James Sanderson

I’ve always been a bit averse to management consultancy-esque adjectives such as inspirational, game-changing and paradigm shifting. But now I find these words, which would normally repulse me, to be the only just method of conveying my month with TBWA.

A small right-hand bounded book that I found lying on a table called ‘Breaking the rules’ was the first indication of what I’d let myself in for. TBWA’s ‘Disruption’ mantra initially seemed like a client-facing whitewash, but learning more about the industry and about TBWA as my time progressed with them, it soon became clear why disruption was so important to these people.

I’ve been fairly lucky in my internships over the last few years (very lucky indeed given some of the testimony on Interns Anonymous) but TBWA offered me something which I couldn’t refuse- a near open-remit working with Account Management to Creative and everything in-between. Disruption formed the basis of not only the creative work but client relationships, account planning and even internal relationships, take for example the summer fete where brand leaders showed off the best of their work in a makeshift country fete (with added candy floss and fluorescent jackets) and a free gig (and booze) in the bar on the ground floor. These guys work exceptionally hard, and know how to play harder.

So, which brands did they let me near I hear you ask? Uncle Bens, Muller, Pedigree, Adidas, Nissan and Twix to name a few in several capacities from research to pitch preparation. It was eye-opening, but juggling it with my commitments in Nottingham and at home wasn’t the best of ideas.

That aside, it was a fairly awesome induction into the industry and one I won’t forget for a while.

I’ll be spending some time at The Daily Telegraph with Andrew Porter and the Politics team from 3rd August. I’ll be posting a report soon afterward.

Picture the scene… You find out that one of the country’s best journalists is an Alumnus of the magazine that you edit and an ex-student of your University. What do you do? The answer was simple; pick up the phone and call Sky News.

I was prepared at the very least to be put in my place, perhaps even the odd swear word wouldn’t have gone amiss. Fast forward twenty-four hours though and an unknown number pops up on my phone, “Hello, this is Jeff Randall here”. Not only had Jeff called me back, he asked If I’d like to shadow him for the day- my answer, of course, was a resounding yes.

My 12 hours with Jeff…

I waited outside the Telegraph’s headquarters next to some imposing iron gates until Jeff came to meet me at reception. After clearing the tight security, we ascended the escalator to the cafe- awash with Telegraph hacks buzzing on caffeine. It really would have been rude not to join them so we grabbed a coffee and continued into the main Telegraph newsroom, which in itself was very impressive. Newsroom wise, it wasn’t just a collection of linear desks separated from each-other, the whole space has been planned meticulously around a ‘hub and spoke system’ – the hub being a large roundtable where the heads of each department can regularly thrash out the days news. The spokes make up the different departments allowing easy collaboration.

The View From Jeff's Office

After a whistle-stop tour of the news-floor Jeff made tracks to his personal office, just adjacent to Will Lewis’ office. As Editor-at-large, Jeff is one of the most distinguished hacks at The Telegraph, immediately obvious after spending only a short time with him. It isn’t just the journalism awards and the photos on the wall with esteemed members of the political and business world, it’s the respect which he has gained over the years which really makes Jeff unique. In real-terms, Jeff writes relatively infrequently at the Telegraph but his material is always in-tune with many people and it’s pertinence resonates regularly in the business world. It’s no surprise then that The Telegraph treat Jeff like royalty and provide him with a cosy little office.

Despite being at The Telegraph, my task was to research David Gold, Chairman of West Ham for an interview on football finances. This was to be conducted at Sky News later on as a large segment of Jeff Randall Live, Jeff’s weekday show. As they couldn’t find me a desk within the building I sat in Jeff’s chair whilst researching (which in itself was hilarious, with some very strange looks coming from the news desk). We had Lunch at the Cafe’ and discussed Impact Magazine past and present and how far we’d come over the years. After Lunch, I helped prepare some questions for the interview and supplied Jeff with the brief on Gold.

Jeff’s driver then met us outside The Telegraph and we made our way to the Sky News Centre in Osterley. Jeff explained in the car that the journey had put some interviewees off from coming again and that his new purpose-made studio in the Gherkin (or Sky Towers) will be a great opportunity to get the big names.

On Arrival at Sky News you immediately emerge at studio level and walk around the perimeter of the set. Look over to the main set and you’ll catch the eye of some familiar faces. It all seems relatively low-key to be completely frank, it certainly seemed as though their award-winning coverage was relatively effortless. Ascend the stairs to where the real news is made though and things get a little clearer. Jeff has two fantastic support staff for his show, all on the same wavelength and working to some unimaginable deadlines. During this time I watched Jeff finalise his script and add in some typical phrases, “in a mess” seemed to be a regular what with the various financial cock-ups floating around.

The Sky News Gallery

By this time of course, I was getting into the swing of things and just taking the whole environment in. What I didn’t bank on however was the real possibility of his interviewee, David Gold, being a no-show. To my utter disbelief I was asked if I’d go on live instead to talk about student fees – the transcript was written, the graphics were made-up, it was to be my 5 minutes of fame. Fast-forward 20 minutes and thankfully David Gold shows up in a rather extravagant Roller with a Marks and Spencer bag in-hand, my TV debut was shattered but I was saved of some embarrassment. A thoroughly electric experience nonetheless- the ladies in make-up wouldn’t have know what had hit them.

Journalists are well-known for enjoying themselves after hotfooting from the office, and my time with Jeff was no exception. I was lucky enough to be taken to one of the most exclusive gentlemen’s clubs in London. Following dinner, the club members retired upstairs where I joined them for some whiskey-fueled chatter. These chaps were clearly very influential, I’m unlikely to be meeting similarly influential individuals any time soon.

If one would need any more to aspire to, I suggest they book an appointment with their doctor.

@impactnottingham.com

A group of around 30 people gathered today outside the BBC Nottingham building on London Road to show their disdain at the BBC for allowing Nick Griffin, MEP and leader of the British National Party to appear on Question Time. Flagged by a couple of police and with placards waving around in the October weather, Impact had a chat with one particularly vocal protestor- Julie Webster, 36, of Hucknall spoke to James Sanderson about why they had to take action today. Soon after, protestors managed to break into BBC Television Centre in London.

What are you hoping to achieve with your protest here today?

It’s to show people that we are against the decision made by the BBC to allow Nick Griffin onto Question Time. It is important to do this so you aren’t just sitting in your armchair shouting at the television tonight instead of making a stand. It’s also to show the people of Nottingham also so they can feel heartened by the protest. Most people have been supportive today and honked their horns to show their solidarity to the cause. You get the odd BNP sympathiser shouting, but they are in the minority.

Are you going to be watching tonight?

I think I will be forced to…It will be a victory if we manage to stop him from appearing on Question Time or prevent the broadcast. I will unfortunately have to watch it when I get home.

Do you condone the security breach at BBC Television Centre earlier today?

Yes, we have an organisation that until last week, when The Equality and Human Rights Commission forced them to reconsider, had a policy of preventing non-whites from being elected. To me, that is a form of violence, perpetuation of the belief that Black people are inferior to White people. The appearance of Nick Griffin on Question time will give these views legitimacy.

What about freedom of speech? Is preventing Nick Griffin from appearing on Question Time denying him a platform of which he is entitled to?

I believe in freedom of speech for everyone except Nazis, I don’t believe we should give freedom of speech to an organisation that will happily use democracy when it suits them in order to go and smash it. If you look for example, many members of the BNP are members of the British Defence League, which regularly protests against Muslims, the building of new mosques, indulges in Nazi salutes and shouts cursory abuse at Black and Asian people in the road. That is a form of violence.

Who would you suggest the disillusioned parts of the electorate vote for instead, given that the BNP has the strongest policy on the E.U?

There are people here on the protest today from diverse political backgrounds, If I could say just one thing It would be just don’t vote Nazi. The BNP has definitely seen a rise in support, but I won’t comment on whom I think those disillusioned voters should support. Just don’t vote BNP.

An analysis of Nick Griffin’s Appearance on Question Time will be available tomorrow on the Impact website.

James Sanderson

This week I had the opportunity to attend an ad shoot for Doritos and meet the creatives and account execs managing the whole shabang at AMVBBDO. It was a fairly early start and I jumped onto the Bakerloo line to meet with Benedict Pringle, account exec at AMV in Marylebone. I grabbed a cab with Ben to the set, an ex-MOD base in Bushey, North London. The set had the advantage of being multipurpose and I was able to view both indoor and outdoor filming and all the intricacies connected to the production.

Being on set was fun, but I got the feeling from the professionals that the novelty of working with one of the world’s best directors soon wears off. Everyone knew exactly what to do, all the time, almost like they had done the same shot before, being a mere formality to do it again. I can’t divulge many details about the new advert but it has been thought up by an extremely funny creative at AMVBBDO and involves a guy called ‘Alan’ mixed with being a Guitar Hero star. The storyboards and shots certainly seem promising.

I was with the ad-execs from AMV all day, all inspirational people, finishing the G2 crossword in lighting time. Apparently Doritos give AMVBBDO a lot of creative license which really shows in the attitude of those creating the production, paying painstaking attention to detail and making sure, above all, that a bit of humour is injected into the ad- something which is almost a pre-requisite for a Doritos.

Being a big budget ad ~500k, Doritos are riding a lot on the success of the Ad, but with share-bag crisp sales going through the roof and the success of their user-generated content campaign ‘You Make It, We Play It’ they hardly seem to need the publicity. The enthusiasm of all involved, from the gripper to the director, is contagious but when you combine this with the deep pockets of Walkers, you have a recipe for something epic. Speaking with the main creative, he said that his hopes for the ‘Alan’ ad are sky-high and rightly so, given all the months of planning, I can see the ad being a big hit.

On reflection, it was a fantastic day, showing the fun part of the ad exec’s job. It was stimulating to see professionals so passionate about their work, really believing in a concept and just going for it. If anything, my goal to work in advertising has now become an obsession.

Forgive me for being a little too overenthusiastic but to have an area (whether that be digital or on paper) where people can share thoughts on an event is absolutely essential. I first realised the importance of this when i was devising the strategy for which Impact Magazine would cover the Summer Party event at the University of Nottingham. It was a tricky one, considering our remit didn’t include live event coverage. After some deliberation I decided along with the rest of the senior team to use online liveblogging which would give us both text-based coverage along with twitter integration and images. A few days before the event all the infrastructure was put in place for what was likely to be a mediocre piece of journalism- never had I been so wrong.

The response on the liveblog was fantastic, our coverage far surpassing that of the University radio station, with images being placed online only minutes after being taken and comment aplenty it was professional and it felt right. We knew we had really made something worthwhile when those who didn’t make the event started complementing us on the coverage which, considering the timeframe of implementation, was almost a miracle.

Fast forward a few weeks and I’m at the pub with my fellow Scout leaders at the 5th Potters Bar planning the Annual 10 day summer camp for 30-odd. Having produced a video for every camp over the last 5 years, I realised that we needed a more immediate record of what is going on at camp. Thankfully, with the power of a slow but usable 3G data card the Summer Camp Blog went live. In the same vain as the Impact liveblog the fascination of this new media was enough to attract streams of comments from parents and friends of the scouts, some parents even said that colleagues with no relation to the scouts were logging on to see what we had been up to. It just highlighted to me that regardless of whether your target audience is 36000 students or 100 or so parents, making that extra bit of effort can really pay dividends.

So, if you are planning an event where you need that extra bit of publicity, get yourself a data card and set-up a blog at wordpress.com – it’ll bring your event to life!

@campusali.co.uk:

This week I have been interning at Stafford Long. My background however, is in student media having set-up my own magazine in my high school and eventually editing the student magazine ‘Impact’ at the University of Nottingham.

Something which has really struck me whilst working at Stafford Long is the diminishing amount of graduate jobs being advertised in university publications. With graduate recruitment budgets being hit hard, it is understandable that recruiters are choosing to be as targeted as possible in their activities. However, the brand-raising opportunities offered by student publications shouldn’t be forgotten. They offer a really valuable way of ensuring your advertising is seen by a large proportion of the student population at a relatively economical price.

James says: Careers websites are effective for targeting final year students, but if you want to make a dent in the penultimate year internship market, you could consider a student publication – you won’t regret it.

chief@impactnottingham.com

It has emerged today that Sir John Sawers, an alumnus from The University of Nottingham has been appointed as the new Chief of MI6. Sir John, 53, graduated with a degree in Philosophy and Physics in the summer of 1976 and will be replacing the 5 year-incumbent Oxford graduate, Sir John Scarlett this November.

Sir John’s career has been littered with many prestigious diplomatic postings such as Tony Blair’s foreign policy adviser from 1999-2001, Political Director at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office amongst being the British Government Representative in Baghdad and an Ambassador to Cairo from 2001-2003. David Miliband, Foreign Secretary announced the surprise promotion to the position commonly known within the service as ‘C’, alongside the Prime Minister’s official spokesman. His appointment is a marked change in the normal recruitment process as previously ‘C’ would always be sourced from within the MI6 internal hierarchy.

Sir John began a short career with the intelligence services shortly after receiving his degree from Nottingham, apparently working as a spy in Yemen and Syria during 1977, but he then returned to diplomacy shortly afterward. Being described as a ‘Grade one ambassador’ by a No. 10 insider, Sir John will be facing difficult times with the SIS:

“International terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the growth of regional conflict and instability mean that there has never been a time when the skills and dedication of our intelligence agencies, including SIS, have been more necessary to our national security and the safety of our people around the world.”
- David Miliband, Foreign Secretary

Sir John is likely to have been headhunted as a result of his prior experience in policy-making with regard to Tehran’s suspected nuclear weapons programme, Afghanistan and the Balkans. And will need to deliver in the same vigour as his predecessor, but Miliband seems confident that he is the right person to address some of the security challenges the UK faces. He Said:

“I welcome the appointment of Sir John Sawers as the new ‘C’. I look forward to working with him on the challenges we face as a country.”

Known to take a hard-line on Iran, it is likely to be an interesting few years for MI6 and foreign policy, but rest-assured that our very own Sir John is one of our best grads. He still holds the school athletic record for the 440 yards Hurdles at Beechen Cliff School in Bath, an accolade which may even prove to be useful in his new post.

There is a whiteboard in the Impact office, on which we write phrases and topics which aren’t allowed due to cliché, general offensiveness, and just plain banality. What tops this list, however, is a phrase which journalists use as often as a doorknob – ‘The Cre*it Cr*nch’. We’re all aware that upon leaving uni the tough graduate job market will hit us like a nasty rash, so why not drop everything and go to work in Australia for a year?

Recently I had the opportunity to meet with some UK nationals on working holiday visas in Australia. One of them came from Enfield, perhaps one of the most deprived boroughs in London. After just five minutes of conversation, it was clear that the life he was leading in Australia, even for a year, was a world away from the near deprivation at his UK home. The benefits of working in Oz only became clearer as my trip progressed – it was as though the Australian job market had remained isolated from other economic difficulties. If you’re missing your local Woolworths, head down under and work in a Woolworths supermarket, the largest retailer in Oz. Alternatively you can enlist the help of an agency to help you settle and find work in most of the major Australian cities. Travellers Contact Point (0061 02 9221 8744; travellers.com.au) can arrange a meet and greet when you arrive, amongst other services such as access to a major employment database, accommodation in Sydney and assistance in opening a bank account – well worth it if you or your parents are having a considerable litter of kittens prior to the excursion.

Perhaps one of the greatest draws of Oz is its compatibility with English culture. You’d be hard pressed to find somewhere where you can ‘fit in’ so quickly without any language barriers. You could even say that the larger cities such as Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra are essentially UK-type cities in summer with the thermostat whacked right up. What defined Australia for me, though, is its laidback attitude to nearly everything.

Imagine working for a few hours in Sydney, and spending the rest of the day surfing on Bondi or finishing up work on a Friday and wasting the weekend along the Great Ocean Road checking out some Aboriginal art at the Brambuk Cultural Centre (brambuk.com.au) and kayaking out to a Seal colony at Apollo Bay (I wouldn’t recommend doing this if you have a dodgy back, though.) See the seals from the relative comfort of a Kayak with Surf and Kayak (apollobaysurfkayak.com.au); prices start from about £29. Something which you should definitely make time for, if you ever find yourself in the Blue Mountains region, is an abseil down these faintly blue mountains, apparently coloured by mie scattering, where UV radiation is scattered by particles in the atmosphere – you can drop down the side of them on a 60m-high abseil. Take advantage of the shockingly winsome views by dangling off the side of a mountain with High and Wild (0061 247 782 6224; high-n-wild.com.au), based in Katoomba.

Travelling in comfort in Australia can be relatively inexpensive – YHA Australia (yha.com.au) have many hostels throughout the country and can cater for the budget-conscious with shared dorms starting at £18 per night. For those wishing to flashpack, comfortable ensuite rooms, such as the ones found at the Sydney Central YHA, start from £55 per night – considerably cheaper than alternative ensuite accommodation in Sydney. Those on a working holiday visa are likely to find YHA Australia hostels to be a ‘treat’, a common theme among the working holiday-makers was that finding private rented accommodation works out to be more economical than even the most grotty hostel.

To be eligible to work in Australia on this specific visa you may have to undertake a form of manual labor for a short period, such as picking fruit or working on a farm. Although initially this sounds unpleasant, the money is good and many on this visa look upon this time as essentially ‘a massive laugh’, making sound friendships which can remain for the whole of your stay.

Of my ten days in Australia, it only took three to convince me that working in Oz was probably one of the best moves I could make if everything went tits-up in the UK, but even if the next year turns out well an offensive tan combined with the ultimate heights of smugness may just be enough stimulation to book that flight.

I was sponsored by Tourism Australia and YHA Australia this Easter as part of a student media press trip.

Last weekend, Florence Boot Hall, the oldest hall of residence on campus, was the scene of a number of deliberate fires. Sources have confirmed that there were no injuries and police are believed to have taken away suspects who are reportedly, residents within the hall.

The first was a small paper fire in a remote corridor at 2am on Saturday night. Pete Sawyer, a 3rd year student in Florence Boot Hall told Impact that ‘the fire was intended to cause significant damage, blocking off the only fire escape and potentially forcing myself and neighbours to break windows to escape.’ The fire however, was too small to cause significant damage and was put down to usual student antics.

Two further fires were started on Sunday lunchtime, lit almost simultaneously, they targeted a small toilet and a larger top floor toilet and shower facility. Unfortunately, damage was extensive, with some describing the top-floor shower and toilet as a ‘blackened wreck.’ Nottingham Hospitality have now locked down the facilities following the completion of police forensics and hope to have them back in use within the week. 24 hour security was also stepped up around the hall.

Sunday evening bought further drama as another fire desecrated a small toilet on the first floor, filling a whole corridor with smoke amid scenes of panic. The fire was extinguished by two students, one of whom told Impact that ‘one fire extinguisher had been tampered with, rendering it useless for the task’. The fire appears to have been started within the toilet roll holder.

Students were said to be outraged when these later fires developed even with the extra security presence. Further controversy has also arisen around Nottingham Hospitality as sources have also told Impact that the largest fire was only spotted when a student went for a shower, and had to activate the fire alarm manually. If that wasn’t embarrassing enough for Nottingham Hospitality, persons close to hall staff have confirmed that the fire panel was misread, causing the fire service to attend to the wrong bathroom.

Evidently it seems that the response to these incidents has been nothing short of a shambles, many students within the hall remain upset with the situation and have had their studies severely affected. Questions will now have to be asked about security and planning for any future incidents of this nature, and there is no doubt that they will be resonating from the charred corridors of Florence Boot.

Shed Simove is an Ideas Man, amongst producing Big Brother, he has become a serial entrepreneur producing ridiculous novelty items, masquerading as a schoolboy for a Channel 4 series and generally destroying the traditional image of an entrepreneur. I had a chat with him…

Do you think that becoming a student entrepreneur is a viable option, considering the current state of graduate recruitment?

Absolutely, it amazes me how the system expects you to emerge from university and like a fairy godmother, boom; you know what to do with the rest of your life. I would encourage entrepreneurialism at every stage; being straight out of university is particularly good, as the negative outlook of long-standing businessmen isn’t an influence. Fresh opportunities are always more apparent to graduates, as a student you can afford to take these risks as your overheads, such as family commitments are small. Life and business is a game and the trick of the game is to realise that everyone is winging it and that once you have a go at it yourself you suddenly adjust, avoid past mistakes and inevitably be successful, as long as you bloody do something.

I’ve heard that you have your own currency ‘the ego’, how’s it holding up at the moment?

It’s thriving. I am always interested by how the economy is actually a confidence trick, this is an experiment within the idea of perception and value, when we all believe the economy is doing well we’ll spend more money which will improve it, if we believe it is doing badly then we’ll spend less money worsening the economy, it’s a frightening cycle. I read about the game second life and how people were trading currency called linden dollars on eBay for real cash and thought I could replicate it. When I was younger in sixth form I saw an image about the great depression, which was a wheelbarrow full of cash with which to buy a loaf of bread- it got me thinking about the changing value of money and how it’s really a con. When you give me a tenner, you are giving me a promise, not truly ten pounds. I looked into the legalities and considering that gift-vouchers were almost a currency anyway, I found myself a printing press in brighton, designed it up with my ethos’s such as ‘tell someone you value them’ and I placed my family’s names within the pattern. One ego sells for at least 93p, which is a better exchange rate than the Euro. My Head and Tails coin [a coin with his face on one side and Shed’s arse on the other] sells for about £8.

What’s your opinion on business coaches, aren’t they all just a bit crap?

[Laughter] I haven’t had much experience but there is definitely value in support, a lot of life is about believing in yourself and about being with people who believe in you. I use this phrase ‘negnet’, a negative magnet. These are the people who you meet and you say Shed, Shed! – I have this great idea, for a new magazine about plastering. If I show even a shred of negative emotion, such as an eyebrow squint or even telling them that it’s a bad idea- that’s being a ‘negnet’ and commiting the most hainus crime. You need to surround yourself with ‘posnets’.

Support is important, but there is no substitute for doing it yourself. In the same light though, I think business mentoring is the way forward, anyone who is mentoring should give some good guidance, and you can filter the shit. Study successful companies and people, copy their systems and behaviour, add your own USP and suddenly you have something great.

What repercussions came of your ‘Back to School’ documentary stunt?

All I can tell you is facts; I lost £200,000 and was never offered another production by any other broadcasters. Doing the documentary undercover and pretending to be a 16 year old for 9 weeks was one of the hardest things that I had ever done. It proved to me that I had the willpower to do anything, so Everest, piece of piss, launching a novelty toy, hard but I can do it. It gave me an almost legendary status, which lead to my appointment as an executive on Big Brother.

When producing Big Brother, did you ever feel exploitative at all?

You could say that they are exploiting us; some of them go on to achieve a really exciting lifestyle and plenty of cash. It opens up a world to them, one that they didn’t have before. Some do it because they crave material wealth and some do it because they want an adventure. We are very careful about who we pick. Many people don’t get into the house because we believe that they can’t mentally handle the process. Generally, we look for people who are robust and will provide an interesting storyline.