1. The road trip ends tomorrow. It’s been an amazing experience, and I imagine returning to civilian life [“Back to old clothes and porridge”, as they say in Scotland] will be a bit of a chore. We’re all exhausted.
2. I see this exercise more as a conversation starter, than a conversation in itself.
3. Thanks to Edelman CEO, David Brain for the kind words:
They are hosting an admirable social experiment that is not without a little risk. Pilloried as many things, by many people, this little explosion of humanity, humour and existential angst (will Hugh get a date?) is helping to personalise their brand on a store by store basis. It’s picking up lots of local press and radio coverage and the buzz factor from these visits (always difficult to quantify but always a big plus) is building. I really hope that the national media pick up on a truly personal quest for love (and a pretty good national video survey of what we think that THING is) rather than the usual diet of re-hashed Valentine stories.
4. When I began the road trip, I assumed the main point of the exercise was to sell. Wrong. It turns out the main point of this exercise was to learn. And I did a lot of that.
5. Methinks the next five years or so will be an incredible adventure. I shall be based in London, as far as I can tell. But after that, who knows? A year ago life was far simpler, and generally a lot easier on the ol’ constitution. One makes choices.
6. We still have two days to go on this trip, and then all the aftermath to deal with.
7. Recently I wrote that “a well executed blog campaign is an act of love”. I find it edifying to learn that the same is true for traditional marketing as well.
8. Did I mention I was exhausted?
