Don't do as I do, do as I tell you!

In 1978 I was I was asked to chair a sales conference in Warsaw. At the time I was Group Advertisement Controller of Mirror Group Newspapers. I tackled the task with enthusiasm and invited some of the leading figures in the marketing and advertising business to attend. I asked each of them to speak on a subject of their choice and to give a view on the future direction of industry in general and their section of it in particular. The trade press would attend to report the proceedings. Why Warsaw? At the time Poland was governed by the Communist Party and the perceived differences between the UK style of living and that of our hosts in Poland would add to the value of the speakers' contributions. The Free Market versus the Controlled Market so to speak.

The UK wasn't without it's problems at the time. Put bluntly the country was in the grip of inertia, the business world was beset by industrial problems in virtually every sector. There were grave doubts about who was running the country, the Trade Unions or the Government. Most thought the former and as a result the business life of the country was grinding to a halt. Wages were controlled, taxes high and morale sinking lower every day. If sales targets were to be met and market positions maintained, fresh thinking, new ideas and more effective methods were needed. Something dramatic and very different had to be done to lift the spirits of the sales department. A conference in Warsaw seemed to fit the bill. A programme was devised that would gain the enthusiastic co-operation and support of the sales teams when implementing the new thinking put to them by the speakers.

The hotels, the facilities and warmth of welcome from those detailed to act as our guides and hosts were superb and matched any western standard. But away from the hotels and the conference environment, there were vast and obvious differences that made us all feel very uncomfortable. The Government of Poland had their hand in and on everything that moved. Wherever we went someone followed us. We couldn't engage in conversation with any of the Polish people we met. We were forbidden to change Sterling for Zlotties or vice versa except in authorised bureaux and at the official exchange rate. Most of the shops had empty shelves and what was on offer looked old fashioned and of poor quality. The stores sponsored by the government were the only places you could buy what you wanted and even they suffered from the same lack of quality and quantity. I was told that stock levels and prices were controlled by some form of government edict. Overall there was an air of resentment, suspicion and discomfort, it was particularly noticeable amongst younger people, the older generation seemed resigned to their fate, a hang over from the past perhaps?

For me the whole visit was a fascinating experience. To chair such a conference was in itself exhilarating. It was enhanced by discovering that one of our guests had been in that very part of Warsaw when the Nazis invaded. He later escaped to England and had a distinguished career as a very senior officer in the RAF. He took me on a guided tour of the area around the Old Town Square and described the atmosphere of terror, and the events and battles in which he had been involved in that very square as his country was conquered and his friends killed. I looked around me and saw buildings in perfect order, no signs of war damage or new buildings. I remarked upon it to my companion. He told me that the citizens of Warsaw and their compatriots categorically rejected the sentence of death and destruction passed by the Nazis on their capital city and had by public subscription and civic co-operation restored their lovely city to it's former glory and condition. It was as if the Germans had never been there. Amazingly all the dreadful damage caused by the invasion has been eradicated and no one would know or even suspect that in these narrow streets and wide squares terrible damage was inflicted and many people killed. I raised my hat to them then and I do so again now. It was a moving and in many ways a tragic story.

The conference was a great success, the senior speakers, some of whom are still involved in the marketing and advertising business, delivered lectures that were full of insight, information and helpful advice. We all returned to the UK feeling refreshed and re-invigorated. But I am certain that no one who attended that conference will ever forget the atmosphere that pervaded every area of Warsaw, that influenced every activity and cast such a shadow over the lives of those we did meet. Life there now must be very different.

I was reminded about all this a couple of days ago when The Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and others announced their desire or I should say intention, to control the salaries and bonuses of those who run our biggest Banks. (Who next I wonder?) Soon after, I read of the intention in Scotland to control the sales of booze and other items by restricting the "Two for the price of one" promotions, "Happy Hour " pricing, and some other less obvious marketing ideas. It seems to me that politicians simply cannot resist the temptation to try to regulate everyone's life. I wouldn't mind quite so much if there was a concerted effort to understand and then tackle the basic causes of the problems, surely that would be the best way to solve them. In other words market a whole new way of thinking that will alter the lifestyle rather than seeking to control the activities of those at whom the new laws will be aimed.

I would also feel more comfortable about the involvement of politicians in the commercial world if they had had some experience of running a business…any business. When I watch their body language and listen to their speeches about controlling markets and world finance, they appear to me as a crew of landlubbers who having found the "Marie Celeste" sail off happily into the Bermuda Triangle of business, finance and international relationships assuring everyone they can solve the mysteries of the world. Hopefully common sense will prevail and the financial areas will do what they always do, contribute so much to the exchequer that even politicians decide to leave them to regulate themselves. In the final analysis everyone knows that markets find their own ways of doing things, whatever politicians say or do.