The most recent task was to re-brand the seaside town of Margate. One team (Ignite) opted for marketing Margate to families – safe but uninspiring.

The other team (Empire) worked on the re-invention of Margate as a gay resort to rival Brighton.

In the event, the latter idea failed not through prejudice but through extremely poor execution of the marketing materials, namely posters and a leaflet, due to running out of time.
Ignite won with a predictable approach yet Empire’s route was so much more innovative.

Good branding (or re-branding) takes time – it cannot be done in two days – and involves so much more than just a single image, a few good photos and a few posters!

Sometimes clients do not understand the difference between the design of a single image (logo) and all the research behind the creation of a brand or a re-brand. This Apprentice task proves the point.

Of course, designers and marketers do not always get it right – remember Consignia?

But any good agency will include sufficient resources in the budget to do thorough research and to ensure their (great) ideas are beautifully presented.

Time maybe money but two days is not enough for a re-brand! Margate deserved better!

The candidates had to create a cereal brand, a character, design packaging, put together a marketing campaign and film a TV advert.

While Kimberley had problems with Philip Taylor and Lorraine Tighe arguing all the way through, she has admitted that she let Philip bulldoze his character “Pantsman” through, despite Lorraine’s protestations, as there were no other ideas on the table.

As a marketing consultant myself I find that very strange! Usually marketing people are known for their creative ideas.

If she (or the team) had come up with another concept there would at least have been an alternative form which to choose.

Obviously managing a brainstorming session that results in creative ideas is harder than it looks!

Still, not briefing the packaging designers fully seems very strange – for a marketing consultant – although she had clearly run out of time.

The lesson appears to be that there has to be a balance between creativity and structure.

It will be intereresting to see how Phillip and Lorraine fare in future weeks.