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Coming up for air
My second daughter Niamh is 7 months old today.
It’s fair to say that I subscribe to the concept of the second child multiplier-effect… in other words 1+1 does not + 2… it feels many times harder than that!
The early casualty of this has been what Sir Clive Woodward calls the critical non-essentials. The things that make an incremental difference but could be described as non-core. A bit like this blog.
The perils of embracing technology
This is a guest post by John Tilbrook, consultant in Hill & Knowlton’s Change & Internal Communications practice
This is the first blog I’ve ever written and it’s taken some time for me to get my act together and write it. You see, I’m one of those ‘too old for my age’ young kids who sits on the suspicious side of the technology divide.
The tragedy of Parenthood
So I’m back… In truth I’ve been back from my Paternity Leave for a few weeks but it has been a fairly hectic schedule involving projectile vomit, screaming fits and sleepless nights… and that was just my wife’s reaction to my business trips to Switzerland and New York…
So it’s not been easy to find the time to update the blog. For the record Niamh Frances McKenzie was born on 26th June. She is thriving well… even if sleeping in the evening is not one of her favourite pastimes.
The waiting game
And so the waiting game continues. By any standards this week could be a big week in the McKenzie household. We are hoping to finally exchange on the sale and purchase of a new house.
This has been a process that has been delayed seemingly by endless minutiae, and has required some fairly tough phone calls and emails this morning to various solicitors, estate agents, vendors and buyers to get the transaction (hopefully) to the right place. I now have to sit and wait to see if it will all finally fall into place. Or not.
Peep hole
I took the above picture after dropping my daughter off at nursery the other day. I was walking past a large construction site and noticed this eye-catching window.It had clearly been deliberately created to encourage passersby to take a look. I then had to do a double-take. Someone had blocked the peephole.
Connecting employees with your sponsorship
So Budweiser are now going to sponsor the FA Cup. One iconic US brand sponsors an equally iconic brand synonymous with England.
My colleague Andy Sutherden makes some great points about this deal which you can see here.
What’s the difference between strategic marketing and strategic communications?
My friend Henri has just asked me a great question: what is the difference between strategic marketing and strategic communications?
Marketers would probably see PR (or communications ) as just one component part of the marketing mix. I would challenge this assertion.
In fact I would see strategic marketing as essentially being part of strategic communications. And to be clear I don’t necessarily see marketers as “owners” of the brand. Marketers may make promises on behalf of the brand but it is down to employees (and other touchpoints) to deliver on that brand promise.
It’s the brand… Stupid
I despair I really do. Today’s news on Bank of Scotland’s handling of complaints is the latest in a long line of self-inflicted injuries by the Banking sector.
Ryan Giggs, Ryan Giggs, Ryan Giggs
There is a story that George Best used to tell about a night he spent in a hotel with a former Miss World. He received a knock on the door from the hotel porter who was bringing up his bags. On surveying the scene… beautiful woman, a bed full of bank notes and a magnum of champagne on ice… the porter is said to have remarked “where did it all go wrong George?”.
This story came to mind this week as we see the story “hidden” by the super-injunction became public knowledge.
