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In 2001 Robert Heath stirred up the advertising world with The Hidden Power of Advertising, an Admap monograph outlining a Low Involvement Processing (LIP) model of how consumers process advertising. His claims were robustly challenged, not least from those who sought to promote TV advertising as a ‘high involvement processing’ model which sought, and obtained, the active attention of consumers.

Although Heath’s paper was published only 11 years ago, it was a time when advertising was operating in a very different landscape, in terms of media channels and content, and how consumers make use of that media.  Digital TV was  in its infancy, fewer homes had multi-channel, broadband had yet to be rolled out, and smartphones, in any real sense, were still a thing of the future.

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Mazda have a long history of innovation and defying convention.  Models such as the best-selling Mazda MX-5 and the new Mazda CX-5 display the spirit of ingenuity that has made them one of the most respected car brands in the world.  We weren’t entirely surprised, when our suggestion to their Fleet division to get involved with B2B social media on LinkedIn was received with an eager response.

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We’re delighted to welcome our newest client to balloon dog. PACE are London’s leading mental health charity supporting the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and provide a range of support services including counselling, advocacy, youth work, employment coaching, research and family support. Established in 1985, PACE have evolved to support an ever growing number of people with their important work.

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Aristotle said that men cannot know each other till they have ‘eaten salt together’ – put simply, true friendship cannot be attained until people have shared a significant amount of their life together; sharing experiences, ideas, occasions and opinions. True friendship requires time and familiarity.

However, in an increasingly complex world where time is an ever diminishing commodity and familiarity is increasingly being maintained through social networks, these digital friendships feed a focus on managing and maintaining your social circle through a virtual picture book of collective experiences – rather than building true, intimate connections.

So, are these digital connections capable of cementing relationships in the real world, or could they create a friendship void? And, is our digital existence changing the long-term face of friendship in the real world? Finally, does the theory of friendship hold any value for brands?

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