It’s ‘Blue Monday’ today but worry not – McDonald’s are giving away free burgers this week and the European VP of Twitter Bruce Daisley has taken the opportunity to tout his book The Joy of Work: https://www.standard.co.uk/business/bruce-daisley-blue-monday-is-rubbish-but-the-workplace-is-killing-us-a4044466.html
I find the title probably the most depressing thing imaginable, but I’m sure it’s a good read. He tries to have his ‘Blue Monday’ cake and eat it, feigning disdain for this January marketing ruse while using it himself. He thinks we interrupt each other too much and open-plan offices are partly to blame; he talks of the unproductiveness of too many meetings and emails, and instead the gains to be had from shorter informal chats to move thinking forward and find shortcuts. All sensible stuff, though not enough to lift my January fug, which as previous posts may suggest, is Brexit-related. No, I need a stronger pick-me-up.
Not forthcoming from Marketing Week, who report IPA Bellweather data that:
There were no changes in marketing budgets in the fourth quarter, with 16.4% of marketers reporting they plan to increase spend and 16.4% saying they plan to cut it, leading to a net balance of 0% and marking the end of six consecutive years of growth.
When looking ahead to the 2019/20 financial year, 27% of those surveyed anticipate growth compared to the 26% predicting cuts, giving a net balance of just 1%.
Additionally, the underlying pessimism is predicted to impact every media channel.”
I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart, down in my heart …
Surely I’m worrying too much, how bad can things get … Let me reassure myself with some nice reassuring ONS / Bank of England statistics, those lot are calm heads:
Oh my good God.
Blue Monday, you’ve left me with no choice:
We still have kittens – no one can take that away from us.
Strangers on the Shore 