{"id":16551,"date":"2023-05-22T16:46:23","date_gmt":"2023-05-22T15:46:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/?post_type=news&#038;p=16551"},"modified":"2023-08-01T12:13:16","modified_gmt":"2023-08-01T11:13:16","slug":"vccp-us-names-jed-grossman-as-chief-creative-officer","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/news\/2023\/may\/vccp-us-names-jed-grossman-as-chief-creative-officer","title":{"rendered":"VCCP US Names Jed Grossman as Chief Creative Officer"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"lazyblock-text-full-width-Z19gdoA wp-block-lazyblock-text-full-width\"><section class=\"fullwidth text-center\" data-aos=\"fade-up\">\n  <div class=\"container\">\n    \n    \n    <p style=\"text-align: left\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Today, global creative agency <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/new-york\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">VCCP<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> announces it has tapped <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/linkedin.com\/in\/jed-grossman\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Jed Grossman<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> as its first-ever Chief Creative Officer in the US. This appointment comes hot on the heels of VCCP NY merging with its San Francisco-based creative agency Muhtayzik Hoffer (M\/H) to create one entity earlier this year. Reporting to Global Chief Creative Officer Darren Bailes, Grossman will be the architect of the creative vision for VCCP US, driving the agency\u2019s development and growth in the North American marketplace.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cVCCP US has seen solid momentum, bringing in clients including Mike\u2019s Hard Lemonade, Nutribullet, and Native and welcoming a new CFO, Janisse Wong.\u00a0 Amidst that, a high-level creative perspective to unite both offices has remained the missing piece of the puzzle,\u201d said Brett Edgar, CEO at VCCP US. \u201cNow, with the merger of VCCP NY and M\/H complete and Jed coming on board, we have the leadership in place to propel the agency to new heights. He has a challenger spirit that aligns with our values, and I look forward to seeing his impact on our business.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cJed\u2019s a superstar. People can\u2019t speak highly enough of him. That\u2019s why we\u2019re so pleased to have him join the team and push our creative output in North America as we continue strengthening the agency\u2019s presence within and beyond that market,\u201d added Darren Bailes, Global Chief Creative Officer at VCCP.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Grossman most recently served as Executive Creative Director at Arts &amp; Letters, where he managed a cross-agency team and developed its overall creative vision. During his five-year tenure, the agency grew from 18 to 160+, solidifying itself as a global agency with clients like Google, ESPN, and Tito&#8217;s Vodka and getting named to this year\u2019s <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ad Age <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A-List.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Prior to that time, Grossman played an instrumental role in the transformation of B-Reel by leading its New York office toward operating at the intersection of culture, technology, and storytelling. He spent the bulk of his career at Mother New York, where he began as Art Director in 2008 before transcending to the position of Creative Director over his eight-year tenure. His career began at Crispin Porter + Bogusky, contributing to the agency getting named Agency of the Year and Agency of the Decade by <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ad Age.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">His work has received recognition from every major global advertising awards show, including Cannes Lions, The One Show, The Clio Awards, D&amp;AD, and Art Director Club, among others. Publications including <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ad Age<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Adweek<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Fast Company<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> have awarded Jed\u2019s creative, which has appeared in numerous ad trades and business publications, including <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The New York Times<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cVCCP US embraces bravery and openness in its approach to creativity, and those values ultimately drew me toward the agency,\u201d said Grossman. \u201cI look forward to partnering with leadership to inspire this team of dreamers toward developing work with our clients that transcends traditional advertising.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Grossman begins in his role immediately.<\/span><\/p>\n  <\/div>\n<\/section><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"lazyblock-quote-full-width-Z14DRTS wp-block-lazyblock-quote-full-width\">  <section class=\"fullwidth fullwidth--top-lg text-center\" data-aos=\"fade-up\">\n    <div class=\"container\">\n\n      <blockquote class=\"blockquote\">\n        Now, with the merger of VCCP NY and M\/H complete and Jed coming on board, we have the leadership in place to propel the agency to new heights. He has a challenger spirit that aligns with our values, and I look forward to seeing his impact on our business \n        <cite>Brett Edgar, CEO at VCCP US<\/cite>      <\/blockquote>\n\n    <\/div>\n  <\/section><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":61,"template":"","categories":[191],"class_list":["post-16551","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry","category-agency-news"],"acf":{"author":false,"capability_ids":[],"client_id":"","hero_video":"","hero_image":{"ID":16552,"id":16552,"title":"Untitled design - 1","filename":"New-CCO.jpg","filesize":1415078,"url":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/New-CCO.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/news\/2023\/may\/vccp-us-names-jed-grossman-as-chief-creative-officer\/attachment\/untitled-design-1-4","alt":"","author":"61","description":"","caption":"","name":"untitled-design-1-4","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":16551,"date":"2023-05-22 15:30:16","modified":"2023-05-22 15:30:16","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1920,"height":1080,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/New-CCO-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/New-CCO-300x169.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":169,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/New-CCO-768x432.jpg","medium_large-width":640,"medium_large-height":360,"large":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/New-CCO-1024x576.jpg","large-width":640,"large-height":360,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/New-CCO-1536x864.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":864,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/New-CCO.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1080,"Header":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/New-CCO-1920x720.jpg","Header-width":1920,"Header-height":720,"Wide":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/New-CCO-1920x960.jpg","Wide-width":1920,"Wide-height":960,"Square":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/New-CCO-768x768.jpg","Square-width":768,"Square-height":768,"Tall":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/New-CCO-307x615.jpg","Tall-width":307,"Tall-height":615,"Mobile":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/New-CCO-768x960.jpg","Mobile-width":768,"Mobile-height":960,"Facebook":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/New-CCO-1200x630.jpg","Facebook-width":1200,"Facebook-height":630,"Grid-Item-Square":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/New-CCO-768x768.jpg","Grid-Item-Square-width":768,"Grid-Item-Square-height":768,"Grid-Item-Wide":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/New-CCO-768x384.jpg","Grid-Item-Wide-width":768,"Grid-Item-Wide-height":384,"Grid-Item-Tall":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/New-CCO-307x615.jpg","Grid-Item-Tall-width":307,"Grid-Item-Tall-height":615}},"meta-title":"VCCP US Names Jed Grossman as Chief Creative Officer","meta-description":"Award-Winning Industry Creative to Lead Vision and Growth for VCCP US","social-media-image":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/New-CCO-1.jpg","news_id":"191","related_content_title":"You may also like","relateditems":[{"relateditem":{"ID":15253,"post_author":"57","post_date":"2022-08-17 17:09:23","post_date_gmt":"2022-08-17 16:09:23","post_content":"<!-- wp:lazyblock\/text-full-width {\"text\":\"\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003eVCCP\\u003c\/strong\\u003e \\u003cstrong\\u003eGroup\\u003c\/strong\\u003e, the global challenger network for challenger brands, has today announced two new super hires to strengthen its leadership team and catapult the network into further growth. \\u003cstrong\\u003eBrett Edgar\\u003c\/strong\\u003e joins the agency as Chief Executive Officer, North America \u2013 the first North American CEO for VCCP in its 20 year history \u2013 and \\u003cstrong\\u003eCaroline Grayson\\u003c\/strong\\u003e as Managing Director, New York.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eEdgar and Grayson join directly from 72andSunny New York where they served as President and Group Brand Director respectively. Alongside International Chief Strategy Officer, Jonny Shaw, Edgar will oversee the New York office and the network\u2019s San Francisco office M\/H, as well as continue to grow the business and further elevate VCCP\u2019s position within the North American market.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eAs a North American industry veteran, Edgar is famed for delivering results. Most recently at 72andSunny she led the NY office to a record-breaking year \u2013 increasing revenue growth by 47% in 2021. She expertly steered the agency through the pandemic and drove success with a focus on team-building, organic growth and winning new business across a variety of modern businesses including sports apparel, business and virtual services alongside developing powerful creative work for iconic international brands.This led the agency to be awarded Entertainment Agency of the Festival at Cannes Lions last year and most recently the accolade of Standout Agency on Ad Age\u2019s 2022 A-List.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003ePrior to 72andSunny, Edgar was at BBH New York as Managing Director and helped define roles for brands including Playstation and GrubHub. She has also held senior positions at Droga5 and TBWA Chiat Day. She has worked across a variety of brands such as the highly-awarded Mars business including Skittles and Starburst alongside Samsung, Cover Girl, Pizza Hut and Honey Maid.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003eJulian Douglas, International CEO at VCCP\\u003c\/strong\\u003e, said: \u201c\\u003cem\\u003eAttracting top talent like Brett and Caroline is a testimony to our challenger positioning and point of difference in the North American market and we\u2019re committed to investing in the absolute best. Challenging times require a challenger mindset and we see that in both Brett and Caroline which is what we need to deliver to both our people and our clients. We look forward to welcoming them both on board.\u201d\\u003c\/em\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003eBrett Edgar incoming North America CEO at VCCP, \\u003c\/strong\\u003esaid\\u003cstrong\\u003e: \\u003c\/strong\\u003e\\u003cem\\u003e\u201cI feel so fortunate to be joining this impressive team. There is so much good happening at VCCP and I am incredibly excited to help put a spotlight on all the amazing work happening here as well as helping to define where we go next. I love the spirit, energy and challenger mindset that exists in each person I\u2019ve met - it\u2019s contagious! This is going to be great and I can\u2019t wait to get started!\u201d\\u003c\/em\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003eBrett on Caroline: \\u003cem\\u003e\u201c\\u003c\/em\\u003e\\u003c\/strong\\u003e\\u003cem\\u003eCaroline is a kind-hearted force of nature and I couldn\u2019t be happier that we will continue to work together at VCCP. Her natural leadership skills will make her an amazing addition to the NY team.\u201d \\u003c\/em\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eGrayson will become Managing Director of the New York outfit which has enjoyed strong growth over the past 18 months partnering with some of the most exciting startups, category-defining unicorns and publicly-listed industry leaders, including Google, White Claw, T-Mobile for Business and SoulCycle. At 72andSunny New York Grayson was Group Brand Director and led the Comcast, Etsy and Spotify businesses. Previously at Adam\\u0026amp;Eve she led the John Lewis account as Business Director and within her 5 year tenure was also named Campaign magazine\u2019s \u2018Face to Watch\u2019 at age 26. A VCCP returner, Grayson started her career at VCCP\u2019s headquarters in London on the Chime graduate training program, and then joined the brand team on the O2 account.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eVCCP Group employs more than 1,350 people across its 11 offices in Auckland, London, New York, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, LA, Sydney, Shanghai, Singapore, Madrid and Prague.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eEarlier this year the challenger network launched its global gaming proposition, \\u003ca href=\\u0022https:\/\/www.vccpplus.com\/\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003eVCCP+\\u003c\/strong\\u003e\\u003c\/a\\u003e. On a mission to help brands navigate and leverage the 2.7 billion person Gaming Multiverse, VCCP+ is headquartered in New York and delivers data-backed solutions to help brands build long-term value in the space and challenge the ways gaming is traditionally viewed and activated.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eEdgar and Grayson will both join in October and will report into the Group\u2019s International CEO, Julian Douglas.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\",\"blockId\":\"Z1Hak\",\"blockUniqueClass\":\"lazyblock-text-full-width-Z1Hak\"} \/-->","post_title":"Brett Edgar to join VCCP as North America CEO","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"brett-edgar-to-join-vccp-as-north-america-ceo","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-08-17 17:14:46","post_modified_gmt":"2022-08-17 16:14:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/?post_type=news&#038;p=15253","menu_order":0,"post_type":"news","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}},{"relateditem":{"ID":15609,"post_author":"61","post_date":"2022-11-14 15:35:42","post_date_gmt":"2022-11-14 15:35:42","post_content":"<!-- wp:lazyblock\/text-full-width {\"text\":\"\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003eVCCP Group, the challenger network for challenger brands, today announced Robert Wills as their first New York Chief Marketing Officer. The newly created role comes as VCCP continues to spread its wings in the North American market. Robert joins directly from VCCP\u2019s headquarters in London where he served as Chief Marketing Officer, EMEA.\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003eRob\u2019s new role as CMO in New York will see him driving VCCP NY\u2019s reputation and growth. Robert will be building a team of new business and communications specialists from the ground up, ensuring steady business growth and elevating the agency\u2019s positioning as the challenger agency for challenger brands.\u00a0\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003eStarting his career with VCCP 12 years ago, Robert worked his way up to CMO for the EMEA region. In London, Robert helped grow VCCP\u2019s footprint to be recognised as the most in demand agency for new business from 10 out of the past 11 years. As an integral part of the VCCP London team for the better part of 12 years, Robert successfully helped win new clients including LinkedIn, Honda Motorcycles and Everli.\u00a0\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003eRob\u2019s new role in New York follows the appointment of Brett Edgar as the Group\u2019s first ever North American Chief Executive Officer and Caroline Grayson as Managing Director of VCCP New York in October. Both join Jonny Shaw, the group\u2019s International CSO and Ray Del Savio, ECD NY to make up the management bench. These major hires are testament to the rapid growth in North America and mark a pivotal moment for the agency as VCCP continues to expand and add significant brands to their roster of clients.\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003eRob also plays a key role in the growth of VCCP+, VCCP\u2019s dedicated global gaming arm, which is headquartered in New York. VCCP+helps brands navigate and leverage the 2.7 billion person Gaming Multiverse by delivering data-backed solutions to help brands build long-term value in the space and challenge the ways gaming is traditionally viewed and activated.\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cb\\u003eBrett Edgar, North America CEO at VCCP\\u003c\/b\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003e, said: \\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003ci\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003e\u201cWe\u2019re committed to continuing to drive new business for the North American market and carving out our place in the competitive advertising landscape. Off the back of successful award-winning campaigns for brands like White Claw, Google and T-Mobile, with more opportunities in the works, we are excited to attract new challenger brands as we continue to grow and expand. Rob will be instrumental in the growth of the New York agency and driving our proposition, evident by his successes in London.\u201d\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003c\/i\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cb\\u003eRobert Wills incoming New York CMO at VCCP, \\u003c\/b\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003esaid\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003cb\\u003e: \\u003c\/b\\u003e\\u003ci\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003e\u201cAfter an incredible 12 years at VCCP in London, I am excited to be joining such a world-class team in New York at such a pivotal time for the agency and look forward to sharing over a decade of learnings from working with the team in London.\u201d\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003c\/i\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003eAlongside his NY responsibilities, Robert will work closely with Josh Robertson who is the group\u2019s CMO for the APAC region. \\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003cb\\u003eStephanie Brimacombe\\u003c\/b\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003e, the Group\u2019s Global Chief Growth Officer commented on how Rob\u2019s transfer now \u201ct\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003ci\\u003e\\u003cspan style=\\u0022font-weight: 400\\u0022\\u003eruly allows us to deliver on VCCP\u2019s global ambitions. We now have 2 incredibly talented individuals in Rob and Josh looking after our new business and marketing efforts in the North American and APAC regions, both of which are a key focus for us as a business and I look forward to working with them both to drive the next generation of clients into the VCCP Group, and building on the success we have already achieved in the UK.\u201d\\u003c\/span\\u003e\\u003c\/i\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\",\"blockId\":\"14vzVf\",\"blockUniqueClass\":\"lazyblock-text-full-width-14vzVf\"} \/-->","post_title":"Robert Wills appointed as first CMO for VCCP New York","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"robert-wills-appointed-as-first-cmo-for-vccp-new-york","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2022-11-14 15:35:43","post_modified_gmt":"2022-11-14 15:35:43","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/?post_type=news&#038;p=15609","menu_order":0,"post_type":"news","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}},{"relateditem":{"ID":16481,"post_author":"57","post_date":"2023-05-02 09:52:56","post_date_gmt":"2023-05-02 08:52:56","post_content":"<!-- wp:lazyblock\/text-full-width {\"text\":\"\\u003cheader\\u003e\\n\\u003ch1 style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eWhy some brands want to be a choice simplifier\\u003c\/h1\\u003e\\n\\u003c\/header\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003e\\u003cem\\u003eFor this month's column, VCCP's Founding Partner and Chairman Charles Vallance explains why\\u003c\/em\\u003e\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eHow many thoughts do you have each day? Apparently, as a species, we average out at about 70,000. This equates to more than 4,000 every waking hour.\u00a0\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp dir=\\u0022ltr\\u0022 style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eAnd if you think that sounds tiring, then let me ask another question. How many decisions do you think (there goes another thought) you make each day? About 30,000 to 35,000 is the answer.\u00a0\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp dir=\\u0022ltr\\u0022 style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eBefore we start feeling overwhelmed by this huge volume of mental activity, it is worth remembering that the large majority of this cognitive burden is System 1, ie largely effortless and subconscious.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp dir=\\u0022ltr\\u0022 style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eThat said, up to 10% will be System 2, which means that we are still making roughly 3,000 conscious decisions every day.\u00a0\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp dir=\\u0022ltr\\u0022 style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eThat\u2019s a lot of decision-making and, by definition, a lot of choices that need ruminating on. This may explain why we often struggle to make up our minds, why we talk about the \\u0022tyranny of choice\\u0022. If choice can be a tyranny, then it's clearly not always a benefit.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp dir=\\u0022ltr\\u0022 style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eThe reverse is frequently true. It can be very nice, even a luxury, when choices are made on our behalf. A set menu or meal deal takes the burden away from us. It\u2019s a few less thoughts, a few less decisions that our ever-whirring brains are spared from making.\u00a0\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp dir=\\u0022ltr\\u0022 style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eIn evolutionary terms, we are programmed to focus our energies on the things that help us either thrive, or survive. This is life. And it's energy-sapping.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp dir=\\u0022ltr\\u0022 style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eThe biggest consumer by far of the body's energy is the brain (at 40% of daily output). So it is perhaps no surprise that we are hard-wired to insulate our brain from conscious choice, just like we insulate our lofts from heat loss. We don't want to waste energy.\u00a0\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp dir=\\u0022ltr\\u0022 style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eIn order to reduce our cognitive load, we continually look for mental shortcuts and heuristics. Anything to simplify choice, or to dispense with it altogether.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp dir=\\u0022ltr\\u0022 style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eThat's why we develop patterns and routines. Few of us pick up a toothbrush and think, which tooth should I start with first? We have an automatic routine. The same is true of the way we butter bread or open a boiled egg.\u00a0\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp dir=\\u0022ltr\\u0022 style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eGiven half a chance, human beings will avoid difficult decisions, and the strongest brands are the ones that understand this most profoundly. In fact, you could argue that the primary role of a brand is to act as a 'choice simplifier'.\u00a0\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eSimplicity, of course, is as rare as genius. And it is immensely difficult to achieve. To simplify choice, Robert Woodruff understood that Coca-Cola would need to be \u201cwithin arm's reach of desire\\u0022.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp dir=\\u0022ltr\\u0022 style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eIt would need to achieve ubiquity. You can imagine how much the distribution manager thanked him for this blindingly simple strategy back in the 1920s.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp dir=\\u0022ltr\\u0022 style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eBut at two billion drinks a day, it appears to have paid off, despite the logistical challenge involved.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp dir=\\u0022ltr\\u0022 style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eAnother challenge with simplicity is that it's a constant work in progress, an unrelenting race with your competition. We all understand that it\u2019s important to make things easy. But that\u2019s not the point.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp dir=\\u0022ltr\\u0022 style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eThe real art is to make them easier. Winning brands are always tackling the next point of friction, ironing out the ridges and seams of the customer journey, replacing deliberation with intuition.\u00a0\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp dir=\\u0022ltr\\u0022 style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eWe see this pattern endlessly repeated in any number of markets from food retailing to finance. I\u2019ve lived through the process in banking.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp dir=\\u0022ltr\\u0022 style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eWhen I first went to university, the only way to get hold of your money was to visit the bank during banking hours, roughly 10am to 3.30pm (but not the hour when the bank was shut for lunch).\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp dir=\\u0022ltr\\u0022 style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eThen along came ATMs, then telephone banking, then online banking. Now you can do all your banking on an app in the back of a bus during lunch on a bank holiday.\u00a0\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp dir=\\u0022ltr\\u0022 style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eThis process of simplification has transformed the customer experience of finance. But there is one caveat. Outside of first movers (eg First Direct) none of these developments was fundamentally differentiating from a brand perspective.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp dir=\\u0022ltr\\u0022 style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eDespite all the UX upheavals, the biggest brand simplifier in finance remains the same as when I was at university. It's our old friend brand distinctiveness.\u00a0\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp dir=\\u0022ltr\\u0022 style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eWhatever category you operate in, the first and most important step in simplification is to be instantly recalled. Any brand that forces us to rummage around in the corners of our minds (trying to find it under a bag of vanilla wafers) inevitably starts with a huge cognitive disadvantage.\\u003c\/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp dir=\\u0022ltr\\u0022 style=\\u0022text-align: left\\u0022\\u003eJust as the greatest sprinters leave the blocks on the b of bang, your brand should be recalled, without a moment's thought, on the f of front of mind.\u00a0\\u003c\/p\\u003e\",\"blockId\":\"S8gok\",\"blockUniqueClass\":\"lazyblock-text-full-width-S8gok\"} \/-->","post_title":"Makes You Think","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"makes-you-think","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-05-02 09:52:56","post_modified_gmt":"2023-05-02 08:52:56","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/?post_type=news&#038;p=16481","menu_order":0,"post_type":"news","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}}],"hide_related_items":[],"visible_on_home_page":["1"],"websites_to_publish":["5"]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/16551","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/61"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16551"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vccp.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16551"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}