Filed under: Comment
I’ve been doing this job for a long time.
I’ve been incredibly fortunate to work for – and with – companies that have been unwilling to sacrifice their beliefs for profit.
To some, that might sound foolish, but it’s not like these companies were on the breadline – by all conventional definitions, they were both successful and wealthy.
Sure, there might be the odd competitor who made more money than them … had a higher profit margin than them … had a better share-price than them … but whereas those companies had to continually chase and buy their audience, these companies had attracted a mountain of geniune fans because they had cemented their reputation as doing things with quality, flair and care.
What bothers me a lot today is this attitude that profit and quality are mutually exclusive.
That you can’t have one without the other.
In my mind, so much of this has been driven by 3 factors:
1. The rise of accountants as CEO’s.
2. The reliance on share price for bonus.
3. The quarterly obsession of the stockmarket.
Despite brands like Apple and Dyson showing the commercial benefits of longer-term thinking and an unrelenting commitment to high standards … more and more companies are forgoing their longer-term potential for the sake of a few more dollars today.
Don’t get me wrong, I know how important money is.
I know how vital revenue and profit is for an organisation.
But for many companies, it’s not a case of profit or loss, it’s a case of obscene profits today over great profits for the long term.
Years ago I wrote a paper for SONY stating their obsession with hoovering up every possible dollar from their customers wallets could lead them to losing their entire fortune.
In it I basically said that the pressure they were putting on their R&D department to develop new technology [to drive continued revenue growth] was leading to them releasing sub-standard, unreliable products and if they continued down this path, their brand would start to suffer because their reputation for innovation and quality would be severely impacted.
I think SONY’s current situation says it all.
Without doubt, speed is a competitive advantage.
But so is quality.
People say you don’t remember who came second, but I’d counter by saying history is littered by people and companies who have prospered by taking a too-quickly-launched idea and making it right.
I’ve said it many times but for all the talk companies spout about the importance of ‘strategy’, it all goes out the window the moment they see a short-term, high profit opportunity.
Look, I’m all for making money.
I’m all for being filthy rich and successful.
But I genuinely believe the problem many brands, companies and countries are facing today is because they focused [and are focusing] on building down to a price rather than up to a quality and if we continue to disproportionally reward short-term thinking and results – or put people in charge whose professional education has been more about ‘what can be saved’ rather than ‘what can [also] be made’ – then the only road we’re heading towards is a dead end.
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I appear to be the first commentator. What a honour.
This is a magnificent post Robert. It’s provocative and thought provoking but more than that, it succinctly captures the attitude that permeates too many boardrooms across the globe.
If the World was fair, this post would be picked up and discussed by many, however I fear because you choose to pepper your blog with your unique personality, it fails to appeal to the image conscious intelligencia sheep and snobs.
That in itself is both remarkable and shameful, however more incredible is that the blogs they choose to celebrate rarely offer anyway near the level of practical insight and inspiration you regularly offer us on here.
This is an excellent read, well done.
Comment by Lee Hill February 10, 2012 @ 6:40 amfirst to fucking comment.
gushing like a fucking sycophant.
praising like a fucking pentecostal preacher.
are you fucking ok lee?
Comment by andy@cynic February 10, 2012 @ 6:45 amI understand the blog version of the Andrew brand requires you to criticise everything on this blog, but thankfully my assessments are a bit more open minded.
Comment by Lee Hill February 10, 2012 @ 7:35 amso what youre saying is my brand is more fucking consistent. nice fucking compliment from a mr fucking big of business.
Comment by andy@cynic February 10, 2012 @ 7:40 amThat’s an obscenely lovely and generous compliment Lee. Thank you, especially as I know how difficult you are to impress. And get compliments from. Ha.
Comment by Rob February 10, 2012 @ 10:04 amfuck me campbell, youre on some political bandwagon bollocks these days arent you. ok so youve just explained why the british manufacturing industry has gone the way of the fucking dodo but now what? give dyson the keys to fucking parliament? that might not be a fucking bad idea. im a fucking genius.
Comment by andy@cynic February 10, 2012 @ 6:48 amand why havent you shoved some blame on fucking shareholders. you always shove some fucking blame on shareholders? or have you realised youve got millions of the bastards tucked away and you dont want to be a fucking hypocrite. again.
Comment by andy@cynic February 10, 2012 @ 6:50 amLet’s get this clear – competitive advantage is not mono-dimensional.
Speed is only a competitive advantage if you’re faster than every other competitor AND there is a sufficient number of customers who value speed and are prepared to pay a premium for it. And that’s why first mover advantage is largely mythical, especially in a world where barriers to entry are increasingly porous.
But if you compete on price, you’re saying that what you’re producing lacks any pretence of inherent value and you’re essentially in the commodity business and are not a brand.
Comment by John February 10, 2012 @ 6:51 amoh fuck, lee was bad enough but now fucking doddsy is writing serious comments, im fucking doomed.
Comment by andy@cynic February 10, 2012 @ 6:53 amyoure going to fucking hate this doddsy but you and campbell are agreeing on something. i know that will want to make you kill yourself but its true. ask the fucker about his “most brands arent brands” rant a few years ago. id tell you what it was about but i fell asleep as soon as he walked on the presentation stage.
Comment by andy@cynic February 10, 2012 @ 6:56 amI realised this but hoped he wouldn’t notice if I dressed it up in a critique of his flabby thinking.
Good of you to actually show up for his presentation. That kind of loyalty has no price – as I think was scandalously proven some years later.
Comment by John February 10, 2012 @ 7:03 amcall me saint andy. though i didnt have a choice, it was at my wedding. one of them. cant remember which. dont fucking want to remember.
Comment by andy@cynic February 10, 2012 @ 7:06 amunless youre including shareholders when you say “obsession with the stock market”. which you probably are because you are a shareholder blamer.
Comment by andy@cynic February 10, 2012 @ 6:52 amYou do realise Rob that the title of this post said everything you needed to say.
Good read. Well, better than usual read.
Comment by DH February 10, 2012 @ 6:58 amI mean the title of the post, not the post.
Comment by DH February 10, 2012 @ 6:58 amyour point about accountants being ceos is a fucking good one though campbell. why the fuck has that happened? no fucking wonder companies have the vision of ray fucking charles these days.
Comment by andy@cynic February 10, 2012 @ 7:01 amthat does not officially count as a compliment. just an obserfuckingvation.
Comment by andy@cynic February 10, 2012 @ 7:02 amIt’s happened because too many non-finance people can’t or won’t count. It’s inexcusable. (It’s also the source of innumerable dodgy effectiveness claims, but that’s a whole other story.)
I once met an A&R man who’d gone to business school solely so he “could tell his finance director to eff off.” He had the right idea,
Comment by John February 10, 2012 @ 7:12 amfuck telling finance people to fuck off he should of told new kids on the fucking block to fuck off as well.
Comment by andy@cynic February 10, 2012 @ 7:20 amand can i point out your house is filled with fucking sony shit so you cant think their r&d is too fucked up.
or it could be you have money to fucking burn. my money. prick.
Comment by andy@cynic February 10, 2012 @ 7:04 ambut it is mainly robot fucking dogs.
Comment by andy@cynic February 10, 2012 @ 7:04 amI think someone should bring competent marketing managers back into boardrooms because clearly we aren’t seeing enough of them client-side. There may be an issue with people thinking marketing has lost its way what with digital and the rise of social media – of course I don’t really know what clients discuss when they go back to their offices but it’s just a feeling.
Another thing I’ve noticed is that others tend to think marketing managers as CEOs would give in too early to the pressures of social media and the likes without really understanding how they work and how it can benefit the business (and it may have to do with ROI and how you get that from the digital realm). It’s easy for some agency to say ‘look, all your customers are online’ but the marketing manager may be unable or not confident enough to go back and (reasonably) sell that at boardroom level and work his way towards a more senior position.
A good point my dad has made when I mentioned your post in a conversation is that as a marketing manager you can be very good at the pitch, but not great at the budgeting, disastrous even – bad for your company, or be absolutely fantastic with numbers but not recognise a great ad when you see it and make things hard for the agency (debatable but that’s just a sweeping generalisation intended as a joke…plus some truth in it, depends to what extent).
The sort of marketing person I’d like to see at boardroom level probably needs to be a lot better at understanding digital and by digital I don’t mean social media, lulz etc but a much bigger cultural/technological perspective. There was a survey ’round here saying that 41% of some clients polled have very low confidence in their digital media strategy. Is it them? Is it the agencies? Where’s the breakdown and how can we fix that? Because if it’s us, I’d love to give someone the info to go back to their boardroom and say actually, this is why I think the long-term works.
Maybe you need some level of madness to inspire confidence. Bezos at Amazon is a cliched example now but they are selling Kindles at a loss in order to focus on long-term growth from trapping people into an ebook platform. There’s a method behind it but you know…we’re fixating on like-for-like sales which can mean just about nothing these days. Depending on your business.
Oh snap, I’ve rambled again at midnight. Lalala. But I love it when people who comment here come and at least tell me something new as they’re in much better positions to comment.
Comment by Andrea February 10, 2012 @ 7:47 amA good marketer should have a comprehensive understanding of their audience, their broad competitive landscape, their brand and their business. How to create and place communication that conveys, competes and grows is why they have agencies.
Comment by Lee Hill February 10, 2012 @ 7:54 amOr should be.`
i fucking miss you as a client.
fuck, i miss having fucking clients.
Comment by andy@cynic February 10, 2012 @ 8:00 amVery much so! I wish…But there’s been some misunderstanding somewhere about this ‘digital’* business with regards to audiences and what they’re doing online – if everyone is following the customers online, they either jump on the bandwagon and get too overexcited or shun the wagon altogether, which isn’t very helpful.
Striking a balance would be great and keeping an active interest in what’s happening – there’s nothing more awkward than having to be in a meeting where you feel like you’re speaking an alien language when describing what twitter is and what people do on it….cue some ‘do people really do that on twitter?’ questions and you don’t know whether they’re serious or kidding with you.
*which some equate to just social media, but I’m not here to be pedantic about the meaning
Comment by Andrea February 10, 2012 @ 8:06 amExcellent point Lee, especially from a lawyer, not a marketer.
Comment by George February 10, 2012 @ 8:30 amI do not wish to sound condescending Andrea, but your comment sounds like a person filled with frustration at being misunderstood. I could be wrong and please know I find your comments interesting and smart, but there is a counter argument and that is you are not helping your clients understand the situation or the opportunity well enough. Easier said than done I know, but what you describe is not unique to digital nor to the UK marketing scene, it is a challenge everyone faces at some point in their career and the test of skill and character is whether you overcome it, succumb to it or walk away. Keep up the fight, it reminds me of a certain Robert Campbell and he’s done quite well for himself.
Comment by George February 10, 2012 @ 8:42 amfuck me, whats going on here. lee and george dont come here for fucking months then theyre writing comments like its going out of fucking fashion. and theyre fucking complimentary and advisory comments. that makes me fucking sick.
this never fucking happened when lauren was here.
Comment by andy@cynic February 10, 2012 @ 8:46 amGeorge, I would love to comment on that but I cannot for the time being, not in public anyway. I said ‘feeling’ because that’s something I’ve experienced so yes, my frustrations are indeed specific to situations but unfortunately out of my control as I’m a mere peon and it’s Rob’s blog so I won’t tait the comments with that! I agree wholeheartedly with Rob but saying just that doesn’t add to the conversation I come back here for. And hey, I just want to hear what others have got to say even though I have no idea who most of the people here are. We’re all from the internet as far as I know.
I’m with that ‘over, under, around and through’ rule to solve problems even if it came from sesame street (along with hate something, change something) so I’m very happy to help clients but some need a gentle holding of hands as they tiptoe waters and it’s not always a good use of my time – again, very specific but there you go. You want to help them, but they have to want to be helped in a way – as in really, genuinely want it. Sure it applies to everywhere, but I’ve only worked in 2 countries so it’s nothing.
I’d rather be dead than resign myself to thinking nothing can be done. Of course a lot can be done and this blog gives me the faith to keep on keeping on – and at best, suggestions on how to approach things. So thank you!
Comment by Andrea February 10, 2012 @ 9:01 amI’m glad you took my comment in the manner it was meant, I’d hate you to think I didn’t appreciate your passion, talent and smarts.
Comment by George February 10, 2012 @ 9:06 amAs for not tainting Robert’s blog? I don’t think you would ever be in danger of achieving that while other members of this blog community still comment.
what the fuck is that supposed to mean. shes already admitted thats the reason she fucking comes to this shithole. back the fuck off planner boy.
Comment by andy@cynic February 10, 2012 @ 9:09 amI’m pretty sure marketing’s departure from the boardroom pre-dated digital and I don’t think specific marketing expertise will get the door re-opened. The boardroom’s primary focus is strategic and in that respect your father’s analysis is very relevant.
Marketers are all too often seen as tactically-focussed. They need to re-affirm the symbiosis of marketing and corporate strategy if they are to be taken seriously.
Comment by John February 10, 2012 @ 8:06 amWhen Lee, John and even Andy like a post, you know it has to be something special. And it is. The title alone is worth the price of admission. A great read.
Your blog is on fire this year.
Comment by Pete February 10, 2012 @ 7:57 amIf it were, that would be some conflagration.
Comment by John February 10, 2012 @ 8:12 amdont get excited pete, it wont fucking last.
Comment by andy@cynic February 10, 2012 @ 8:19 amThe stock market seems a red thread in your three points..
So you either need strong founders who groom early and rule long enough for the culture you propose to become internalised or you should not go public to not succumb to external pressures?
Broadly speaking succession is often tricky.. from Rome to Apple.. never easy often wrong..
Comment by niko February 10, 2012 @ 8:13 amThey should bloody take lessons from North Korea. Succession seems pretty clear over there.
Comment by Andrea February 10, 2012 @ 8:33 amI’ve said it before Robert, but I love when you write posts like this. The theme “up to a quality not down to a price” is a wonderful observation, something that highlights the problem that inhabits many once great companies and brands.
Comment by George February 10, 2012 @ 8:30 amA fantastic post to read and think about..
stop fucking encouraging him george, you know he lives for your compliments, but only because the daft fuck thinks it might get him an invite to necker.
Comment by andy@cynic February 10, 2012 @ 8:45 amVery happy people like this post …
Having Lee, George, Pete and John Dodds is fantastic … having even Andy accidentally compliment it is astounding.
Why?
Because this post matters to me. Well, they all do [even the “horse cock” one] but this matters because I am getting fed up hearing people use terms like ‘best practice’ when what they really mean is ‘lowest quality I can get away with’.
We talk about this ‘throwaway society’ because we’ve created it. The worst thing is it’s literally a ‘throwaway’ … the value of value has seemingly disappeared.
The title of the post – unsurprisingly – didn’t come from me. I paraphrased something I heard a 70 year old engineer say in an interview, but he was right.
Sure, it might mean this attitude has helped companies make more money, but it could also be argued they make less because in many cases, loyalty has gone out the window and they are at the whim of the fickle tastes of the consumer.
However there’s something even worse that has come from all this … as Andy points out, whole countries suffer.
England’s main industry appears to be call centres and credit check companies … a nation that once had a proud manufacturing history, often [but certainly not always] known for quality, now has pretty much nothing.
Of course we all have to take some responsibility for this … from shareholders to voters … but our obsessive focus on the short-term has potentially ended up robbing our future generations of understanding the pride and satisfaction of making – and buying – something of real quality & substance.
We need to encourage more Dyson’s, not Sir Fred Goodwin’s.
Comment by Rob February 10, 2012 @ 9:01 amI’d vote for you Robert.
Comment by George February 10, 2012 @ 9:06 amwhat country would you like to see him rule is the real brief question..
Comment by niko February 10, 2012 @ 9:09 ambelgium. he cant cause any fucking harm there and if he does, no fucker will give a shit. except mayonaise lovers.
Comment by andy@cynic February 10, 2012 @ 9:10 amI’m only interested if I can have power over all of them George.
Comment by Rob February 10, 2012 @ 9:11 amI take it back.
Comment by George February 10, 2012 @ 9:14 amI thought this was relevant in terms of aspiring for quality and manufacturing..which you may have seen already but it’s 1 AM rather than 9 AM so I’ll be quiet after this
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204542404577157290201608630.html
Comment by Andrea February 10, 2012 @ 9:11 amI hadn’t seen that Andrea … thank you.
Having read it, I’m not surprised. Culturally, Japan is built on the value of ‘perfectionism’ [not, as many people think, innovation] … hence you find craftsmanship at every turn, from wooden combs to engineering.
What a shame they didn’t extend that philosophy to building nuclear power plants.
Comment by Rob February 10, 2012 @ 9:18 amthat last sentence is the funniest comment youve ever written campbell. its completely fucking inappropriate but thats what makes it so fucking good. youre finally learning.
Comment by andy@cynic February 10, 2012 @ 9:36 amYou make it sound like inappropriateness is a new thing for Rob.
Comment by DH February 10, 2012 @ 9:38 ami was talking about him being funny, not fucking inappropriate. hes been doing that since birth.
Comment by andy@cynic February 10, 2012 @ 9:39 amTerrific post, off to meet a client in the morning, may tell him I can’t make it and send along this post instead. Says everything I wanted to say. Just says it better.
Comment by Ciaran McCabe February 10, 2012 @ 9:25 amno no no no. not the elder fucking statesman as well.
ok campbell you win, you can write as many best friend horse cock posts as you like, just no more of these serious fuckers that make my pretend friends turn against me.
Comment by andy@cynic February 10, 2012 @ 9:35 amHe’s still got it hasn’t he.
Comment by DH February 10, 2012 @ 9:39 ambeing an evil, manipulative fuck?
oh yeah, hes never lost that fucking skill, hes just learnt to hide it under a fluffy fucking woolen jumper until it suits him to whip it off and savage some poor innocent bastard who is full of generosity and kindness. in this case, me.
Comment by andy@cynic February 10, 2012 @ 9:41 amYou do know I can read this don’t you?
Comment by Rob February 10, 2012 @ 9:42 amof course i fucking do. you dont think id waste my insults on you if you couldnt.
Comment by andy@cynic February 10, 2012 @ 9:43 amGood point.
Comment by Rob February 10, 2012 @ 9:43 amPorno is all about the quality.
Comment by Billy Whizz February 10, 2012 @ 9:45 amthat would sound good if your favourite fucking porn wasnt gutter girls go wild in philafuckingdelphia.
Comment by andy@cynic February 10, 2012 @ 9:48 amIt takes hard work and dedication to find girls that nasty.
Comment by Billy Whizz February 10, 2012 @ 9:51 amfair fucking point. for once.
Comment by andy@cynic February 10, 2012 @ 9:54 amSuperb post, yet again. Come to think, how many brands innovate by removing elements? (both examples, Dyson & Apple do this). There’s a lot of stuff going on in this post – concepts like target costing, design etc. which may need a re-think. Not to mention short term obsession, which is the rough equivalent of ‘double the sex, for half the foreplay’.
Comment by harshal February 10, 2012 @ 3:58 pmExcellent post. Excellent comment from Lee. I’ve actually recommended that people read this post. Blimey.
Comment by Marcus February 10, 2012 @ 4:55 pmThat is almost as high a compliment as getting Andy to [accidentally] admit he liked it. Or at least, bits of it.
Comment by Rob February 10, 2012 @ 7:00 pmI was interviewing someone a while back who summed this up as follows: ‘Everybody’s so busy trying to make money that they don’t make any time to make the changes that will enable them to really make money.’
True dat.
Comment by Jess February 10, 2012 @ 5:45 pmGood point Jess … it’s similar to the pre-occupation companies have with process, it’s how it works rather than what it actually delivers.
When you think about it, the World’s gone fucking mad.
Comment by Rob February 10, 2012 @ 7:01 pmI love your header, the Forest lapels are genius.
A couple of issues…. brands don’t make anything, companies do. At best, sometimes corporations do. The brand is one of the many things that a good company will manufacture. but it too is manufactured – by opinionated sods in supplier outfits. Good companies know that by manufacturing a brand they can engineer increased loyalty, get a higher margin in the product and earn forgiveness for fuck-ups. But the idea that a brand actually produces the product is one that drives many ad folk around the bend “Why aren’t they living the brand?” – “Because they see the brand as one of the ingredients and items on the balance sheet”
I agree with you that the quest for increased shareholder value and growth beyond what the category can supply is stretching people beyond core competency and leading to so weird and shitty product (flavored vodkas rape brand equity, but they hold up short term growth targets) but I’m not sure that the issue necessarily results in poorer quality.
You use Apple as an example of getting it right. Yet Apple have started to cut corners. The new MacBook Pro has stripped screws holding the subwoofer enclosure in place, an unlocked ZIF socket connecting the IR sensor and excess thermal paste on the CPU and GPU. The last one didn’t. The new one has more issues. Throw in battery problems on 4s, the whole ‘You’re holding it wrong’ on the previous phone and a screen more fragile than Demi Moore’ and you see that Apple has always been as much Tim Cook cost reduction as Steve Jobs ‘make it LOOK beautiful’
In independent tests (and the Which owner’s survey) Dyson came 5th out of 7 for reliability in both upright and cylinder cleaners – despite a 200% price premium on the better scoring Oreck.
VW (another master of brand spin, they’re average on reliability) are the masters of this. Perceived quality they call it. Everything that you see and touch should feel top notch, everything else can be made of bits that fell off Barbie. So long as the dials are blue and the grab handles silicon dampened people won’t notice” – throw in a history of brand messaging around reliability and each person is convinced that they alone must have bought a Friday lemon
So yeah, I agree with your points on short term profit focus leading to stunted R&D as things are rushed out there. But my thesis would be that rushed R&D leads not to shoddier product but to less ambitious, less revolutionary and less impactful product and opens you up to be overtaken by competitors. Sony didn’t lose it to Samsung because their TVs were less reliable, they lost it because they were looking at so many things they slowly slipped behind the pace of technology in the segment
Anyway – rant off.
Comment by Steve February 10, 2012 @ 9:05 pmAll fair points Steve but I fail to understand the real point you are trying to make other than you are knowledgable in branding and you feel the public are an ass.
Comment by George February 10, 2012 @ 9:52 pmAs for Sony. I worked with Robert on this project and can confirm the pressure on R&D to deliver shortcuts to innovation did lead to less reliable products. Of course Sony’s decline is due to many elements but your thesis is not as accurate as it sounds you wish it was.
Hi Steve, you’re new here so I understand why you have made some (not all) of the comments you’ve made.
For clarification, Rob is very aware of the difference between a brand and a company. He tends to write his posts from the perspective of the public and as George states, they don’t distinguish between the two.
PS) I also worked on the SONY project Robert writes about in this post and your thesis is only partially correct. There was definitely a surge in uninspiring, less innovative products (because R&D were being kept busy on ‘speed’ projects) but there was also a definitive shift in the amount of products that experienced major reliability issues (because R&D were being kept busy on ‘speed’ projects)
Comment by Pete February 10, 2012 @ 10:14 pmcan someone explain why were all jumping to the defence of campbell? i understand baz, we want free apple shit, but why the fuck are we watching out for campbell when that bastard has fucked us all over, one by fucking one, at some point or another.
oh i know, because we prefer him when hes in adlands bob geldof mode (compared to those times when hes in fucking oprah mode) especially when hes being questioned by brandings norman fucking tebbit.
Comment by andy@cynic February 10, 2012 @ 10:21 pmBaz, would you like to respond to Steve’s view that your company has made the strategic decision to reduce standards to maximise profit?
Comment by George February 10, 2012 @ 9:54 pmThere is little point responding directly to Steve’s comment, but I would be interested to know whether he works as a branding consultant, a journalist or a marketer at a rival company. Looking at the way he has written his comment, I believe it has to be one of those 3. Good test to see if I still have my planning instinct chops.
Comment by Bazza February 10, 2012 @ 11:04 pmOne thing we all know is he’ll be taller than you.
Comment by Billy Whizz February 10, 2012 @ 11:06 pmyou petty, immature, sad little prick.
fucking good work. just like old times except i dont have to fucking pay either of you.
Comment by andy@cynic February 10, 2012 @ 11:08 pmwhat odds can i get that steve is either a fucking planner or a branding consultant or a brand manager or some other fucker who deals in shit that forgets normal bastards dont act according to brand fucking onions or brand fucking terminology.
dont worry steve, i like people who take the piss out of campbell but youre doing it in a way that makes you a fuck load worse than him because you want to pick fault and act superior without understanding the fucking key points hes making, especially key points that are based on his experience not yours.
Comment by andy@cynic February 10, 2012 @ 10:04 pmI rarely have to ACT superior in this company, deary
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I’VE EDITED THIS COMMENT BECAUSE NO USE OF THE ‘C’ WORD IS ALLOWED. SORRY.
Comment by Together steve February 15, 2012 @ 9:35 amoh sorry, am i supposed to give a fuck. nope.
Comment by andy@cynic February 15, 2012 @ 9:54 amthis post has got way too fucking many positive comments. my whole fucking weekend is now fucking ruined.
Comment by andy@cynic February 10, 2012 @ 10:06 pmI preferred this post when we were talking about gutter porn.
Comment by Billy Whizz February 10, 2012 @ 10:31 pmsmartest fucking comment on this post. after all mine.
Comment by andy@cynic February 10, 2012 @ 10:46 pmSteve sounds like a banker before the crash.
Everything is fine. You don’t understand how it works. Your experience isn’t the right experience. Let me point out how foolish you are and use a lot of buzz words and technical talk to cover that I’m not addressing the bigger point that everyone else can see as clear as day because they’re humans not part of the protected bubble.
Comment by DH February 10, 2012 @ 10:41 pmdont worry dave, we dont have to mingle with the inhumans. they dont survive well in the real fucking world. now calm the fuck down and find a bar for us to get pissed in tonight.
Comment by andy@cynic February 10, 2012 @ 10:45 pmI did very nicely out of ‘the crash’ thank you
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I’VE EDITED THIS COMMENT BECAUSE NO USE OF THE ‘C’ WORD IS ALLOWED. SORRY.
Comment by Together steve February 15, 2012 @ 9:31 amthat says it fucking all.
Comment by andy@cynic February 15, 2012 @ 9:55 amMr. Campbell, you have been on a roll with your blog posts lately. Just thought I’d pop in and say that. And with that, toodles for now.
Comment by Anjali Ramachandran February 10, 2012 @ 10:48 pmive just managed to settle this fucking blog back to normal then you come in and start stirring the shit again. thanks a fucking lot. for fucking nothing.
Comment by andy@cynic February 10, 2012 @ 10:51 pmon a more important fucking point, where the fuck are my baby shower presents? we need money or a porsche or a new house. you have just over a month, dont fucking let me down you tight arsed fuckers.
Comment by andy@cynic February 10, 2012 @ 10:50 pmI’ve got 5 years of gutter girls for you.
Comment by Billy Whizz February 10, 2012 @ 11:11 pmgutter girls is one thing. second hand copies of gutter girls is another fucking thing altofuckingether.
Comment by andy@cynic February 10, 2012 @ 11:12 pmIt’s a beer then.
Comment by Billy Whizz February 10, 2012 @ 11:14 pmno fucking doubt a warm fucking one.
Comment by andy@cynic February 10, 2012 @ 11:16 pmand the thought doesnt fucking count.
Comment by andy@cynic February 10, 2012 @ 11:23 pmI was told you already had money, a Porsche and a new home.
Comment by John February 10, 2012 @ 11:16 pmyou make it sound like theres a fucking law against having more than one.
Comment by andy@cynic February 10, 2012 @ 11:18 pmi can do with more money because im fucking funding a moneypit in canada, 2 exwives and a fucking ex biz partner with a predisposition for buying expensive fucking piles of shit.
and i dont do porsches, im classier than that you cheeky fuck.
Comment by andy@cynic February 10, 2012 @ 11:22 pmIs this when you claim your german sports tank is your wife’s or one of those new macho prams?
Comment by DH February 11, 2012 @ 12:16 amfuck you cockhead. its not a fucking porsche but it is a fucking tank. kids on the way, safety fucking first. i cant fucking believe ive just written that. need to wash my mouth out with johnnie black now.
Comment by andy@cynic February 11, 2012 @ 12:24 am94 comments. ninety fucking four comments. talk about slow fucking news day.
Comment by andy@cynic February 11, 2012 @ 12:25 am95
Comment by kevin February 11, 2012 @ 1:09 pm@Steve.
I didn’t comment on your comment because I didn’t really see the point. At the end of the day, you are entitled to your opinion as I am to mine … however I do feel you might have missed the underlying issue I was talking about and preferred to pick fault with terminology or other people’s perspectives about what is and isn’t good/bad while presenting yourself as an all-seeing, all-knowing guru.
That’s fine, maybe you are … but you should know there are a lot of people on here who are pretty experienced and senior and so there opinion should also be considered, not just pushed aside because we can all learn something from someone.
By the way, do you work for a tech company? Your brand character assassination in terms of quality control was astounding
Comment by Rob February 15, 2012 @ 9:47 amLooks like they are really innovating :
http://mashable.com/2012/02/14/does-sony-want-to-make-you-pay-to-charge-your-gadgets-video/
Comment by Richard Jesus February 15, 2012 @ 9:20 pm[…] I got slagged off for that and yet, I still think it remains true. At least in terms of brands and products. [I can't find it, but this one also conveys my point/concern] […]
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