Fore! (well two for now) On Friday 7th July Mr Close and I will be hosting a fourball at The Richmond Golf Club’s annual corporate charity day.  This is always a great fun event with an early breakfast, shotgun start, then late n long lunch.  This is an open invitation to regular readers of Overheard in the BWV to come and join us. First come first serve (or drive 🤔). Email Andy or Simon

The Ambassador’s Party? Whilst tapping away in the corner of the office on a new section for our website I overheard our Mr Close talking on the phone about his role as a “Brand Ambassador” for The Original Gunner. I know what a “Brand Ambassador is as I met David Sole many years ago when he acted likewise for Balvenie Malt Whiskey. The Original Gunner, however. only conjured up thoughts of that Commercial Property doyen Mitch Lawrence. I have been duly re-informed and share with you here

Failed your Test This week its Mr F’s turn again to flag some marketing of note We can assure you we did not open your last email, nor did we shout around the office to ascertain if anyone knew who Test First Name was!  Haven’t shown the whole email in the pic to save the potential blushes of the sender - suffice to say it was signed off by a Marketing Director!

What’s a Business Expert? Ed is not sure really as the question is somewhat vague.  If you ask it very softly, however, (and we all know from The Times crossword this will involve a “pp” somewhere) you get WhatsApp Business Expert. Now I know what one of those is as Lucy Anderson is one and she would like to connect with our director Mr Close Regarding what a WhatsApp Business Expert actually does, on the other hand, I remain firmly in the dark so if your are reading, Lucy, give Closey a clue before he accepts or not.

Regus now looks even more attractive? WTF - really?  And to whom?  My mind drifts back to the early years when he who cannot be named tried to glean earlies on possible suitable premises from us lot doing brochures at Gilbert Doyle.  Kinda set the corporate DNA back then methinks! BWV Ed needs to step up his game as Mr F brought this wholly unbelievable email subject line to my attention (along with a possible comparable “Estate Agent Innocent”) Leopards spots and all that jazz!

…or not quite, as US giant appoints JLL to sublet circa 200,000 sq ft at Warner House, Theobalds Road and 160 Old Street. Warner Bros Discovery will remain in around 58,000 square feet at Old Street and will still have a major presence at Chiswick Park. What’s up Doc you may ask? Well this can probably be seen as a trend for more marketed sublet space throughout 2023 as occupiers seek to mitigate rising costs of business rates, utilities, labour whilst already having to deal recession hit revenues

What's Your Take? According to that reliable source of credible information, unsolicited email, January and February saw "record office take-up across London" Being unable to glean anymore from said received newsletter (aside from an interesting and somewhat amusing use of English) I turned to Google to seek ratification of this good news. Alas, I could find none and have, thus far, resisted the temptation to delve further into the Dark Web or enquire of Belcor

Got 125 Bar to Spend? We are all party to receiving various sales propositions via email and sometimes we do need some more bamboo socks from Scottsdale Golf.  What has recently left our own Mr F bemused at, however, is the notion that one would consider marketing a £135 million “prestigious Mayfair hotel” in the same manner. It is certainly a departure from the limited run, high end, investment sale brochure with a coordinated release to a small number of highly targeted, predetermined, potential buyers.  Maybe the good folk at Globalvestment Capital Partners know more about marketing than most?  Ah;  just checked their website - so that would be a no.

Chilli Sauce with that Sir? It has come to the editor’s notice that our very own Andy Close will be attending the National Kebab Awards at the Park Plaza Westminster come the end of the month.  Andy commented that he had been invited due to attending a previous kebab related event at the House of Lords. The clever money, however, is on it being for services rendered in the early hours to various kebabs houses across London over the last 40 years

But it’s not Black and White “With 75% of the £500bn UK retail market still dependent on shops, it’s not surprising that the UK’s most intelligent retailer is snapping up relevant core shopping centres and retail parks at bargain basement prices. It’s a safer investment than NUFC!” Tim Vallance - JLL