Who will fight to save advertising from extinction? To ensure the survival of our sector, stop funding actors whose actions are as corrosive to society as to professional advertising, says Bob Wootton.

My latest piece for @themedialeader went up just before Christmas

Quite contentious, if grounded

Fourth para from end is missing vital “if” - I’m not giving the future to AI yet, despite the distinct possibility

Comment / feedback welcome

HNY👍

uk.themedialeader.com/who-will-fig...

2/2 The project which prompted the piece involves Israel, so publication today coincides with the reports of yesterday’s abhorrent terrorist attack on the congregation of a Manchester synagogue.

Eclipsed by such terrible news, hope my piece provokes some thought nevertheless.

Is subcontracting a shadowy or sensible strategy? Stagwell's ties to Israel may have prompted it to cancel a recent industry gathering, but have they also reignited a long-standing debate about subcontracting for discretion?

1/2 My latest thoughts on the ad business are up today.

They ask whether subtracting between advertising holding companies is more common than previously thought, and touch on the reasons for cooperation between mortal competitors.

shorturl.at/AyeeL

An impromptu spot I did at the recent Guitar Dreams Expo on Loch Lomond with some quite capable artists in the audience

youtu.be/2EtKYG2jwAs

My latest thoughts for @themedialeader up now.

Comments/feeedback welcome - hope you enjoy.

lnkd.in/eSBSGkcM

To all my BlueSky connections, especially those in North London.

It’s our first time there and further gigs will pivot on drawing a decent crowd.

Recent rehearsals have been pretty promising.

So please do try and come along to this nice bar for some good times and good music.

See you there 🙏🤞👍

#prsguitars

A very happy holidays to all my friends here, physical or virtual 😬

Hope Santa brings you everything you wished for 🎄

Pic is from a recent gig with the Dave Stark Five (of which there are, er, six) at The Camden Club’s Christmas evening with £239 Squier Cabronita Telecaster guitar

Bob & Ramon Show Christmas Roundup 2024 YouTube video by The Bob & Ramon Show

Hello all

Quick nod that our latest episode of political polemic (well, not much), cod philosophy and guitar frolicking is up now on yer YouTube

Happy holidays all 👍🎄🥂🙏🎸💙

youtu.be/d0joF-pQYGM?...

3/3 …doesn’t show any more major, distant destinations (like, er Birmingham or “The South”, for example)

Hey, it”s ‘only’ £20 if paid promptly, but it’s sort of organised fraud on the part of Halton Borough Council too.

Didn’t even want to visit the shitty place.

#haltonboroughcouncil

2/3….we also picked up a fine crossing the Mersey Gateway bridge without paying.

We didn’t notice any signs to that effect, but were preoccupied with trying to navigate ourselves out of an unfamiliar road system whose signage is entirely local and …

1/3. Waze decided that we should take the “Mersey Expressway” instead of the A580 / M6 home from the recent Aintree Guitar Show.

Not only did we get trapped for 20 minutes in the Runcorn Death Spiral (aka the roundabout complex by Astmoor) in the dark but….

2025 is not one for the faint-hearted - The Media Leader A focus on transparency, indies versus holdcos, predators circling legacy brands… 2025 will see some big wins for those who make the right bets and fight the good fight.

My last piece of 2024 on the advertising media scene is up now

Hope you enjoy - feedback welcome as ever - and have a very happy and peaceful Christmas break.

Until the new year, all best 👍🎄🥂🙏

uk.themedialeader.com/2025-is-not-...

Editing contacts on Mac still painfully slow / 4

…Apple have done nothing to respond to this torrent of complaints about their product’s performance.

As strange as it is disappointing for such a premium brand. Or put more bluntly, crap 🤬

@Apple
@applesuport

Editing contacts on Mac still painfully slow / 3

…But you can’t print from them.

The forums are full of identical experiences dating back years. Apparently it’s connected with iCloud syncing, yet it seems…

@apple
@applesupport

Editing contacts on Mac still painfully slow / 2

Even the simplest editing of details takes minutes waiting for the rainbow spinning ball, contrasting with fast performance on all other programs / apps.

It’s fine on IOS devices, just awful on Macs.

@apple
@applesupport

Editing contacts on Mac still painfully slow / 1

I only use contacts on my MacBook Pro once a year to label Christmas cards, because each time I encounter the same issue….

@apple
@applesupport

Attended the funeral of master guitar fixer #Bill Puplett this week.

Lots of people, moving speeches from family and music from the great John Parricelli.

RIP a good friend, the world’s absolute best at his craft 😰

Oi oi indeed. No idea how this works but having a go 😬

Anyone else finding bluesky is shit on a tablet? Screen size is all over the place, makes it really hard to view/use. Others?

New to this platform, hence this test post. Zzzz.

Inaugural post