August 2009

Marketing, 'MARKETING'.

One of the biggest success stories of modern times must surely be the marketing of 'Marketing' as a business discipline. The term Marketing as we know and use it today is still relatively new, though the principles it encompasses were always practiced in one form or another by entrepreneurs all over the world. The word and the activity really came to prominence in the middle to late sixties, became the subject on everyone's lips and grew at a phenomenal rate.

Too many early starts.....

After having been to networking events 4 times this week I woke up this morning feeling quite jaded after so many early starts.  This was followed by me having words with my satnav which drove me mad by deciding to stop working and got me lost in the middle of Harrow!!  However it has all been worthwhile as I have come back to the office invigorated after another lively morning.  The Harrow meeting is run by Vidya Panchanathan from Management Support Services who is a delightful host and the vivacious Katie Millman from

Thinking outside the box.....

I attended another 4Networking meeting this morning in Watford where there was a lively and engaging presentation given by Iain Gray from The Results Academy.  He provided some innovative ways to create additional revenue streams for your business by selling your expertise and experience - thank you Iain it was really interesting and definitely food for thought.

Hooray for Networking.....

I had an excellent start to the day by attending a 4Networking meeting in Stevenage. This is the 3rd networking event I've been to and highly recommend them.

My new blog

Hello and welcome to my new blog...

CHEERS! Here's to your future!

So! The A level results are all in and the number of passes are the highest on record. Great joy for those who got the grades they wanted, or needed, tragedy for those who did not. Of course the cynics are already out in force declaring that the exams are easier these days, others say they are more complicated. I've no idea which opinion is the right one, but this I do know from experience, there are very few exams of any kind that are really easy.

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

What's in a name? Well quite a lot really. For a start it immediately identifies it's owner. But it does much, much more than that. Whether the name is of a person or place or anything else, the very instant you think of a name you also fill your mind with the circumstances surrounding your association with that name. Remember those in your class at school? You do? Then you are also thinking about the good times and the bad times associated with them. How you admired the one who always got it right and how much you detested the class bully. How you made and changed friends as you grew older.

A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME.

Brand marks are not new, they've been around forever. The Cross, The Crescent, The Swastika, they are all brand marks; instantly recognisable they communicate their messages without need of words. Every country has it's own flag, counties, towns, and families have their own coats of arms. Charities and other organisations use acronyms to identify themselves. But there were brand marks long before these. The Knights Of Old had their coats of arms emblazoned on their shields to distinguish them in battle, or to let the damsel in distress know who was rescuing her.

Where have all the readers gone?

I spent most of my business life in the publishing business working for national magazines and newspapers. I met an old colleague recently and as old colleagues do, we fell to reminiscing about the days of high circulations. After we parted I thought about the subject a little more. The magazine business deliberately broadened the range and number of titles on offer so it was obvious that the high circulations would suffer. But that was, it seems, a planned programme.