Blair is back again for number 3 !

One of the many great things (OK, currently one of the few great things, if not the only great thing) about this loveable industry of ours, is that there are some really nice people. I touched on this in my last e-pistle, but having given it some thought, I realised that it really is true. Cathie et al are a daily part of our lives and have been for many years. This is one of the reasons why we introduced the infamous Riley Pub Orienteering Challenge in 2002. Coming, as one does, from a meeja background, I was well aware of the difficulties of selling to the advertising agencies. In fact, in my day (just after the end of rationing – if you work on a website ask your grandparents what rationing was, or alternatively if you’ve been married for over 10 years you’ll have a pretty good idea anyway), where was I, oh yes, in my day, on a well-known Evening paper circulating in and around Aberdeen, we had the agencies sussed. Oh yes.

Basically, and I’m sure this will stir some happy memories, amongst other things, we used the well known advertising sales tool. Or, to put it another way, (and I’m sorry, I know this is a tad sexist, but it was a long time ago and honestly I’ve grown up since then), we got a rather attractive sales rep to wear the shortest skirt we could find and then sat back and watched the centimetres add up. Mind you, it took us ages to get him to wear it.

The other problem with selling to advertising agencies, which I’m sure that all those of you who are currently emailing round the rest of your company so you can be first in Tony’s media league table will appreciate, is that the sods don’t always return your calls. Sometimes we’ll take them, but don’t be deceived, this is just a ploy to ensure that we get invited to lunch, or better a trip on Concorde (which I was stupid enough to turn down!!). However, the really good sales reps, or indeed sales managers, are not dissuaded. After all, they like a free lunch too. Eventually, a relationship would be struck up, a bit like a marriage, where, to use that well-known phrase, there would be little communication, more than a few arguments and no sex.

Despite this, in those far-distant days, we all prospered. But knowing that this was despite rather than because of us, and in recognition of the problems we agencies cause the media, we at Riley put on the aforementioned pub orienteering. This required lots of drink, naturally, as well as lots of idiocy and posing for pictures which I doubt even Playboy would print. We have continued to organise this, albeit this year in an austerity form, because I do think that just occasionally an agency has to give something back, given the crap which you have to put up with from us from time to time. We, and I trust you, know it’s all part of the Great Game, and equally we know that in time the game will be over.