The ultimate wellie
Well, said FD has found the answer. A boot shop that has different calf measurements as well as different show sizes. Simple, yet genius. And unlike other outlets that have claimed to do this, they aren’t designed for your granny. And the best bit? We got paid yesterday! Hurrah! Small snag in that I can’t remember the name of the shop and she’s not in today……but I can channel my excitement for one more day whilst mentally destroying my bank balance.
Here at Speed Towers we’re gearing up for the Jackenhacks. MDs Steve and Wadds are hosting the event. Mild concern about this, akin to the same kind of terror you feel whenever your dad takes to the dance floor! Then there is me. I was an embarrassment last year. The more I drunk, the more I started to emphasise my point with wild gesticulation, knocking a few glasses of wine over in the process. Sus gave up alcohol to train for the half marathon and so is likely to be shouty after just two glasses of wine. I could go on, but I’m sure you get the point – in short, the potential for disaster is enormous.
That said, we’re looking forward to catching up with old friends and seeing just how offensive Steve and Wadds can really be (surely they’ve had their banter sanity checked by someone else to ensure it is actually funny and not that rude?). One thing’s for sure, it will be a corker of a night and look forward to our event report tomorrow.
I do love the industry in which we operate. Despite the 802.11n technology being widely available for years in laptops and routers for years – albeit in draft – IEEE has today finally given its stamp of approval, bringing to an end concerns that future networking equipment might not be compatible with the devices. Well, I don’t know about you but that’s a weight of my mind.
So we’re two, soon to be three, weeks into the new series of X Factor and I have to be honest the new audition format just isn’t doing it for me. A quick survey of the office reassures me that I am not alone on this point. Don’t get me wrong some of the auditions have been awesome, but it’s lacking something. The bad singers are still bad and there are still a whole host of cringeworthy moments, but someone they are all depleted by the live audience. And now I read in Grazia that the results will be aired on Sunday! This is not good. I am fairly open to change, but you don’t mess with a winning format. Simon is trying to bring too much of American Pop Idol to bear on X Factor. What next? A new judging slot for Paula Abdul (she is free after all)?
Ahhhhhh its come around again. That lovely time of year when you get to sit back on a Saturday night, pour a glass of vino and laugh, cry and cheer at the TV. Yes that’s right people – The X Factor is back. A wooo hooo! Sus and I are both fans. The bit that really gets me is when they go home to their families and tell them if they have made it through to the live shows. Gets me every time. Last year I felt cheated that this news was delivered over the phone. I stopped short of writing to Points of View, but it was a close thing.
I am intrigued to see the new audition format with the live audiences. It should be interesting to see how they react – will they sway a judge’s decision? I once had a conversation with someone who said that shows such as the X Factor were cruel. I believe their argument went that clearly these people weren’t ‘all there’ and therefore it was wrong to laugh at them. I disagree. The problem isn’t that there not ‘all there’, it’s that no one tells them that they suck before they go on national television. I have no desire to have profound conversations about my Saturday night entertainment, all I know is that its back and I love it.
IT PRO It should be Digital Britain – not ‘patchwork’ Britain
British companies working on next-generation broadband will have to provide a single service to run across multiple networks, across a single system. This is according to UK and Ireland Alcatel-Lucent director Andy King, who said that if “commonality” wasn’t achieved, there was the real risk that smaller networks would be relegated to just providing local or mixed services.
http://www.itpro.co.uk/612577/it-should-be-digital-britain-not-patchwork-britain:
Total Telecom US Internet companies look to keep footing
Internet companies held out against the recession longer than the traditional media as they benefited from a long-term shift in advertising to the Web, but lately results have shown wear from the economic downturn. The field also faces a renewed challenge from Microsoft Corp., which is finally gaining traction with its bing.com search engine.
http://www.totaltele.com/view.aspx?ID=447115
Computer World UK Waitrose to cut IT costs with performance management system – Wants more innovative capacity planning to save costs. http://www.computerworlduk.com/technology/applications/enterprise/news/index.cfm?newsid=15632
The technology division of Speed seeks great SAE for long term career opportunity. Must be interested in writing, media relations, be proactive, well connected and with a minimum of 18 months experience. For right candidate there are good benefits, competitive salary and the pleasure of working with the best team in the business (biased, us?!). Interested? Please email sophie.hodgson@speedcommunications.com
The technology division of Speed seeks great SAE for long term career opportunity. Must be interested in writing, media relations, be proactive, well connected and with a minimum of 18 months experience. For right candidate there are good benefits, competitive salary and the pleasure of working with the best team in the business (biased, us?!). Interested? Please email sophie.hodgson@speedcommunications.com
It’s a great irony in many agencies that the better you become at your job, the less you actually do it. I might sound crazy but it’s true that many account directors are drowning in paper and ‘strategy’ rather than getting their hands dirty. I doubt they actually want it to be this way, but there you go. Such is life.
But does it really have to be that way? No, I don’t think so. It’s exceptionally important that as you rise through the ranks that you remain in touch with the media, new developments and trends – otherwise surely your much hyped strategy is just bollocks? How you can recommend to a client that they undertake a campaign if you don’t know what’s happening in the marketplace, how it will resonate with the media and more importantly the best way to reach the media? The answer is, you can’t.
I pity the fool who tries to tell me that I can’t get involved in media outreach. I’d batter them. I like the banter that comes with the job. Talking to people is important to me and my job satisfaction. So yes, paper and planning is an important part of my role, but so is ensuring I know what’s going on in the media and the marketplace my clients operate in.
Chorley Council has taken a novel approach to promoting the roll out of new bins across the town. They’ve taken to YouTube! The short two-minute video tells the story of a resident who ends up chasing his green recycling bag across Chorley. Out of breath, he finally catches the bag and is delighted to find out he will be getting a new blue bin instead. Genius.
