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#31

Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic

Last post by HVC - Today at 06:58:21 AM

Reminds me of the interview with the CEO of Taco Bell (I think).

Paraphrasing:
Q: "How much does your experience as CEO of Nike translate to your tasks at Taco Bell?"
A: "Nike is a product. And Tacos are a product."

I mean, I guess, but seriously

To be fair to him shoes and Taco Bell probably have the same ingredients

#32

Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic

Last post by mongers - Today at 06:56:00 AM

Reminds me of the interview with the CEO of Taco Bell (I think).
Paraphrasing:
Q: "How much does your experience as CEO of Nike translate to your tasks at Taco Bell?"
A: "Nike is a product. And Tacos are a product."
I mean, I guess, but seriously

Syt and GF, someones in media training has pickedup on this interview and blogged about it here:

here

this media interview wasn't our cup of tea (or coffee)

"Convenience-led coffee occasions".

How about that for a piece of industry jargon that sounds wildly weird in the real world?
It came during a recent radio interview that grabbed our attention for the wrong reasons.
Nick Ridley, Costa's director of property, appeared on Radio 4's You and Yours programme ahead of opening the coffee giant's 400th drive-thru store to discuss the company's performance.

You can listen to it here for as long as the broadcaster makes it available.

Having stressed that the company offers places for people to connect, he was asked why drive-thrus are such a key part of its approach.
"Look, I think drive-thrus have become so important because customer habits are changing," he said.
"Industry research from Allegra shows that 47 per cent of UK consumers used a coffee drive-thru in the past year, highlighting the shift towards convenience-led coffee occasions."
And at that point, he was interrupted by the journalist who joked: "Oh, I just feel like a convenience-led coffee occasion."
In the many years of writing the blog, this has to be one of my favourite examples of jargon.
Mr Ridley managed to take something that so many people do every day and find a way of describing it that no one outside a boardroom has ever used. It's a remarkable achievement – just not a good one.
As the journalist gently highlighted, people – Costa's customers – do not talk about "convenience-led coffee occasions".
I'm pretty sure they don't even talk about "coffee occasions", regardless of whether they are convenient.
Nor do they talk about "accessing coffee" – another phrase he used later in the interview. People drink it.
It is corporate language – something we always advise our delegates they need to avoid in media interviews to appear credible and relatable.
....

[He said it was "unforgivable" he was not told about the vetting recommendation, which was revealed by the Guardian on Thursday.]

#33

Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...

Last post by Sheilbh - Today at 06:52:43 AM

He said it was "unforgivable" he was not told about the vetting recommendation, which was revealed by the Guardian on Thursday.

Perhaps it is just that someone used the "Rhodesia Solution" on the PM? 

On the "unforgivable" and Starmer's regular statements that he's "furious" about things his government has done, Number 10 are literally briefing that the public will see "angry Starmer" today - a thrilling prospect.

(Also really not sure that's the right tone - even if it's one Starmer seems to adopt quite regularly in response to failure.)

Edit: Oh God it's going to be an urgent Prime Ministerial statement on the state of Arsenal's title challenge isn't it...

Edit: Also feel it's probably not a good sign for the PM if news breaks about the story and a backbench MP leaks the "lines to take" and pre-written questions being distributed by the whips office an hour before his statement.

#34

Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic

Last post by Syt - Today at 06:33:27 AM

 

Reminds me of the interview with the CEO of Taco Bell (I think).

Paraphrasing:
Q: "How much does your experience as CEO of Nike translate to your tasks at Taco Bell?"
A: "Nike is a product. And Tacos are a product."

I mean, I guess, but seriously

#35

Off the Record / Re: Star Wars Megathread

Last post by Syt - Today at 06:32:19 AM

I was looking up the voice actor for Brandor Lawson (the cop in Maul: Shadow Lord) to better place his accent.

He's Brazilian, Wagner Moura. I didn't make the connection till I looked at his IMDB page that he was Pablo Escobar on Narcos.

#36

Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic

Last post by Grey Fox - Today at 06:31:35 AM

That's good corporate talk. 

#37

Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic

Last post by mongers - Today at 06:26:07 AM

Listening to a radio programme about Costa Coffee in the UK, the corporate operations guy talking about drive-thru places used this jargon:

"convenience-led coffee occasions."

#38

Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...

Last post by Sheilbh - Today at 06:20:01 AM

That's just a translation too. When he was last Governor of Hong Kong Chris Patton actually got a Chinese nickname (the first Governor to get one and, from my understanding, basically a term of endearment). I'd maybe query how much of an endearment given the nickname was fei Pang or "fat Pang" (Pang was from his Chinese name) - and I think he still has a reputation there for his enjoyment of egg custard tarts (fully understandable)

So maybe Starmer should just take Prime Minister Star Beast rather than hoping for a Chinese nickname.

#39

Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...

Last post by Norgy - Today at 04:01:19 AM

I would so use that as my official name! 

#40

Off the Record / Re: The EU thread

Last post by Richard Hakluyt - Today at 02:56:22 AM

I was in Bulgaria a couple of years back and found it slightly depressing; monochrome but one also had the feeling that all the lively Bulgarians had decamped to Western Europe. Very cheap, the economy is in a different gear to,for example, the UK or France. I thought at the time that it was a sort of system that Reform wanted here in Blighty, life in black and white and plenty of opportunities for corruption.