a brief message for European marketing directors

I seem to have spent a fair chunk of the last four years engaged in indirect battles with the marketing directors of the European parent companies of some of my UK clients.  On the off-chance that any of that illustrious group are reading this, you are (indirectly) paying my agency a lot of money based on our understanding of your UK customers, so please bear in mind that:

• British commercial TV is not the spawn of the devil
• The UK cut off age for participation in social networking activity is not 25
• What may be hilarious to a Spaniard, does not always go down the same way in Southport
• Although simply translating the German campaign into English may save you a lot of money, it will probably be rubbish and not work
• Sometimes we like working in beta – try something on a small scale, see if it works, if it doesn’t, try something different.  It’s a cunning time and money saving plan.  It’s just a bit difficult to put on a spreadsheet to email to you.
• We are not trying to waste your money.  If it goes wrong, we look bad too.
• You might be the brand owner – but your customers have ownership of the brand.  What works for them, will ultimately work for your bottom line. 
• Trust me, I’m a Ad(wo)Man.