Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Attitude & Aptitude, Audio Visual, Brand Suicide, Communication Strategy, Confidence, Content, Context, Corona Virus, Corporate Evil, Crap Products In History, Culture, Cunning, Daily Fail, Daily Mail, Marketing Fail, Media, Prejudice
Tomorrow I’ve written a positive post about some of the stuff Corona virus has revealed we are capable of being.
Today I’m writing about the worst of it.
Specifically The Daily Mail.
As we all know, they have become one of the most successful newspapers and internet destinations in the World thanks to their fear-mongering, shock-creating, prejudice-encouraging bullshit, all wrapped up in the illusion of being a family newspaper caring about family values.
If Donald Trump was a newspaper, he’d be The Daily Mail.
They have absolutely revelled in the corona virus.
Equally challenging the scientists viewpoints and then the people who don’t follow it.
They play both sides with such obviousness [see photo above] and yet they – like Fox TV – claim to be consistent, fair and balanced.
The fact they get away with it means either no one believes them or – as I fear – their readers don’t question a word they say.
While they like to focus their hate on minority groups, no one is immune from their hate.
Even the middle-England elderly readers – their core audience in the UK – cop it with headlines that suggest ‘they will all be left to die’ or ‘isolation till 2021’.
They are the embodiment of ‘take no prisoners’ …
For me, they are basically a far right political party.
However, unlike the far right, they have found a much more powerful way to operate.
They don’t openly show their hatred … oh no, they slowly and quietly infiltrate mainstream society so they can undermine the minorities, the unemployed and the poor by making prejudice, illness and poverty seem the words and beliefs of the irrational.
To be fair to them, they may not even realise it.
They are so myopic that they fail to appreciate other people have different circumstances.
Which is why they – like that other prick, Piers Morgan – don’t realise their commentary is so harmful because they’ve never experienced any of the issues they are so quick to either claim don’t exist or they would never advocate … like prejudice, racism and poverty.
As you’ll read in tomorrow’s post, corona has revealed the best of many companies and news organisations.
It has changed the dynamic between corporation and society.
It’s why I hope after this, the Daily Mail is seen for what it is, a social manipulator – a company who only acts in the interests of its owner and no one else.
A great villain for a Bond movie, but not a great company for society.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, America, Attitude & Aptitude, Authenticity, Brand, Brand Suicide, Chaos, Comment, Communication Strategy, Confidence, Corporate Evil, Crap Marketing Ideas From History!, Creativity, Culture, Customer Service, Daily Mail, Emotion, Empathy, England, Equality, Family, Guns, Home, Human Goodness, Insight, London, Love, Loyalty, Luxury, Marketing, Marketing Fail, Packaging, Parents, Perspective, Relationships, Relevance, Resonance, Social Divide, Standards, Unfair Life, United Nations, Wankers
So today, I start working from home due to the devastating spread of corona virus.
As someone who has lived through SARS, avian and swine flu, you’d think I would be fine with it … but the way the government and media have responded, I have to say has left me on edge.
It feels like 28 Days Later – as we hide, hoping the invisible virus won’t get us while looking suspiciously at anyone who is outside or has a casual sneeze.
Personally I don’t think the government are taking it seriously enough.
I also think a lot of people are being way too blase about it.
But what’s worse is that while many of us are going to be inconvenienced, the elderly, the homeless, the single parents, the temporary workers, the unemployed and the small business owners are going to face a horrific time and no one seems to be creating plans for how they can cope.
I’m addition, it’s showing the worst of society.
From that fat, lying, cheating bastard who is the President of America – to the rapid increase in gun purchase in the USA [seriously, WTF?] to the disgusting locust like behaviour going on in across supermarkets all over the World.
I tell you what, any of these people who ever negatively judged immigrants, refugees or boat people better not do that from now on.
Though what’s the betting they’ll claim their situation is different.
I guess they’re right.
Refugees, migrants and boat people are trying not to die. They’re just trying to continue living in comfort and wipe their arse with 3-ply.
But through it all there have been signs of humanity showing their best side.
Coming together.
Uniting.
Looking out for others.
From the wonderful singing that is happening on balconies across Italy to Waitrose making sure all small business suppliers are paid the next day to LVMH doing this …
Given there are some companies you’d expect to jump to societies help who are acting like absolute wankers, it’s even more amazing LVMH are acting so swiftly and generously.
When this all passes, some companies will discover profit before people ends up costing them profit and people.
It’s a strange time but we will get through it – but what will make it better is if we can find ways to help those who feel left behind.
I’m working on something and there’s options already in place for the elderly – like this – but if you have more ideas, please let me know.
Most of all, look after yourself.
So far, 2020 has a lot to improve on.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Brand Suicide, Corporate Evil, Crap Marketing Ideas From History!, Daily Fail, Daily Mail
I always thought the ghosts and ghouls of Halloween came out on the night of the 31st October, but the Daily Fail … I mean, Daily Mail … have shown me I am wrong in that assumption with quite possibly the most pointless ‘news story’ that they have ever printed.
Yes, I know you might find this hard to believe given they’ve printed such gems as how to get the Kim Kardashian look or the cat that looks like Tom Selleck or the lion that looks like a cartoon lion or, not forgetting, z-grade reality star almost steps into a puddle … but this is worse. No really.
Are you ready?
Are you peeping out from your bedsheets?
OK … so here we go.
Jesus Christ …
I know England is footie-mad but even the most devout Man United fan is not going to give a shit about this … especially given black t-shirts and jeans are about as common as getting mugged by an acne-ridden, drug-taking, 17 year old scamp in Manchester city-centre every Saturday night.
Seriously what next?
Is it even feasibly possible to go any lower?
Paul McCartney runs out of toilet paper?
Ice-Cube adds ice cubes to his drink?
When you think of some of the great journalists out there and all the trials and tribulations they have gone through to bring their important stories to the World, the Daily Mail pisses over all their efforts and legacies … and given the Mail website is one of the most visited places on the internet, that means the fashion of some footballers is going to be the topic of more people’s conversations than the state of the World.
And if you want something scary to think about this Halloween, you can’t get scarier than that.
… The Daily Mail isn’t a newspaper, it’s the British version of The Onion.
Now everything makes sense. Including this.
After all, no ‘serious’ newspaper would ever run this as a major story when there’s so much going on in the World that needs genuine reporting.
I feel such a fool. Way to go Daily Mail.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Attitude & Aptitude, Comment, Corona Virus, Culture, Daily Fail, Daily Mail, England, London
So this COVID-19 thing has – as I’ve written a bunch of times – brought the best and worst out of people and companies.
But one thing I’ve not really talked about is the humour it has ignited.
The best bit being some of it was not meant to be humour but it’s hilarious.
So to make your week much happier, have a look at this piece of accidental hilarity … which may be one of the best examples of self-serving [under the guise of politeness and consideration] middle-class [which today means, posh-class] England, since the editorial in today’s Daily Mail.
You’re welcome.