Summary Film Director Nic Cornwall and Creative Director Craig Thatcher discuss the process of creating Day in the Life films for Rapport. The focus is on capturing authenticity and showcasing the diverse personalities of the people at Rapport. The three stages of creating great videoas are highlighted: pre-production, production, and post-production. The importance of detailed planning, finding the right locations, and allowing enough time for each stage is emphasised. The conversation also touches on the role of the client in providing feedback and the need to balance personal preferences with the overall effectiveness of the film. Takeaways Capturing authenticity is crucial in Day in the Life films to showcase the real people and situations. The three stages of creating great videos are pre-production, production, and post-production. Each stage is equally important in the process. Detailed planning, finding the right locations, and allowing enough time for each stage in the process are essential for successful filmmaking. Client feedback should obviously be considered, but it's important to balance personal preferences with the overall effectiveness of the video. “It’s extremely rewarding working with both Rapport and Strawberry Finch. We are given clear briefs but also the creative freedom to bring ideas that we are trusted to bring to fruition. On top of that they are an exceptional bunch of people to work with - truly reflecting their ethos of putting people first.” Nic Cornwall, Award Winning Film Director Sound Bites "There's something about the Rapport people that feels more authentic." "It's absolutely critical to go with what's happening in front of you." "Editing is sometimes remaking the story, to make it more compelling." A compilation of the Day in the Life of six Rapport ambassadors. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 00:51 Capturing Authenticity in Day in the Life Films 10:13 The Importance of Detailed Planning and Finding the Right Locations 13:18 Balancing Client Feedback and Personal Preferences in Filmmaking 21:51 The Value of Explaining the Journey to Clients 25:03 Conclusion Learn more? Contact Craig  today to learn more about how we can help you or discover how our digital marketing team developed the new website for Rapport . TRANSCRIPT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THE THREE STAGES OF CREATING GREAT FILMS Craig Thatcher  (00:23.069) Okay, let's go. Now you've worked on a lot of projects in the past. We've done lots and lots of films over the years. But what's special about the Day in the Life films that we worked on together for Rapport this time around? Nic Cornwall  (00:50.962) I think for me, especially with a film like Day in the Life, which you're talking about, which was to as much as possible actually represent real people, whether they're actually in real situations or not, what we're trying to do is show authenticity. And with Rapport, I think there's this, honestly, it's just about the people. There's something about the people that feels more authentic. They're relaxed in front of camera. When we're doing interviews, often what we try hardest at is to absolutely try and get authenticity. And we do that in all sorts of ways from how we relax them through the way we ask questions. For example, I really don't like asking standard questions when I'm doing an interview. I like it to be a conversation. It absolutely has to be a conversation down to... If I think that somebody said something that I can't use in the edit just because they may not have included part of the question or whatever, I'll ask them in a different way or I'll ask them again, but I won't say, there's nothing I find more awkward when you have an interviewer who's got a set of questions in front of them. They kind of look down and they say, hmm, thank you. Or they go, they say, okay, can we just do that again? And they ask it again because you never do that in conversations. And the whole purpose of an interview for me is to engage someone in an authentic conversation where they start to forget that there's a camera there and they're just talking to you. And the reason I mention all that is because that's made easy by the people at Rapport. And I think one of the reasons of that is because they're people. They're people who are used to talking to other people. Craig Thatcher  (02:38.173) Yeah, I think you make a very good point. I must say that the whole reason for doing The Day and the Life of Films, and there were six of them that we created, was because we wanted to get across that there are far more roles within Rapport than simply what people think of as the main receptionist role. And I thought there was nothing better than getting real people in the real jobs to talk about themselves. And I thought the work that... Nic Cornwall  (03:03.986) Well, and you make an excellent point. Sorry, I interrupt you. You make an excellent point. And one thing, again, you're absolutely right. Not only have I made a lot of films, I've been asked to make a lot of day in the life films or a lot of films that kind of represent people at work or in their situation or whatever. And so often when we're given candidates for that, they try and get the people that are really outgoing, the people that do the more glamorous jobs. The people that, and actually what you really want. If I'm watching a day in the life film, especially when it's something like this, which was a recruitment film, and I'm watching it, I might be a real open people person. I might be an extrovert, but I also might be the introvert who actually prefers to sit back, let other people do that, and I might be more about data analysis or something. And I always try and encourage clients when we're doing a spectrum of people in the business to really focus on that. But again, that's something that was really done with Rapport. I felt we met lots of very, very different people, even though they all have something in common, which is the beauty of it, when you find that. And I know we worked very hard on talking in advance about, okay, we've got all these diverse characters, and I mean diversity in the sense of, in every sense, but also particularly diversity of personality. And we work very hard thinking about, OK, but what is the common thread? What makes these people work together well? And which is actually the irony of that is, and again, we spoke about this, but that is exactly Rapport in this instance. Craig Thatcher  (04:43.933) Yeah, I know they have they employ some fantastic people and you do very well to draw out their personalities because the trick that I found that you do particularly or do particularly well is is making people feel comfortable in front of the camera. People are used to taking photos a lot of themselves, but actually it's a lot more difficult to feel yourself and be yourself when somebody's got a camera in your face. And I think that that is an art that you've obviously developed over many years. And we we got the best out of those those people. And I think for me, and I know you'll cover this a little bit later on the three stages of creating great films. But the first stage is obviously making sure we ask the right questions. It's the pre -planning stage, working out what it is we want to get across. And making sure that we ask the right question. Nic Cornwall  (05:44.466) Absolutely, and couldn't be truer, but something, and actually this goes from everything I do, whether it's a high -end drama, right through to exactly this scenario we're interviewing people. For me, I'm absolutely passionate about having a plan, having a blueprint. So for example, if it was a drama, I would know every single shot I want, and I've storyboarded it in my head, if not on paper. or with an interview, we've got all our questions. But then it's absolutely critical to go with what's happening. So for example, if I'm doing a drama and I'm rehearsing the actors, I know exactly how I want to shoot it, but I'll say to them, okay, ultimately, when people are watching a drama, what they're gonna react to is the actors and their authenticity and whether they believe their performance. So I'll tell the actors, go where you want, do what you want. And we'll see and I'll watch it with the director of photography and we'll say, okay, oh, actually we wanted to go here, but that act just went over there and that feels so authentic. So we're going to go over here now. And it's exactly the same in the interview process. I've got my questions and you'll have seen me do this. I'll read all my questions in my head and I'll have them literally before it. They can be the same questions for 10 interviews, literally before every single interview. I'll read all the questions. I'll have them in my head. But then when someone answers it, they might say something interesting or different. And if I don't explore that avenue, if I don't go where they're going with it, as you would in a conversation, then it's not authentic and you're not getting the best out of people. All you're doing is getting a prescribed opinion of what you think they should say. And I think that's absolutely critical. Craig Thatcher  (07:27.709) Yeah. Yeah, I must admit there's several things that I've learned from you over the years and the way that we work together has been fantastic. And the most important for me is the detailed planning. I mean, that's that's where I think we really connect because I'm like you. You can't expect to get the result you want unless you've thought about the result you want and plan the result you want. Developing the interview questions. again is absolutely key. That's something that you you do so well. And I've also enjoyed the joint meetings that we have with our client as well, because as much as I can talk about filming, I'm not doing it every day of the week. And it's lovely to have you on board when we're talking, you know, details and specifically about their potential films and the storyboarding aspect. Sorry. Yeah. Nic Cornwall  (08:18.802) But if I could interject, but if I could interject then so, but the point being is, and you're absolutely right, what I was talking about can only happen when you have that really solid foundation about, you know, where it could go or what it's been. It's not a completely random process. And you, you go, you go off with the tangents that they're based in a foundation. It's not a random conversation because of all that research and that time that you've spent. And what you do. when you brief me, if you have such a good and unique understanding of the client and everything around it, that by the time I get to that interview, I genuinely feel embroiled and invested in the client. So it's not that I say I know what they want, but I'm likely, purely by osmosis, I'm going to ask a question that feels relevant to that foundation. And that's absolutely critical as well. Craig Thatcher  (09:17.693) Yeah. Yes, and I think that's that's what's meant. That's enabled us to create some great films over the years. My understanding of the client and my ability to communicate that to you so you get the best out of the and I'm going to call them actors, whether it's Rapport ambassadors or or actors, because we have used them in the in the past, haven't we? Yeah, that's sort of that way of getting the best out of them for me is the critical part. And the stunning cinematography, certainly in these day in the life of films. I was just blown away by what you achieved with Alex on those films. I think it's been fantastic. So earlier we talked about, or I mentioned that actually there are three stages to achieving a brilliant film. There are three of them. And do you want to tell us what they are? Because I don't think clients necessarily understand them. Nic Cornwall  (10:12.85) Yeah, no. And again, yeah, and this is what I think is so crucial. So there's what we call pre -production, production and post -production. Pre -production is basically what we've just been talking about, which is all the planning, everything. If it's a corporate film for questions, if it's a drama from script, right through to storyboarding and basically planning the entire project. Then the production is the actual filming of it. And we've kind of touched on this already. Yes, you have a fantastic foundation, but sometimes you find gold as you're doing it. One of my favourite questions at the end of an interview, I'll always say to someone, what did you think we were gonna talk about? What did you think I was gonna ask you? And I promise you, eight times out of 10, they'll say something that I just didn't expect. And it's usually, it's nearly always ended up in the film because it's just something different and it's unique. Craig Thatcher  (11:07.645) Really? Yeah. Nic Cornwall  (11:08.786) and I didn't guide it. Whilst we've gone through all our tangents, I didn't guide that. So that's really important and I think it's absolutely vital, even with a drama, don't be so prescriptive that you lose those magic spontaneous moments. And then after the shoot, you get back to the edit suite and it doesn't matter how many films you've done, how accomplished you are, there are moments where you think, oh, actually, that works so much better that way. And that can be as simple as two shots one after the other, or it can be as simple as, and honestly, I've done thousands, literally thousands of interviews. And still today, sometimes I'll get to the edit suite and I'll think either that interview was absolutely brilliant. And then you go and think, oh, actually it wasn't as brilliant as I thought, or even better and actually much more common is you think, I know I've got what I want in that interview. but it's gonna be a bit more of a struggle to edit it. And then actually when you're sitting in front of it in your edit suite, you go, no, that's amazing. That's beautiful. It might be slightly different, but that's amazing. They've said something crazy or something brilliant. The same with performances in drama or shots that you use. The shot that you thought was absolutely amazing. It's a common thing in film for editors to say directors need to kill their babies. And it's true, you might have designed this fantastic plot that you've had in your head that you think's wonderful. And then the editor goes to you, yeah, but it's better in the close up. And you look at it and you go, yeah, it is. It just feels more human, it feels better. And so there's such three important stages. And editing is like, it's a cliche to say, but I passionately believe it's fundamentally true, that editing is sometimes remaking the story. You've got all the elements and what you planned upfront, you think actually, no, that just doesn't quite work how I thought it would or that or usually an even nicer is actually that works so much better if I just do it this way around. Craig Thatcher  (13:18.045) Yeah, yeah, I agree with that. So although I've been going on about what I like is the pre planning and the detailed nature that what you're saying also helps is the spontaneity and going off in different directions because that can reveal really magic moments. Nic Cornwall  (13:36.178) But it comes from the background, it comes from the research, it comes from the confidence to understand that then you can go. I often think when people are so prescriptive in either the shooting or the post -production, it's because they're not confident. Because actually they don't really know what it was that they wanted because they don't recognise the magic, they don't recognise the difference, they can't incorporate it. And while we're talking about editing, Craig Thatcher  (14:02.109) Yeah, okay. Nic Cornwall  (14:05.522) Um, and I find this particularly the clients and I don't want this to sound detrimental, but, but something that happens an awful lot with the edit stage, especially is that clients will come back to me sometimes and they'll give me not too many, hopefully, because we usually smashed it, but they'll come back with a list of changes and very often the changes that they're asking for, they're trying what's happened is they've watched the film. And it might be that they thought it was going to be more narrative or they thought it was going to be slightly too emotional, more emotional, or maybe they thought it's a little bit too emotional. So what they then try and do is they try and solve the problem for me by saying, take this shot out, do this, don't have that line. And I was at the Austin Film Festival once and obviously they were talking about drama then. and I was watching some of the Disney executives talk about script writing and they made exactly the same point. They were talking about feedback to writers and what they were saying is so often the problem is upstream. So for example, a classic in a drama film, you might feel at the end that actually you don't really have any empathy for the character who's in trouble. And so when people give feedback, they'll say, no, we need to take that scene out because I didn't feel any empathy for them. That's not the problem. The problem was that when you set it up half an hour ago, you didn't create a sense of familiarity or you didn't make the audience like that character enough. And it's exactly the same even in corporate film. Music is another one, they'll say change the music because we don't like the music. And then you change the music and all of a sudden the film loses all its emotion. or it might be they want to change a particular shot and you think that's honestly, that wasn't your problem. The problem was here. And now you've told me that it's not emotional enough. I know exactly what you mean. And sometimes I might've even done it deliberately. I might've thought, oh, hang on. I'm not trying to make this too emotional. So I didn't do that. And if their feedback was it's not, then I can, okay, well, of course that's what I did. But if they start saying, Craig Thatcher  (16:06.237) Hehehehehe Nic Cornwall  (16:29.746) Can I change this shot? Can we take that out? I don't like that line. That's not as productive. And it doesn't even mean that they're wrong. It just means that we can have that conversation if they identify what their actual problem with it was. Craig Thatcher  (16:44.093) Yeah, that's fascinating to hear that. The filmmaking has similar issues, whether it's making Disney films or corporate films. I've been giving some thought to how to help clients get a better result from their filmmaking. And I've made some notes on some of the things that I think are important. And I'm sure you've got some of your own as well. But for me, there's some key ones. And that is allow plenty of time for planning. And a lot of clients don't appreciate quite what goes into it. But at the bit of time, upfront really does help. Find the right locations for shooting is absolutely key because that sets the backdrop. Allow plenty of time to get people, models, actors, colleagues or whoever it is into the right place. A lot of clients don't allow for their colleagues diaries to make the filming work. And also understand that it takes time to set up shots when on location and break down for each shot. You know, it doesn't happen in a snap. But also for me, and this is a critical one, is attend the shoots because the client's input can be valuable and there's nothing like seeing it actually there. And then finally, the one for me, and it's a legal one, it's about getting model release form sign so there aren't any legal comebacks from the image rights of the people taking part. I mean that's my list. Would you have others to add? Nic Cornwall  (18:25.65) Yeah, I think they're a great list. Yeah. I mean, I probably couldn't add to that in terms of, I think you're right, time upfront, especially. I mean, time across the whole board. We can do it and we often do it very successfully in ridiculously tight deadlines. But there's nothing like a bit of time and even for the client, because that then takes pressure off them. They don't have to immediately feedback. Craig Thatcher  (18:37.149) Okay. Nic Cornwall  (18:55.57) Um, I think as well, and this, this one could, could sound, um, wrong, but I, I find, and this can be every stage of the process. Sometimes I wish clients would understand that just because they have an opinion about something and I'm probably talking about more about post -production here, but sometimes just because they have a personal opinion about something doesn't mean that it has to be changed. And I'm going to qualify that. I've had many, many times, I'm very proud of this, but I've had many, many, many times where we've made a film for a client and they come back and they say, oh my God, that film was absolutely perfect. We absolutely loved it. You completely nailed all the messages and the team were in tears. Can we change this? We want to change the music. We want to take that out and do it. And I always think, okay, maybe you personally didn't like the music. I get that. But you've just told me, I nailed all your messages. Everybody came across brilliantly and the team cried. So why are you trying to change that thing you don't personally like? And I guarantee you that as we sit here, if we started talking about films or music or art or anything created, I guarantee you that we will find... some things, let's take films as an example, we will find a film that you absolutely hate and I love. I guarantee it. There'll be actors that you will absolutely hate and I love. I don't like Tom Hanks. I think he's an awful actor. He's an Oscar winner. He's clearly incredibly successful. Lots of people love him. So neither of us are right. We just have a difference of opinion. And that is something that I do wish clients would understand is to have the... Craig Thatcher  (20:31.165) Hehehehehe Nic Cornwall  (20:54.386) I say the bravery, but yeah, and the confidence to know that if it works for you on an emotional level, on a practical level and delivered everything for you, don't worry about your personal preferences. And the reason, obviously, as I say, that's much more post -production, but that can come into the entire process. Um, what else do I? So, yeah, no, no, no. Craig Thatcher  (21:15.261) I think I'd like to, sorry, sorry, go on. I think I was going to say I'd like to end on one around giving clients giving themselves enough time. And that is to, if you like, to look at the film, get feedback, just give themselves some breathing space because sometimes they put themselves under a lot of pressure because they've got lots of other things on and they rush. And sometimes you just need to think about things a little bit. So for me, that's a critical one. Nic Cornwall  (21:50.994) No, and you know what? I think that's an excellent point because I think as well, time to watch a film. If I'm gonna read a script, I never, a feature film script, for example, a drama script, I always make sure I've got two hours completely free, because I would never watch a feature film and pause it and then come back a couple of days later and then sit on the train and watch a bit more of it. I watch a film, in total Craig Thatcher  (22:18.077) Yeah Nic Cornwall  (22:19.826) And I think, and I completely understand it. I totally get it. Even when you're talking about a two or three minute film, clients are under so much pressure and they've got so much else on that sometimes they watch it and there's loads going on. And I just wish sometimes, I don't know if they don't, but I think it's really important to give yourself the time and space to allow yourself to watch it. Craig Thatcher  (22:37.245) Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I think that's a good point. Okay, unless there's anything else you wanted to cover, I think we can draw our conversation to a close. Nic Cornwall  (22:49.266) Yeah, I know there is, there is one thing and, and, and this is a compliment to you. Um, I know something I learned from you and I wish I'd done a lot more, but I think is really valuable in this. I think this dovetails with what you're talking about with clients is that when I'm pitching for a project or when I'm talking to clients about project so often in the past, I'll just go, this is my idea. Here it is. And. you know, 90 % of the time they go, great, that's fantastic. Or maybe not 90%, but sometimes they'll come back and they'll say, oh, and I'm not sure. But I think it's so important for clients to understand and not, not because I want to make an issue of it, but I think it's important for them. And this is what you do is you explain the journey. You've done so much research and as I've talked to you about so much understanding of the client and whatever creative we have or whatever messaging we have. We've arrived at it through a process and a real process and we've ditched lots of stuff and we've thought about the stuff and I always, always when I'm thinking of a creative for something, my first thought is what is it I want to represent and therefore how can I do that? And so often with clients I get, they will say, can you give me an example? And I think, no, because I didn't go on Vimeo, which lots of production companies do by the way. I didn't go on Vimeo and watch a logo stuff and go, oh yeah, that kind of fits. I'll put it in that hole. I just thought how, what, what story am I going to tell? How am I going to represent this? I don't know. I don't, it's probably been done, but I don't know that. I don't know how to find an example of it, but to go back to the journey, just explaining to clients or even other creatives actually is how you arrived at that and why you've arrived at that is just such a wonderful exercise. And it's not only a wonderful exercise for the mind, it's a wonderful exercise for you because then it properly gels in your mind. Sometimes you change it because you're going through that and you know you're doing it, but it also makes you, it develops your understanding of it, as it does in not yours, but mine, for my own creatives. Craig Thatcher  (25:03.741) That's very kind of you to mention that. I will end now in a second on the fact that actually on the Rapport new website, there are 20 films. You and I are responsible for 12 of those, which is pretty amazing. Yeah. So. Nic Cornwall  (25:22.194) And I don't say this often, but I am proud of those films, all of them. I think we've made some really lovely films on that. So, yeah. Craig Thatcher  (25:28.893) I. Yeah, I absolutely agree. OK, right, that's it. I'll say good day. Nic Cornwall  (25:36.466) Lovely. Alright, good day. Thanks, Craig. Bye.

For more than a decade, Craig Thatcher has made a significant behind-the-scenes contribution towards helping to launch and then to build Rapport into a market-leading, award-winning, global guest services brand. With locations throughout the UK & Ireland as well as the USA and ASIA. He has achieved this by working with the senior management team, which is now headed by Managing Director, Dirk Talsma. The company is positioned on the belief that “every guest experience should be unique”, and goes to extraordinary lengths to engage, excite and empower its people to personify the brand’s values and do whatever it takes to delight their clients and guests. The secret is making their people or Ambassadors as they’re called - ‘feel special’ and in turn they make their clients and guests feel the same way. THE NAME RApport Craig led the original creative team in 2012 that developed the name ‘Rapport’ and worked closely with Greg Mace, who was Managing Director at the time, on defining the ideal market positioning, the branding and communications. He also drafted the brand values, which remain just as relevant and unchanged to this day. PLANNING PHOTO SHOOTS Craig organised the original photoshoot to create the imagery for the launch website, with a parallax scroll emulating the seamless guest story and commissioned a unique sound track to go with the film that launched the brand. All before going on to support the launch Rapport in the USA in 2014. DESIGN AND BUILD OF THE WEBSITE Craig wrote the copy for and organised the design and build of the second and third generation Rapport websites . The latest one features a small number of Ambassadors and their stories of outstanding service. It drives home the market position, as well as presenting the company to prospective clients and employees. TWO INTERLOCKING BROCHURES Craig also drafted the copy and organised the design and production of two interlocking brochures. One describes what the company does and the other describes how it does it. Both fitting perfectly together inside a new folder. SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNS As there is always something new going on, the news section of the website is the place to learn more. Over the years Craig has ghost written many articles and once approved, uploaded them with photos, then created social media campaigns comprising of articles for LinkedIn and tweets to drive traffic. TWO VOLUMES OF INSPIRATIONAL STORIES Craig organised the design, illustration and publishing of two volumes of ‘Our Collection of Inspirational Stories', that celebrated the outstanding service provided by Rapport Ambassadors. SUPPORTING THE ANNUAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS Craig has supported the awards right from the start, and they are an excellent annual event created to recognise and celebrate the outstanding levels of personalised service provided by the talented individuals employed by the company. The lapel pins given to the winners are based on the Rapport speech marque, inspired by the design of cuff links, that he commissioned a jeweller to make to celebrate the launch in 2011. STORYTELLING WITH SHORT FILMS Using film is a powerful way to tell stories or to record key events and Craig has produced several with an award-winning film director. Including one to help with recruitment, one to explain the TUPE process to new employees and another on the role of floor managers in running flexible office spaces for major clients. RAPPORT ACADEMY FOR BRILLIANT CAREER OPPORTUNITIES The Rapport Academy provides brilliant career development opportunities with a large number and variety of tailored training courses open to all. At the annual graduation event their achievements are celebrated with many receive promotions for their hard work and extra effort. WHY MY-RAPPORT? Over the years Craig has proposed many ideas, and one of the most important was MyRapport, which is an internal social media platform for Rapport Ambassadors. Because they all operate on client sites, he knew a form of ‘cultural glue’ was needed to keep them all together ‘virtually’. As it would be so easy to lose touch, not be aware of new ideas and not know what was going on without it. Launching CORPORATE RECEPTIONIST OF THE YEAR As a way of shining a spotlight on the very best front of house receptionists in the corporate world, Greg Mace developed the idea and founded a new competition called Corporate Receptionist of the Year. The only award for front of house receptionists working in the corporate sector. Craig supported the launch in 2019 and remains involved. Read more . SUCCESSFUL relationships TAKE YEARS TO BUILD Craig has a long-term relationship with Rapport who use his brand management tool, ‘Continuous Branding’ - to help lead their market, to inspire their people, to win awards and to grow in the UK and internationally. The early years of the Rapport journey appear in Craig’s book; ‘Continuous Branding’. RESULTS Up until the pandemic, Rapport grew by 20+% per annum and is the market-leader in the corporate front of house services industry and is in Europe, Asia and North America. Over the years, the company has won countless business awards and was Highly Commended for Best Strategic Development of a new Brand in 2012. NEED HELP? Craig has acted as an external Creative Director based on his knowledge of Rapport, its values and market position. If you would like help to build your new service-based company or need to refresh what you are doing, then get in contact now. KEY SERVICES PROVIDED Creative direction Naming, positioning and branding Commissioning a unique sound track to the launch film Brand values drafted Organising photo shoots at Canary Wharf and City of London Design of internal launch presentation Design and copy for three generations of websites Copywriting, design and publishing two corporate brochures Produced recruitment films and floor managers film Design, illustration and publishing of two volumes of Inspirational Stories Supported launch of Rapport in USA Design and copy for Rapport Concierge website Ghost writing news articles for website Social media campaigns

The Managing Director and Head of DE&I for Rapport Guest Services wanted to show how they encourage their colleagues to be themselves at work and asked Craig Thatcher to produce a film that would demonstrate this and to make everyone feel proud of the inclusive culture within their company. just be yourself at work Many organisations talk about how diverse they are but struggle to live up to what they say. Rapport has achieved this by simply encouraging their people to be themselves at work rather than leave their true selves at home. Diversity is a fact. Inclusion is a choice Craig decided to work with award-winning film director, Nic Cornwall on this exciting project and after discussing the concept, felt that a film showing Rapport ambassadors doing what they do every day at work would be the ideal way to communicate this unique and welcoming culture. emotionally engaging Diversity and inclusion film It needed to be authentic and emotionally engaging for viewers, so Craig and Nic commissioned a unique piece of music from Dom Jones for the soundtrack. Nic wrote the lyrics and the Rapport choir sang it. This achieved two things at the same time. Firstly the choir has a wonderful sound and is a perfect demonstration of different people coming together to sing in unison. Secondly, it would mean no royalties to pay for an existing song. film making process However, there were many challenges at each stage of the film making process to be addressed: Concept Establishing the brief, brainstorming ideas and engaging our clients at every single stage of making the film was crucial to the overall success of the project. Storyboard Undertaking site visits and proposing a number of scenes for the storyboard. Casting Asking for volunteers from within Rapport to appear in the film and to sing the song. Composing Developing the music soundtrack that would evoke the right emotions. Lyrics Writing the lyrics. Individuals in the choir had to rehearse on their own, because there wasn’t an opportunity to get together before the recording. Filming A crew of seven filmed over two days in three locations. Post-production Editing the film, colour grading it, mixing the music and adding graphics and captions for the lyrics. why is the film called ‘Be Yourself’? 'Be Yourself' summed up the essence of the Rapport culture, and makes it so distinctive. It is also a simpler and more informal way of saying that the company is diverse and inclusive. film Premier on 21 April 2023 The film premiered at the Rapport Excellence Awards and the response to it was overwhelmingly positive from everyone because it is genuinely authentic and perfectly represents the unique culture of Rapport. "Thank you for creating a truly remarkable film. I have received so many comments from ambassadors and clients, stating how impressed they were and how it perfectly brought to life, the importance of Diversity & Inclusion within Rapport. The fact that it featured so many of our brilliant ambassadors along with a song that was performed by our choir, was the icing on the cake!" Dirk Talsma, Managing Director Rapport Being exclusive is easy. Being inclusive is not interviews behind-the-scenes On camera, Craig interviewed many of the Rapport ambassadors and director, Nic Cornwall, between takes in their busy filming schedule or whilst they were in make-up. He also took shots of the crew filming different scenes. Then he put together a short, four minute video explaining why it was important to make the film and why the company is so inclusive. Whilst revealing what it felt like for those taking part and why Rapport is unlike any other company he has ever worked with. He uncovered a remarkable culture that encourages people to be themselves at work rather than leaving their true selves at home. Despite everyone being different their strength as a company and as a brand is because of the collective way they make everybody feel welcome. "Rapport always makes everything look so effortless and yet a lot of planning went into this film." Craig Thatcher Credits: Film Director and Lyricist: Nic Cornwall, Music Composer: Dom Jones, Film Producer: Craig Thatcher.

CAPS TITLE CAPS TITLE CAPS TITLE Heading 3 SELECTING THE BEST BRAND management tool Managing a service-based company? Looking for a strategic brand management tool to help you overcome your marketing challenges, and grow sustainably? ​ continuous branding Craig proposes a five steps path to harnessing the power of ‘Continuous Branding’. Whatever stage you’re at, you’ll discover answers to your branding questions in Craig’s ‘Continuous Branding’ book. If you don’t, get in touch and ask away. We’re here to help. brandin g advice By doing some networking and researching, you’ve probably got a few ideas about branding and rebranding; but you haven’t settled on a clear way forward for your brand yet. Branding and rebranding can seem complex and uncertain. Among a million branding and marketing experts, who do you listen to and why? Will your rebrand pay off anyway? Your five steps BELOW To a fitter, stronger and more prosperous future. Read more 1. List your branding challenges Make a list of all the marketing and branding challenges you face. Read more 2. Understand your branding options Understand all your branding options. Ask yourself why you are rebranding, if you are. Read more 3. Find a branding solution Find the best branding solution to help you to grow consistently and sustainably. Read more 4. Ask branding questions Ask questions about our branding tool so you understand how it works, how others have used it, and what it achieves. Read more 5. Get branding! Branding Specialist Craig Thatcher will show you how to harness the power of Continuous Branding, and guide you to success.

TOP 10 TIPS for a successful branding project Here are our top ten tips to help prepare for a successful branding project. It doesn’t matter where you start your journey. Its where you go that’s important. Nobody seems to explain what the stages of branding are or how to prepare, because it demands so many different skill sets to complete successfully. It can also be confusing if you listen to some practitioners who like to make it appear more complicated. It isn’t. Discover some of the many marketing and business challenges that our brand tool can help you to overcome. Appoint a specialist Select the right branding consultant or agency partner because you’re going to need specialist expertise to guide you on your journey. Make sure they have the relevant skills and experience. Do they have a tried and tested creative process? Do you think they have the ability to challenge you, guide you and listen to you when needed? Are they able to work collaboratively with you? You’ll achieve a better, more robust result with this type of relationship because it will complement the skills and experience of the individuals you’ve enlisted internally. This is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make because the difference in the results you can expect from working with the best people - and the rest - could be the difference between success and failure. Write a clear brief Provide all the relevant background information to your market, competitors (including any research findings), the project objectives, an indication of budget, any constraints, the timeframe, the approval process and when a response is required. Set your target for success What are the deliverables? This should correspond with what you need the project to do for your organisation. How are you going to measure whether you’ve been successful? You can use numbers, or specific qualitative targets or goals. Share these with your agency so they’re clear about what the objectives are, and they’ll rise to the challenge with their proposed creative solution, giving you something solid to judge it against. Engage decision makers Engage all key people throughout the entire process. This is especially important when agreeing the positioning for your brand. If everyone is not in agreement with the new proposed position, you’ll never agree on the creative solution to achieve it. You’ll also need their support and a united front when you introduce your brand to others in your organisation. I appreciate that it isn’t possible to include everybody all of the time and you’ll have to decide when and how to involve them. Ensure all on board Make sure everyone is ‘on board’ at the right time in your timeframe. The people in your organisation can make or break your brand so this is an important point. You need to let them know precisely how to personify your brand and any other ways you expect them to help you. Fix date for launch Organise a launch event to celebrate and communicate your new or refreshed brand. Set a date and stick to it. The event doesn’t need to be large but do organise a venue that reflects your brand’s personality - and send out invitations. Having a date ‘set in stone’ helps focus minds on a point in time and reduces procrastination and indecision. Do what you say Do what you say you’re going to - when you say you’re going to do it. It can be difficult to get everyone on board, to get decisions and feedback on time and to gain consensus, especially with a large group of people. But it’s essential to keep the process on schedule as procrastination can seriously disrupt the whole process. Make sure you factor in reasonable time for discussion and debate as this will give you a chance to iron out any differences in the time available. Clear prompt feedback Be clear, prompt and honest with feedback to your agency partner. Everyone in the team needs to be clear on what they’re doing, when they need to do it and to provide prompt feedback within the agreed timeframe. Otherwise you’ll be at risk of going round in ever decreasing circles which burns up time and money very quickly. Be brave to be different The Bible says that the meek shall inherit the earth, but in my experience meek brands are never successful. You have to be brave to be different - to stand out and be noticed. When I say brave, I don’t mean reckless. If you work in a large organisation you may be thinking this is easier said than done. Well it is - but it shouldn’t stop you doing it. Too many organisations find it easier and safer to blend in with their competitors because they feel clients are all looking for the same sort of service provider. This is a flawed strategy because their clients will find it difficult to pick them out. Differentiation is what they need. Launching is not the end Keep your brand moving forward on a continuous basis after the launch. Remember the launch date is a significant milestone on your journey, not the end of the branding process. It’s tempting to launch, then sit back and congratulate yourself, but this is dangerous territory. Once you’ve introduced your brand to your own people and clients you need to develop and commit to a plan that keeps your brand in front of them on a continuous basis.

KEY POINTS FROM the CONTINUOUS BRANDING BOOK Here are the key points from each of the chapters from the Continuous Branding book. Ideal for service-based organisations ambitious to grow. Key points from the chapter Why branding is vital Service-based organisations have to overcome issues that manufacturers of products do not – the intangibility of their services, market differentiation, adding value to their offers rather than cutting costs and engaging people in new ways. There is a fundamental relationship between branding and design to be exploited by those that recognise the existence and relevance of it. Continuous Branding is a strategic tool to be used by service-based organisations to grow consistently, sustainably and to communicate clearly. Measure the impact of branding against your organisation’s key objectives and link it strategically to your brand’s performance. This encourages continuous innovation and renewal with more consistent growth. Key points from the chapter Find your tail wind Recognise the feeling of a ‘head wind’ slowing you down, because Continuous Branding is like a ‘tail wind’, making progress a lot easier. There is considerable evidence for design acting as a strategic motor for growth and innovation. Design is more than merely styling. Organisations can incorporate it into their own particular way of doing things. Awareness of the strategic importance of using design in both the private and public sectors across the European Union is growing through better design management. Servicing the wrong clients will drain your resources. Your brand only needs to be relevant to clients that are an ideal match. Don’t bother with the others, let your competitors struggle with them. Key points from the chapter Preparing for the future Explain why you do what you do, then develop and share your point of view to make it easier for clients to choose your brand. Having a point of view increases or creates demand for a service, and brands without one will always be followers not leaders. Create services that are useful, helpful and relevant to your ideal type of client to save them time and make their lives simpler. Agility, flexibility and informality are prized attributes for all service brands as the world speeds up around us. Re-think and re-organise the way your people work together and with third party agencies and suppliers to help you provide a better brand experience. A company’s size no longer matters as much as quality of service. There is a premium to be enjoyed by keeping things simple. Key points from the chapter Think of a brand as a person People relate to service brands like their other personal relationships, using all their senses to set their expectation before actually experiencing the service itself. People with the right attitude and approach will personify your brand. Give them authority and discretion to flex their appearance, behaviour and communication depending on the particular situation in hand. If you have more than one service brand within your portfolio, make sure that the skills, experience and personalities enable each of them to compete strongly in their respective markets, and not with each other. Proactively manage the relationship between your service brand or brands and the personal brands of the key people that work for them. Key points from the chapter Your service brand is great People don’t buy from companies, they buy from people. Actually, from experts they like - so don’t hide yours away. They are your only real point of difference, so make the most of them. Spend time talking to your people about your brand, what it means to clients and why you do the things the way you do. To personify your brand, make your people feel valued, important and cared for and you’ll bring out the best performance in them. To outshine your competitors, provide personalised experiences for your clients that they’ll find memorable and will want to share with others. Small shifts in behaviour can lead to bigger shifts in thinking and a dramatic effect on your clients’ experiences of your brand. Key points from the chapter A strategic tool for growth Successful organisations recognise that branding and design are essential components for growth and innovation regardless of their size. Service still tends to be under valued as a key differentiator by many organisations. My most successful clients share a common pattern in terms of their thinking, behaviour and communication that helps explain why the best of them grow consistently, whilst others do not. This is mirrored in successful world-class organisations. I wanted to develop an easy way to explain how service brands grow by linking an organisation’s strategy to its clients, its leader and its people as well as its suppliers - in a way that everyone can understand and support. My aim is to share this in a form that you can adapt for your own advantage, first by thinking differently and then looking at your specific circumstances from a new perspective. Then introduce changes that make a fundamental difference over the long term. Key points from the chapter Five principles of Continuous Branding Continuous Branding is made up of five principles and is for anyone running or marketing a service-based organisation and building their brand through their people. Use Continuous Branding strategically, by putting the principles at the heart of everything you do for greater brand performance and success with more consistent and sustainable growth. Motivating your people to personify your brand is both challenging and rewarding and Continuous Branding can help you with it. Key points from the chapter Building Rapport Guest Services Greg understands the power of Continuous Branding by linking it to his strategy and his people, and putting the five principles at the heart of everything he does. Principle 1: Greg thinks like a brand owner by continually building the value of Rapport through excellent service and growing the company at the same time. Clients want to appoint Rapport because they’re the best in the market and to experience their unique brand of hospitality. Principle 2: Greg leads from a powerful market position because he understands that his clients crave an intuitive service, one that anticipates needs, that saves time and makes their guests feel welcome and relaxed. This is conveyed through the Rapport website, driving home its market position and continually reinforcing it with ‘industry firsts’ like National Telephonists’ Day to celebrate the role of professional telephone operators. Principle 3: Greg and Rapport have an engaging point of view. With his five-star hotel experience, he has a crystal clear idea of how clients and their guests should be looked after. Although, his real gift is his ability to inspire his people to personify the Rapport brand by thinking and behaving like him. He is always telling stories about his wonderful Rapport Ambassadors and the annual Excellence Awards are recognition, celebration and reward for the most outstanding examples of service. Principle 4: Greg personalises the Rapport brand experience for clients and guests. This makes them feel important, valued and good about themselves. It comes from empowering his Rapport Ambassadors to take control of situations that are ‘out of the ordinary’ and trusting them to do the right thing. This personalisation is powerful and extremely difficult for competitors to replicate. Principle 5: Greg invests continuously to grow consistently. He knows that the minute he stops investing will be the minute Rapport stops growing. This is what drives him on to win new contracts and prestigious awards for service and excellence in workplace engagement whilst still growing the Rapport brand at more than 20% per annum. Key points from the chapter Your branding journey begins here Service-based organisations have to overcome issues that manufacturers of products do not - the intangibility of their services, market differentiation, adding value to their offers rather than cutting costs and engaging people in new ways. There is a fundamental relationship between branding and design to be exploited by those that recognise the existence and relevance of it. Continuous Branding is a strategic tool to be used by service-based organisations to grow consistently, sustainably and to communicate clearly. Measure the impact of branding against your organisation’s key objectives and link it strategically to your brand’s performance. This encourages continuous innovation and renewal with more consistent growth. Order ebook, audiobook or paperback. From £7.95 inc VAT. Buy now Order ebook, audiobook or paperback. From £7.95 inc VAT. Buy now