# Blah, Blah, Blah > Writing about brands, bands and creativity. Skim through for a quick read, or dive in properly, it's all here to browse at your own pace, whenever you like. Public Ghost content for AI and LLM tooling. This file includes a bounded export of public pages first, then recent public posts. Append `.md` to any post or page URL to get the content in Markdown (for example, `/example-post.md`). ## Pages ### Hello URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/welcome/ Last updated: 2025-10-16T10:17:56.000Z ### Welcome to Blah, Blah, Blah *Blah, Blah, Blah* is an independent publication for all content from PIN Creative; a space for short reflections, stories, and ideas about brands, bands, and creativity. When you subscribe, you’ll get full access to every post, from the weekly Quick PINT to deeper essays on branding, thoughts about music, live events and creative culture. There are no tiers or paywalls. Everyone’s on the free list. Accounts are only needed if you want to comment or manage your settings. --- ### Access all areas You’ll get access to the full archive, everything written before, and everything still to come. Think of it as your own private library of insights, stories, and side notes from the world of brands and bands. Stay up to date with new pieces straight to your inbox. No algorithms, no social feeds, just calm, useful content when it’s ready. --- ### Join the conversation If you want to dig deeper, you can: - Book a [Quick Cha](https://calendly.com/pincreative/chat?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com)t with me if you’d like to talk about your brand. - Email me directly at [nigel@pincreative.co.uk](mailto:nigel@pincreative.co.uk). - Join the [Untangle Your Brand Facebook Group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/untangleyourbrand) to connect with others exploring similar ideas. --- ### ### Start your own thing Enjoying the experience? Get started for free and set up your very own subscription business using [Ghost](https://ghost.org/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com), the same platform that powers this website. ### Archive URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/archive/ Last updated: 2025-10-14T16:29:28.000Z Explore every story, Quick PINT, and reflection from *Blah, Blah, Blah* — all in one place. ### Account URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/account/ Last updated: 2025-10-14T16:34:16.000Z _No content available._ ### Log In URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/signin/ Last updated: 2025-10-14T16:41:11.000Z _No content available._ ### Sign Up URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/signup/ Last updated: 2025-10-14T16:41:01.000Z _No content available._ ### Membership URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/membership/ Last updated: 2025-10-14T16:43:02.000Z _No content available._ ## Posts ### Extra! Extra! Extra! September; IDEA, AI, I'm a... URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/extra-extra-extra-september-idea-ai-im-a/ Last updated: 2026-10-02T16:25:55.000Z ## Brand Extra! *What's going on in the world of branding?* ### I for IDEA Vicki Strachan had built a respected intellectual property practice, but the brand felt institutional, all legal language and process. Her own approach was different: clear, approachable and commercially focused. Ideas can start anywhere, even on a beer mat. That became the foundation. We repositioned Strachan IP around a simple idea, protect your innovation, grow with confidence, and gave the work a spine: the IDEA Framework. Identify, Defend, Expand, Advise. Strachan IP now speaks the language of the innovators it serves, not the language of the law. [Read the full case study →](https://untangleyourbrand.com/work/strachanip?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) [Protecting innovation. Enabling growth.Strachan IP | Turning complex intellectual property into confident commercial progress | Professional![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/358ef569-a475-483f-881e-94e762373554-8d535388-c1c4-4419-ace0-c3cc4153f999.jpg)Protecting innovation. Enabling growth.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/7c3c5307-c065-4d80-89a0-9f822cbac97a-35cfcb86-2e8f-454a-a39c-169877d81056.png)](https://untangleyourbrand.com/work/strachanip?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) --- ## Business Extra! *What's going on in my business?* ### I for I use AI Has a client asked how you're using AI in your work? Are you open about it? Or are you giving away your secret sauce? The doomsters say AI will destroy the world. The boomsters say it will cure cancer. The truth is probably somewhere in between, which is exactly why it's worth deciding how we use it. The questions clients actually ask are smaller and closer to home. Is my information safe? Is the work really yours? So I've written and published "How I use AI" on my website. No one asked me to. It's not a contract. It's more of a manifesto. In summary: your data isn't training AI. My work is original. [**Read "How I use AI" on my website →**](https://untangleyourbrand.com/ai?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) [How I use AI | Untangle Your BrandAn honest account of how I use AI in my brand work. It supports the work. It doesn’t do the work. Your data isn’t training AI, and my work is original.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/358ef569-a475-483f-881e-94e762373554-1153f3eb-e96c-4459-bd01-3e6a78bac7f4.jpg)How I use AI | Untangle Your Brand![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/0262c931-28b1-43ea-8410-cd9233124c43-f051b4e6-059f-4ed0-a253-41e0e0458588.jpg)](https://untangleyourbrand.com/ai?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) [**Read the full post on Substack →**](https://substack.com/@pincreative/note/p-217430105?utm%5Fsource=notes-share-action&r=hid8m) [How I Use AII’ve written and published “How I use AI” on my website. Have you?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/https-3A-2F-2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com-2Fpublic-2Fimages-2Fd3101765-6b11-4066-97cd-5771369166bf-2Ffavicon-48x48-6f569a23-240c-460b-b0e7-a7cc36aa1864.png)Untangle Your BrAInNigel Davies![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/https-3A-2F-2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com-2Fpublic-2Fimages-2Fd0f82d85-118e-43a8-8fc0-71a5a11716ef_1200x640-48808c92-165c-4fae-b0f8-6c514f8a2f3e.jpg)](https://substack.com/@pincreative/note/p-217430105?utm%5Fsource=notes-share-action&r=hid8m) --- ## Band Extra! *What's going on on my turntable?* ### I for I'm a... "I'm a million different people from one day to the next." The Verve had swagger. "I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo." Radiohead were honest. "I'm a loser, baby." Beck too. "I'm a rocket man." Elton John reached for it. "I'm a Woman. W-O-M-A-N." Peggy Lee said it twice, just to be sure. What are you beyond just your business role? Mine are simple. I'm a Curator. I like putting things together. I'm a Connector. I like to pull on the threads. I'm a Creator. I like to make original content. Now, over to you. I'm a... [Read the full post →](https://lnkd.in/p/ggcnfT23?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) [#untangleyourbrand #brands #bands | Nigel Davies | 17 comments“I’m a million different people from one day to the next.” The Verve had swagger. “I’m a creep, I’m a weirdo.” Radiohead were honest. “I’m a loser, baby.” Beck too. “I’m a real nowhere man.” The Beatles, knew their place “I’m a real wild child.” Iggy Pop, really was. “I’m a rocket man.” Elton John reached for it. “I’m a rocket ship on my way to Mars.” Queen, went further still. “I’m a joker, I’m a smoker, I’m a midnight toker.” Steve Miller Band, no apologies. “I’m a material girl, living in a material world.” Madonna, understood consumerism. “I’m a Barbie girl, in the Barbie world.” Aqua, just made it simpler. “I’m a survivor.” Destiny’s Child, kept on going. “I’m a Woman. W-O-M-A-N.” Peggy Lee said it twice, just to be sure. Everyone’s got an “I’m a...” Some are personal. Some are reflective. Some are inspiring. Mine are simple. I’m a Curator. I like putting things together. I’m a Connector. I like to pull on the threads. I’m a Creator. I like to make original content. Now, over to you. I’m a... Listen to the playlist here https://lnkd.in/gx6sbu7R Thanks to Erin Halper and the team at The Upside for inspiring this post. #UntangleYourBrand #Brands #Bands | 17 comments on LinkedIn![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/al2o9zrvru7aqj8e1x2rzsrca-eaacfa9a-4fdf-483e-bf82-6cd9cff63b18.ico)LinkedInNigel Davies![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/1789486086703-9c12056d-f54c-4ff2-b71f-3b433a29071f.gif)](https://lnkd.in/p/ggcnfT23?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) [Listen to the playlist →](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1Mev2GAmvgwv3szlvTolB5?si=8d3a8a0fb59242fe&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Do you use A-C-R-O-N-Y-M-S in your business? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/do-you-use-a-c-r-o-n-y-m-s-in-your-business/ Last updated: 2026-09-18T18:42:07.000Z Do you have a signature framework? Does it have a name? Do you have "A Clearly Recognisable Outline, Naming Your Memorable Solution"? When I started working with IP lawyer Vicki Strachan, she had a range of services and ways she helped her clients. Patents, Designs, Trademarks, Strategy, Training, Other. A shopping list. Strachan IP is a patent and intellectual property practice, helping ambitious, technology-led founders protect what they've built before someone else copies it. The old brand felt institutional, all legal language and process. We repositioned the business around a simple idea: protect your innovation, grow with confidence. One of the early things I suggested was a name that reflects the excitement she gets when working with a business, the original spark of an idea. The IDEA Framework, is the spine of what Strachan actually do, a clear route through what can be a genuinely confusing part of building a business. IDEA – Identify, Defend, Expand, Advise. An acronym, a short word made from the first letters of a longer phrase or name, might seem an obvious route. But sometimes the obvious is best. I've done it for other clients and am likely to suggest the same route again. When the acronym is simple and relevant it's actually a neat way of making your framework memorable. Where it goes wrong though is if you try and force the word and the meaning. Good acronyms work quietly. You only really see them once they're pointed out, so whilst you need: **A** **C**learly **R**ecognisable **O**utline, **N**aming **Y**our **M**emorable **S**olution. You don't need to force ACRONYMS, just name your memorable solution. "I didn't really understand the term 'branding' before engaging with Nigel — now our front-facing resources are brilliantly evocative of what we stand for. We are thrilled with the results." — Vicki Strachan Enjoy your Quick PINT. Read the full case study on how we repositioned Strachan IP around a more human, commercially grounded approach to innovation protection, here. [Protecting innovation. Enabling growth.Strachan IP | Turning complex intellectual property into confident commercial progress | Professional![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/358ef569-a475-483f-881e-94e762373554-e6a0422c-b906-4864-a1d4-b069021aee00.jpg)Protecting innovation. Enabling growth.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/7c3c5307-c065-4d80-89a0-9f822cbac97a-9e75079c-9e6b-4da0-b2a0-c687f1ec513c.png)](https://untangleyourbrand.com/work/strachanip?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Do I need a personal brand? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/do-i-need-a-personal-brand/ Last updated: 2026-08-28T17:11:33.000Z "Do I need a personal brand?" A lot of people ask me that. Not many like the answer I give them. And that answer is no. You don't need a personal brand. You are a person. You have personality. People like your personality. Well, maybe some don't. But that's fine. Not being liked can actually be a positive. It gets rid of people you wouldn't like anyway. So what are they really asking? They're asking for permission to be more human in their business. To have some fun. To let their hair down. To be themselves. And that I can totally get behind. But you don't need a fake signature scrawl or a White Company themed photoshoot. You need to express yourself. Maybe not the Monday morning 7am version. People buy people. And that's true for businesses and brands. Just be who you are. No one else can be you. And that's why you stand out. That's your brand. Now here's a question I get asked just as often "Should I use a personal name or a corporate name for my business?" This time there's no definitive answer. It depends. A personal name, if it's unique enough, will push you front and centre of the business. Good for visibility. Not so good for long term if you're building a team or an empire. A corporate name makes the business the centre of attention. Less good for visibility, but it lets the business grow beyond you. One is about personal identity. The other is about business identity. If you're not sure which fits you, take this test, answer a few quick questions, and you'll have your answer. [https://untangleyourbrand.com/name](https://untangleyourbrand.com/name?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) Enjoy your Quick PINT. [Untangle your brand nameShould you use your own name for your brand or develop a ‘corporate’ name? Answer a few quick questions and discover what is the best approach for you![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/358ef569-a475-483f-881e-94e762373554-2e24e75b-ed78-4577-a243-47e8f1aabad1.jpg)Untangle your brand name![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/5347152b-57ae-403a-82a8-cea24914c5f9-2c8fb9a6-36b6-4b7b-9174-3e5f1cbf5f70.png)](https://untangleyourbrand.com/name?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Good sale? Any sale? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/good-sale-any-sale/ Last updated: 2026-08-21T18:20:38.000Z I buy records. Regularly, most weeks in fact. This week it was the new Brandon Flowers album (he's gone country) and Phoebe Bridgers' Lost Weekend, likely to be album of the year with most critics. Here's the thing though: I didn't listen to either album first, or even any of the tracks. I rarely listen before I buy. But I read the articles, the reviews, catch the clips on social. If something interests me, I invest in it. We do the same with most things we buy. We research. We listen to recommendations. We spend time deciding where to spend our money. Not just on the big things, houses and cars, but the smaller things too. Air fryers. New shoes. Records. As business owners though, we can be far less discerning when we're selling. We're often happy enough just to make the sale, without asking if it's the right sale. We say yes to what comes our way. We rarely apply the same judgement to what we sell as we do to what we buy. Being busy doesn't mean being profitable. And delivering work just because it's there doesn't mean we'll do our best work. So what makes a good sale? You enjoy doing the work. You have time to do it properly. They value what you bring, not just what you deliver. Get those three right and the work isn't just more valuable, it's more profitable. You build relationships that lead to referrals. You grow a portfolio you're proud of. I might have got it wrong with Brandon Flowers going country. It is unlikely to be full of wedding disco bangers.\* But that's OK. A good decision doesn't need to be a safe one. Just one worth saying yes to. Maybe it was a good buy not just a good sale. Enjoy your Quick PINT \*This week Mr Brightside celebrates 500 weeks on the UK Top 100 charts. --- ### Understanding Profitability: The Good Sale vs Any Sale. At next month's ZEST, we'll be talking profitability, specifically the difference between a good sale and any sale. It's a topic that matters for every creative and small business owner in the room, whether you're setting prices for the first time or you've been trading for years. ### Online Tuesday 1 September, 5.00–6.00pm (12.00–1.00pm EST) Free. Register here [ZEST Online — Creative Business NetworkingJoin us online for a monthly networking event that brings together business owners and fresh talent to share their knowledge and creativity.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/favicon-194x194-1fd45f25-f350-460b-ab45-864a42f4bcbb.png)Eventbrite![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/image-d5366326-9b52-4797-a530-1dd5da10221b)](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/zest-online-creative-business-networking-tickets-1992751066082?aff=oddtdtcreator&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### In person Wednesday 16 September, 12.30–2.00pm The Salon, Design District, Greenwich Free. Register here: [ZEST: Creative Business NetworkingJoin us for a monthly networking event that brings together business owners and fresh talent to share their knowledge and creativity.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/favicon-194x194-a040d7d6-2412-463d-9cad-4c44670454a4.png)Eventbrite![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/image-f6ae4d14-c346-45c3-acce-1eee2eafa592)](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/zest-creative-business-networking-tickets-1987303165264?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Listen to Brandon Flowers THRASHER ### Extra! Extra! Extra! July; Epic O, CEO, TechnÖ URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/extra-extra-extra-july-epic-o-ceo-techno/ Last updated: 2026-07-31T17:40:18.000Z *A monthly newsletter wrapping up what's going on in branding, business and bands.* --- ## Brand Extra! *What's going on in the world of branding?* ### O for Odyssey Storytelling has become the branding buzzword. Suddenly every brand needs one, an origin myth, a hero's journey, from agency decks to boardroom strategy. But is it real, or just fluffy copy stretched thin? Christopher Nolan's Odyssey landed in cinemas this month. A 12,000 line Greek epic, written around 700 BC, that's kept people gripped for three thousand years. That's storytelling. Most brand messages don't need Homer's mythology or Nolan's budget. They're just trying to sell better coffee. Story still matters, it's the middle part of my framework, Insight, Story, Engage, but somewhere along the way story quietly ate the other two. You don't need an epic. You need a clear message, said well, and said like you mean it. [\[Read the full post →\]](https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/your-brand-doesnt-need-to-tell-epic-stories/) [Your brand doesn’t need to tell epic storiesSuddenly every brand has to have a story. They don’t.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/favicon-3cde0457-9c7f-481d-8e7e-9904e91b1ddb.ico)Blah, Blah, BlahNigel Davies![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/mid_00007497_001-co-ce6d6b34-bf8b-4708-9a59-d58aa975a091.jpg)](https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/your-brand-doesnt-need-to-tell-epic-stories/) --- ## Business Extra! *What's going on in my business?* ### O for Officer A lot of people are building the same thing right now, an AI system that actually understands their business, instead of starting from zero every time. I've been bumbling through my own version for eighteen months, first in ChatGPT, now in Claude and Notion. The idea is preparedness. Six project folders, one per business role, each one arriving already oriented to that part of the business. Not deep rules, just a different lens on the same picture. The second piece is the content itself. Not something uploaded once and forgotten, but your actual words, connected live, website, writing, newsletters, notes. Change something and the system sees it. You still do the work. You just arrive already knowing what it is. [\[Read more on Substack →\]](https://untangleyourbrain.substack.com/p/the-prepared-ceo) [The Prepared CEOA lot of people are building something like this right now.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/https-3A-2F-2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com-2Fpublic-2Fimages-2Fd3101765-6b11-4066-97cd-5771369166bf-2Ffavicon-48x48-fad1eaaf-8401-4865-a077-db05ffdfe5cd.png)Untangle Your BrAInNigel Davies![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/https-3A-2F-2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com-2Fpublic-2Fimages-2F1ccaff72-9829-484f-a845-0a9058cf78aa_1200x640-dced5ef4-4d9c-4508-8ecf-aa8cb820f019.gif)](https://untangleyourbrain.substack.com/p/the-prepared-ceo) --- ## Band Extra! *What's going on on my turntable?* ### Ö for Ö Fcukers; Ö (Technicolour/Ninja Tune, 2026) Get past a name nobody wants to say out loud, and the debut album from New York duo Fcukers is the sound of someone phoning you from a party that's rapidly losing control. Cut-and-paste electro, sped up, played backwards. Bleeps, techno beats, scratches, vocoder mumbling, samba thrown in for no reason. Random speed changes into an Ibiza sunset, then straight back out again. Recorded in two weeks flat, and it sounds like it. No time to overthink it. If it sounds like a couple of people messing about with electronic instruments, that's exactly what it is. And that's why it works. [\[Read the full post →\]](https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/penthousepiano-and-pavement-slabs-of-dirty-electro/) [Penthouse-piano and pavement slabs of dirty electroFcukers; Ö (Technicolour/Ninja Tune, 2026), the sound of someone phoning you from a party that’s rapidly losing control![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/favicon-aa26543b-92e3-43d1-9732-fb6df71368bd.ico)Blah, Blah, BlahNigel Davies![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/FCUKERS-dddde22a-205d-4405-ab11-633f2f1eda5d.jpg)](https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/penthousepiano-and-pavement-slabs-of-dirty-electro/) Listen to Fcukers; Ö (Technicolour/Ninja Tune, 2026) on Spotify ### LLM or SLiM URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/llm-or-slim/ Last updated: 2026-07-28T18:19:32.000Z Do you trust everything that AI says? Does your AI know everything about your business? Or do you shield it from that knowledge? This morning I was part of the panel on the FSB Making AI work for your small business webinar with former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. He asked me how I’d taught my AI more about my business and we chatted about why this is important. LLM (Large language models) are the cornerstone of AI. The thing is, it knows everything about everything. Sure it understands branding. But the results can be a bit vanilla. SLM (Small language models, which I like to call SLiM: Small Language intelligent Models). Trained on your data, point your AI to that data and it understands more about how you work and what your philosophy is. I’ll admit that I don’t know everything about branding. But that’s not the point. I have a strong belief about what branding is, and what it isn’t. And I’ve written about it for years. So my AI understands branding through my point of view. The key thing is you need the content. It doesn’t need to be super smooth and detailed, but it should be organised and easy for the AI to navigate. Read more about The Prepared CEO [The Prepared CEOA lot of people are building something like this right now.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/https-3A-2F-2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com-2Fpublic-2Fimages-2Fd3101765-6b11-4066-97cd-5771369166bf-2Ffavicon-48x48-e5b49f64-a0a0-4b29-9b85-10288b533dff.png)Untangle Your BrAInNigel Davies![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/https-3A-2F-2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com-2Fpublic-2Fimages-2F1ccaff72-9829-484f-a845-0a9058cf78aa_1200x640-95efdfc8-adca-4cd8-a7f6-64abd4198e86.gif)](https://open.substack.com/pub/untangleyourbrain/p/the-prepared-ceo?r=hid8m&utm%5Fcampaign=post&utm%5Fmedium=web) ### Your brand doesn't need to tell epic stories URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/your-brand-doesnt-need-to-tell-epic-stories/ Last updated: 2026-07-17T18:07:23.000Z Storytelling. It's become the branding buzzword. I'm not sure when it happened. But suddenly every brand has to have a story. From brand agencies to boardroom strategies, storytelling is the way to stand out with your customers. But is it? Or is it just fluffy copy stretched thin? I believe brands are all about emotional connection, and story is a vital part of that. But it's not the only thing. Just like your logo isn't a brand. This weekend Christopher Nolan's latest Oscar grabbing movie is released. The Odyssey. A story about a man going home after a war. A 12,000 line Greek poem, written around 700 BC. That's storytelling. I studied Classical History at school. We read Homer's epic along with the companion piece, The Iliad, a prequel to The Odyssey. Modern history didn't interest me. I knew the outcome of WWI and WWII. But with the Trojan War, I had no idea who would win. So the story was much more compelling. Most brand messages don't need to last three thousand years. They don't need Homer style mythology, or Nolan scale budgets. They're just trying to sell better coffee. Remember when everyone wanted a distinctive brand voice? Innocent and that chatty tone on the smoothie carton. Now it's all about the story. Except it isn't. Somewhere along the way one word quietly ate the other. Story is still important, and part of my framework, Insight, Story, Engage. Insight makes it relevant. Story makes it unique. Engage makes it memorable. Story's just the middle bit, find what makes you unique, not a saga. You don't need an epic. You need a clear message, said well, and said like you mean it. Enjoy your Quick PINT ### Read a review of The Odyssey in The Guardian [‘A masterpiece in every way’: The Odyssey earns near universal acclaim as full reviews publishedChristopher Nolan’s epic was given five stars by the Guardian, Independent and Telegraph, while the New York Times called it a ‘monumental adaptation’![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/favicon-32x32-def66682-7d23-42dc-958b-b9c864f5e3a0.ico)The GuardianCatherine Shoard![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/5428-51c13434-d9f8-463a-bc24-ae7b4fe2fd80.jpg)](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jul/16/the-odyssey-earns-near-universal-acclaim-as-full-reviews-published?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### The Prepared CEO URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/the-prepared-ceo/ Last updated: 2026-07-29T10:33:20.000Z A lot of people are building something like this right now. Different tools, different approaches, same question: how do you get AI to actually understand your business without spending half your day briefing it? I am not an AI expert. I’m a brand consultant who’s been bumbling through this for 18 months, originally in ChatGPT, now with Claude and Notion. This is just my version. The principles probably work with other tools. **The core idea is preparedness.** Most people use AI reactively. Open it, explain the situation, ask the question. That works. But you’re always starting from zero, always providing context that should already be there. The Prepared CEO works differently. You build a system that already understands your business. It reads the picture before the conversation starts. You arrive prepared. So does it. The system runs on six project folders in Claude, one per role: operations, sales, marketing, content, delivery, technology. Each arrives already oriented toward that area of the business. Not deep rules, just a different lens on the same picture. **The second piece is your content.** Not a document you uploaded six months ago. Your actual words, connected live. Website, writing, newsletters, notes. Change something, the system sees it. No downloading, no uploading. Point and read. You still do the work. You just arrive already knowing what it is. It’s simpler than it sounds. Split roles. Minimal rules. All your words, live. Multi-tasking made easier. ### Subscribe to more BrAIn content on Substack [The Prepared CEOA lot of people are building something like this right now.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/icon-38f4d04f-3454-45fe-9fc2-094f93051d7e.svg)Untangle Your BrAInSubstack![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/https-3A-2F-2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com-2Fpublic-2Fimages-2F1ccaff72-9829-484f-a845-0a9058cf78aa_1200x640-24323620-4b5e-415e-a978-e72700874aa0.gif)](https://substack.com/@pincreative/p-207270137?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Penthouse-piano and pavement slabs of dirty electro URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/penthousepiano-and-pavement-slabs-of-dirty-electro/ Last updated: 2026-07-31T17:33:28.000Z Fcukers; Ö (Technicolour/Ninja Tune, 2026) Get past the name that no-one wants to say out loud and an album title no-one knows how to pronounce, and the debut album Ö from New York duo Fcukers is the sound of someone phoning you from a party that's rapidly losing control. You can hear it down the line before you've even got your coat on. But you've got less than 30 minutes till it ends. Fcukers, Shanny Wise and Jackson Walker Lewis, are two musicians from the Lower East Side '[indie sleaze revival](https://www.vogue.com/article/indie-sleaze-revival-vogue-fashion-writers-debate?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com)' who got bored of being in indie bands and decided to throw a party instead. Cut-and-paste electro scraps left on the floor of James Murphy's studio, sped up and played backwards. Like a video shot at 10x speed at night, all the lights trailing, brief random disconnected events flashing past. You've no idea what's going on. You just want to be there. 28 minutes and 27 seconds of brain-ache-inducing bleeps, techno beats, scratches and vocoder mumbling, half thoughts whispered to no one in particular, because nobody's listening that closely anyway. Random speed changes. Throw in a horn. Switch to an Ibiza sunset vibe. House keys. Build it up. Break it down. Samba, why not. Liquid dripping bleeps and bouncing bass. Penthouse-piano and pavement slabs of dirty electro. Ö is the club you always wanted to get invited to. You get there and realise your battered Strokes t-shirt makes you look like the oldest person in the room. Because you are. Recorded it in two weeks, no time to overthink any of it. If this all sounds like a couple of people messing about with electronic instruments. Then that is exactly what it sounds like. And that's why it sounds so good. --- For fans of the dare, Confidence Man, Prodigy, Ronnie Size, Groove Armada, nursery rhymes --- ### Listen to Fcukers; Ö (Technicolour/Ninja Tune, 2026) on Spotify ### Buy Fcukers; Ö (Technicolour/Ninja Tune, 2026) at Rough Trade [Fcukers - Ö | Rough Trade - (LP - Crystal Clear / Rough Trade Exclusive | Signed Print, LP - Crystal Clear / Rough Trade Exclusive, LP - Black with Signed Insert, LP - Black with Stickers, LP - Black, CD) | Rough TradeDiscover Ö by Fcukers on vinyl from Ninja Tune. Exclusive music to explore. Trusted since 1976\. Fast & Free Shipping Available.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/favicon-32x32-41fccd51-41dc-4cb2-b5c8-e9ac00acf622.png)Rough Trade![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/Fcukerscoverart-787f6529-986c-4b1d-9afd-e9f897b4ddc8.jpg)](https://www.roughtrade.com/product/fcukers/o?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com#56267538465099) ### Read about the Indie Sleaze Revival on Vogue [Can We Ever Really Have an Indie-Sleaze Revival? Vogue Fashion Writers DebateAre we in for a true second wave, or is our culture too sanitized for real sleaze?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/favicon-9e46e25a-98be-40cc-a35b-2aef13a04dc2.ico)VogueChristian Allaire and Hannah Jackson![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/2196840236-30b4cf4b-86aa-49ab-ae28-3e2c67c97453)](https://www.vogue.com/article/indie-sleaze-revival-vogue-fashion-writers-debate?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### It's silly season URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/its-silly-season/ Last updated: 2026-07-10T17:41:10.000Z As I write this, a Brit in the semis at Wimbledon. A Fery good chance of getting to the final. King Arthur. World Cup fever dreams. Cape Verde keeper. So called lesser nations. Lesser no longer. Germany, Brazil, Portugal out. Trump ordering FIFA. FIFA following orders. Host nations out. 250 years of independence. 925 days until freedom. The chaos of Estadio Azteca. 2am. Pubs full. Mexico 2, England 3. One red card. Two penalties. Hundreds of defensive clearances. England in the quarters. Only Norway to beat. Then Argentina, then Spain. Or France. Makerfield by-election. Burnham v Labour. Defeating Count Binface. Clacton by-election. Farage v Count Binface. Labour leadership. Burnham v no-one. No PM. No Dr Who. No James Bond. One Harry Kane. Hey Jude. Holding out for a hero. Bonnie Tyler RIP. Karaoke classics. Turn around, bright eyes. Phew, wot a scorcher! Scorchio! Scorchio! Scorchio! 2026, hottest year on record. Consecutive days hit 34°C. Will you remember when this was cool. Sports. Politics. Culture. Don't forget to play. Don't forget to enjoy life. Work play. Business play. Be creative. It's silly season. Enjoy your Quick PINT \[Last Brit out of Wimbledon\] --- ### Scorchio! Is Britain the new Mediterranean? Article from the BBC, 15 July 2003, when London's top temperature of 29.3C was one degree hotter than Bali. [BBC NEWS | UK | Magazine | Scorchio! Is Britain the new Mediterranean?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/favicon-b7ef0f95-cc06-4a7d-b215-2d69490f7cc8.ico)BBC Copyright Notice![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/o-d03b80be-615b-46c9-b84f-43f51ba504d7.gif)](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3063985.stm?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Why I'm bringing back a format I'd had enough of five years ago URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/why-im-bringing-back-a-format-id-had-enough-of-five-years-ago/ Last updated: 2026-07-03T18:14:36.000Z Lockdown ended 5 years ago this month. During that period, everyone missed personal contact. Networking as we knew it was dead. Rapidly we all adapted to Zoom. A tool very few people had used before. And hey presto. Group meetings were possible again. We spent hours obsessing over our '[bragrounds](https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/braground/)'. The display behind us visible to everyone. We did family meetings on Zoom. Pub quizzes on Zoom. Meetings in pyjamas. You show up. Pretend to engage. Log off. Go back to the sofa. Then lockdown ended. Everyone started talking about the New Normal. WFH became a global business debate. There was a rush to meet people in real life. Actual humans. With legs. And shoes. Zoom fatigue became a recognised medical condition. Everyone missed personal contact. Networking was dead. Again. So two years ago I started ZEST Creative Business Networking. An in-person event at Design District, Greenwich, supporting the creative, business, and graduate communities. You never really know what might happen when you start something. Will anyone turn up? Will they enjoy it? Will they come again? It turns out they did. But it wasn't enough. "I'd love to come to ZEST but I'm not travelling down to London." "Wish it wasn't over lunchtime on a Wednesday." "Can you do a ZEST over the pond sometime?" So now we're launching ZEST Online. Held on Zoom, the first Tuesday of every month. I know. I know. But here's the thing. Zoom was never the problem. Showing up without any reason to engage was the problem. ZEST fixes that. I'll be hosting alongside long-term collaborator and Executive Business Coach [Bayo Igoh](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bigoh/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com). One hour. First Tuesday of the month. No commute. No excuses. Can't join us online? Fine. Join us in person. Can't join us in person? Fine. Join us online. Enjoy your Quick PINT. ### ZEST Online: Tuesday 7 July, 5-6pm. \[EST 12-1pm\] [ZEST Online — Creative Business NetworkingJoin us online for a monthly networking event that brings together business owners and fresh talent to share their knowledge and creativity.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/favicon-194x194-3fd2930d-aea2-47ec-b7b2-d67e9d60fe52.png)Eventbrite![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/image-6bfade47-580f-4884-bf91-c9b0ab539f9c)](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/zest-online-creative-business-networking-tickets-1992751066082?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Read more about Bragrounds here [BragroundI never thought about my Zoom background before![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/favicon-2ce73e4d-1048-43a9-b388-fc95dd930b0c.ico)Blah, Blah, BlahNigel Davies![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/BRAGROUND-e5576622-6122-4cb6-a270-37c3fa2da33b.jpeg)](https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/braground/) ### One Harry Kane URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/one-harry-kane/ Last updated: 2026-07-10T10:24:21.000Z At the moment, England has no Prime Minister, no James Bond, no Doctor Who, and no cricket captain. But we do have a football captain. Maybe we just give Harry Kane the rest. Originally posted on LinkedIn [#leadership #harrykane #worldcup2026 | Nigel Davies | 55 commentsAt the moment, England has no Prime Minister, no James Bond, no Doctor Who, and no cricket captain. But we do have a football captain. Maybe we just give Harry Kane the rest. #leadership #harrykane #worldcup2026 \[image from The Guardian, see link in comments\] | 55 comments on LinkedIn![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/al2o9zrvru7aqj8e1x2rzsrca-82bac1e0-0c9e-4c9a-a91d-40ec10ae9241)LinkedInNigel Davies![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/1782988476878-d68634bf-0c19-42f2-9c0f-4bfe3fa105e5)](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/pincreative%5Fleadership-harrykane-worldcup2026-share-7478395703753527296-JXma/?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop&rcm=ACoAAADKbWABbYMEcwE5QXzMnoJP4RMQXQIrUF8) ### Work isn't glamorous everyday URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/work-isnt-glamorous-everyday/ Last updated: 2026-06-26T18:27:29.000Z Not all the projects I work on are exciting and glamorous. Some of them are. Branding yachts for billionaires in Monte Carlo. Launching brands in St. Petersburg with Hot Chip headlining. Flying to Mexico for presentations and encountering Robbie Williams in the hotel bar. Living in Detroit for a month to complete the Ford Logo guidelines. Sometimes projects are a little more straightforward. A little less exciting. But just as important. Templates. Do they set your world on fire? Rules and restrictions. Grids. Guides. Stylesheets. Fixed formats. Limited scope. But here's the thing about templates. Done right, they liberate your brand. Free you from the endless decisions. What goes where, which typeface, which colour, where the logo sits. Strip all that away and you're left with one simple task. What is the message I'm trying to communicate? The template has freed you to think. Enjoy your Quick PINT Nigel --- *"Before Nigel untangled my brand, I didn't have brand guidelines. Every time I created an asset I was back at square one, choosing fonts, colours, layout, and design from scratch. Using the Brand Doughnut process, he helped me figure out the elements needed to create a consistent and unique brand. Six years on, I'm still using it."* Deborah Ager, Owner, Radiant Media Labs [Read the full case study →](https://untangleyourbrand.com/work/deborahager?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) [Stories that sellGiving a writer and coach the tools to share her creativity with confidence and control.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/358ef569-a475-483f-881e-94e762373554-293ecb1d-e940-48b3-8d4e-234e37eeb488.jpg)Stories that sell![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/UYB_CASESTUDY_THUMB_1200px_640px_DEBORAH_AGER-46860d2c-b63f-48eb-9046-6205bcea22ca.jpg)](https://untangleyourbrand.com/work/deborahager?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) --- *What do other business owners think about templates?* [*Read the comments here →*](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/pincreative%5Funtangleyourbrand-brandguidelines-templates-activity-7475207587198648321-65Cw?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop&rcm=ACoAAADKbWABbYMEcwE5QXzMnoJP4RMQXQIrUF8) *Or add your own.* - Not starting from scratch every time is the real value, the template removes the decision fatigue before you even begin - Structure isn't the enemy of creativity; it's what makes creativity possible. As one reader put it, quoting Pippin: *"Unless you're tied down to anything, you will never be free"* - Templates built well have longevity; six years isn't unusual, it's the point - The guardrails free up brain space for the only question that matters: what am I actually trying to say? [Liberating Your Brand with Templates | Nigel Davies posted on the topic | LinkedInNot all the projects I work on are exciting and glamorous. Some of them are. Branding yachts for billionaires in Monte Carlo. Launching brands in St. Petersburg with Hot Chip headlining. Flying to Mexico for presentations and encountering Robbie Williams in the hotel bar. Living in Detroit for a month to complete the Ford Logo guidelines. Sometimes projects are a little more straightforward. A little less exciting. But just as important. Templates. Do they set your world on fire? Rules and restrictions. Grids. Guides. Stylesheets. Fixed formats. Limited scope. But here’s the thing about templates. Done right, they liberate your brand. Free you from the endless decisions. What goes where, which typeface, which colour, where the logo sits. Strip all that away and you’re left with one simple task. What is the message I’m trying to communicate? The template has freed you to think. --- “Before Nigel untangled my brand, I didn’t have brand guidelines. Every time I created an asset I was back at square one, choosing fonts, colours, layout, and design from scratch. Using the Brand Doughnut process, he helped me figure out the elements needed to create a consistent and unique brand. Six years on, I’m still using it.” Deborah Ager, Owner, Radiant Media Labs Read the full case study here https://lnkd.in/ekziHjBg --- #UntangleYourBrand #BrandGuidelines #Templates![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/al2o9zrvru7aqj8e1x2rzsrca-828e6c92-0bcd-4c81-8707-3adcf32ee8b3)LinkedInNigel Davies![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/1782228370493-8cec6b0e-30cc-4572-bc24-cf2554c84fd8)](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/pincreative%5Funtangleyourbrand-brandguidelines-templates-share-7475207584942272512-Ks%5F5/?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop&rcm=ACoAAADKbWABbYMEcwE5QXzMnoJP4RMQXQIrUF8) ### Do you have a vision? Are you a visionary? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/do-you-have-a-vision-are-you-a-visionary/ Last updated: 2026-06-19T18:20:05.000Z Art never really makes the mainstream. Sometimes for controversial reasons. Is a row of bricks on a gallery floor art? Is an unmade bed art? Is dipping a dead cow in formaldehyde art? There are the superstars. Van Gogh (sunflowers). Picasso (sideways faces). Warhol (soup cans). And sadly we lost one of those this week. Hockney (swimming pools). From his upbringing in the small, gloomy northern town of Bradford to his golden period in Los Angeles, he left an imprint on art like no other in recent memory. Visionary gets overused, especially in a tech-bro obsessed world. But David Hockney was clearly one of the few. Still active until his death, he embraced technology whilst continuing his fascination with the natural world. He didn't have a vision. He was the vision. Every business and brand should have a vision. But that doesn't make us all visionaries. So, what's the difference? A vision is a combination of where you're going and why that matters. A roadmap to keep you on track. A vision isn't a motivational poster, or a big shiny office and a leather chair. It's the deeper emotional reason your business exists. The answer you get to after asking yourself why it matters, and then asking again, and again, like an annoying child who won't stop. A visionary is someone who reshapes the world as they deliver their vision. Not just words, but a legacy that leaves an impression on the world they leave behind. We might not all be visionaries. But we should all have a vision. Enjoy your Quick PINT. Not sure where to start? Try the UYB Check, a few quick questions and you'll get instant, personalised insight into where your brand stands today. Take the UYB Check. ### Question 2\. Do you have a clear vision for your business? [Untangle your brand checkA simple test to understand where you stand today and what to focus on next.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/358ef569-a475-483f-881e-94e762373554-b22e24f0-61ac-4e7b-8977-1b8808a9aa84.jpg)Untangle your brand check![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/UYB_ICON_THUMB_1200x640px14-8f277ea4-82e7-454a-8dce-6be791293292.png)](https://untangleyourbrand.com/check?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### That's England Alright URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/thats-england-alright/ Last updated: 2026-06-12T18:05:18.000Z Everyone remembers a World Cup for different reasons. England '66 — England win. I wasn't born. I've been told this. Mexico '86 — Maradona's hand of god. Goal of the century 4 minutes later. Italia '90 — ENGLANDneworder, World in Motion, David Platt's goal against Belgium. USA '94 — No England, so we supported Ireland. I tried Guinness for the first time. France '98 — Playing every match on FIFA on the PlayStation. South Korea and Japan '02 — Going out to Brazil before breakfast in the quarters. But the one I remember most is Germany 2006. The year we decided to release a football song. Seemed like a good idea. But 20 years ago you needed physical releases in stores. But after wrangling with legal issues, pressing and publishing deals, we released "That's England Alright." Did it get anywhere? Not really. Was it worth it? Absolutely. Just watch the video and see how the whole team got involved. My memory of Germany '06 wasn't Rooney's red card and Ronaldo's wink, or going out to Portugal on penalties. It was a company enjoying being a business together. Running a business isn't always about doing the sensible thing. Sometimes it's about doing what you want to do. It's your business, not someone else's. If you can't do it when you're in charge, when can you? Enjoy your Quick PINT ### Watch That’s England Alright; Joe Fagin, 2006 on YouTube [https://youtu.be/4lkHE7G2OVs?si=BRvQCWoe7wuwvpCp](https://youtu.be/4lkHE7G2OVs?si=BRvQCWoe7wuwvpCp&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Listen to That's England Alright on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/track/69V5EEVoHOnx7xF68XJxad?si=992edf4b6006453b](https://open.spotify.com/track/69V5EEVoHOnx7xF68XJxad?si=992edf4b6006453b&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Listen to That's England Alright (Glam Pub Mix) on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/track/5JtHXCaJIgKcWA0yyhS8eC?si=f747d32e72494829](https://open.spotify.com/track/5JtHXCaJIgKcWA0yyhS8eC?si=f747d32e72494829&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Listen to That's England Alright (German Opera Vocal Mix) on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/track/2sPkojjm0o3tgUt0GvuUDQ?si=8a3c47ce884640fe](https://open.spotify.com/track/2sPkojjm0o3tgUt0GvuUDQ?si=8a3c47ce884640fe&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### I don't know when it started URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/i-dont-know-when-it-started/ Last updated: 2026-06-05T16:14:26.000Z I don't know when it started. Maybe it was when I was 10, copying the Adam Ant logo in maths. I got caught. I got detention. Maybe it was a few years later, creating posters for school plays. They offended the teachers. They took them down. Everyone heard about the play. Or my first placement, coming up with an idea for WHSmith stationery packaging that got printed. My mum bought most of the stock. It could have been branding trains in the 90s. Or government science departments, global automotive icons and homeless charities in the 00s. Digital radio apps and domestic abuse charities in the 10s. Working with founders, global membership organisations and US entertainment technology businesses in the 20s. I genuinely don't know where it started. But I know this. Thirty years of the obsession, the mistakes, the breakthroughs, the frameworks built from doing it over and over. It's not experience in the CV sense. It's knowing what's wrong before the client has finished their first sentence. It's knowing which question unlocks everything. It's knowing when to think more and when to stop. Untangle Your Brand has never let me down. And it's never let a client down. It just took me 30 years to name it. So, whatever you're doing. However you started. Just keep on going. It's worth it. Enjoy your Quick PINT. ### I made a client cry this week. URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/i-made-a-client-cry-this-week/ Last updated: 2026-05-29T18:05:58.000Z It wasn't intentional. And she wasn't upset. I was on a Zoom, delivering a creative presentation, and noticed she'd gone quiet. Then I looked at the screen. Her head in her hands. Creative presentations can be challenging. I spend time on them, from an initial sketch on a blank sheet of paper with no ideas, to the full design and element refinement. It's quite a journey. I trust the process, but am never sure how it's going to land. Silence is not that unusual. She looked at me. "I'm just feeling really emotional seeing this. I've got to get a Kleenex." And that's it. Emotional connection. It was the first time she'd seen all the work come together, weeks of conversations about her vision, her ambition for a business that is her lifetime calling. Naming, process, messaging, and identity creation. Even a logo. Now summed up with a few words, some colours, and a few lines. It's what brands are all about. If you as a business owner cannot get emotional about your brand, how can you expect your audience to? That moment of recognition, when a brand finally feels like you, is exactly what's missing from so many personal brands. They have the signature style logotype. The hero shot. A brand built around an aesthetic rather than a story. I recently worked with an independent IP firm.At the start of the project I asked the usual questions. "How do you feel about your brand? What do you like? What don't you like?" Her response: "I never really liked it. It's just what the designer told me I should have." Six weeks later, with the guidelines delivered, I asked her how she felt about the new brand. "It feels like a brand that's been considered. You know what I mean? Well, it feels like me, actually. It just feels like me." And again, that's the point. You don't need a personal brand. You need a brand that feels like you, tells your story, and creates an emotional connection with your audience. How does your brand make you feel? Enjoy your Quick PINT. Not sure where to start? Try the UYB Check, a few quick questions and you'll get instant, personalised insight into where your brand stands today. [https://untangleyourbrand.com/check](https://untangleyourbrand.com/check?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Are you a content creator or a content avoider? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/are-you-a-content-creator-or-a-content-avoider/ Last updated: 2026-05-22T17:22:37.000Z Content creator. The term's become a dirty word. Shorthand for someone taking selfies and posting nonsense on TikTok. I'm proud to call myself one. My problem isn't creating content. It's that I create too much of it, store it somewhere, and forget it exists. Some of it is genuinely useful. Some of it is less useful but still interesting. Most of it is hidden under layers of good intentions and bad filing. Most businesses think they need more content. They don't. They need to spend more time listening to themselves. Hidden inside old presentations, workshop notes, voice memos, and half-finished drafts is usually the good stuff. The real observations. The honest language. The thoughts that sound like a person rather than a marketing department. Not polished content. Accumulated perspective. You are already sitting on the words people would connect with. You've just buried them under years of trying to sound professional. The blockers are familiar. Self-doubt. Time. Not knowing where to start. But the biggest one is assuming you need to create something new, when what you actually need to do is dig. You've already got the content. It's just waiting to be found. A bit like my desk, actually. Somewhere under the piles of records is a turntable that still deserves to be played. Enjoy your Quick PINT ### I started a Substack URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/i-started-a-substack/ Last updated: 2026-07-09T19:04:58.000Z Launched in 2017, I’m nearly ten years late to the Substack party. If you don’t know Substack, it’s “yet another content platform”. I see it as somewhere between LinkedIn and Instagram. Business and thought-focused content, both short and long form, but a bit more visual and far less corporate feeling. You follow people and publications, discover new writers, and yes, you can pay for subscriptions to premium content. I won’t be doing that. Knowledge doesn’t need paywalls. But it intrigued me enough to start “yet another content channel”. So what changed? Why now? A couple of months ago someone unsubscribed from the Quick PINT newsletter. Nothing wrong with that. It happens all the time and that’s fine. But I don’t track the numbers or check who’s reading every email, so this felt different. The subscriber was one of my oldest friends. You know the type. Friends since college. Long evenings drinking too much in dodgy indie clubs. Meeting each other’s partners for the first time. Weddings. Christenings. Just there throughout life, even when you forget to check in often enough. The type of friend who tells the brutal truth, even when you haven’t asked for it. The exchange went something like this. “I’ve unsubscribed from your newsletter by the way.” “Oh really, why?” “I like Quick PINT and always read it, but the last two in a row were about AI. They made me cross.” And then I realised something. Not everyone wants the same conversations. And AI in particular seems to split people emotionally. Boomsters who think AI is the answer to everything. Doomsters who think it’s the end of creativity altogether. Most of us are probably somewhere in the middle. So I started a Substack. **Untangle Your Brain.** A place to explore creativity, emotion, behaviour, and thinking in a world increasingly shaped by AI. I’ll still be writing Quick PINT. I’ll still be writing about brands and bands. And yes, I’ll still occasionally write about AI in Quick PINT too. It would be strange not to. Untangle Your Brain just gives those thoughts a little more room. As a subscriber to my content, you’ll be automatically added. You can read everything, dip in occasionally, or unsubscribe at any time. So enjoy your Quick PINT. And if you fancy untangling your brain a little further, I’ll see you over on Substack. [https://untangleyourbrain.substack.com](https://untangleyourbrain.substack.com/) [Untangle Your Brain | Nigel Davies | SubstackUntangle Your Brain, exploring creativity and emotion in a world of AI. Click to read Untangle Your Brain, by Nigel Davies, a Substack publication. Launched 2 months ago.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/https-3A-2F-2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com-2Fpublic-2Fimages-2Fd3101765-6b11-4066-97cd-5771369166bf-2Fapple-touch-icon-180x180-1.png)Untangle Your BrainNigel Davies![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/https-3A-2F-2Funtangleyourbrain.substack.com-2Ftwitter-2Fsubscribe-card-1.jpg%3Fv%3D734301050%26version%3D9)](https://untangleyourbrain.substack.com/) ### Endeavour. Your mission to be more human. URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/endeavour-your-mission-to-be-more-human/ Last updated: 2026-07-10T17:45:08.000Z Since I wrote about the Artemis mission to the moon and back last month, there has been a lot going on in the battle between technological achievement and human achievement. AI-powered robots beat elite human players at table tennis. Tech 1\. Human 0. Humanoid robots beat human runners in a half marathon. Tech 2\. Human 0. Two men run a full marathon in under 2 hours. Tech 2\. Human 2. They wore shoes weighing less than a bar of soap. Tech 3\. Human 2. And so it goes. Endeavour means to try, strive, or make a serious, determined effort to do something. And that constant drive is what supposedly keeps us going. We strive to succeed as humans. We develop technology that can beat us. We develop technology that can help us. We try to do better. But maybe there’s a better way. Maybe we don’t need to keep chasing our technology tails. Do more. Do better. Do faster. Sir David Attenborough is 100 years old today. A man dedicated to helping humankind understand the natural world. “What humans do over the next 50 years will determine the fate of all life on the planet.” Not what machines do. What humans do. Maybe the real challenge isn’t beating the technology. Maybe it’s simply remembering to be human. Enjoy your Quick PINT. --- ### Cover image, the moment when David Attenborough met the gorillas taken from the BBC the Making of Life on Earth [BBC One - Making Life on Earth: Attenborough’s Greatest Adventure - Attenborough’s Life on Earth: The series that started it allA photostory looking back at the 1979 Attenborough series - Life on Earth![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/p0nh1db6.jpg)BBCBBC![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/p0nh1db6.jpg)](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/C9zvt6J8JXGR3gHLvKQDJq/attenborough-s-life-on-earth-the-series-that-started-it-all?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Read more about robots winning at table tennis [AI-powered robot beats elite table tennis playersIn feat hailed as milestone in robotics, Sony AI’s Ace wins three out of five matches played under official rules![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The GuardianIan Sample![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/3331.jpg)](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/apr/22/ai-powered-robot-beats-elite-table-tennis-players-milestone-robotics?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Read more about robots winning the half-marathon [Humanoid robots show rapid advances as they race past humans in Beijing half marathonDozens of Chinese-made humanoid robots showed off their fast-improving athleticism as they whizzed past human runners in Beijing![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The GuardianAndrew Gregory![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/3865.jpg)](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/apr/19/humanoid-robots-race-beijing-half-marathon?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Read more about the running shoes worn for the sub 2 hour marathon [I tried the first sub-two-hour marathon shoes. Could they help get my running back on track?Two world records were broken in the Adidas super shoes last weekend and the public can soon get their hands on a limited release. Our writer took a pair for a spin![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The GuardianJessica Murray and Sarah Lee![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/5138.jpg)](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/apr/28/adidas-adizero-adios-pro-evo-3-super-shoes-sub-two-marathon-running?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Be prepared, for the unprepared URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/be-prepared-for-the-unprepared/ Last updated: 2026-04-10T17:06:25.000Z “Space. The final frontier” – James T Kirk The astronauts in Artemis II went further from Earth than anyone has ever travelled. 252,756 miles there, then back again. It’s like flying from New York to London 70 times, in just a few days. All in something the size of a small van, with 8.8 million pounds of thrust attached to it. There are many views about space exploration. It’s the ultimate human adventure. If we can’t look after our own world, why go and ruin others? We’re just supporting the whims of multi-billion dollar entrepreneurs. Some people think it’s all fake. The Earth is flat. If there’s intelligent life out there, they probably wouldn’t bother with us. There’s no denying the fascination with the moon. We can all see it. Everyone who’s ever lived has seen it. There’s a man in it. It’s made of cheese. And maybe that’s the point. It’s there. Just within reach. But getting there is a challenge. Just like business. “Be prepared for the unprepared” – Artemis II astronaut Enjoy your Quick PINT. ### Listen to the space-influenced mixtape on Spotify --- ### This week in brands **Space comics with Dan Dare** 76 years after launch, British space hero Dan Dare is back, with a new graphic novel reinventing the interplanetary explorer. “Everyone loves space adventure stories, but it feels like all we get these days in the West are the same two legacy IPs, Star Wars and Star Trek, repeated over and over. After a while, those universes become so huge and complicated they become a barrier to new audiences.” — comic writer Alex de Campi ### Read more on The Guardian [Modern heroes and a ravaged Earth: reboot of 1950s space comic Dan Dare has liftoffBeloved characters reinvented in graphic novel coming later this year – just as interest rockets in all things space![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-512-12.png)The GuardianDavid Barnett![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/2608.jpg)](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/apr/08/dan-dare-reboot-space-comic?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) --- ### This week in bands **Space rock with Muse** I went to see Muse last Friday, which explains the lack of Quick PINT. For them, it was a small gig, Brixton Academy, around 5,000 people. They played the big hits alongside some new material, including the new single *Be With You*. It starts with gloomy keyboards and Matt Bellamy’s signature quasi-operatic vocals, before building into a Queen-style, bombastic rock ending. Business as usual. ### Listen to Muse’s new single; Be With You I long to fall into the sun; it can't just be with anyone It's got to be with you, ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh. It's got to be with you. ### How To Win At Work URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/how-to-win-at-work/ Last updated: 2026-03-27T17:51:06.000Z The best way to win at work is to have a clear vision. Gill Whitty-Collins, author of “Why Men Win At Work” and the newly released “How To Win At Work”, has a very clear vision. Currently, over 90% of leadership positions in the world are held by men. Women represent 50% of the world’s population, intelligence and competence. Why should they not represent 50% of its leadership? She’s not aiming for 60% of women in leadership. Not even 51%. 50%. That’s it. Clear and steadfast. Most people don’t struggle with ambition. They struggle with clarity. You might have a similar goal. You might already be working towards it. But if you want to find out more, you can read the books. As long as you have a clear goal, you can win at whatever you’re trying to achieve. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2026/03/MEN_WIN.jpg) What am I doing? I created the book cover design. Turning Gill's vision into a brand. A playful typographic solution that makes the vision visible, progress, friction, and all. Enjoy your Quick PINT [Buy How To Win At Work here](https://amzn.eu/d/0aA4kpYF?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) [Buy Why Men Win At Work here](https://amzn.eu/d/0hcgANBG?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Read more about the cover design here [Why would you ask a brand consultant to design a book cover?Designing a book cover isn’t just about visuals, it’s about connection. Gill Whitty-Collins asked a brand consultant because a powerful message deserves a cover that speaks to everyone it’s meant to reach.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/favicon-16.ico)Blah, Blah, BlahNigel Davies![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/WHYMEN.jpg)](https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/why-would-you-ask-a-brand-consultant-to-design-a-book-cover/) ### Keep on spinning??? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/keep-on-spinning/ Last updated: 2026-03-20T18:18:59.000Z As independent business owners, we’re always in a cycle. Be visible. Create opportunity. Convert leads. Deliver work. Repeat. Alongside everything else. Operations. Planning. Finance. Many plates spinning. Many things to juggle. And sometimes, something stops. A plate slows down. A ball gets dropped. I didn’t write a Quick PINT for two weeks. One week I didn’t even make Vinylly Friday. In my head, that still mattered. Consistency. Discipline. Showing up. But in those same two weeks, I delivered messaging for an independent lawyer, naming for a new coaching programme, and a campaign identity for an author reframing modern African and global conflict through archive-driven history and its links to the Second World War. I launched a Substack. Built a new workshop on creative thinking in an AI world. That’s the work. But when you show a client some work, and they respond, “That lights my fire”, you don’t question whether you’re showing up. And the missing Quick PINTS? No complaints. No fallout. No one chasing me for Friday’s email. The plate didn’t break. It just wasn’t the one that mattered most that week. So keep your plates spinning. But don’t treat them all the same. Some matter more than others. If something drops, pick it up when it’s worth picking up. Enjoy your Quick PINT. --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2026/03/SHOES_BLUE_NOTEBOOK.jpg) ### This week in brands **Florsheim Shoes, founded Chicago (1892)** Supposedly, you can tell a lot about a person by their shoes. I’m usually in blue Adidas Sambas. Meanwhile, Trump has been giving advisers and visitors to the White House a pair of Florsheim shoes. Not always the right size, but they wear them anyway. [Read more in The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/10/trump-florsheim-shoes?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) [Trump reportedly gifts cabinet members and White House visitors with Florsheim shoesSome administration officials snipe about having to wear middling footwear instead of their upmarket favorites![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-512-11.png)The GuardianDavid Smith![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/5001.jpg)](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/10/trump-florsheim-shoes?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) [Buy a pair of Oxfords from the store](https://www.florsheim.com/shop/styleGridSearch.html?pageNumber=0&text=Oxford%20Shoes&view=search&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) [Oxford Shoes – Shop and buy online at Florsheim.com – Official SiteSearch men’s casual shoes, dress shoes, comfort shoes, fashion shoes, kids shoes - Florsheim.com - Official Site. Free shipping on orders over $105![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/favicon.png)![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/black.png)](https://www.florsheim.com/shop/styleGridSearch.html?pageNumber=0&text=Oxford%20Shoes&view=search&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### This week in bands **The Blue Notebooks, Max Richter (2004)** Max Richter keeps appearing. Most notably, On the Nature of Daylight is used across multiple films, including the recent Wuthering Heights. The Blue Notebooks is a neo-classical protest album responding to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Now over 20 years on, it still feels current. Worth revisiting. [Listen on Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/1rTHmwhZwhhvivx3pdXXdo?si=Al4AMrdBQ2aBhtWyb2H6CA&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Untangle your brain URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/untangle-your-brain-quick-pint-27-february/ Last updated: 2026-03-20T18:30:36.000Z Do you like word puzzles? I do the crossword every day. The Guardian Quick crossword, and the Quick Cryptic at the weekend. I don’t always finish it, but that’s not the point. The dopamine hit when you get the answer is good for your brain and good for your soul. Recently, I’ve also started doing Codewords. No clues. Just an empty grid with a couple of letters. You work out what the words are. Here’s one from yesterday. A four-letter word. Two different missing letters. \_ X \_ M Can you work out the word? Stop and think for a minute or two. Did you get it? How long did you sit with it? Did you get stuck? Did you ask AI? If you type this into AI: “This is a four-letter word \_X\_M. What are the missing letters?” You’ll get the answer in seconds. But you won’t get the hit. If you solved it yourself, you probably went through something like this. Start with the first letter. A? Maybe. Work through the alphabet. Rule out B, C, D. Land on E. That feels possible. So it’s probably a vowel. But which one? Then your brain connects the second letter. And boom. The moment of pleasure and reward. It might take seconds. It might take minutes. It doesn’t matter. It’s not a race. You may not get it. This doesn't matter either. You spent some time exercising your brain. AI works in a similar way. It predicts likely patterns and sequences. It just does it at scale. But when you outsource the thinking, you outsource the reward too. My suggestion. Think first. Slow down. Let your mind breathe. Enjoy your Quick PINT. \[The answer is EXAM, sometimes AI get's it wrong...\] --- If this made you pause, and you’re based in South East London, join me at the FSB Croydon Business Boot Camp. I’ll be hosting a breakout session called **Untangle Your Brain**, an open discussion on AI, creativity, and brand thinking. We’ll explore how constant acceleration shapes behaviour and what happens when we intentionally slow down. Wednesday 18 March 9.00 to 4.30 TBXH Ltd, Bedford Park, Croydon, CR0 2AP Details and booking here: [https://events.fsb.org.uk/en/8d2bI2X7/g/fJqTd8nh8e/fsb-london-bootcamp-spring-into-success-3aJ8Pz7Kr/overview](https://events.fsb.org.uk/en/8d2bI2X7/g/fJqTd8nh8e/fsb-london-bootcamp-spring-into-success-3aJ8Pz7Kr/overview?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Multi-content-dominating-cultural brand URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/multi-content-dominating-cultural-brand-quick-pint-20-february-2026/ Last updated: 2026-03-20T12:50:02.000Z Have you read the book? Have you seen the film? Have you heard the album? You must have heard the single. I’ve not read it. Five or six hours, 50,000 words. Manageable. Maybe the Audible version. I’ll probably watch it at the cinema. 136 minutes. No toilet break required. I’ve bought the album and listened to it a few times. Twelve songs. 34 minutes, 40 seconds. Marble green vinyl. The single is 4 minutes 29 seconds. You’ve definitely heard it. So is it any good? Some say the film is nothing like the book, that it only tells half the story. Others say it captures the spirit. That it’s an interpretation, not a translation. Charli XCX and John Cale feel like deliberate curveballs. It’s good. Not really a soundtrack. More a collection of partly formed ideas. Kate Bush is an inspiring, creative talent who distilled the whole Gothic storm into four and a half minutes. And there you go. Over-hyped, gothic, bodice-ripping, bondage-teasing romance. Done. Number 2 and 3 in the Amazon book charts. Number 1 at the cinema. Number 1 in the album charts. I’ll play the single tonight. A 19th-century novel. A 1970s single. A cinematic reboot. A 2026 art-pop album. A multi-platform, multi-generation, multi-content-strategy, multi-interpretation cultural brand. One core idea, endlessly reinterpreted. Not bad for a windswept house on the moors. Enjoy your Quick PINT Nigel ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2026/02/WUTHERING_POSTER.jpg) Left-hand image: Wuthering Heights movie logo (2026). Right-hand image: Wuthering Heights movie poster (1920). ### This week in brands The logotype choice for Wuthering Heights caught my eye. A headline font is doing the heavy lifting. Full of personality and atmosphere. Turns out it was influenced by a 1920s film poster. Pastiche? Copying? Rip-off? You decide. ### Read more here [The thing that wouldn’t die: why Gothic endures in visual cultureGothic has moved from subcultural spaces into mainstream design practice. What’s causing its resurrection? From album covers and film titles to product branding, book illustrations, and more, we dig into how designers are using darkness to confront what culture can’t say directly.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon.png)![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/Gothic_HERO.png)](https://www.itsnicethat.com/features/gothic-resurrection-the-thing-that-wouldnt-die-graphic-design-illustration-271025?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### This week in bands Wuthering Heights, Charli XCX 2026 Not really a soundtrack. Not quite a Charli XCX album either. More a set of ideas partly realised, but enjoyable all the same. Especially the big ballad Chains of Love. ### Listen on Spotify here ### It's so easy to fall in love URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/its-so-easy-to-fall-in-love-quick-pint-13-feb/ Last updated: 2026-02-13T15:11:32.000Z Roses are red, Violets are blue. Sugar is sweet, And so are you. Thinking is hard, Creativity too. AI has answers, Instant and new. Technology asks. We give it control, We give it life, Our body and soul. But it can’t feel doubt. It can’t cross the line. It can’t fall in love, Like your Valentine. Enjoy your Quick PINT ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2026/02/TRAINER_LOVE-1.jpg) ### This week in Brands These are my son’s Comme des Garçons Play x Converse trainers. Well worn and much loved. A classic brand partnership between two fashion icons creating an instantly desirable product. Read more here **The story of Comme des Garçons Play x Converse** [Comme des Garçons Sneaker Collab Recap - Converse AustraliaDiscover the Comme des Garçons Sneaker Collab Recap from Converse. Read more about the Converse x Comme des Garçons timeline & how the collection became so iconic.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-180x180.png)ConverseConverse![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/fa190a0e19aecb0251291c33facabfa1.png)](https://www.converse.com.au/stories/the-history-of-comme-des-garcons-converse?srsltid=AfmBOoqj9FFUD5RVbt8Dr3XS56Qu7uVgnxQ8lT95ysVmyQZBgU-SLJcV&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2026/02/SOEASY.jpg) ### This week in Bands Fresh from her Grammy Award for Best New Artist, Olivia Dean releases her new single today, "So Easy (To Fall In Love)," as a limited-edition heart-shaped pink vinyl disc. 2 minutes 49 seconds of breezy pop perfection. I ordered my copy sometime last year. It’s now only available at inflated prices. Listen to it here **Olivia Dean; So Easy (To Fall In Love), (2026)** ### Who's writing your content? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/whos-writing-your-content-quick-pint-6-feb-2026/ Last updated: 2026-02-13T15:13:10.000Z Who’s writing your content? I use AI to write. Not to create. Mainly to edit and polish. But I keep coming back to a bigger question. Is it OK to use AI to create your content, and then apply your own thoughts, taste, and experience afterwards? That feels like the real issue Not whether people use AI, but how they use it. There’s a lot of noise around AI and writing at the moment. Some of it framed as craft. Some of it framed as morality. And quite a bit of it drifting into quiet shaming. People see the patterns. The overuse of the em dash. The strange phrasing. Last year, I worked with Phil Harrison to develop the brand for a new AI writing tool. At the time, it was a working product with no brand at all. No name. No identity. No story. What Phil recognised early on is something that often gets missed in these conversations. Many people don’t struggle with ideas. They struggle with expression. They know what they want to say. They just can’t get it out. Getting thoughts onto the page. Finding structure. Starting at all. For those people, AI isn’t a shortcut. It’s access. For others, it’s easy. So maybe there’s a democratisation of content developing. Everyone can express themselves. My job on the project wasn’t to explain the technology. It was to give it a voice people could recognise and want to use. Most AI writing tools look and sound the same. Efficient, capable, and easy to forget. The challenge wasn’t to sound clever or technical. It was to sound human. VoxBox became that voice. A name, a message, and a visual identity built around one clear idea, *Unlock your content*. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2026/02/24.jpg) Not replacing thinking. Not outsourcing authorship. Just removing friction between what someone wants to say and their ability to say it. And that’s the point. If everyone can now create content, what’s stopping you from putting your message out there? And is your voice unique enough? Stop worrying about using AI. Start worrying about how you use it. Enjoy your Quick PINT. I’ve shared the VoxBox case study here if you want to know more about the thinking behind the naming, story, and identity. ### VoxBox case study [https://untangleyourbrand.com/work/voxbox](https://untangleyourbrand.com/work/voxbox?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Are you chasing relevance? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/are-you-chasing-relevance-quick-pint-30-jan/ Last updated: 2026-01-30T18:16:20.000Z Are you trying to be relevant? Or have you been relevant all along? I’ve spoken to several business owners this week about their positioning. Most of them want the same thing. To be more relevant to their audience, and generate more business. In almost every case, it came down to language. Not clever language. Just language their audience actually understands. That’s the thing about audiences. They decide what’s relevant to them. You can’t force it. You can only earn it. Trying too hard to sound current usually does the opposite. It creates distance. It signals insecurity. It tells people you’re watching the room rather than standing in it. So maybe stop trying to be relevant. Tell people who you are. Tell them what you do. Use clear language they recognise. Relevance isn’t something you apply. It’s something that happens when what you say, and who you’re saying it to, finally line up. Enjoy your Quick PINT --- ### This week in Brands **Trump launches ‘board of peace’ logo that resembles the UN symbol.** Copying is supposed to be one of the greatest forms of flattery. In practice, it often just looks lazy. Positioning can help you stand out or deliberately blend in. But using a logo that closely resembles another organisation’s, especially one you publicly reject, raises a different question altogether. Changing the colour to gold doesn’t really change the meaning. It just decorates it. What’s more curious is why you’d want to borrow the visual language of an institution you don’t believe in or want to be associated with. Symbols carry values whether you agree with them or not. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2026/01/BOARD_OF_PEACE.png) ### Read more about the Board of Peace logo in The Guardian [Davos onlookers notice Trump’s ‘board of peace’ logo resembles UN emblemThe US president unveiled the board with a gold logo whose resemblance to the UN emblem sparked European criticism![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-512-9.png)The GuardianAnna Betts![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/6243.jpg)](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/22/trump-board-peace-davos-un?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) --- ### This week in Bands **Aphex Twin overtook Taylor Swift to become the soundtrack to Gen Z life online.** I’ve been a fan of Aphex Twin for a long time. Probably since Selected Ambient Works 85–92\. I once saw him DJ in a Wendy house with a concrete brick. He's that kind of talent. Doesn't say much, just does his thing. So maybe it’s not surprising that Gen Z has discovered the mysterious Cornish knob twiddler and esoteric beat maker on their own terms, with his track QKThr being one of the most popular downloads. This isn’t a comeback. It’s a discovery by a new audience. Music that was never designed to fit neatly into a moment has quietly found one anyway. Not through marketing, not through reinvention, but because it was left alone long enough to be found. ### Read more about Gen Z discovering Aphex Twin in The Guardian [Anti-pop and an alien sigil: how Aphex Twin overtook Taylor Swift to become the soundtrack to gen Z life onlineThe mysterious Cornish electronic music pioneer has gained an extraordinary second life in the TikTok era. Writers and musicians explain why his glitchy slipperiness is so in tune with life today![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-512-10.png)The GuardianArchie Forde![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/5000.jpg)](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/jan/27/aphex-twin-taylor-swift-soundtrack-to-gen-z-life-online-tiktok?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Listen to QKThr by Aphex Twin on Spotify ### How had I never seen this flag before? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/how-had-i-never-seen-this-flag-before-quick-pint-23-jan/ Last updated: 2026-01-23T17:39:08.000Z Global politics, international bullying and megalomaniac tendencies aside, how have I never seen the flag of Greenland before? Fair enough that it may never have appeared in a World Cup sticker album or an Olympic parade, but I’ve never even heard it as a quiz question. “Can you name a red and white flag with a circle that isn’t Japan?” I can for now. Enjoy your Quick PINT “There are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks where decades happen.” \[Lenin\]. **Originally posted on LinkedIn, Tuesday, 20 January.** [Global politics, international bullying and megalomaniac tendencies aside, how have I never seen the flag of Greenland before? Fair enough that it may never have appeared in a World Cup sticker album… | Nigel DaviesGlobal politics, international bullying and megalomaniac tendencies aside, how have I never seen the flag of Greenland before? Fair enough that it may never have appeared in a World Cup sticker album or an Olympic parade, but I’ve never even heard it as a quiz question. “Can you name a red and white flag with a circle that isn’t Japan?” I can for now.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/al2o9zrvru7aqj8e1x2rzsrca-1)LinkedInNigel Davies![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/1768907558838)](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/pincreative%5Fglobal-politics-international-bullying-and-activity-7419336054824144896-8spy?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop&rcm=ACoAAADKbWABbYMEcwE5QXzMnoJP4RMQXQIrUF8) ### Have you lost sight of your vision? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/have-you-lost-sight-of-your-vision-quick-pint-16-jan-2026/ Last updated: 2026-01-19T19:46:42.000Z Have you lost sight of your vision? This week I was chatting with a new business owner, six months into her entrepreneurial journey, and it reminded me that we often start with a clear vision, but this can get lost over time. My vision has always been captured by the image of the Maxell Tape Man\*. Stop. Look. Listen. Enjoy. But along the way, a vision can get eroded. Not all at once. Not dramatically. It usually happens slowly. Through good intentions. Through adding things. Through preparing for every possible future. Recently, I’ve noticed my AI telling me to stop doing things. Don’t waste time cataloguing my vinyl collection in two different databases (Discogs and CLZ Collector). Don’t have a version on iTunes, which I don’t use, and a version on Spotify, which I do. Don’t worry about creating every vinyl track as MP3s for a future where streaming disappears. The AI wisely advised me not to worry about a post-apocalyptic world where there’s no internet. No online streaming probably means there’s no electricity. No computers. No access to digital archives. And I’d probably have to work out a way of powering an amp and turntable just to play any vinyl. I do have a 78rpm wind up Gramophone, so I'll just listen to everything sped up. Instead, declutter. Create space for what matters most. So, I’m ditching my multi-zone AV surround sound amp, which stopped working about five years ago and had a remote control that was too complex to understand. I’m selling the Rega Planar 3 turntable I bought in my thirties because it looked cool, but ultimately sounded cold. Instead, I’ve bought a refurbished Dual 505-1 Mk2\. The turntable I had when I was eighteen. I also found my Cambridge Audio Azur 340A in the loft. I just need to check it works. Back to a simple two-box system. There’s no grand strategy in any of this. Just letting go. Reclaiming what worked for me. Ditching what was style over substance. Which is where I come back to business. Most people don’t lose their purpose. They lose sight of their vision. It gets buried under tools, systems, processes, platforms, and well-meaning additions. At some point, the scaffolding becomes the building. When that happens, the instinct is to create a new strategy. Often, what’s really needed is removal. Strip enough away, and the original vision becomes visible again. That image has always been my personal vision. Not my purpose. Soon I will be able to just stop, look, listen and enjoy. Again. Enjoy your Quick PINT. --- *\*The Maxell Tape Man is from the 1980s Maxell cassette tape advertisement featuring a man sitting calmly in a chair while the sound from his hi-fi blows his hair and tie back. Blown away by sound.* ### Brandwich? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/brandwich/ Last updated: 2026-01-20T20:05:30.000Z What does your lunch say about you? With struggling high street retailers and the slow demise of the office sandwich, I started to think about my career journey through the sandwiches I chose. **Local Italian deli**; massive bap with gloopy tuna mayonnaise (first job, cheap sandwich). **EAT**; beef, rocket and parmesan baguette (I was in trendy Clerkenwell, it felt premium). **Exmouth Market corner café**; chicken with lettuce and salad cream, nothing else, in a polystyrene box (I was running a business and trying to lose weight). **Prêt-a-Manger**; egg mayonnaise with cheese and onion crisps (even trendier Soho office next to a Veggie Prêt). **Waitrose**; strange seafood salad that is not really seafood or salad (office in Greenwich near the supermarket). **Co-op**; BLT with prawn cocktail crisps (working from home and they do not offer much else). So what does this say about me? I will not go far to get lunch. Convenience is king when time is limited. I have phases and tastes that evolve, though I stay loyal. Cutting out carbs really helps shift weight. So why did I go back to sandwiches? It makes me consider working in town again. I would miss the high street sandwich shops if they all disappeared. What does your lunch say about you and how you work? ### 2026, the year to stop explaining URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/2026-the-year-to-stop-explaining-quick-pint-9-january/ Last updated: 2026-01-09T18:28:34.000Z Has anything really changed? Since yesterday? Last week? Last year? Already, there’s a meme of the year. 365 buttons. It started with one person doing something that helped them notice time. One button for each day. Not as a system. Not as advice. Just something that made sense to them. When asked to explain it, the answer was simple. “It only has to make sense to me for me to do it and I don’t feel like explaining it to anyone else.” That annoyed a few people. But resonated with others. It’s easy to read it as self-centred. Go away. Leave me alone. But maybe it’s something else. It creates space. A pause. Time to think. Not every move needs explaining. Not every decision needs justifying. Not every message needs to push. Give your brand space. People like space. Enjoy your Quick PINT, however you like. ### Read about 365 Buttons on The Guardian [365 buttons: could the biggest meme of 2026 change your life?It’s either a simple yet effective way to appreciate the passage of time – or a reminder to do your own thing without pausing for explanation![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-512-8.png)The GuardianGuardian Staff![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/4912.jpg)](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/jan/07/365-buttons-tiktok-meme-tamara?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### No more Latin. No more French. URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/no-more-latin-no-more-french/ Last updated: 2026-01-20T20:11:31.000Z I first realised branding and marketing might be for me when I was 16\. I just did not know what they were. I was always asked to design posters for school plays because I could draw a bit. Alan Bleasdale’s “No More Sitting On The Old School Bench” was an interesting choice for a private school; set in a comprehensive staff room tackling issues in the education system. I read the play and had an idea. Use words from the script to promote it. Seemed simple and obvious. “All teachers to strike.” “N.U.T. say out.” Nothing else. No mention of the play, date or time. Just words of action. I pinned around forty posters to trees, windows and doors around the school at 6.00am. When I went to breakfast, a long walk across the site, I was disappointed to see they had all vanished. But I soon realised the campaign had worked. A teacher had taken down every poster and was annoyed by them. He escalated concerns about the messages and what they meant for the staff. Everyone knew about the play. No one saw a poster. I know a lot more about branding and marketing now than I did then. Creating reaction and letting others spread the message builds brands, though preferably without making teachers angry. ### Untangle Your Christmas URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/untangle-your-christmas/ Last updated: 2025-12-19T18:32:56.000Z He hollered: So here it is, Merry Christmas. Everybody’s having fun? He crooned: It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. He said: Last Christmas I gave you my heart. She belted: All I want for Christmas is Yoooooooooo. He replied: And the very next day, you gave it away. She shouted: Happy Christmas, your arse, and pray God it’s our last. He asked: So this is Christmas, and what have you done? He chimed: The choirs of angels sing their song. Ding dong. He rocked: Don't let the bells end (don't let the bells end). She breathed: Santa, baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight. He croaked: He's making a list, he's checkin' it twice. She warned: You will get a sentimental feeling when you hear. He warned: He's gonna find out who's naughty or nice. She said: Voices singing, let's be jolly. They said: It’s Christmas time. There’s no need to be afraid. He praised: Dreams are like angels. They keep bad at bay, bad at bay. He yelled: Well, tonight, thank God it’s them instead of you. He cried: Purge the soul. Make love your goal. She begged: I just want you for my own. He said: My God, I thought you were someone to rely on. He whispered: But if you kissed me now, I know you'd fool me again. No one said: I wish it could be Christmas every day. He reflected: And so this is Christmas. And what have we done? Enjoy your Quick PINT ### Be Social URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/be-social/ Last updated: 2026-01-20T20:20:43.000Z When I give talks about careers in design, as well as going through my journey from awkward school student to running my own business, I share tips on how to get on in the design industry. Fairly standard stuff. Be collaborative (great ideas are not generated alone). Be curious (see more, read more, do more). Be resourceful (multiple tasks, not just one brief). Be helpful (on placement, busy teams will love you if you help). Be social (networking will be vital to your career progression). As students return, I was reminded of how important the last point is with this photograph. We were all at Northumbria University in 1990, sat in the same desk hub for thirty five hours of studio time a week, and we were definitely social. We all went on to have careers in design and our paths still cross from time to time. So how do you “be social” now? Thanks [David Webb](https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-webb-4190901/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) (in red) for sharing the pic with [Bryan Edmondson](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-edmondson-70364817/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) (ID tee-shirt), who shared it with me (long sleeved Inspiral Carpets tee-shirt). [Jason Robinson](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonrobinson/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) still has the same hair. [Graham Walker](https://www.linkedin.com/in/graham-walker-5436a014/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) looks even younger, I can’t remember the name of the guy on the right (sorry Jim?) and I suspect [Colin Gifford - Design Consultant](https://www.linkedin.com/in/colingifford/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) may have taken the photograph (or with the football team). ### Changing a typeface doesn’t change your brand URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/changing-a-typeface-doesnt-change-your-brand/ Last updated: 2025-12-12T18:01:47.000Z The US State Department announced a change to its document templates. Out goes Calibri, introduced under the Biden administration. In comes Times New Roman, favoured by the Trump administration. Typefaces don’t usually make the culture war. This week, they did. I’m not convinced by most of the subtext doing the rounds. The idea that Calibri was some sort of “woke” indulgence or a wasteful diversity move doesn’t really stack up. It was introduced for a simple, practical reason. It’s easier to read on screens. And it is. This isn’t a political point. It’s a brand one. When leadership changes, one of the first things that often happens is cosmetic meddling. New templates. New decks. New rules. Not because they solve anything meaningful, but because they’re visible. They create the impression of action when there are no better ideas ready to go. New templates. Wooh. Refresh mistaken for strategy. What’s interesting isn’t whether Calibri or Times New Roman is “better”. It’s what people think they say. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/12/CALIBRI_TIMES_NEW_ROMAN2.jpg) Neither of those voices is neutral. And that’s the point. Design choices always communicate something, whether you intend them to or not. Fonts, layouts, colours, spacing. They all signal values before a single word is read. When leaders don’t understand that, or choose to ignore it, brand decisions become gestures rather than strategy. If you’re going to change how something looks, it should be because you’re clear on what you want it to mean. Otherwise, you’re just swapping fonts and calling it leadership. Enjoy your Quick PINT. For what it’s worth, I’m not a fan of either. I use Effra and Opens Sans for print, and Inter and Noto Sans for digital. **Footnote** A few articles mixed up the terms typeface and font. A typeface is the overall design of a type family, such as Calibri or Times New Roman. A font is a specific version within that typeface, defined by weight, style, and size, for example Calibri Bold or Times New Roman Italic. ### Read more about this in The Guardian [Typeface of ‘wasteful’ diversity: Trump’s state department orders return to Times New RomanMemo from Marco Rubio reportedly said cutting Calibri from official communication would ‘abolish yet another wasteful DEIA program’![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-512-7.png)The GuardianReuters![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/5060.jpg)](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/10/trump-times-new-roman-font-return-state-department?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Still dreaming the impossible dream URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/still-dreaming-the-impossible-dream/ Last updated: 2025-12-05T17:26:02.000Z Did you make any promises to yourself in 2025? Did you achieve them? Did you even get close? I did. And I even wrote about it in the [first Quick PINT of the year](https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/are-you-dreaming-the-impossible-dream/). My Impossible Possibility. Finish my book on time and to the quality and originality I want. I didn’t do it. In January, I attended a workshop with Christina Langdon about setting these Impossible Possibilities. The idea is simple. Set a goal that feels beyond reach, then look at who you would need to become to achieve it. But the real lesson, which I only understood as the year unfolded, isn’t about the final result. It’s about how the attempt changes you. This year changed me. – I built a series of custom GPTs that now keep my business more focused and help others develop their brand for free. – I moved from funnel marketing to content marketing and now feel more connected to my audience. – I created a more coherent platform for my writing and refreshed my website so it feels alive again. – I delivered more work for clients from the UK, USA and Canada. So yes, I missed the Impossible Possibility. But it no longer feels impossible. It’s simply next year’s goal. Finish my book. With only a few weeks left, don’t worry about the promises that slipped. Look at what you did do, what you learned, and how it shaped you. That’s what you take into 2026. Enjoy your Quick PINT ### Original post from 10 January 2025 [Are you dreaming the impossible dream?Goals don’t need perfect timing or easy targets. Set the impossible ones, then become the person who can achieve them.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/favicon-14.ico)Blah, Blah, BlahNigel Davies![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/DREAM_POST2-1.jpg)](https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/are-you-dreaming-the-impossible-dream/) [ ](https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/are-you-dreaming-the-impossible-dream/) ### Turn your brand into an experience, just like Radiohead URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/turn-your-brand-into-an-experience-just-like-radiohead/ Last updated: 2025-11-29T16:05:14.000Z Back in 2005, I wrote to someone in the Government about online ticket pricing. Touts were buying up tickets and reselling them at inflated prices, and the average fan didn’t stand a chance. Nothing changed. It only got worse. You’ll have seen the recent chaos around Oasis tickets and dynamic pricing, where demand pushes prices higher and higher. Getting tickets has become a test of fast fingers and sheer luck. Now, twenty years later, something might finally change. The Government plans to ban reselling tickets at a profit. There are odd exceptions, like Wimbledon debentures, but it’s still progress. Let’s hope they stick to it. I’ve slowed down on gigs myself. Prices are high, the process is stressful, and the beer doesn’t help. From a gig a week, I’m down to a handful a year. This week though, I got lucky. Or rather, my friend Jon did. Tickets for Radiohead at the O2\. One hundred and fifty pounds for Level 4\. Face value. A lot of money for two hours of music in the cheapest seats available. Was it worth it? Short answer. Yes. Long answer. One of the most remarkable live experiences I’ve seen. A precise blend of songwriting, musicianship, staging and pure spectacle. I didn’t pay for a gig. I paid for an experience. Something ethereal and genuinely moving. The show was in the round. The band shifted positions and swapped instruments with an effortless flow. Screens cocooned them one moment, then lifted away to reveal digital, real-time imagery. For a shed-style venue, like the O2, managing to make the performance feel immersive, inclusive, bombastic, epic and intimate is a great feat, and true to the quiet, quiet, loud, loud, quiet aesthetic of the musical dynamic Radiohead spearheaded in the 90s and 00s. And that’s the thing about going out to gigs. In a huge arena or a small bar. Alone or with mates. Music can stir emotions that most other art forms can’t. Music has the power to transform lives. Sure, art is good. Movies are great. They’re trying. Think of the push toward experiential exhibitions like Van Gogh. 3D films never quite worked, but IMAX laser projections come close. (Wait until next year for Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey. Tickets sold out a year before release.) Brands are all about experience. And just like some great bands, some can do it better than others. But the principle holds. You may not be hosting a gig in an 18,000-capacity venue with a thirty-year back catalogue, but you can still think about how your brand can be more epic when it needs to be, quieter when it can be, and create your own dynamic brand experience. Enjoy your Quick PINT ### Read about my work for ABRSM and the core idea of Power of Music to transform lives [The power of musicBringing the power of music to the heart of global music education.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/358ef569-a475-483f-881e-94e762373554-54.jpg)The power of music![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/UYB_CASESTUDY_THUMB_1200px_640px_ABRSM-1.jpg)](https://untangleyourbrand.com/work/abrsm?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Read a review of Radiohead at the O2 by the BBC [Radiohead deliver a spell-binding, hit-packed set in LondonThe rock band play their first UK show in seven years, and give fans everything they hoped for.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/touch-icon-512.685da29e9e.png)BBC NewsByMark SavageMusic correspondent![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/5a52d6c0-c743-11f0-83ee-e9a45b762958.jpg)](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyz32pz81vo?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Read about the Government’s plans for outlawing ticket touts [Reselling tickets for profit to be outlawed in UK government crackdownTouts, and ordinary consumers, will no longer be able to charge anything more than price at which they bought ticket![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-512-6.png)The GuardianRob Davies![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/4058.jpg)](https://www.theguardian.com/money/2025/nov/17/reselling-tickets-for-profit-to-be-outlawed-in-uk-government-crackdown?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Halo and goodbye URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/halo-and-goodbye/ Last updated: 2025-11-21T19:02:19.000Z Last week Sky Sports launched a new TikTok channel, Halo. Described as the “lil sis” of Sky Sports. I had seen it promoted during the week, but did not really know what it was until I read the headline over the weekend: > “Sky Sports ditches ‘unbelievably sexist’ TikTok channel Halo after three days.” A blink and you missed it moment in branding. So what went wrong? How did they get it so wrong? It wasn't the branding. It wasn't the name. Halo is a good name. One of Beyoncé’s biggest songs. Feels big, emotional, universal. So I don't think it was the name. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/11/HALO.jpg) It wasn't the colour either. Barbie was a huge success. The film took over a billion at the box office. Girls like pink. Boys like pink. I like pink. Colour is not the problem. It was the content. Posts about “matcha + hot girl walk combo” laid over clips of men’s football. Captions that sound like someone scraping TikTok slang into a bowl and hoping it passes for culture. "Thinking about Zohran Mamdani rizzing us and Arsenal up.” All while promising: > “We’re about ALL sports and championing female athletes. We’re here for the culture, community and connection. We don’t just watch sports, we live it.” The reaction was instant. Patronising. Sexist. A dumbed down version of sport for women. Within three days, Sky shut the channel down. > “We’ve listened. We didn’t get it right. As a result we’re stopping all activity on this account.” What surprises me every time we see stories like this is how late the listening happens. The apology always talks about listening. The work very rarely shows it. Who did they actually speak to before they hit publish? Last year I created the brand for Bills and Beats, a campaign to help Gen Z creatives understand the importance of financial literacy. On the surface, it lives in a similar world. Plastic pink. Brat energy. Gig posters and zine culture. Bold, messy, energetic. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/11/BILLS_AND_BEATS_CS_NEW_2-1.jpg) Bills and Beats strategy visualised The difference is the work underneath. Jin, who leads the project, is a parent of Gen Z. She hears the worries in real conversations at home. For the films, she spent hours talking to young musicians who are struggling to make money work. She runs events where they show up in person, share stories, and ask questions that are hard to say out loud. The name, the visuals and the tone all come from that listening. Bills and Beats does not talk down to them. It talks with them. That is the point here. It is not about the name. It is not about the colour. It is not even about the branding. It is about the message, the language and the tone. If a self-initiated, non-profit project can take the time to listen to its audience before it launches, why can't a global media empire? Enjoy your Quick PINT Nigel ### Read the Bills and Beats case study to see what that listening looks like in practice. [It’s all about the money. It’s all about the music.Campaign helping young artists manage their finances and their future.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/358ef569-a475-483f-881e-94e762373554-53.jpg)It’s all about the money. It’s all about the music.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/UYB_CASESTUDY_THUMB_1200px_640px_BILLS-1.jpg)](https://untangleyourbrand.com/work/billsandbeats?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Read about how sport got it wrong with the launch of the Super League. Same story, 5 years later. Listen. Understand. Announce. [The not-so-super leagueWhat happens when you don’t do your research?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/favicon-12.ico)Blah, Blah, BlahNigel Davies![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/SUPERLEAGUE-5.jpg)](https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/not-so-super-league/) ### Read the full article about Halo in The Guardian [Sky Sports ditches ‘unbelievably sexist’ TikTok channel Halo after three daysFemale-targeted account pulled after sports fans criticise posts referencing matcha, Barbie and ‘hot girl walks’![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-512-5.png)The GuardianAlexandra Topping![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/1854.jpg)](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2025/nov/16/sky-sports-axes-unbelievably-sexist-tiktok-channel-halo-after-three-days?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Listen to Halo by Beyoncé. 1.8 billion others have. ### Untangling my brand URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/untangling-my-brand/ Last updated: 2025-11-14T16:42:17.000Z A few weeks ago, I switched from funnel marketing to content marketing, using this site, Blah, Blah, Blah, as the new home for my writing. Starting the content hub made me realise how tangled my other sites had become. Two websites. Old messages. Old work. Missing messages. Missing work. A version of me that didn’t match how I help businesses now, reflect the past or show the future. I thought I should sort out my website. Maybe next year. It felt like one of those jobs that sits at the bottom of the list. The thing you’ll definitely get round to, eventually. Turns out, it only took four weeks once I stopped avoiding it. The big untangle came when I started pulling everything together. I’d been running two worlds in parallel. PIN Creative, the company I founded in 2012, and Untangle Your Brand, the methodology and process behind the work. Two sites. Two stories. One person. All my work has been about untangling brands. Once I saw the thread, the decision was simple. Bring it all together. One site. One way of thinking. Multiple ways of demonstrating that thinking. One site now holds the whole picture. The projects. The way I work. The tools, stories and side projects that support my branding work. The build itself is simple. Content in [Notion](https://www.notion.com/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com), so I can easily update anything. [Super](https://super.so/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com), turning those pages into the website you see. Custom CSS to improve the typography and layout. Like cobblers and shoes, as business owners, we rarely get around to doing our own marketing. Sometimes you just need to align the pieces and let the thread show. If you are avoiding your own update, this might be the small nudge you need to make a change. [Have a look around the site](https://untangleyourbrand.com/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com). And if you are working on your own, I’d love to hear how you’re approaching it. [www.untangleyourbrand.com](https://untangleyourbrand.com/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) Enjoy your Quick PINT. PS Just like painting the Forth Bridge, it’s not finished. There’s more work to add and more articles to dig out. If you spot anything that’s broken, let me know. ### Code vibing and other things we didn’t say in 2025 until now URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/code-vibing-and-other-things-we-didnt-say-in-2025-until-now/ Last updated: 2025-11-11T19:45:44.000Z Code vibing; turning natural language into computer code. “Hey, let’s do some code vibing.” Clanker; derogatory term for computers, robots and AI. “Wow, you’re such a clanker.” Glaze; flattering someone undeservedly. “You think you’ve got glaze, don’t you.” Aura farmer; deliberate cultivation of a charismatic persona. “Well at least I’m not an aura farmer.” Henry; high earner, not rich yet. “And you’re no Henry either.” Biohacker; altering the natural processes of your body to improve health. “Being a biohacker won’t save you.” Broligarchy; the collective of big tech leaders. “And you’ll never be part of the broligarchy.” Coolcation; a holiday in a cool climate. “I’m off on a coolcation this year.” Micro-retirement; a break between jobs to pursue personal interests. “Well, I’m having on a micro-retirement.” Taskmasking; giving the impression of productivity. “God, you’re such a taskmasker.” Not a lost script from Philip K Dick. Not a deleted scene from Blade Runner. Not an upgrade of Orwell’s Newspeak. All words from this year’s Collins Dictionary Words of the Year. All words I’d never written down or said, until today. Language evolves faster than we do. New words appear overnight, shaped by tech, memes, and headlines. But communication hasn’t changed. If your message doesn’t connect, it confuses. And no amount of clever wording will save it. Not even if you’re a broligarch with a trillion-dollar bonus. Enjoy your Quick PINT. Nigel Read the full article in The Guardian here [https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/nov/06/vibe-coding-collins-dictionary-word-of-the-year-2025](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/nov/06/vibe-coding-collins-dictionary-word-of-the-year-2025?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Can't draw? Neither can I. URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/cant-draw-neither-can-i/ Last updated: 2025-11-07T18:36:59.000Z When developing early concepts for *Soak&Sleep*, the sketches were meant to be placeholders, quick lines to express an idea. But the client loved them; something about them felt right. They weren’t perfect, just honest. The client saw that charm instantly and asked for more. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/11/SOAK_DUCK2.jpg) So every illustration in the brand ended up hand-drawn by me. Imperfect, human, believable. In another setting, they might have been polished out of existence, but here they became the brand’s heartbeat. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/11/SOAK_DUCK.jpg) When I studied art I never thought I would have to draw a bed bug. Most people think they can’t draw. I’m not sure I can either. But sometimes, trusting your instincts, and the imperfect marks you make, brings more authenticity than any filter or font ever could. Animation created recently using Pollo.AI, that's definitely something I couldn't do myself. ### See the full case study here [Enhancing your relaxationTaking on major retailers with a new name and brand in the bed and bath market.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/358ef569-a475-483f-881e-94e762373554-32.jpg)Enhancing your relaxation![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/UYB_CASESTUDY_THUMB_1200px_640px_SOAK2-1.jpg)](https://untangleyourbrand.com/work/soakandsleep?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Finding your core URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/finding-your-core/ Last updated: 2025-11-09T14:33:21.000Z Every strong brand has two layers of meaning. The **core** and the **strapline**. The core is internal. It defines what the brand stands for and why it exists. The strapline is external. It’s how that belief is expressed publicly in a few memorable words. We may never know what the core is for big brands. It’s their secret DNA, the part you don’t see but can always feel. We all know their straplines, *Just do it* and *Think different*. But we may never know their cores. For Nike, it could be *pushing athletic boundaries* for Apple, *enriching lives with technology*. These are the ideas that sit beneath everything they do, shaping decisions, inspiring culture and guiding behaviour. The straplines simply make those beliefs visible to the world. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/11/NIKE_APPLE.jpg) Pushing athletic boundaries. Enriching lives with technology. Most organisations don’t have the budgets of Apple or Nike which makes the strapline so synonymous with the brand, but the principle is the same. A brand core is what you want to be famous for. The strapline is how you share it. When Energy UK was formed from three industry bodies, the challenge was clarity. They needed one voice the industry could trust. The solution came from those same two layers of meaning. The brand core became *The trusted voice*. The strapline, *The voice of the energy industry*. Both are still in use more than a decade later. The brand core is the heartbeat. The strapline is how that heartbeat is heard. Most businesses don’t need a slogan. They need a belief that can be spoken in many ways. ### Read the full Energy UK case study here [The trusted voiceBringing clarity and credibility to the organisation that speaks for the UK’s energy industry.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/358ef569-a475-483f-881e-94e762373554-36.jpg)The trusted voice![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/UYB_CASESTUDY_THUMB_1200px_640px_EUK.jpg)](https://untangleyourbrand.com/work/energyuk?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### The Art of the Mixtape URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/the-art-of-the-mixtape-quick-pint-friday-31-october/ Last updated: 2025-10-31T18:00:19.000Z This week a client asked if I could create a mixtape to launch a campaign. A brilliant brief. The problem is, they’re not as easy as they sound. It’s not just a quick list, press play, done. A mixtape is a craft. In the 80s, they were literal tapes. A C60 cassette. Recorded from records or the radio, with handwritten tracklists and the faint hope it might impress a crush. It rarely did. But I kept making them. In the 90s came the CD mix. Still curated, still personal, but 80 minutes max. Twenty-odd tracks from your MP3 collection, a felt-tip title on the disc, maybe an inlay cover if you had the patience. I did. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/10/MIXTAPE.jpg) Now it’s Spotify. You can add every song ever released, in any order, at any length. That freedom is the problem. The more you can add, the harder it is to choose. So, here are my rules for the perfect mixtape. It’s much like how I create a brand. Insight, make it relevant. Story, make it unique. Engage, make it memorable. – Know your audience. Who’s it for and why? – Give it a theme and a name that means something. – Pace it. Take the listener on a journey, not a sprint. Start with the familiar, weave in surprises, save the bangers for the end. – Don’t make it about you. It’s not a lecture in taste. – Never play on random. The order is the story. – And never play your own mix at a party. I have one last rule that I self-impose: every playlist I make only includes vinyl I actually own. It keeps the choice more focused. The playlist below is from last year’s Halloween Vinylly Friday, just the records in the order we played them. We'll play the same this year, but maybe in a slightly different order. Happy Halloween. Enjoy your Quick PINT Nigel ### The power behind the power of music URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/the-power-behind-the-power-of-music/ Last updated: 2025-11-10T18:21:23.000Z In 2008 I was asked to rebrand ABRSM, *The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music*. An organisation with a long history, deep royal connections, and an extraordinary influence on how people learn music across the world. It was the first time they’d ever really tackled themselves as a brand. After many meetings at their offices on Portland Place, I remember sitting in reception and noticing something strange. Silence. Not a single note, not a piano or a violin drifting through the air. For an organisation dedicated to music, it felt oddly quiet. When we pitched for the project, it felt almost like sitting an exam. We were literally told to turn over our papers. After thirty minutes, time was up. But what we’d already seen, and heard, told us what was missing. ABRSM was brilliant at examining music. But it had forgotten to express what music *does*. The emotion. The connection. The power. That became the heart of the new strategy: **“The Power of Music.”** It captured both the organisation’s authority and its purpose — to make music a force that transforms lives. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/11/abrsm_4b_NEW.jpg) ABRSM 2008 rebrand When our agency, [**300million**](https://studiographica.org/archive/300million?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com), developed the new identity, the organisation was still rooted in print, certificates, syllabuses, sheet music. The design reflected that world: precise, classical, confident. By 2016, the world had changed. [**Cog Design**](https://cogdesign.com/work/abrsm/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) evolved the brand for the digital age, refining the logo, updating the tone, and giving the visual system more energy and motion. It was a quiet evolution, not a revolution, and it respected what was already strong. Then in 2024, [**Everything Connected**](https://www.e-c.agency/work/abrsm-website?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) refreshed it again. They turned the crown’s musical staves into free-flowing waves, introduced a brighter palette, and rebuilt the website around a more inclusive idea: **“A Life With Music.”** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/11/ABRSM_EVOLUTION.jpg) The symbol has changed, but the spirit hasn’t. *The Power of Music* still runs through every version of the brand. That’s what a strong core does. It outlasts logos, colour palettes and campaigns. It gives future teams something to build on, not replace. I like symbols. They can be powerful shorthand for meaning. But in the end, it’s the emotion, not the mark, that makes a brand live. ### Read the full ABRSM case study here [The power of musicBringing the power of music to the heart of global music education.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/358ef569-a475-483f-881e-94e762373554-40.jpg)The power of music![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/UYB_CASESTUDY_THUMB_1200px_640px_ABRSM.jpg)](https://untangleyourbrand.com/work/abrsm?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Are you saying too much? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/are-you-saying-too-much/ Last updated: 2026-01-20T20:25:53.000Z Are you saying too much to too many people? Has your marketing message become a bit like the window of this excellent local Thai restaurant? You can see what happened. Normally they would simply show whether they were open or closed. A classic rotating sign. Job done. Then they were takeaway only. Open, but you could not sit in. They were busy in the kitchen, so they asked customers to ring the bell to collect their order. Deliveries still needed to be delivered. They began accepting Deliveroo orders, who are actually taking away rather than delivering. Then Uber Eats orders arrived too. Apart from learning that you need to make things ultra clear for Deliveroo drivers, what can we take from this? As the restaurant tried to communicate with each new audience, new messages were added. As clarity faded, the important messages were repeated, crowding the window further. There were three audiences arriving at the door. Customers, deliveries and takeaway drivers. But there was only one essential action. “Please ring the bell.” What is the most important message you need to get across to all your audiences? Use that on your shopfront with a clear arrow to your doorbell. ### Black(out) Monday URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/black-out-monday-quick-pint-friday-24-october/ Last updated: 2025-10-24T17:49:04.000Z Black Friday is nearly here, and we’ll soon be buried under messages from brands pushing things they couldn’t sell to people who didn’t really want them the first time. The supermarket scrums for giant TVs have gone, replaced by the scramble to unsubscribe from emails. But were you ready for Black(out) Monday? When Amazon Web Services crashed this week, half the internet went with it. Snapchat, Duolingo, even HMRC. I wasn’t chatting, learning, or paying tax. I was just trying to update my website, and that was glitchy enough. Maybe it was a glimpse of a brighter future, where we forget about shopping, scrolling, and online everything for a while. So, what did you do? My own tools we fine. They’ve never needed servers or logins. – Bic Matic Original mechanical pencil – Pentel Sign Pen S520, black – 3M Post-it Notes, square and yellow – White 80gsm photocopy paper The tools of creativity. The paper where ideas begin. Scratchy pencil sketches, rough doodles, scribbles that slowly make sense. Larger words on Post-its. Bold phrases. Thought bombs. Moved around until something clicks. That’s how creativity starts. Not with a blank web form, but with a mark on paper, a line that leads somewhere new. Of course, I’ll need the digital world to bring it to life, but there’s comfort in knowing the first step doesn’t rely on the cloud. Maybe the question isn’t how the internet failed, but how we cope when it does. What’s your plan when servers dim? Do you have tools that still work when the servers don’t? Because resilience isn’t just about backups and passwords. It’s knowing you can still think, write, and create when the world goes offline. Grab a sheet of paper and a pen. It's very satisfying My only problem? I buy all my stationery from Amazon. Better stock up while it’s still online. Enjoy your Quick PINT. Nigel Read about the Amazn outage on The Guardian [Amazon Web Services outage shows internet users ‘at mercy’ of too few providers, experts sayCrash that hit apps and websites around world demonstrates ‘urgent need for diversification in cloud computing’![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-512.png)The GuardianDan Milmo![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/5031.jpg)](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/oct/20/amazon-web-services-aws-outage-hits-dozens-websites-apps?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### The end of the funnel URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/the-end-of-the-funnel-quick-pint-friday-17-october/ Last updated: 2025-10-18T09:51:30.000Z This week I decided to make a change. A big change in how I nurture leads and share content. No more funnel marketing. Now it’s just content marketing. So what’s the difference, and why the change? ### Funnel marketing is built around control. You attract leads, add them to a list, and guide them through automated steps until some become clients. It’s logical and measurable, but it can feel mechanical, always thinking about the next tag, form, or trigger, not the person on the other end. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/10/FUNNEL.gif) Funnel marketing: Put enough in, something will pop out. ### Content marketing flips that. Instead of moving people through a system, you put ideas into the world. You share something worth reading and trust it finds the right audience. It’s about energy, not control. Write clearly, publish consistently, let the content travel. Those who connect will find their own way to you. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/10/CONTENT.gif) Content marketing: Put something good in, and broadcast it. That change in thinking has also led to a shift in where everything lives. You might have noticed this week’s Quick PINT looks a little different. It’s still an email, still landing in your inbox, but now it lives somewhere new. Everything is now hosted on Blah, Blah, Blah, my new home for writing about brands, bands, and creativity. It’s an archive, a library, and a conversation in one place. For the past few years, ActiveCampaign handled everything. Tags, automations, workflows, landing pages, the full funnel. It worked, but it often felt like running a small factory just to send a note. Now it’s simpler. Now everything is stored on the Ghost platform. I write, share, and if you like it, you can read more, subscribe, comment or share it. No sequences, no hidden steps. Just content. Clear, calm, and ready when it’s ready. And to be clear this isn’t a Substack-style land grab where I start charging for access. There’s just one tier. Free. You’ll still get a Quick PINT every week, plus other posts from time to time. The new platform fits the new mindset, content that stands on its own, travels on its own, and finds the right people when the timing’s right. You can read the welcome post and explore the archive here: [Welcome to Blah, Blah, Blah.](https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/hello/) There’s nothing wrong with funnel marketing. It works for many businesses. Content just suits me better, slower, simpler, more connected. The important thing is to do what fits you, your business, and your audience. Find the approach that helps you share what matters most, in a way that feels right. Enjoy your Quick PINT. Nigel ### Hello URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/hello/ Last updated: 2025-10-16T10:19:39.000Z ### Welcome to Blah, Blah, Blah *Blah, Blah, Blah* is an independent publication for all content from PIN Creative; a space for short reflections, stories, and ideas about brands, bands, and creativity. When you subscribe, you’ll get full access to every post, from the weekly Quick PINT to deeper essays on branding, thoughts about music, live events and creative culture. There are no tiers or paywalls. Everyone’s on the free list. Accounts are only needed if you want to comment or manage your settings. --- ### Access all areas You’ll get access to the full archive, everything written before, and everything still to come. Think of it as your own private library of insights, stories, and side notes from the world of brands and bands. Stay up to date with new pieces straight to your inbox. No algorithms, no social feeds, just calm, useful content when it’s ready. --- ### Join the conversation If you want to dig deeper, you can: - Book a [Quick Cha](https://calendly.com/pincreative/chat?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com)t with me if you’d like to talk about your brand. - Email me directly at [nigel@pincreative.co.uk](mailto:nigel@pincreative.co.uk). - Join the [Untangle Your Brand Facebook Group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/untangleyourbrand) to connect with others exploring similar ideas. --- ### ### Start your own thing Enjoying the experience? Get started for free and set up your very own subscription business using [Ghost](https://ghost.org/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com), the same platform that powers this website. ### Happy first birthday URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/happy-first-birthday/ Last updated: 2025-10-17T11:22:41.000Z Quick PINT turns one year old this week, Fifty-two weeks (minus Christmas) of thoughts and ramblings about branding, business, and bands. What started as a personal challenge to see if I could write something every week has turned into a habit I look forward to. It is no longer a chore, it is part of the rhythm of my week. If you have an audience and you are not speaking to them regularly, here are a few things I have learned from running this newsletter. ### Give it a name that sticks. Quick PINT came from my business name and values: P = Pragmatic, I = Inspiring, N = Nurturing. I added T for Thoughts and decided it should be quick and easy to read, and to write. ### Do not overthink it. Too much planning kills the energy. You lose the immediacy that makes it worth reading. You are not writing a white paper to change the world. You are just sharing something to make people stop, think, and smile. ### Pick your moment. Find a time that fits your week. I write mine on a Friday when the work is done, just before Vinylly Friday starts. Head clear, weekend starting, pint in hand. ### Keep an archive. This one is still a work in progress, but it matters. Write every week and you will build a library of ideas you can reuse, expand, or share elsewhere. New readers enjoy seeing how it has grown. So that is it. Have fun with it. Write often. Share widely. And if you have a regular newsletter, send me the link. I would love to read what is going on in your world. Enjoy your Quick PINT. Cheers Nigel ### Pandora's box of names URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/pandoras-box-of-names/ Last updated: 2025-11-13T20:45:36.000Z Some names arrive like a gift. When we started shaping the brand for an AI content platform, we knew what it needed to do, help people communicate with clarity and confidence. What we didn’t want was a name that sounded like software. Then *VoxBox* appeared. Two short syllables that rhyme. Easy to say, easy to remember. A name with rhythm, balance and a quiet sense of fun. *Vox* means voice, *Box* suggests potential — a container, a spark, a place where ideas can multiply. Almost like a digital Pandora’s box, but in a good way. It worked because it felt human. The name itself carried what the brand promised: conversation, creativity and confidence. It didn’t need jargon to sound smart. It just needed a good idea, said clearly. Even the domain extension felt right. Choosing *.marketing* wasn’t a compromise; it was strategy. A **TLD** — short for *Top Level Domain* — is the part after the dot in a web address: *.com*, *.co.uk*, *.ai*. Most people default to *.com*, but it’s worth searching wider. Newer extensions can add meaning, context or personality to a name, especially when the obvious options are taken. We explored plenty — *.ai*, *.com*, *.io* — but *.marketing* did more than identify the site. It described what the brand does. *VoxBox.marketing* became a sentence in itself, clear and confident. The lesson: your web address isn’t just a technical choice. It’s another chance to tell your story. Some names need explanation. Others do the talking for you. ### See the full VoxBox case study here [Unlock your potentialA bold name and identity for an AI-powered content platform for entrepreneurs.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/358ef569-a475-483f-881e-94e762373554-44.jpg)Unlock your potential![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/UYB_CASESTUDY_THUMB_1200px_640px_VOXBOX.jpg)](https://untangleyourbrand.com/work/voxbox?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Untangle your cables URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/untangle-your-cables/ Last updated: 2025-10-14T18:41:10.000Z Do you have a drawer full? Maybe a box. Maybe a bag. I’ve got a ‘special’ box. Not quite one cubic metre, but big. And it’s full. Full of old cables. Audio: RCA, 3.5mm jacks, XLRs, speaker leads, MIDI. Video: VGA, HDMI, mini ports, RGB component. Guitar cables. Ethernet. Yellow ends. Red ends. Kettle leads. Plugs. Extension cables. Camera cables. Chargers. Flash cards. Power packs. A few monkey cables that tie themselves in knots just for fun. But mostly... computer cables. FireWire. Thunderbolt. Lightning. USB-C. USB-A. 30-pin. Power plugs. Adapters. UK. Euro. US. USB-C to USB-A. Small ones for drives. Square ones. Thin ones. Cables for things I no longer own. Cables I never knew the use for. Square pin. Round pin. Multi-pin. No pin. And yet... Whenever I need a specific one, I can never find it. So I buy a new one. And the box grows bigger. But this week, I’ve decided to untangle them. Empty the box. Sort them. Tie them up neatly. Bag them by type. It’ll take time — but it’ll be worth it. It’s just like untangling a brand, really. Clear out the waste. Keep what matters. Make it easier to find the right thing at the right moment. And this? A Lightning to 3.5mm headphone adapter — that little white tail we all carried for a while. Made perfect sense before Apple went wireless. Now it just waits for a port that doesn’t exist, for a phone I no longer have. Don’t let your brand cling to things that were once useful, but no longer serve the world you’re in now. Enjoy your Quick PINT Cheers, Nigel ### Zest November; The Secret to Creativity URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/zest-november-the-secret-to-creativity/ Last updated: 2025-10-18T19:16:46.000Z ### What is ZEST? ZEST; Creative Business Networking; a monthly networking event connecting the creative, business, and student communities of Greenwich, South East London and beyond. ZEST brings together business owners and fresh talent so they can share their enthusiasm and energy for business and creativity. Meet. Chat. Learn. ### Who is ZEST for? If you’re a creative interested in business. If you’re a business interested in creativity. If you’re a graduate interested in creativity or business ### Where is ZEST held? The Salon, Design District Bureau C3, 13 Soames Walk London SE10 0AX \[Next to the o2 Arena, Greenwich North Tube, Jubilee Line\] ### When is the next event? Wednesday 19 November, 12.30pm to 2.00pm ### How much is it? Free; book with this link [November ZEST: Creative Business NetworkingJoin us for a monthly networking event that brings together business owners and fresh talent to share their knowledge and creativity.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/safari-pinned-tab.svg)Eventbrite![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/https-3A-2F-2Fcdn.evbuc.com-2Fimages-2F792436129-2F403120531121-2F1-2Foriginal.20240619-104930)](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/november-zest-creative-business-networking-tickets-1828326005299?aff=oddtdtcreator&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Why is it called ZEST? Zest means; enthusiasm, eagerness, energy, and interest. Also, it’s in a bright orange room. ### Find out more here [ZESTA monthly networking event connecting the creative, business and graduate communities of Greenwich. ZEST brings together business owners and fresh talent so they can share their enthusiasm and energy for business and creativity.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/358ef569-a475-483f-881e-94e762373554-1.jpg)ZEST![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/public)](https://untangleyourbrand.com/zest?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### The ice cream test URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/the-ice-cream-test/ Last updated: 2025-11-10T11:17:55.000Z In brand workshops, I often ask people to bring a picture that represents their brand. Something they feel captures its spirit. When we ran the session for The Splash Lab, most of the team, being design-led, chose the usual suspects. *Aesop. Boffi. Vola.* All elegant, architectural, and beautifully restrained. But one image stood out. *Magnum.* The ice cream. It wasn’t a joke. It was chosen for its *“unafraid attention to detail.”* A small object, perfectly made, confidently presented. Suddenly, the conversation shifted. We stopped talking about other brands and started talking about experience, quality and the small things that make people feel something. That’s the value of good research. The truth often hides in the ordinary. You don’t always learn from what’s impressive; you learn from what’s instinctive. ### Read the full Splash Lab case study here [Small space. Big impact.Creating clarity and confidence for a design-led manufacturer redefining the modern washroom.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/358ef569-a475-483f-881e-94e762373554-39.jpg)Small space. Big impact.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/UYB_CASESTUDY_THUMB_1200px_640px_SPLASH_LAB.jpg)](https://untangleyourbrand.com/work/splashlab?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### 56. Is it just a number? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/56-is-it-just-a-number/ Last updated: 2025-10-14T18:27:02.000Z Yesterday was my birthday. 56\. Spectacularly unimportant. It got me thinking about music. There are songs of teenage dreams and youthful rebellion. Born This Way – Lady Gaga Sweet Little Sixteen – Chuck Berry Teenager in Love – Dion and The Belmonts Teenage Kicks – The Undertones Forever Young – a-ha Young at Heart – The Bluebells Tracks reflecting on a life lived, contemplating the end. My Generation – The Who When I’m Sixty-Four – The Beatles Golden Years – David Bowie Too Young to Die – Jamiroquai Live Forever – Oasis Another One Bites the Dust – Queen But nothing on middle age. Midlife. The musical wilderness years. They say age is just a number. But it’s also another year. A reason to celebrate. And in my case, a reminder it’s only 13 weeks until Christmas. What does your birthday make you think about? Enjoy your Quick PINT. Cheers Nigel ### Values made easier URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/values-made-easier/ Last updated: 2025-11-20T13:33:55.000Z One of the most important elements in a brand model (or ingredients in a brand doughnut) are values; what you believe is important in both your life and work. Some have their values hardwired into everything they do, which is great. Others struggle, and finding them is harder than finishing a Rubik’s Cube. This week I was asked how to solve this and gave 3 simple steps (not the Rubik’s Cube, that has 43 quintillion possibilities). ### Find the words\* Answer these questions: • What are you most proud of and what did you do? • What has made you happiest and how did it make you feel? •When were you most satisfied and how were you rewarded? \*If you’re really stuck for words then Google “values word list”. There are millions of examples. Cross out the ones that don’t click, circle the ones that do. Be instinctive. ### Find the focus Reduce the list down to 3 or 4 (max 5). There are probably lots of overlaps. Focus on the most important. ### Find the meaning You’ve lived your life through these words (step 1). Now ensure everyone knows what they mean to you with your own definition. That’s it. If you’ve completed this and have your values nailed, congratulations. Please share. ### Is your pricing clear, distinct, and valuable? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/is-your-pricing-clear-distinct-and-valuable/ Last updated: 2025-10-12T21:14:24.000Z I'm not a pricing strategist. I’m not even sure what a pricing strategist is. But I do buy things. Records. Guinness. Other stuff too. I tend to avoid sales. They’re usually just trying to shift what no one else wants. I’ll often buy the more expensive option if it’s from a store I trust. If there’s no price on it, I assume I can’t afford it. Free things are usually a waste of time. So here are my non-strategic pricing tips. – If you’re giving something away for free, make sure it’s valuable but does not take up your time. – Always show your prices on your website. It will save you from the time wasters. – Avoid Bronze, Silver, Gold tiers. Small variations don’t create real choice. Make each offer distinct. That is how I see it as a consumer. But how about you? Are your prices clear, distinct, and fair? Do they show the value you bring? Or do they leave people guessing? Here’s the strategy. Be clear. Be distinct. Be valuable. Enjoy your Quick Pint. Cheers Nigel Here is how I’ve shaped my offers.. **Untangle your brand guide** – Free Key questions to help you set the foundations, using my proven frame work, now powered by AI. [https://untangleyourbrand.com/guide](https://pincreative.acemlna.com/lt.php?x=41xtmrUFUqPUT55qA3P3UhKeAHNTv%5F~ukuUxXnXGJnCZD8%5F~yd1JUhNs1XEjkNFfx1KyYnoWIFeb954Kyt~NV1GfQH-hjdFf0DYx&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) **Untangle your brand now** – £150+VAT Pick my brand brain for creative ideas and strategic actions you can use straight away [https://untangleyourbrand.com/now](https://pincreative.acemlna.com/lt.php?x=41xtmrUFUqPUT55qA3P3UhKeAHNTv%5F~ukuUxXnXGJnCZD8%5F~yd1JUhNs1XEjkNFfx1KyYnoWIFeb954Kyt~NWFGfQH-hjdFf0DYx&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) **Untangle your brand boost** – £1,500+VAT A workshop to kick-start or refresh your brand with quick, focused actions. [https://untangleyourbrand.com/boost](https://pincreative.acemlna.com/lt.php?x=41xtmrUFUqPUT55qA3P3UhKeAHNTv%5F~ukuUxXnXGJnCZD8%5F~yd1JUhNs1XEjkNFfx1KyYnoWIFeb954Kyt~NWVGfQH-hjdFf0DYx&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) **Create your brand** – from £5,000+VAT Full projects to create your brand from scratch or evolve what you already have. [https://untangleyourbrand.com/create](https://pincreative.acemlna.com/lt.php?x=41xtmrUFUqPUT55qA3P3UhKeAHNTv%5F~ukuUxXnXGJnCZD8%5F~yd1JUhNs1XEjkNFfx1KyYnoWIFeb954Kyt~OUFGfQH-hjdFf0DYx&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Haiku URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/haiku/ Last updated: 2026-10-02T12:42:35.000Z I was set the task GPT would do the writing a mirror in words Essence of my work five beats then seven then five untangling my brand I offered the facts an overview all about me three hundred plain words The lines feel near true they capture most of what I do brands and bands within So I turn to you to weigh these fragile phrases tell me what they mean With thanks to [Erin Halper, Champion of Independent Consultants](https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinhalper/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) empowered by [The Upside](https://www.linkedin.com/company/betheupside/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com), for setting the [hashtag#HaikuChallenge](https://www.linkedin.com/search/results/all/?keywords=%23haikuchallenge&origin=HASH%5FTAG%5FFROM%5FFEED&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Ten years or tin years? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/ten-years-or-tin-years/ Last updated: 2025-10-14T18:23:59.000Z Not much time for writing this week. It’s our ten year wedding anniversary. Ten years is marked by tin or aluminium, a symbol of strength and durability. Not sure a tin of beans will do the job though. Enjoy your quick glass of Champagne. Nigel ### The New Year starts here. URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/the-new-year-starts-here/ Last updated: 2025-10-17T15:39:27.000Z Summer is over. Everyone back to school. Autumn ahead. Earlier sunsets. Clocks changing. Leaves turning. Days shorter. Nights longer. Walking into winter. The end is nigh. Or is it. Blue skies. Golden trees. The twilight months. No more lazy days. No more ice cream. The air is sharper. Time to refresh. It’s not just back to school. It is back to work. Refreshed. Ready. But are you? Too early for the New Year? Too early for resolutions? Maybe not. Don’t wait four months. The New Year starts here. (Still too early for Christmas ads though.) Enjoy your Quick PINT Nigel ### Can you make a change for someone else? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/this-changed-everything-for-me-could-you-make-the-change-for-someone-else/ Last updated: 2025-10-13T08:47:59.000Z Getting a job has always been challenging. I was lucky. I got a placement while at college. That turned into a full time job. Six months later I was made redundant. One of the designer’s girlfriends was looking for a designer. That led to a senior role. The office manager moved to a bigger agency. They needed someone more experienced. I stepped in. The design director later moved to a more successful creative agency. They wanted a new design director. I took the role. I met a group of people. We started a business. It grew to a team of 25. In ten years I went from leaving college to rebranding Ford Motor Company and running our own award winning agency. Was it luck? Maybe. But luck is when preparation meets opportunity. I was given a chance. And that changed everything. Now I’m asking if you’ll do the same. This October we’re running a Business Management Careers Fair at Ravensbourne University. Wednesday 15 October, 2.00 to 5.00 PM. These are Business Management students looking for real-world experience. Some need short placements or shadowing opportunities of around 70 hours. Others just need to hear your story. You can offer a placement, mentoring, a live brief, or simply show up and talk about your work. If you’re not local, maybe you know someone in South East London, Greenwich, Lewisham, or nearby who could help. Please share this with them. If you’d like more details, just reply to this email. Are you ready to give someone a chance? That’s how my journey began, and maybe yours too. Enjoy your Quick PINT Nigel ### What is a brand model? Why do you need one? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/what-is-a-brand-model-why-do-you-need-one/ Last updated: 2025-12-13T11:13:32.000Z Do you use a brand model to define your brand? If so, what do you use? A brand house? A brand onion? A brand pyramid? I use a brand doughnut. (Who doesn’t like doughnuts?) If you don’t have a brand model then it’s harder to connect with your audience. It doesn’t matter what shape or size you go for just choose one or invent your own. ### How to create and use a brand model. The best way to define a brand is to create a brand model. But which is the right one? You could choose a “Brand Pyramid” with “What your brand stands for” at the base, building to a “Brand Core” at its peak. Or maybe you’d prefer a “Brand House” usually visualised as a classical building with pillars of “Values” displaying a “Brand Promise” on its roof. Or a “Brand Onion” layers of values and identity elements, with a central “Brand Core”. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/10/DOUGHNUT_ARTICLE-2.jpg) ### What is the best brand model? Actually, I don’t believe it matters which you choose. They’re all principally the same. Most have some form of vision, some values and crucially a core idea or promise. Choose one to suit your needs. I don’t use any of these listed above, instead opting for a “Brand Doughnut”. With a “Brand Core” filling the centre hole instead of jam. ### Why do you need a brand model? The brand model acts as a summary for the brand story, refining thoughts from research and insight. It becomes the starting point for all creative work, naming and messaging. It will form the cornerstone of any brand development activities. Think of it as the glue that creates an emotional connection with your audience. But remember, it’s not a business strategy! That’s left to management consultants. ### Who is a brand model for? Everyone. The brand model will work for all audiences inside and outside the organisation. Internally the brand model creates a shared direction and common understanding. Externally the brand model creates clarity and distinction in your brand and communications; a memorable experience for your customers. ### How do you create a brand model? Typically, this is through the combination of activities to gain greater insight into your business. I ask questions, read reports, look at what you’ve done in the past and generally understand who you are and where you want to be. I look at competitors and peers and understand what they are saying. I speak with employees, interview key stakeholders and generate digital surveys across the wider business. A successful model is created in collaboration with clients and their teams using workshops to explore ideas and test thinking, always sharing output along the way. ### How do you use a brand model? The brand model isn’t just ‘fluffy marketing jargon’. A brand model can give meaning to all areas of your business. You can splint an organisation into ‘Four P’s’. Products (the services provided to customers), Place (the environment in which you do business), Promotion (the marketing activities of your business) and finally People (the culture throughout the organisation). Aligning a strong “Brand Core” across these four areas will ensure that your brand story is more coherent, product development is more relevant, the sales process is smoother and your people buy-in to the brand at a deeper level. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/10/UYB_DOUGHNUT_ANIMATION_1440px-1.gif) Once you have all the ingredients for the brand model (such as vision, mission, offer, values, positioning, core) it’s time to build your house, skin your onion or enjoy a freshly made doughnut. Just remember, it’s what’s at the “Core” of your business that will make the big difference, not the choice of the model. But who doesn’t like jam doughnuts? ### Download my brand doughnut guide showing you how to transform your brand by answering six key questions [Untangle your brand guideSix key questions you should ask to bring clarity to your brand.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/358ef569-a475-483f-881e-94e762373554-55.jpg)Untangle your brand guide![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/UYB_ICON_THUMB_1200x640px15.png)](https://untangleyourbrand.com/guide?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### I want it. How much is it? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/i-want-it-how-much-is-it-collaboration-that-sells-itself/ Last updated: 2025-10-17T11:24:54.000Z If you had to team up with another brand, who would it be? That thought hit me this week when Newcastle United dropped their new collaboration with Adidas. The 25/26 Samba trainers. Took me all of 30 seconds to buy them. And I don’t usually go for fan kits, and I usually limit myself to one new pair of Sambas a year. When brands and bands line up, the result is powerful. Apple and Nike. Topshop and Kate Moss. Beyoncé and Jay Z. Run DMC and Aerosmith. Queen and Bowie. Coldplay and Chainsmokers. (Ok, not always then). The point is, a good partnership creates something bigger than the sum of its parts. Two sets of values combine. Your audience sees it and thinks, “I want it. How much is it?” They’ve made up their mind before seeing the price. If I was to pick a collaboration, it would have to be Guinness. Sout. Black clothes. Slow to settle. The head turns white. Mine’s still grey. So, who would it be for you? Who could amplify your brand, sharpen its edge, or open up a new crowd? Enjoy your Quick PINT Nigel PS Still gutted I missed out on the New Order Blue Monday Adidas collaboration back in 2019. [Buy the trainers here>>](https://shop.newcastleunited.com/products/newcastle-united-adidas-25-26-samba-trainers?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Branding or Marketing? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/branding-or-marketing/ Last updated: 2025-10-12T17:17:32.000Z Branding or Marketing? Marketing or Branding? Branding is vital but marketing is useful. Marketing is vital but branding is useful. It doesn’t matter which way round. Combine something that is vital with something that is useful, and you have something that is effective. I’m a brand consultant. Recent activities I provided to a client included; \- market insights \- audience segmentation strategies \- email sequencing principles \- case study writing \- customer sign-up processes \- landing page tactics Is it branding or marketing? It doesn’t matter. Combined they are effective. The client feedback does matter. “You’ve opened up a whole new way of thinking, bringing everything together in an intelligent framework.” ### It’s back. URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/its-back/ Last updated: 2025-10-15T10:03:32.000Z It’s back. The beautiful game. The big, brash, bold, bloated, Ugly, beautiful game. The Premier League. It eats everything. Nine months of headlines, scroll feeds, pub talk, office chat. Other sports vanish. Women’s Euros, forgotten. Club World Cup, forgotten. Wimbledon, forgotten. Summer Tests, forgotten. New rules. New grudges. Managers circling. Fans circling. Arsenal coming second, even at coming second. Fantasy Football panic. Isak or not? Triple Captain? Bench boost? No clue. Offside, maybe. VAR, never. More matches. More pundits. More sponsors. More money. More, more, more. Big doesn’t mean best. Domination doesn’t mean winning. Don’t believe the hype. Believe in your business. There’s more to life than football. Enjoy your Quick PINT. Nigel (90 minutes till kick-off, FPL deadline missed) ### Swat the Bots: Do you have good AI meeting etiquette? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/swat-the-bots-do-you-have-good-ai-meeting-etiquette/ Last updated: 2025-10-13T09:38:53.000Z Most of us use some form of AI meeting assistant now. Sometimes it’s a bot battle just getting them into the room. But what’s the etiquette? Do you have good AI meeting manners? This week, at our FSB group meeting, we spent the first ten minutes swatting the flies. At a client session, I couldn’t get Read.AI to work in Teams (but then again, not much does). Mine’s set to join automatically for client meetings. No one’s complained yet. But would you leave a meeting if it was being recorded by AI? I reckon there are three principles: **Your meeting. Your rules.** Let people know it’s being recorded and give them the option to leave. Trickier in a one-to-one, so give them a heads-up in advance. That way, they can choose not to attend. (I’m updating my Calendly invites to reflect this.) **Someone else’s meeting. Their rules.** Don’t just dump your Otter into the call. Ask. If they say no? Back to the old ways. Pen and paper. (Or in my case, Apple Pencil and iPad.) **Group meetings. Shared rules.** I’d say no AI note-taking unless the host makes it clear. These sessions are usually open forums, and people need to feel safe sharing. If a record’s needed, the host should manage it and share with the group. So, there you go. Not enforceable, but a start. What are your thoughts on AI in meetings? Does it help or hinder? Would love to know. Enjoy your Quick PINT Nigel ### Untangle your brand name URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/untangle-your-brand-name/ Last updated: 2025-11-15T20:18:49.000Z One of the most common questions I get asked is: “Should I use my personal name for my business or develop a corporate name?” I have a personal name, Nigel Davies, and I always introduce myself using it. I also have a corporate name, PIN Creative, and I always tell people about my business. I’m an independent consultant. I have a company of one. But I never work in isolation, so I feel that the corporate name is important to establish my business and the way I work. Read the questions in the post which will help you understand more about the points to consider, and follow the link to the quiz to get a score to help you decide. ### Untangle your brand name A simple test to help you decide what’s the right approach for your brand name. [Untangle your brand nameA simple test to help you decide between a corporate or personal name.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/358ef569-a475-483f-881e-94e762373554-47.jpg)Untangle your brand name![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/5347152b-57ae-403a-82a8-cea24914c5f9.png)](https://untangleyourbrand.com/name?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### You are a Lioness. Roar. URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/you-are-a-lioness-roar/ Last updated: 2025-10-12T19:04:23.000Z Resilience. Word of the week. Word of the EUFA Women’s Euros. Word of the winning England team. But it is not just their word. It is yours. If you are still here, still showing up, Not just reading this, Not just subscribed, recently or for years, But still going. Still building. Still trying. You are resilient. Everyone who starts a business. Everyone who leads one. Everyone who keeps going. You are in good company. Join the Lionesses. Roar. Enjoy your Quick PINT, Nigel ### How to work with me URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/untangle-your-brand/ Last updated: 2025-10-13T20:09:45.000Z If you’re already a successful brand, just starting out to become one or somewhere in between, then ensuring you have brand clarity is vital to achieving your business vision. I combine my experience in strategy, creativity and business to simplify the branding process. Start your brand clarity journey by sharing your challenges with me. ## Quick chat **Sometimes all you need is a quick chat with an expert, so you know how to take the next step forward.** That’s why I offer a free 15-minute call. Ask me anything about your brand and I’ll give instant feedback so you can gain clarity and address your immediate issues; - where should I focus? - where should I invest time? - where should I invest money? You probably have other questions too and I’d love to help answer them, just message me to book a call. **Fees free** [Book here](https://calendly.com/pincreative/chat?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ## Untangle your brand now **Pick my brand brain and using my experience and intuition I will suggest ideas and actions that you can work with straight away.** I know how to untangle brand problems that you might have been wrestling with for weeks, months or even years. - Is the brand aligned with the business vision? - Are customers connecting with the offer? - Are products and services well organised? - Can you evolve without losing the good stuff? - What are the quick fixes or bigger issues? ### How it works 🔍 Pre-call questionnaire completed by you 1️⃣ Session 1; brand workshop addressing your specific issues Includes **🎯** Key action list 🤖 Video replay and notes **Fees £150+VAT** [Book here](https://calendly.com/pincreative/untnangle%5Fnow?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### ### ### AltaVista: The Life-Changing Website URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/altavista-the-life-changing-website/ Last updated: 2025-10-12T19:08:50.000Z Technology is meant to save time. Make things easier. Smarter. Sometimes it does. Over the past few months, I’ve been setting up custom GPTs, built to follow instructions rather than just guess the answer. They were working well. People used them. They saved time. Job done. Until recently, when an update landed. Nothing dramatic. Just enough to throw things off. Now, instead of doing what I’ve told them, they try to work out what I 'meant'. I’ll fix it, of course. But it’s a reminder that the tools keep shifting. You fix one thing, something else breaks. Especially with AI. Fast doesn’t always mean better. And helpful isn’t always helpful. [Laura Downey](https://pincreative.acemlna.com/lt.php?x=41xtmrUFUqPUT55qA3P3UhKeAHNTv%5F~ukuUxXnXGJnCZD8%5F~yd1JUhNs1XEjkNFfx1KyYnIWIFad954Kyt9MVVGfQH-hiNdf0DYx&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) posted a question the other day: Which websites changed your life? It took me straight back. For me, it was AltaVista. Before Google simplified everything. I remember using it for the first time to find a picture of Hong Kong Phooey for a party invite. Typed it in. Found it. Stuck it on the flyer. It felt like magic. The idea that you could search for something and it would simply appear. (I hadn’t really thought about the copyright, but it was non-commercial, so let’s call it innocent enthusiasm.) That moment changed how I saw the internet. Not just as a thing you use, but something that could open things up. We’ve come a long way from clunky search engines and slow-loading JPEGs. But I think we’re still chasing the same thing. A sense of possibility. A tool that helps us make something quicker, smarter, better. So now I’m asking you: Which website changed your life? Enjoy your Quick PINT, Nigel [Add your thoughts to the origina post on Linkedin>>](https://pincreative.acemlna.com/lt.php?x=41xtmrUFUqPUT55qA3P3UhKeAHNTv%5F~ukuUxXnXGJnCZD8%5F~yd1JUhNs1XEjkNFfx1KyYnIWIFad954Kyt9MVlGfQH-hiNdf0DYx&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### AI-fel Tower URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/ai-fel-tower/ Last updated: 2026-07-10T17:56:27.000Z In early 2023, we were preparing visuals for WorldDAB’s Auto 2023 conference, being held in Paris. The Eiffel Tower is not just a global icon, it's also a large broadcast tower. I’d been reading about AI image generation and decided to test it, more out of curiosity than expectation. The brief was simple:*create an image of the Eiffel Tower made of blue neon light, on a black background, with rays emitting from it.* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/10/AI_FEL_TOWER_3.jpg) Concept: what if the Eiffel Tower was lit up at night by blue futuristic neon lights? The result was rough, surreal and strangely beautiful. It looked like an idea caught mid-thought. I shared it with the client, expecting it to stay a reference point. Instead, they loved it. That single image, created with Midjourney on a Discord server, became the visual centrepiece of the event. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/10/AI_FEL_TOWER_1.png) Early exploration with Midjourney and a simple prompt People often talk about AI replacing creative work, but in this case it created more of it. To make the image production-ready, we worked with a digital artist to enhance the resolution, refine the detail and prepare it for large exhibition panels. The AI gave us the spark; craft made it credible. Looking back from 2025, the attitudes feel very different. What began as an experiment now sits comfortably in everyday creative practice. The suspicion remains, but so does the fascination. That first neon Eiffel Tower was proof that new tools don’t replace imagination; they expand it. ### Read the full WorldDAB case study here. [Shaping the future of digital radioCreating consistency, flexibility and simplicity for the global campaign to make radio digital WorldDAB is the global industry forum for DAB digital radio, facilitating the adoption and implementation of broadcast digital radio based on DAB, the standard embraced by broadcasters across Europe, Asia Pacific and beyond. As digital radio continues to expand, WorldDAB needed a refreshed brand strategy to ensure its messaging remained clear, consistent and adaptable across multiple platforms.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/358ef569-a475-483f-881e-94e762373554-19.jpg)Shaping the future of digital radio![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/7c66a38e-f23c-4d52-89c3-4a01573f1e7d-1.jpg)](https://untangleyourbrand.com/work/worlddab?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Do you know where your brand is tangled? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/do-you-know-where-your-brand-is-tangled/ Last updated: 2025-10-13T09:45:52.000Z **Do you know where your brand is tangled?** That’s the question I’ve been helping businesses answer through the **Untangle Your Brand Boost**. And it turns out, once you know where the knots are, it only takes a few simple shifts to unlock clarity, confidence and momentum. Some people who’ve gone through the full process have described it as a real turning point. Jenifer, who completed the Boost recently, called it: *“Some of the BEST money I’ve spent on the business… Nigel is a mind reader!”* But I also realised something. For some, the Boost feels like a big commitment, in time, energy or budget. Totally fair. So, I’ve made the first step in the Boost more useful. The **Untangle Your Brand Check** is now more than just a score, you get a personalised brand report, written just for you, with insight on: What’s working well What’s not landing Where to focus next It only takes a few minutes to take the check, and it’s completely free. If you never got around to taking the check, or your brand has moved on since you did, you can take it here>> [Take the Untangle Your Brand Check now](https://pincreative.acemlna.com/lt.php?x=41xtmrUFUqPUT55qA3P3UhKeAHNTv%5F~ukuUxXnXGJnCZD8%5F~yd1JUhNs1XEjkNFfx1KyYnEWIFac954Kyt9LUVGfQH-hiN%5Ff0DYx&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) Enjoy your quick check with a Quick PINT Nigel ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/10/UYB_CHECK-1.gif) ### Computer art maths prize URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/computer-art-maths-prize/ Last updated: 2025-11-18T11:45:57.000Z Are awards and prizes important to you? At school, I won the Maths prize. I’ve still got the prize book and it really matters to me. I was about 12 when I programmed a ZX81 to produce an image of Marylin Monroe from zeroes and ones that morphed into an image of Humphrey Bogart. I entered it into the Art competition but won the Maths prize. People were bewitched by the transition effect (it was the early 80s) and it was probably the start of my design career. Now I sit in front of an astronomically more powerful Mac on a daily basis. I often think back to the impact of people engaging with the image and I’m always trying to recreate that magic. What’s your most valued prize or award? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/11/BOGART_MONROE.jpg) I don't have the image anymore but can remember it was based on these two illustrations ### Would you put Wallace and Gromit, David Bowie or a pint of Guinness on a bank note? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/would-you-put-wallace-and-gromit-david-bowie-or-a-pint-of-guinness-on-a-bank-note/ Last updated: 2025-10-12T17:15:52.000Z The Bank of England used to pay designers to come up with new bank note designs. But maybe they do not trust AI (yet), so instead they have turned to the only group even less predictable: the great British public. What could possibly go wrong? There are a few suggested themes: notable historical figures, nature, architecture and landmarks, arts, culture and sport, major milestones, and innovation. The main rule? Any person featured must be fictional or deceased. Cartoon bank notes? I doubt Disney would license Mickey Mouse, which would have been funny but does not exactly scream Britain. Wallace and Gromit feel more likely, perhaps with Feathers McGraw pinching the cash. Musical icon bank notes? We will be waiting a while for the final two to leave us before the Fab Four become eligible. David Bowie, though, has been gone for some time, and a Ziggy Stardust note would be stunning. Big picture of Mars on the back, obviously. Maybe a Laughing Gnome instead of the Royal portrait. Spending-themed bank notes? Imagine notes printed with pictures of what you are about to buy. I would suggest a pint of Guinness. A pint for a pint has a certain charm (and it might actually be £10 a pint soon). So, what would you put on a redesigned bank note? Respond with your suggestions or enter them here on the original [LinkedIn post >>](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/pincreative%5Fbrandsandbands-untangleyourbrand-brandinsight-activity-7348354266329169922-G3xQ?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) And in case you have not heard the Boaty McBoatface story: in 2016, the public was asked to name a new research vessel. True to British humour, Boaty McBoatface won by a mile. In the end, they named the main ship the RRS Sir David Attenborough instead, and gave the name Boaty McBoatface to one of its smaller submersibles. Proof that letting the public decide can be both brilliant and slightly mad. ### Which is the bigger meeting fail: on mute or on the wrong train? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/which-is-the-bigger-meeting-fail-on-mute-or-on-the-wrong-train/ Last updated: 2025-10-13T09:48:50.000Z Do you prefer Zoom meetings or in-person ones? I once flew to Chicago and back in under 48 hours for a three-hour meeting. It felt important at the time, but looking back now, probably a bit crazy. This week, though, I had a proper in-person meeting. They’re rare these days and take a good chunk out of the day, but sometimes you just can’t beat a proper handshake and a real conversation across the table. I prepped my deck, sorted my notes, and asked the client which station was closest. He told me to head for Shoreham, so I checked the trains, just an hour from home. Perfect. The train was on time, and I arrived feeling organised, confident, and a little bit smug. Then I opened the Uber app and added the destination postcode: 60 miles away. Oh dear. I should have been at Shoreham-by-Sea, not Shoreham. An easy slip, but a big one. I found myself in a quiet village with no taxis, no signal, and a small road side café serving sausage sandwiches and builder’s tea, a spot with enough signal to call the client, who calmly offered to send a driver, a 120-mile round trip (they have a vehicle fleet, thankfully). The café owner laughed. “You’re not the first, but they must really want to meet you if they’re driving all that way to pick you up.” I eventually arrived 2.5 hours late, rattled, grateful, and slightly embarrassed. But the meeting went well, and there’s a good chance of a new client. It reminded me that Zoom does save you time and the worst that can happen is someone yelling, “You’re still on mute.” But getting out and meeting people can lead to better connections, and sometimes better stories, and you might even get a decent sausage sandwich out of it. So get out and about. Meet people. Shake hands. Just check your travel plans. ### The secret to creativity? There isn't one. URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/the-secret-to-creativity-there-isnt-one/ Last updated: 2025-10-15T10:06:21.000Z Many people working in creative businesses will have come across James Webb Young’s book “A technique for producing ideas” (published in 1940 and still relevant over 80 years later). I first read this slim volume (60 pages, big type) 15 years ago whilst working at The Partners, and was reminded about it last week as Nick Eagleton (Creative Director) gave a seminar entitled “Ideas, Ideas, Ideas” to a vast crowd of enthusiastic designers at the D&AD Festival. Even if you’ve haven't read the book, then you’ll be instantly familiar with the five key principles, although perhaps too preoccupied to consciously put them into practice regularly. If you’re too busy to read the book (which you should be) then here are the nut-shells in a nut-shell. ### Step 1 Gather As well as gaining specific insights into your product/service/consumer - always look to gain wider general knowledge. Read more. See more. Do more. *I read The Guardian, keep notebooks, use the internet!* ### Step 2 Think Capture every idea, as many ideas as possible. Focus on the bigger picture not just the finer details. Nothing is wrong. Do it individually. Do it in groups. Just don’t stop. *I love a post-it-note (try and use a thick pen though).* ### Step 3 Forget Incubate ideas by doing something else to stimulate your imagination. You’ll continue to work on the problem, even in sleep mode. Get away from your desk. Take up a hobby. *I generally distract myself by listening to music and cataloguing vinyl.* ### Step 4 Connect ideas Whilst the notion of ideas suddenly appearing isn’t a proven science, try and recognise the relationship of existing thoughts to create new ideas to achieve your own “Eureka!” moment. *I’ve seen the birth of many great ideas in client workshops (which helps buy-in later).* ### Step 5 Craft Make it beautiful and share your ideas. Allow criticism to shape and develop your thinking, they may not be fully formed but fresh input and patience can develop even better ideas. *I prefer working with teams, doing everything yourself can be limiting.* So that’s it. No big secrets at all. Grab a copy of the book if you want the full story (Amazon £6.50). Or grab some post-it-notes if you’re ready to just get going. James Webb Young **A Technique for Producing Ideas** Published 1965 [Buy it from Amazon here](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Technique-Producing-Advertising-Classics-McGraw-Hill/dp/0071410945/ref=sr%5F1%5F1?crid=1W4AJH8VJ5ZVJ&dchild=1&keywords=a+technique+for+producing+ideas+james+webb+young&qid=1633946336&sprefix=a+technique+for+p%2Caps%2C258&sr=8-1&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Take time out. Take time off. Lazy days. Not crazy days. URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/take-time-out-take-time-off-lazy-days-not-crazy-days/ Last updated: 2025-10-17T13:10:30.000Z Test Match Special. Willow on leather. Lazy chatter, run rates. Stats and predictions. Dozing through the overs. Snoozing through the news. Wimbledon weekend. Strawberries and cream. More British seeds. More line calls. Less global fails. Just chill. It's summer. Turn off. Tune out. Drop off. A slower pace. Relax, take it easy. Less rush, more drift. Running a business. Running yourself. You can ease off. It’s still work. It’ll still work. Tune out the pressure. Tune in to the pleasure. Good vibrations. California dreaming. Sunny afternoon. Don't worry, be happy. Enjoy your summer. Take time out. Take time off. Lazy days. Not crazy days. Enjoy your Quick PINT ### Our friends in the North URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/our-friends-in-the-north/ Last updated: 2025-10-17T15:37:05.000Z I met [Jin-Theng Craven](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jin-theng-c-creative/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) about 18 months ago and jumped at the opportunity to collaborate with her on a film project creating the name and brand. The result: Bills and Beats, the UK’s first documentary series addressing financial literacy for young creatives. In a couple of weeks we’re hosting our first event in the North. Join us at The Attic in Leeds on Tuesday 24 June, 6–8pm (doors from 5.30) for Bills and Beats: a live event exploring how creativity and financial confidence can work hand in hand. This isn’t a lecture. It’s a filmed event, a panel, and a conversation. Expect honest stories, practical advice, and one-to-one chats with artists, financial advisers, and creatives shaping their careers and the film series behind the project. Bills and Beats exclusive extract screening Q&A session with the panel; How to Thrive Creatively and Financially You’ll have the chance to ask real questions and get grounded advice on how to build a creative life without burning out, or selling out. Panelists include [Jin-Theng Craven](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jin-theng-c-creative/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com): Filmmaker, Arts Producer, and former banker [Baz Black](https://www.linkedin.com/in/baz-black-5117ba1a9/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com): Actor, Writer and Musician [Chris McLoughlin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-mcloughlin-b4a450a1/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com): Financial Adviser [Bonnie Milnes](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bonnie-milnes-4430332ab/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com): Singer, Songwriter and Actress Hosted by [Nigel Davies](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pincreative/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com): Brand consultant, writer and pub DJ Tuesday 24 June 2025 6:00–8:00pm (doors at 5:30pm) The Attic, 3 Sheaf Street, Leeds LS10 1HD Free (register on Eventbrite) [Bills and Beats - How to Thrive Creatively and FinanciallyA creative finance project that helps young musicians and makers build confidence with money. Live events, filmed moments and 1:1 advice.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/safari-pinned-tab-1.svg)Eventbrite![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/logo.20250518-160009)](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bills-and-beats-how-to-thrive-creatively-and-financially-tickets-1369990541589?aff=ebdssbdestsearch&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) More details [Bills and Beats![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/cropped-BILLS_PINK-scaled-1.png)Bills and Beats![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/BILLS_GREEN-scaled.png)](https://billsandbeats.com/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) Whether you're deep into your creative career or just starting out, this is a space to ask, learn, and share. If you’re based in or near Leeds, please come along. If you’re connected to any creative, arts, music or financial organisations in and around Leeds then please share this post with them and your communities. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/10/BANDB_EVENT_POST-1-1.gif) ### Cluedo personas URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/cluedo-personas/ Last updated: 2025-11-18T11:32:10.000Z Luxury brands often talk about tone of voice as if it’s a single setting. In reality, it’s a cast of characters, and the skill is knowing which one to bring forward, when, and why. It made me think of Cluedo. A luxury murder mystery, played out through personality and intent. Not the clichés of “premium” or “exclusive”, but the human traits that shape how a brand actually sounds. So, whodunnit? The Butler; in the kitchen with “authority” The Storyteller; in the library with “drama” The Poet; in the study with “lyrical flair” The Minimalist; in the secret passage with “…” The Joker; in the lounge with “self-confidence” The Show-off; in the billiard room with “balls” Each one expresses luxury differently. Some brands rely heavily on one persona. Stronger brands blend them with purpose. The real trick is clarity. If your tone wanders, your message wanders with it. If you work with high-end clients or design for premium markets, try mapping your brand voice to characters like these. It’s surprising how quickly it exposes gaps, contradictions, and opportunities. Which persona would your brand pick up first? ### Is your brand hot? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/its-hot-hot-hot-hot-hot-hot-hot-is-your-brand-hot/ Last updated: 2025-10-13T09:57:41.000Z It's hot\*. Hot. Hot. Hot. Is your brand, hot? Is it red hot? Is your brand too cool, for school? Cold as ice. Cool as fuck. Cool don’t rule Hot is cooler. Is your brand, too hot to trot? Hot dog. Hot damn. Damn hot? Hotshot. Shit hot. Be hot. Hotter than hot. Cooler than cool. Your brand is hot. It’s hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. Enjoy your Quick PINT (in the shade) \*It’s hot in London, but give it a week, and we’ll be moaning about the rain again. ### Pulp; More (2025) URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/pulp-more-2025/ Last updated: 2025-10-14T08:21:27.000Z Maybe Pulp just won the battle of Britpop. If you were born after 2000, you probably missed the most overhyped cultural standoff of all time. The last time music truly dominated the headlines, since the BBC banned Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s ‘Relax’ and it still went to number one. Blur versus Oasis. A chart duel that saw art school pop about a rich man living in a very big house in the country outsell a derivative rock standard about what to eat with your soup. For one brief moment in August 1995, this really mattered. One side had a video directed by Damien Hirst, with Keith Allen being chased by Page 3 models. The other had a single cover featuring the band watching TVs on the beach in Weston-super-Mare. Blur won the battle. Oasis won the war. But while they were throwing punches, Pulp were doing something else. Anthems that spoke to the masses. Songs written in bedsit cupboards and sleazy cinemas. Formed in Sheffield in 1978, the charity shop chic misfits never really played the same game. And they’re still not playing it. Now, 24 years since their last album, they’re in the middle of their first UK arena tour. They’ve even made their debut on the US Billboard airplay chart with lead single Spike Island from the new album More. Spike Island, the legendary 1990 gig, that maybe marked the end of Madchester and the start of something new. A shambolic, iconic mess. A moment. A myth. Or as Noel Gallagher put it, "a sh\*t gig." Poor sound. Bad planning. But somehow a blueprint for his band. I saw one of Oasis’s final shows at Wembley in 2009\. Equally shambolic. So, yes a blueprint. So, how did we get from then to now? Not being able to give the tickets away to Oasis gigs to more than a billion pounds being spent by fans on gigs at this summer’s reunion\*, the Oasis bandwagon is taking over the UK cultural landscape once again. But Pulp have taken the early advantage with More, (recored in 3 weeks by legendary indie producer James Ford). A fantastic new album full of wry humour, awkward honesty, and the dramas of adolescence, adulthood and life. Wrestling with coat hangers. Rhyming ‘agenda’ with ‘a gender’. Spelling out L.O.V.E. All the familiar tropes are there. It’s just Jarvis being Jarvis. That’s what makes Pulp, Pulp. And that’s why after nearly 50 years in the business they’re finally winning. Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose big f\*\*king TVs. Choose bucket hats. Choose battered corduroy. Choose Fred Perry. Choose to meet up in the year two thousand and twenty five. Choose More. Either way, roll on the 90s. [Listen to Pulp, More (2025), on Spotify here >>](https://open.spotify.com/album/4et2xBFMKmsaWQPjlKTbG6?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) [Buy Pulp, More (2025), on vinyl here>>](https://www.roughtrade.com/product/pulp/more?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com#51612520579403) [\*Read about Barclay’s Wonderwallets here>>](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/may/21/oasis-fans-to-shell-out-more-than-1bn-reunion-tour-study-shows?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Who’s really in charge: you, or your Imposter Monster? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/whos-really-in-charge-you-or-your-imposter-monster/ Last updated: 2025-10-17T13:05:53.000Z Do you ever feel like you’re not quite enough? Even when things are going well, that quiet voice pipes up. It tells you you’re winging it, and one day you’ll be found out. Yep. Me too. I reckon imposter syndrome is just part of the territory when you run your own business. And while there’s no shortage of tips to overcome it, some helpful, some exhausting, the trick, I’ve learned, is making it less mysterious. A few years back, [Deb Ager](https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborahager/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) (writing coach) introduced me to the idea of the ‘mean brain voice’, those doubts that you have that stop you moving forward. This week, I came across another useful concept at a workshop by [AJ Lauer](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajlauer/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) (who helps geeky leaders learn how to lead people). She called it: the Imposter Monster. The idea’s simple. Give your doubt a shape. A name. A bit of personality. Then, next time it shows up, don’t ignore it or fight it, have a word. Turns out, you can reason with monsters once you make them less abstract. There are five common types of Imposter Monster: 1\. The Perfectionist, never satisfied, always chasing flawless 2\. The Expert, won’t feel ready until they know everything 3\. The Soloist, allergic to asking for help 4\. The Superhuman, stuck in overdrive, proving their worth 5\. The Natural Genius, expects ease, struggles when things take effort Which are you? My syndrome is The Soloist. I’ve named my monster Julian (sorry to any Julians out there, but he’s also a character in my book). Always sounds right, never asks for help, full of confidence but laced with BS. Meanwhile, I’m just getting on with it, not asking for help when I should. Julian shows up when I think I’ve got to do it all alone. Showing off. Full of his effortless cool. But naming him has made it easier to spot that what I’m doing is better than that, more relevant, more helpful. I’ll never be the monster, Julian, but it helps to talk with him. What’s your imposter monster called? Enjoy your Quick PINT Nigel Big thanks to AJ for the talk. If you want to learn more (and maybe name your own Imposter Monster), start here [https://www.thrivingibis.com/imposter-monsters](https://www.thrivingibis.com/imposter-monsters?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) Imposter\* US spelling ### Which festival is your brand appearing at this summer? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/which-festival-is-your-brand-appearing-at-this-summer/ Last updated: 2025-10-13T10:03:53.000Z It’s festival season. I used to go to Reading Festival every year (1989 to 2000). V Fest when it was good. After that, Field Day in Victoria Park became my go-to (when it was new). I never quite fancied Glastonbury, though. Too big, too muddy, too everything. But now that summer’s arrived, it’s got me thinking: if your business was a festival, which one would it be? Reading – alternative, rowdy, still drawing the youth Glastonbury – sprawling, iconic, something for everyone Latitude – safe, cultured, family-friendly SXSW – creative, digital, intellectually cool Download – loud, loyal, no room for compromise Hyde Park BST – polished, mainstream, corporate-friendly Creamfields – high-energy, throwback hedonism Coachella – stylish, international, influencer central Fuji Rock – scenic, eclectic, serious about sound Primavera – indie-leaning, smart, effortlessly cool Burning Man – visionary, radical, experience-first This year, I’m actually hosting my own festival ZEST FEST is a Creative and Digital Day in the Design District – a full day of inspiring talks, hands-on workshops, and conversations to spark ideas, build skills, and grow your business. (Delivered in partnership with GLL/Start-Up and Design District). [Read more on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/pincreative%5Fzestfest-creativeanddigitalday-designdistrict-activity-7336790186170753024-jnMX?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) or book your free ticket below. Thursday 3 July, 10am – 3.15pm Salon, Building C3, Design District 13 Soames Walk, London SE10 0AX (1-minute walk from North Greenwich, Jubilee Line) [Book now on Eventbrite](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/creative-and-digital-day-in-the-design-district-tickets-1362896864209?aff=oddtdtcreator&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) No beer in plastic cups being lobbed through the air – but the weather is guaranteed. It’s indoors. And tell me – which festival would your brand be on the line-up of? Enjoy your Quick PINT. ### Every cut counts URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/every-cut-counts/ Last updated: 2025-11-09T17:59:43.000Z Before launching his award-winning haircare range, Norris Ogario spent years listening. Every haircut in his Islington salon was a conversation, every product a live test. He learned what customers wanted, what they didn’t, and how they really felt about their hair. That daily dialogue became his research lab. When he began developing Ogario London’s natural product line, he didn’t start with market data or focus groups. He started with people he already knew, women who trusted his craft and weren’t afraid to be honest. They tested early formulations, gave blunt feedback, and shaped the products long before they reached a shelf. Four years of testing later, the *Restore & Shine Hair Masque* won major beauty awards. That success didn’t come from guesswork. It came from understanding customers so well that their needs were built into the formula. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/11/OGARIO.jpg) The hard work of real customer research rarely looks glamorous. It’s small conversations, honest criticism, and long testing cycles. But it’s what gives a brand truth. When you listen deeply enough, your customers will tell you everything you need to know about what to make, how to make it, and why it matters. **Five things you can learn from Norris** 1. **Start with real people.** Talk to the customers you already serve, not the ones you imagine. 2. **Ask and listen.** Every interaction is feedback, even silence tells you something. 3. **Test early and often.** Trial small batches, tweak fast, and involve your audience in the process. 4. **Value honesty.** The toughest feedback is usually the most useful. 5. **Build slowly.** Patience pays off. Four years of testing built a product, and a brand, people now trust. ### Read the full Ogario case study here. [Luxurious wisdomCelebrating the beauty of natural ingredients through design and detail.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/358ef569-a475-483f-881e-94e762373554-37.jpg)Luxurious wisdom![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/UYB_CASESTUDY_THUMB_1200px_640px_OGARIO.jpg)](https://untangleyourbrand.com/work/ogario?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Organise, rationalise and clarify your offer URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/organise-rationalise-and-clarify-your-offer/ Last updated: 2025-11-20T11:59:50.000Z What’s the best way to organise products and services in your business? ### 1\. Monolithic? ### Everything the same. One brand. Same style. Remember Oasis (when they were good)? A meat and potatoes approach to music and branding that worked well until they changed their logo and photographer for the release of “Go Let It Out” and it was commercially and musically downhill all the way from there. ### 2\. Endorsed? ### Stick your brand on anything. One brand. Variety of styles with a common essence. Just like Blue Note Records, It doesn’t matter who the artist is, you know that you’ll be getting a quality product. You’ll buy it, before you hear it. And there’s a level of expectation to what you might discover. It’s just cool. ### 3\. Branded? ### Own it all. Just take over the market. Less visible brand. Many different styles. Consider Virgin Records. Their first release was Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells. Famously signed the Sex Pistols (banned by the BBC) and didn’t get a number one single until The Human League with Don’t You Want Me, a Christmas number 1 in 1981\. (Cliff Richard was number 2 with Daddy’s Home, released on EMI, which was previously part of Columbia, bought by Universal Music Group who now own Virgin Records, an imprint of EMI). You can literally do anything you want. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/10/BRAND_ARCHITECTURE-1.jpg) ### See the full presentation here [What does Lou Reed know about branding?How brand architecture links everything you offer into one clear, coherent system.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/358ef569-a475-483f-881e-94e762373554-51.jpg)What does Lou Reed know about branding?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/LOU_REED.jpg)](https://untangleyourbrand.com/vault/architecture?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) [Brand architecture tipsBasic principles to help you navigate brand architectureBRAND\_ARCHITECTURE\_TIPS.pdf36 KBdownload-circle](https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/content/files/2025/11/BRAND%5FARCHITECTURE%5FTIPS.pdf "Download") ### Untangle your brand with the power of AI URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/untangle-your-brand-with-the-power-of-ai/ Last updated: 2025-10-13T16:01:46.000Z You might know the Brand Doughnut, my framework to help untangle your brand and bring clarity, focus, and energy to your work. It’s been downloaded hundreds of times, but recently I realised something. People were filling it in, but still feeling stuck. So I’ve added a new way to use it. One that brings together structure, strategy, and a little AI magic. And it’s free. Start by downloading the guide. It’s full of practical questions to help you define your vision, shape your offer, and communicate with more confidence. Then, once you’ve got your answers, there are three ways to take it further: [Get started now: download the guide and access the GPT here >>](https://untangleyourbrand.com/guide?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) Once you’ve got your answers, there are three ways to take it further: **Drop your answers into ChatGPT** Or any other AI model It’s useful for early drafts or rough thinking. Just paste in your answers and try a prompt like: "Based on this information, can you define a clear and compelling brand?" You’ll get a structured response, maybe even something helpful, but it won’t sound like you, and it won’t stretch your thinking. *Good for:* quick wins, first drafts, or sense checks. But don’t build your brand on it. **Use the custom GPT** To use this version, you’ll need ChatGPT Plus\* Alongside the guide, you’ll get a link to my custom GPT, guided by David Blackwood, who knows a thing or two about brands, doughnuts, and helping people get unstuck. It’s more thoughtful than a generic prompt, and more useful than most brand workshops. You’ll even get a downloadable summary of your brand, plus thoughts and feedback from Dave. *Good for:* solo founders, early-stage teams, or anyone who wants clarity and ideas without the cost. Sharp enough to use, free enough to try. **Work with me: Untangle Your Brand Boost** Built around you. This is where we roll up our sleeves. I walk you through the Brand Doughnut in a personal workshop and sharpen every part of it, live, together, and focused entirely on your business. We’ll explore your vision, audience, offer, and brand elements, then shape them into something clear, compelling, and ready to use. After the session, you’ll receive a follow-up with strategic ideas, creative direction, and a practical action plan tailored to your next steps. *Good for:* founders, teams, and business owners who want sharp, personalised brand thinking without the usual consultancy fluff. Message me for more details. And here’s where I need your help. This is a new way of using the Doughnut, and I’d love your feedback. Was it useful? Was anything missing? If you’re up for sharing your completed Doughnut, I’d love to see how it worked for you. It’ll help me make the experience better for others too. All I do know is that Brand Doughnut, however you use it will really help you untangle your brand. [Get started here: download the guide and access the GPT version >>](https://untangleyourbrand.com/guide?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) Enjoy your Quick PINT and Doughnut Nigel If you don’t have ChatGPT Pro, just email me your Doughnut and I’ll send you back the report for free ### Which flavour of crisps is your brand selling? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/which-flavour-of-crisps-is-your-brand-selling/ Last updated: 2025-11-08T12:52:06.000Z Brand architecture is one of my favourite areas of branding, but it’s also one of the most misunderstood. So I’ve tried to untangle it using crisps. Yes, really. Brand architecture is how all your brands, products, and services fit together. It helps your audience understand what you offer and who it’s for, especially as your business grows. Whether you’re adding new services or targeting new audiences, it’s the structure that holds everything together. Without it, things get messy fast. Think of it like a cupboard that’s overflowing. You can keep cramming stuff in, or you can organise it properly. So why crisps? There are three typical brand architecture approaches: **Monolithic:** everything sits under the same parent brand **Endorsed:** distinct products supported by a visible parent brand **Branded:** a house of standalone brands, with the parent brand almost invisible ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/10/CRISPS-1.jpg) There’s also hybrid, where you mix elements to suit different needs. If you’re selling one product with a few variations, you’re probably Walker’s. One brand, different flavours, easy to recognise and manage. That’s monolithic. Simple to execute, but harder to differentiate. Start reaching new audiences? You’re Monster Munch and Sensations. Still part of the Walkers family, but with different identities. That’s endorsed. The Walkers logo is still there, sometimes loud, sometimes hidden on the back (like Doritos). Can your brand do that? Is your brand strong enough beyond just a logo? Now imagine launching whole new product lines, or acquiring other brands. You’re no longer stocking the shelf, you’re owning it. Like PepsiCo. They own Pepsi of course and also Walkers, Doritos, Sensations, Mountain Dew, the lot. Their name is on every pack, but tiny, tucked away. That’s a branded approach. Each product stands alone, but together they dominate. So which one are you? One pack, many flavours? A house full of snacks for every occasion? Or the quiet operator behind the scenes providing the snacks, the drinks and the ambient music? It’s worth thinking about. Because how you organise your offer shapes how people understand your brand, and how far it can go. Enjoy your Quick PINT. (and maybe a packet of Worcestershire Sauce, if you can find them) If you’d like to see how this thinking works in practice, take a look at CitySprint Group, a business that evolved from pure logistics into a technology-led delivery group. Their rebrand and new architecture brought clarity across multiple sub-brands, showing how structure can drive real growth. ### Read the full CitySprint case study [Evolving deliveryCreating a clear brand architecture and visual identity for Europe’s leading same-day delivery business.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/358ef569-a475-483f-881e-94e762373554-33.jpg)Evolving delivery![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/UYB_CASESTUDY_THUMB_1200px_640px_CITY_SPRINT.jpg)](https://untangleyourbrand.com/work/citysprint?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Are you fuelled by perspective or biscuits? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/are-you-fuelled-by-perspective-or-biscuits/ Last updated: 2025-10-17T13:47:27.000Z Most of us are just trying to do good work, stay on top of things, and not burn out in the process. But the way we treat ourselves — our bodies, minds and basic needs — doesn’t always help. Skipping meals. Powering through. Ignoring the ache in your back or the fog in your head. It’s easy to assume that pushing harder will get us there faster. But what if the real gains come from pausing, fuelling properly, and moving differently? I’m terrible for it. I hunch over my desk, skip breakfast, eat dinner at 11pm. It works, so I keep doing it. The creativity flows, deadlines get met, clients are happy. But maybe there’s a better way. This week at ZEST, our regular in-person meetup in Greenwich, we’re looking at what really fuels creative flow — from movement and meals to mindset and...maybe biscuits. Because the small things stack up. You don’t need a total overhaul — just start noticing the conditions that help your best work happen. If you’ve got something that helps you stay sharp or feel more like yourself at work, I’d love to hear it. [Or join the conversation on LinkedIn.](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/pincreative%5Fzestbusinessnetworking-businessnetworking-activity-7328051574981771264-Qz0R?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop&rcm=ACoAAADKbWABbYMEcwE5QXzMnoJP4RMQXQIrUF8) I’ll pass on what I learn next week. Enjoy your Quick PINT — and maybe something nourishing too ZEST – May event Weds 21 May, 12.30–2pm Design District, Greenwich (1 min from North Greenwich tube) [Free, book a spot on Eventbrite>>](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/may-zest-creative-business-networking-tickets-1336404163829?aff=erelexpmlt&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) Speakers: [Nigel Davies – Brand Consultant](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pincreative/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) [Zoltan Zavody – Body & Movement](https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoltanzavody/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) [Buffy Rowe – Nutrition & Balance](https://www.linkedin.com/in/buffy-rowe-293754306/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Childish things??? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/childish-things/ Last updated: 2025-11-15T21:19:31.000Z I drew this when I was about 8 years old. What does it say about me? There’s a bright red car (I’ve never owned a car), the glamour of New York (I lived in Yorkshire), the inclusion of Disco (I’m a passionate record collector but mainly Indie Rock). I didn’t know how to spell Guinness (I wasn’t old enough to drink) but clearly liked Coke and Pepsi. I was fascinated by brands. And I still am. I’ve been employed at leading brand agencies, managed my own companies, and now work directly with clients. I have been involved with some of the biggest rebrands (Ford Motor Company). I was part of the team that launched the world’s first 4G brand (Yota in Russia), and I have won awards for Brand Strategy, Brand Naming and Brand Architecture along the way. The childlike wonder of brands has never diminished. I am definitely old enough to drink Guinness and I still draw with a slightly wobbly line. Do you have something from your childhood that predicted your career path? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/11/CHILD_DRAWING_LOW-1.jpg) ### Blow your own trumpet, before someone else does URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/blow-your-own-trumpet-before-someone-else-does/ Last updated: 2025-10-13T17:44:23.000Z We don’t talk ourselves up enough. Too proud to boast. Too humble to shout. Too tired, frankly, from fixing businesses that shouldn’t have broken in the first place. Meanwhile, the world’s full of louder voices: bold colours, bigger claims, recycled jargon. ‘Disruptive’ startups that all look the same. ‘Authentic’ brands with stock-photo smiles. Positioning built on hashtags instead of heart. And here you are, doing it right. Thoughtfully. Quietly. But here’s the thing. If you don’t say what you’re good at, no one will know. And if you ‘only’ let your work speak for itself, you’re relying on a whisper in a crowded room. I’ve been thinking about this since reading a kind testimonial from [Anja](https://www.linkedin.com/in/anja-abaraou/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com), who runs an amazing business called Companionship Services. She said: “His Untangle Your Brand process is what it says on the tin. He's helped me see the bigger picture by breaking things down into little bite-sized chunks. It's amazing, his fun but also structured approach clears up questions, you didn't even know you had about your brand, yet are important to convey the right look and message to the desired market” That’s what this work is for. Not to make you louder. Not to turn you into someone shouty. But to help you say what matters, clearly, confidently, in your own voice. The thing is… I didn’t even ask for that testimonial. She offered it. Just imagine how many trumpet moments I’ve missed by staying quiet. So if your trumpet’s feeling dusty, just give it a blast... you never know who might be listening. Enjoy your Quick PINT. Want help saying the thing? Or figuring out what the thing *is* in the first place? Get in touch No pressure. No pitch. Just words that fit. ### What happens when you don't trust the process URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/what-happens-when-you-dont-trust-the-process/ Last updated: 2025-10-17T13:10:07.000Z A couple of weeks ago, an agency reached out for help with a tricky logo project. They were stuck and needed fresh eyes. I love a creative challenge, so I was happy to jump in. First, though, I explained my process: uncover the brand’s potential and nail down positioning before pencil touches paper (or a mouse clicks a screen). Unfortunately, there wasn't enough time or budget, so that crucial first step got skipped. I delivered the concepts a few days later, and the agency was thrilled. They even topped up the budget so I could create a slick video presentation. Then came the client’s short email: “We need to chat about the concepts and rethink our approach.” It quickly became clear things hadn’t gone quite as well as we'd hoped. Between briefing and presentation, the client had shifted their strategy, moving from how the product made people feel to highlighting its environmental benefits. The good news? The concepts helped clarify their new direction, even though they weren’t quite right anymore. The bad news? The project got cancelled. (Though, thankfully, I still got paid and the agency were impressed enough with my creative work enough to recommend me to someone else.) This situation is exactly why I developed the Brand Doughnut, my brand defintiion process, designed to create clarity from the outset. It takes around 30 minutes, it's completely free if you do it yourself. It's worked for startups, global brands, and everyone in between, bringing clarity, strong positioning, and standout results in crowded markets. The real challenge isn't having a good process; it's convincing clients to trust and follow it. Here's what I wish I'd done: Explain the ‘why’ Don’t just describe the process; clearly show why each step matters. Share relatable examples Stories stick. Give examples of when trusting your process worked (or skipping it didn't). Make it simple, not optional Present your process as the easiest, safest route—not something extra to consider. This was a timely reminder for me. Would I have got the job if I'd insisted on my process? Maybe not. But trusting the process would have saved everyone some headaches. Do you find it tricky to communicate your process clearly to clients? Here's the Brand Doughnut guide. Feel free to use it, share it, and build that trust upfront: [http://download.untangleyourbrand.com/guide](http://download.untangleyourbrand.com/guide?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) Always trust the process. Enjoy your Quick PINT. ### Colour, color, or C(olo)r — how perception influences URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/colour-color-or-c-olo-r-how-perception-influences/ Last updated: 2025-10-13T17:03:32.000Z For anyone who didn’t study Graphic Design in the early 90s, we had a regular lesson called Professional Studies (and yes, there was an exam at the end). We learned all the typographic terms (pt size, leading, kerning, all the geeky stuff). We also learned about printing techniques like offset lithography, flexography, and gravure. Digital printing wasn’t really a thing back then. And then there was colour theory: visible spectrum, digital spectrum, CMYK print spectrum. There are about 10 million colours visible to the human eye. But screens and displays can only show a fraction of those. Printing narrows the range even more, depending on the process — sometimes 10,000, sometimes just 1,000. So when scientists recently claimed to have discovered a new colour perception (olo, see below) created by stimulating specific cells in the retina, it wasn’t a huge surprise to me. Colour isn’t just what we see; it’s what we perceive. And that perception shifts from person to person, and screen to screen. That’s what got me thinking again about how colour works in branding. If you’re viewing this on a screen, the colour you're seeing isn't the same one they saw. And if you've printed it out (first, thank you), then you're seeing yet another version. So, does colour really matter? Well, yes. But not in the way we often think. Colours carry emotional associations. Red = danger. Green = nature. Blue = calm. Yellow = Bannanas. As designers, we use these to create connection. But here’s the thing: those meanings aren’t universal. Culture, context, even biology — they all play a part. Nearly 5 percent of the population has some form of colour blindness. And every person sees colour differently. So it’s dangerous to make assumptions. Blue might feel calming to you. But to someone else, it could feel cold. Or sad. A few thoughts to keep in mind: Use colours that resonate with both you and your audience (the uniform you’ll have to wear forever). Remember, your brand’s symbols, voice and story do most of the heavy lifting. Avoid relying on colour alone to make a point. Use simple, clear language too. Be careful with print. That perfect neon green on your screen might be a headache in production. So, how are you using colour in your brand? Are you thinking about perception, accessibility and emotion? Or just going with what looks nice? As for the new ‘olo’ colour, to me it looks a bit like a Tiffany box. But that might just be my eyes. Enjoy your Quick PINT [Read about the discovery of 'olo' here>>](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyq0n3em41o?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### The Horrors; Primary Colours (XL Recordings, 2009) URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/the-horrors-primary-colours-xl-recordings-2009/ Last updated: 2025-10-14T08:23:17.000Z Every month at ZEST, I review an album. Sometimes it’s something new. Sometimes, like last month, it’s a forgotten favourite that comes back to life. That happened while listening to The Horrors’ latest, Night Life, great, by the way, which pulled me straight back to Primary Colours. Released in April 2009, ‘Primary Colours’ is the second studio album by English band The Horrors, and the moment they stopped dressing like ghosts and started sounding like them. Before this record, The Horrors were all fringe, eyeliner, and sixth-form sulking, more pantomime than post-punk. More make-up than ideas. Curious, but never convincing. And then this. Primary Colours is not a reinvention; it is a resurrection. Under Geoff Barrow’s guidance, who took Portishead’s film-noir gloom and soaked it in distortion and fog, The Horrors did not just find a sound. They found a feeling. The result is an album that drags you through the mud of a long-abandoned fairground. Mist gathering. Generators struggling. Rides rusting. Speakers howling. Ghouls dancing. The Horrors gothing. You do not so much listen to Primary Colours as wade through it. There is music hidden in the murk: detuned synths, shivering guitars, basslines that throb like distant machinery. And every so often, there is a horn blast or a snare crack that pierces the fog like a flare. It is out of tune. It is messy. It is magnificent. Tracks like ‘Who Can Say’ sounds like a rejected Phil Spector B-side. ‘Scarlet Fields’ aches with hypnotic delay, a kind of Dracula disco. ‘I Only Think of You’, reluctant to start, even more reluctant to end. Undead but seductive. The whole album is the sound of My Bloody Valentine throwing a birthday party for Suicide and inviting Joy Division to spike the drinks. Then there is the closer: ‘Sea Within a Sea’. Eight minutes of slow, aching build, shifting from dread to surrender to something close to transcendence. It is the sound of desperation dissolving, one synth wave at a time, into a sea of electric dreams. An ending that does not ask for applause, just silence. And it remains, all these years later, one of my favourite, most unexpected and beautiful albums to come from a band everyone had already written off. (And believe me, I saw them in a tent at Reading Festival.)Primary Colours did not just give The Horrors a second act. It gave them a soul. All at just over 45 minutes. [Listen to The Horrors – Primary Colours (XL Recordings, 2009) on Spotify>>](https://open.spotify.com/album/1buF5gFMPrYbR1kEtUlr0K?si=T4hhKL9ETP27-oUBu6VRkA&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) Thanks to [Sheryl Garratt](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheryl-garratt/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) for the reminder about the importance of buying records. I only review what I purchase on vinyl and have a general rule: if I listen to something on Spotify more than three times, I buy it. [You can buy it here>>](https://www.roughtrade.com/product/the-horrors/primary-colours?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com#50491105902923) ### An Easter Egg for a really Good Friday URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/an-easter-egg-for-a-really-good-friday/ Last updated: 2025-10-13T17:35:54.000Z Hello, A few days ago, I found myself explaining to a client why using surprise and delight in branding matters (it was one of those logos that use negative space). Make something too obvious and it gets forgotten. Hide it too much and it never lands. The magic is in the middle, where discovery feels like a reward. Perhaps because it is Easter weekend, it made me think about Easter eggs, not the chocolate kind, but the hidden surprises designers sneak into things. Plenty of video games and websites have them. It actually started back in 1980, when a developer hid his name inside the Atari game ‘Adventure’, because Atari refused to credit its designers. Players who found it felt like they had uncovered a secret. You can still see that spirit today. A famous example: type "do a barrel roll" into Google Search. Easter eggs work because they tap into the psychology of recall, the idea that when we feel rewarded for noticing something, we remember it better. And that is why things like the FedEx logo are so loved. We all know that between the E and the x is a forward-pointing arrow. You might not have seen it straight away, but once you did, it is impossible to unsee. Surprise and delight create a feeling of involvement, not just observation. They invite people to feel part of the story, rather than simply watching from the outside. The best branding often leaves space for discovery. It trusts the audience to be curious and rewards them when they are. Every small detail you create is a chance for your customers to discover something memorable. Are you giving them those moments? Really enjoy your Quick Pint [Read more about Easter Eggs here>>](https://pincreative.acemlna.com/lt.php?x=41xtmrUFUqPUT55qA3P3UhKeAHNTv%5F~ukuUxXnXGJnCZD8%5F~yd1JUhNs1XEjkNFfx1KyYHQWIFSh954Kyt1HVVGfQH6pidRf0DYx&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) [Search ‘do a barrel roll’ on Google here>>](https://pincreative.acemlna.com/lt.php?x=41xtmrUFUqPUT55qA3P3UhKeAHNTv%5F~ukuUxXnXGJnCZD8%5F~yd1JUhNs1XEjkNFfx1KyYHQWIFSh954Kyt1HVlGfQH6pidRf0DYx&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Soapbox. Letterbox. Big fish.Little fish. Cardboard box. URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/soapbox-letterbox-big-fish-little-fish-cardboard-box/ Last updated: 2025-10-13T17:28:43.000Z Today I was chatting to a client who said her LinkedIn felt like Speaker’s Corner, she’s showing up, saying what she thinks, but it feels like everyone’s just walking past. If you’ve not come across it, Speaker’s Corner is a little patch in Hyde Park where people have been standing up on soapboxes since the 1800s, sharing their views with anyone who’ll listen. Free speech, open air, no filter. But LinkedIn isn’t like that. On LinkedIn, your audience is there. And you can curate it. They’re not just random passers-by. They’re the right people. They’re reading. They’re watching. You just can’t always see them. But they’ll only start listening if you keep showing up. Keep it short. Keep it relevant. Keep it personable. Not preachy. Not shouty. Not once in a blue moon. Even when it’s raining and no one is there. You're not trying to win a debate. You're trying to build trust. And if it ever feels like no one’s watching, remember: Soapbox is for preaching. Letterbox is for posting. But sometimes? Big fish, little fish, cardboard box - building rhythm. Keep showing up. People feel it, even if they don’t react right away. Rave on. Enjoy your Quick PINT [Listen to A Guy Called Gerald, Voodoo Ray (1989)>>](https://open.spotify.com/track/3Zz3TYhGfZT6NFcw6cDObt?si=3a7e70e4c4cd4295&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### I read the news today oh boy… URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/i-read-the-news-today-oh-boy/ Last updated: 2025-10-13T17:42:10.000Z Do you have views on the news? Do you avoid it? Binge it? Believe it? Or not trust it at all? [A recent article in The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2025/apr/01/i-cant-cope-with-it-any-more-newsrooms-scramble-to-retain-audiences-amid-the-big-switch-off?CMP=Share%5FiOSApp%5FOther&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) highlights a growing trend of news avoidance, with many people cutting back on their news consumption due to feelings of overwhelm and negativity. Personally, I read The Guardian newspaper every evening, by which time the day’s news has already been thoroughly dissected on BBC Radio 5 Live (News and Sport), which I listen to throughout the day. By the time I sit down to read, the present has already become the past, and the future is being written as I turn the page. I can’t say I understand everything (like the rest of the world, I’ve no idea what the tariffs might mean). I sort of let it wash over me, absorbing it less like a sponge and more like an old piece of driftwood on the beach, slowly rotting. The news is depressing. The news is fake. The news is old news? But still, I think it matters. It’s part of my cultural intake, the first step in the creative process. Gather. Read more, see more, do more. Imagine living in a world without news. Blissfully unaware of global events we can’t influence. No images of war, famine, destruction beamed into our homes. No celebrity gossip. No over-analysed sporting controversies. No profiles of dull politicians, airbrushed into charisma to bump their ratings. No ticker tape showing the stocks we don’t own go up and down, and down. No weather maps. No ‘...and finally’ pieces aiming to lighten the mood. No discussion. No debate. No disagreement. No opinion. Without the news, would we notice the silence? Like a tree being cut in a forest, if there’s no news being reported, is there really nothing happening? I’ll continue to read the news (or watch it, or listen). Besides, the idea of a world without crosswords is truly terrifying. Enjoy your Quick PINT Nigel [Listen to The Beatles; A Day In A Life (1967) here>>](https://open.spotify.com/track/0hKRSZhUGEhKU6aNSPBACZ?si=226ab40e86294689&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) [Read The Guardian Article “I can’t take it any more” here>>](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2025/apr/01/i-cant-cope-with-it-any-more-newsrooms-scramble-to-retain-audiences-amid-the-big-switch-off?CMP=Share%5FiOSApp%5FOther&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) [Complete today’s Guardian Quick Crossword No. 17133 here>>](https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/quick/17133?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Now That’s What I Call a Quick PINT URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/now-thats-what-i-call-a-quick-pint/ Last updated: 2025-10-13T17:54:24.000Z I started writing the Quick PINT emails 6 months ago back in October 2024\. I thought it would be a good challenge to write something regularly. I don’t plan them too far in advance. I usually think about it during the week, jot down a few notes, then write on Friday afternoon, create a quick scribble, and head off to DJ. If you’ve been here since the start, thank you for continuing to support me by reading. If you’re new to the mailing list, welcome – and please do keep reading. If you’ve unsubscribed… well, fair enough. However you've been downing your Quick PINTS, I’ve got something to share. In a meeting this week, we discussed how much content we all produce. It goes out into the world—emails, posts, updates—and then, more often than not, disappears without much of a trace. Sometimes, I get a nice reply, which is always appreciated, but most of the time, it’s a one-way street. We write, we publish, and we move on. But that doesn’t mean the content loses its value. In fact, especially in today’s AI-fuelled marketing world, original content is becoming even more important. And yet we rarely take the time to revisit, reuse, or repurpose what we’ve already created. There's something to be said for looking back, gathering it all in one place, and making sure it's not lost to the scroll. So, I’ve done just that. Each week’s Quick PINT is now available in one place – a growing little anthology of thoughts, scribbles, and Friday afternoon musings. See all the past Quick PINT emails here >> [Quick PINT - Blah, Blah, BlahA weekly email sharing insights, useful links, or something that I think you might find interesting. Sign up to get a Quick PINT delivered straight to your inbox every Friday afternoon. Missed an issue, read below.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/favicon.ico)Blah, Blah, BlahNigel Davies![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/QUICK_PINT_ONE-1.gif)](https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/tag/quick-pint/) 21 posts so far. Two weeks off over Christmas and New Year. Plus this one. Maybe it’s worth asking yourself the same question: how are you managing the content you create? Not just where it goes in the moment, but how it can live on, be reused, and serve new purposes over time. Good ideas shouldn’t go to waste. Enjoy your Quick PINT – or all 21 in one go. And if you think someone else might enjoy them too, feel free to pass the link on. ### Look now, look all around, there's no sign of life URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/look-now-look-all-around-theres-no-sign-of-life/ Last updated: 2025-10-13T18:01:41.000Z How clear are you on your vision? How clear is your design partner on your vision? Last night, I had the pleasure of meeting John Taylor from Duran Duran (80s new wave synth-pop futurists) at a retrospective of the design work created by the legendary designer, Malcolm Garrett. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/10/DURAN-1.jpg) (L) John Taylor (Duran Duran) (R) Nigel Davies (Adam Ant fan but I didn’t mention that) From the early days, the band and designers crafted a visual identity inspired by a futuristic airline—an idea they treated like a serious branding project. It was fascinating to hear John (himself a graphic designer) talk about the close collaboration with designers who approached the band like a corporate client. The result was a visual language and style so distinctive that it's become a shorthand for the 1980s itself. I occasionally hear business owners say things like, “I worked with a designer, but they just didn’t understand,” or “They provided me with a few options that all appeared the same.” Results you’re dissatisfied with, have paid for, and don’t know how to proceed. You’re building a loyal fanbase. You need to find your Durannies. You may not be travelling around on yachts, hanging out with supermodels or bleaching your hair. And yes, sometimes it might feel like there’s “no sign of life” when it comes to your brand’s direction. But with a clear vision—interpreted by your design partners in close collaboration—you might well be on your way. Enjoy your Quick PINT [Listen to Duran Duran; Duran Duran (1981) on Spotify>>](https://open.spotify.com/album/2Tc7ILGF89w1PWOhzuZlqB?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### FSB Bootcamp URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/fsb-bootcamp/ Last updated: 2025-10-18T09:57:56.000Z ### Unleash your business potential this Spring with expert insights, dynamic conversation, and networking opportunities plus time to meet the Bootcamp Exhibitors. ### Spring into Success in 2025 Our FSB London Business Bootcamp & Networking is returning for a second year at TBXH @Sunley House in the heart of Croydon for a transformative one-day event to help you and your business spring forward with success in March 2025. There’s no need to be an FSB member to attend, we welcome all small business owners and self-employed people. This is a great opportunity to take part in and be a part of the FSB community. Want to shine a spotlight on your business on the day? Book an Expo Stand! Stands are discounted for FSB members but all businesses and business support organisations with something to offer SMEs are welcome to exhibit. This event is designed to benefit entrepreneurs, start-ups, the self-employed and small businesses from across London and further afield. - a free-to-attend Bootcamp. This is your chance to hear from inspirational speakers to help you develop and grow your business. The speakers and agenda will be added here as they are confirmed - complimentary lunch - browse our exhibitor stands (if you would like to be an exhibitor, please book here) ### Event details Hosted by FSB Federation of Small Business Event location Venue: TBXH Sunley House, Fourth Floor Address: Sunley House, 4 Bedford Park, Croydon, Surrey, CR0 2AP [The Federation of Small Businesses ⋮ EventsDiscover events from The Federation of Small Businesses![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/favicon_16.webp)](https://www.fsb.org.uk/event-calendar/fsb-business-bootcamp-spring-into-2024.html?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Toon Toon URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/toon-toon/ Last updated: 2025-10-17T13:43:48.000Z Until I went to college, I wasn’t that interested in football, but one term in Newcastle changed all that. To say that Newcastle is a football-mad city is an understatement. The current home, St James’ Park, towers above the city. It’s unusual being a one-club city—the closest rivals, Sunderland (the Mackems), are 40 miles away. My Saturday morning trips to the record shop near the big market on home match days were accompanied by the Toon Army starting their day. While I was crate-digging for Primal Scream and Suede singles in the bargain bin, they were off to the pubs and strip bars, which had been open since early morning. Football was unavoidable. The passion. The joy. The sorrow. And so, I became a Magpie. We were in the old Second Division, but after 1992, when Keegan became manager, the journey towards the Premier League—along with near misses and cup failures—began. Trophyless since June 1969, a month before man landed on the moon and a few months before I landed on Earth. The first domestic trophy was already a distant memory (1955). Now, 70 years later, we have a domestic trophy: the Carabao Cup (the League Cup). To some, a tinpot trophy—unless you win it. For Newcastle United, winning the cup this weekend has been more than just the end of a journey of disappointment. I’ve always loved watching them. Every team has highs and lows. Some teams win more. Some teams are more global. Some teams have foreign investment (so do we). I don’t have a long history (35 years makes me a newbie), but I’ve always been proud to support Newcastle. I could have supported a London team (I’ve lived here for over 30 years). But I stayed faithful—to the club, to the city, to the rollercoaster ride of being a Newcastle fan. Through the highs, the lows, the near misses, and the heartbreaks, I never wavered. Black and white are my colours—just like my drink, Guinness. What about you? Share your story of faithfulness—whether in football, life, or anything else—and how it was finally rewarded. ### Insta(gram)Karma is going to get you URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/insta-gram-karma-is-going-to-get-you/ Last updated: 2025-10-13T18:10:25.000Z I’ve started writing my book Brands and Bands. One thing I can share is that it’s set in 2012. Biggest brand? The London Olympics. (Most people seemed to hate it. I liked it.) Biggest band? One Direction. (Most people seemed to love them. I was indifferent.) So why 2012? I wanted to avoid branding being too focused on social media or being influenced by more recent global issues. These days, it’s easy to think branding begins and ends with Instagram, Facebook groups, and online engagement. And everything is fake news or AI created. Back in 2012, Cameron was PM, Obama was US President and Putin was elected. Instagram had just been bought by Facebook (now Meta) for $1bn, now worth $114bn, and branding was still brand-led rather than platform-led. But I catch up eventually. After spending a week trying to connect my various Facebook and Instagram profiles through the labyrinth that is Meta Business Suite, I’ve finally set up an Instagram page for Untangle Your Brand. What to expect? Wobbly drawings, branding advice on post-it notes, quick, no-nonsense insights without the deep dives. A mix of observations, practical tips, useful resources, the odd doodle that may or may not make sense and most likely a music recommendation. [Follow along here>>](https://www.instagram.com/untangleyourbrand/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) See you there. Or on TiK Tok, which I’ll get around to in 2038 Enjoy your Quick PINT ### FKA Twigs; EUSEXUA (2025) URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/fka-twigs-eusexua-2025/ Last updated: 2025-10-14T08:24:07.000Z FKA Twigs has always been ahead of the curve. The English singer, songwriter, producer, and dancer has built a world entirely her own— creating something futuristic yet deeply human. I remember being blown away by LP1 when it dropped in 2014\. Its mix of futuristic R&B, experimental electronics, and ethereal vocals felt like nothing else at the time. Avant-Pop. If that’s a thing. A decade later, she’s still pushing forward. Her new album, EUSEXUA (the caps are intentional), released at the end of January, continues this evolution—this time with an added pop sheen. Pitchfork described it perfectly: “Twigs’ third album brings club music into her sensual, supernatural world.” She’s more futuristic than Kate Bush, who was always considered futuristic. She’s more avant-garde than Lady Gaga, who was always considered avant-garde. She’s more otherworldly than Björk, who was always considered otherworldly. Does she fit into a genre? Not really. You can draw comparisons, but she’s clearly carving out a space that’s entirely her own. I always advise clients to look at companies and brands they admire. Not to copy—but to learn. What are they doing well? What could you do better? If you want to stand out, stop trying to fit into an existing mould. Build a world so distinct, so “you,” that people have no choice but to pay attention. You don’t have to make everyone write your name in all caps, but—maybe you should try [Listen to FKA Twigs; EUSEXUA (2025) on Spotify to today, before the future becomes the past >>](https://open.spotify.com/album/7mDcWtWBE3ktQFtmGFb9ID?si=GgplQ7V8SXKHK4a50EPRBw&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Give it away. Give it away. Now! URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/give-it-away-give-it-away-now/ Last updated: 2025-10-13T18:14:54.000Z Customers love a deal. Buy one, get one free. 20% off if you order by midnight. Use the code: STUFFWECANTSELL. Last-time deal. First-time deal. Techniques to get people through the door. Flog stuff you can’t shift. Improve the bottom line at the end of the month. But can your business give away something more valuable? Something that matters more. Can you give away your time—your most valuable commodity? Can you give back to your community—your most valuable customers? Genuine generosity—supporting your local community—builds a kind of brand equity no marketing budget can buy. It’s not about handing over cash for a photo op. It’s about showing up, rolling your sleeves up, and contributing to something bigger than yourself. The best part? It works both ways. Businesses investing in their local community build trust and relationships that last far longer than a flash sale. Local charities, grassroots groups, even local government start to see you as part of the fabric, not just another shopfront. And that opens doors—to new customers, partnerships, and ideas you’d never have stumbled on alone. This month’s ZEST in-person networking event is about how businesses, individuals, and charities can work together to make a real difference locally—and why that’s good for your business. We’ll talk practical ideas (beyond writing a cheque), real-world examples, and how to make giving part of your brand story. Join us and discover how giving away the right things can give your business more back. Let me know what you’re doing to give back locally. If you’re in London, near Greenwich, join us next week ZEST March; Giving Back to Your Local Community Date: Wednesday 12 March Location: The Salon, Design District, Greenwich Time: 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM [Free to attend – Register here>>](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/march-zest-creative-business-networking-tickets-1253221191319?aff=erelexpmlt&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Brands are all about the experience URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/brands-are-all-about-the-experience/ Last updated: 2025-10-14T08:57:44.000Z It’s not that I dislike the WHSmith brand. But I’m not going to miss it from the high street. And I’d avoid it in airports if I could. I used to love it. As a kid, WHSmith vouchers were the best Christmas present you could get. Book vouchers were fine — but WHSmith vouchers could get you records. Actual vinyl. That was gold. I even loved the bags — that tessellating logo, the weird brown and beige colour scheme. Was there a bit of orange too? Maybe. Either way, it felt properly 70s. Retro then, even more so now. My first ever commercial project was for WHSmith. A range of recycled packaging I designed while I was on placement at Trickett and Webb, working with Andy Thomas and his legendary collection of ephemera. It was the first time I could show my mum something I’d made, right there on the shelf. She bought it, obviously. But something changed. The experience became terrible. Just walking in felt like a last desperate move. The destination of last resort. The staff weren’t that helpful, probably understaffed. The stores lost all joy. The records were long gone. Newspapers were an afterthought, shoved between overpriced chocolate, sad sandwiches, and random phone chargers. Books somewhere in the back, if you could be bothered to find them. So yes — I’ll miss what WHSmith was. But I won’t miss what it became. Another name added to the list — Our Price, Woolworths, BHS, Dixons. Shops that meant something once but never found a way to mean something again. You’ll have your favourite store that’s long gone. Let me know what it was Image: Recycled paper packaging designed at Trickett and Webb (c1990) [Read the Guardian article here>>](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/jan/26/wh-smith-puts-uk-high-street-stores-up-for-sale-creating-uncertainty-for-workers?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Is creativity the missing link in your business strategy? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/is-creativity-the-missing-link-in-your-business-strategy/ Last updated: 2025-10-13T18:19:50.000Z Some people think they can’t sing. They think they can’t be taught to sing. They can. It’s the same with creativity. Some people think they can’t be creative. They think they can’t be taught to be creative. They can. I’ve always believed creativity is a business advantage. But let’s be honest – people can be suspicious of it. It gets dismissed as smoke and mirrors, a flashy trick to cover up the real work. The truth is, creative strategy for business isn’t about clever shortcuts or gimmicks. It’s about uncovering fresh, meaningful ways to solve real business challenges. What is creative strategy for business? Creative strategy for business brings together innovation – the ability to create something new or better, imagination – the spark that helps you see fresh possibilities, and direction – the clear sense of where you want to go and why it matters. Combining those three gives you something every business needs: progress. When applied well, creative business strategy helps your business stand out, adapt, and find new ways forward. It’s not about spending a fortune on branding or marketing—it’s about thinking differently. How can I make my brand stand out without breaking the bank? What creative strategies can help me reach a new audience? How do I use creativity to solve a business challenge outside marketing? Creativity isn’t just for the branding department or the people with cool beards, plot necks and thick glasses. It’s a strategic tool that drives success across every part of your business. So – how are you using creativity in your business? Let me know. Enjoy your Quick PINT PS I can’t sing, and I can’t teach you to sing. ### What's the story, and what can business brands learn? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/whats-the-story-and-what-can-business-brands-learn/ Last updated: 2025-10-13T18:25:25.000Z I’m putting together a course to help children’s authors build their author brand, updating my process and framework to help them stand out. And it’s got me thinking—how different is an author brand from a consumer brand? At first glance, they’re remarkably similar. Both need a clear vision, a sense of purpose, and—more than ever—a strong visual identity. Both require an understanding of their audience, whether customers buying a product or readers engaging with a book. But here’s where it changes. With business brands, we always talk about storytelling—crafting a compelling narrative around a product or service. We’re searching for the right story to fit the brand. For authors, though, the story is the brand. It comes from who they are, what they believe, and the personal experiences that shape their writing. It’s not just a story built for an audience; it’s a story rooted in personal truth. This is where my approach to branding—insight (make it relevant), story (make it unique), engage (make it memorable)—comes in. The story part of The Brand Doughnut focuses on three areas: **Offer** – What you provide and why you’ve chosen to offer it. **Values** – The ingrained beliefs that shape your decisions. **Mission** – The actions that bring your vision to life. When you get clear on these elements, your brand stops being just a name or a logo—it becomes something people connect with. The secret to a stronger brand? A stronger story. So, here’s my question: If you’re an author, does your story always come from personal experience, or do you craft your story in a more intentional way? And if you’re in business, what lessons do you take from how authors shape their worlds? I’d love to hear your thoughts. \[Also it may help me improve the course!\] Enjoy your Quick PINT [Listen to Oasis, What’s The Story Morning Glory (1995, yes 30 years old this year)](https://open.spotify.com/album/2u30gztZTylY4RG7IvfXs8?si=atooutCjQ-6xWq0rVJiWpA&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Alter ego vs. super ego. What’s the difference? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/alter-ego-vs-super-ego-whats-the-difference/ Last updated: 2025-10-13T18:31:22.000Z This week, I had a great conversation with a web designer trying to find clarity in her business. She mentioned that she sometimes felt the need for an “alter ego” to battle distractions—juggling work, kids, and everything in between. I get it. When things feel overwhelming, the idea of creating a high-energy version of yourself to power through is tempting. The problem? That kind of thinking can be exhausting. Instead, I suggested creating a ‘super ego’. You don’t need to fight yourself—you just need to step into the version of you that already exists, the one who knows what they’re doing, without all the background clutter. Kind of like dialling an amp up to 11 for the guitar solo. Branding works the same way. When a brand tries to be something it’s not—putting on a polished front that doesn’t hold up in reality—people can spot it a mile off. Authenticity matters. That doesn’t mean showing every crack, but it does mean presenting yourself in a way that’s both appealing and honest. Are you stepping into a super ego—the most confident version of yourself? Or are you creating an alter ego to hide the real you? Enjoy your Quick PINT ### I'm looking for a client in technology… URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/im-looking-for-a-client-in-technology/ Last updated: 2025-10-13T18:38:15.000Z I'm looking for a client in technology, messy product portfolio, $50m+ turnover, US-based. This week, I was reminded of last year’s viral meme: “I’m looking for a man in finance, trust fund, 6ft 5in, blue eyes …” Apparently, finance is out, and most people are now looking for a man or woman in healthcare. Finance was so 2024\. \[Guardian Quick Notes 28 January; Looking for a man in finance to date? You’re hopelessly behind the times \]. But it got me thinking about the simplicity of defining your ideal client. Looking for a man? That immediately cuts your audience in half. 6ft 5 and blue eyes? That narrows it even further. These are demographics—important, but just the surface. Finance? Now, it’s more targeted and industry-specific. The real insight? “Trust fund.” That’s psychographics. It’s not just about who they are but about their deeper motivation, and that’s where connection happens—when you understand not just who your audience is but what drives them. I have a framework: Needs / Offer / Feeling. Needs: What problem are they trying to solve? Offer: What can you sell them that meets this need? Feeling: What’s the emotional outcome of this? For example: "I'm looking for a client in technology, messy product portfolio, $50+ million turnover, US-based." Demographics: A US-based technology company with a $50+ million turnover. Needs: Reach new audiences but are held back by a confusing product portfolio. Offer: Untangle your brand architecture; to organise your products and services. Feeling: in control and ready to launch new products and services with clarity. Next time you’re defining your ideal client, be more direct—like [@girl\_on\_couch](https://www.tiktok.com/@girl%5Fon%5Fcouch/video/7363742421588512043?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com). She wasn’t just listing traits but maybe looking for stability, security, and a few seconds of fame. Get clear on what your audience truly wants and how they feel when they get it, and you’ll know precisely how to reach them. And then, you distil it into just a few words, turn it into a meme, and capture the imagination of 60 million people with countless remixes. (Although I’ve no idea if she found her man). Enjoy your Quick PINT Nigel PS it goes without saying, if you know anyone, introduce me. [Read the Guardian article here>>](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/jan/28/if-you-are-looking-for-a-man-in-finance-to-date-you-are-hopelessly-behind-the-times?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) [Listen to David Guetta x Girl On Couch x Billen Ted - Man In Finance Liv here>>](https://youtu.be/Jl-350cA8ko?si=5atbhiu6-VeKMv3g&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### I still don’t know who killed Laura Palmer URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/i-still-dont-know-who-killed-laura-palmer/ Last updated: 2025-10-13T18:43:19.000Z When I started art college, my taste in film shifted dramatically. The popcorn cinema of Beverly Hills Cop, Indiana Jones, and Footloose faded into the background, replaced by cool arty directors. I wasn’t particularly drawn to Wim Wenders or Peter Greenaway, who we studied in film class, but I developed an instant love for David Lynch. Eraserhead: a bit odd The Elephant Man: a bit scary Dune: a bit puzzling Blue Velvet: a bit sexy And then Twin Peaks came along: a bit odd, a bit scary, a bit puzzling, and a bit sexy. It quickly became an obsession. I threw myself into the world of Twin Peaks with watch parties featuring cherry pies, the soundtrack on repeat, and even attempts to speak backwards. But I never got to the end, and I never discovered who killed Laura Palmer. I don’t even know if it was ever revealed, and honestly, I don’t mind. It wasn’t just because the VHS broke or it got taped over the second time I recorded it. I bought the box sets and restarted watching on Sky TV. I just don’t think I wanted it to end. Maybe I should start again. Find out who did it. Watch the reunion series. But perhaps some mysteries are better left unsolved. Maybe that’s what makes them magical. I don’t believe David Lynch ever dabbled in advertising or branding—but imagine if he had. It would have been extraordinary. Nevertheless, as a source of creative inspiration, there’s so much we can learn from him. The power of mystery: Don’t over-explain your brand. Leave room for discovery and interpretation. Mystery draws people in and creates deeper engagement. Obsess over small details: The little things matter. Focus on your business's unique, memorable details. These can set you apart and give your audience something tangible to connect with. You don’t have to be new to be innovative: Great brands evolve while preserving their core identity, balancing nostalgia with fresh ideas to remain relevant and timeless. I’m sure whatever Lynch is creating now is even more odd, scary, puzzling, sexy, and most importantly, originally imaginative. Enjoy your damn fine coffee. Nigel PS If you know who killed Laura Palmer, keep it yourself. [Listen to the Twin Peaks soundtrack by Angelo Badalamenti and be whisked away to a world of damn fine coffee, cherry pie, log ladies, red rooms, mysterious owls, pine forests, dancing dwarfs, doughnuts, tape recorders, one-armed men, and Laura Palmer’s diary.](https://open.spotify.com/album/6iGX2bbzKEocRY0HzdQ9zX?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Are you looking for a Sunday Kind of Love? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/are-you-looking-for-a-sunday-kind-of-love/ Last updated: 2025-10-13T18:47:47.000Z How was your week? How much did you manage to pack in? Most people I spoke to this week reflected on how the two lazy Christmas weeks, plus a slow first week back, somehow got crammed into the past five days. After a week like this, whether you thrived, survived, or literally dived, I know you’ll appreciate the album of the month from this week’s ZEST: Etta James’ At Last. Her timeless voice feels like the perfect way to reset before doing it all over again next week. “I want a Sunday kind of love, A love to last past Saturday night...” Enjoy the weekend with Etta, and as always, enjoy your Quick PINT. [Listen to Etta James, At Last (1960) on Spotify>>>](https://open.spotify.com/album/7rd4PorIOPjPTy7qdUeeCt?si=zzgAgcxbRL2fLkJxYL4iDA&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Are you dreaming the impossible dream? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/are-you-dreaming-the-impossible-dream/ Last updated: 2025-12-05T17:27:03.000Z It’s that time of year when everyone’s talking about goals, resolutions, and big plans. Everyone has their opinion about setting goals, but here are some of my favourites: **Why wait for January?** It’s cold, wet, and miserable—and honestly, not the most inspiring time to plan your future. You might find inspiration flows better while lying on a beach, sipping a cool cocktail, with the sun on your face. **Why only do it once a year?** You can set goals anytime that suits you. Better yet, revisit and update them regularly. Your business evolves, so why not let your goals evolve with it? Whenever and wherever you set your goals, make them count. And if they don’t feel quite right in January? Change them. **Why only set achievable goals?** My favourite advice comes from High Performance Success Coach; [Christina Landon](https://www.christinalangdon.com/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com): set an impossible goal, something you believe you can’t achieve. Then, list all the reasons why it feels unachievable and identify the traits of a person who could achieve it. Be that person. If you’re a January goal-setter, that’s fine—at least you’re doing it, and that’s what matters most. But don’t forget to add accountability to keep you on track. **Here’s my impossible goal (so you can keep me accountable):** Write my book, tentatively titled “Brands and Bands”, before the end of the year—and ensure it is as original and impactful as I know it can be. Please feel free to share your own goals if you would like some accountability as well. Enjoy your Quick PINT ### Read how I got on by the end of the year [Still dreaming the impossible dreamI missed my impossible goal, but this year shaped me for the better for next year![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/favicon-15.ico)Blah, Blah, BlahNigel Davies![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/IMPOSSIBLE.gif)](https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/still-dreaming-the-impossible-dream/) ### Quick PINT Wrapped for 2024 URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/quick-pint-wrapped-for-2024/ Last updated: 2025-10-13T18:56:48.000Z It’s the end of the year, a time to look back, look forward, or maybe both. For me, Spotify Wrapped is far more exciting than the Christmas Number One. This year, it even came with a personal thank you from my top eight artists. Nice touch. Apparently, my year was defined by ‘princess power pop’ and ‘shouty noisy men’; a surprisingly accurate summary. Dua Lipa, Yard Act, Olivia Rodrigo, Idles, Sabrina Carpenter, Chapel Roan, the dare, Charli XCX... they’re all there. [See my Spotify Wrapped video with messages on LinkedIn here>>](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/pincreative%5Fspotifywrapped-dualipa-yardact-activity-7275898232839274496-v0PB?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) That’s my look back. Looking ahead? I can’t predict what will dominate my playlists next year, but discovering it is half the fun. None of those artists were on last year’s list, which New Order usually tops. Maybe normal service will be resumed. What’s your version of the Year Wrapped? What have you learned about your year—and what are you looking forward to in the next? A big thank you for reading Quick PINT, and here’s a personalised message just for you. Enjoy your Quick PINT ### Good luck, bad luck, or just Friday the 13th? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/good-luck-bad-luck-or-just-friday-the-13th/ Last updated: 2025-10-13T19:00:40.000Z It’s Friday the 13th, and if I believed in bad luck, I might say it struck this week. I ran out of time to write my usual Quick Pint. But it’s not bad luck at all. It’s just poor planning on my part. More importantly, I have good news: I landed a new client with tight deadlines (and a Friday afternoon presentation). I don’t believe in luck, good or bad. Luck is simply when “preparation meets opportunity.” Remember that the next time you’re offered a project, that feels like a perfect fit. It’s not luck; it’s the result of all the work you’ve done to prepare yourself for the right opportunity. Enjoy your Quick PINT ### Spotify Wrapped 2024 URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/spotify-wrapped-2024/ Last updated: 2025-10-14T13:59:20.000Z It’s the end of the year, a time to look back, look forward, or maybe both. For me, Spotify Wrapped is far more exciting than the Christmas Number One. This year, it even came with a personal thank you from my top eight artists. Nice touch. Apparently, my year was defined by ‘princess power pop’ and ‘shouty noisy men’; a surprisingly accurate summary. Dua Lipa, Yard Act, Olivia Rodrigo, Idles, Sabrina Carpenter, Chapel Roan, the dare, Charli XCX... they’re all there. That’s my look back. Looking ahead? I can’t predict what will dominate my playlists next year, but discovering it is half the fun. None of those artists were on last year’s list, which New Order usually tops. Maybe normal service will be resumed. What’s your version of Year Wrapped? What have you learned about your year—and what are you looking forward to in the next? Have a great Christmas and New Year. 0:00 /3:51 1× ### Quick, read this before it runs out. URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/quick-read-this-before-it-runs-out/ Last updated: 2025-10-13T19:04:25.000Z Many people I’ve met this week have asked me one thing: are you prepared for the looming Guinness shortage? What’s your plan? It’s my go-to drink, and I won’t step foot in a pub that doesn’t serve it. But now, Diageo is limiting Guinness orders in Great Britain due to soaring demand. The BBC reports they’re operating at full capacity, but with Christmas approaching, a shortage still looms. So, how can you create the same demand as Guinness? Cultural relevance Guinness has transcended Irish pubs. It’s a ‘cool’ global icon, especially among younger Americans, thanks to viral challenges (like the first gulp to level with the G) and ‘Guinnfluencers’ like Kim Kardashian. Create exclusivity Diageo’s strategic decision to limit Guinness orders taps into the power of exclusivity. Scarcity creates demand. When something feels harder to get, it becomes more desirable. Adapt to demand With Christmas approaching, Diageo is strategically managing Guinness supplies. Be ready to adapt your brand and scale up for peak times without overstretching yourself. An age-old marketing strategy. Be relevant. Be exclusive. Be in demand. Tap into what excites your audience, create buzz, and keep them engaged. You can do this by timing, offering limited items, or aligning with cultural trends. How are you creating demand for your brand? Enjoy your Quick PINT, but not too many. ### Why Blue Monday beats Black Friday every time URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/why-blue-monday-beats-black-friday-every-time/ Last updated: 2025-10-13T19:09:40.000Z Are you recycling your content? Chances are, it’s still relevant! We often move on too quickly, overlooking the value of what we’ve already created. Recycling isn’t just for unwanted Black Friday bargains. It’s for ideas, too. Nine years ago, I wrote about Black Friday, and the key points are just as relevant today. It reminds us to make thoughtful choices to create lasting value, whether in shopping or branding. John Lewis ad, Black Friday frenzy, forgotten purchases—same story, every year. Here’s a quick recap of the article: Sales aren’t always value: Discounts often push lower-quality items, leaving customers unsatisfied. Successful brands don’t rely on discounts: Loyalty comes from quality, service, and experience. Buy what you truly love: Invest in well-made, reliable products that enrich your life. Quality stands the test of time: Thoughtful choices offer better value in the long run. [You can read the full article here >>](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/you-ready-black-friday-give-me-blue-monday-any-day-week-nigel-davies/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) Here’s the truth: While Black Friday might give big brands a quick win, slashing prices often devalues small businesses' offers. Instead of chasing fleeting discounts, focus on creating something that truly resonates. Compelling, high-quality content delivers far greater returns—it builds trust, loyalty, and lasting relationships. The good news is, the chances are, you’ve already written it. Enjoy your Quick PINT ### Are you channelling the power of serendipity? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/are-you-channelling-the-power-of-serendipity/ Last updated: 2025-10-13T19:14:20.000Z This week, I posted two pieces of content that unexpectedly linked together—a perfect example of serendipity in action. Some of the best insights come from these unplanned connections, sparking fresh ideas and opportunities. ### Post 1: Building your business A drystone wall combines big stones for stability, medium stones for structure, and small stones to fill the gaps. Too many big stones? It collapses. Only small stones? It crumbles. The same applies to your business. Big stones: Strategic, high-value projects—impressive but energy-intensive. Medium stones: Reliable, consistent work that provides structure. Small stones: Adaptive, personalised tasks that keep you nimble. [Read why you should be building your business like a dry stonewall here>>](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/pincreative%5Funtangleyourbrand-brandinsight-brandstory-activity-7264670076803452930-dhRP?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Post 2: A music review of The Cure’s new album, In 1986, The Cure released their first compilation, ‘Standing on a Beach’, cementing their legacy. Decades later, they’re number one again with ‘Songs of a Lost World’. Did they reuse imagery that nods to their past—possibly even the same rock? Sometimes, old elements find fresh relevance. [Read my review of The Cure’s new album and decide if they’ve used a stone from an album released nearly 40 years previously here>>](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/pincreative%5Fmusicreview-thecure-gothrock-activity-7265685132617875457-LAie?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) Are my posts just a load of rocks? Not quite. These unexpected links show how serendipity can spark new ideas. What could it reveal in your business? Enjoy your Quick PINT ### Wait, did you just offer illegal services on a sales call? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/wait-did-you-just-offer-illegal-services-on-a-sales-call/ Last updated: 2025-10-13T19:17:59.000Z Well, that’s exactly what happened to me recently. I’m sure you wouldn’t, but are you making the most of these calls and getting them right? I’m a big fan of 15-minute ‘Quick Chats’ on Zoom, they’re a simple, low-pressure way to connect, exchange ideas, and uncover potential opportunities. Sometimes, these conversations spark something big. But not all calls are created equal. Last week, one call quickly shifted from polite hellos to hard selling—and even suggestions of illegal activities. ([You can read more about it in Quick Chat: Red Flags here](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/pincreative%5Funtangleyourbrand-brandinsight-brandstory-activity-7262147215937138689-kNUD/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com)). If you’re planning to incorporate these calls into your business, or jumping on one yourself, here are three tips to make them productive and meaningful: 1\. Do your research: Spend a few minutes learning about the person you’re speaking with. Knowing their background shows respect and helps you tailor the conversation. Don’t skim their LinkedIn profile five minutes before the call, it’s obvious! 2\. Set a purpose: Be clear about what you want to achieve, whether it’s exploring collaboration, sharing ideas, or simply connecting. Keep it focused and meaningful, not like speed dating without the charm. 3\. Be curious: Show genuine interest in the other person’s work and challenges. A little curiosity goes a long way in building meaningful connections. And yes, it’s okay to sell your stuff, but listening is just as important. If you’d like to have a quick chat with me about your project, or even just a conversation about records, book a call using the link below. Enjoy your Quick PINT ### Are you making the same mistake as political parties? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/are-you-making-the-same-mistake-as-political-parties/ Last updated: 2025-10-13T19:22:24.000Z Are you making the same mistake as the political parties? Are you using colour coding in your brand? Here’s why you shouldn’t As I watched the US election results this week, I saw the wall of red coming in from the East Coast and immediately thought, ‘Well that’s not too bad. There’s still hope for the world’. Then my brain kicked in remembering that the party colours in the US and the UK are the other way round. “Oh sh\*t.” And that’s the point, whilst me may know the colour code, we won’t always remember it. There are more important things to address over the next few years—be it the economy, environment, health inequality, gender inequality, hunger, migration, global conflict, cyberwars, or the rise of artificial intelligence, but I have one ask. Can the major political parties please align their colour palettes. How are you using colour in your brand? Is your colour coding only meaningful to you Have you thought about global colour symbolism? Is your brand inclusive for those with colour vision deficiencies? If you’re unsure, then the chances are you’re confusing your audience too. Enjoy your Quick PINT ### Did you make pumpkins angry yesterday? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/did-you-make-pumpkins-angry-yesterday/ Last updated: 2025-10-13T19:28:55.000Z Halloween-themed emails seem to be on the rise every year! Here are just a few examples that might have flooded your inbox yesterday. Trick or treat yourself to some spook-tacular chocolate 🎃 give in to your darkest temptations 👹 Ghouls just wanna have fun 🧛‍♀️ get Halloween-ready with our spellbinding makeup collection💄 Don’t get spooked by ghostly sheets 👻 grab cozy bedding essentials before they're spirited away 🛏️ Do they work? Are they effective? Did you send one? \* Could there be a better way? With so many brands competing for attention, standing out is essential. To rise above the noise, brands need more than a festive headline; they need an approach that truly resonates with their audience. This might mean delivering creative, valuable content or offering something genuinely memorable. Brands that make a lasting impact are those that go beyond the expected, creating a connection that lingers long after the Halloween hype fades. Have a spook-tacular weekend \[damn, couldn't resist it\] \*Don't worry if you did, at least you sent out an offer which is more than most businesses do 💪 ### Are you fishing or catching??? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/are-you-fishing-or-catching/ Last updated: 2025-10-13T19:32:34.000Z What’s your new business plan? Are you fishing or catching? We’re all looking for new clients, it can take time and sometimes opportunities just land in front of us. We need to eat, so we just take it. But is that really the best approach? Like fishing, nurturing new clients requires patience and careful planning. It’s perfectly fine to throw some catches back into the water, just as a responsible angler would do. Why you should be fishing more Allows you to pick the right spot, just like targeting the best fishing grounds. Gives time to prepare and use the right bait, increasing the chances of a big catch. Helps build patience and skill, like an angler perfecting their craft. Why you should be catching less You might reel in a small fish when you need a big one. Sometimes you just take whatever bites, even if it’s not the best catch. Can mean overfishing the same spot, leading to a dwindling supply later on. So, are you going to cast your line with care and wait for the big one, or just scoop up the first thing that flops into your net? Because just like fishing, the right bait matters—and in business, your brand is the bait that attracts the right catch. Enjoy your Quick PINT ### Branding isn’t about colour and fonts URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/branding-isnt-about-colour-and-fonts/ Last updated: 2025-10-13T10:07:32.000Z My album of the moment (AOTMo) is ‘What’s Wrong With New York by the dare” \[intentional lower-case t and d\]. the dare is a New York producer, real name Harrison Patrick Smith, that hangs out with the likes of Charli XCX and produced her recent single with Billie Eilish. It’s cheap, dirty, electro, synth, pop. Influenced by the 00s electroclash scene (LCD Soundsystem, The Rapture etc) and the 80s synthpop that influenced them (Human League, Depeche Mode etc). Brand consultants like me will always bang on about a brand isn’t a logo, it isn’t the font choice, it isn’t the colours. It’s about the emotional connection you create with your audience (or some other similar big idea). Of course, the dare has created a brand and its strikingly simple and therefor effective Almost always dressed in black suit, white shirt, thin black tie and sunglasses like a skinny jeaned Blues Brother with an SH101 instead of a love of soul. Below are some screen grabs of his Instagram feed. It’s mainly just black and white and Helvetica, one of the most commonly used fonts. But it exudes the cool, confident personality of the artist, creating the desired emotional connection because of it. When refreshing your brand, don’t start from scratch. Use layout, imagery, and language to show personality. Keep it simple but get creative. Have fun! You don’t need to wear sunglasses inside, but you can. Enjoy your Quick PINT [See my review of What’s Wrong With New York by the dare here>>](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/pincreative%5Fthedare-musicreview-albumofthemoment-activity-7253042634850467840-znzi?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop&rcm=ACoAAADKbWABbYMEcwE5QXzMnoJP4RMQXQIrUF8) [Listen to the album here>>](https://open.spotify.com/album/7ETvH1PHtaY35WhmpTTt7s?si=koIBCDvIQQGlunhpOiZ8qQ&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) [Follow the dare on Instagram here>>](https://www.instagram.com/itsthedare/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/10/THEDARE-1.png) ### Les Paul Guitars, hiking boots and more dog emojis URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/les-paul-guitars-hiking-boots-and-more-dog-emojis/ Last updated: 2025-10-13T19:37:29.000Z This week I posted about emojis, and asked ‘which emojis you are often reaching for, but don’t exist?’ Mine was a ‘pint of Guinness’, but it seems that many others don’t feel represented by the 3,782 emojis that already exist. From wanting more specific guitars, an emoji for hiking, and more variety in dog type. What does this tell us? We like to feel represented. We like to have the ability to express our different personalities. Does your brand allow for a variety of expressions to represent your different audiences or are you straight jacketed by rigid rules and limited brand elements? Flexibility requires control, but you’ll have a more exciting brand if you can let loose a bit. Enjoy your Quick PINT [Which emoji do you think is missing? Contribute here>>](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/pincreative%5Fguinness-untangleyourbrand-brandinsight-activity-7249390394369523712-b7nY?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Is your branding a bit Heath Robinson? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/is-your-branding-a-bit-heath-robinson/ Last updated: 2025-10-13T10:16:55.000Z Heath Robinson was a British cartoonist, who created elaborate machines that could do the simplest of tasks. This diagram is one of his contraptions for making a pancake. Many business owners are faced with similar complicated processes when trying to create a brand. Sometime complexity can make something seem like it’s more worthy. It’s complex, so must be smart. But simplicity is always better. ### How to make a pancake. 1\. Whisk 1 egg, 3/4 cups of milk and sugar to tase in a bowl. 2\. Sift 50g of flour and whisk until the batter is smooth. 3\. Heat a large frying pan over medium-low heat. 4\. Brush with some melted butter. 5\. Pour 1/4 cup of batter into pan and heat until it bubbles. 6\. Turn over and cook until light golden brown. Eat. I use a Brand Doughnut to help clients understand how to make their brands relevant, unique and memorable and you can discover how simple this is by downloading the free guide below. ### How to create a brand. 1\. Define your vision. 2\. Understand your position in the market. 3\. Focus on what is unique about your offer. 4\. Make your values relevant to your audience. 5\. Build a superpower, the mission to deliver your vision. 6\. Find your jam, the core to glue it all together. Eat. Don’t let your branding become a bit Heath Robinson. [Download my proven framework for creating a brand here.](https://untangleyourbrand.com/guide?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/10/HEATH_ROBINSON-1.jpg) ### Is the 'brat' summer over already? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/is-the-brat-summer-over-already/ Last updated: 2025-11-21T16:06:13.000Z Is the ‘brat summer’ already over? It’s been widely reported that we should all now be ‘demure’, which doesn’t sound half as much fun. I hope that the ‘brat’ ethos lasts a little longer, just like ‘punk’ has. Brat used to mean a badly behaved child, but this summer it has taken on a whole new meaning after the release of Charlie XCX’s album. ### **What is brat?** “You’re just like that girl who is a little messy and likes to party and maybe says some dumb things sometimes. Who feels herself but maybe also has a breakdown. But kind of like, parties through it, is very honest, very blunt. A little bit volatile. Like, does dumb things. But it’s brat. You’re brat. That’s brat.” - Charlie XCX With a striking fluorescent green cover, a DIY aesthetic to the typography I was immediately reminded of the Sex Pistol’s debut album. One used as part of a Presidential campaign. The other a reaction against politics and social unrest. Both iconic, both instantly copyable. ### **What is punk?** “Punk is musical freedom. It’s saying, doing and playing what you want. In Webster’s terms, ‘nirvana’ means freedom from pain, suffering and the external world, and that’s pretty close to my definition of Punk Rock.” - Kurt Cobain ### What about the music? Both are thankfully short but crammed full of tunes. Brat; 41 minutes (15 songs), Never Mind The Bollocks; 39 minutes (12 songs). Musically ‘brat’ sounds current (including too much vocoder), with an electronic sheen, maybe not as angry and disruptive as The Sex Pistols with its grit, energy and urgency (which didn’t sound current when it was released as an antinode to bloated prog-rock). Both are rooted in attitude and are lyrically relevant to the time they are written in. Girl, it's so confusing sometimes to be a girl (girl, girl, girl, girl) (Girl, So Confusing) Don't know what I want but I know how to get it. I wanna destroy the passersby (Anarchy in The UK) Will ‘brat’ still have the same impact in 47 years? Does ‘Never Mind the Bollocks’ still have the same impact 47 years later? I hope they both should. Enjoy, and let me know what you think. **Listen to; brat** [Charlie XCX, June 2023](https://open.spotify.com/album/2lIZef4lzdvZkiiCzvPKj7?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) **Listen to; Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols** [Sex Pistols, October 1977](https://open.spotify.com/album/6ggO3YVhyonYuFWUPBRyIv?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Read more about how Brat inspired the work for Bills and Beats [It’s all about the money. It’s all about the music.Campaign helping young artists manage their finances and their future.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/358ef569-a475-483f-881e-94e762373554-52.jpg)It’s all about the money. It’s all about the music.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/UYB_CASESTUDY_THUMB_1200px_640px_BILLS.jpg)](https://untangleyourbrand.com/work/billsandbeats?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### No logo, no brand??? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/no-logo-no-brand/ Last updated: 2025-11-01T18:44:38.000Z A brand isn’t a logo. You’ve heard it before, and it’s true, but logos still matter. They are a visual shortcut, a way to tell people they are in the right place. Think of Adidas. Of course, it has a logo, but what we really remember are the stripes. That simple visual rhythm has carried across decades, products and generations. It is proof that a strong brand can live through pattern as much as mark. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/10/ADIDAS_BOX.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/10/ADIDAS_SHOE-1.jpg) For recruitment consultant Kellie Gordon, founder of Appoint-ED, that idea became a starting point. The logo was already there, it just needed care. We refined the type, simplified the form and strengthened the connector. But the real step forward came from what surrounded it. We created a family of visual themes, each one tied to the way the business works — *Find* (a pin), *Assess* (a star), *Recruit*(a plus). These shapes combine into tessellating patterns that feel confident, playful and distinct. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/10/ACTION_1920px_720-8_V2.gif) Strong brands create recognition through rhythm, colour and movement. Engage is about making a brand memorable through visual style, not just logos and words. ### Read the full case study here [Fixing education recruitmentImproving schools by focusing on the permanent staff that make them work. Kellie Gordon had built a successful recruitment business, but her brand no longer reflected the scale or quality of her work. We refined her story, restructured her offer and built an identity that reflects her belief in people-first education.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/358ef569-a475-483f-881e-94e762373554-20.jpg)Fixing education recruitment![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/ec389792-19bb-4f99-8876-b2211014fa7f-1.jpg)](https://untangleyourbrand.com/work/appointed?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Three Little Words URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/three-little-words/ Last updated: 2025-11-11T19:31:03.000Z When we rebranded Access Self Storage, everything came down to three little words. *Storage made simple* wasn’t just a line. It was a mindset. If you could say it in three words, you should. Every sign, every label, every headline followed that rhythm. *Pack. Stack. Lock.* *Stop. Store. Go.* *Next stop storage.* *Pack your stuff.* *Here you are.* *Click, click, done.* Even the boxes were three words; *Small Storage Box*, *Medium Storage Box*, *Large Storage Box.* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/11/THREE2.jpg) Three words felt right. Balanced. Complete. Easy to remember and easy to act on. It gave customers confidence, and gave the brand its voice, direct, friendly and human. There’s a reason it works. The psychology behind the *power of three* lies in how we process information. Three is the smallest number that forms a pattern, and our brains are wired to spot patterns. We can comfortably hold around three or four pieces of information in our working memory before it starts to slip. So, messages built in threes are more satisfying, memorable and actionable. That’s why the Access tone of voice worked so well. It made complex information simple, clear and consistent, something you could read, understand and act on in seconds. *Three little words.* *All you need.* *Language made simple.* ### Read the full Access Self Storage case study here [Storage made simpleRebranding a national storage business by putting simplicity and confidence at the heart of every experience.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/358ef569-a475-483f-881e-94e762373554-42.jpg)Storage made simple![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/UYB_CASESTUDY_THUMB_1200px_640px_ACCESS.jpg)](https://untangleyourbrand.com/work/access?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Winner; best self-employed business award, 2024 URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/winner-best-self-employed-business-award/ Last updated: 2025-10-18T18:44:26.000Z ## Local Greenwich business owner, Nigel Davies has been awarded best self-employed business, London region at the annual FSB Celebrating Small Business Awards 2024 for Untangle Your Brand, his signature process for working with business owners, solo-entrepreneurs and consultants. The awards are open to any business in any London borough. The category ‘best self-employed business/freelance’ recognises the tenacity and drive it takes to go it alone, whilst demonstrating considerable progression and a sense of purpose for the future. Finalists across twelve regions, now proceed to FSB’s National UK finals taking place on 9 May in Blackpool. Michael Lassman, FSB London Regional Chair, said: > “The awards are reflective of the vibrancy, innovation and tenacity that makes up our small business community. It’s been thrilling to see so many businesses in London enthusiastically take part in our awards and the sheer scale and diversity of those who entered is a testimony to the vitality of the small business community in the region.” Nigel Davies, owner brand consultancy PIN Creative, said; > “I created the ‘Untangle Your Brand’ offer to demystify the branding process for business owners. All the knowledge I’ve gained working on some of the biggest brands in the world has been refined to help any small business transform their business vision into a brand. This has resulted in me supporting not just local business in Greenwich, working with national businesses but also growing an international customer base including Europe, New Zealand, and United States”. The awards were presented at an event in London on Monday 25 March, by awards sponsor Tyl by NatWest. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/10/FSB-5593-Awards-Winners-Digital-Badge4b-1.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/10/AWARD_WINNER-1.jpg) #### Additional information ****Nigel Davies, Brand Consultant, PIN Creative** Nigel Davies is an independent brand consultant and combines his experience in business, strategy, and creativity to help business owners transform their business vision into a brand and gain greater clarity, focus and direction. For interviews and comments contact Nigel Davies here>> [nigel@pincreative.co.uk](mailto:nigel@pincreative.co.uk) +44 7957 253907 [https://www.pincreative.co.uk ](https://www.pincreative.co.uk/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com)[https://www.linkedin.com/in/pincreative/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pincreative/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ****FSB Celebrating Small Business Awards** Celebrating the best small businesses from the length and breadth of the country, offering national recognition for those who have made the biggest impression over the last 12 months. FSB offers members a wide range of vital business services, including advice, financial expertise, support and a powerful voice in Government. Its aim is to help smaller businesses achieve their ambitions. [Read more about the FSB awards here>>](https://link.untangleyourbrand.com/fsbaward?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) [Read more about the awards sponsor Tyl by NatWest here>>](https://www.tylbynatwest.com/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Accident or influence URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/accident-or-influence/ Last updated: 2025-11-01T18:45:27.000Z The best ideas rarely arrive out of thin air. They surface later, stitched together from things we’ve read, seen or overheard. The creative brain is always working in the background, connecting fragments we didn’t even know we’d stored. But it only works if you keep feeding it with films, books, music and conversation. Influence is the raw material of originality. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/10/GHOST_GOTOJO2.jpg) Original mood board for GoToJo that inspired the sketch When independent business coach Johanne Stimpson briefed me on the GoToJo brand, she talked about bling, gold and a touch of East End grit. I built a moodboard of gold bullion, dark leather chairs and art deco patterns, confident and unapologetic. That was the reference I was sketching from. The art deco letterforms fell naturally into place within the name GoToJo, a stacked arrangement that felt balanced and strong. It was only later that I noticed the echo of something familiar. The geometry had a quiet resemblance to the *No Time To Die* poster. Not planned, not copied, just one of those natural alignments that happen when your head is full of good reference and genuine curiosity. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/10/GHOST_GOTOJO3.jpg) That is what creative work really is. Not invention from nowhere, but the arrangement of memory, instinct and taste into something new. The trick is to stay open, keep noticing and trust that the next connection will appear when it is ready. **Read the full case study here** [Real life businessWhen Johanne Stimpson reached out, her business had momentum but not focus. GoToJo was known for energy and experience, yet its story was scattered. She wanted a brand that reflected her straight-talking style, the depth of her support and her belief that real business happens face to face. The aim was to define a clear message and identity that would help her show up with confidence and attract the right kind of clients.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/358ef569-a475-483f-881e-94e762373554-21.jpg)Real life business![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/e36e38cd-5090-47e6-bf51-0756b034d6e7-2.jpg)](https://untangleyourbrand.com/work/gotojo?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) **Read more about No Time To Die on IMDB** [No Time to Die (2021) ⭐ 7.3 | Action, Adventure, Thriller2h 43m | 12![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/favicon_iPhone_retina_180x180._CB1582158069_UX196_.png)IMDbSleepin\_Dragon![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/MV5BNjg0MTU5ZDctODI5Ni00NWZjLWFlNjAtNWEzZmU4ODc3ZDhmXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg)](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2382320/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Extra Extra Extra; September – Can't forget the motor city URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/extra-extra-extra-september-cant-forget-the-motor-city/ Last updated: 2025-11-15T20:44:55.000Z *A monthly newsletter wrapping up what's going on in branding, business and bands.* --- ### Brand Extra! *What's going on in the world of branding?* This month saw the global roll-out of the brand refresh for Johnson & Johnson one of the world’s most famous and largest healthcare brands. There was plenty of commentary about the move away from the soft script to a more formal font (and legible ampersand!). ![Article content](https://media.licdn.com/dms/image/v2/D4E12AQFW4OppUQXjqw/article-inline_image-shrink_1000_1488/article-inline_image-shrink_1000_1488/0/1696346557922?e=1764806400&v=beta&t=9fFUtAsd1p8Fuhqv1EITHsb1B2KTxKp6ugFCW0ZpnAs) Top, previous logo. Bottom new logo. - Some people don’t like it. - Some people don’t like change. - Some people don’t care. - Some people won’t even notice. I wasn’t convinced by the corporate speak on their website; “Each letter is drawn in one pen stroke, creating a contrast that delivers both a sense of unexpectedness and humanity.” But I am sure in time this will help position the company away from a world of baby oil and cotton buds towards the healthcare innovation company it is focused on becoming. [Read more about the rebrand on Creative Review>>](https://www.creativereview.co.uk/johnson-johnson-new-logo/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) [Read more about the rebrand on Johnson & Johnson’s website>>](https://www.jnj.com/johnson-johnson-marks-new-era-as-global-healthcare-company-with-updated-visual-identity?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) This reminded me of my own brush with a global rebrand; Ford Motor Company which I led the design of whilst working at The Partners in 2003\. It’s still an honour (and a slight buzz) to know I played my part in the evolution of a global icon. ![Article content](https://media.licdn.com/dms/image/v2/D4E12AQFVdeSWQW5G6A/article-inline_image-shrink_1500_2232/article-inline_image-shrink_1500_2232/0/1696346628667?e=1764806400&v=beta&t=Uc_KZ0kdlbqlw5HIs8ligUcOMSrFCYjrYvFqePRecpA) Ford logo and World Headquarters, Dearborn (2000) - Some people didn’t notice the change. - Some people didn’t really care. - Some people didn’t understand how it cost £1m. But most importantly we solved a huge conundrum for Ford. In our brief, we were given two distinct directions. 1\. Don’t change the Ford Motor Company parent brand. 2\. Don’t change the blue oval ![Article content](https://media.licdn.com/dms/image/v2/D4E12AQGPGn7aXLXn3Q/article-inline_image-shrink_1000_1488/article-inline_image-shrink_1000_1488/0/1696346680010?e=1764806400&v=beta&t=aS5qK5wTQmmYpz33SCKOQzOn8CAaKNe58P3ffFGW1yA) Exploration I think the hope was we create new elements for everything else (colours, fonts etc) and sort out the brand architecture so that their vast array of car brands (from Aston Martin to the Focus) made sense to customers. ![Article content](https://media.licdn.com/dms/image/v2/D4E12AQFXhmoZps77vw/article-inline_image-shrink_1000_1488/article-inline_image-shrink_1000_1488/0/1696346696061?e=1764806400&v=beta&t=dtOcxXZU60G_2eC-iJLhMzF9fdktOWQUNLFPeT0QmEo) Rejected type modification (in pink) We ignored both directions. Got rid of the parent brand and created a new global standard. ![Article content](https://media.licdn.com/dms/image/v2/D4E12AQGCSy1umbvzlA/article-inline_image-shrink_1500_2232/article-inline_image-shrink_1500_2232/0/1696346723924?e=1764806400&v=beta&t=czFCAh7uhZ3d-TefjCZq7eYJzhU99PO1KIqP8NT7DD8) Refreshed Ford logo (2003), World Headquarters, Dearborn (today) Result; a new global identity that could be rolled out consistently and easily across all territories (which had never been achieved before) and the symbolism of taking down the long script version of Ford Motor Company from the headquarters in Dearborn and replacing it with the blue oval created a renewed sense of pride amongst the workforce. ### Read more about the Ford rebrand and why we kept an error in the artwork here [Global errorPerfection often hides in mistakes.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/favicon-2.ico)Blah, Blah, BlahNigel Davies![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/FORD.jpg)](https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/global-error/) [Read more about the evolution of the Ford logo here>>](https://fabrikbrands.com/ford-logo-history-ford-symbol-meaning-and-evolution/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) Ford rebrand © The Partners 2003 **What can you learn?** *Insight; make your brand relevant* You can challenge a brief if the answer is going to produce a better solution (but don’t annoy the client!!!). *Story; make your brand unique* Be wary of justifying design changes with post-rationalised nonsense, that takes away from the credibility of what can sometimes just be ‘the correct design choice”. *Engage; make your brand memorable* Making mistakes can create unexpected outcomes. You don’t always have to fix them. If it looks right. Then it’s right. --- ### Business Extra! *What's going on in my business?* Last month I wrote on LinkedIn about the Rolling Stones sending me a piece of direct mail to promote their new album “Hackney Diamonds”. There were many comments suggesting that direct mail is still an effective way of promoting a business. So, I’ve created my own printed newspaper. Message me to get a copy ![Article content](https://media.licdn.com/dms/image/v2/D4E12AQHSaM_YiK1YiQ/article-inline_image-shrink_1500_2232/article-inline_image-shrink_1500_2232/0/1696348616060?e=1764806400&v=beta&t=DN94PQWsj-bEuD0puUmZG3fGPB85toVB95MzC4tlcyo) Limited number available so order a copy now It’s shameless self-promotion, but it's printed, so you can fold it up and read it at your leisure. ### Read the original LinkedIn article here [#untangleyourbrand #brandinsight #brandstory #brandengagement #rollingstones | Nigel Davies | 40 commentsLast week I received an unusual item in the post. Brown envelope. Nothing that unusual. Not the shape of a vinyl record. More unusual. Very light. Maybe nothing in it. No sender address. Curious. Inside was a small plastic sleeve containing a small, printed sticker. Large, bold words, in red, reading; “DON’T GET ANGRY WITH ME” next to, a small, disjointed symbol. What had I done? Who was it from? Who was angry with me? What did it mean? Moments later it clicked. The symbol was the ‘Hot Lips’ logo and could only mean one thing. The Rolling Stones. It was a piece of direct mail, sent to promote their latest album “Hackney Diamonds” and lead single “Angry”. Why would one of the most famous bands on the planet, use an outdated mode of marketing; printed DM? They’ve sold over 200 million albums, and their first new material in over 18 years is bound to be a massive success. The hype around the press conference the following week to announce more details was front page headlines all over the world. I guess it’s targeted. I bought the last album from their website. They had my details. I guess it’s aimed at my demographic. They probably know I’m not following them on TikTok. Ultimately, I think it’s lovely to celebrate that connection we have with music, imagery, graphics, print media and the joy of unexpected gifts in the post. Will I buy the album? I was going to anyway. But now I’ll definitely buy it from their online store and probably throw in the 7 inch single. Not that I need it. But now I want it. You can’t always get what you want But if you try sometimes, well, you might find You get what you need \[And they’ve just sent me an email to remind me to pre-order the store-exclusive blue vinyl version with a limited edition cover, plus I only just turned the print over to reveal the website address!!!\]. #UntangleYourBrand #BrandInsight #BrandStory #BrandEngagement #RollingStones ---------- In the August edition of my LinkedIn newsletter, Extra! Extra! Extra! I suggested that to make a brand more memorable you could engage using non-traditional media. Such as print. So, why not print a limited edition of Extra! Extra! Extra! in September. Admittedly a shameless piece of self-publicity, but if it’s good enough for the Rolling Stones, then it’s good enough for me. Grab a free printed copy of Extra! Extra! Extra! by signing up here or message me for details https://lnkd.in/e4Vvpe6G | 40 comments on LinkedIn![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/al2o9zrvru7aqj8e1x2rzsrca)LinkedInNigel Davies![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/1695143509580)](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/pincreative%5Funtangleyourbrand-brandinsight-brandstory-activity-7109947205351813124-clv4/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) --- ### Band Extra! *What's going on my turntable?* A playlist for this month, listen on Spotify [Can't forget the motor city](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/79NO0YRg1wp2Qnp0vHxYNv?si=9ab49ac9a5244bce&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) From the birth of Rock’n’Roll (Bill Haley), the creation of the Motown sound, the garage rock blues of The White Stripes and the creation of Techno, Detroit is more than just a motor city. While spending time there finishing the Ford logo, I visited the Museum of Techno and discovered The Dirtbombs. Enjoy a selection of Detroit’s finest… - Martha Reeves & The Vandellas; Dancing In The Street - Bill Haley & His Comets; (We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock - The Supremes; Baby Love - The Spinners; It's A Shame - The Dirtbombs; Kung Fu - The White Stripes; Hotel Yorba - The Stooges; Down on the Street - Electric Six; Danger! High Voltage - DeBarge; Rhythm Of The Night - Rhythim Is Rhythim; Strings Of Life - Inner City; Good Life - David Bowie, Mick Jagger; Dancing in the Street --- 🤘 Keep on listening. 🍩 Keep on branding. Nigel ### Why you should DIY URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/why-you-should-diy/ Last updated: 2025-11-01T18:47:50.000Z Many business owners think branding means waiting for a designer. In truth, the strongest brands often begin with what’s already in reach. When we worked with Deborah Ager, a book coach and writer, the words were already perfect. What she needed was a way to turn those words into a brand she could use herself. Deborah also loved photography, but saw it as a pastime, not a professional tool. We changed that. By using her own black-and-white images, harsh contrast, simple shapes, and pairing them with a vivid orange accent, we created a visual identity that felt sharp, personal and unmistakably hers. No logo required. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/10/DEB_AGER_ABC_SQ1a.jpg) The result wasn’t a design exercise, it was ownership. A reminder that your brand doesn’t always come from someone else’s palette, it can come from your eye, your tone, your style. Sometimes all it takes is confidence, a few simple rules, and the permission to do it your way ### Read the full case study [Stories that sellSaving hours of time so a business owner can get on with what they do best (helping write business books). With years of experience in writing, editing and content strategy, Deborah Ager helps consultants and coaches craft powerful stories for their books, websites and email campaigns. As her business expanded to include Stories That Sell and The Anti-Boring Club, she needed a consistent brand she could manage herself, one that reflected her creativity and professionalism, while freeing her to focus on her craft.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/358ef569-a475-483f-881e-94e762373554-23.jpg)Stories that sell![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/be44b868-9198-4cdd-8b11-3643a57d96dc.jpg)](https://untangleyourbrand.com/work/deborahager?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Extra Extra Extra; August – News of the World URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/extra-extra-extra-august-news-of-the-world/ Last updated: 2025-11-15T20:55:30.000Z *A monthly newsletter wrapping up what's going on in branding, business and bands.* --- ### Brand Extra! *What's going on in the world of branding?* “Extra! Extra! Read all about it” was initially used to signal the publishing of an extra edition of a newspaper to report on important news that happened after the original publishing deadline. It died off in the 1930s as people got the latest news from the radio. How do you like to get your news? - Read the paper daily (a few of us still do!). - Watch/listen to the news daily (it’s unavoidable). - Scroll social daily (it’s called doom scrolling for a reason). - Do something else (create your own news vacuum and stay sane). I read the paper daily. The Guardian. Print edition. It feeds my brain. Going deeper and gaining wider opinions stimulates fresh ideas. I also listen to the radio (BBC 5 Live; sport and news, Scala Radio, classical music for modern life). Like a 24 hours news cycle, news constantly evolving. The [oldest national newspaper printed its final edition](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2023/jul/01/worlds-oldest-newspaper-prints-final-edition-after-320-years?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) last month (Austria’s Wiener Zeitung has gone online after 320 years in print). I never read it. But things come back in fashion. The NME (New Musical Express), is coming back in print as a ‘bi-monthly bible for music and pop culture’ (5 years after printing its final edition). I used to read it obsessively. And will definitely subscribe when it becomes available. [Register to find out when it's available.](https://www.nme.com/news/music/nme-announces-return-of-iconic-print-magazine-2023-summer-buy-3470477?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) We live in a world of breaking bulletins, app notifications, X and Threads offering constant streams of news, views, opinions, misinformation, and fake news generated by powerful people and AI. Extra! Extra! Extra! However, this digital deluge has its downsides, with concerns about misinformation and the overwhelming nature of the 24/7 news cycle. I like others love traditional print media, others prefer the convenience and immediacy of digital sources (I get irritated by the videos, interrupting my music listening). We’ve been told that AI will set the agenda for next year’s elections around the globe. Is this news? Misinformation. Disinformation. Manipulation. Reporting. Debating. Challenging. Profusion. Confusion. Illusion. Fiction. Fake. Artificial. Fact. Truth. Reality. **What can you learn?** *Insight; make your brand relevant* Staying informed lies in a balance between traditional methods and digital sources. (Don’t rely on ChatGPT and never just copy and paste). *Story; make your brand unique* Bite-sized, curated content reflects a desire for streamlined information. (It’s not lazy, it’s being efficient). *Engage; make your brand memorable* Don’t be afraid of traditional methods and media if you want to stand out. (Sometimes physical connection can make the difference). --- ### Business Extra! *What's going on in my business?* After spending several months developing a course containing everything I know about branding and working through the process with several business owners. I’ve decided to give away all the content, videos, and worksheets. Why make everything available for free? Because I want to help as many business owners as possible to understand more about branding and developing their own brands. ### Sign-up to gain access now [Untangle your brand loginLearn how to create a brand that feels relevant, unique and memorable.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/358ef569-a475-483f-881e-94e762373554-49.jpg)Untangle your brand login![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/UYB_ICON_THUMB_1200x640px10.png)](https://untangleyourbrand.com/login?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) I’ll be adding more tools, useful links, and sites to help you with your business and brand. ![Article content](https://media.licdn.com/dms/image/v2/D4E12AQE8Hb8TjVZ3ZQ/article-inline_image-shrink_1500_2232/article-inline_image-shrink_1500_2232/0/1693909751650?e=1764806400&v=beta&t=qB52m9CoxxNFbQPP-VLIhCuBk1SO1aVPe7wq2O4XmWM) --- ### Band Extra! *What's going on my turntable?* A playlist for this month, listen on Spotify [News of The World](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7HFDo2md4nFbm6JUlPkiEg?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) - Kraftwerk, News; Wir bringen die Nachrichten - The Jam, News of the World; Check before you spread. - Sex Pistols, Anarchy In the UK; I use the N.M.E. I use anarchy. - Lady Gaga, Paparazzi; It's so magical. We'd be so fantastical. - MIA, Paper Planes; All I wanna do is-And a-And take your money. - Duran Duran, Paper Gods; Bow to the paper gods. In a world that is paper thin. - Gorillaz, The Tired Influencer; But nothing real anymore. - Michael Jackson, Leave Me Alone; Just stop doggin' me around. - Adam Ant, Goody Too Shoes; Make sure they get your good side, good side. - Cosmic Roughriders, Have You Heard the News Today? I've seen the world through the eyes of TV. - White Denim, Good News; I keep my bad news. To myself too late. - Public Image Ltd, Public Image; Two sides to every story. - Blur, Strange News From Another Star; They'll shoot the death star down. - Beatles, Day In The Life; I read the news today, oh boy --- 🤘 Keep on listening. 🍩 Keep on branding. Nigel ### Simplifying the creative brief URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/simplifying-the-creative-brief/ Last updated: 2025-11-01T18:48:28.000Z When we started defining the visual direction for *Wow Mom*, the brand for women turning ambition into independence, we didn’t open with a long creative brief or concepts. We opened with contrast. On one side, the soft, pastel imagery you’d expect from a “mum” brand, nurturing, safe, polite. On the other, the *Powerpuff Girls*, bold, bright, fearless. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/10/WOWMOM_BRIEF.jpg) That single comparison said everything. It wasn’t about motherhood as comfort, it was about motherhood as power. The brand needed strength, energy and attitude, not softness. Sometimes clarity comes from seeing what you’re not. A simple visual contrast can say more than a dozen adjectives. Read the full Wow Mom case study [Achieving limitless potentialRepositioning an online training business to create a new group for superwomen! Online entrepreneur Rachel Green founded Social Media Mumz to help women balance family life with financial independence. What began as a small coaching platform grew into a vibrant online community of women learning to build their own social media businesses. As momentum built, Rachel saw the potential to go further, to create a stronger, more confident brand that represented the women her community had become.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/358ef569-a475-483f-881e-94e762373554-24.jpg)Achieving limitless potential![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/fb3db70e-6bf5-4f10-a5f5-b143e4cb31d2-1.jpg)](https://untangleyourbrand.com/work/wowmom?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Extra Extra Extra; July – Apocalypse X Pink URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/extra-extra-extra-july-apocalypse-x-pink/ Last updated: 2025-11-15T20:55:43.000Z # [](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pincreative/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com)*A monthly newsletter wrapping up what's going on in branding, business and bands.* --- ## Brand Extra! *What's going on in the world of branding?* At the start of the month, I was in Italy at a business mastermind, when Threads, Meta’s, Twitter rival was launched. What is Threads? - An 80s apocalyptic movie about the world ending in a nuclear apocalypse (set in Sheffield). - A Twitter killer without a clearly defined differentiator. - A zen-like space for kindness that exists for a week till AI takes over. - A sophisticated marketing strategy for a cage fight. Popular opinion was that Threads wasn’t answering a business problem. Just giving access to your data. Musk commented ‘Competition is fine. Cheating is not.’ Meta/Instagram/Facebook/Threads demonstrated the challenges of brand architecture. Which I'd happily sort out. A month is a long time in the ‘Fediverse’. [Twitter is dead. ‘X’ is born.](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/jul/23/twitter-elon-musk-says-he-wants-to-change-companys-bird-logo?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) “a global marketplace for ideas, goods, services, and opportunities. The platform that can deliver, well … everything”. And a crowd-sourced rebrand was implemented overnight. The world hasn’t ended with a cage fight, we’ve been [saved by Barbenheimer. ](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/jul/24/barbie-oppenheimer-movie-release-box-office-ticket-sales?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) Actually, cinema was saved with a philosophical discussion about patriarchal society and the influence of consumerism whilst the world learned the destructive power of having a single focus and clear objective. \[Oppenheimer’s atomic bomb, not Musk’s rebrand of Twitter\]. **What can you learn?** *Insight; make your brand relevant* Always learn from others, don’t copy, get input from your customers, you don’t need to listen to them, and you don’t need to implement a brand in 24 hours. *Story; make your brand unique* Clear focus and purpose can enable you to make big bold decisions. Musk knows what he’s doing. He’s been talking about X for years. *Engage; make your brand memorable* Own a brand colour (Barbie Pink; = / PMS 219c) and a portmanteau is an easy way to name something. --- ## Business Extra! *What's going on in my business?* I recently launched a new product. [Untangle Your Brand Boost](https://untangleyourbrand.com/boost?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com), which can kick-start your brand with a personalised workshop. Business coach [Johanne Stimson](https://www.linkedin.com/in/johanne-stimson-48ab956/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) has a 'get it done attitude', no procrastination and booked an "Untangle Your Brand Boost”. - Workshop delivered. Business understood. Brand messaging clear. Boom. 💥 - She then asked me to create her brand. Boom. 💥 - She reacted instinctively to my insights and direction so we could move forward. Boom. 💥 - She was clear on the direction that was right for her business when creative work was presented to her. Boom. 💥 - She loves her new brand. Boom. 💥 ![No alt text provided for this image](https://media.licdn.com/dms/image/v2/D4E12AQEnyl3X5wAqbw/article-inline_image-shrink_1500_2232/article-inline_image-shrink_1500_2232/0/1690480429713?e=1764806400&v=beta&t=52EEM4nbPJbcUpPwDYwp0T5Xla2ntmgBhtLejKsHyIA) ### See the full case study here [Real life businessA straight-talking brand that helps leaders find confidence through real-world experience.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/358ef569-a475-483f-881e-94e762373554-48.jpg)Real life business![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/UYB_CASESTUDY_THUMB_1200px_640px_GOTOJO.jpg)](https://untangleyourbrand.com/work/gotojo?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) --- ## Band Extra! *What's going on my turntable?* A playlist for this month, listen on Spotify [Apocalypse X Pink](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/41cfzoyBUTTpkalENhwIIU?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) - ABBA, The Winner Takes It All; The loser has to fall. - Beastie Boys, Fight For Your Right to Party; But your mom says no. - Generation X, Dancing With Myself; When there's nothing to lose and there's nothing to prove. - The Killers, Miss Atomic Bomb; You're gonna miss me when I'm gone. - Lizzo, Pink; Hey Barbie (Hey), she's so cool. All dolled up, just playin' chess by the pool. - Take That, Never Forget; where you’ve come here from. - Portishead, Threads; Tired. Worn out. Where do I go? --- 🤘 Keep on listening. 🍩 Keep on branding. Nigel ### What's your favourite band? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/whats-your-favourite-band/ Last updated: 2026-07-29T18:50:04.000Z When I start working with new clients, I always ask them, "What's your favourite band?" It's not a judgement (although it gives me a little insight), or to break the ice (but it always does). It's actually a way to start a conversation about the importance of emotional connection when it comes to brands. The image is from the answers of business owners that have been through the Untangle Your Brand process recently and the words they chose to represent their favourite bands and artists. Everyone has stories to share about their favourite bands. Maybe it involves being forced to listen to them in the car by their parents when they were kids (Queen). Or it could be the fun times they've had with their girlfriends at live music events (Take That). Or there are those musical legends (Prince, Stevie Wonder, George Michael) who simply deserve our respect. What brings these experiences together is the fact that the music triggers an emotional response and takes people back to a specific time and place. When I ask them to describe the feelings associated with their favourite band, the answers come pouring out without hesitation. But when I ask them to talk about their own business and brand, the responses are often unclear, lacking passion, and missing the same emotion. When customers can form a genuine bond with your brand, they become more than just consumers. They become loyal fans, eager to share their positive experiences and become a part of your brand's story. They may even buy everything you ever release and go to every performance they can. \[Oh, that’s me and New Order\]. To achieve this level of connection, you need to dig deep into the essence of your business. Can you describe your brand in just a few words? Is it exciting for you? Will it excite others? Who’s wearing your brand t-shirt, even though they’ve never seen you live or bought your music \[just like anyone with a Ramones t-shirt\]. So, take a moment to think about it: What story does your brand tell? What emotion does it evoke? How can you ensure that your customers connect with your brand in just a few words? Or just tell me what your favourite band is and why (in less than 4 words). My favourite (well, one of them apart from New Order) is Adam and the Ants. Four words. Pirate, Glamour, Punk, Rock. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/11/QUESTION_1-1.jpg) ### [Listen to a playlist of the artists](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3xPxhX9XSNgt9ziPZLZXXf?si=GLVt1yh5SkmWwsCrLSsvhw&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Hello, pleased to meet you URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/hello-pleased-to-meet-you/ Last updated: 2025-11-15T19:20:09.000Z One of the most consistent pieces of advice I get from experts is to share my story. ‘Story’ is at the heart of any brand. It’s what I do for clients. Like a cobbler with broken boots, I’ve never shared my full story. This is how I usually introduce myself. 💼…the general part “Hello, I’m Nigel, an independent brand consultant based in London. I combine my experience in business, strategy, and creativity to help business owners transform their vision into a brand and gain greater clarity, focus and direction.” But that’s not a story. How did I get to do what I do? 🚀… the journey part “Hello, I’m Nigel, I used to doodle, spend my time in the art room, did a Graphic Design Degree, worked at leading London agencies, rebranded Ford, was a founding partner in my own successful agency, and now work directly with clients on; brand architecture, positioning, naming, and identity.” That’s my journey, but not the full story. There’s a missing part that I avoid talking about publicly. ❤️‍🩹…the missing part Five years ago, I had a major cardiac arrest. 29 minutes of down time, 4 weeks in a coma and a slim chance of survival. Recovery was challenging. Everyday tasks overwhelming. The world more confusing. Scary. Uncertain. Branding was hardwired into me and enabled me to find focus. Whilst recovering a colleague suggested that I write down everything I know about branding and share it. This evolved into Untangle Your Brand, which has greatly impacted many business owners. “Hello, I’m Nigel, branding can seem overly complicated, so I demystify the process. I believe that brand owners have the answers, and I can help untangle your brand to create clarity for your audience”. But that’s not the whole story either. Where’s the emotional connection? 🤘…the passionate part I’ve been buying records since I was 10, have over 6,000 records taking over my home and DJ weekly. I’d never spoken about music in relation to work, it was my private passion. But recently Zoom meetings generally go like this; “What’s your background?” “Oh, it’s just my records.” “Wow. I love music. I used to have loads of vinyl, but Mum threw them away. Who’s your favourite band?” Emotional connection created. I now have greater clarity on why I do what I do, not just what I do, or how I do it. - Hand (practical stuff); the love of branding started with doodles. - Head (rational stuff); the love of simplifying after recognising the complexity of life. - Heart (passionate stuff); the love of music and bringing it into my work. Let’s try telling my story again. ❤️…my story distilled “Hello, I’m Nigel. Let’s untangle your brand and have some fun doing it.” 🤔…discover your story Don’t wait for it to happen; identify what makes you unique Don’t keep it a secret; share everything with everyone Don’t play it safe; mix business with passion ### God Save The Queen URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/god-save-the-queen/ Last updated: 2025-10-12T16:39:14.000Z One of my lasting memories of the Silver Jubilee, in 1977, was my Mum making a cake which turned out ‘orange, yellow and green’, instead of the desired ‘red, white and blue’ (blame the sponge). My other memory is seeing posters around the streets of Rotherham and Sheffield for ‘God Save The Queen’. Being only 7 at the time, I ate the cake not bothered about the colouring but had no idea what the poster was all about. I just liked it. I know all about the Sex Pistol now but only came to appreciate the genius of John(ny Rotten) Lydon a few years later whilst watching Juke Box Jury at Saturday team time as a 9 year old. The show, hosted by Noel Edmunds, featured John Lydon alongside Elaine Paige, Alan Freeman and Joan Collins, reviewing new releases and judging them to be a ‘Hit’ or a ‘Miss’. The panellists discuss the merits of latter-day Showaddywaddy and Donna Summer whilst ABBA is played out of the back of a small van on a village green. Lydon states that God Save The Queen, is not ‘anti the Queen’ it’s ‘anti the establishment’ and watching the dirge of tracks reviewed on that episode (none of which were ‘Hits”) you can see why bands like the Sex Pistols were needed (Lydon had just formed Public Image Limited). I’m not anti-monarchy, but a little bit of anarchy is needed now and then to shake things up. I’ll be spending Jubilee Day with my Mum who’s 85 on Saturday. Then sleeping in my old bedroom, sneakily listening to the Sex Pistols. [Watch the full episode of Juke Box Jury here.](https://youtu.be/LleSxMdqkeY?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Marketing. Sales. Branding. Which is most important? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/marketing-sales-branding-which-is-most-important/ Last updated: 2025-10-12T16:37:23.000Z ### Which brand would you always buy something from, no matter what it was? I’ve only ever bought Apple computers (but did buy Nokia phones before they released the iPhone). I only buy Sony TVs and have no idea if others are any better really. And I would buy anything that New Order released (without listening to it first, even if I’ve already got it). ### Which brands do you buy from without thinking about it? Successful brands can persuade you to buy a product before you even really know what it is. This makes the sales process so much smoother. Marketing is how you get a product in front of your customer. Sales is the process of persuading someone to exchange money for that product/service. Branding creates the desire for your product. Give customers a compelling reason to purchase. Without a strong brand, you have to do more heavy lifting in the marketing and sales process to get people to buy. Ready and willing customers queuing up to buy the next big thing. Who doesn’t want that? If you want to understand more about branding and how it can improve your business, sign up for the free tools to “Untangle Your Brand”. I’m sharing everything I know with anyone who wants to learn more about branding so they can transform their business vision into a brand. **Untangle Your Brand tools** Learn the steps to create a brand that people will fall in love with. [Tools to untangle your brandAccess the free Untangle Your Brand tools and understand more about branding so you can keep evolving your brand in line with your ambition.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/358ef569-a475-483f-881e-94e762373554.jpg)Tools to untangle your brand![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/0395094b-27cb-4911-9b81-e5ae893f585d.png)](https://untangleyourbrand.com/toolsoverview?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### The Goldilocks pricing trap URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/the-goldilocks-pricing-trap/ Last updated: 2025-11-01T19:07:00.000Z Most service businesses default to a three-tier model: Bronze, Silver, Gold. On paper it looks sensible. In practice it rarely works. The Bronze level is often so weak it is worthless, the Gold too expensive to justify, and customers default to the middle option. That is not pricing strategy, it is simply forcing their hand. The approach comes from what is known as the Goldilocks principle or “good-better-best” pricing. It is designed to make one option appear just right. It looks balanced, but it often ignores what people really need. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/10/PRICING_BEFORE.jpg) Silver, Gold, Platinum pricing model When we worked with **Spirit UK**, an established IT service provider, we explored a different route. Instead of pre-set tiers, pricing was shaped around real variables: the number of users, the number of machines, and how often support was needed. A simple slider system showed how those choices affected cost instantly. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/10/PRICING_AFTER.jpg) Transparent pricing based on user needs Pricing that reflects behaviour builds trust. It helps customers see value in context and creates transparency that feels more like advice than selling. ### Read the full case study [Technology that works for youCreating a clearer pricing strategy and refreshed brand to increase sales leads. Spirit UK is an established IT service provider that has been supporting organisations for almost 30 years. Known for its reliability and personal approach, the business built a strong reputation within the charity sector. As it looked to expand its reach and attract new commercial clients, the brand needed greater clarity, a simpler story, stronger identity, and a pricing structure that helped customers understand value at a glance.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/358ef569-a475-483f-881e-94e762373554-25.jpg)Technology that works for you![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/cf3ceeb9-c5ef-4c55-9981-079fe1d50461-1.jpg)](https://untangleyourbrand.com/work/spirituk?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Brand Action URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/brand-action/ Last updated: 2025-10-12T16:36:53.000Z Let’s make a movie about branding. Said no one in Hollywood ever. Until recently. Air is currently in cinemas, telling the story of how Nike signed a rookie basketball player, Michael Jordon, developed the Air Jordan and created a billion-dollar brand in the process. We’ve had a Facebook movie, The Social Network. Key scene; Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake) suggests that they remove the word “The” from the brand name “The Facebook”. It got me curious. What other brand movies would I like to see and what would be the key scene? Here are my pitches. Google; changing their name from Backrub to Google. Amazon; noticed that there was an “A” and a “Z” in their name. FedEx; discovering the arrow between the “E” and the “X”. Virgin; the moment the name was scribbled on a napkin that became the logo. Which brand movie would you like to see and what would be the key scene? Let me know ### Can AI create kitsch art? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/can-ai-create-kitsch-art/ Last updated: 2025-10-13T10:23:09.000Z Is Al useful. Definitively. Is Al creative. Probably not. Many are taking AI quite seriously, asking ChatGTP to create their content, suggest blog ideas, or write whole articles. It’s passed several exams and could earn a few business qualifications (although notably it’s not getting the top grades). Serious business. Others are just having fun. Forget about creating an online course outline. Let’s just create art. “John Lennon walking into a McDonalds, eating a vegan burger, saying “Give Peas A Chance, Man” in the style of Edward Hopper”. Well, easy…peasy. Reading about AI art recently and a comment that most output is “kitsch” reminded me of one of the most famous kitsch; Chinese Girl, 1952 by Vladimir Tretchikoff (more popularly known as Green Lady). I put AI to the test, the results are kitsch, but do they have the same emotional connection as the original? AI can replicate things that we already know based on stuff that already exists. (Whilst also creating a big issue around copyright and intellectual property). Maybe I’ll buy a print of the real thing. (Original print about £200 on eBay, or new prints are generally £25 each). Fun maybe. But is it creative? Is AI creating anything new and original? Probably not. Yet. I asked ChatGPT the same quetsion, here's the response. **Can AI Create Kitsch Art?** Artificial intelligence (AI) has advanced rapidly in recent years, but can it create kitsch art? Kitsch is a term used to describe a style of art that is considered to be in poor taste, often because it is considered to be too sentimental, tacky, or commercial. However, despite these negative connotations, kitsch art has a long history and has been loved by many people for generations. There is no doubt that AI has the ability to create images and designs that are visually appealing. However, the question is whether or not AI can create kitsch art that is truly meaningful or just aesthetically pleasing. To create true kitsch art, the AI must have a sense of the cultural context and an understanding of what makes a piece of art kitschy. This is a complex task that requires an understanding of human emotions and the cultural context in which the art is created. AI can create images that mimic the visual style of kitsch art, but it cannot replicate the emotional impact that is often associated with kitsch. This emotional impact is what gives kitsch its power and what makes it so appealing to many people. Kitsch is often associated with memories and emotions, and these memories and emotions cannot be replicated by a machine. In conclusion, while AI may be able to create images that are visually similar to kitsch art, it cannot truly create kitsch art that is meaningful and emotionally impactful. The emotional and cultural context that gives kitsch its power cannot be replicated by a machine. True kitsch art must be created by a human who understands the cultural context and has a connection to the emotions that are associated with it. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/10/AI_ART.jpg) ### Global error URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/global-error/ Last updated: 2025-10-12T21:20:13.000Z Whilst working at The Partners, in 2003, I was given the slightly daunting task of redesigning one of the most famous logos on the planet, Ford Motor Company. The brief was relatively simple; rid the logo of the existing glitzy chrome styling and create something simpler whilst retaining dimension and shine. Oh, and not relying on photographic textures, it had to be fully scalable as a vector graphic. Everything was explored, from type style, 3D effects, light sources, textures, and backgrounds. The oval was rendered in complex geometry-based software, spun around, and flipped about. Weeks were spent looking at the thickness of lines, the shades of blue, and the right radial colour blends. Freelancers were involved. Specialist illustrators had a go. Finally, something caught our eye. A chrome effect with just the right amount of shimmer. “That’s the one.” A board was produced, but the shimmer had disappeared. “Oh, I noticed a mistake on the oval outlines, so I corrected it to be perfect” explained the freelance art worker. The mistake was re-installed, and the artwork rolled out globally. Serendipity. The secret of great design. *Ford rebrand © The Partner 2003* ### Happy another year URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/happy-another-year/ Last updated: 2025-10-12T16:29:09.000Z One year is a long time in business. Three years is, well, three times longer. In January 2020, I chose to keep working as an independent brand consultant after taking a year off for health reasons. I wasn't sure if I still could do it, but I knew I liked branding even more than the idea of opening a record shop. (That’s how much I enjoy branding). There were three specific things that I did. **Share everything I know** First, following the advice of long-term collaborator Grahame Jones, I wrote down all I knew about branding to share it with anyone who wanted to learn more. That turned into the "Transform Your Brand" course which is now open for applications for the next intake. [Find out more about Transform Your Brand here>>](https://link.pincreative.com/transform?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) **Get more visible** Second, I signed up for Helen Tudor's free 5-Day Challenge to "Get more leads from LinkedIn". I was unsure if it would work, but it was a great success for me. It could be successful for you too! And it starts this Monday. [Sign up for the free LinkedIn challenge here>>](https://getleadsfromlinkedin.com/5daychallengereg/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) **Talk about my passion** Finally (or should that be Vinylly), I'd never really combined my love of music with my love of branding until I kept getting asked about my background in Zoom meetings. Now I generally chat about music recommendations at the start of meetings and share playlists with clients. It's even helped in pitches!!! [Subscribe to my Spotify playlists here>>](https://link.pincreative.com/vinyljunkyard?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) Don't just plan for the next 12 months. It may take longer to see results, but it's never too late to start. Keep on branding. Nigel ### Logo must go here. Why? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/logo-must-go-here-why/ Last updated: 2025-10-12T17:44:18.000Z I’ve been advising a coach on their website. Just making a few suggestions about how to use colours, fonts and imagery to keep everything looking tidy, consistent and reflect their brand. I questioned the need for a logo. It was fairly obvious who the coach was (great profile pictures, strong colour, intriguing self-made images and engaging words). “Do we need the logo?” I pondered. “Maybe not.” We agreed. Unfortunately, the web developer (creating a template solution so businesses can easily create websites to promote their brand) had other ideas. I can imagine the thought process. “We’ll build in a small box that has to have the brand logo, that way everyone will know what the brand is. You can’t delete the box, as then people won’t know what your brand is.” The brand consultant (creating brands for businesses so they are well known for who they are, what they do and why they do it) had a different thought. “If you can create communications on any platform so that people know who you are and what you do instantly, without seeing your logo, then you’ve created a brand.” I love logos and I’ve created many over the years. They’re a valuable asset in the brand toolkit. I’m just not sure you always need to use one. Who is right? Do you always need a logo? ### The power of recall URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/the-power-of-recall/ Last updated: 2025-11-01T18:49:43.000Z There’s a difference between brand recognition and brand recall. Recognition is familiarity. Recall is memory that sticks, it’s when something clicks, and you can’t unsee it. Think of **FedEx** and the arrow hidden between the E and the x, or **NBC** and the peacock formed by its coloured feathers. You don’t notice them straight away, but once you do, they’re impossible to forget. That’s the power of recall. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/10/RECALL.jpg) When Debra Jones, founder of *Body Mind Business*, said she wanted a brand that “you can’t see at first, but once you see it, you can’t unsee it,” it was a clear creative challenge. We explored hundreds of sketches to find that balance, a symbol that worked as a butterfly but also revealed her initials, **BMB**. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/10/BMB_OPTIONS-1.jpg) It’s the kind of detail that rewards curiosity. You see it once, and it stays with you. That’s what great branding does, it lingers quietly in the mind. ### Read the full case study here [Change your worldTransforming the way people think, live and work with an identity that changes. Debra Jones, founder of Body Mind Business, helps people reclaim the way they work, think and live through a blend of coaching, creativity and what she calls “sexy systems.” As her business evolved, she needed a brand that could reflect its transformative nature, professional yet human, structured yet full of energy.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/358ef569-a475-483f-881e-94e762373554-26.jpg)Change your world![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/4aa78638-20f7-49f7-a221-2d2dd2d933c0-1.jpg)](https://untangleyourbrand.com/work/bodymindbusiness?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Invest in your brand URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/invest-in-your-brand/ Last updated: 2025-11-20T19:26:41.000Z Do you have an idea for a business? How important is brand to your idea? A few years ago, I met with an entrepreneur who had a great idea for a business and extensive experience in the sector. The idea; selling cars online without the need to go into a showroom and so avoid the pushy salesperson and the confusing pricing structure. As easy as ordering a pizza really. The issue; the working title for the business “iCar” was not suitable to take to market. I worked with them to develop a brand story that focused on the outcome of having a new car rather than the process of buying one. The story; “Pure joy of driving” was captured by an image of a dog, which led onto the creation of a more unique and relevant name; Rockar. This name along with a temporary identity was used to gain investment and engage stakeholders in the concept. The result; Rockar is now a recognised and award-winning leading authority in the car retail omni-channel space. They have partnered with Hyundai, Ford of Britain, Mitsubishi and are currently working with Jaguar. Do you have an idea for a business? Do you need investment to make it work? Maybe investing in brand can make your vision a reality. Read the full case study here [Click. Buy. Drive.Creating a name and brand identity to help secure investment for a new car retail platform. Rockar began as an idea to transform the car buying experience. The founders wanted to make purchasing a vehicle as simple as shopping online, replacing the pressure and complexity of traditional dealerships with a seamless, customer-led process. Before approaching investors, they needed a brand strong enough to bring that vision to life.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/358ef569-a475-483f-881e-94e762373554-30.jpg)Click. Buy. Drive.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/f71d19a7-f84e-4f99-8099-3900e66fb48d.jpg)](https://untangleyourbrand.com/work/rockar?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/10/ROCKAR_LI.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/11/ICAR_STORY-1.gif) [Is this a brand?The simplified story behind the iCar / Rockar rebrandICAR\_STORY.pdf418 KBdownload-circle](https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/content/files/2025/11/ICAR%5FSTORY.pdf "Download") ### Which came first? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/which-came-first/ Last updated: 2025-10-12T17:52:57.000Z Which came first; the chicken or the egg? A dilemma that has engaged both philosophers and scientists through the years. But the question ‘which comes first; the product or the brand?’, has been asked less often. If you have a great product then you may sell well, irrespective of the brand, to an audience that loves the product. If you don’t have a great product, consumers aren’t really like to buy and you will sell less. If you have a great brand then you may sell well, irrespective of the product, to an audience that loves the brand. If you don’t have a great brand, consumers aren’t likely to take notice of you and you will sell less. I’m neither a philosopher nor a scientist, but let’s ask the question again. **Question**; Which is more important; the product or the brand? **Answer**; The audience. Create products that the audience want and a brand that connects with them and they will love you, your product and your brand. Message me if you’ve already got a great product and want to create a great brand for your audience. ### Symbol for Ukraine URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/symbol-for-ukraine/ Last updated: 2025-10-13T10:36:42.000Z In March 2022, shortly after the invasion of Ukraine, Cooper Creative set a brief to create a symbol to show support for Ukraine. It went out to various creative agencies and designers. You can read the full story below, but what was crucial is that the additional insight about the visual reference to the letter Z, was only identified through the judging process, and the input from Ukrainian creatives. None of the entries went through and there’s a second competition with a new brief. Whilst I was pleased with my solution, clearly, the audience wouldn’t have been. Always ask the audience. And ask them early. ### Symbol for Ukraine ### **The brief** This is a simple call to action for the best design minds to create a symbol that’s more powerful than the ‘Z’, to unite us and peace loving Russians in support for the Ukraine, peace and human rights. The symbol should be simple enough to be used as a template so children can design their own version, and translated to various mediums such as graffiti, projection mapping or badges. **My solution** Z, the last letter in the alphabet, has become a symbol of terror. The symbol of the end of things. We can reverse this end game and go back to the start adopting the letter A. Create a new symbol that rejects the hierarchy of authority. “Anti-Anarchy”. A symbol that can be created by anyone, anywhere and transforms the intended meaning of the Z. **Feedback** The judging process was very tough and there was no clear winning symbol, as none of the symbols were considered to be both powerful enough to counter the Z, nor show clear support for Ukraine beyond use of the national colour scheme. Hence, we are re-opening the competition and re-briefing inline with important insights that emerged during the judging process. **Additional insight** One significant insight was that our Ukrainian judges explained that visual references to the Z are not well received in Ukraine, and so should not be included in the symbol - which we did not know at the outset. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/10/UKRAINE-1.gif) ### Get a life URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/get-a-life/ Last updated: 2025-10-13T13:00:17.000Z A year ago, I began to get to grips with the variety of apps and websites that help me in my work every day. I’ve finally got them working in a way that suit my needs. All integrated and with Trello at the centre keeping everything together (Louise Purvis, will be happy to see this, reach out for her for tips or [read her blog here](https://bsfva.co.uk/blog-2/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com)). There are lots of overlaps, but no one app seems to do everything, and perhaps that’s best. Focussing on the core purpose of the app has definitely reduced my overwhelm. Which apps do you find the most useful? Here are mine, starting from the top, working clockwise, as I nurture opportunities and projects into clients. **Insightly**; a CRM tool that is the starting point for new leads/opportunity tracking. **Todoist**; handy lists of things “to do” \[I use this least, preferring Post-It notes\]. **Notes**; the Apple version is brilliant for keeping quick ideas and links as I start to think about clients, particularly useful on the go. **Evernote**; Verbal reference; I scan all my meeting notes/Post-It notes and keep them with longer useful articles. **Pinterest**; Visual reference for the brands I’m working on. **Dropbox**; File storage for projects, proposals, so they’re accessible anywhere. **Xero**; financial management, if a lead makes it this far, they’re about to get an invoice!!!! **Trello**; at the heart of my app eco system. It is so useful for organising everything and the central point for linking all the others together. ### Ideas that stick URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/ideas-that-stick/ Last updated: 2025-11-01T18:57:02.000Z It doesn’t matter how you have ideas, or where you put them. Jotted in a notebook, scribbled on a napkin, or sketched on a post-it. The trick is to keep having them. You never know if the first idea is the best idea unless you keep pushing, think wider, think deeper, keep going. I’ve always used post-its. And a pencil. Always yellow. No colour coding, no fancy tools. They’re useful because you can shuffle them around, literally stick them to a wall and see what sticks. *Candidate Funnels* started on a post-it. Creating faces out of letters is always worth exploring, but I wasn’t expecting the smile to appear quite so quickly. One small curve, a roll of the pencil, and suddenly the C and F became a smile, and a wink. Sometimes the solution arrives faster than you expect. You just have to give it somewhere to land. ### Read the full case study here [People matter, not numbersA fresh approach to recruitment that makes candidates smile and feel valued. Candidate Funnels, founded by Helen Pritchard and Paul Green, set out to change how recruitment feels. Instead of treating candidates as numbers in a pipeline, they wanted a process that made people feel valued from the first click to the final call. Their goal was to bring warmth and humanity to automation, building a brand that reflected care as much as conversion.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/358ef569-a475-483f-881e-94e762373554-29.jpg)People matter, not numbers![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/f32a4040-82f4-4322-8a9a-2b456892df83.jpg)](https://untangleyourbrand.com/work/candidatefunnels?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Take some AIR URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/take-some-air/ Last updated: 2025-11-16T11:51:43.000Z I’ve been thinking about the subject of overwhelm recently and came up with this idea whilst chatting with my son. “Take some AIR”. **Acknowledge**; just recognising it’s happening makes a difference. **Identify**; the specific reasons, times or days when it occurs, look for the patterns. **Rectify**; sort out what you can but don’t attempt everything at the same time, prioritise a few things, don’t worry about the smaller things. There’s probably a lot more to think about, but it’s a start and at least the post-it-note is still on the kitchen wall. I love to “Take some AIR”, usually by going for a walk. Do you have some simple strategies? Please share. ### Thanks. Giving. Thanks. URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/thanks-giving-thanks/ Last updated: 2025-10-12T16:25:43.000Z Over the past 12 months I’ve met, collaborated, and worked with many fantastic businesses based in the US. I can’t name the corporate projects I’m working on (naming strategy and rebranding projects) or the people still considering working with me or wishing to network more in the future. But I would like to give thanks to three specific business owners I have worked with. [**Rachael Spiewak Digital Community Architect**](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6867026607895408640?updateEntityUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs%5FfeedUpdate%3A%28V2%2Curn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A6867026607895408640%29&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) Rachael has advised hundreds of people on how to make the most of their digital community. I joined her “Cool Kids Table” and I’m neither cool nor a kid. [Join Rachael's Masterclass](https://www.rockyourtribe.com/paidcommunity/?ref=31) [**Allison Davis**](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6867026607895408640?updateEntityUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs%5FfeedUpdate%3A%28V2%2Curn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A6867026607895408640%29&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) Learn how to attract clients, share your value and close more B2B sales with a system that's authentic and human, with Allison’s Mastermind. She delivers. The least salesy sales sell ever. [Join Allison's Mastermind](https://allison-davis.com/work-with-me/mastermind?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) [**Deborah Ager**](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6867026607895408640?updateEntityUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs%5FfeedUpdate%3A%28V2%2Curn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A6867026607895408640%29&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) Deborah has guided and supported me and is totally awesome and generous. Never again feel unsure what to say in your copy or worry that you’re not flashy enough to get eyeballs online. [Join Deborah's Mastermind](https://www.radiantmedialabs.com/storiesthatsell?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) Happy Thanksgiving to you and all your families, friends, partners, collaborators, networkers, sales leads, communities, coaches, clients, customers, contacts, followers. ### Are you ready for Black Friday? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/are-you-ready-for-black-friday/ Last updated: 2025-10-12T16:25:06.000Z Following the reveal of the John Lewis Christmas campaign, we'll soon be into sale season. Black Friday is weeks away (26 November) with many retailers start earlier. Scrummages in supermarkets to secure an over-sized, and under-priced, flat-screen TV have quickly become a pre-Christmas tradition. With demand so high for online goods, several retailers fail to deliver items afterwards. Everyone loves a bargain, but I think we’re getting it wrong. During sales, you rarely get what you actually want, just a cheaper version of something similar, that didn’t sell particularly well when it was at full price. Retailers do get a boost of income, but customers get passed off with inferior, or end of the range, products. Consumers only have so much money to spend. Brands should encourage us to be more thoughtful about how we spend our money, and in return, they will earn greater loyalty. Successful brands don't need to focus on price or rely on discounting. Customers will pay for quality products in exchange for exceptional service and a brilliant experience. Not in-store fighting, lost parcels and late deliveries. I use Apple products, watch a Sony TV, play records on a Technics turntable and wear Adidas trainers. All brands that are a firm part of my daily life. I’d be surprised to see them discounted. But I still buy new models, fashionable versions and collectable items. Buy stuff that you truly love. Buy products that are more desirable, more reliable and better made. They will become a lasting part of your life. Save up if you need to. Go without if you have to. But you will get better value in the long-term. If not, there will always be January Sales, Cyber Monday, Ruby Tuesday, Warehouse Wednesday and Throwing-it-away Thursday. ### Making plans for… URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/making-plans-for/ Last updated: 2025-11-16T12:54:16.000Z Never let it be said that the news can’t overhype a minor issue and make it sound like the world is teetering on the brink. We’ve had supply chain problems, fuel shortages, egg shortages, driver shortages… and now, apparently, a shortage of *Nigels*. Let me reassure you: this is not a crisis. There is no Nigel scarcity. No rationing required. No need to stockpile. I’m here, fully available, and operating at normal capacity. There’ll be plenty of me for Christmas, and absolutely no disruption to service. So yes, feel free to keep on making plans for Nigel. Sometimes the headlines write themselves. Sometimes they’re just asking for a response. And sometimes you just have to laugh and get on with your day. *From The Star, Tuesday 19 October, 2022* ### Equality for entrepreneurs URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/equality-for-entrepreneurs/ Last updated: 2025-11-12T20:01:36.000Z Some ideas don’t need to be invented. They just appear. When we began designing Txeya’s identity, the name had already been chosen. We didn’t plan the *E* to sit at the centre. It simply did. The middle letter — balanced on either side — became a natural symbol for what the brand stands for: equality for entrepreneurs. That symmetry was a gift. It turned design into meaning. By underlining the *E*, the mark revealed an equal sign, connecting purpose and platform in one gesture. Fairness made visible. Txeya is a digital business banking account, funding platform and community for diverse founders; women, Black, minority ethnic and LGBTQIA+. It helps entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses, while connecting investors who want to support inclusive, ESG-driven ventures. Our task was to bring that vision to life. To create an identity that felt credible to investors and inspiring to entrepreneurs. The balance of both worlds, equality in action, not just aspiration. Some brands work hard to find their symbol. Txeya already had it. Hidden in plain sight. ### Read the full Txeya case study here [Equality for entrepreneursIdentity for a financial platform committed to changing who gets funded and how.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/358ef569-a475-483f-881e-94e762373554-43.jpg)Equality for entrepreneurs![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/UYB_CASESTUDY_THUMB_1200px_640px_TXEYA.jpg)](https://untangleyourbrand.com/work/txeya?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### How do you keep on generating content? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/how-do-you-keep-on-generating-content/ Last updated: 2025-11-15T21:28:52.000Z When I signed up for Deborah Ager’s 5-Day Content Writing Sprint, I knew that visibility would be important to grow my business and that to gain visibility I needed content. But was unsure where to focus. This is a snapshot of what I learned. Content Converts Clients Creates **Content**. Everything I’ve written about is from my experience and what’s the point of marketing if that doesn’t lead to sales. **Converts**. As part of the process, I have better tools, messages and processes that ensure I can make the most of an opportunity. **Clients**. New customers have chosen to work with me as a direct result of this work. **Creates**. Working with clients is central to solving real issues which generates ideas for new content, that converts, new clients, creates new content…. I call it “Spiral growth”. The growth that is constantly feeding into your business. 0:00 /0:08 1× ### The Sales Rush URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/the-sales-rushexcitement-combined-with-an-element-of-uncertainty-and-risk-you-start-nervously-but-know-it-will-bring-you-satisfaction-and-warmth-followed-by-invigoration-its-exciting-it/ Last updated: 2025-10-13T15:28:38.000Z Excitement combined with an element of uncertainty and risk. You start nervously but know it will bring you satisfaction and warmth followed by invigoration. It’s exciting. It’s triumphant. You have the confidence to do anything. But… Remember to pause. Too much, too often can overwhelm. You’ll get muddled. You’ll lose track. No focus. Compose. Wait. Reflect. Then… Another shot. A lick of salt. Another slice of lime. Let’s do this. Together. In one ### This is real life URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/this-is-real-life/ Last updated: 2025-11-16T15:46:36.000Z A 10-minute walk in the autumn sun. Freshly brewed coffee. Casual conversations. Seeing the whites of people’s eyes again. The slightly awkward rhythm of handshakes, fist bumps and everything in between. Swapping business cards like it’s 2019. After so long behind screens, these small moments feel bigger than they should. They remind you that real connection doesn’t need an agenda. It just needs people in the same place, talking, listening, sharing what they’re working on and what they’re hoping for next. Thanks to Warren King, Corporate Photographer, and Paul Hughes, Designer, for organising this month’s #greenwichconnect. Always a good crowd, always a steady start to the day. Please continue the great work on sorting out the weather over the coming months. ### Unsung heroes; Alan Hawkshaw (musician) URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/unsung-heroes-alan-hawkshaw-musician/ Last updated: 2025-10-12T16:22:07.000Z What’s your favourite TV Theme tune? In a week dominated by the release of new music by Adele and Coldplay, it was both saddening but heartening to read about the recent death of Alan Hawkshaw. If you’ve never heard of him, I’m sure you’ve heard his music. And can hum along to many. As composer and session musician he was responsible for many TV Themes and ad jingles. The Night Rider (strings and trumpets) soundtracked the sinister gift-giver in Cadbury’s Milk Tray ads. Funky reggae-light played over cartoons of bangers and mash in a school canteen (Grange Hill). Ticking clock, pressure, jumbled letters, more ticking, ascending scales and a final gong (Countdown). His soul/funk single The Champ (itself influenced by the Tramp) was sampled by the legends of hip-hop (Afrika Bambaataa, Eric B and Rakim, Salt ’n’ Pepper, De La Soul). Jay Z was a fan. Like most of us working in the creative industry, he was simply getting on with his job. Day after day. And that effort is something I admire the most. [Listen to a playlist of classic TV Themes here](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0bAXQOYEXHE4AgnrClQ4ae?si=2039e1e4268d4b5d&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### GA-20; Does Hound Dog Taylor (2021) URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/ga-20-does-hound-dog-taylor-2021/ Last updated: 2025-10-12T17:30:02.000Z An album by a band I’d never heard of (GA-20, blues trio from Boston, named after the Gibson Amp) covering the works of an artist I’d never heard of either (Hound Dog Talyor, Chicago blues guitarist b.1915). I read the review (it referenced The Dirtbombs, a band I’d seen in Detroit in 2003 and Muddy Waters, I discovered Electric Mud more recently. It also mentioned The White Stripes). Affirmation is important. I liked the cover (graphic, colourful, intriguing image of a six-fingered hand – Hound Dog Taylor had a condition called polydactylism). Design is important. But I think it was the simple call to action of the subtitle “Try It…You Might Like It”. Maybe not the most marketing-savvy line, but like the blues riffs, played with an edge of funk on the record it, has a paired back honesty that reflects the music. Messaging is important. “Try It…You Might Like It”. [Listen to GA-20; Does Hound Dog Taylor](https://open.spotify.com/album/4d9H4axCobgD9iuMsP3XCj?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Unintentional parenting URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/unintentional-parenting/ Last updated: 2025-10-12T17:33:43.000Z I had many lovely birthday messages from friends and family recently. Thank you. But I thought I’d share this one from my son. I first met him when he was about to turn 11 years old. In four weeks, he’ll be 18\. Being an “Unintentional” parent isn’t the easiest of tasks, but recognition of the impact makes a big difference. And I don’t mind waiting a little longer for 12 crates of Guinness either. ### Squid; Bright Green Field (2021) URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/squid-bright-green-field-2021/ Last updated: 2025-10-12T17:36:32.000Z Sometimes it can be lame to describe how music sounds when it can be a very personal interpretation. But it helps. When Squid described their music to NME as being “the Coronation Street theme tune played on flutes by angry children” I was naturally curious. (They are also signed to Warp Records, another tick in the curiosity box). There’s an abundance of bands around labelled post-punk. Squid are one. Snapped Ankles, Dry Cleaning, Black Country New Road, Black Midi are others. There’s plenty more (but these are the albums that Rough Trade has sent me recently). All musically talented, experimental, creative. Great live. Surely everything since punk has been post-punk? The last time music changed everything; fashion, art and culture. So, what is it? Slightly shouty. Angular guitars. Random jazz. Krautrock staccato. Plonky electronics. Wire. Can. Neu. Fall. Bands I never listened to at the time (I was 10 years old). But I am catching up with the latest generation. [Listen to Squid; Bright Green Fields](https://open.spotify.com/album/4z44Wir05QzQYSCs0KwsKX?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Human League; Travelogue (1980) URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/human-league-travelogue-1980/ Last updated: 2025-10-14T08:24:53.000Z Next week I’m going to my first gig since lockdown. Heaven 17 performing the first two albums by The Human League; Reproduction and Travelogue. Originally planned for March 2020 to celebrate their 40th anniversary. I’ve waited 40 years to hear these songs live. What’s another year (or so). \[Quick recap; the early version of Human League; Ian Craig Marsh, Martyn Ware and Phil Oakey, released these before splitting to form Human League (Phil) and Heaven 17 (Ian and Martyn)\]. Before they split, Virgin records, requested something more commercial than the bleak electronica, insisting they used real musicians and backing vocals. But as Human League only made music from electronic instruments, they released the track “I Don’t Depend On You” as The Men. The single failed. Phil took the blueprint, met ‘the girls’, released Dare and changed pop forever. Ian and Craig took the industrial depiction of consumerism and released the seminal Penthouse and Pavement. It’s great to have a singular vision. But don’t be afraid to change direction if the music takes you. At least I won’t have long to wait for the 40th anniversary of Dare, that’s in a couple of months. [Listen to I Don’t Depend On You here (it’s as a bonus track on Travelogue)](https://open.spotify.com/track/1trycT3xCjTSskOVnf4CiS?si=0a487dbd685343ef&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) [Listen to the full Travelogue album here](https://open.spotify.com/album/3nRP83YnVmP4TTyEzieq2H?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Mind Blown URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/mind-blown/ Last updated: 2025-10-12T17:56:18.000Z I spend a lot of time thinking about client problems. Blank sheets of paper get filled with scribbles. I consider the audience. I soak up the world around me looking for inspiration. I develop the strategy. After a period of uncertainty, I experience a moment of clarity when an idea forms. I see it on the page. I know it’s the right answer. Afterall, I did all the thinking to create it. But wait. I still need to share it with the client. Will they like it? Will they understand it? Self-doubt creeps in. You wait for the client feedback. Maybe it’s not as good as I thought? Maybe it’s too simple? Then, the first words from the client; “Mind blown”. Do you experience self-doubt? Maybe it has a positive purpose. The moment before a reveal has an unpredictable excitement about it. No matter how many times you’ve performed successfully, a moment of reflection keeps you in check. It’s the reason I love creative challenges. I don’t know the answer. But I’ll work it out. ### A vision to keep all families safe URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/a-vision-to-keep-all-families-safe/ Last updated: 2025-11-08T19:16:42.000Z Do you have a clear vision for your business? Does your audience know what it is? Does your brand reflect it? Does it matter? The charity CAADA (Co-ordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse) had a clear vision; “We won’t stop until every family is safe”. But the name was hard to say, spell and remember. It was difficult for their audience to connect with them. I took them through the branding process and aligned their brand with their vision resulting in a new name [SafeLives](https://www.linkedin.com/company/safelives-uk/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) and new visual identity. Within months website visits quadrupled and the brand attributes were being reflected back to the organisation. That was five years ago. Their mission is more important than ever; support people to become safe, well and rebuild their lives. The process sounds simple, but the impact makes a massive difference. In this case with an audience that really matters. Insight; Audit, Workshop, Interviews Story; Brand blueprint, Naming, Strapline Engage; Visual identity, Guidelines, Video script and production Do you have a clear vision for your business? Does your brand reflect it? Are you connecting with your audience? Does it matter? ### See the full SafeLives case study here [Ending domestic abuseRepositioning a national charity to put family safety at the heart of its mission.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/358ef569-a475-483f-881e-94e762373554-34.jpg)Ending domestic abuse![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/UYB_CASESTUDY_THUMB_1200px_640px_SAFELIVES.jpg)](https://untangleyourbrand.com/work/safelives?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Read the Transform Awards entry here [Silver Winner; Transform Awards 2016SafeLives wins two awards at the Transform Awards Europe, 2016![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/favicon-1.ico)Blah, Blah, BlahNigel Davies![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/SAFE_LIVES_IMG_1562.JPG)](https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/silver-winner-transform-awards-2016/) ### Will monkeys create your brand name? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/will-monkeys-create-your-brand-name/ Last updated: 2025-10-12T18:10:40.000Z I love the challenge of a naming brief, just as I like a crossword or game of Scrabble, and I have created many successful names for businesses over the years. I created the new name for CAADA (Co-ordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse), a national charity supporting a strong multi-agency response to domestic abuse. Their existing name was difficult to say, spell and remember. To bring clarity to their new strategy, the relentless focus on family safety, we settled on the name – SafeLives. A more positive expression of their ambition. Recently I came across several online name generators and thought that I’d try them out with the CAADA brief. After inputting some keywords, an indication of the type of organisation they are and the values that they believe in, the site returned a list of over 5,000 suggestions for brand names, with the bonus that each was available for domain registration. The results were extensive, but clearly the process is flawed. Early results were practical; for example “Abuse Charity” but amongst some of the more extreme options (for this charity dedicated to ending domestic abuse) were; “Abuse Happy”, “Abuse Better”, "Do Abuse". Further down the list, the names became more troubling; “I Love Abuse”, “I Want Abuse”, even “OMG Domestic”, and the slightly more puzzling “Salmon Abuse”. I was still on page 1 of 50. Great names need to be distinctive and easy to say, they should also be appropriate (without being too generic). The name generator failed. Just like the [infinite monkey theorem](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinite%5Fmonkey%5Ftheorem?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com), name generators may eventually create a great brand name that can be easily registered, but I think I’ll give them a miss for now. As an alternative, here are my tips for online resources to help with naming challenges. www.dictionary.com (obviously) www.thesaurus.com (undoubtedly) www.findallwords.com (a simple word game site) www.latin-dictionary.net (or any language dictionaries) www.123-reg.co.uk (to check registration) [Read more about SafeLives here](https://www.pincreative.co.uk/projects/safelives/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Numb or dumb? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/numb-or-dumb/ Last updated: 2025-11-16T12:48:01.000Z We all mishear things. There’s even a word for it: a *mondegreen* — when a phrase takes on a new life because our ears decide to improvise. It usually happens with song lyrics, but last night it happened on the BBC. Laura Kuenssberg was reporting on the government’s decision to cut the foreign aid budget. Serious topic. Serious tone. But I’m convinced she said: “A spokesperson in **Dumb-ber 10**…” My ears didn’t mishear the politics, just the pronunciation. And it struck me how often miscommunication reveals the truth far more sharply than the official line. Brands do this all the time. We think we’re saying one thing, our audience hears something entirely different, and the meaning shifts. Sometimes it’s funny. Sometimes it’s catastrophic. Always, it’s a reminder. What you *say* is rarely what people *hear*. If you want clarity, you have to earn it, one word at a time. --- ### The not-so-super league URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/not-so-super-league/ Last updated: 2025-11-16T12:40:54.000Z Free “Pro Marketing Tip” for the multibillion-dollar owners of Europe’s biggest football clubs. Understand → Listen → Announce. Not the other way round. The Super League has collapsed in less than two days because the order was wrong. Fans, players and managers were treated as an afterthought. If you forget the people who give your brand its meaning, you don’t have a brand. You have a mess. Understand first. Listen to what people say. Announce when you know it won’t blow up in your face. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/11/ANNOUNCE-1.gif) ### Read the full article [European Super League: Premier League ‘big six’ sign up to competitionThe European Super League released a statement on Sunday night confirming the involvement of 12 clubs in the new competition which has been condemned by Uefa and the Premier League![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-512-3.png)The GuardianEd Aarons![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/1681.jpg)](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/apr/18/five-english-clubs-sign-up-to-european-super-league-report-says?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Travel time URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/travel-time/ Last updated: 2025-11-16T15:55:31.000Z Create those moments of peace before a presentation. Contemplate. Prepare. Wind down afterwards with a period of calm reflection. Absorb. Relax. Put aside the Zoom meeting fatigue. Avoid diary times clashing and smashing into each other. Rediscover travel time. ### South; From Here On In (2001, re 2021) URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/south-from-here-on-in-2001-re-2021/ Last updated: 2025-10-12T18:13:36.000Z For a while, every new band that came along with a slight swagger and a love of guitar music with 60’s vibe were labelled as the “Next Stone Roses”. The music industry would big these bands up (hoping to be the first to discover the holy grail of music). The public would give them a listen and respond. “Nah mate, they’re not The Stone Roses”. South probably fell into this category, which is unfortunate. This is a great debut. Originally released in 2001, now a limited repressing to mark the 20th anniversary. Musically it ticks all the boxes. Echoey vocals Jangly guitars Dreamlike hooks Crucially they were mentored by Ian Brown (Stone Roses) and James Lavelle (UNKLE), with the record originally being released on his Mo’Wax label. So, it sounds a bit like that and is all the better for it. Don’t be disappointed if a band aren’t the same as the band they’re influenced by or a lazy journalist has compared them to. Enjoy them for who they are. South grew up making music in the late 90s (a post Brit Pop world of Cut’n’paste Electronica). They weren’t called North. They didn’t come from Manchester. They’re called South. They came from London. [Listen to South, From Here On In on Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/6lph0kgcmyjZpNkirJXjZI?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Haircut at last URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/haircut-at-last/ Last updated: 2025-11-16T15:41:27.000Z Finally got a haircut. I genuinely can’t remember the last one, only that at some point during lockdown my hair stopped being a style and became more of a situation. I thought about doing it myself, like everyone else seemed to be doing, but common sense won. A professional was needed. Fifteen minutes in the chair and I felt lighter, fresher, almost recognisable again. Now it’s time to shave, tidy up the rest, and feel a bit more like myself. Small steps back to normal life. ### Heroic work URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/heroic-work/ Last updated: 2025-11-16T12:04:43.000Z This is my Grandfather (centre), photographed around 1950 on his way home from a shift. He was a coal miner, working literally at the coal face. He saved lives. He grafted. He carried the weight of a dangerous job so his family could move forward. I often think about that when I’m sat at my laptop, doing work that’s meaningful but hardly heroic. The contrast is stark. Different worlds. Different risks. But the same intention runs underneath it: doing something you care about, something that provides, something that shapes a life. I know he’d be proud that I chose a career I genuinely enjoy, rather than one that demanded a daily gamble. That feels like a quiet kind of inheritance. Not the work itself, but the commitment behind it. What did you inherit from the generations before you, without even realising? ### Lockdown life URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/lockdown-life/ Last updated: 2025-11-16T11:57:01.000Z It’s the end of lockdown. 16 weeks. 112 days. 2,688 hours. Like most people I’ve developed new routines. Some of which I now need to change. My evening routine broadly consisted of; **Guinness** (the sustenance of life, it’s good for you) **Newspapers** (reading about the events of the previous day) **Snacking** (Chilli Heatwave Doritos, jalapeño coleslaw, sour cream and chive dip) **BBC Ten O’clock News** (a preview of the papers I’d be reading the following day) **Comedy** (an episode each night to bring some levity, Taskmaster till I ran out of episodes, then IT Crowd) See you at The Vanbrugh soon or anywhere else once I’ve had my haircut. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/11/LOCKDOWN_LIFE-1.jpg) ### The sales process URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/the-sales-process/ Last updated: 2025-11-16T11:47:19.000Z In a world of; pipelines, funnels, welcome sequences, organic reach, paid advertising, chemistry meetings, conversation rates, qualifying, follow up. Pitch, proposal, outlines, scope of work, quotes. Hot leads. Warm leads. Cold leads. Ghosted leads. With acronyms I know and many I don’t; CRM, PPC, SEO, CLV, MRR, CAC. There’s so much in the sales process that we may miss the best part. For me, it’s a simple action when an “Opportunity” is moved from a “Lead” into a “Client”. What’s the best feeling you get in your work? 0:00 /0:16 1× ### It's a new dawn, it's a new day URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/its-a-new-dawn-its-a-new-day/ Last updated: 2025-10-12T18:16:13.000Z Nina Simone never wrote about business, but for me April 1st is not associated with fools, but the start of a new business year. My year end is 31st March. The end of one year and the start of a new one is always a time to reflect and plan. This year more than ever. Last year has been tough for many. As an independent it’s been a difficult two years, since a major health event in 2018. I have so much to be grateful for and so many to thank. Anyone who’s commissioned me, liked, commented, shared, connected, invited and interacted with me remotely. Just knowing that people are engaging makes a positive impact. The silent observers, I know you’re supporting. Thank you. Specifically, though I have to thank; [Helen Pritchard](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ACoAAAQniGcBJ-DG5aPIJyIizCOj2QjlRYANwQs?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) for introducing me to a style of marketing I didn’t know much about [Rachel Barham](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ACoAAAP8TqsBed3G2v5BnIxvwauZLUmm0CVMets?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) and the FSB for providing a platform for local businesses to feel connected and supported [Deborah Dawton](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ACoAAAA2YmQBQdXP%5F5qaYlINT-FcgqeXRANZooo?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) and the DBA for making all design agencies feeling valued irrespective of size, experience and location (and encouraging me to review records) [Deborah Ager](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ACoAAAEAmeUB8dHWUQCU2-ts4nMT20hJqllKTAs?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) for developing my skills, building my confidence and generally cheering along the way. As for the future, well Nina nailed that. Birds flying high. Sun in the sky. I’m feeling good. ### Kings of Leon; Only By The Night (2008) URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/kings-of-leon-only-by-the-night-2008/ Last updated: 2025-10-12T18:18:44.000Z My last post ended with the lyric “Double-pack with a photograph. Extra track and a tacky badge.” Since then, Kings of Leon (the Nashville based rock band) have released their new album; When You See Yourself. Available on a myriad of formats, what is unusual is the decision to release a version as a non-fungible token (NFT). Only 6 are being issued, to be auctioned for lifetime access to gigs. An NFT is a sort of cryptocurrency allowing the creation of unique digital properties, which are then traded. They’re big with collectable cards (a cat meme sold for $600,000). Bands were only really making money from gigs (until recently). There’s been a trend for bundles with tee-shirts, a cassette version or tote bag and multi-format releases are an old trick (different colours, shapes, mixes). Ultimately the best way to “shift units” has to be the music. I can’t remember much about this album, but I’m sure everyone knows the lead single. “Sex On Fire” was a massive global hit, number one in the UK and many other countries, it established the band’s indie pop credentials. I bought the 7”, for £5 now valued at £20\. A decent investment. ### Why would you ask a brand consultant to design a book cover? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/why-would-you-ask-a-brand-consultant-to-design-a-book-cover/ Last updated: 2026-03-27T17:50:00.000Z It’s world book day, so what better book to share than Why Men Win At Work by Gill Whitty-Collins (with a cover I designed!). It’s also the book of the month at @BOOKSetc for March 2021. Why did author Gill Whitty-Collins ask a brand consultant to create the cover for her book? Because it’s an important message that really needs to connect with the audience. And in this case, the audience is ‘everyone’. Find out more about Gill Whitty-Collins and buy a copy of the book below. [Why Men Win At Work](https://gillwhittycollins.com/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2026/03/WHY_STORY-1.gif) [Download the presentation for Why Men Win At Work cover designWHY\_STORY.pdf348 KBdownload-circle](https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/content/files/2026/03/WHY%5FSTORY.pdf "Download") ### The Smiths, The Smiths (1984) URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/the-smiths-the-smiths-1984/ Last updated: 2025-10-12T18:23:52.000Z This week an ad caught my eye. “No record collection is complete without the classics. Shop essentials”; Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd and The Smiths. “Every record collection is complete, if they’re records you bought, loved and kept” was my comment, a sentiment echoed by most people. I’ve never owned Rumours, I own The Wall not (Darks Side of the Moon) and today the same company (Dig, owned by WEA who bought The Smiths back catalogue) suggested The Smiths debut. I have all their records. I didn’t buy them all on release, but I have every Rough Trade 7” single. My favourite “This Charming Man” was not included on the UK version of The Smiths (but included on the US and digital versions). It’s definitely not ‘essential’ to this album. It gets in the way. Who decides what is essential? Adding plastic daffodils to a beautifully cultivated garden isn’t essential. But the curation over time and the additions you choose make it your collection. The Smiths was released 37 years ago this week. I won’t be buying the 40th Anniversary version in a few years (unless it’s a “Double-pack with a photograph. Extra track and a tacky badge”). ### Love your brand URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/love-your-brand/ Last updated: 2025-10-13T15:27:40.000Z Love your brand. It’s your brand. It’s not my brand. It’s not a research company’s brand. It’s not a strategic consultant’s brand. It’s not an agency’s brand. It’s your brand. Love your brand. The way you love people. The way that people love you. That’s how you create a brand. Love your customers. Your customers will love you. They will love your brand. You will love your brand. ### Black Country New Road; For the first time (2021) URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/black-country-new-road-for-the-first-time-2021/ Last updated: 2025-10-12T16:21:25.000Z What’s the ideal length for an album? As artists continue to game Spotify by releasing Super-Deluxe extended versions, it’s reassuring to discover that the debut album by London based “Black Country, New Road” clocks in at a reassuring 40 minutes. 6 tracks, definitely no filler. Widely described as avant-garde musically, the post-punk, angular guitar, jazz fusion is for anyone missing the happier times of Kid A period Radiohead or have similarly dreamed about a lounge jazz version of The Fall. The fewer, but longer tracks, enables the music to build in-depth and texture and the slight ramblings quickly develop into compelling narratives of anger and defiance. Part of the British “sprechgesang” genre (lazy spoken-word delivery), Pitchfork likens Isaac Woods’ lyrics to “chronicles of youthful arrogance and sexual dysfunction, like Nick Cave if he read Twitter instead of the Bible”. So, what is the ideal length for an album? Other debuts Jam; In The City (11tk, 32:02) Beatles; Please, Please Me (14tk, 32:16) Rolling Stones; The Rolling Stones (10tk, 33:24) New Order; Movement (8tk, 35:20) Sex Pistols; Never Mind the Bollocks (11tk, 38:44) [Listen to Black Country, New Road on Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/2PfgptDcfJTFtoZIS3AukX?si=t9-t4BbDS%5FKsYWKqpTOqog&ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Hello, my name is David Attenborough URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/hello-my-name-is-david-attenborough/ Last updated: 2026-01-20T20:33:29.000Z “Hello, my name is David Attenborough and I've been appearing on radio and television for the past 60 years.” Now, of course, I am not David Attenborough. Everyone knows who David Attenborough is, which is why it took him less than five hours to reach one million followers on Instagram. But he still introduced himself to the world. This made me think. Last week I asked for feedback on my website and it was pointed out by Deborah Ager that I had not introduced myself. I had never noticed this before. So let us try again. “Hello, I’m Nigel Davies, an independent brand consultant. I combine my experience in strategy, creativity and business by connecting ideas to help you untangle brand problems, gain clarity and manage your brand as it evolves.” OK, so I may not reach one million followers anytime soon. Branding might not be the solution for a world that is in trouble. But it is never too late to learn from the great Sir David Attenborough, and I have added an About page. Since writing this in 2020 the About page has been updated, the photo is from the same shoot. [About meI combine my experience in strategy, creativity and business to help brands gain greater clarity for their audiences.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/358ef569-a475-483f-881e-94e762373554-56.jpg)About me![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/b467cc58-9f9f-4a56-9cb0-d16a59f76a44.jpg)](https://untangleyourbrand.com/about?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Prince Charming URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/prince-charming/ Last updated: 2026-01-20T20:38:38.000Z Have you ever met your childhood hero? What did you say? I met Adam Ant six years ago, initially walking straight past him. “That person looks like Adam Ant,” I thought. I called out “Adam” and he stopped. “I’ve been a massive fan since I was ten years old,” I blurted out. “Thank you.” He is very polite. “I’m so pleased everything is going well for you now and I can’t wait for the gig later.” I asked for a selfie. He agreed. Then off we went. We both look happy in the picture. A few years earlier I saw him at a gig where he wore a tracksuit and fell off the stage repeatedly. Adam has had well documented mental health challenges; living with bipolar disorder since his twenties, arrested for wielding a gun in a pub, and sectioned for a time under the Mental Health Act. I like to think that simply saying “you’re doing good” made a difference. My own mental health suffered for a while after I spent nearly a month in an ICU. I did not realise I had PTSD until I spoke to someone. Even small acknowledgements of “doing a good job” make a positive difference for me now. But don’t wait to meet your childhood hero. On World Mental Health Day, say “good job” to someone you know, even if you are not worried about their mental health. It will make a huge difference. ### Going back to school URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/going-back-to-school/ Last updated: 2025-10-12T16:15:17.000Z I decided to go back to school and enrolled for a History of Art A Level, via distance learning experts The National Extension College (NEC). It’s not a decision I’ve made because I suddenly have more time on my hands and experiencing lock-down boredom. It’s a decision I made a while ago, so I’m sticking to my plan and have signed up. ### So why have I enrolled? Full disclosure, it’s not because I've worked with NEC. I always tell clients to understand the full customer journey; experience the product from a customer’s point of view. I’ll be documenting the process as well as following the process. Partaking in a taste challenge might be easier than a 300 hour commitment, over a fourteen month period, but the client can also learn from my experience. It’s not about the grades. I did History of Art at A Level 32 years ago (although I admit I’m hoping I do better than the Grade D if I do take the exam again). ### N for Nurture The ‘N’ of PIN stands for ‘nurture’. Continual learning is something that I have always been interested in, but I don’t feel I’ve made the most out of opportunities to expand my learning since starting my professional career, although I have learnt a lot throughout. I’m interested in how learning and education has changed. At the time we studied in a dimly lit lecture room with creaky slide carousels. There were no computers to write assignments, no internet to explore the wider world. Of course, we did field trips to museums, travelled to galleries across Europe, watched old programmes on video, but the ability to visit virtual galleries, watch and read content from past and current experts online and to engage, share and learn through an online community will provide additional depth and perspective to my learning. ### The value of 'creative currency' One aspect that particularly interests me is the ‘critical analysis’ required to appreciate and understand the visual world. Much of the learning through studying History of Art has stayed with me through my career at a subconscious level. I am excited about the opportunity to develop these skills using the new tools offered by experiencing the course again. The adage that “Everyone’s a critic” has more recently transformed into “Everyone’s a creator”, increasing the need to contribute and discuss creative output in a more meaningful way. History of Art was fascinating to study before and I look forward to jumping back in and exploring the subject from a new perspective. ### Blues Licks in A URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/blues-licks-in-a/ Last updated: 2026-01-20T20:44:39.000Z I never learned how to read music and often wonder if it is too late. I was working on a brand for a music education organisation when I offered to learn the piano and take an exam to gain more insight into the business. It was suggested that I might be a little old and would find it too difficult, so I did not. I have now started guitar lessons with Lucas Cook, who is unleashing my inner Muddy Waters. I can already play, but I still want to be able to read music and play the blues. While the blues is free flowing and often improvised, there are still basics you need to understand. I have been given a few blues licks that work well with Hoochie Coochie Man. Guitar tabs are simpler, but the numbers and marks scramble my mind as I work out which finger, string and fret to play next. I am not giving up this time. Already I feel more confident. My fingers fall into place more naturally, I know where to go next and I am becoming better at bends, slides, hammer ons and hammer offs. It will not be long before I am sat on my porch, drinking and reflecting on my life. I just need to get the porch built, although I am not very good at carpentry and do not intend to learn. Which new skill do you wish you had learned years ago? ### Class of '78 URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/class-of-78/ Last updated: 2025-11-20T20:02:14.000Z I don’t really remember getting my O Level results. It was probably via phone. I remember failing French by two marks, getting an A in Greek History, and passing everything else with Bs and Cs. Today my son received his GCSE grades, and I think he’ll remember them far more clearly. From the stress of mocks to school closures, home-schooling, teacher predictions, algorithm disasters and last-minute U-turns, he ran home elated. I’m proud of what he’s achieved and relieved he has more than enough points for Sixth Form (he needed 52 from his top eight subjects). What happens next matters more, and at least he has two years before the next results day. Don’t call them the “Covid kids”, why attach a negative label? Don’t complain about “grade inflation”. You might as well start with “It was tougher back in my day…” Any student who sat any exam and got any result earned top marks for resilience. I’m not sure that was part of our syllabus. I think I’ll refer to my son’s success as the “Class of 78”. Sounds quite cool. ### Insight. Story. Engage. URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/insight-story-engage/ Last updated: 2025-11-20T19:55:02.000Z How do you create a brand? It can take years to create a brand or you can be a success overnight. But how you do it is principally the same. A brand requires an emotional connection with the audience. **Discover the right insight** Look at what you’ve done in the past and what you want to do in the future. Check out competitors and peers to understand what they say and how they look. Ask questions, speak with employees, interview key people. Just immerse yourself. **Define a clear story** A successful brand model (I use a doughnut) is created in collaboration with clients using workshops to explore ideas and test thinking. It’s a summary for the brand story, refining thoughts from research and insight. **Deliver brilliant engagement** A brand model is the glue that creates an emotional connection with your audience and the starting point for all creative work, naming, messaging and communications. It will inform all brand development activities including your identity elements (logos, colours, typography and imagery). People will notice you and understand you better. Don’t spend years creating your brand. Spend years connecting with an audience that understands your brand. ### Great Chefs URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/great-chefs/ Last updated: 2025-11-20T13:08:41.000Z I've never worked in a kitchen, but I have worked with some of the greatest chefs. A great chef is someone who takes time to train you to be better at your job, more than just the basics of the craft. They inspire you to become a great chef yourself. Here are my great chefs; [Lynne Trickett, founder Trickett & Webb](https://studiographica.org/archive/trickett-webb?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) The Mary Berry of Graphic Design Mary Berry isn’t really a chef, but Lynne isn’t just a graphic designer either. My first job as a junior taught me to connect ideas to the needs of clients. [Pierre Vermier, founder HGV](https://studiographica.org/archive/hgv?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) The Raymond Blanc of Belgium Pierre won’t like being compared to a Frenchman, he’s Belgian. But they share the same attention to detail and passion for perfection. I jumped from junior to senior in 6 months. [David Pearce, founder Tatham Pearce](http://www.tathampearce.co.uk/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) The Albert Henri Roux of Barnes It’s more than just their shared love of fishing that makes David a great chef. He taught me about business and put me in a management position influencing the company direction. [Aziz Cami, founder The Partners](https://www.designbridge.com/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) \[now Design Bridge and Partners\] The Gordon Ramsey of branding Aziz always told it like it was. Which is why he led the most awarded creative design business ever. Best advice he gave me? “Never show a f\*\*king business card visual”. Who were the great chefs in your career? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/11/CHEFS-1.jpg) ### Why ask a brand consultant? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/why-ask-a-brand-consultant/ Last updated: 2025-11-20T19:46:18.000Z Just over a year ago, Gill Whitty-Collins asked me to create the cover for her book, #WhyMenWinAtWork. Why work with a brand consultant on a book? Because the message matters. Gender inequality in the workplace needs to connect with its audience. And in this case, the audience is everyone. A year on, after an incredible amount of work, the book is getting the recognition it deserves and is now Book of the Month at Books Etc. Support Gill’s mission and keep the conversation about workplace inequality moving forward. [Buy the book on Amazon](https://amzn.eu/d/4EPxCjO?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/11/WHY_STORY-1.gif) [Why ask a brand consultant to design a book cover?A simple strategy behind the design workWHY\_STORY.pdf348 KBdownload-circle](https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/content/files/2025/11/WHY%5FSTORY.pdf "Download") ### Read more about the importance of memorable ideas here [See it. Remember it.Why hidden ideas stick in our minds and make design more memorable.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/favicon-6.ico)Blah, Blah, BlahNigel Davies![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/WMWAW_SOCIAL-1.jpg)](https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/see-it-remember-it/) ### Values cake URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/values-cake/ Last updated: 2025-11-20T19:33:10.000Z My son asked me what it takes to be successful in his future career. He currently wants to be an investment banker. Fortunately, one of my friends already is one. Unfortunately, I’m not. He gave me five tips, and we tried them out together. **Intelligence**; he’s on track and will do well in his GCSEs. **Rapport**; he makes friends easily, maybe too many. **Hunger**; he ate half this cake and genuinely asked, “what does it take to be an investment banker?” **Willing**; sometimes, not always, but he is a teenager living through a lockdown summer. **Accountability**; needs a little work, although he admitted that himself, which probably makes him more accountable than he thinks. So it looks like he might be able to have his cake and eat it… if he remembers to keep the post-it note. ### Just a 16 year old kid URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/just-a-16-year-old-kid/ Last updated: 2025-11-20T12:19:53.000Z When I was 16, I could draw a bit. I liked maths. I hated physics. I played the guitar badly. And I spent most of my time making posters for gigs and school plays without realising I was doing early marketing. Adults kept telling me it wouldn’t lead to a “proper job”. Looking back, the clues were already there. The things you do because you can’t help yourself often become the foundations of the work you end up loving. What did you have to overcome as a teenager to get to where you are now? The picture is of me aged about 16 with my O Level art exhibition, looking grumpy having recently discovered The Smiths. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/11/O_LEVEL_EXTENDED.jpg) ### See it. Remember it. URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/see-it-remember-it/ Last updated: 2025-11-20T19:46:47.000Z There have been so many positive comments about the cover for [Gill Whitty-Collins’](https://gillwhittycollins.com/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) book. As Stan Lee never quite said, “With great words comes great responsibility”, so it’s great to hear that the cover design is engaging people with gender equality in the workplace. Some people don’t see the ladders. That’s OK, you’ve seen the message and that’s important. When you do see the ladders there’s a deeper connection with the subject. How many ads have you seen where your response is, “I don’t get it?” Or brands with ordinary looking logos? Then something clicks with an “ahaaa” moment. In communication, we call this recall. When you see a hidden idea and decode it, you remember it better. That’s because your brain has been working. You feel rewarded. You like to tell people. The arrow in FedEx. The bear in the Toblerone mountain. The number 31 in Baskin Robbins (a flavour for every day of the month). Once seen you’ll never forget. You will recognise the cover again and again (important message, big type, suffragette purple) but you will recall the ladders. You might even tell people about the difficult ladders you have faced or overcome in your career. And you might remember to buy the book. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/11/WMWAW_EXTENDED_LAND.jpg) ### Read more about the strategy and the design behind this project [Why ask a brand consultant?Why the message behind a book on workplace inequality needed a brand.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/favicon-5.ico)Blah, Blah, BlahNigel Davies![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/WHY_IDEAS_EXTEND.jpg)](https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/why-ask-a-brand-consultant/) ### Dropping the Dixie URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/dropping-the-dixie/ Last updated: 2025-11-18T12:04:10.000Z News that country trio The Dixie Chicks have recently changed their name hasn’t made headline branding news. They’ve dropped “Dixie”, a reference to the widely used confederate term for the Southern US states, and are now called “The Chicks”. Is it any better? Will they still be referred to by most people as “The Chicks, formerly The Dixie Chicks”? Will people forget? Were they wrong in the first place? Does it matter? It got me thinking about how businesses and brands address a difficult past to tell a new story. Uncle Ben’s and others are reviewing their brand and image, but I’m sure they won’t just drop “Uncle” from the name and become “Ben’s”, even if they change the brand image. The association and heritage built up over the years will still be there. So, what would you do? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/11/BENS_RICE.jpg) ### Read the full article in the New York Times ### Huey Freeman for sale URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/huey-freeman-for-sale/ Last updated: 2025-11-18T11:06:53.000Z My son, Kiyan sees the world clearly. He’s 16, thoughtful, and angry in the right way. When he saw the racial injustice dominating the headlines, he didn’t go online to argue. He picked up a brush. He painted [Huey Freeman from *The Boondocks*](https://boondocks.fandom.com/wiki/Huey%5FFreeman?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com), a character who has always challenged authority and spoken truth to power. Then he put the portrait on eBay, opened bidding at £15, and decided every penny will go to Black Lives Matter. What I love is how he framed it. Black culture isn’t something distant or niche. It shapes music, language, art, sport, humour, style. It influences almost every part of daily life. He wanted people to see that. To feel it. To support it. It’s a small act, but it’s his act. A choice to do something instead of nothing. ### Telegram to my wife URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/telegram-to-my-wife/ Last updated: 2025-11-18T11:52:47.000Z During lockdown, I sent my wife a telegram. From Paris. I wasn’t in Paris and we are speaking. We’re in the same house and she’s in the next room bashing away at her keyboard day after day. So why did I send it? The telegram was a gift from “[L’Officine Universelle Buly](https://buly1803.com/fr-gb?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com)”, a French brand famous for creams, balms and lotions. For a small fee, they would handwrite a message of your choice and send it anywhere in the world. I knew this would delight my wife. She loves the brand. Beautifully packaged, amazing products and wonderful language. When Buly gave away soap (donating proceeds to charities) they spoke with “victorious optimism” not instructing us to sing happy birthday twice. To All Humans. Scrub. Rinse. Vanquish. Long Live The World. There was no product with the telegram, just a faint lingering scent. Every brand message and communication should create the same connection with the audience. I’ve never worked with a luxury soap brand, but I apply the same logic ‘of delight’ to all my clients; courier companies, bedding retailers or digital radio platforms. A brand is more than what it says but a telegram from Paris seemed like a good way to say something to my wife. I can’t tell you what it says, that’s between myself, my wife and the calligrapher. ### My life story URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/my-life-story/ Last updated: 2025-11-18T11:24:04.000Z In video meetings, people notice my shelves. I started buying records when I was 10; Adam & The Ants, Human League, Frankie Goes To Hollywood. In my teens; Smiths, Cure, New Order. At college my collection grew; Stone Roses, De La Soul, Happy Mondays. And now? I have over 6,000 and my wife worries she’ll be buried beneath vinyl. My tastes are broader and I DJ weekly; Rock'n'Roll'n'Pop'n'Soul'n'Punk'n'Funk, ElectroIndieDiscoSka. Conversations quickly shift from branding to music. “Are they records behind you?” “Yes, do you like music?” “Oh, I love music, do you have any Madonna? I don’t get Jazz. How do you find anything?” But actually, they’re the same conversation Here’s why There’s a story; life through records There’s a vision; listening in a big chair when older There’s a system; the collection takes organising What about your brand? Are customers confused by your offer? Is it difficult bringing new products to market? Do you wish it was more organised? If you answer ‘Yes’, ‘Definitely’ or ‘Maybe’ then I can help I combine my experience in strategy, creativity and business by connecting ideas to help businesses sort out brand architecture and create greater clarity. Message me to chat about branding or music or both ### Vocal warm-up URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/vocal-warm-up/ Last updated: 2025-11-18T11:12:47.000Z TaTiTeToTu Say it fast. Faster. Several times. Now double what you say; “TaTaTiTiTeTeToToTuTu”. Say it again faster. Several more times. Triple it. Quadruple it. Say it as fast as you can. Now stop. You have engaged the muscles of the larynx and warmed them up. You’re ready to present with increased resonance to your voice. You’ll smash it. Thanks to [Jane Quinn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jane-quinn-aram-278324193/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) (public speaking consultant) for this tip plus many others during the “Practice your pitch session” this week. Jane has an abundance of knowledge about the technical and practical issues of making yourself clearer whilst presenting. Look out for her next free group session. My tip; do all of the above before unmuting your video and audio. ### Auto harp writing URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/auto-harp/ Last updated: 2025-11-18T10:48:42.000Z Auto-writing while a harpist plays live was not something I ever expected to do, but it worked. One simple prompt, a few bars of music, and we were off. No stopping. No editing. Just writing whatever surfaced in the moment. The harp changed everything. It slowed the pace, softened the room and made the words arrive in a way they never do when you’re staring at a keyboard trying to be productive. I had to stop myself drifting off and thinking about Guinness, but that’s fairly standard. A small shift in atmosphere can open up a completely different kind of creativity. Below is my writing created whilst listening to the piece Interlude by Benjamin Britten (link below). The writing cue was “I don’t want to write”. --- ### I don't want to write I don’t want to write…about what’s going on in the UK, in the US, in Brazil, in the world, in outer space. No one listens. No one reads. No one learns. No one hears. Repeat it. Shout it. Show it. Stream it. Scream it. Post it. Ghost it. Forget you’ve seen it. You haven’t. I didn’t write about it. You saw it. You didn’t like it. You wouldn’t have read it. You wouldn’t share it. You wouldn’t understand it. You wouldn’t like it. That’s why I’m not writing about it. I’ll shout about it instead. And then you’ll listen. When it’s all gone quiet and it’s too late. No writing. No words. No comment. --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/11/IDONTWANTTOWRITE.jpg) ### Takeways from research URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/takeways-from-research/ Last updated: 2025-11-16T20:34:15.000Z There are so many places to find insight if you know where to look. Three of the most useful are often hiding in plain sight. [answerthepublic.com](https://answerthepublic.com/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) shows you the questions real people are asking. [trends.google.com](https://trends.google.com/trends/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) shows you what’s rising and falling in interest. [yougov.com](https://yougov.co.uk/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) shows you attitudes, behaviour and audience profiles. None of them replace proper research, but they’re a quick way to understand what people care about and how language is shifting. Ideal when you’re planning content or trying to see the world through your audience’s eyes. [Search listening tool for market, customer & content research - AnswerThePublicUse our free tool to get instant, raw search insights, direct from the minds of your customers. Upgrade to a paid plan to monitor for new ways that people talk & ask questions about your brand, product or topic.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)AnswerThePublic![](https://answerthepublic.com/assets/home_logo_atp-77f3de5ca56071f1437589b3676946598dab682099f1e75442d9037f4e5915fd.svg)](https://answerthepublic.com/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) [Google Trends![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/favicon-3.ico)Trends![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/googleg_standard_clr_16px.svg)](https://trends.google.com/trends/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) [YouGov /Research RealityYouGov is a global public opinion and data company. Explore what the world thinks, discover our solutions, and join our community to share your opinion.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/favicon-4.ico)logoDan Hagen Global Chief Data & Technology Officer, Havas Media Network London![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/LinkedIn_Thumbnail.max-800x600.jpg)](https://yougov.co.uk/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Confusing messages cost lives URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/confusing-messages-cost-lives/ Last updated: 2025-11-16T20:24:56.000Z Clear guidance is hard enough to follow. Changing it every other day is impossible. One minute it is “stay at home”, then suddenly “go to work”, then “work from home”, then “stay alert”. No wonder people get confused. The mixed messages aren't just unclear, they shifted so often that nobody knows which version was meant to apply. It’s a reminder that when the message changes too frequently, confidence disappears. Consistency matters. Especially when the stakes are high. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/11/CARELESS-1.jpg) ### Back to the "New normal" URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/back-to-the-new-normal/ Last updated: 2025-11-16T20:15:08.000Z Should we stop saying the “New Normal” when we actually mean the “Future”? The phrase has been everywhere. Headlines, Zoom calls, corporate emails. It became the catch-all term for a moment when nobody really knew what was coming next. But at some point the language stopped helping. It felt vague, temporary, and slightly apologetic. We are not going “back” to anything. Life moves forward. Work moves forward. Brands move forward. The future is still the future, even if it looks different to the one we expected. Maybe it is time to retire the phrase and talk plainly about what comes next. ### Braground URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/braground/ Last updated: 2025-11-16T20:10:04.000Z “Braground”: the background you use during Zoom calls to show off. A new word I learned during my presentation to Point 6 yesterday. I’ve had the same braground for about 10 years now, but it took a pandemic and a dozen Zoom calls a day to realise it. I never thought much about it until people started commenting, asking questions, spotting albums, and telling me theirs had been cleared moments before the meeting. Thanks to Ally Forsyth-Spark and the rest of the team for introducing me to the term. Great to meet you all. Now the real question… should it be spelled with one G or two? ### Ink to think URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/ink-to-think/ Last updated: 2025-11-16T20:03:22.000Z Great workshop from the [Scriberia](https://www.linkedin.com/company/scriberia/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) team on how to "Use Ink To Think"; communicate essential information easily and quickly. Here's my 30 second drawing of a person from history using their 'brick figure' and 'drawing alphabet' techniques. Who is it? I would definitely recommend anyone joining in on the next one. ### The C-word URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/the-c-word/ Last updated: 2025-11-16T19:58:21.000Z No, the Queen didn’t drop the C-Bomb. You wouldn’t expect her to. But full marks for speaking to the nation with a difficult message at a difficult time. What impressed me was how she handled it. Clear. Calm. Human. She said everything she needed to say without using the one word everyone was tense about. I didn’t even notice until afterwards. A good reminder that you don’t always have to name the thing to address it. Sometimes the tone carries more weight than the vocabulary. ### Read the original article on The Guardian [‘We will meet again’: Queen urges Britons to stay strongIn a special broadcast, the monarch said we will overcome the coronavirus crisis if we ‘remain united and resolute’![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-512-4.png)The GuardianCaroline Davies![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/1799..jpg)](https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/05/queen-urges-britons-stay-strong-coronavirus-covid-lockdown?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Resilience URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/resilience/ Last updated: 2025-11-16T15:56:09.000Z Before recent world events changed everything, I was going to write about resilience and my personal experience. I parked it, thinking there wasn’t enough bandwidth. 18 months ago, my world changed. I had a cardiac arrest (no oxygen/blood to my brain and heart for 27 mins). I was put into an induced coma at KCH. I’d never seen an ICU until the recent news, not seen the number of staff required or the 24hr individual care. After 3 weeks, I awoke. I had no recall. No memory of my near-death experience, uncertain about my future. Working with a coach (prioritising; health, life, work) I got back on track. Now the world has changed, again. I follow news of the social/economic impact and can sense the overwhelming uncertainty. It’s how I felt when I woke up. It hadn’t been part of my plan. Resilience (recover quickly from difficulties) is the solution to surviving the virus; not a cure. We’ll all respond differently. But we can identify; our expertise, what we enjoy and what we can control. For me it’s work. It gives me intellectual stimulus, routine and human connection that I thrive on. Experts will write more about resilience, but if you have been helped by me doing so now, then it was worth posting and not waiting until the world changes again. Which it will. ### Silver Winner; Transform Awards 2019 URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/silver-winner-transform-awards/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T11:49:35.000Z # ### Silver Award; Best brand consolidation ### Commendation; Best visual identity from the telecommunications sector ### The Transform Awards Europe award excellence in rebranding and brand strategy. The awards recognise best practice in corporate, product and global brand development work in the region, with categories that focus on content, execution, evaluation and strategy. Radioplayer is a non-profit partnership between the BBC and UK commercial radio with a vision to keep radio simple on every device, everywhere. It is unique in that it focuses on digital radio stations for a specific country, rather than access to all stations across the world which is only of interest to a tiny minority of radio enthusiasts. As analogue radio is being switched off across many territories, digital radio is increasingly becoming the ‘go-to’ option for radio. With multiple devices, platforms and technologies available to consumers, it is becoming increasingly important to provide greater brand consistency. Radioplayer’s original strategy of allowing independence within markets was beginning to cause confusion for users as they switched between devices, applications and countries. It was therefore agreed to review the approach and define a more unified brand architecture solution that created distinction across all devices, whilst allowing flexibility for regional marketing activities. A relaunched app and a more unified international working group has already increased listener numbers in the UK and allowed Radioplayer to add two new countries to the group. In March 2018 it was announced digital radio had tipped over the 50% threshold, making the ongoing growth of the Radioplayer platform even more vital to the future of the radio industry. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/10/w-3840-quality-90-fit-scale-down.webp) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/10/w-3840-quality-90-fit-scale-down-1.webp) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/10/w-3840-quality-90-fit-scale-down-2.webp) [Read the full awards entryPIN\_CREATIVE\_RADIOPLAYER\_FINAL.pdf4 MBdownload-circle](https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/content/files/2025/10/PIN%5FCREATIVE%5FRADIOPLAYER%5FFINAL.pdf "Download") ### Read the full Radioplayer case study [A global face for radioUnifying a digital radio brand to bring consistency across all platforms and territories. Radioplayer is a partnership between the BBC and UK commercial radio, created to keep radio simple on every device, everywhere. With millions of listeners using its apps, desktop players, and in-car systems, it has become a vital bridge between broadcasters and audiences.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/358ef569-a475-483f-881e-94e762373554-27.jpg)A global face for radio![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/83ed6059-da08-4c36-80d2-a5c6de76b2c7-1.jpg)](https://untangleyourbrand.com/work/radioplayer?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) #### Additional information ****Nigel Davies, Brand Consultant, PIN Creative** Nigel Davies is an independent brand consultant and combines his experience in business, strategy, and creativity to help business owners transform their business vision into a brand and gain greater clarity, focus and direction. For interviews and comments contact Nigel Davies here>> [nigel@pincreative.co.uk](mailto:nigel@pincreative.co.uk) +44 7957 253907 [https://www.pincreative.co.uk ](https://www.pincreative.co.uk/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com)[https://www.linkedin.com/in/pincreative/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pincreative/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ****Transform Awards Europe** The Transform Awards Europe award excellence in rebranding and brand strategy. The awards recognise best practice in corporate, product and global brand development work in the region, with categories that focus on content, execution, evaluation and strategy. [Read more about the Transform Awards Europe 2019 awards here>>](https://www.transformmagazine.net/awards/europe/past-winners/2019-transform-awards-europe/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Silver Winner; Transform Awards 2016 URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/silver-winner-transform-awards-2016/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T11:48:29.000Z ### Silver Award; Best creative strategy ### Commendation: Best naming strategy ## The Transform Awards Europe award excellence in rebranding and brand strategy. The awards recognise best practice in corporate, product and global brand development work in the region, with categories that focus on content, execution, evaluation and strategy. To fulfil its goal of “Transforming the UK’s response to domestic abuse”, UK national charity CAADA defined a five-year plan to deepen the quality of its services and adopt a more family-centred approach to tackling domestic abuse. But achieving the aims of the five-year plan was proving difficult under the existing brand positioning, name, and identity. They didn’t reflect CAADA’s new strategy, and lacked warmth and humanity. The name was difficult to say, spell, and remember. The logo was seen as meaningless by most people. The charity also lacked a clear strapline to reinforce its purpose – one that both internal and external audiences could rally behind. PIN Creative reviewed CAADA’s positioning, name, identity, and strapline to help align the brand with its five-year plan and objectives. One year post-rebrand the response to the new name and brand identity versus targets has given SafeLives greater confidence to continue to spread its message. In looking at digital, social, and PR results this brand is well on the way towards reaching new target audiences, increasing its brand profile, and communicating in a clear and impactful way. ### Read the full SafeLives case study here [Ending domestic abuseRepositioning a national charity to put family safety at the heart of its mission.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/358ef569-a475-483f-881e-94e762373554-35.jpg)Ending domestic abuse![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/UYB_CASESTUDY_THUMB_1200px_640px_SAFELIVES-1.jpg)](https://untangleyourbrand.com/work/safelives?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) [Read the full awards case studyPIN\_CREATIVE\_SAFELIVES\_FINAL.pdf3 MBdownload-circle](https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/content/files/2025/10/PIN%5FCREATIVE%5FSAFELIVES%5FFINAL.pdf "Download") #### Additional information ****Nigel Davies, Brand Consultant, PIN Creative** Nigel Davies is an independent brand consultant and combines his experience in business, strategy, and creativity to help business owners transform their business vision into a brand and gain greater clarity, focus and direction. For interviews and comments contact Nigel Davies here>> [nigel@pincreative.co.uk](mailto:nigel@pincreative.co.uk) +44 7957 253907 [https://www.pincreative.co.uk ](https://www.pincreative.co.uk/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com)[https://www.linkedin.com/in/pincreative/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pincreative/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ****Transform Awards Europe** The Transform Awards Europe award excellence in rebranding and brand strategy. The awards recognise best practice in corporate, product and global brand development work in the region, with categories that focus on content, execution, evaluation and strategy. [Read more about the Transform Awards Europe 2016 awards here>>](https://www.transformmagazine.net/awards/europe/past-winners/2016-transform-awards-europe/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Comfort wins URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/comfort-wins/ Last updated: 2025-11-06T11:20:43.000Z Success in branding isn’t about trophies on your own shelf. It’s about helping a client win one on theirs. A year after the rebrand, *Soak&Sleep* was named the UK’s highest-rated duvet brand by *Which?*, scoring 96% in customer satisfaction and overtaking John Lewis and IKEA. The rebrand wasn’t cosmetic. It gave the business a clear identity, a voice people trusted, and an experience that felt human. When customers felt that shift, so did the market. The name played a vital role. *DAPW*, short for *Duvet and Pillow Warehouse*, was accurate but uninspiring. It described what the business did, not how it made people feel. It sounded like a place full of cardboard boxes rather than comfort. *Soak&Sleep*, on the other hand, carried emotion. It was simple, memorable, and human. It spoke to the outcome customers wanted, a good night’s rest, not just the products that delivered it. That’s what design is for: clarity that drives performance. Not applause for the agency, but recognition for the brand that dares to change. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/11/WHICH_SOAK-1.png) ### Read the full Soak&Sleep case study here. [Enhancing your relaxationTaking on major retailers with a new name and brand in the bed and bath market.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/358ef569-a475-483f-881e-94e762373554-31.jpg)Enhancing your relaxation![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/UYB_CASESTUDY_THUMB_1200px_640px_SOAK2.jpg)](https://untangleyourbrand.com/work/soakandsleep?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Where is your brand on the cool wall? URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/where-is-your-brand-on-the-cool-wall/ Last updated: 2025-11-10T21:00:21.000Z This is an exercise I often do in brand workshops, and you should try it too. It’s called *The Cool Wall* (an idea borrowed from *Top Gear*). Label the left-hand side *Not Cool*. Label the right-hand side *Really Cool*. Then ask a group to place logos where they think they belong. That’s it. Sometimes it’s obvious. Sometimes it turns into an argument. The point isn’t design or strategy. It’s emotion. What people feel about a brand in the moment, in the country they live in, shaped by what’s happening in the world. This wall was built in Russia in 2012 for Ozon. You can see the admiration for western names, Apple, Nike, IKEA, Levi’s, and the distrust of local ones like Lada or RT. During the financial crisis, the same wall looked different. Banks slid to the far left. Confidence collapsed. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/11/COOLWALL.jpg) That’s the lesson. Cool isn’t fixed. It shifts with politics, culture and trust. A brand can be *really cool* one week and *not cool* the next, without changing a thing about itself. So how do you control that influence? You can’t. But you can stay aware of it. How cool is your brand? Can it stay cool? And who decides what cool really means? ### Read the full Ozon case study here [We do moreTaking on Amazon, Expedia and FedEx, with Russia’s #1 retailer.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/358ef569-a475-483f-881e-94e762373554-41.jpg)We do more![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/UYB_CASESTUDY_THUMB_1200px_640px_OZON.jpg)](https://untangleyourbrand.com/work/ozon?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### Double Gold Winner; Transform Awards 2013 URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/double-gold-winner-transform-awards-2013/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T11:42:36.000Z ### Gold Award; Best rebrand from the industrial and basic materials sector ### Gold Award; Best brand consolidation ### The Transform Awards Europe award excellence in rebranding and brand strategy. The awards recognise best practice in corporate, product and global brand development work in the region, with categories that focus on content, execution, evaluation and strategy. PIN Creative’s excellence in rebranding was honoured at Communicate magazine’s Transform Awards. PIN won 2 GOLD awards in the category of 'Best Brand Consolidation' and 'Best rebrand from the industrial and basic materials sector' for its work with Shanks Group plc. Having grown through acquisition, waste management business Shanks found itself with a stable of local and regional brands, particularly in The Netherlands. They weren’t taking advantage of the power of a cohesive group brand offer. An extensive brand review built on Shanks’ vision to be the leading provider of sustainable waste management solutions in their target markets. A new master-brand positioning, visual identity and endorsement strategy was needed to enhance the benefits of being in a group, without undermining local success. And critically, all operating companies needed to buy into the solutions. One year post rebrand, the results are extremely encouraging: • All 22 Shanks Group operating companies buy in to solution • Brand strategy enables easy business restructure • 26% cost savings • Considerable time savings • New lucrative contracts • Absenteeism rates drop Nigel Davies, Director at PIN Creative said: “After working on a project for over 3 years, it's great to finally get some recognition for a project that has made a significant difference to Shanks Group's business and culture. They didn't think it could be done. But we did it.” *Helen Kemp, Shanks Group Communications advisor said:* “We’re delighted that the quality and clarity of our rebrand has been recognised through these award wins. The award-winning rebrand is a testament to the hard work of PIN and of our teams across the business.” *Andrew Thomas, publishing editor of Communicate magazine, said:* "The rebranding stories that captured our imaginations and our hearts have been tales of hard work, of fabulous creative thought and of stunning intellectual and strategic insight. Those stories are also the ones being honoured at the Transform Awards. We are very proud to be a footnote in their organisations’ stories by providing a platform from which to recognise the excellence of their changing brand narratives." Read more about our work for Shanks here>> ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/10/w-3840-quality-90-fit-scale-down-2.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/10/w-3840-quality-90-fit-scale-down-1-copy.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/10/w-3840-quality-90-fit-scale-down-3.jpeg) [Read the full awards entryPIN\_CREATIVE\_SHANKS\_TRANSFORM.pdf4 MBdownload-circle](https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/content/files/2025/10/PIN%5FCREATIVE%5FSHANKS%5FTRANSFORM.pdf "Download") ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/10/IMG_6421_CROP-1.jpg) #### Additional information ****Nigel Davies, Brand Consultant, PIN Creative** Nigel Davies is an independent brand consultant and combines his experience in business, strategy, and creativity to help business owners transform their business vision into a brand and gain greater clarity, focus and direction. For interviews and comments contact Nigel Davies here>> [nigel@pincreative.co.uk](mailto:nigel@pincreative.co.uk) +44 7957 253907 [https://www.pincreative.co.uk ](https://www.pincreative.co.uk/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com)[https://www.linkedin.com/in/pincreative/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pincreative/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ****Transform Awards Europe** The Transform Awards Europe award excellence in rebranding and brand strategy. The awards recognise best practice in corporate, product and global brand development work in the region, with categories that focus on content, execution, evaluation and strategy. [Read more about the Transform Awards Europe 2013 awards here>>](https://www.transformmagazine.net/awards/europe/past-winners/2013-transform-awards-europe/?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com) ### No logo. No problem. URL: https://blah.untangleyourbrand.com/no-logo-no-problem/ Last updated: 2025-11-09T19:47:17.000Z When we joined the Cancer Research UK rebrand, the logo wasn’t ready. The design was still being refined and the internal launch date couldn’t move. For most teams, that would sound impossible. But it turned out to be the best thing that could have happened. With no logo to lean on, we had to find other ways to express what the brand really stood for. We had colours, a typeface, and a new positioning, *pioneering our tomorrows*, but the rest had to come from belief, not design. So, we started with people. We covered office walls with hand-drawn illustrations, painted messages of hope in meeting rooms, and used temporary installations to tell the story of change. We helped staff see that a brand is not a mark on a letterhead, it’s the feeling you create in every conversation, every decision, every act of care. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/2025/11/CRUK_CASE_STUDY_NEW3.png) Those early days set the tone for everything that followed. When the new identity was finally revealed, people already understood it. They’d lived it before they’d seen it. **Three lessons from a brand without a logo** 1. **Start with belief.** If your team doesn’t understand the story, no logo will save it. 2. **Be creative with what you have.** Limited tools can lead to stronger ideas. 3. **Make people feel it first.** Emotion builds alignment long before guidelines do. Because a brand isn’t the logo. The logo is just the signature. ### Read the full Cancer Research UK case study here [Pioneering our tomorrowsLaunching and embedding the brand for the UK’s biggest charity.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/icon/358ef569-a475-483f-881e-94e762373554-38.jpg)Pioneering our tomorrows![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/16/bf162d1e-32af-40f7-8eb5-21591f3ec1f2/content/images/thumbnail/UYB_CASESTUDY_THUMB_1200px_640px_CRUK.jpg)](https://untangleyourbrand.com/work/cancerresearchuk?ref=blah.untangleyourbrand.com)