Winning In Today's Digital World

On Monday, for the first time, the Marketors held a joint event with another Livery Company : the Stationers and Newspaper Makers. Both Companies have a shared interest in the digital world. So the Stationers Digital Marketing Group and the Marketors' Think Tank got together to put on a seminar and discussion at Stationers Hall under the title 'How Do You Win In Today's Digital World'

We enjoyed a very high class Keynote speaker, Rory Sutherland the Executive Creative Director of OgilvyOne and Vice Chairman of Ogilvy Group UK. Rory is an acknowledged expert on Behavioural Economics or 'Nudge' theory as it is known. This is the theory underpinned by the belief that the decisions which people make are hugely influenced by unconscious and non-rational factors and nudging to influence behaviour can be more productive than instruction or overt coercion-sometimes simply by making decisions easier. Rory demonstrated the use of the theory in digital marketing, particularly in terms of responses to web sites.

Daniel Finklestein, the Executive Editor of The Times talked more directly about the issues of monetoising content-content on line being something that people have historically taken for granted as being free. The Times and The Sunday Times are pursuing a paywall approach to monetising their content. The industry looks on with great interest at what many see as an experiment.

Daniel was followed by Fergus Boyd the acting Head of E-business at Virgin Atlantic. The airline uses everythting from apps to social media as well as mobile and web as well as all the traditional media, cross promoting across them. As a sophisticated user of on and off line and integration the two Daniel demonstrated the width of possibilities available for the adventurous like Virgin.

The final speaker was Professor Merlin Stone, visiting Professor at Oxford Brookes, Portsmouth and DeMontfort Universities who is an expert on customer relationship management. Ex IBM he has been a leader in e-commerce since the mid 90s. Perfectly positioned therefore to explain how customer relationship management skills can profitably migrate on line.

Questions to the panel rapidly followed the speakers' presentations. With well over 100 people in the audience we were fortunate to have immediate Past Master Venetia Howes moderating the evening, not only opening proceedings with skill but controlling the questions and bringing them to a well timed conclusion. Hospitality, as it is quaintly called, followed rounding off a very informative and successful evening.

A nght at the Proms

On Monday evening 23 of us had the great pleasure of going to the BBC Proms at the Albert Hall-amazingly a building built with the money left over after the construction of the Albert Memorial opposite, the funds for which were raised by public subscription. The nation's appreciation of Albert was clearly considerable. We went to a concert given by the Pittsburg Symphony Orchestra led by the Maestro Manfred Honeck. He follows on from the many illustrious Music Directors and Conductors in the past including Otto Klemperer, Fritz Reiner, William Steinberg and Andre Previn. Manfred Honeck began his tenure as the orchestra's Music Director in 2008/2009 after periods as Conductor of some of the most famous orchestras in the world.
The programme contained works by Beethoven )Piano Concerto No.4), Tchaikovsky (Symphony No.5) and work by the lesser known Braunfels.
The Marketors' connection with the orchestra goes back to Past Master Keith Arundale's very successful trip four years ago to Pittsburg. After the concert we had drinks 'back stage' and met with Honek and some of his principal musicians, a rare treat.

The Beethoven Piano Concerto was played by the world famous pianist Helene Grimaud with great sensitivity and to huge applause. Proms audiences always make clear what they like! This was a wonderful evening and we can only wish the Pittsburg Symphony Orchestra well as they continue their European tour in France and Germany.

A Great Event

Our Mansion House Banquet with the Lord Mayor, Lady Mayoress, the Sheriffs and their partners is always a memorable affair. From the entrance up the stairs through the St Dunstans cadets' carpet guard to the final drinks and farewells it was truly a GREAT event.

I was delighted at a ceremonial court before the dinner to admit Diane Morris as a new court Assistant. I also clothed in the Livery Richard Christou, Jo Edwards and Christopher Lenton, as well as admitting as new Freemen Anne Curtis, Andrew Robinson, Peter Rosenvinge, Michael Smeeth, Brain Smith, Andrew Ward and Jonathan Williams. Finally I was very pleased to to present the Marketors' Award to Captain Giles Phillips for outstanding leadership within the St Dunstans CCF.

At dinner the Lord Mayor was in fine form, humorous and serious by turns keeping everyone fully engaged. The brass band played the post horn gallop magnificently and to rapturous applause. Good company, good speeches, good food and wine in a stunning environment ensured that this year's Banquet fully lived up to past triumphs and current expectations.

As we enter August and the holiday period your Blogger will rest awhile but return refreshed in a few weeks time. Meanwhile I wish you all a very happy holiday period.

Ambushed at Luncheon

Last Thursday I was a guest of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators at their Royal Charter Luncheon. A splendid affair and, I noted, as we mingled pre-lunch, a good representation from the Royal Navy. The lunch was held in Butchers Hall, a light and airy hall with big windows perfect for lunch on a sunny summer day. We ate with some fine oil paintings of the late Queen Mother and HRH The Princess Royal (the Butcher's current Master) gazing down upon us. You can just about see the Queen Mother in the top left in the photo on the left.For the Chartered Secretaries and Administrators this was a special occasion, although as far as I could see nothing to do with their Royal Charter which was never mentioned. It was the occasion of the official signing of the Letters of Association between the Company and their new Navy ship: HMS Ambush, a nuclear submarine. The strength of the naval representation, including the Commander of the Fleet Sir Trevor Soar, suddenly made sense. After the signing the Master gave Sir Trevor a set of pictures of the City of London with, as he commented, the necessary screws. One can only assume it is possible to screw pictures into the walls of a submarine. This is some submarine, the navy's latest, finest, biggest and only the second Astute class submarine. Silent in operation and with sophisticated enough sonar and electronics that it can detect ships three thousand miles away.

All in all it was an excellent and interesting lunch. I noticed on the guest list an 'Apprentice'. An Apprentice system is not at all uncommon in Livery Companies and it is a subject to which I will return later in my year.

Perfect Restoration

Spencer House is aptly described as London's most magnificent 18th Century private Palace. In fact the only private palace left in London and originally the house of the ancestors of Lady Diane Spencer. Last week 39 Marketors were privileged to have a private tour. Welcomed by Baron Charles de Chassiron, Chairman of Spencer House Trust, which runs the house, we were given a brief introduction to the history of the house. Rothschild Investment Trust took the building over ten years ago and over the intervening period an extensive restoration has taken place. And much needed it was too. Since the war it has been home to everything from the Ladies Army and Navy Club, Christies the auctioneers, British Oxygen Company who converted it to offices and lastly the Economist Intelligence Unit. Having been stripped of valuables during the war and following the depredations of commercial usage it is no surprise the restoration took ten years.

The tour took us through a variety of state rooms which reflected the two original designers' passion for the classical Greek and Roman architectural style. Many wonderful paintings and pieces of furniture have been acquired, borrowed or specially commissioned to furnish the house.. It is a treasure trove of good taste--but then it was all put together by a specially assembled ''Good Taste'' committee. This is a connoisseurs' paradise and is open to the public on Sundays--Google it and go--you will not be disappointed.

After the tour we walked round the corner to the Avenue restaurant in St James's Street. Here we had an excellent meal which was voted one of the best value London restaurants that anyone could recall. Private splendour and good food. What's not to like.

Cocktails at Sundown

Our Regiment-151 (London) Transport Regiment hosted a cocktail party on HMS President last night. This is not a ship but a stone frigate, or shore establishment of the Royal Navy Reserves, near Tower Bridge, who use it as a training centre. It's a wonderful location--perhaps because it was originally the P & O London Ferry Terminal.It was a beautiful evening, quite good enough for everyone to stand on the outside deck overlooking the Thames as the sun slowly sunk in the West. We were also treated to the none too common site of Tower Bridge opening as a large ship cruised lazily Eastwards.
There were a good crowd of people there including a number of London Borough Mayors. In all cases the the massiveness of their gold chains and badges eclipsed most of the Master's Badges and chains that I have seen. It's nice to think that local councils have some of their own gold reserves.

Knighthood--The Oldest Dignity

Knighthood is the most ancient title of honour in the UK whose origins go back to before the Norman conquest and it is the oldest non-Royal title of honour. Today I attended the Annual Dedication Service of The Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor. The term Knight Bachelor goes back to Henry the third. With historical connotations of medieval chivalry I was somewhat surprised to find that the Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor only goes back to 1908. Our own Sir Paul Judge is the Society's Registrar.

The Society has in perpetuity the use of a chapel in the crypt provided by the Dean and Chapter of St Paul's, now named the Knights' Chapel. It is a fine space. The service was formal full of ceremony and regalia. The sermon was given by The Rt Honourable Richard Chartres the Bishop of London. He started by musing on powerful rulers in history who claimed divine status and came on to the biblical reference of Christ's: ''render unto Caesar those things that are Caesar's and unto God those that are God's. A message in humility for the Knights perhaps. He then segued into the 400th anniversary of the King James bible and the huge influence this had on the Western world. The beauty of the language and the underpinning morality are acknowledged even by Dawkins he said. He then referred to Clemence Attlee's famous comment that he loved the ethics of the bible but didn't care for the associated mumbo jumbo. But where would the ethics be without the supporting mumbo jumbo asked the Bishop. A question to ponder.