter seemed to enjoy talking and listening to himself talking. (Yeah, that does sound a bit rude…)

I, on the other hand, imagined him suddenly breaking into song and throwing us all off centre. Needless to say, I felt a bit out of place like a mad scientist in a room full of account executives.

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Music. Magic. Muchness.

All I could focus on in this 2 hour nightmare was tapping my feet accurately to the tune of “footloose” and using my jedi powers to stop my stomach from grumbling.My point is, there was no “rhythm” keeping me in tune with the unfolding “drama”. No method of engaging me. No soundtrack and absolutely no magic.“Those who hear your music will remember how to dance.”You know when watching a movie, even if we’re not consciously listening to the soundtrack, it is there, channeling our emotions, guiding us through the story. It adds some depth to the drama being presented. Imagine how bland a movie would be without it.

Other examples would be coffee shops and fast food joints. Coffee shops play slow, soothing sounds to keep you relaxed and, in so doing, keep you sitting there buying more coffee. Fast food joints normally opt for faster, more upbeat music, influencing the speed at which you eat so that you can leave quicker, making the table available to the next bunch of people. These are some literal examples but the concept behind it remains the same for your brand. When you take a look at everything you have worked out for your brand, think about how you would like it all to flow.

What type of playlist or soundtrack will it have?


The Re-Return

That is not a typo…I’m talking about networking, but not inthe traditional understanding of the word.You know, the kind businesses use to describe handing out business cards.Networking is NOT giving everyone a yellow leotard and getting them to do a happy dance, so that your [cleans throat]ego can expand. At least, that’s the way Isee it in my strange, weird way.Many seem to believe in forming as manybusiness relationships as possible, andthereby getting tons of referrals. Thismight work for some but eventually the

quality of your relationships could possibly be the downfall of your company. (If you don’t have a nervous breakdown first!) Sometimes the most random of encounters, whether in your personal or professional life, was an opportunity presenting itself. An opportunity to learn, share and grow but you missed it. You were too busy calculating how many people the new, happy leotard owners are going to tell. One handshake with a seemingly random person may have changed everything. For you or them.“The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed.” – Carl JungHow important are the people you connect with, to you?

Networking is about strengthening character,

giving depth to your story and a meaning to

y

our Brand.

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Do you value every encounter in your daily life, good or bad? One thing to keep in mind before answering that is we are people first, before our businesses. Think about how previous encounters has shaped tiny little fragments of who you are today. (Or how it all added tracks to your life’s playlist. )I see such a blurry line between our professional and personal lives that I’m beginning to wonder if the line should be there at all. (Don’t worry I haven’t lost ALL of my mind)There’s an archaic saying about the mixing of personal and business lives and how it shouldn’t be done. I say non sense! My reason? Well, it’s because that type of thinking perpetuates the idea that the sole purpose of your business is to make money. (I do agree that money can screw up anything, if you LET it) But what if money didn’t exist? What would we do with our businesses? What will we have?

(This is where you can say I’ve lost my mind… if you feel like it)Networking should be seen as a means for growth, personally and professionally. We are all connected in one way or another. Sometimes we’re supposed to learn from our encounters. Sometimes we’re the ones doing the teaching. The tricky part is, we never know which one we are. All the more reason to value the connections we make daily, no matter how small or negative it may seem.I, for one, cannot write any of these articles if it wasn’t for the PEOPLE I’ve encountered on my journey. Whether they’re still in my life or not, an impact was made. And whether this writing makes me tons of money or not, I’m still learning and growing. So if money ceases to exist, that relationships will be all that’s left.Networking is about strengthening character, giving depth to your story and a meaning to your Brand.Networking is about strengthening character,

giving depth to your story and a meaning to

y

our Brand.Copyright © 2010 Substance Creative Communications. All Rights Reserved. From the mind of Sedick Sasman. www.substance-creative.co.za

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story of substance

right time

life story

right people

right reasons

o s e d i c kim

creative strategy

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