David Cameron is under fire this morning in the Independent on Sunday for 'product placements' in interviews and speeches. The IoS highlights his recent promotion of Isle of Jura Malt Whisky - partly owned by a major Tory donor. It also notes the way he attacked BHS for marketing T-shirts that allegedly sexualised young children but didn't attack Next for doing the same. Is it, the newspaper asks, because Next's CEO donates to David Cameron's personal office?
The graphic on the right (click to enlarge) illustrates some of the examples of David Cameron's name-dropping of brands. Some of the Sindy's examples are a bit of a stretch but there is a useful warning in this piece. David Cameron is talking a lot about corporate responsibility - no doubt inspired by his communications supremo, Steve Hilton, whose 'Good Business' company specialises in this area. Few will notice the IoS piece but Mr Cameron needs to be careful not to give more widely-read newspapers and the Labour Party ammunition in this area.
Mr Cameron's next speech in this area could usefully question a company that has donated to the Conservative Party or is, just possibly, a client of Good Business.
Pretty desperate story. Isn't a major shareholder of WH Smith a Tory shareholder? Didn't stop Cameron attacked the chocolate orange policy. Can't see this making much of an impact.
Posted by: Andrew Woodman | June 11, 2006 at 10:39
Show`s the left are getting pretty frightened of David Cameron if this is the sort of total nonsense they have resorted to.
Mind you I have no doubt that some on this site will also be jumping on board this pathetic bit of journalism to attack Cameron before the day is out.
Posted by: Jack Stone | June 11, 2006 at 10:42
His rich-kid arrogance could yet be his undoing. He seems to think he’s so invulnerable that he can use his position for product-placement on a grand scale. When it works for him, it makes him look cool. But when people are less well-disposed, he will appear fresh-scrubbed on the outside but grubby behind the face.
If you go around lecturing business on social responsibility, you can’t then go around promoting the brands of your friends like a paid PR consultant, not when you aspire to government. Especially when your communications adviser is paid £276k for part-time work, and the rest of his business is… guess what: running a ‘social responsibility’ PR site for brands! (And, guess-what again, some of its customers are promoted by Dave!)
It looks awful. And if this continues, they media will become interested in the whole product range. Innocent smoothies for example. I wonder whether they’re clients of Steve Hilton‘s ‘Good Business’ consultancy?
Posted by: AlwaysAmazed | June 11, 2006 at 10:48
Complete non-story. Plumbing the depths - Labour must be worried.
Posted by: Cllr Iain Lindley | June 11, 2006 at 11:05
This criticism cropped up months ago and included his mother-in-law's up market furniture business(for toffs who have to buy rather than inherit).Does he promote Naf Naf?
Posted by: michael mcgough | June 11, 2006 at 11:22
"Mind you I have no doubt that some on this site will also be jumping on board this pathetic bit of journalism to attack Cameron before the day is out."
Everyone ignore this comment, its aim is to stir.
Posted by: Richard | June 11, 2006 at 11:50
Got to agree with Mr Lindley; a completely pointless story.
Posted by: Chad | June 11, 2006 at 12:13
I'd rather a leader who occasionaly dropped his friends' buisness names into conversation than a government that regularly handed multi-billion pound contracts to companies friendly to it, despite having proven time and again that they aren't up to it.
*cough*Capita*cough
Posted by: Mike Christie | June 11, 2006 at 12:30
"I'd rather a leader who occasionaly dropped his friends' buisness names into conversation than a government that regularly handed multi-billion pound contracts to companies friendly to it, despite having proven time and again that they aren't up to it."
Yes, but why not have a leader who doesn't do either? It's so small-time for Cameron to use his position to promote products! Isn't that obvious?
It may well seem a non-story, but you are not doing your duty to your party if you think ignoring this is helpful to Dave. This kind of story provides a hook for anti_conservatives, so why let it go on? Why not just stop it?
Let me ask you, Lindley and Mike Christie: which would you rather, Cameron continue to use his position to promote the brands of his friends, or for him not to?
Posted by: AlwaysAmazed | June 11, 2006 at 12:53
Oh the horror! Sunday Independent in non-story attack on Cameron shockah! Quick, dump him before other papers (presumably the Mirror, the Observer, the Guardian or New Statesman) pick it up and run with it. Sometimes people's opposition to Cameron both within and without the Tory Party reaches truly pathetic levels.
Posted by: Moralz | June 11, 2006 at 13:59
Let me ask you AlwaysAmazed, which would you rather, David Cameron changes his actions to avoid dredged-up non-stories in the Sunday Independent, or for him not to?
Would you rather someone else led the party perhaps?
Posted by: moralz | June 11, 2006 at 14:02
David Cameron changes his actions to avoid dredged-up non-stories in the Sunday Independent, or for him not to?
Why doesn't he just get on with the job and stopthinking he's David Beckham - Cameron is only a minor celebrity and should not overload himself with too much promotional work - we might lose interest in all those policies they are burning the midnight oil to develop. (?)
Posted by: TomTom | June 11, 2006 at 14:34
Moralz, maybe you could set some harder questions.
1) Not indulging in product placement for friends is the right thing to do in its own right. Or do you think promoting selected companies is a good thing for a Conservative leader?
2)No, there is no-one I'd rather lead the party. I just want him to do it better. He does so many things rather well, why not try to improve in areas of weakness?
Is there something wrong in that?
Moralz, why do you have difficulty addressing the issue - that using your position to boost your friends' products - isn't a great thing? Can't you answer that?
Posted by: AlwaysAmazed | June 11, 2006 at 15:06
Out of those products only the Isle of Jura Whiskey and Smythson Man-bag look like potentially real examples to me.
Do they expect him to list every known manufactuerer and retailer of skimpy girls clothes in a speech?
Posted by: Jon Gale | June 11, 2006 at 15:11
Think the time to start worrying is when Mr Cameron has a brand logo on the lapel/pocket of his suit jacket.
With regards to the "Head" tennis rackets mentioned in the article, if he has got any surplus "Flexpoint Radicals" with a size 3 grip, can he send them in my direction, for my 15 year old Son who's not a bad player.;)
Posted by: Paul Kennedy | June 11, 2006 at 15:56
Independent on Sunday coming up with rubbish again?
Posted by: Chris Palmer | June 11, 2006 at 16:25
Presumably Benny Hill's estate is also creaming it....thank god for dave they cry, he's given Benny's heirs the filip they needed...or maybe Lexus enjoyed their plug for being totally environmentally irresponsible, or perhaps...
The indy gets more and more rubbish with every day, basically cos its run by someone who cant write....busgt within3
Posted by: Hmmmm | June 11, 2006 at 18:24
sorry... bust within 3 yrs
Posted by: Hmmmm | June 11, 2006 at 18:24
Let us hope so. Its self-righteous attitude is intensely annoying. I rather enjoyed the latest Private Eye's take on one of their front pages.
Posted by: Richard | June 11, 2006 at 18:41
http://www.nickcohen.net/?p=94
Smythson in Bond Street in 10 minutes. It is a frighteningly expensive stationer which employs Samantha Cameron as its creative director.
When her husband was the centre of media attention at last year’s Conservative party conference, the Express noticed that photographers always found her carrying an ‘£875 mock-crocodile clutch bag that she introduced to the Smythson range. It immediately sold out. Even Cherie Blair would struggle to get away with such blatant product placement.’
That’s putting it mildly. The media would eat Cherie Blair alive if she advertised a range of expensive handbags. They would be equally merciless if her mother behaved like Annabel, Viscountess Astor, the mother of Samantha Cameron.
On the other, the English yearn for the old gentlemanly standards: for MPs who don’t force the taxpayer to boost their pensions and Prime Ministers who don’t ’sell’ honours. The Cameroons can’t satisfy the yearning because they’re not quite the real thing. Close, but no cheroot. They’re too keen on pushing their books, chocolates, handbags and furniture in your face to be from the top drawer. Watching them is like turning on Start the Week or Richard and Judy: everyone has a line to sell.
Posted by: TomTom | June 11, 2006 at 20:39
I do wonder sometimes. Do you think it's helpful if we keep telling Dave that everything he does is great?
Isn't the experience of Blair and his mob that it's much better to be avoid these traps?
Do you really think you're helping the cause by saying everyone who points out a weakness to be addressed is an enemy?
Posted by: AlwaysAmazed | June 11, 2006 at 21:58
I'm amazed AlwaysAmazed that you think you 'come across' as just pointing out a weakness or weaknesses, perhaps you could try reading your posts again. Your first post on this thread comes across as someone with a grudge against David Cameron from some personal slight, or just plain jealousy. Or of course you may be a labour voter.
Posted by: Patsy Sergeant | June 11, 2006 at 23:21
"Moralz, why do you have difficulty addressing the issue - that using your position to boost your friends' products - isn't a great thing? Can't you answer that?"
What is to answer? There is no proof he is doing it deliberately (or, worse, being paid to do it), nor is the list extensive, nor is it contradicting any of his policy positions. The most amusing one is surely the cooking book written by his brother's wife's cousin, are they really claiming DC has sat down and thought "I must convince everyone who values my cooking advice enough to follow my recipe recommendations that my brother's wife's parent's sibling's child's book is the one to buy"? Give me strength...
Posted by: moralz | June 12, 2006 at 00:32
Total rubbish. Ofcourse Cameron is effected by his friends and colleagues, who isn't?
I'm sure someone could probably find more faults with Gordon Brown or Tony Blair if we were that desperate. But frankly.. we're not.
Sure Cameron isn't perfect..But he's the best leader we've had for a long time and HIS brand is doing wonders in the polls at the minute. So long as he can keep some integrity of this brand we should do well wherever he goes.
Posted by: Jaz | June 12, 2006 at 00:49
Pathetic story.I'm quite suprised that CH even sees this subject as worthy of debate (although to be fair it was a very light day for news) and even more suprised that someone who as far as I'm aware has never posted before on CH has tried so hard to give it credence.Have you posted before under another pseudonym 'AlwaysAmazed' or is this the first time?
Posted by: malcolm | June 12, 2006 at 09:41
I take it malcom you have a vote ? On the basis of One Man One Vote your opinion is worth as much as the next man, but you may be an activist in which case you feel a supercilious disregard for contrary opinions.
Who cares whether AlwaysAmazed has posted once or a hundred times ? Are you really so keen on this Blog having a uniform party line ? How simply exquisite to see the Leninist mindset in the Conservative Party !
Posted by: TomTom | June 12, 2006 at 15:12