...be the change you wish to see."

So I've been back now a couple of days and had a chance to reflect on the work that I did in Tokyo and how it could work back in the UK.

Well a challenge that is always placed at the door of this work is, "It doesn't apply to music, we're not selling soap-powder!!" 

I have seen nothing this last week that could not be adapted to music if you bring your own experiences to the process. That after all is our job, those participating in the work would be working in music and therefore bring a music-flavor to the proceedings and in my opinion that's enough. Let's take a look at some other 'creative' entertainment industries: film and fashion - both centered around the 'selling' of a creative product. Both industries embark on this type of work as a matter of course. Indeed fashion makes us look like Amnesty International when it comes to commercial exploitation.

The other thing that struck me was that the work carried out this week was not rocket science. I went expecting to be a little bit lost in either the language or the proceedings. After all I was working with Global Brand Managers and Regional Heads etc. However we at SonyBMG have these conversations, we can work like this! But our level of insight, open-ness and frankly effort we put into this area is where we could do our best work on improving. After all I went to work in Tokyo with a major-major conglomerate discussing the launch of a serious product for them with their agency and team and they accepted my opinion and input. We have trouble accepting the input and opinion of another department let alone an outsider.

But it was hard work, people had put in a lot of effort and time in the pre-reading and the source material. Taking that source material and working with it, talking about it, listening, noting it down, pinning it on the boards, distilling it and interpreting it takes effort, time and team work.

And what did we get at the end? A brief. That's all. But a brief that you can build around and do as much big-idea thinking around as you want.  Not 16 different opinions on what the target market is or what they do. We ended up with a brief that was the basis for all the work to be built upon. A brief on what would have the biggest impact on the project and can actually be communicated.  It was then the job of the marketing teams to brief that in to the agency, allow them to get on with it and for them to go away and figure out the best way of communicating it.

But we have some very, very understandable challenges in seeing if we can get to a place like this. But any of you that have bothered to read this far and read all the work  leading up to this  should know that if you're up for the journey what you get at the end is so richly compelling, exciting and stimulating that it's worth the effort. Besides what's the worst that could happen.....?