Why passing the change baton to journalists is not a good idea
Dr Mumbo loves it when bureaucrats escape into the outside world, so it’s been a delight to see an internal AMP Capital Investors memo, replete with jargonese, make it into the wild, particularly into the hands of journalists.
The fun began an hour or so ago, with an internal note from head of organisational investment Madeline MacMahon, in which she accidentally copied the organisation’s press list. (To avoid spamtards, Dr Mumbo has deleted the email addresses).
From: Madeleine.MacMahon
Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 12:07 PM
I suddenly have an admiration for Mr Saulwick.
too funny
I read this wondering why you’d bothered posting it – nothing scandalous or interesting in the original email – but was pissing myself by the time I got to the responses from the journos.
Remember the good ol’ days when to accidentally reach an unintended audience directly in this fashion you’d have to accidentally photocopy the letter, accidentally stamp and address all the envelopes, and then accidentally put them all in the mailbox? Ah, email, you really have revolutionised the way we communicate…
brilliant.
It’s an IB for sure. Irrefutably brilliant.
I reckon Craig Binnie wins for sheer awesome snarkiness. Love it.
I just had my best laugh for the day
Communicating the transitioning of managing the handling of change is always fraught with diffculties
“To avoid spamtards, Dr Mumbo has deleted the email addresses”
All except Tee Ming San at Singapore Press Holdings that is. Launch the spambots!
I wish I was on that list. Love it.
Craig Binnie! Bring some of that humour to our email exchanges please!
Shows how petty journalism has become in Australia … It’s all tabloid and Lara Bingle and poke fun at people … C’mon guys … publishing a bunch of people’s email conversation is just lame.
That was brilliant. hahahaha needed a good belly laugh
Stephen Long – I think I may now love you. Just letting you know.
@Alex S,
While I don’t disagree with your sentiments about Aussie journalism, I think you’re missing the point in this case: it’s not supposed to be journalism, it’s just opportunistic comedy. And it’s bloody hilarious.
I can’t believe noone picked up the gem in Mad’s follow up :
“Please ignore and accept my apologies for the email that you just received. It was sent to you in error.”
So how do you ignore and accept her apology at the same time? Clearly it’s a slow news day at my desk too…
Tee Ming San writes for a chinese newspaper in singapore, you really can’t blame him!
Makes me think I should re-jig my media releases to appeal to the business journos.
I laughed so hard that a little bit of wee escaped !
Well done Mr Mumbo.
Thankyou Geoffrey Newman, you made my day!
And the gold medal goes to Craig Binnie.
Honourable mention to Geoffrey Newman – Tee Ming San was just making sure that the story had a happy ending.
You forgot to delete Rupert Murdoch’s email address
“From: Rupert Murdoch [mailto:rupert.murdoch@hotmail.com]
Enough.
R”
This is disturbing. Rupert Murdoch uses Hotmail.
Eric Johnston gets my vote!
Well, there’s no way you’d catch Rupert using gmail!
Absolutely frickin hilarious! Wish I was on the list! I have AMP super – maybe I could ask to be included next time. Like there’ll ever be a next time!!
I’m impressed with Rupert. I thought he only knew about MySpace.
Please put me on your message group mailing list! My buns are steaming in anticipation.
Madeleine MacMahon – unsuspecting internet sensation for March 2010? Hope this gets mainstream: funny enough to do so.
Love it: “By combining the HR and OR roles do you get an upsurge in the salary space?”.
Why can’t we have more fun like this?
@ Andrew Wislon
I wish I could agree with you, but I still think it’s lame in this instance. And as opprtunistic comedy it’s still lame – everyone trying to make a wisecrack … all the usual banter / toilet humour / rupert jokes … is more tired and more ho hum than coprorate jargon.
My personal favourite:
From: Binnie, Craig
Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 12:54 PM
Nope. We are just able to do more than produce one show a week
Bahahahahha. I love journalists.
I reckon investing time reading that has added to my quality of life! 🙂
@ Alex S
Why are still reading it then?
priceless! why can’t the rest of the media be this entertaining?
Another star is born
Guesing Madeleine.MacMahon will now be on Sydney’s A list for parties, hosting a reality TV show … ?
Along with that chic chic a boom chick
Exquisite in its painfulness, that slip of the distribution list. On the plus side I see merchandising opps looming on the horizon (in lieu of bonus unfortunately for mm).
Funny! A much better use of my blackberry reading these than actually working. I wonder if this is all just a clever PR trick hmmm
Clare Werbeloff just got replaced – Click Click Newsroom
Absolutely hilarious. Props to Jacob and Craig for stirring the pot. Pure brilliance 🙂
Bahahahahahahahahahaha! What a great end to the week.
Ah ’tis a good day on Mumbrella, with this and the dodgey PR/publicist story’s comments.
Good on you for sniffing these out Tim and love the fact you left Rupert’s email on there (if it really was him)
I skimmed that, but it seems that nobody commented on “put some fresh eyes on some of the people related changes”. What language do these “change managers” speak? Do they take what they say seriously? Do they expect anyone else to? Thank (insert deity of choice here) for journos who send it up.
Okay it’s not often I actually genuinely do laugh out loud in front of the computer, but this had me in fits. Thank you!
In the future one thing is certain
Some HR people will get promoted
Some will deserve it and some won’t
Some people will have access to email lists they shouldn’t and some won’t
Some will watch as investment houses attempt to unify – freeze pay and lay off more staff
With AMP Capital broadcast emails there is no reason why those people can’t be you.
My only experience of dealing with AMP was working with a client whose title was ‘Catalyst for Magic’