To admire Marks and Spencer's ambitious in store advertising?

[MrsDustyBusty]

Today I was in Marks and Spencer's in Dublin and they have a display advertising special celebration foods for bonfire night. That's an ambitious project, I thought to myself.

AIBU to admire the gung-ho spirit of commerce against the odds?

LivLemler

I don't know... but were you speaking with the Store Manager ie God when contacting them. Perhaps you were.

I am only going on what Sis told me, back a few years it has to be said. Maybe times have changed now.

But still, you would expect that local culture/traditions would be taken into account in any marketing drive.

I think regions is bad enough when discussing different parts of the UK. It's a whole other level of bad when discussing another country. Since Ireland isn't a region of the UK and all.

Sorry LivLemner,

My post was directed to @LaurieMarlow

So sorry for the confusion there!

I've worked in companies that refer to markets in other countries as regions. It's pretty common.

I think they are testing the water ahead of their Black and Tan special tea, chocolate William of Oranges and Oliver Cromwell shortbread

liv mostly I was dealing with head office in Dublin. But I met a few store managers along the way. This is all last six months - and I got the impression that things were in a state of change.

For full disclosure, I also worked with them in the UK for many years.

In a general sense, they're not very in tune with the Irish market and needs, particularly in grocery. That's not because of the Irish leadership team though (imo) but directives from 'on high' in London.

Asda sells ket!? Crikey. You have to go to drum and bass clubs to buy that round here.

Oh and just to mention. Myself and siblings had an amazing weekend in London courtesy of Marks. Sis was staff, and they have a place just off Oxford Street for visiting staff, and then at weekends it is a lottery for other staff members and family. FAB U LOUS! We did have to pay something but nothing like London prices, and it was really lovely.

Just remembered that. Must go to London again soon!

Oh yes, the Union jack cushions in ASDA and similar go down like a lead balloon here in Scotland.

As does all those limescale remover products for sinks and kettles. THey sits dustily on the shelf for years.

What is Ket apart from Ketamine?

When I worked in a department store we'd have sales figures for different lines come round and anything that was below the company average had to be explained and we had to try and sell more of them.

One time this included t-shirts saying 'England'. I was working in the Cardiff store.

In that case moving them to the front of a fixture was not going to increase sales!

Great analogy Olennas.

DustyBusty- love your post. I'm English, but don't think the reformation was entirely a force for good.
Having said that, we now have Halloween...

Bonfires are a thing for sure in Dublin. On the 31st October. Here is the map of bonfires that Dublin Fire Brigade had to deal with...

www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1xvKNa5WFQg26EzBPc34kf1KFHik&ll=53.40674099963558%2C-6.312600399999951&z=10

and England shirts in Cardiff! It makes you wonder...

Yes but not bonfire night bonfires scottish

and England shirts in Cardiff! It makes you wonder...

Yeah, but it's funny to think of head office bafflement as to why they weren't selling.

ROFL at REGIONS!

Yes, Dublin, that satellite of London...

I've bought some Union Jack stuff extremely cheaply when they drop the prices like a stone when nobody wants them in Wales. Stuff like fleece blankets I can use for putting under tablecloths to protect the table.

I haven't seen the M&S range, but I doubt it had a bound and gagged man on top of a bonfire, so I can't help feeling that the marketing could have been changed very slightly to reference Halloween instead for Ireland / any other shops outside the UK or in very Catholic areas.

1922

Kets are sweets. Particularly really cheap crappy ones (the ones we all loved from our childhood).

Tragically, I know this because I read an academic paper about kets once, not because I’ve ever called sweets kets in my life.

I doubt it had a bound and gagged man on top of a bonfire

No, certainly not. It wasn't in any sense attempting to be tasteless, crass or offensive. It was just...unusual?

isJanedead ket = sweets, we have it as well in my Asda, as well as ‘netty’ and ‘bairn’.

Genevieva ooohh thank you. Yes, a lot of older festivals were conflated for religious purposes.

I am still not really clear whether we celebrate that the Gunpowder plot was thwarted or that they tried!