The Secret Marketer starts the year in a sea of acronyms

HNY as the acronym goes. Abbreviation has never been in short supply in marketing. In FMCG, ABMs argue that ATL shall deliver long-term ROI, but NAMs counter it is BTL that drives short-term ROS.

In retail, the traders talk LFLs as their own special language for YOY sales.

Meanwhile, our friends in manufacturing talk PPVs and our word-shy colleagues in finance struggle to account for GSV, NSV, DSV, ORDs whatever their school of reporting. All of that before they’ve even worked their way down to the murky world of margins where GCAM, GMBM, EBITDA and ROCEs are just a sample few of the measures of success as another year end beckons. Just another day in business world as readers of Marketing Week would no doubt confirm.

“It does appear that there are still a fair few SBMs out there buying TVRs for a living”

The festive break provided me with a chance to digest more media that I would otherwise consume. Contrary to what I read in the trade press, it does appear that there are still a fair few SBMs out there buying TVRs for a living. None more so than in the cosy world of sofas where ScS, CFS and DFS battle it out for APR-funded spending in the Boxing Day sales. It makes you run straight to Ikea in pursuit of an added value experience that one more letter must surely bring.

By the way, is it just me who has never bought a sofa on Boxing Day and is it just me who has yet to see a sofa that I like on those cut and paste TV commercials?

Has there ever been a sector that churns out the same old plan year in year out? Little sign of USPs, though plenty of waffle about VAT. I do hope that they do not pay their agencies fat fees for updating the soundtrack and scattering a few new cushions each January.

On a less comfortable note, the new year does not sound great for HMV. After reporting anything but record sales, many high streets shall soon be robbed of one of our more cherished three-letter brands.

However, credit should be given to HMV’s CEO for not blaming VAT or indeed the snow and let us hope that this great British business can regain its voice once more.

Failure for it to do so shall result in yet another KFC. In fact, more likely another Starbucks, but that chain is so ahead of the game it refuses to even have a name these days. I admire their bravery though not quite as much as their granola bars. BFN.