A year of change for ClearScore which I cover in this end of year blog

Walking among strangers in an unfamiliar place has always had a certain piquancy to it…but these uneasy feelings are now more and more common even as we make our way around our own communities and countries.

Watch Steve Jobs delivering an Apple presentation to witness a brand completely in control of the development and evolution of their narrative. Don’t fall into the short-sighted trap of focusing on one campaign at a time, especially when the pressure is to acquire new customers or drive volume. Any new communication must be seen within the context of past and future promises.

I contributed to this thoughtful essay by Tony Langham CEO of Lansons Communications. In this essay Tony argues that the days of standalone corporate PR departments may be numbered, but their distinct function will remain essential even within companies' merged communications and marketing operations.

A great example of loyalty communications from Virgin Media with their Wow you're amazing email and web animation.

Will Metro Bank rise to challenge the UK retail banking incumbents? They certainly have the right pedigree and are challenging the status quo by doing things differently and apparently the inert UK customer is responding positively.

I'm a Natwest customer of long standing, around 30 years in fact, ever since I took out my first bank account. Together with their stable mate, RBS, they have launched to much fanfare of posters and advertising their "Customer Charter - 14 commitments to make them Britain's most helpful bank". Yesterday in a comedy of errors I spent 25 minutes in a Natwest branch in London. So let's see whether my experience and those of my fellow customers matches up to their commitments: