Reader advisory: this blog is shamelessly self-promotional.
This week marks a significant inflection point in the life of Insight Agents. It’s particularly important in terms of brand language, content marketing and thought leadership, three of the main services we offer to our clients. But for once, all the focus is on us.
After 18 months of labouring under a self-build website, we’ve invested time and resource in getting some real professionals to create a new version of our web presence. If you’re reading this, you’ve already found your way to the blog section of the reimagined www.insightagents.co.uk, and many thanks to Nathan and Mark at Digital Fuse for such a productive and collaborative partnership, in moving from the (excellent) mood board that our intern Luke produced, to this, the finished article.
Apple fan boy as I am, I don’t want to come over all Jonny Ive about the improvements and enhancements of iAgents 2.0. But – if you’ll indulge me – we have designed both the words and the look and feel to embody what we strive to do as a business: help companies communicate more effectively by crafting simple and elegant brand language. And the structure of the site – starting with why, and moving through how and what – is a homage to our North star of brand purpose, Simon Sinek. All comments – plaudits and brickbats – are gratefully received.
Moving from the virtual to the physical, our Founder and MD Sam Knowles is taking to the stage twice this week to talk about insight and storytelling. Tomorrow he’s at the sold-out #B2BSummit15, addressing the insight stream on “How To Be Insightful: A storyteller’s guide to developing the genuine insights that drive more impactful communication” (1.45pm if you’re at the show). And on Friday, he’s in Dublin to talk to the Institute of Advertising Practitioners in Ireland. His theme is “the future home of strategy in brand storytelling”, and – in another sold-out event; tour t-shirts available soon – he’ll be in conversation with the splendid Dr Kenneth McKenzie, Strategic Planning Director at Dublin powerhouse, Target McConnells. More details here and here, and thanks to both B2B Marketing and IAPI for the platforms.
Both talks feature content from Sam’s book in progress, How To Be Insightful. They’ll both be useful proving grounds for his arguments and particularly his model of how best to generate insights – the four-step, STEP process; Sweat Timeout Eureka Pause – about which a lot more will follow in the coming months.
And last (but clearly not least), shortly after posting this blog, Sam is a guest on the recording of July’s Love Lewes podcast, talking about the narrative weft of the town he loves the best; Lewes, the home of Insight Agents. Once the podcast is online, we’ll post and circulate links.
So a big week in a thriving and growing business, and all this on top of delivering against existing client contracts and negotiating new ones.
Who knew that work could be this much fun?
