Posts tagged Brand
Three Books on Brands
Nov 15th
This Saturday, I was asked which books I would recommend if a person wanted to learn about brands. My response may not be the most obvious. But here they are, three books to start with:
- Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard. In my opinion, this one is a great example how building the brand starts from passion and mission, and is based on strong business philosophy.
- Project50 (Re-invenvting work) by Tom Peters. Visiting Kisko Labs last week reminded me of the genius of Tom Peters. I think in the core of the brand is attitude. And this book has thought me a lot about that.
- It’s not how good you are, it’s how good you want to be by Paul Arden. This book will give you an idea about the visual side of branding and sales. It has nice design, is easy to read, and was highly insightful at least for me.
What do you think? Where would you start when it comes building a strong brand?
Tape with thousand euros!
Feb 1st
I strongly believe that memories are the only possessions we should collect during our lives. Yesterday Ville talked about blog writing and refered it a bit: “are we happy with sharp drill bits in our rack or happy cos´ borrowed them to a friend”. So in Monkey Business we are sometimes taking it to – Do The Never! Or how could you explain to friend or customer that we are using about same amount Euros monthly to tapes, pins, t-shirts, coffee, ext. than we get salary? Or sometimes even more…
And we try explain it to ourselves that it´s marketing, tribe marketing. And same time happily admitting that we get very exited about these “side track purchaces”. It just feels good! And as you can see – last diktator of Finland, U.K.K – Urkki – Kekkonen, clearly shares the message. Year 2011 theme for Monkeys is U.K.K – stubborness and relentless. Thanks to Sanna for these ultimate kool coasters. And thanks to Asier and Funky Projects for giving us tape back in May 2007. It took allmost four years to implement it in MB…
You get what you measure – they say. So we have started to measure quality and free thinking time spent in hammock. Every 15 minuts gives you a credit. Hammock is electicity free zone, no lab tops etc. According Jussi T. Koski we should spent weekly two times two hours only focusing on thinking, slowing down. If you want to be creative. If you want to follow task list given by your boss – just keep on performing. So how do you explain this Hang Loose – measure to a logical engineer? Luckily I don´t have to. And results after 21st days in Hammock are that first podium place is shared between Johanna, Ville and Tatu. With only four credits/pp, only one hour in 21st days. How mutch is that? What is it? What are doeing? Are we thinking? Are we monkeys?
Human energy is the thing we need to increase. Sun really gives it at this time of year. And hammock. And all the little things I manage to live present. Those are the only things I can remember.
Activboy Tatu learning Zen Riding
ps. Want some tape? Come and get it.
“Don´t worry – be crappy!” -Guy Kawasaki, Art of Start-
Nov 17th
Old finnish saying says that it´s better to have one goose in backpack than ten flying free. So here I go. Strongly believing that one posted writing is better than ten unposted. In a way that is how all started in Monkey Busines. No business idea. A lot of questions, small and bigger ones. Or even before that here was a meeting between two humanbeings, Ville&Tatu year 2005. Maybe even Adam&Eva before that. Later some biercans and mugs of coffee. And an attitude that we can have impact. WE HAVE IMPACT!
What would an organisation from future be like? Why is business so serious? What does mother Earth say to that? What is the best misunderstanding of my life? For me it´s Monkey Business – when people were talking about Funky Business. It was something we had been seeking out. Can´t be taken too seriously, yellow and playful. Travelling was meaningfull, ideas came through conversations with new people and surfing in new cultures. Bananashaped businesscard, logo and core message.
What is the tribe I want to join? Whose truth do I believe? Who/What leads me? After what I am running for? Is it possible? What inspires me? What keeps me moving? Dream? What is the cartoon I want to create?
Juha-Matti Kinnunen aka Tupsu has drawn these cartoons. And by serendipity we have started to use it as a tool for running interactive workshops. By telling our stories and raising questions and then throwing them to participants. And sharing our story is something that inspires me. No logic. Just attitude. Yellow spirit. And a lot of actions&Dialogue. Love me or hate me. Do the newer!
Lifestyle company. With Impact. Like organic plant. Maybe?
“Follow that yellow man!”
Sep 9th
We allmost missed a flight on our way to Oman SOL Global Forum April 2008 to do our world kick off. In Frankfut Airport staff pointed way for Johanna&Hugo by pointing me running ahead and yelling:” follow that yellow man”. At the same time Henna was holding the Plane… (Btw. my Iphone went just blackout when writing this.)
Since Oman we have been creating more action here and there. And despite that we are still smiling. We see the world as we look at it. Yellow, sunny and bright. As that photo taken yesterday in our office upstairs. Or this one taken in our hoods today morning when cyckling here.
We made our record revenue in August. But we still must improve to keep our enterprise sustainable. Yellow man has got company, friends to work with us. We have been doeing right things right. Maybe. And information board downstairs is updated too!
Hey! I am happy. Life is good. Love. (Iphone still blackout.)
Thanks Monkeys & All. Wouldn´t be here alone.
Tantourist.
What´s cooking Linus?
Jan 19th
Our campaign for January is wild as a Jungle and beating like a drum. Order one monkey now – and get second for free! Two monkeys for the price of one! Double amount of action, chaos and mistakes means at least six times more of learning. Maybe? Choose your Monkeys here: MonkeyBusiness_pres (Great profiles made by Nic. THANKS!)
We are supporters of fundamental freedom. Everyone is able to achieve what ever in the world – if you don´t mind who gets the honour. Pekka Himanen´s book, The Hacker Ethic, has had a lot influence to our Ideology. Passion and dedication to that, building on enthusiasm will carry on. So how can we encourage people on that? More listening to heart than rational mind? How do we help people to join enriching communities? How do we help people to find out who they really are? And what are they really passionate obout? And what is their strenght, superpower that they should build on? How do we help individuals to lead theirselves?
Linus Thorvalds created source code of Linux and story goes on. What is source code of Monkey Business? The DNA that people monkeying around are sharing? Do you feel the call?
Tantourist.
X-mas Calender day 13 – What is this Monkey Business?
Dec 16th
That´s THE question. Here are some quotes from people whom we have met while chewing bananas:
*Experienced Business Coach, woman: “Monkey Business is formed around easy customers who buy what ever these Monkeys sell.”
*Senior Business Coach, man: ” Monkey Business is nothing, it´s just a tribe of fifty people or so.”
*Manager for International Affairs, man: ” Do these people know what Monkey Business means? How can their thinking be that low?”
*Innovation Manager, man:” You can´t be the best in the world. It is not possible.”
So, what do you think? What is this Monkey Business?
Tantourist -giving big warm hug to our supporters around the world. THANK YOU!
Monkey Business Design Philosophy
Oct 30th
We are working on building a new lay out for our blog (and there’s a blog in Finnish coming up too!) and for that process I wrote out some of the design philosophy down. This is version 0.5 BETA but I thought I should still drop it out for you. Here’s the classic banana with classes drawn by Lady My of MyJok back in late 2007.
1. Our mission is to make the world more fun and yellow. Our design are also fun and colorful.
1. Things are as they look and feel to a person. Not as somebody intents them to be but as someone experiences them.
1. All yellow is good. Our graphics don’t need to follow one clearly defined pattern or a set of rules, but part of our brand is that the visuals change a lot.
2. A Banana drawn by Lady My is the banana for us. We will stick to that until something totally explosive comes to our way.
3. All monkeys and bananas are part of our design strategy.
4. Our graphics should be aligned with our style. That is yellow, playful and sincere. Our Graphics and Designs should enhance the same message.
6. We like skateboarders, clothing designers, surfers, musicians and other party people in general. The idea is to enjoy life and have fun. Our designs should also follow that ideology. We search for ideas and inspiration everywhere but nature and pop culture especially.
7. We like to promote a wide range of designs and designers. We work with people we like and think are cool. We want to have loads of different designs.
Have a yellow weekend everyone!
Ps. The book recommendation of this week is by Hugh MacLeod and is called “Ignore Everybody – and 39 other keys to creativity.” I read it over the summer and is a quick read and gave me quite a few insights. There loads of good quotes and even more insightful drawings. Some of the things he writes and draws seems a bit cynical to me but he cleared it all by saying this: “Anyone can be an idealist. Anyone can be a cynic. The hard part lies somewhere in the middle i.e. being human.” That’s the spirit I guess. You can read plenty of samples of the book at Hugh’s website.
Slowly back in Monkey Business
Aug 6th
It’s the time of the year that the Finnish summer gets warm and people get back to work. I wonder why our holidays tend to start from midsummer and end by the early August. Anyways here we are. But now worries it ain’t serious. Let’s start with a looong meeting over coffee, then go for lunch and ice cream. We had ice creams at the kiosk owned by three guys from Team Academy. They don’t take their business too seriously. Somebody went and did a tag on their wall but boys just added a little note under it saying… Well, see below for the photo.
Also I got a picture of Janne and Tatu. Here we go! Tonight we’ll have some crepes at Janne’s place and I am looking forward to that. Janne and Tatu had a good talk about if we should define our products or not. Janne made a connection to restaurant that also has a menu, so we started to talk about menu of Monkey Business.
Janne and Tatu.
And last, there’s a nice video I found through Makenubs videoblog which I originally found through Demos Helsinki Blog. I like it a lot, both the dance and the song. It’s something by Brodinski and Noob. I think we’ll use this video somewhere someday. Good stuff, enjoy!
Feedback about the Monkey Business Brand
Jun 24th
Just going through my inbox as I am doing the Notebook for the last Team Mastery session and I found this email from Henna dated at April 26th 2009. Enjoy! Ville
Ps. Special and big shout out goes to Liher aka Green Monkey (pictured above) as he made a quick comment about the non-working photo gallery of the last post. Thanks a lot! Kiitos!
Moijoi!
In Team Mastery in the Basque Country we had the them of Brand Management and we used Monkey Business as an example. I want to share the results because this is magical. Enjoy and take care!
TEST QUESTION: What comes into your mind first when you think about
Monkey Business?
Kaisu: a phenomenon, strongly personalized with the people in it, different, fun
Liher: funky people having fun. Group of friends. You never know what comes out when you work, but it will surely be crazy and good. You are shakers of everything!
Henkka: Banana, yellow, fun, what are you doing? Are you doing anything? I doubt! Your brand divides people, either you love it or you hate it. It’s different.
Pauline: Dare to be different, no serious. Your product is some coaching…?? Customers have to be certain kind of people to understand you.
Sain: Clever people – sensation feeling! What exactly you do? Ville is the central person, Ville, no me. Ville with Yellow shirt. Innovative, funny, different, crazy, attractive.
Tapio: Good brand. Noticeable. Honest. Young. Future! They do serious things but they don’t give and advertise the feeling of being serious.
So this is how our friends see us. What do you think?
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