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Round and round the roundabout
As a managing director I find myself inundated with marketing material and sales calls. It doesn’t worry or aggravate me unless I’m incredibly busy and the product for sale is obviously not relevant for my business.
In fact I like to receive these calls because I can learn from them. The company at the other end of the phone may well have invested thousands of pounds planning an innovative campaign. If I like what I hear it’s common for me to mimic their style in future campaigns of our own.
One recent contact (an email letter) caught me by surprise. It was from my local council asking whether I would like to sponsor a roundabout. I decided that the benefit for my businesses (editorial management and software development) would be limited. However, the rest of the letter intrigued me.
Basically, the Council was gearing up to improve its cash flow by exploiting every possible media opportunity: in essence, applying large format advertisements to as many of its assets as possible. Roundabouts included.
Is this decision specific to my Council or is it a nationwide policy? I’m not sure. Nationwide or not, the idea of councils pushing this opportunity is excellent news for this industry provided sensible aesthetic and environmental standards are employed.
The roundabout was not right for me but I shall now be keeping my eyes open for other options.
Jon Barrett
Editor
