Is it a cloud, is it a plane.................?

Please take time to study the picture above.

It was taken when four of us spent a memorable day in France last Wednesday,

When we arrived, we loaded up with wine, then went to the Carrefour and purchased a selection of French rustic pates, cheeses and freshly baked french bread. We then dawdled down the coastal road to Cap Gris Nez, a beautiful spot on top a cliff with the most marvelous panoramic views of the Channel and Calais.

With the weather at its best we ceremoniously set up the most delightful picnic with travel rugs and other picnic accessories and settled down to an afternoon of sun, chat and French food.

I contentedly surveyed the scene before me and was astonished to see a P&O ferry flying through the sky! "What's in this wine? I thought. It actually didn't make any visual sense. Upon analysis I then realized because of the slight mist that the sea and sky had merged together.

In no time at all another ferry-plane appeared going in the opposite direction and I gulped as I thought there was going potentially to be a mid air/sea collision

Hot cross buns from Hell. Jesus Christ, they’re smokin’

Check out this news piece from New Zealand about a pizza company’s frankly bonkers tactical ad campaign to flog their hot cross buns.

http://bit.ly/gxSvmZ

It’s just weird on so many levels.:

The name of pizza company for a start – Hell...hot cross buns from hell? Genius. The Star of David stylee ‘stigmata’ (see I am getting into their groove now) on the bun itself cross buns combined with limited shelf life Jesus line, mixing the old religions rather. The oddness of hot cross buns from a pizza company in the first place – thin and crispy or deep pan, cheesy crusts anyone? The ‘2 free if you spend more than $40’ offer - like, who spends £20 on hot cross buns? Why is the bun smoking?
Finally the hilarious pop at the product itself from the Anglican media man, the worst thing he could think of to say, bless him “Their buns are stale”. Oooh such venom.

It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.

One of Charles Darwin's most thought provoking quotes. And one that I suggest the anti Tesco protagonists should analyze, the ones that moan that the big supermarkets are ruining their trade and reputations.

You don't have to big in retail to survive, but to be sensitive to the consumers demands, understand their wants and behavior and be willing to adjust accordingly (to survive).

Perfect case in point is a small town near me, Hawkhurst, where Tesco have applied for planning permission to build a new supermarket on the old bus station site. And inevitably the local traders are up in arms.

I would gladly support my local retailers but here's why I can't:

11.00am on a Saturday morning and I'm in the bakers (which closes at 1.00pm!!) asking for a French stick. "Sorry, sold out", I'm told.

Next stop, the greengrocers (which closes at 1.00pm). "Can I have some plum tomatoes please?". "Sorry, only do those", as the vendor points at an empty tray of second rate pup. "Basil? I ask. "No", comes the reply.

Final stop the butchers (which closes at 2.00pm). "Good morning, can I have 12 ounces of steak mince please". "What's that in kilograms mate?" the spotty young assistant replies.

In no time at all I simply walk across the road and into Budgens where I buy the all mentioned products with ease.

How can I support local traders when they don't cater for my wants. What chance have they got when they close on Saturday afternoons?

And ironically now it's Budgens who are panicking, because they are stupid enough to close on Sundays!

Tesco...bring 'em on.

(Any guesses as to what I was cooking that night?)

I'm never usually ill apart from the normal coughs or colds however last week I had a virus that was just dire and put me out of action for 8 days.

LABYRINTHITIS - I had never heard of it before and hope I never hear that word again! In short it's normally caused by an inner ear infection but it causes you to loose your balance. Not fun at 3am in the morning when you suddenly wake up, the room is spinning and then you are extremely sick. The next dire experience arises when you try and get hold of an out of hours doctor, 4 hours later one arrives at your door (how though am I to get down the stairs to let anybody in!) and relief finally comes in the form of an injection that helps with dizzyness and nausia. 5 long days of trying not to do anything as any form of movement makes you dizzy, no watching TV or being able to concentrate on a magazine or a book what then can I do to fill my time and not get cabin fever?

Talking...

I'm very fortunate to have lots of family and good friends living close by who popped by to check up on me. I managed to prop myself up in bed and have a good old natter especially with people that I have seemed to take talking too for granted, my little brother for instance, I know he works in banking but did I really understand what his job entails - I do now! My 70 year old neighbour who lives 3 doors up - I didn't know he worked in advertising - I do now!

I'm glad to say i'm now fully re-balanced and life is back to it's normal busy self - i'm not going to take for granted just stopping, and talking to people from now on - it's amazing what you can learn!

Sensory pleasures

A day of pleasure awaited me on Saturday as I travelled up to London to visit London Borough Market.

My senses were triggered the moment I entered the market. The sound of people placing their orders, tradesmen calling out their special offers, the colours and various smells consumed me. I didn’t know where to look first, or know how to make a decision about lunch; I was simply dazzled by the theatre of it all.

I started to wonder if I’ve ever had this sensory experience from a piece of advertising. Maybe I have but none that I can remember.

I think advertising should trigger your senses. A great ad should captivate, consume and transport you to a place in your mind where you can feel the product.

Has this ever happened to you?

Jerseys for goalposts....

U12s football... the relentless Saturday or Sunday morning turning out to stand, shivering on the touchline being battered and buffetted by the wind and rain. The gaggle of parents yelling encouragement to the boys - much needed for as soon as they go a goal down their heads drop and they start to lose it.

Last season it went to the wire with the team narrowly missing out on top place. But oh what a difference a season can make. This year, it's been much tougher with scorelines of 6-1 or more and just a handful of wins. Too many losses which meant yesterday's match against Horam was the one they had to win to avoid relegation. This had the potential to be dire.

But as the weather turned and the sun beat down on a football pitch somewhere in Sussex, so Pembury Youth Athletic Football Club's lucked turned too. A scrappy first half, "embarrassingly bad football" said their coach, despite which they were up 2-0. Whatever their coach said at half time obviously inspired them - they put two more in the goal and despite a penalty for the other side ended the game with a 4-1 win. And best of all they did it in style, played good (not great, but good) football and worked well as a team. No squabbles, no tantrums - well done boys! And well done parents - no swearing at the ref either!

Mother's day - marketing con or a lovely opportunity to show you care?

I think you generally either sit on one side of the fence with this question but actually I'm not too sure myself. I personally am lucky enough to have a fabulous mum and to be a new mum myself so the chance to really make a fuss and take that time out to spoil and be spoilt is well rather lovely. However my mean side couldn't help but be resentful when I managed to spend £10 on 2 measly cards (not to mention the gifts), frustrated at not being able to get in to anywhere that serves food for all the families that were piled up and being bombarded with continuous happy mother's day messages at every turn be it the TV, radio, facebook etc...enough already.

It's obviously a major opportunity for the retailers/card manufacturers/restaurants to cash in and I actually think I'm coming round to the way of thinking that the message shouldn't just be something we roll out once a year and it is all well a bit of a rip-off. The whole day has a feeling of being overly commercialised so it starts to become obligatory and hence the message starts to mean less. You go through the motions, buy the bits that you have to buy, go to the meal that you have to go to and then tick it off the list like another job done.

On the other hand perhaps my newly negative point of view has more to do with the fact that this is the view of my husband who forgot to get me a card on behalf of my 1 year old as he got distracted by the football. Perhaps if I had been showered with chocolates, jewels and flowers I would be much more gushing of the occasion. Indeed I'm sure the day my daughter hands me a home made card my heart will melt and it will be the best thing in the world, time shall tell.

The power of two

We suits have started a book club at work. We select a text that has some relevance to our industry, all read it then get together to discuss it. We had our inaugural get together last week where we were discussing “The Power of Two”, the fact meets fiction philosophy of one of our clients dunnhumby.

The basic premise of the philosophy is really simple: It’s that two people together with complementary strengths can do anything (goodness knows dunnhumby have proved this.) It sounds really obvious, but if you think about it, it’s not how great achievers have been positioned throughout history and in fiction. It tends to be hero plus often inferior side kick. Think Batman and Robin, Sherlock and Watson, Scooby and Shaggy (put that one in for my children) where one hero dominates with the other following benignly behind. But actually isn’t it the case of them having different strengths and qualities but the more charismatic marketable able ‘people person’ become the main focus of attention?

Conversely in the real world think about how many great business are in equal pairs – Dolce & Gabbana, Ernst & Young, Ogilvy & Mather to name the first few that spring to mind. Strength in business so often comes from working in pairs, the most powerful and successful combinations when the strengths and skills complement, working in harmony. The strongest personal relationships too, tend to be where each individual has different strengths.

I find this particularly relevant to me in both my professional and personal life where I am markedly different in my skills and strengths from both my husband and Jo (with whom I do most of my work). In each case our whole ends up being far greater than the sum of the parts. I truly believe that there is no end to what you can achieve with the power of two.