please empty your brain below
"Hi, hope you're well...." never fails to set my teeth on edge the moment I read it in a business email; the message you received from the lager brand gave me the creeps. Gorkana isn't all bad, by the way, it includes the comprehensive cuttings services that used to be Durrants.

Waterhouse | 24.03.12 - 7:07 a.m. | #

The beer e-mail is utterly hateful.

Scott | Homepage | 24.03.12 - 7:11 a.m. | #

Back in the dim and distant get-a-new-job-to-try-within-an-hour seventies, I once spent some time (OK, not very much tbh) at a sales company, where you had to work your way through the Yellow Pages (didn't it used to be thick??) calling people up from cold and trying to sell them... double sided adhesive tape. (There are a number of trades that used it)

As part of what must rank as an initiation ceremony most newbies were at some stage given a "hot" lead - one particular gentleman who was NOT happy about being called and could be relied upon to let the caller know in no uncertain terms.

You do have to wonder, don't you?

Ham | Homepage | 24.03.12 - 8:09 a.m. | #

It amazes me that PR firms still use databases from the likes of Gorkana (and they are just one of several), considering how often journalists and bloggers say they loathe the sort of mass-mailing emails they result in creating.

It took ages for me to convince one of these database spammers to take me off their list - as they genuinely seemed perplexed at my lack of interest in being flooded with irrelevant junk.

IanVisits | Homepage | 24.03.12 - 8:35 a.m. | #

In many ways, I'm not sure I want to know the answer to this question; but what on earth is a "geek cake"?

anne | 24.03.12 - 9:47 a.m. | #

Ham could be right?

BTW, Do you, DG, refuse to pick up a marketing leaflet about a place that interests you if it is 'placed' in a 'paid for' dispenser?

B | 24.03.12 - 9:48 a.m. | #

Out of interest, what if an author wrote to you and said "would you like my free book on the condition that you DON'T review it?"

Andrew Bowden | Homepage | 24.03.12 - 9:50 a.m. | #

Aren't you sometimes tempted to string them along? I would find it hard to resist going to one or two so you could give us a blow by blow account along with extracts of PR speak nonsense they would no doubt give you. You could also include quotations from less scrupulous bloggers' posts for us to contrast and compare...

Martin | 24.03.12 - 9:54 a.m. | #

I had a great one from someone offering her writing services. She's going down Woolwich Town Hall on Wednesday to cover the council meeting ;-)

I also keep getting bothered by the letters editor of the Evening Standard, also desperate to fill space in his crappy rag...

Darryl | Homepage | 24.03.12 - 10:02 a.m. | #

Ah, she offered you her services, too. Perhaps she could go to Tower Hamlets town hall too ;-)

Darryl | Homepage | 24.03.12 - 10:05 a.m. | #

I hadn't seen one of these posts in a while, so I was hoping that these PR people had finally got the message with regards to your blog. Some chance, eh?

Andrewh | Homepage | 24.03.12 - 10:32 a.m. | #

Any mileage in contacting Gorkana and being asked to be taken off at source? (Assuming you haven't already done that). It's not as if you're short of material without the regular PR baiting posts.

disgruntled | Homepage | 24.03.12 - 10:41 a.m. | #

... Scratches head... I have reviewed many books (part of my job). There is no impetus for a positive review and a widely accepted (even before teh intarwebs) practice of publishers is to send out copies to significant persons to review, either in the popular press or academic / industry journals. I guess I understand the reticence, but not the assumption that there is anything sinister involved in this practice.

Antipodean | 24.03.12 - 11:30 a.m. | #

Let me get this right....you turned down the offer of free chocolate? What, are you nuts?

Richard | 24.03.12 - 11:41 a.m. | #

Nah, I think that 'Geek Cakes' is a term of endearment: it is today's version of 'Babycakes' as used by Michael in Tales of the City.

I intend to apply this to DG from now on, beginning all comments: 'Hope you're well, Geek Cakes.' Do feel free to take my lead and do likewise.

*insert irony emoticon here if need be*

Karen | 24.03.12 - 1:07 p.m. | #

Pedantic point. By saying "8 <paint company> dogs", haven't you just done a bit of free PR as we all know who you mean?

Rob | 24.03.12 - 9:46 p.m. | #

Given DG's well-known aversion to dogs, Laura's email was a non-starter on that score alone.
A friend of mine in the paint retailing business once received a consignment of OE sheepdogs, each with a little sewn-in label saying Made in Korea. Oh, the irony.

Great Aunt Annie | 24.03.12 - 10:27 p.m. | #

"...marking a celebration of the brand being named a top 10 Superbrand..."

You honestly couldn't make it up.

PS: Rogue apostrophe in "Geek Cakes arent'". Sorry, it's congenital.

PPS: Tridentscan barfs horribly if you use <blockquote>. Sorry, I know I try to make everything needlessly complicated...

swirlythingy | Homepage | 25.03.12 - 12:46 a.m. | #

There is value to be had in reminding the casual reader about the insidious industry behind most of the non-paid-for media, lest we stop wondering why we are constantly consuming this commercially driven drivel.

If I were a more mischievous soul I might send in a few fake PR emails to see if I could get myself onto your roll of shame!

Alan | 26.03.12 - 12:15 a.m. | #

But would you say no if offered some free Merseyrail flip flops?

Chris P | 27.03.12 - 7:44 p.m. | #











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