Humanising the corporate voice
Friday evening, the train is pulling into East Croydon railway station. There’s an announcement. We are now approaching East Croydon, please mind the gap between the train and the platform. Don’t leave...
View ArticleMissing planes
After a month living out of a suitcase, circumnavigating the globe I’m homeward bound. I’m flying with Oasis… going to be interesting how the words “budget” and “longhaul” reconcile with each other....
View ArticleChinese immigration – how did I do today?
Today is one of those days. A meeting in Zhuhai at 11am. Take the 08:40 ferry from Hong Kong, no problem. I’d researched the ferry times, got to the ferry port with loads of time to spare and went up...
View ArticleI am not a target in a campaign
Marketing may be a touchy-feely occupation, but the language that marketeers use is far from it. Campaigns, strategy, tactics, targets… all out of the military handbook. That might be OK within the...
View ArticleLet common sense prevail
Me: “Hello, I’d like to book a flight back to London on Thursday please”. BA: “Certainly. BA 28. Midnight Thirty Five.” And that was it. No friendly warning, so close to doing this again. If I ask for...
View ArticleDay trip to Shenzhen
Day trip to Shenzhen from Hong Kong. Most nationalities can now get visas at the border (why do us Brits get screwed with such expensive visas?), but be warned, you have to pay for them in RMB. Once...
View ArticleBehaviour, intentions, interactions and corner cases
According to an article on eMarketer the method customers book travel depends upon their needs. Nothing revolutionary there; what is interesting is that fewer travelers are booking their trips online...
View ArticleDoes this train go to Bangor?
Over the loudspeaker comes a garbled message “…this train divides at Chester. Customers for Bangor must travel in the front four coaches of the train”. There was a group of women behind me talking...
View ArticleDo you modify your approach according to context?
I look in the rearview mirror. Blue lights flashing. Maybe he’s been called out to respond to a call and will overtake me. No, he’s flashing me. Instinctly I’ve slowed down, I look at the speedo, it...
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