Brand Catalyst’s Blog

Back in 1986 I was waiting in trepidation in Woolworth’s reception on Marylebone Road. It was the occasion of my first client presentation and my rather fearsome boss only served to compound the parlous state of my nerves. As it turned out and largely thanks to Woolworth’s welcoming marketing director Mike Sommers the presentation went down rather well, or probaby more accurately, I managed to keep my twitches and stammers to a minimum.

I did learn two important lessions from that non-too fiery baptism, the first was the responsibility of those in senior positions to be decent and supportive to those with less experience and second the importance of a clear and focused consumer offer. Even 25 years ago our research could not quite get to grips with what Woolworths was about.

In those days Woolies was the country’s biggest retailer of confectionery, records (remember them) and toys. These retail suns shone out in a firmament scattered with children’s clothes, homewares (yes, quite) stationery, magazines, self-adhesive soles, Christmas decorations, clothes dye, wool and an unending line of essential stuff that you might need every ten years.

In those days Woolies still had a powerful hold over us, a personality that was rooted in our child-hoods, memories of saving up to buy the latest single or snaffling some pick-and-mix when no-one was looking. Unfortunately without a clear brand proposition this once powerful star was allowed to fade so much that when its over-leveraged owner went pop the brand equity was not strong enough to attract a saviour.