I don’t know about you – but growing up in the UK through the 80’s and 90’s (I wish it was later), I have an in-built love for Marks and Spencer. Yes, it’s true.

Not the Marks and Spencer that is constantly talked about in the financial pages and business sections – but the Marks and Spencer that brought us Chicken Kiev (with real chicken), sandwiches with exotic fillings (like avocado and walnuts!) and stuffing with real fruit (amazing).

Anyone who has watched “The Royle Family” will know what I am talking about.  Marks’ (pronounced “Markses”) is revered alongside the Church, “Who wants to be a Millionaire” and the Queen. (more…)

Filed under: Brands, Customer Engagement, Reputation Management, Technology by Dominic Frost

When compared to certain parts of the internet, spam is a beautiful, poetic and inventive thing. It really really is.

In some (lots of) parts of the net there is a tipping point where spam has more going for it than human utterances. Spam is more open to new ideas, more thoughtful, less repetitive, less myopic than lots and lots of forums and blog sites, online culture magazines, etc. And it’s getting more complex and more inventive, while some blogs and forums are beginning to feed off themselves and on themselves.

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Filed under: Consumer Generated Media, Customer Engagement, Quality, Search, Spam by Phil Newman

Remember the promises of flawless matching of supply and demand and limitless consumer power when the web burst onto the scene a dozen years ago?

The last couple of years have not disappointed (Consumers are already enjoying near full transparency of prices and in categories like travel and music, and of opinions as well.). 2008 could be the year when this kind of transparency really starts scaring non-performing brands, forcing them to shift focus from exerting their pricey influence via parts of the media to taking more stock of priceless consumer opinions. (more…)

Filed under: Customer Engagement, Research by Giles Palmer