What does the word ‘brand’ mean to you?

A. A name or symbol?

B: A type of product made by a particular company?

C: A person’s perception of that product?

D: The framing effect on that perception?

E: The sum total of all your experiences of something

F: The meaningless distinctive assets attached in people’s memory?

G:...

If I were a brand - and I’m not - I’d feel like I’d been stuck in the starting blocks for months.

It would have annoyed the hell out of me watching brands from other categories making hay while the sun shines.

But at least I’m still in the game.

I have data coming out my ears on how people are behaving in these coronary times. I can also see what...

Why do you think we are so divided?

I don’t mean in wealth, ethnicity, politics, nationality, generation, religion, sexuality or epidemiology.

I mean in marketing.

I have a few theories.

Maybe it’s our love of the shiny new thing.

Maybe it’s the age-old clash of art and science.

Maybe it’s reason vs. emotion.

Maybe we...

You know, I can’t actually remember a whole lot about yesterday.

Sat in front of the Mac. Took the dog for a walk. Played tennis for the first time in 100 days. Had pasta for lunch.

Same day last week? No, it’s gone.

Probably had pasta.

Normally my recall is pretty good. Like on a quiz night, although I’m a bit quizzed out at the moment.

...

‘American Skin’ by Bruce Springsteen on his Live in New York City album is 7:45 long. It’s followed by a one-minute pause for thought.

So basically the song is 8:45.

One second less than the length of time Derek Chauvin knelt on George Floyd’s neck on May 25th, 2020.

41 shots.

That was the inspiration.

That was how many times Amadou...

The five tribes of marketing - Evidencers, Biases, Purposes, Trads and Digitals - they all ended up ignoring old Sheriff Ritson’s yackings about a middle path and went back to their fighting ways.

Then the Great Pandemic changed everything and nothing.

When the virus first came to the East, Purposes had to get down off their mountain pretty damn quick....

I love the smell of diesel in the morning.

And having a new coffee cup for every cup of coffee.

And being on the Northern Line.

And filling every single minute of every day with activity.

And all of us eating meals at different times.

And watching TV in different rooms.

And homework.

And popping to the supermarket to t...

You're new, right? When d’you get in? March 23. Still counting the weeks?

Listen, I’ve been here a while, 15 years of while.

So if you’re going to survive, you got to know the rules.

Don’t worry, I can help.

Rule No.1 - never trust anyone who says they can help.

Rule No.2 - get up in the morning. Get dressed. Make the bed.

Ru...

What are you desperate to do when you’re released back into the wild?

Sit down for a picnic in the park?

Savour a cold pint in a sunny beer garden?

Try on clothes in a changing room?

Have a coffee made by somebody else?

Get your hair colour done?

Or something a bit more essential?

See your mum?

Work out in a gym...

Togetherness was obvious from the start.

That’s why so many brands’ responses are lessons in undistinctiveness.

It was always going to be Safety too.

And ‘sometimes our fears do us more harm than the things we’re afraid of’, to paraphrase Marcus Aurelius.

I’m not sure but I think there could possibly be more empathy about. More compassion....