Old food brands that refuse to die out
Old food brands that refuse to die out Independent – London,England Published: 14 March 2006 … to clubbers. The same PR people, Mark Borkowski’s agency, had relaunched Hovis – and are doing the same...
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Mark joins in the debate about switching codes
Mark joins in the debate about switching codes. Can entertainment publicists convince brands that they know something about content connection and stewardship?’ Click here to enlarge image
View ArticleThe Cute Factor
We continue to see the heroic efforts made by the McCann’s to keep up Maddie’s public profile, so their daughter’s disappearance doesn’t fade into obscurity. Undoubtedly, the “cute” factor helps to...
View ArticlePride of The Mirror
In 2002, eight cheezy PRs, including myself, were gathered together by PR Week to decide on the top 20 consumer PR campaigns in the history of publicity campaigns. One publicity stunt that shone out...
View ArticleAnti Smoking Ad Tops Complaints
Out of the 14.080 adverts which drew complaints last year, the official government anti smoking campaign, showing a woman with a fish hook through her cheek, provoked the most anger. Over the last few...
View ArticleGolden girl just wants a burger with chips
By Nick Harris in Beijing She won by miles, and shattered the world record. She took her second gold of the Games, to become the most successful British swimmer in a century. Fellow swimmers were...
View ArticleThe Fame Formula hits Canada!
Johanna Schneller and I were speaking on the Canadian CBC network’s Q arts, culture and entertainment show yesterday, about the ways to maintain a celebrity brand, alongside Suzanne Somers (who is...
View ArticleThe Heart of the Brand
Lists define PR – the industry loves and fears them. And when a researcher online takes and avid and assiduous look at brands and the dirt at their roots, there is nowhere to hide, as a list from the...
View ArticleRichard & Judy: The Cable Crunch
The Independent reported yesterday on the decline in ratings of Richard and Judy since their move to cable and asked me to comment. Here’s an extract of the article, entitled Turning off Richard and...
View ArticleThe new transparency
I was interested to read the latest Bare Feet Studios blog by Roxanne Darling on the need for transparency and new, big, clear thinking in advertising; it chimes in rather neatly with my views on the...
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David Blaine: Word of Mouth Showman Supreme
A breakfast meeting with David Blaine last week was a very pleasing and revelatory experience; it’s good to sit and talk with someone who really, really gets true showmanship, spectacle, creativity,...
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The Cadburys Takeover: Dairy Milking?
Over the years, my company has worked with a great many heritage brands – from Horlicks to Gordon’s Gin, Hovis, Selfridges, R White’s Lemonade and of course Wispa. I understand, as a consequence, that...
View ArticleCelebrity, Brands and Risk
I’m taking part in a couple of debates in the next few days. First up is Risky Business: Risk and Reputation, an early morning debate on the nature of risk, this Thursday, February 11th, at the Cass...
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Brand and Woods: The Celebrity Rollercoaster
Another week of charting the ups and downs of celebrity, first in the Guardian, discussing the rise, fall and rapid rise again of Russell Brand, who has risen phoenix-like out of the ashes of Sachsgate...
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The Good, the Mad and the Twittery
This Sunday is the season finale of series four of Mad Men, and the web is alive with the sound of tributes and ‘best of the series’ video clips, including spoilers if you’ve not seen the entire run...
View ArticleWhat’s the value of values?
Whether it’s a burka ban in Germany or Trump’s plan for an overhaul of America’s trading relationships much in politics is justified on the ground of ‘our values’. They can be liberal or American,...
View ArticleEmbracing chaos
As we settle into the New Year, commentators continue to declare the present state of flux to be the ‘new normal’. In the wake of increasing globalisation and atomisation, humanity is simultaneously...
View ArticleHighly Evolved: Brand Survival in the Now! Economy
Software may be eating everything. But one thing that I’ve seen at Advertising Week Europe today is that we’re learning to adapt to these changes with zeal. This morning, Trevor Beattie announced the...
View ArticleYou must just show up as yourself!
Malcolm Walker and Tom Reddy how we applaud you! Being the subject of an observational documentary is not without risk, but Iceland emerges triumphant from their series because as an organization, they...
View ArticleHow Nigella will survive the wheels of fortune
The sorry tale of Nigella Lawson and Charles Saatchi should teach us some valuable lessons about the climate we operate in these days as businesses and brands. In this story we have a clear example of...
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