8. April 2013
We’re in the throws of planning out next Working Breakfast which will take place at One Alfred Place on Thursday 25th April. If you would like to come along please email us; workingbreakfast@cmwlondon.com
Working Breakfast Theme: Youth of today
With reports of rising unemployment amongst 18-24 year olds and the misconception that they have little disposable income and are brand promiscuous, it’s no surprise that this age group tends to be overlooked by many leading brands as potential customers.
Yet, students alone (who account for one half of the UK youth population) contribute a staggering £20 billion annually to the UK economy.
So this time round we’ll be joined by youth experts, The Beans Group, who will draw on recent research into 18-24 year olds to reveal their shopping habits and some of the brands they love and hate.
We’ll also dispel any myths you might have about 18-24s
and share some ideas on how brands can reach this audience without upsetting
the mothership.
And should you have any unanswered questions, don’t worry as there’ll be a small group of young people to ask first-hand!
Event details
Thursday 25th April at One Alfred Place, WC1E 7EB
08:00-08:30: Breakfast and networking
08:30-09:15: The Beans Group
09:15-09:45: A chance to mingle
If you or your colleagues fancy coming along, you are more than welcome. Simply RSVP to workingbreakfast@cmwlondon.com so we can add your name to the guestlist for the club’s reception.
We hope to see you there!
10. January 2012
This morning we had our first working breakfast.
Mark Earls did what he does best – he made us think!
Here’s our 60 second whistle-stop tour of the wise and wonderful things he had to say.
His theme was that people follow patterns of behaviour. We can improve communication effectiveness by better understanding these patterns. It's for this reason that Mark's latest book is called "I'll Have What She's Having".
Mark started with a story – a story of Empire, adventure, map making and the Kong Mountains. (A quick visit to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountains_of_Kong explains all.)
It turns out that for nearly a 100 years we believed the Kong Mountains to be in West Africa. They were the source of the great Niger River. Maps pinpointed where they could be found. The truth is they've never existed! They're a myth!
How did this come to pass? Mark explained that social context and shared belief are the most significant elements in our decision making.
We are inherently social beings and so our decision making is necessarily shaped by the influence of others.
From the moment we are born we are homo mimicus – mimicking man. We are copying machines aping the behaviour of our parents from day one. We then progress and ape the behaviour of our peers, of our social milieu and of wider society. We do it through-out our lives. This is why ideas spread; it's why markets have long-tails. We are copying machines. Drinks for example are a social choice.
As much as we all want to believe we're rational and independent of thought, the truth is we our part of a herd and make social decisions.
The trick is to understand the pattern that people's decision making is conforming to. To see the dynamic behind the mimic. Only by doing this can we seek to influence behaviour.
That's it other than to say thanks Mark for a stimulating and insightful talk. Great way to start the working day.
Mark's latest book, "I'll Have What She's Having", the inspiration for much of this morning, can be bought by clicking here. Well worth a read.
