When something’s really on my mind, there’s one man I speak too. He’s from Norfolk.

There were two things on my mind, of late.

When that something is hard to understand and break down. I go to him. Or he comes to me.

I called the Chap from Norfolk and asked the Chap to come down from Norfolk. London, specifically.

Chap from Norfolk said yes. And hopped on train from Norfolk to London.

We recorded another podcast.

So. Then. What’s on my mind?

Well, I wish it was something light. Like “I’m hanging…Deliveroo, Donde esta my fucking Maccies con trice hash browns con bbq sauce ?”

No, no, no, no.

This is WAY too easy for this Chap from Norfolk.

Chap from Norfolk enjoys heavy and complex.

Chap from Norfolk’s words are smooth like warm silk cloth rolling over cold marble. Light and entrancing. Yet, suddenly, they will hit heavily punch you like rainfall hitting a rusty roof.

A punch, stinging your curiosity. Words like lethal daggers of insight. Stab you in the gut. Shock. Twist. Turn. Turn and Twist. Forcing your curiosity to take a Flight of Imagination.

Well, well, well
What’s on my mind?
Well, the first thing…

Storytelling and Culture and Strategy.

How are they similar?
How are they different?
Are they the same thing? Are they different?
Are they related or inter-related?

I’ve read so much about Storytelling and Strategy and Culture - my little pea brain is ambled, mangled and jumbled and fumbled.

Oh! and who’s the Chap from Norfolk

My great friend and strategy expert, Alex Smith. Check out our two previous podcast episodes.

Podcast One:
Podcast Two:

Watch on Le Tube

I’ve just recorded a third podcast with Alex.

So, first… the Symbiotic Relationship between Storytelling and Culture and Strategy.

Alex and I go deep into the similarities and differences of Storytelling and Culture and Strategy

Strategy > Storytelling > Culture

The easiest way to understand the relationship between strategy + storytelling + culture is this.

Imagine a House.
Imagine your brand is a House.

You’re building a house. Your brand house.

Strategy = Foundations i.e. the concrete the ground, location, how many rooms it has, how big the garden is

Storytelling = Aesthetics i.e. the colour of the front door, the gravel on the driveway, the water feature, the BBQ

Culture = Plumbing i.e. once we get into the house, how does it run, the electricity and water and gas

Imagine, building Who Gives a Crap House (check out podcast with Simon)

Strategy = Foundations i.e. we solve a global toilet crisis across by donating some of our profits to charities

Storytelling = Aesthetics i.e. colourful packaging, quirky messaging, name like Who Gives a Crap, philanthropic mission

Culture = Plumbing i.e. letting team work remotely, “life-work balance”, creat

Strategy is the exact reason you exist.

Storytelling attracts and galvanises employees and culture.

Culture is the final piece of the puzzle that allows teams to flourish, it’s the plumbing.

Annndd…the second thing on my mind… Is Unique Point of Difference no longer enough in today’s busy world?!

Unique Point of Disagreement > Unique Point of Difference

1. Unique Points of Difference = Surface Level and conscious

2. Unique Point of Disagreement = Deeper Level and sub-conscious

Most brands play it nice and safe and talk about Points of Difference.

More CBD.
More prebioitc.
Better provenance.
Better ingredients.

Akin to going to a dinner party with loads of boring accountants-in-Axel Arrigatos, who like Park Run 10k’s, overnight oats and missionary.

Fine. But, fuck me. A bit, meeeeeeeeh. Nay, in fact, vapid, vaunting and vacantly Vanilla.

Fuck me, gimme something INTERESTING.

Gimme something to talk about.
Gimme something to Hate, FFS.

Gimme the brand, that’s the ostentatious toff called Rollo, who wears an orange suit, always ready for an orgy and has a pet Kollar bear called Rupert.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh

Now we’re talking.

Brands that go deeper through points of disagreement enter consumers subconscious

Difference = conscious

Disagreement = sub-conscious

Sub-conscious infiltration comes from asking the hard question:

What do we vehemently disagree with the competition on?

Liquid Death = clearly disagree with Evian and Volvic

BREWDOG clearly disagree with Corona, Heineken and Grolsh.

Alex had been thinking deep about something for three months… he best ideas don’t win. The most charismatic ideas win.

“The world doesn't reward the best ideas. The world rewards those who are best at communicating those ideas”

First glance this seems so simple. But it’s actually, philosophically, a very deep question.

It’s begs the question, is any idea any good?

Are good ideas good or are they just bad ideas communicated well?
Are bad ideas bad or are they just good ideas communicated poorly?

Was Apple a great idea? Or was it a great idea because of Steve Jobs charisma and story telling

Are Manchester City the best football team because of Pep’s a genius tactician? Or is it due to Peps charisma?

There’s no right or wrong answer to this. Both are right. Both are wrong. Everything is right. Everything is wrong.

We do, however, focus unhealthily on substance over style. Style reveals the value in the substance. Your role a founder is to be obsessed with style. Style reveals substance.

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big fish has worked with pretty much EVERY single brand in your cupboard.

The TOTALLY-bloody amazing news?

We are offering one free consultancy session to one lucky brand… If you’re a Force for Good. Truly disruptive. Taste amazing.

Please feel free to reply to this email, we’d absolutely love to hear from you!

Still Hungry? Course you are…

Please feel free to gorge on the most downloaded podcast episodes of all time (these are CERTY: BANGERS)

1. Rory Sutherland: Why Challenger Brands Must Never Follow Logic to Truly Disrupt Categories 

2. Waitrose CEO: How Challenger Food & Drink Brands Can Win and Build Profitable Partnerships with Waitrose - James Baile

3. Spencer Matthews: How Spencer Matthews Built Unshakeable Resilience and Raised + £10m to Launch Clean Co. in Sainsbury's, Tesco and the U.S.A. 

4. How Grenade Exited to Mondelez for £200 Million and Lessons in Unapologetic Authenticity- Juliett Baratt

5. Tyrells Tycoon: How William Chase built and sold Tyrells for £50 million and sold Chase Distillery to DIAGEO 

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