nickshanagher

My 17 year-old son returned from a rock festival this week wearing a wristband proudly declaring him 0ver 18. He explained how easy it had been to use someone else's ID to get the identification and said it was ironic that he had not needed to show the over 18 band when buying alcohol. Today, Scottish retailer Abdul Qadar is complaining that public authorities are asking people to lie about their age when making test purchases. What trading standards officers may be forgetting is that the fact that retailers invest in a business premises and trade consistently from it make their job much, much easier. The alternative, a world of markets and itinerant traders, will be far harder to police. Mr Qadar's sense of injustice is fair. Those retailers, like Mr Qadar, who value their investment will seek to trade legally and will not sell alcohol to people under the age of 18. Asking children to lie about their age to local traders is a slander on all retailers.

The clever thing about Tesco advertising is that it does not say we are number one or we are the biggest. Instead it tells the shopper that everything we do is for you. Its latest TV ad tells viewers that it is giving double clubcard points if you buy bananas, cheese and so on. The music is homely, perhaps traditional, perhaps something your granny would know. There is no video, just a set of stills like the local ads that run at your cinema. The promise is cleverly weighted so that the viewer is not being asked to come in-store to get something specific, just to expect value. Other executions may promise low prices but not this latest campaign. Local retailers will not be able to afford television campaigns. Even if they could, experts would say that they will get a smaller return. The advertising is about keeping Tesco shoppers loyal, keeping its market share. Your job is to think about the promises and how you can make them to your shoppers. Your tools are your in-store signa...