Thursday, November 20, 2014

This week in marketing

It was the week BBC TV's Apprentice show had its annual go at advertising.

Whether it is a business programme or simply another game show loosely associated with business, the Apprentice is compelling viewing. Lord Sugar who presides as judge and jury - "You're Fired!" - has established himself as a celebrity business man, but what that business is these days is a bit vague since the distant days of Amstrad electronic consumer products. Of his two cohorts, Karren Brady is probably better known than PR veteran Nick Hewar who may have had the unenviable task of helping market the Amstrad stuff which Alan Sugar - as he was prior to his elevation to the peerage -memorably described in his first biography as "a mugs eyeful" to explain the point of LEDs blinking away on the front panel.  Karen meanwhile fronted Birmingham City FC at the time bank rolled by more interesting business men who were the real story for the press. If the 'board' are unusual business characters, the wanna be candidates are a potential employers worst nightmare.

After a recap of the previous week's disaster, the episode starts with a telephone call to the house where the would be apprentices are billeted together in ostentatious luxury. I thought it was said that the call was timed at 4.30 am, but maybe I  misheard, anyway the message is generally the same and along the lines that "the cars will be with you in 20 minutes", or "Lord Sugar will meet you in 30 minutes." How on earth they get showered, dressed and breakfasted in 20 minutes is intriguing and possibly the most challenging achievement of the task. Lord Sugar - everyone uses the 'Lord' bit as though he is real nobility - meets them at some well known London landmark each week to deliver the 'brief' - brief being just that and nobody ever has any questions despite the outcome for failure being a firing. Last night the venue was the American Embassy, the brief to develop a soft drink for the American market and create branding, TV ad and web site. His Lordship usually steps regally from a Rolls Royce, but due to some unspecified  reason appeared on a TV screen from some remote location, but still flanked by his two acolytes. Sufficient to say, the execution of the task was the usual fiasco and a lesson in how not to plan a product development and launch campaign.

Meanwhile over on Fox Business channel an executive of I think MCD Digital Agency in New York was being interviewed at top speed explaining the growth in digital adverting, citing Harvard research into investing in marketing during a recession and how those who over invested had gained market share. All good stuff and delivered in no more than a couple of minutes. Pity the apprentices sent to New York didn't look this guy up.

Finally another email from David Cameron. He likes sending me emails, but somehow it feels like stuff from an imaginary friend on Facebook. His friends, Boris Theresa and the rest email me too. it is well done and informative, yet somehow it doesn't have any emotional appeal that would motivate recipients to vote for Dave's party. It's business, factual logical and unemotional and well executed PR. But that's Dave's expertise. Interesting to see if it works at the General Election.

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