|
JOHN |
Oh,
hello, Joanna. Can you find somewhere to sit? |
|
JOANNA |
Thanks.
Now there are two things I'd like to tell you. Could we take the regular
advertising programme first? |
|
JOHN |
O.K. |
|
JOANNA |
Well, I'm changing the
style of our advertisements. I think the old
slogan
"H.
& G. is your guarantee"
is a bit out of date now. |
|
JOHN |
I agree
it's old‑fashioned, but it's been part of our publicity for so long now
that it's almost a household expression. |
|
JOANNA |
I think
we should change it. We need to project a forward‑looking image. You
know, modern efficiency plus elegance and old‑time product reliability.
|
|
JOHN |
I certainly think that
applies to the new desk range, but I'm not so sure about well, the old
"steadies"
like the "Windermere"
range, for instance. That's run for years, and it's still selling well.
That style of desk is still far from the end of its product life cycle. |
|
JOANNA |
If you
think that, I won't change the slogan for that range. The advertising
agency
are all for keeping it, too. |
|
JOHN |
And we've
got a lot of older customers who trust our reputation, so let's keep the
new campaign for the new lines. |
|
JOANNA |
Right. Now we come to
the new desk range, the "Standfirm".
I'm very excited about this. It's a most attractive range. |
|
JOHN |
I think
so too. We've got great hopes for it. |
|
JOANNA |
I've
planned a teaser campaign. We'll run it for two months before the
official launching, and that, as you know, is to be at the International
Office Equipment Exhibition. Here are the suggested layouts. What do you
think of this one? |
|
JOHN |
The girl
is marvellous. But where are the desks? |
|
JOANNA |
That's the idea! Here's
the perfect secretary, the ideal office: all the boss needs now is one
of our magnificent "Standfirm"
desks to complete the picture. Details will be given later. |
|
JOHN |
Splendid!
Now, what about the
direct mail shot? |
|
JOANNA |
We'll
despatch that to two thousand potential customers. I think it should go
out a few weeks before the exhibition. |
|
JOHN |
How's the
exhibition stand
coming along? |
|
JOANNA |
It's the
first time we've taken a stand at this particular exhibition. I got hold
of an exhibition contractor to design and build it for us. I've been
down to the stand designers to see how they're
getting on. From the
drawings it's going to look very nice indeed. |
|
JOHN |
Are we
going to see it before the exhibition? I think we should see it
assembled first, before it's delivered in pieces to the exhibition site.
So many things can go wrong. |
|
JOANNA |
Well,
I've already authorised expenditure for this quarter in excess of my
budget, and the contractors charge an extra fee, so I'll take a chance
on it. |
|
JOHN |
Right. |
|
JOANNA |
Now the
next thing is... er... I think it's very important that we should have a
launching ceremony here at the factory. I suggest we invite all the
representatives of the
trade press, as well as a number of
other journalists, anyone, in fact, who might give us a write‑up in
their paper. |
|
JOHN |
Why not
ask H.G. to make a speech? |
|
JOANNA |
Good idea! We'll have
the blue executive-type
“Standfirm” desk draped in purple cloth at one end of the Board Room.
All H.G. will have to do is pull a cord... |
|
JOHN |
...
Exposing our beautiful new desk to an eager world! |
|
JOANNA |
Yes, that's it. And
another desk like it will be on display on our stand at the exhibition,
complete with telephone, interoffice
communication system...
the lot. Everything the ambitious
executive dreams of sitting in front of. |
|
JOHN |
Just the
job. Don't forget the real live pretty secretary standing by to answer
questions on prices, and so on. |
|
JOANNA |
Oh, I
won't forget that. I'll be interviewing some girls with exhibition
experience tomorrow. |
|
|
|
