Sugar-coated marketing from cereal manufacturers

Wednesday, April 29th, 2009

Listening to this morning’s piece on sugary kids’ cereals on the Today programme turned my stomach.  Weasel words from Dr Clare Leonard, a nutritionist in bed with the Association of Cereal Food Manufacturers.  Here’s an industry that shamelessly dresses up cereals laden with up to 30% sugar as a nutritious ...

Marketing lesson 521: How to make a total mockery of your client

Friday, March 6th, 2009

Every so often I read about an agency doing something so jaw-droppingly stupid that it makes me want to hang my head in shame to be working in the same industry.   This month, the gong must surely go to Be Brand who is responsible for creating an ad for the Costa ...

Mobile Kids

Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009

                            The tele-communications industry must be getting pretty desperate. Samsung has recently launched its new mobile phone, the Tobi, specifically aimed at primary school kids. It joins a number of similar phones already on the market, some of which are designed for children as young as four. Yes, you read right ...

Is social media right for everyone?

Monday, January 5th, 2009

Reading through the press this morning, it's clear that social media is being well and truly recognised as a legitimate marketing strategy for 2009. Following the buzz that started in 2007, and grew rapidly during 2008, social media marketing is now flourishing in this tough economic climate.  I can think of ...

Hello Kitty phones for 30-year-old women? Oh please.

Tuesday, May 20th, 2008

So the latest marketing wheeze to exploit impressionable little girls is the Hello Kitty branded mobile phones.  Cute, pink and, at £310 a pop, an outrageous rip-off.