HEARSAY

From ‘Waiting in Line’ to ‘Worth the Wait’
Experience makers should never overlook the queue. It isn’t an inconvenience, it’s part of the story. Handled well, this time builds energy and connection. Handled badly, it breeds irritation. The line is your first impression, and first impressions matter.
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Why brands must resist jumping on every viral bandwagon
The growing trend of companies inserting themselves into every viral moment, meme, or cultural micro-trend – whether it fits their identity or not – is a risky business. Get it right and you ride a wave of re-posts and good vibes. Get it wrong and you run the risk of looking silly, out of touch – or, worse, downright offensive.
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From Council Estate to Creative Heights
Growing up in a council estate with my single mum after my dad passed away was a challenging experience. The stigma and shame associated with our circumstances often felt overwhelming. Society's expectations and the harsh realities of our financial situation created a heavy burden that I carried into adulthood.
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‘i’m Not Playing Your Game’: 5 Hard Lessons We’ve Learned From Working With Kids
There you are, about to launch the dry-run of an in-person experience that’s taken months of prep. You’re feeling good. You’ve planned this to within an inch of its (and your) life. Nothing can possibly go wrong. Then the ‘client’ comes in, looks at your beautiful creation – and kicks it.
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The Hot Seat 05: Darren Hair
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The Hot Seat 04: Alannah Brady
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The Hot Seat 03: Henri Leon
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The Hot Seat 02: Jo Usmar
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The Hot Seat 01: Simon Hatter
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What brand experience actually means – and why so many people are getting it wrong
'Brand experience' should not be a catch-all term for events, ads, stunts and even products. Getting the terminology right isn't about semantics, it's about purpose. So, let's clear this up once and for all: what exactly is brand experience – and why is the term being so misused right now?
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Easy brand experience wins when putting on an industry festival
Successful brand experience is all about understanding your audience and your environment. While that may sound like teaching granny to suck eggs (is that the saying?), it's amazing how those foundational basics can get lost.
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WHY ONLINE SHOPPING IS TO OFFLINE WHAT PORN IS TO SEX
For too long, retail brands and agencies have focused on digital shopping, prioritising online sales, service and branding, to the detriment of in-person store spaces. Focusing, in effect, on the porn rather than the sex.
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The art (and the agony) of brand repositioning
With brand repositioning the stakes are high. Get it right and you can unlock new growth opportunities. Get it wrong and you risk diluting years of carefully built brand identity and value. This is the challenge that HATTER recently took on. Here, agency Founder Simon Hatter and MD Henri Leon discuss their recent repositioning: why they did it, how they approached the process, and what they learned along the way.
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When Digital Worlds And Irl Collide
Digital communities will continue to seek out physical spaces to connect in-person – and that’s a positive thing for all of us, whether digital natives or novices.
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At Cannes we learned that agencies are showing up harder than brands for Pride
The 2023 advertising festival proved that the biggest crisis facing brands is the panic and confusion over how to show up for LGBTQ+ rights. Simon Hatter, founder of HATTER, believes agencies are handling the crisis much better than their clients.
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How masterful branding protected American Apparel for way too long
American Apparel is a great example of how masterful branding and a clever internal brand experience can create a protective shield around a company.
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Dutch Design Week 2025: HATTER’s highlights
Design week may be over here in the Netherlands, but its impact is still buzzing. Here are some of our design team's favourite moments; inspiration they're bringing back to the studio...
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