Journal
Authored opinions, cultural reviews and industry insights from our team, peers and clients.
AMA conference 2017
Our highlights and top-tips from the Arts Marketing Association's 2017 conference, titled 'The Value of Everything', held in Belfast.
Take a look outside
Jack writes about the lessons we can learn by looking outside the arts sector, and how our peers are not...
Speculative pitching
Why won't we take on unpaid creative pitches? Are we delusional, thinking clients might change their procurement processes? Michael explains...
Cog Christmas 2016
It's Christmas and don't we know it. The Cog studio is filled with festive songs, all day everyday from 1st...
An intern’s Cogspective
Ben has been interning at Cog since September, and gives some insights into moving from university to a real design...
AMA Conference 2016
Our top-tips and takeaways from the Arts Marketing Association's 2016 Conference, titled 'On a Mission to Matter', held in Edinburgh.
Generating email sign-ups
Email sign-ups are vital to effective marketing and measurable engagement. But how do you persuade people to join a mailing...
What’s wrong with smartphones at the theatre?
Should we be annoyed with people fiddling with their phones at the theatre, or will a more relaxed environment make...
We are here
Could this exceptional project shape attitudes towards public investment in the arts? On 1st July 2016 a small army...
On the receiving end
What’s it like to be on the receiving end of your job application? Michael gives his top ten insights into...
Did smart-arse design lose us the referendum?
As designers we claim to be expert communicators. But has the referendum shown that all we're really doing is talking...
Your brand in a digital world
As part of Create Hub's Industry Experts panel, Sam writes about how cultural organisations can take a digital-first approach to...
24hr design challenge
On 4th May we shut the studio to compete in a 24hr design challenge, creating a website for a new...
Cultural highlights of 2015
Michael gives a month by month overview of his favourite cultural events of 2015...
Merry Christmas 2015
We've raided our wardrobes and un-boxed our Christmas decorations. Each member of the team got #Christmassy4Cog in a festive photoshoot...
You and your agency: the perfect team
On 4 November Sam was at the Spektrix Conference talking to arts organisations about how to get the best from...
What’s So Great About SE8? – 2005
In 2005, for the London Design Festival, we designed this hard-back book of responses to the question: What's So Great...
This is a Neighbourhood Watch area
In the mid 1980s an angry teenager stood at a bus stop, transfixed by a sign on a lamppost. Three...