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Projects listed

• Absolut ‘Trend Safari’
• Wizards Network
• Graduate Works
• Quickheart
• ?What If!
• Innovation
• Creative Agencies

Recent & Current Projects

Below are some examples of current projects and work conducted in the last six months.

Absolut ‘Trend Safari’

When Absolut Vodka brought the leading bar owners from Germany to London on a ‘Trend Safari’ to see the current trends in the drinks market, they wanted a lively morning session after a night out on the town. Human Zoo was asked to workshop how trends occur. Not only did the organisers request that Human Zoo extend the workshop by an hour (which was accommodated without the participants knowing), the participants also requested that Human Zoo come to Germany to do further work. This request was made by two fierce rivals who put aside their competitive spirit to ask that Human Zoo run a joint workshop for their staff, and also by the organising agency themselves. Watch this space for updates…

 

Wizards Network [www.thewizardsnetwork.com]

The Wizards Network is a continuing inspiration for Human Zoo. Projects conducted with The Wizards Network in the last 6 months include:

• Working with the management team at Air France / KLM [www.airfrance.com / www.klm.com] to help them to create and deliver presentations at their first joint Air France / KLM, UK & Ireland conference. Feedback was: “it was the best conference we have ever had.”
• MW Kellogg [www.mwkl.co.uk] design and build on-shore oil rigs and refineries. Their diamond jubilee was a significant event. The Wizards asked Human Zoo to take the role of Creative Director and lead the pitch to run the one-day event for staff and families. MW Kellogg complimented the pitch team for providing a bid that was “head and shoulders” above the competition. The final event took 3 days to build and included the diamond jewellery from the James Bond film “Casino Royale”, a dinosaur exhibition, and a Robot Wars arena.
• The Royal Mail asked The Wizards to spice up their 3 day HR conference. The 12 Wizards ran some 144 sessions for 1,500 HR and L&D professionals from the Royal Mail. Human Zoo ran a series of workshops which examined how to share creative ideas, and to get buy in from your organisation.
• Apple Computer approached Human Zoo to run the bi-annual conference for the Global IS&T Team. Having co-designed their previous event that had set a new bench mark for team development at Apple, the challenge was on to provide something new and exciting. Human Zoo designed an innovative event involving 7 Wizards, 3 venues, 5 horses, 3 Mongolian Yurts, 1 fifty-four seat coach and a whole Festival Of Learning.
• When Skype asked for two Wizards to entertain 500 staff for their two-day annual conference in the minus 26 degrees of Estonia there were only two possible candidates. Ruby Wax and Human Zoo. Entering realms of training trauma that make car-crash TV seem like a flesh wound, Skype received an event that helped them to reconnect with who they are – no bullshit.
• Finding The Balance is the most important evolution in professional (& personal) development from the Wizards. This is a university of learning, where clients and faculty come together in an ongoing journey to discover ways of navigating business and life. Human Zoo is proud to be a member of the faculty.

 

Graduate Works [www.graduateworks.com]

Graduate Works is a company that specialises in graduate training. Human Zoo works alongside Graduate Works in delivering training that transforms Graduate employees into star performers and tomorrows leaders.

 

Quickheart

Quickheart turn the sales process into a buying process and help customers to find the product that they want. This translates into increased sales and profit. Human Zoo is the training partner for Quickheart, with a team of 7 training staff to fully realise the potential of the Quickheart system for clients including the Alliance & Leicester and the Bradford & Bingley Building Society.

 

?What If! [www.whatifinnovation.com]

The world’s largest independent innovation company brings Human Zoo in to disrupt their clients thinking. Human Zoo runs workshops on projects that range from the evolution of love to why men get drunk.

 

Innovation

Human Zoo regularly runs innovation programmes, ideation workshops, and brainfood sessions for innovation, brand and creative companies. These have included:

• financial services
• fashion
• advertising
• alcohol

 

Creative Agencies

Human Zoo works with small creative agencies in developing their management team and their business. Traditional consultants, unable to understand the hothouse atmosphere are unable to advise these innovative and dynamic organisations. Human Zoo works with the management teams (often founders) to find ways of being, organising and developing that allow for total flexibility and non-traditional responses to the market-place.

 

Client testimonials

We worked with Simon in the planning stages of our new company agenda21. Launching a new ad agency into a cluttered marketplace needed a different approach that informed everything from how we approach clients to how we behave as a group of individuals so that we could stand out for all the right reasons. Simon's help was pivotal in terms of getting our story right - so much so that even now almost 2 years on, it still guides the way we do business.

Nick Suckley – Founder, agenda21

Simon and his team added great value and insight to our understanding of the motivations of our consumers. The techniques were fresh and interesting and kept the team engaged and motivated.

Ian Bray - Global Revitalisation and Fun Platforms, The Wrigley Confectionary Company

The facilitation of our top team strategy meeting for was first class. I’d recommend Simon to anyone looking to truly affect change in their business. He has bags of experience, and will make you laugh like a hyena.

Mark Lewis, Relationship Director, The Wizards Network

Human Zoo combines the insights of primatology and the techniques of improvisational comedy to provide corporate training that is illuminating, effective - and fun! Most conventional courses apply 'one size fits all' methodologies to complex interpersonal relationships; providing sticking plasters rather than real solutions, techniques instead of insights. By contrast, Human Zoo addresses fundamental aspects of human behaviour that rewrite individuals' ability to address the challenges they face in their professional and personal lives.

Iain Halpin, Consulting Director, Pleon

The training was fantastic!

Branch Staff, Bradford & Bingley

Just wanted to say a BIG thank-you for the Workshop. Have chatted to a few branches and the feedback is very positive, not just in terms of the session itself and the content you covered, but also a feeling of being energised and re-motivated by the workshop. Some very happy delegates and their managers out there!

Ian Hicks, Development Manager, Bradford & Bingley

You helped us uncover insight for ourselves - through doing not talking. And you came at it from angles which were uniquely different to any standard research techniques. For those who like getting their hands dirty not just theorising endlessly.

Atif Sheikh - ?What If!

They are still talking about your workshop 6 months later.

Geoff Evans, JKBTC

Simon’s training is inspirational and hugely effective at engaging staff “to dance out of their socks”. For customer facing staff he’s the Dogs Cat’s Whiskers, you’ll find him unbeatable (and I’m happy to give a reference anytime 07780 666 475)

Mark Sinclair - CEO Quickheart

Simons workshop was a highlight in our London Event. It was a very motivational and inspiring session and gave real added value to our customers and the sales team. Thanks Simon – we’ll do it again.

Sigrid Bachert - Marketing Manager Germany ABSOLUT VODKA

Simon Strong is a charismatic and inspirational social expert. He connects brand owners and brand communicators with the reality of consumers as human animals - the motivations and behaviours that lie beneath the surface, unrecoverable by conventional 'conscious' research. His understanding of the significance of possessions and brands, why people worship them and the rituals that surround them, shed unique creative insights into how to make them appeal to the unconscious, as well as the conscious mind.

Simon Sholl - Planning Director Siebert Head

Simon worked with me as "thinking partner", he was able to help me to optimise my design & delivery of a high profile cross business project. Simon is a talent who brings a creative, high energy approach and is able to quickly create simplicity from complex issues, he is very successful at getting to the heart of the issue. I valued his style, which is one based around delivering outputs with a challenging and professional approach.

Val Tomlin – L&D, GlaxoSmithKline