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Posts Tagged ‘brand building’

Credit cringe


January 19th, 2009 by AJ

I hate to admit it but I do “read” the Moan on Sunday (well skim through really). But anyway what it does give us brand enthusiasts is an insight into those who are currently addressing the masses with their credit crunch defying ads. Generally speaking they’re all pretty much the same – i.e. in your face, shouty, repetitive and more than likely from DFS, SCS, Land of Leather, Furniture Village you get my drift. So this one from flybe did catch my eye. Firstly because it’s in mono (and they always go with colour which signifies a “we’re watching our media costs” approach) but secondly in my humble opinion because of its credit-cringeing, “book with confidence because if you’re made redundant we’ll refund you” sign-off. Reading the small print at the bottom of the ad gets more depressing with its redundancy-specific Ts n Cs relating to length of service, not applicable to self-employed etc. Okay I understand this could be argued as a reassurance message but surely not this blatantly? Perhaps when you book your flight you might be greeted with a reassurance message as part of the confirmation process but sticking it right there in front of our noses? Is this not going a little too far? Pushing the realms of credit-crunch marketing decency perhaps.

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Don’t be a 24 carat plonker


January 17th, 2009 by Michael

Ten working days into the New Year and there appears to be little sign of the recessionary storm clouds disappearing over the horizon. Newspapers full of job losses, house for sale signs gathering cobwebs, the strength of the pound becoming something of a joke, end of year pension statements causing wrinkles.

All of it gives business strategists, marketing managers and even financial directors food for thought at a time of year normally reserved for vibrant optimism and renewed energy. But what level of optimism do you plan for?

“This time next year Rodney, we’ll be millionaires”

The vibe out there at the moment is one of cost-cutting, downsizing, outsourcing and at best consolidating. But is this the way to steer even the most unsteady ship through these rather murky waters. It might keep you afloat in the short term but is it the right long term recipe. For a minute, let’s look at the positives of the situation most of us outside Abu Dhabi are in.

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