Stressed? It’s not your fault—blame the oldies!

Brand Audits Update x Christine Moody*

Stress image
Stress and its negative side affects of long-term stress is documented in various respected academic and business journals. I know first hand how stress can affect all areas of your life including your personal and business life. Researchers now believe that the stress and subsequent reaction to it is part of your DNA. I am one of the lucky ones, I think I got the ‘good genes’. I come from a family of determined women and men who see a challenge and take it head on. I think is it something to do with the mix of my Scottish and Australian heritage perhaps. I have had many challenges—especially over the past three years—but I have used these challenges to achieve so much more than I ever thought I could—from an exercise regime that includes bootcamp-style classes and first-ever ballet lessons; to creating start-ups including ‘The Wrap Dress’ and ‘Designer Law School’; as well as achieving one of the most important milestones: finishing my Masters Thesis!. All because I learned how to harness the stress and react to the challenges by changing my mindset and breaking things down to ‘bite size’ pieces. I now say to stress and the challenges:  “Bring it on!”
Fast Company
“Can trauma, stress, and even nightmares be passed down from generation to generation? Scientists say yes. A number of research finds that those who have been traumatized around the time of conception can pass on a DNA code to their offspring that results in a higher vulnerability to stress in their molecules, neurons, cells, and genes. Furthermore, this gene expression—a chemical coating upon the chromosomes—is strong enough to be passed on to a third generation, which means grandchildren have “a kind of biological memory” of what their grandparents experienced, according to studies.”
Forbes
“Stress affects people in all different ways—or at least, different people respond to it very differently. For some, it rolls off quickly, and they rebound in a reasonable amount of time. For others, it “sticks” and it takes much longer to recover, if ever. This is because people’s mental “resilience” varies enormously, which itself is based on both genes and environment. For people who aren’t so good at coping with stressors, it may be that they’ve never been particularly good at it—or it could be that they were once good, but the losses and blows of life have worn away their resilience over time. Luckily, it’s possible to build that skill back up.
 
Inc.
10 steps to building your resilience x Thompson Wall
“It can be easy to feel like throwing in the towel when you’re faced with adversity, tragedy, or even just plain old stress. But what if we could build an immunity to stress in the same way we take vitamins and antibiotics to boost our immunity to illness? A recent article in The Wall Street Journal explores the art of learning resilience with Dennis Charney, dean of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Charney is a world-renowned neurobiology expert specializing in the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders. In Resilience: The Science of Mastering Life’s Greatest Challenges, Charney and Steven Southwick, a psychiatry professor at Yale University, explain that people can train their brain to be more resilient by harnessing their stressors and using them to their advantage.”

*Christine Moody is one of Australia’s leading brand strategists and the founder brand management consultancy, Brand Audits. With more than 30 years’ professional experience, Christine has helped a diverse client base of local and international brands, including Gold Coast City Council, Hilton Hotels, and Wrigleys USA, to develop, protect and achieve brand differentiation.

Powerful women make powerful role models

TaylorSwift

Brand Audits Update x Christine Moody*
Forbes has many lists and rankings, inlcuding lists of the richest Americans and the rankings of the world’s top companies. Two key lists were published this week—Most powerful women + most successful, self-made women in the U.S. These lists are inspiring especially the self-made women from a variety of industry sectors—fashion to manufacturing to medical. Interesting that 20 out of the 50 women on the list reside in California—must have something to do with the sunshine! Some are not household names which is a nice change from the usual ‘suspects’—Oprah and Sheryl Sandberg, etc.
 
The Sydney Morning Herald
“Taylor Swift has been named one of the most powerful women in the world after making her first entrance in Forbes’ World’s Most Powerful Women list this year. The 25-year-old was ranked number 64 on the list for 2015, and is also the youngest. Swift is one of the most followed celebrities on Twitter with 58 million followers. Forbes estimates her earnings in 2014 to be $81 million.”
Forbes

“Forbes has compiled its first ever list of the nation’s top 50 most successful, self-made women as measured by their net worths.The exclusive freshman class includes entrepreneurs, CEOs, entertainers, designers and even an author. Some of the list members are extremely well-known, starting with the likes of Oprah Winfrey and Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg. Others like Kathy Fields and Katie Rodan, dermatologists who created acne treatment Proactiv and now have another skin care company, aren’t quite household names yet but may be on their way.”
 
The World’s Most Powerful Women 2015 x Caroline Howard
“The world’s most powerful woman, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, has a lot on her mind these days: Mediterranean migrants, Russian sanctions, homegrown spying scandals, Eurozone stability and the Germanwings crash, to name a few pressing issues. One thing she surely isn’t thinking about—but we are— is that come next year’s U.S. elections, she could lose her title for the first time since 2010 to the one person with a credible and mathematical chance of “leading” the world.”

*Christine Moody is one of Australia’s leading brand strategists and the founder brand management consultancy, Brand Audits. With more than 30 years’ professional experience, Christine has helped a diverse client base of local and international brands, including Gold Coast City Council, Hilton Hotels, and Wrigleys USA, to develop, protect and achieve brand differentiation.

The beauty of PopUps

PopUps_Markit-25May2014-visitors_2
Brand Audits Update x Christine Moody*
A few years ago, I identified the potential of retail PopUp stores. To prove my theory that this concept was a great alternative to a long-term retail lease, I prepared a visual presentation on the current state of retail in USA and Australia and the PopUp trends. The purpose of this presentation was to investigate if there were any ‘hidden’ negatives around the idea in the context of the Australian retail environment. I then presented the PopUp store idea to landlords, agents, and anyone else involved in retail leasing. My research found no negatives so I set about finding a retail space. I gave myself one week and two thousand dollars to set up a cupcake PopUp store. PopUps can be used to promote the brand, test new products, to get direct customer feedback, as well as to test potential retail precincts prior to signing longer-term retail leases. It also adds excitement to business as PopUps creates a startup mentality—lots of energy and creativity because of the limited resources—time and money! Here are some other PopUp ideas—from market stalls to Martha Stewart’s PopUp Pie Shop.
 
“According to a survey of over 30,000 global consumers, 60% admitted that they browse products online before ultimately purchasing them in stores. Now consider that e-commerce in 2014, only accounted for roughly 6% of total retail sales (US Department of Commerce). What does this all mean for your business?—Jon Burbank, President of Strategic Initiatives at Nielson says, “Now is the time to create Omni-channel experiences for consumers who are actively using both digital and physical platforms to research and purchase, as consumers increasingly don’t make a distinction between the two”.”

Pitchi Chats With Simon Obarzanek, the Founder of Markit x Cassandra Carbone

“Large pop up markets are becoming increasingly popular, and with Markit setting up shop once again in Melbourne’s Federation Square this Sunday we thought we’d find out what is involved in running such a large scale event. Markit founder, Simon Obarzanek sat down with us to share a little bit more about his life as an entrepreneur, market connoisseur and creative—and how he juggles so many hats!”
“To celebrate our new book, Martha Stewart’s New Pies & Tarts, we opened up shop! On March 26 and 27 (2013), our test kitchen team set up a provisional pie and tart store in Manhattan’s West Village neighbourhood offering a variety of baked favourites from the new book. On hand were dreamy cream pies, dainty lemon tartlets, classic fruit pies, savoury galettes, rustic hand pies … and the book that showed how to make all of them! Customers also had the chance meet the bakers behind the book and participate in hourly raffles, as well as check in to the pop-up shop on Foursquare.”

*Christine Moody is one of Australia’s leading brand strategists and the founder brand management consultancy, Brand Audits. With more than 30 years’ professional experience, Christine has helped a diverse client base of local and international brands, including Gold Coast City Council, Hilton Hotels, and Wrigleys USA, to develop, protect and achieve brand differentiation.

What every brand can learn by watching fashion documentaries

valentino
Brand Audits Update x Christine Moody*
I spent yesterday afternoon watching the documentary about Karl Lagerfeld, Lagerfeld Confidential. The reason I love fashion movies is the fact that they teach you so much about brands and how these brands remain focussed on the future while seeking inspiration from the past. If you are interested in the business of brands—and how every single, little detail is discussed and considered—fashion houses are a great examplar. They also represent brands that have survived the departure of the founder and continue to grow new markets and new customers by ensuring the designs remain contemporary but at the same time respecting the past. Like all businesses they have their ups and downs but because the fashion brands have the hearts of so many customers, they are able to survive, adapt, and thrive in the toughest of all business environments. The garments are beautiful but the business of understanding the customer and having a unique voice in a crowded marketplace is just as relevant for couture as it is for professional services. Featured below are the trailers of my top three fashion documentaries.

“Famed Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani opened his first fashion house in 1959. In 2007, Valentino announced his retirement plans and began preparing for his final show. This documentary follows Valentino during the last two years of his time as a designer, accompanied by Giancarlo Giammetti, his patient partner in both business and life. As Valentino gets ready to conclude his fashion career, he worries about the the intentions of the corporation buying his clothing line.”
 
“Dior and I brings the viewer inside the storied world of the Christian Dior fashion house with a privileged, behind-the-scenes look at the creation of Raf Simons’ first haute couture collection as its new artistic director-a true labor of love created by a dedicated group of collaborators. Melding the everyday, pressure-filled components of fashion with mysterious echoes from the iconic brand’s past, the film is also a colorful homage to the seamstresses who serve Simons’ vision.”
 
“Anna Wintour, the legendary editor-in-chief of Vogue magazine for twenty years, is the most powerful and polarizing figure in fashion. Hidden behind her trademark bob and sunglasses, she has never allowed anyone to scrutinize the inner workings of her magazine. Until now. With unprecedented access, filmmaker R.J. Cutlers new film The September Issue does for fashion what he did for politics in The War Room, taking the viewer inside a world they only think they know. Every August a record-breaking number of people cant wait to get their hands on the September issue of Vogue. The 2007 issue was and remains the biggest ever, weighing over four pounds, selling thirteen million copies, and impacting the $300-billion global fashion industry more than any other single publication. An intimate, funny and surprising look at Anna Wintour and her team of larger-than-life editors as they create this must-have Bible of fashion, Cutler explores the untouchable glamour of Wintours Vogue to reveal the extraordinarily passionate people at its heart. He takes us behind the scenes at Fashion Week, to Europe, on shoots and reshoots, and into closed-door staff meetings, bearing witness to an arduous, entertaining, and sometimes emotionally demanding process. At the eye of this annual fashion hurricane is the two-decade relationship between Wintour and Grace Coddington, incomparable Creative Director and fashion genius. They are perfectly matched for the age-old conflict between creator and curator. Through them, we see close-up the delicate creative chemistry it takes to remain at the top of the ever-changing fashion field.”

*Christine Moody is one of Australia’s leading brand strategists and the founder brand management consultancy, Brand Audits. With more than 30 years’ professional experience, Christine has helped a diverse client base of local and international brands, including Gold Coast City Council, Hilton Hotels, and Wrigleys USA, to develop, protect and achieve brand differentiation.

Some people just seem to bounce back from anything—how resilient are you?

Brand Audits Update x Christine Moody*

In today’s dynamic and ever-changing world, brands (and people) need to be resilient. But what does having ‘resilience’ mean and what are the traits of those who seem to bounce back from anything?

7-habits-of-highly-resilient-people

Fast Company
Seven habits of highly resilient people x Harvey Deutschendorf
Success is seldom a straight road; it almost always involves many detours and dead ends. It takes tenacity and determination to keep going, but those that do will eventually reach their destination.

Forbes
The vitial link between resilience and your bottom line x Jan Bruce
If you think that stress in the workplace, employee engagement, and any other “soft” issues are secondary to the real focus of your business, think again. And if you think stress management is about breathing and relaxation, and that your wellness/healthcare vendor has it covered, please read this for the sake of your bottom line.

Strategy + Business
How to lead in ambiguous times x Ian Bremmer
A glance at today’s headlines leaves little doubt that we have entered a new era of geopolitical turbulence. Acts of terror and violence, humanitarian crises, and public health emergencies are rarely localised events. Instead, these shocks transcend borders, presenting global challenges. Just as one crisis fades, another rises to take its place. Adding further complexity, today’s enemy (unlike in that previous period of great geopolitical uncertainty, the Cold War) is often unseen or unknown.

*Christine Moody is one of Australia’s leading brand strategists and the founder brand management consultancy, Brand Audits. With more than 30 years’ professional experience, Christine has helped a diverse client base of local and international brands, including Gold Coast City Council, Hilton Hotels, and Wrigleys USA, to develop, protect and achieve brand differentiation.

The growth of personal services in the digital world

Brand Audits Update x Christine Moody*

Personal shopping

The Business of Fashion 
“At the luxury level, personal shopping services make customers spend significantly more. How do these services work? And can they work on the high street?”
Women’s Agenda
“In 2014 very few modern families can rely on a stereotypical 1920s housewife to keep the home fires burning. Yet the domestic workload hasn’t shrunk. Whilst ideally the workload is shared, the reality is for many working women.”
Fast Company
“Anyone who grew up with the notion that we’d all have jet packs and robot housekeepers by 2015 knows that predicting the future is a risky business. But as technology continues to develop and various trends, demographic shifts, and other factors create change, we are able to get a better handle on how our careers will change in the future. To get a better insight, we asked the experts what work will look in 2025.”

*Christine Moody is one of Australia’s leading brand strategists and the founder brand management consultancy, Brand Audits. With more than 30 years’ professional experience, Christine has helped a diverse client base of local and international brands, including Gold Coast City Council, Hilton Hotels, and Wrigleys USA, to develop, protect and achieve brand differentiation.

Everyone makes a mistake or two—even famous people!

21-brooke-shields.w245.h368.2x
Brand Audits Update x Christine Moody

New York ‘The Cut’
“FIT’s graduation today featured a keynote speaker who is synonymous with “eyebrows on fleek”: Brooke Shields. The model turned actress and author delivered a warm, funny, inspiring speech that touched on the importance of making mistakes (whether it was an ’80s blow-dryer endorsement that didn’t exactly fly off the shelves, or dating George Michael) to the creative lessons she learned from working with Richard Avedon. And she was frank with the students about the trade-offs of being an artist, saying, “If you want guaranteed money, go work on Wall Street.” Read her inspiring speech, including her mnemonic for success.
 
Forbes
“Paul Schoemaker is a rigorous thinker who is not afraid to buck conventional wisdom. His book, Brilliant Mistakes, is living proof that he has no fear when it comes to confronting one of the most basic tenets of big business—failure is a career killer.”
 
Business Insider
“Rejection can feel devastating, but you shouldn’t let it crush you. Some of the world’s most successful people have failed—sometimes more than once.”
*Christine Moody is one of Australia’s leading brand strategists and the founder brand management consultancy, Brand Audits. With more than 30 years’ professional experience, Christine has helped a diverse client base of local and international brands, including Gold Coast City Council, Hilton Hotels, and Wrigleys USA, to develop, protect and achieve brand differentiation.

Brands hang out together to create real breakthroughs

qb-2015-digital-banners-trainingprograms-web-small_hero_gallery
Brand Audits Update x Christine Moody
Luxury Daily
Luxury brands such as Alexander McQueen and Boodles are on pointe with initiatives supporting the art of ballet through one-off slippers to full collections.
 
Fast Company 
The explosive success of the Taco Bell Doritos Locos Taco shows that it’s time for brands to collaborate to create real breakthroughs.
Trend Hunter
Moving beyond musical entertainment, festivals integrate pop-up stations. Seeking to heighten festival engagement, brands are turning to unexpected pop-up stations for exposure. Providing beauty stations and fashion lounges, festivals are turning to unique brand collaborations to not only heighten engagement, but also to add a new dimension to concerts and outdoor events.
*Christine Moody is one of Australia’s leading brand strategists and the founder brand management consultancy, Brand Audits. With more than 30 years’ professional experience, Christine has helped a diverse client base of local and international brands, including Gold Coast City Council, Hilton Hotels, and Wrigleys USA, to develop, protect and achieve brand differentiation.

Women doing it for themselves

TheWrapDress-230514-96
Brand Audits Update x Christine Moody*
 
BloombergBusiness
“Hollywood hasn’t released a notable female-led film set on Wall Street for 27 years. Not since Mike Nichols’s 1988 comedy Working Girl—starring Melanie Griffith as a plucky wannabe banker with “a mind for business and a bod for sin”—has a major film focused on a woman navigating the combative, competitive, and outright cutthroat offices at the center of the business world.
 
Entrepreneur
In fields as varied as robotics, finance, biomedical engineering and education, these innovators have taken a decidedly humanistic approach to effecting positive change. It’s a benevolent form of leadership that is driving real results while setting the stage for the next generation of socially conscious entrepreneurs. Keep an eye out for these women and their pioneering work—we have no doubt you’ll be seeing more of them.”
 
Forbes
“Countless studies of start-up businesses in developed markets come to the same conclusion: more of these enterprises are launched by men than women. That’s a great pity – not just because the statistics are an affront to equality of opportunity, though they are, but also because there’s a growing body of research that suggests women make better entrepreneurs than men.
*Christine Moody is one of Australia’s leading brand strategists and the founder brand management consultancy, Brand Audits. With more than 30 years’ professional experience, Christine has helped a diverse client base of local and international brands, including Gold Coast City Council, Hilton Hotels, and Wrigleys USA, to develop, protect and achieve brand differentiation.

Branding just got personal

NYC st

Brand Audits Update x Christine Moody*
Fast Company
“After all, what are reporters these days if not personal brands? I wanted a makeover. Think: Hitch, but in pixels, and probably with less Lil Jon and Usher. For the sake of the process, I agreed to approach the experiment seriously, partly to glean what the process was like, but also because I just left my 20s and it’s time to give off an impression more “savant” than “idiot.” I am an open book, a space cadet willing to try anything that was recommend to me, no matter how potentially embarrassing it would have been to Chris Gayomali, 1.0.
Forbes
“Over this past year I have been getting more and more social media related questions from entrepreneurs. What should my Twitter handle be? Should I have a personal Facebook page and a Facebook business page? The discussions run the gamut, but always seem to come back to one key question: When it comes to social media, do I focus on my business or my personal brand?
 
Harvard Business Review
“People reinvent themselves all the time—to take on a new challenge, shift into more-meaningful work, or rebut perceptions that have hindered their career progress. Sometimes the changes are major (a financial services manager moves into retail, a venture capitalist becomes a life coach). Sometimes the rebranding is subtle, as for an executive who wants to advance but needs to overcome the knock that he’s “not good with numbers.”
*Christine Moody is one of Australia’s leading brand strategists and the founder brand management consultancy, Brand Audits. With more than 30 years’ professional experience, Christine has helped a diverse client base of local and international brands, including Gold Coast City Council, Hilton Hotels, and Wrigleys USA, to develop, protect and achieve brand differentiation.