The Strategy Review

Help!

Wonderful story in the Observer today about the restored version of "Help!" which is showing tonight on BBC 4. Many years after the film was made (obviously) Dick Lester got a formal letter from MTV declaring him, for the work he did directing both of the early Beatles films, "A Hard Day's Night" and "Help!", the father of the modern pop video. His response, apparently, was to IMMEDIATELY write back demanding a blood test! I love the "immediately" ...

Am watching the film now with the kids dipping in and out between it and Bebo ... Whatever's happened since - and with Lennon's murder (a movie about that just hitting the screens in London if you're feeling an excess of Xmas cheer), Harrison's death of cancer, and now the whole McCartney divorce thing - there's been a fair bit to feel dismayed by for a Beatles fan over the decades. Wonderful to get back to unadulterated Fab Four.

I still think the best thing about them was the laughs ... I love the story of Lennon, cornered by a US journo: "John! John! Is Ringo Starr the best drummer in the world?" Responded he, without missing the all-important Beat: "He's not even the best drummer in the Beatles."

Why did I stop blogging for over a year?

Because I had nothing to say!

Since October 2006 we've been working with O2 - more recently their owner, Telefonica really - and Bacardi Global Brands on initiatives that have taken our work and our thinking in very exciting new directions. We're delving deep in to 21st century media strategy, we developed The TouchStone framework for analyzing and evaluating 360 degree brand communication programmes, and more recently have been exploring advanced mobile marketing strategies.

I feel so privileged - despite the associated stresses - to have the opportunity to do this work. We have a way to go yet before the business is 100% stabilised, but it's looking OK.

The problem with doing strategy for a living ...

... is that - unless you do a lot of wailing and gnashing and playing golf with CEO's - it looks cheap and easy. It's neither.

Orange in London - why no 3G

Have just started a Facebook group for victims of Orange UK's inability to fix their 3G service in Central London. It's been about 2 months now, and when I ring the service folks they talk rubbish about when the service should be back up, engineers on the case etc ... what the hell is going on here?