Building site

Construction started on mhm grax new website. Can see why it's called construction -  feels a bit like a builder starting a job then going onto the next one without finishing it. Only in our case, it's because client work has to take precedence, rather than a deliberate ploy. Have to wait for another quiet moment to get the tarpaulins off again...

Something in the air?

If Kraft buy Cadbury will the gorilla hang up his suit and pack away his drum kit? Never really got the connection between chocolate and the largest living primate. It's a great piece of film, but just sticking a brand name at the end of it doesn't make it a reason to buy the product. And post campaign sales, despite all the good PR, were pretty ordinary. Still, maybe the head of Kraft is a Phil Collins fan...

Got a letter hand delivered to our office today informing us that Thames Water have delayed replacing the pipes outside our office until a later date. The deliverer of the letter had to negotiate the workmen, holes, rubble and pipework outside our front door that might suggest to a lay person that the pipes were already in the process of being replaced. Does the left hand know what the right hand is doing?

Arrived at the office today to find strange, multi-coloured hieroglyphics all over our cobbled alleyway. Looks like Thames Water have finally carried out their threat to renew the area's aging Victorian pipework - with the dire consequence of interruption to our water supply. Some years ago I wrote their slogan "Running water for you". Cross fingers there'll be running water for us in the days to come.

The Ashes is whipping up every bit as much excitement as the Twenty/20 cricket World Cup. And there's a lesson there for every marketeer. Just because something's been going for a long time, it isn't necessarily less worthy than the brand new. The beauty of the two forms  is that they reach different audiences. In the same way, we'd advocate appealing to a younger demographic through online media, social websites etc, but would caution against throwing out traditional media such as mailshots, paid for press and TV and print when you want to include older consumers. As always, remembering the characteristics of your target market is the surest route to success.