James Buchanan
@jamesbuchanan.bsky.social
Strategy, research, design. Partner at hiddenstrategy.com. Cornwall
To continue the analogy - good marketers care about all four p’s, weak marketers only care about the ads. I’m not sure what the p’s would stand for in politics, I guess policy is the product?
February 12, 2026 at 2:23 PM
To continue the analogy - good marketers care about all four p’s, weak marketers only care about the ads. I’m not sure what the p’s would stand for in politics, I guess policy is the product?
We only have a village shop because of pensioner volunteers - it’s wonderful! Perhaps UBI is how we fix high streets. Current bundling of “job” and “shops needing to make a profit” seems unlikely to work.
February 3, 2026 at 5:40 PM
We only have a village shop because of pensioner volunteers - it’s wonderful! Perhaps UBI is how we fix high streets. Current bundling of “job” and “shops needing to make a profit” seems unlikely to work.
Elastica
Skunk Anansie
Sleeper
PJ Harvey
Kathryn Williams
Skunk Anansie
Sleeper
PJ Harvey
Kathryn Williams
January 22, 2026 at 10:07 PM
Elastica
Skunk Anansie
Sleeper
PJ Harvey
Kathryn Williams
Skunk Anansie
Sleeper
PJ Harvey
Kathryn Williams
Oh totally agree that strategists should be focusing on empathy and understanding. The kind of taste I’m talking about matters when you’re creating something, less so when you’re describing it. I’m not sure I’ve met a strategist with much of it :)
January 14, 2026 at 12:43 PM
Oh totally agree that strategists should be focusing on empathy and understanding. The kind of taste I’m talking about matters when you’re creating something, less so when you’re describing it. I’m not sure I’ve met a strategist with much of it :)
I’m not sure, I think there’s a bigger claim being made on behalf of taste - to do with some peoples’ feel for proportion, balance, and ability to recognise deeper human qualities. Perhaps something eternal.
January 14, 2026 at 11:07 AM
I’m not sure, I think there’s a bigger claim being made on behalf of taste - to do with some peoples’ feel for proportion, balance, and ability to recognise deeper human qualities. Perhaps something eternal.
I have a lot of sympathy for this argument. However, I do wonder whether as well as being a bit of a moral panic, a lot of people just want to see some regulation of social media, most of which now behaves a lot more like media than anything social.
December 15, 2025 at 8:31 AM
I have a lot of sympathy for this argument. However, I do wonder whether as well as being a bit of a moral panic, a lot of people just want to see some regulation of social media, most of which now behaves a lot more like media than anything social.
I’m not leaving because life is unaffordable. I’m leaving because you won’t talk about the two reasons it’s unaffordable: Brexit and old people (pensions and healthcare). And because you’re pandering to the prejudices of the worst people in the country.
November 18, 2025 at 9:40 AM
I’m not leaving because life is unaffordable. I’m leaving because you won’t talk about the two reasons it’s unaffordable: Brexit and old people (pensions and healthcare). And because you’re pandering to the prejudices of the worst people in the country.
It’s great kit! And I like the ladled on “Sunday in hell” references, although I know others don’t. I do think it would make sense in other sports though - maybe the world needs a big earnest middle class sport brand. I could totally imagine rapha cold water wetsuits, running shorts etc
October 18, 2025 at 7:21 PM
It’s great kit! And I like the ladled on “Sunday in hell” references, although I know others don’t. I do think it would make sense in other sports though - maybe the world needs a big earnest middle class sport brand. I could totally imagine rapha cold water wetsuits, running shorts etc
They might be better off accepting the hatred and launching a running, or even tri range
October 18, 2025 at 7:13 PM
They might be better off accepting the hatred and launching a running, or even tri range
Oh, I think they did a lovely job of translating all the old cycling codes for a new audience. If it were a bigger sport, or if you could wear cycling kit casually, then they could have carried on growing. Unfortunately though, having created the market, the likelihood is they now watch it fragment
October 18, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Oh, I think they did a lovely job of translating all the old cycling codes for a new audience. If it were a bigger sport, or if you could wear cycling kit casually, then they could have carried on growing. Unfortunately though, having created the market, the likelihood is they now watch it fragment
Hopefully also get rid of pre-payment-meters by offering weekly direct debits and other financial services designed for low incomes
October 2, 2025 at 9:18 AM
Hopefully also get rid of pre-payment-meters by offering weekly direct debits and other financial services designed for low incomes
Yeah, the point isn’t to persuade them. It’s to remind everyone else that their views and behaviour are unacceptable.
August 29, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Yeah, the point isn’t to persuade them. It’s to remind everyone else that their views and behaviour are unacceptable.
Most of the time, some categories are pretty stable and others are changing a lot. The trick is knowing which one you’re operating in.
People that focus on advertising / media can mistakenly assume that changes in their world imply fundamental changes for every business.
People that focus on advertising / media can mistakenly assume that changes in their world imply fundamental changes for every business.
August 20, 2025 at 6:37 AM
Most of the time, some categories are pretty stable and others are changing a lot. The trick is knowing which one you’re operating in.
People that focus on advertising / media can mistakenly assume that changes in their world imply fundamental changes for every business.
People that focus on advertising / media can mistakenly assume that changes in their world imply fundamental changes for every business.
I think you’ve just discovered there’s a difference between bridging social capital (I know reform voters, and probably don’t talk politics with them) and bonding social capital (I am close friends with reform voters).
August 14, 2025 at 7:10 AM
I think you’ve just discovered there’s a difference between bridging social capital (I know reform voters, and probably don’t talk politics with them) and bonding social capital (I am close friends with reform voters).
Do you mean “know” or “friends with”?
I agree with you on know. I don’t on friends with, for obvious reasons
I agree with you on know. I don’t on friends with, for obvious reasons
August 13, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Do you mean “know” or “friends with”?
I agree with you on know. I don’t on friends with, for obvious reasons
I agree with you on know. I don’t on friends with, for obvious reasons
Ironically, I think u-turning on winter fuel was their biggest failure. But I accept that’s not a popular position.
July 4, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Ironically, I think u-turning on winter fuel was their biggest failure. But I accept that’s not a popular position.
Do you think that being seen to do something they found uncomfortable on immigration will help them get support for this deal?
May 20, 2025 at 5:51 AM
Do you think that being seen to do something they found uncomfortable on immigration will help them get support for this deal?
Sure but you do have a risk of moral hazard. Also, if you link it to duration of employment, then you distort the job market by getting people to stay too long in roles.
May 16, 2025 at 1:11 PM
Sure but you do have a risk of moral hazard. Also, if you link it to duration of employment, then you distort the job market by getting people to stay too long in roles.
Agree. It reminds me of the punchline - “well, I wouldn’t start from here…”
May 13, 2025 at 8:31 AM
Agree. It reminds me of the punchline - “well, I wouldn’t start from here…”
Yes… but while there are huge differences within the groups, there are also some differences between the groups
May 7, 2025 at 9:21 AM
Yes… but while there are huge differences within the groups, there are also some differences between the groups
The case for talking about generations does not assume everyone had the same experience or liked the same things. No one in market research uses it like that, I think only journalists do
May 7, 2025 at 9:18 AM
The case for talking about generations does not assume everyone had the same experience or liked the same things. No one in market research uses it like that, I think only journalists do
Oh, so many tradeoffs. But it does really really suit keir starmer if he can pull it off.
April 20, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Oh, so many tradeoffs. But it does really really suit keir starmer if he can pull it off.
What do you think of Janan Ganesh article this weekend? Beat populism by emphasising order - that way labour gets to offer strong borders + improving nhs.
April 20, 2025 at 11:24 AM
What do you think of Janan Ganesh article this weekend? Beat populism by emphasising order - that way labour gets to offer strong borders + improving nhs.
It’s bad when people take loans that will constrain their lives for years and get little benefit from the courses.
April 9, 2025 at 7:51 AM
It’s bad when people take loans that will constrain their lives for years and get little benefit from the courses.