Latest / Marketing Shed / Ferrari Luce: Why Everyone Is Wrong About It
Transcript
- Warren Fiveash: Good morning, Paul. How you doing? Paul Duxbury: I am very well, I'm very well. Today is my 60th birthday. Warren Fiveash: Many happy returns, Paul. Many happy returns. How are you feeling being reaching such a landmark? Paul Duxbury: Thank you. Well, do you know what? It's a strange one. I'm folding my arms now and getting defensive. It's a strange one because I've never been happier, never been more fulfilled. But I think today, if I'm being honest, I don't think I want to be 60. But then I kind of, well, you haven't got much choice, have you? I think I'm going to be fine with it. And I think people say, rightly, I think. Warren Fiveash: Well No. Paul Duxbury: that your 60s is your best decade. ⁓ But I haven't quite got my head around that. So we'll see. We'll see. Warren Fiveash: I I ⁓ I think sixty is different to what it used to be, isn't it? I think ⁓ life's changed I think life begins at sixty. I think we said this before, didn't we, Bob? I think I think you're in for a great decade. Paul Duxbury: Hope you enjoy. Yeah, well thank you. I think it's just the last decade has been so fabulous. I'm thinking how do I top that? yeah, I think it's exciting times. ⁓ I'm, yeah, I just need a day or two to adjust, I think. Warren Fiveash: Yeah. Yeah. Have you got me presents? Paul Duxbury: ⁓ currently I have one, one, one present, which is very kind. ⁓ a good friend has given me, ⁓ a couple of passes to, ⁓ Wimbledon. ⁓ cause I'd never been. And of course, big topic of conversation in recent, podcasts from the marketing shed. ⁓ so I'm going to go and experience, ⁓ a day. Warren Fiveash: ⁓ Yeah. Paul Duxbury: ⁓ in Wimbledon in July. Warren Fiveash: Lovely. What ⁓ that's a that's a fantastic present, isn't it? Yeah, what a way to celebrate that. Yeah. Paul Duxbury: Yes, yes, yes, yes. So it's all very good, all very good. So ⁓ birthdays aside, or my birthday aside, what have you been up to? Warren Fiveash: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, I've been away, so I went to Norfolk with the family over the weekend, so that was lovely. Paul Duxbury: Can I say it looks like you're still aware your shirt is very summery and refreshing. Warren Fiveash: Do you know what? Because the weather's been bad is bad this week after we had such a lovely week last week, I thought I'd keep the vibe going and wear a nice shirt. So yeah. ⁓ so I came back quite relaxed and we had good weather and just lovely. Do you know what? I don't think ⁓ I don't think this country does a good enough job in selling staycations. I think they're I think they're brilliant. I think we've got a lovely, you know, lovely beaches. round that part of the world particularly got lovely beaches, you know, sort of round Yarmouth and along there. And yeah, it was just the kids loved it. They actually love those ones more than they do going abroad in a way. So I think yeah, it was it was really good. I haven't been we haven't been away anywhere with the for a while. So it was just good good to get out and see something different, have different different energy, different vibe for a bit. It was good. We've come back really Paul Duxbury: This is a very good point, Warren, because I'm guessing it took you, two or three hours to get to your destination. And you were there, weren't you? No airport. I two hours would be, you wouldn't even be at the airport normally. Wow. Warren Fiveash: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Like the kids were really good in a car. I mean now you've got you know, and I say maybe this is a judgment of my parents here, but you've got pads, you know, iPads and things that kids can watch on the way. Why not? You know? It's Paul Duxbury: Why not? They can watch educational things. It doesn't have to be. Warren Fiveash: Exactly. Yeah, something called B V C that was very educational. But yeah, do you know what I don't know if people sell that is a good point. In their marketing about why staycations are good. You don't have to go for all that. Just throw stuff in the car and then you're there. And you've got GPS obviously on your phone now, so it's easy to find these not you don't have to get the A to Z out like you used to. So Paul Duxbury: Yes, of course. Warren Fiveash: It's ⁓ yeah, it was just really really straightforward, really good. I mean it does rely on the weather. That is what that's one thing you can't change, right? No, you can't sell that. ⁓ But we were lucky and got it and it was great. Yeah. Just good around. Paul Duxbury: Yes. Fantastic, I love that. I'm inspired by that. agree with you. think staycations ⁓ should be the big thing. Yeah, I mean, there were obviously post-COVID or during COVID, but I think that is the way forward. Warren Fiveash: Yeah, yeah, I do. I think so too. I think so too. I'm gonna be pushing the stacation from now on. Well, saying that I am going to wait in a few in a few weeks' time, but ⁓ Paul Duxbury: Well, staycation maybe from from May to September. They might change the rules after that period. Warren Fiveash: You need to get you need to go further afield after that. But what have you been seeing this week, Paul, in the marketing world? Paul Duxbury: Yes. Yes. Well, I will come on to that because I have got something I want to talk about. just because we haven't spoken properly for a couple of weeks. And of course, we haven't spoken since I was ⁓ at AnteCon, brilliant conference with the brilliant Carlos and the crew. That was a fabulous event. But also I was at the e-consultancy capability leaders forum just a few days before, if I remember correctly. Warren Fiveash: Yes, of Yeah, forgot about that. Yeah. Paul Duxbury: And that was a very good session. They're always good. Paul Davis puts on a ⁓ brilliant show. And I do have a talking point for that because at the Capability Leaders Forum, there was a lot of talk about artificial intelligence, but not only that, there was the usual talk about designing learning interventions, know, courses. ⁓ Warren Fiveash: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Paul Duxbury: training pathways, learning programs, series of workshops. But I think that the team ⁓ are perhaps not quite up to speed, I mean, know, easy for me to say, and I'm happy to be shot down, in that I'm increasingly thinking that capability building is less about designing interventions. You know, here's a learner. Here's some training or here's some learning and development We're gonna you know attach the two together. I just don't think that's how it's gonna work I don't mean in three years time I mean now because the the technology is there now and people are learning ⁓ Moment by moment using artificial intelligence. They're learning in the flow of work. They're not consulting Warren Fiveash: Yeah. Well, Paul Duxbury: learning management systems or intranets or playbooks. They're just going in and asking, you know, how do I solve this particular challenge? And therefore, I think the challenge or the opportunity for capability leaders is to do less intervention work and more building the ability of people to learn themselves because it is a skill, you know, there is a good way of learning, a good mindset that needs to be built. Warren Fiveash: Yes. Paul Duxbury: and you do need to provide tools and information in certain formats and so on to leverage that. So I don't have all the answers, but I think there is a sea change coming in the role of capability builders in organizations that I just sense from that group that they haven't quite locked onto that yet. And I think it would be advantageous to do so. Warren Fiveash: Interesting. And have you have you seen that pattern already then, Paul, in the work you do? So people ⁓ we've talked about this before, haven't we? But people doing the learning themselves at a time when they, you know, f doing finding a way to learn from themselves essentially. Do you see that in what the work you do? Paul Duxbury: Yeah, I do. I I see it in the work I do personally. I see it in the work that people do around me. ⁓ Funnily enough, I was chatting to somebody just a couple of days ago and they were talking about, ⁓ AI is going to come, we're going to get a tool. And I said, what do you use it at the moment? And they said, ⁓ yeah, actually I do. And it's pretty good because they're not counting the work they're doing, for example, building an agent in Co-Pilot to analyze. lots of disparate data to produce a report. They're not regarding that as learning, but it is. And I just sense this potential gap emerging between capability leaders who are developing interventions and the learners who meanwhile are just cracking on and getting on with it and learning through a variety of means, learning by doing experimentation, et cetera, et cetera. Warren Fiveash: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Paul Duxbury: And I think the two need to come together quite quickly or else the capability leaders will be left ⁓ a bit stranded. Warren Fiveash: good point you raised. People don't realise they're actually doing the learning by doing the t experimenting and testing. And so actually ⁓ there's a gap like you said, there is a gap there, isn't there? And when people suddenly realise that they are, actually they won't the intervention becomes not needed, doesn't it? So ⁓ actually we know more than we think we know in a way. Paul Duxbury: Yeah, I think that's right. think learners could quite quickly get ahead of the game. And therefore I think there is a bit of a need for a hurry up amongst capability leaders to anticipate, well, not necessarily to anticipate what's happening, but to recognize what's happening and then to consider a wholesale change to the way that they operate. Of course, you know, I'm painting a bit of a black and white picture to make the point. ⁓ But I do think there's more than gentle change in the air, there's transformation happening. Warren Fiveash: Well I think we could talk about this more, couldn't we, in the future? Paul Duxbury: Would you like to let's have an hour? But no, we could and we should and we will, but we'll come on to that. ⁓ Anyway, what have you seen? Because I've been rattling on, what have you seen apart from beaches? Warren Fiveash: Did you see yeah, did you see the we'll talk about AI again, we haven't talked about it for a while. did you see the new Google announcement about the new glasses a couple of weeks ago? So you know but years ago they launched something and they axed them pretty quick, didn't they? ⁓ about ten, twelve years ago I think. They're launching they're they're bringing them back but in a in a slightly different format. I think now they're they're just an ear ⁓ you've got ⁓ like a microphone and earpiece. Paul Duxbury: No, tell me. Yeah. Warren Fiveash: That's already got an earpiece that where you can talk to AI, essentially, and ask it questions. And obviously it's got a camera in the glasses. Whereas before I think it had a screen and you'd see things pop up on the on the screen. I think they are going to do a bit of that, but essentially it is just talking to AI. And it just I I've also been reading about websites and the need for them, and obviously we've got GEO now, you know. ⁓ Essentially are people are people visiting websites at the moment, Paul? Do you visit websites like you used to, or are you using AI? And with the advancement of these glasses, and if they do start to kind of crack and break through in the market, which they haven't quite yet, although Meta have sold X million amount of glasses, ⁓ with Radban, if they do start to crack through, then are ⁓ are we just you know The need for typing and searching websites is gonna be gone. You're just gonna be talking to AI const constantly and asking it what's the best thing? What what is the best holiday I can go on in the UK ⁓ to carry on the theme? And it will give you a recommendation and you'll say, Okay, I'll go on that holiday, ki give me more information about that, type it in and off you go. ⁓ Whereas before, in the old world, we would be searching on the websites on, you know TripAdvisor, that kind of thing. You might do a bit of that still, obviously. I just one I'm just thinking that it feels like maybe we're on the precipice of and maybe I'm behind the curve on this and other people are seeing this already, but it just feels like we're on the precipice of are do are we gonna need websites in the way we used to need them? And obviously it's about showing up and making sure that you're the right choice. So when AI is doing this searching across the net, you're you're coming up. But Maybe we don't use websites in the way we used to. It just it's I wonder what you thought. Paul Duxbury: I agree. And I'm going to buy a pair of those Google glasses when they come out. you've got to take advantage of the fact that, you know, I need glasses, I wear them all the time. So let's make a positive and I'm going to get a pair of Google glasses. That's a commitment. And I think you make a very interesting point, maybe, because you remember there was talk about Web 2.0. Well, in fact, we didn't really notice. I wonder if Web 2.0... Warren Fiveash: ⁓ okay. Yeah. Paul Duxbury: isn't exactly what you describe. It's moving it away from internet browsing and into generative AI. Warren Fiveash: Yeah. Really? ⁓ in terms of so when you talk about generative I AI you mean what I just described, so you're asking. Yeah. Yeah. Paul Duxbury: Exactly. Yeah, I think you've got a cracking thought there. Warren Fiveash: Yeah, I just think it changes the game a bit when you're and perhaps a lot of us are in the old world and way of thinking in that, you know, when you're ⁓ devising your strategies you need to have X on your website, you need to have it looking like X, but actually we need to be thinking about how it shows up in in these searches, right? In the AI searches. And when you've you've got the advancement of things like these glasses, you know, you've got Meta doing it, you've got Google, Apple about to do it, I think. People are gonna be walking and talking. all the time asking questions if they suddenly become you know, ⁓ if they suddenly start you get a few early adopters and you start cracking through and everyone's doing this, then that that changes things quite quickly. And you know, I think we're moving that way anyway, but it could really speed up if Paul Duxbury: Yes. I think you're right. think there's the old tipping point thing. also I think, you see, typically as marketers, we would probably say, let's try and get a foot in both camps. Let's carry on doing our investment around web, but also let's do our work around artificial intelligence and all the things that go with that. And then you look at people like SoftBank, ⁓ you know, they've just made a big bet on data centers. That's where they're investing big time. And maybe sometimes as marketers, we need to make the case for those big bets. maybe you accept that your website is just going to be fairly static in terms of further development. And you're going to focus the money you might have spent on developing website traffic to develop AI. Warren Fiveash: Mm. Paul Duxbury: Search and AI surfacing of the site and everything that every well not the site but the business and everything everything that goes with it Warren Fiveash: Yeah, yeah. No, that's just my thought. That's my thought for the day, that's what I've been seeing, and it's yeah, it's playing into a lot of my thoughts at the moment. What about you? Paul Duxbury: Good thought. Well, I want to talk about the thing that everybody's talked about and we're a week behind, but doesn't matter, which is Ferrari. And Ferrari have launched their first fully electric car, the Luce, ⁓ and it has been pretty universally derided by the internet, by motoring journalists, by well-known people, by marketers as well. and they've derided it for not looking like a Ferrari and for being ugly and I think they are wrong and I think they're wrong for two reasons. The first reason is I don't think they've done their research properly because I've been to the Ferrari website and I've played around with their 3D models and color combinations and Ferrari for reasons I don't know. they chose to present the car in a sort of vivid blue color. And people are like, it doesn't look like a Ferrari and the shapes are all wrong. Actually, if you go on the website and you go on the configurator and you make it Ferrari red with Ferrari wheels, it looks pretty much like a Ferrari. It's got many of the design cues of a classic Ferrari, particularly if you rotate it, look at it from different angles. So, I don't think the ⁓ commentators have done their research is point number one. Warren Fiveash: Interesting. And my question is, why did they choose to show the picture of the blue one without that looks less like a Ferrari? When what you're saying is it sounds like they could have chosen the one that looks more like a Ferrari. So my question is, was it deliberate? Because they knew it might cause a bit of Ferrore. Or maybe I'm maybe I'm overthinking that. Paul Duxbury: I don't think you are. I think it was deliberate and good for them because this brings me neatly on to point number two, which is that there's a long line in history of things that at the time provoked all sorts of outraged reactions, but have proven to be absolute design classics and ahead of their time. So staying in the car world, the Citroen DS, our viewers may not know, but it's that sort of swoopy Warren Fiveash: You are. Paul Duxbury: weird looking Citroen car with the closed in rear wheels, an absolute ⁓ mold breaker in terms of design, but now seen as being one of the most important significant cars of the 20th century. Sydney Opera House, which is a global icon and when it was ⁓ first built was derided as being, you know, just a terrible design and I don't know, described as being a sort of prefabricated monster or something, but now is clearly established as a brilliant design classic. then you can go to Apple, go to the original iMac. Remember that cube, the blue translucent plastic, everything was contained in that one box that you just plopped on your desk with a keyboard and off it went. And at the time it was said to be toy-like and just not a proper... proper computer, but that of course is now a classic and has spawned a whole generation of products and changed people's opinion of what computers should look like to deal with. So for those reasons, ⁓ I think the commentators are entitled to their opinion, but they're wrong ⁓ and I think the Ferrari Luce ⁓ will become a design classic and will also ⁓ mark a considerable ⁓ change in the ⁓ direction or the trajectory for Ferrari as they move into the electronic vehicle age. Warren Fiveash: I love that, Paul. I love that. That goes against the grain of what everyone else is saying. So I've been reading the comments on ⁓ on LinkedIn around it ⁓ from various commentators and it's fascinating. There's a split opinion, I think, as well. Actually, there's more of a split opinion than you realise. Some people are more in your camp. ⁓ but I think the initial reaction was this is crazy, this doesn't look like a Ferrari, right? ⁓ But Paul Duxbury: Well, the share price went down by 8 % the day it was launched, but that shows you how much the stock market knows about design and about ⁓ good marketing. that share price will bounce back. And I'm not a betting man, but I'm pretty confident that Ferrari's share price will be considerably higher than it was before the Luce in a year's time. Warren Fiveash: Well, Jack Jackie what I know this hasn't been proven yet and maybe you've got an opinion on the new Jag ⁓ not being great, but I I I've not really got an opinion, but a lot of people were outraged by the ad before it actually even came out, the car, weren't they? Around the totally different styling to what it used to look like before. But actually I've seen people I saw Robbie Savin drive it ⁓ on a podcast and was very positive about it. And so actually You give these things a bit of time, ⁓ the initial reaction over a couple of years can just seem yeah, like a flash in the pan, stalling a teacup and actually these these cars go on to a huge success, right? So Paul Duxbury: Absolutely. Warren Fiveash: Interesting. Watch the space, you'll see if that's the same for Ferrari. Paul Duxbury: Yeah, watch this space, fingers crossed. So what is happening the week ahead, Warren? What exciting stuff. Warren Fiveash: Well, we're seeing each other, Paul, aren't we? For your birthday celebration. So I'm looking forward to that. And yeah, that's gonna be good tomorrow, ⁓ well this week. So very much looking forward to that. And then just there's not a lot not a lot else going on, lots of birthdays this weekend, Paul. ⁓ actually to fit with yours. So celebrating those and then yeah, some big projects of work going on. ⁓ I'm interested to hear more about your week 'cause it's your sixtieth birthday. Paul Duxbury: ⁓ yes! Yes, I'm becoming ⁓ 60th plus ⁓ in the week ahead. ⁓ What I'm doing, I'm doing something really, really, really interesting and quite challenging at the moment. I'm helping ⁓ a comms team essentially rewire or refresh their operating model to factor in generative AI. And it's as big and as broad as that. And... The challenge that team faces is how do you take a team of, I can't remember exactly, but maybe 60, 70 people plus lots of other people ⁓ in local teams who are linked to the global team, and how do you reshape that team so it can increase impact ⁓ through the use of artificial intelligence? And it's asking all sorts of questions. ⁓ transformational change on steroids because the implications are so big and so it's a fascinating piece of work. So I'll be working on that next week and it will be done by the week. No, it won't. It will take some time, but it's going to be one of the big things I'll be focused on for the next seven days. Warren Fiveash: Come full circle there, haven't we? Generative generative AI. That sounds fascinating. I'm interested to hear more about that as you go 'cause I think that's ⁓ something a lot more businesses should be focusing on. So yeah, it sounds good. The other thing I should mention as well is we're prepping for we're going on tour, Paul, aren't We're speaking at event on July second. ⁓ I think it's play is the way you say it, isn't P L A I. So prepping for that together with you, which will be good. Paul Duxbury: We are going on tour. Yeah, we're going to a conference, aren't we? And let's get the right name for it. ⁓ So what's the right name for it, Warren? Warren Fiveash: Bear with me a sec, we can cut this bit out. Paul Duxbury: Here we go, here we go. have written what we're gonna talk about and we are doing a round table, I know, and it is gonna be epic and we are gonna be talking about price. But just to remind everybody of what it's called and where it is. Warren Fiveash: So it's the play so we're gonna be speaking at the Play Marketing Summit on second of July at the Bankside Hotel in London. ⁓ and we're gonna be talking about price ⁓ and the role that ⁓ brand plays and how you ⁓ add value to your product ⁓ come business via other factors just ⁓ so we're really excited to do that, aren't we? And ⁓ I think ⁓ the prep starts now, doesn't it? Paul Duxbury: Very excited, and how do people get tickets? Warren Fiveash: How do people get tickets? That is a good question, Paul. Well I think you can go on to the if you go if you search P L A I London Marketing Summit, you'll be able to find the website and get tickets that way. Paul Duxbury: ⁓ It's going to be great and we look forward to seeing everybody there. Warren Fiveash: Brilliant. Well, have a fantastic birthday week, Paul. And yeah, I'll see you this week for celebrations and we can talk about that on the next podcast. Paul Duxbury: Happy days, take care. Warren Fiveash: It's both.