Targeted ads that annoy
I really do understand the benefits of personalising ad delivery to an individual. There are though times that targeted ads just serve to annoy. And this one is a good example. The ad is for BT...
View ArticleSpecsavers: offers to make you smile
Yup, Specsavers ‘offers to make you smile’ worked for me…I smiled and laughed. The leaflet I was given on Saturday by Specsavers in Chester was for an offer that expired on 29 March 2014, about six...
View ArticleThe reduced Apple announcements
In the manner of the Reduced Shakespeare Company, Mashable have edited down an interminably long announcement to just 90′. Well done…and it really is as simple as this. Despite the lengthy live...
View ArticleImpending chocolate disaster
How odd, more than one person has suggested I blog about the fact the world is running out of chocolate. I can’t really add a lot to the news below. Read the extract and then click on the link to…Read...
View ArticleYouGov Profiles
Wow, YouGov Profiles is fun. Give it a go; type in a brand name and see the profile of that brands customers. Ford drivers are oft older, male and from Essex. Well, I’m oversimplifying it but have a go...
View ArticleCoca Cola pours down Oxford Street
I was surprised to see a Coke emblazoned London bus that was chopping up the Coca Cola logo as part of the creative concept. This was in Oxford Street this week. Yes, it was quite clever, but I would...
View ArticleRestaurant menus
The act of handing a menu to a restaurant guest has been described as, “The ability to place an advertisement in every customer’s hand before they part with their money.” Source: A.H. Kelson, “The Ten...
View ArticleBarclaycard terms and conditions, a sign of the times
This a poor sign of the times…multiple copies of Barclaycard terms and conditions. Let me share the story of their arrival. I upgraded my iPhone. As a big fan of Apple Pay, I needed to add a few cards...
View ArticleDecoy pricing
Don’t put your prices down, use a decoy. Let me explain the idea with a case study from Williams-Sonoma, an American publicly traded consumer retail company that sells kitchenwares and home...
View ArticleYou can complain when it suits us
Help me, please. I’m trying to decide if this is ethical or fair trading. I would love your opinion. Read on… I was looking at a UK based holiday company online. They are conveniently available 7 days...
View ArticleAnnoying verbal platitudes
The umpteenth person this year just said, “Enjoy,” as they delivered my order to me. Is that a request or an instruction? Whatever it was, was she thinking about what she was saying? I doubt it. I...
View ArticleNothing sells like a sell-out
Years ago, I said, “Nothing sells like a sell-out.” This was an observation that demand for stock items was always lower than for out of stock products. There is some compelling logic behind this; if...
View ArticleClarity of disposable lense pricing
Is the pricing on this advert misleading? The headline price of £5.99 is shouted loud and clear. In reality, the minimum transaction cost is £13.38. £5.99 gets you a box of 32 disposable contact...
View ArticleExperiment with coffee prices
By not really changing the price of coffee the University of Winchester campus has used 34,000 less the disposable cups in the first year. How? By removing rewards and introducing penalties. See the...
View ArticleCheapest railway fares
It was recently announced that there would be a government review of rail fare structures and ticketing. I’m sure many of us would agree this is needed. I’m on a return journey from Reading to Leeds....
View ArticleThe flaw with Net Promoter Score
I’ve long been a doubter over Net Promoter Score (NPS); it has always seemed a bit blunt and fails to pick out the issues for me. Confirmation bias is a thing I am wary of, but this article sets...
View ArticleO2 SIM card shredded
Perhaps you’ve heard of people that are called mood Hoovers? Dealing with them just saps your energy. Ages ago someone said to me, “Just don’t deal with them.” There was a BBC Radio 4 programme on...
View ArticleLeon Stolarski Wines
Leon Stolarski Wines is my new favourite wine merchant. Great wines, friendly small business and fabulous service. My first order was: Domaine de Montesquiou Terre de France 2014 Vin de France (Code:...
View ArticleHow Trends In Innovation Are Evolving Companies
Companies are evolving; they are a lot different to their predecessors. Innovation has changed how companies are organised, products are developed and teams are led. All of this has been done for the...
View ArticleO2 UX is Rubbish
Every month I get billed by O2. When I pay, via their app, the confirmation of payment says I’ve paid ISS Mediclean. The first time this happened I spent quite some time on the phone to the Amex fraud...
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