The joys of networking?

Morning, How many emails have you had from Linked-In, today, asking you to join a group, attend a ‘seminar with the opportunity to network’ or link up with someone you’ve never heard of? It can be a bit overkill, sometimes, all this networking malarkey. That’s not to say it’s a bad thing – but the… Read More

Away with words?

This time last week I was enjoying the gorgeous weather and beautiful countryside in Wales. For me it was the perfect Bank Holiday – good company, a chance to relax and a weekend delving into the life and poetry of Dylan Thomas – one of my all-time favourites. The “bible-black” night; “A girl mad as… Read More

Talk to me, dammit!

It’s an interesting, old life, isn’t it? Despite the fact that we’re bombarded with brand messages, offers and new ideas, through more and more sophisticated channels of communication, we seem to have lost the art of talking to each other. I’m hearing the same, old things from clients and associates:- “Internal communication isn’t very good… Read More

Desperately seeking…………

Happy, snowy new year to you all. I couldn’t let January pass without revisiting my blog (cue suitable fanfare) and vowing to keep it coming. Sorry for the radio silence, like most independent consultants I spent 2012 looking for work in a very crowded marketplace – as did many of my friends and associates. I… Read More

The death of childhood?

A friend of mine was clearing out an old box of her belongings the other day and came upon a poster of Gary Glitter. We all loved him – he was so cool, strutting his stuff in those impossible platform shoes. Well, that’s how we remembered him, until he was sent to prison for criminal… Read More

Honest, sincere marketer seeks……………..

Come on……….how many of you have done it? Internet dating. I have. I’ve met some right ones – the guy who mistook the site for a sex chat line and couldn’t even spell the things he wanted to do; the guy who quizzed me for several emails about where I got my clothes and then… Read More

Death by feedback?

“Does my bum look big in this?” “How was it for you?” “Have I been good enough to get that X-box from Santa?” We all look for feedback, on almost everything we do – and if we don’t get any, or, worse still, get some negative comments, we can feel really devalued. It’s a tricky… Read More

Great Expectations

Hello. Excuse me if I’m a bit dazed and confused this morning. Last week I hit my head against that familiar brick wall – managing a client’s expectations about what marketing on a budget can achieve. It’s an oft-told story; small organisation, funded by grants, fundraising and the generosity of its patrons, can’t afford to invest… Read More

They think it’s all over?

It’s over then. The Olympics and the Paralympics are done, and we’re all patting ourselves on the back about how successful they’ve been. It will all wind up in today’s Victory Parade through Central London where 90% of Britain’s Olympic and Paralympic medal winners are expected to appear. The weather is, appropriately, cooling down and… Read More

The web is for life – not just for chatting

The Olympic fest is nearly over. What will we do without it? We’ve all had our personal games highlights and watching the Paralympics makes me feel, well, totally inadequate. A highlight for me was seeing Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the world wide web, taking centre stage at the Olympics Opening Ceremony, live tweeting a… Read More