The Diary loves nothing better than a brain teaser – and most mornings polishes off The Times crossword on the tube before devouring a sudoku grid – which can result in a few funny looks from other passengers. But the Diary is not very good with numbers – as its very short career as a […]
The Diary was delighted by the appearance of a bottle of Southern Comfort and a carnival mask on its desk recently – and, after mixing up a couple of much needed prairie oysters, the afternoon fairly flew by. The reason for the bottle and facewear’s arrival was something called Fat Tuesday which, it seems, is […]
In this modern age, marketers need to take a global perspective to understand the potential of their brands⦠or at least the Diary once read something that said something along those lines. Sages and soothsayers also point out that globalisation is all around us – although that is presumably an inevitable consequence of the existence […]
Following the startling revelation last week that managers don’t like “bullshit” from their staff, the Diary’s attention has been drawn to yet another piece of research, which says that 98% of workers in the UK compare their boss to David Brent from The Office. Indeed, they find their glorious leaders to be an uninspiring and […]
People are prepared to part with their nest eggs to win a free Easter egg, according to a security firm, which spent a few days hanging around a London train station. Infosecurity Europe set up a sting at Victoria Station earlier this month; in return for a free Easter egg it asked people to answer […]
A fully automated world may not be as far off as the Diary had previously thought (MW March 30). It seems that online ticket outlet Thetrainline.com does have an e-mail address – and a phoneline – as a first point of call for customer service queries after all. Fortunately they still also “welcome customer comments […]
When I saw your article “IPA survey use of e-mail marketing”, I was rather concerned when I read that 44% of marketers have not used e-mail marketing in the past six months (MW last week). E-mail marketing is far from radical. It has been around for over a decade and continues to be the cheapest, […]
I have generally regarded Marketing Week as an intelligent, well informed publication until I read your Leader (MW April 13). The lack of value placed upon the marketing profession by other corporate functions, the lack of marketing representation on the executive board in FTSE-listed companies and the prevalence of financial over marketing considerations in the […]
I am writing in response to your article entitled “The new age of the train is a fare deal” (MW April 6). At GNER, we’re aware of the power of deal-led advertising to stimulate off-peak travel and improve general perceptions of value for money. We also understand the importance of improving the hard product, which […]
I read with interest Ian McCawley’s excellent review of Millward Brown’s Top 100 UK brands, as rated by “voltage” (MW last week). It was refreshing to see a survey taking such an unusual approach – all too often the behemoth brands like McDonalds and Microsoft come out on top of brand value tables simply by […]
Disintermediation is, in the opinion of many traditionalists, a rather ugly word for an ugly phenomenon. Put simply, it means getting rid of the middleman between customer and brand owner or content supplier; and its avatar has been the internet. Before the advent of the internet, we needed record companies and record retailers. Now, faced […]
Brands in the cosmetics industry are using a number of approaches to deal with this mature market, though many marketers continue their love affair with celebrity as a means of increasing brand visibility and loyalty. On visiting the Revlon we
After reviewing its advertising and appointing Starcom to handle its £3m UK media business (MW last week), Revlon is also reviewing its approach to advertising in the UK. Recently it has turned its back on celebrity endorsement, its traditiona
With WPP Group announcing a 33% leap in profits, Omnicom continuing its consis-tent growth rate and Publicis also enjoying rude health, the role of global networks in the marketing services industry seems securely established. But is that so?
In Glengarry Glen Ross, the 1992 movie about selling real estate, actor Alec Baldwin steals the show with a six-minute appearance as a sales motivator brought in to help the struggling sales team.