Safeway risks shopper revolt

Iain Murray’s article in Marketing Week May 8, discussing Bass Breweries policy of training its bar staff in the techniques of neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), was fascinating and amusing, as personal diatribes go.

My apologies Iain, but if “patriotism is the last resort of the scoundrel” and “psychology the last resort of the marketer” then dogmatism is the last resort of the traditionalist.

You probably already know that NLP is a study of language and communication that goes far beyond the most basic technique, rapport building, but as a traditionalist you don’t have to accept that things may be improved by a formal understanding of the language we use in our work.

I wouldn’t tell you that it’s worthy of your serious consideration because I’m sympathetic to a need for humour in your articles – distortion of a small part of a subject creates fun, I know. But deflation and wit is intelligent (and really amusing) when you know the subject you attack! Take that “simple precaution” and you’ll avoid being deflated by your own, slightly comical, laggardly rhetoric.

Will you take me seriously now, or later?

Chris McCann

Copywriter

Nuneaton

Warks