Integrated marketing and the art of lunch excuses

A few weeks ago the Diary brought you the tale of Golley Slater chief executive Chris Lovell’s book of excuses for being late back to the office after lunch.

Perhaps someone out there should consider publishing a book of such excuses.

The Diary only thinks this could be a good idea after it heard an amusing tale of a managing director who wanted to skip a lunch date.

First, his secretary rang up the prospective lunch date to explain that her boss was feeling under the weather and couldn’t make it.

Oddly, though, a few minutes later, the MD himself rang his would-be date, claiming to be “absolutely fine”, and apologetically explained that despite being as fit as a fiddle, he was a bit snowed under with meetings that day, so had to cancel.

What is it they say about singing from the same hymn sheet?