I was screaming.

The grass was covered in blood. Heads and bodies scattered everywhere.

The sky a baby-blanket blue. Sun dangled like a lemon covered in bleach. Flashing-bright. Fizzing-white.

It made the red blood sparkle as it the sun hit the

Lip stick-red blood sparkled as the sun hit it. The squelched and curdled into the green grass. A browy-reddy-smush.

I was screaming.
Holding my face.
It stung.
Face felt like it had been massaged with fresh sandpaper.

Blood.
Lots of blood.

I’d been hit.

From where?
By who?
How?

Over there?
Or there? Where?

A fucking rugby ball had been kicked in my fucking face. Proper fucking walloped.

It REALLY FUCKING hurt.

12 years old. 2005. Vale Do Lobo.

Playing touch rugby on a golf course.

I waddled back to the Villa.
Grabbed a brace of White Chocolate Magnum’s out the freezer.

Chilled out.

Whacked on Silence of The Lambs to chillll - (I jest…). Got my Walkman CD player. Stuffed on the Jack Johnson Album.

The gorgeous orchestra of Piz Bun, chlorine, sunshine, Jack Johnson all coddling into gloopy glee.

Vale De Lobo
aka Vale De Lobotomised-Mothers-with-too-much-money.

Surrey on Sea. Fuck Me.

I was incredibly fortunate to go there on holiday as child.

The other day, I was driving through Wandsworth, “Upside Down” by Jack Johnson came on the radio

WOW.

Teleported me back to Portugal. The DEEP CONNECTION I had with THAT Album.

I roared through the whole album on Spotify.

It got me thinking

Why do we no longer listen to full albums?

We only downloads songs or the top hit.

As a kid. I remember, vividly hopping on the Ten-past-Two train, Top-to-Toe in 2-for-£10 TOPMAN.

Roaring to HMV, Guildford to buy an Album - usually - Kaiser Chiefs or Arctic Monkeys.

Once, I went - you could say - a little - off piste… bought My Chemical Romance Album and an array of TOPMAN leather bound studded jewellery

Rocked up to my Half Term Cheeky Gath (abbreviation of gathering). Like Tarzan wrapped in leather jewellery and insecurities, holding a bottle of WKD, hoping for 3rd … not like that…you sicko… 3rd place in the BBQ queue.

I remember buying Albums and the Deep connections Albums gave me vs. singles or song.

Albums vs. Songs brand building

I chatted with Simon Griffiths, founder of Who Gives a Crap (Poddy coming soon)

Simon’s brand building approach changed EVERYTHING.

Simon said: (wahhheyyyyyyy)

• A great brand is like a human being it has lots of texture and different sides.

• A great brand is multi-dimensional and must have multiple sides.

• Too much purpose makes a brand boring

WOW.

The more I think about it.

Good brands are the song.
Great brands are the album.

Great song = fleeting moment of joy.
Great album = deeper meaning and ever green connection.

Who Gives a Crap are a Great Brand, they build like an artist creates an album. Multiple sides (or songs on the album),

WGAC sides (or songs on album)
WGAC have a serious side
WGAC have a empathetic side
WGAC have a playful side.
WGAC have a philanthropic mission

WGAC playful side (song)

WGAC serious side (song)

WGAC Warm + Empathetic (song)

Too much purpose makes a brand boring.
Too much purpose makes a brand boring.
Too much purpose makes a brand boring.

With your messaging and positioning, start thinking like the album.

More sides = more songs on the album.

Build brand depth and texture = deeper connection.

All your different sides are like different songs.

Good brands are the song.
Great brands are the album.

After all everyone gets bored of the same song.

When all your competition are focusing on the greatest hit.

Focus on the album. Show your serious side. Playful side. Witty side. Kind side. Scared side. Everything side.

Build deeper, long term connection.

Some other INSANE Principles from our conversation

1. Why Too Much Purpose Makes a Brand Boring and One Dimensional - Brands are like a Human with lots of depth and texture

2. Going from Good to Great Brands: Why a Brand is an Orchestrate Not a Solo Singer

3. WGAC Principles for High Performance Cultures: Autonomy + Mastery + Purpose

4. WGAC Hiring Principles: Culture Add > Culture Fit - are you a Scruncher or Folder

5. How to Build a Remote Working Global Brand: Life-Work Balance vs. Work-Life Balance and Return to Business vs. Cost to Employee

6. Why You Must Embrace Screwing Up as PR Ammo- Allows you to build a Deeper connection with Employees and Consumers

7. Why Being Normal is Dangerous for Founder - Your weirdness + quirks allow you to see the World Differently

8. How to Get Tone of Voice to Land in Different Countries that Aren’t English Speaking - Hire Localised Talent

Hope you’re getting nice and Crimbo shit-faced tonight

Toodle pip Mothaaaaaaa fuukkkaaaaaass

Popey xx

Please be kind and share this far and wide

Still Hungry? Course you are…

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

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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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