The BBC Good Food Show in November is a great place to visit to pick up on those ‘gourmet’ food trends and ideas that might seep down into the mainstream over the next few years.
For my 50th birthday my wife bought me a made to measure suit.
Before I go on I would like to stress that in the same year I managed to run a mile in under 6 minutes and downloaded a Tiny Tempah LP (I think that’s what you still call them…) – I’m trying to resist the descent into late middle age.
At the turn of the Millennium, legendary darts commentator Sid Waddell nominated Phil Taylor as the greatest sportsman of the century. For those of you not well versed with the world of tungsten and flights this might come as something of a surprise. Sid’s reasoning was that Taylor (also known as ‘The Power’) was the undisputed king of his sport, winner (at that time) of eight World titles, and pretty much invincible in any match that he considered to be important.
First of all, a confession.
The Empire State Building has a special place in my heart – it’s where I proposed to my wife in 1988. The 86th floor viewing balcony looking out over the Hudson River towards New Jersey, as dusk came down on a balmy September evening…
These days it seems that pretty much every decision that we make has to be justified, quantified and proven beyond any reasonable doubt. Management systems set out careful procedures to be followed, ‘stage gates’ to be passed through, and ratification processes to be followed – all to ensure that the right decision is reached.
Music can evoke the strongest of feelings and emotions. Whether that’s a result of the unexplainable magic of certain chord combinations or melodies, or the deep associated memories that we hold with particular tunes doesn’t really matter. Either way, music has this weird ability to make us feel happy or sad, calm or uplifted.
With apologies to Adlington, Ainslie, Hoy and the rest of the triumphant Team GB, there are two outstanding candidates that shone on the global stage.
In early 2007 The Brand Nursery identified three ‘New Food Drivers’ – consumer behaviour drivers that we believed would strongly influence food and drink purchase over the coming years. We termed them ‘Virtuous’, ‘Crafted’ and ‘Tailored’.
Most adults in this country have heard of Paul Newman. Some – mainly women of a ‘certain age’, still go a little giddy as they recall those piercing blue eyes. Butch Cassidy, Cool Hand Luke, the one in the bowler hat in The Sting…pretty familiar memories for anyone of my generation. But with Paul’s death in 2008 came a need to ensure that the brand’s longevity would be secured. So how do brands that have been built from the reputation of an individual personality extend their life…?
