Ten years ago this week my boss at Nike said this to the New York Times:
“We’re not in the business of keeping the media companies alive,” Mr. Edwards says he tells many media executives. “We’re in the business of connecting with consumers.”
I used that a lot in presentations over the following few years, trying to make the point that a company had been historically very good at advertising was very willing to walk away from it. It's the moment that really convinced me that smart corporate attention would eventually but inevitably move from a relationship via marketing to a relationship via services.
This is not happening quickly. I suspect it's happening in the way that Hemingway describes how one goes bankrupt: "Gradually, then suddenly".
Five years ago this week GOV.UK launched.
My only real contribution was to make sure we didn't spend any money on advertising it. That seems to be going OK.
(I am also quietly proud that they're still saying Simpler, Clearer, Faster)
