The Register® — Biting the hand that feeds IT

Feeds

Gordon Ramsay mashes up small businesses for BT

'F*ck off 2.0'

Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Backup/Recovery

BT has fingered marathon-running potty mouth Gordon "b*llocks, a*se, sh*t" Ramsay as the ideal Michelin-starred gourmet to extol the virtues of social networking to Britain's small business owners.

The tediously sweary gastronome will front a TV advertising campaign in which he'll endure a series of gut-busting computer-related scrapes, all aimed at convincing small businesses to stick to what they do best, and pay BT to do their IT.

In one promo, Ramsay struggles to set up his computer, while his kitchen catches fire in the background.

The groundbreaking marketing move comes ahead of the launch later this week of BT's business to business social networking platform Tradespace. It's live now in trial form. BT's hoping to charge some users £15 per month for extra services, like Skype-style click-to-call.

As with any social networking venture, Tradespace's success is entirely dependent on the users it manages to attract. BT says the plan is for small businesses to have a go-to "showcase" for their own products and services, and the products and services they need.

IBM and Cisco have latterly made moves in business social networking, but are aiming their guns at bigger corporates with white label platforms. And they don't have a craggy chef on board. ®

Cloud based data management

Latest Comments

Blind leading the Blind Support?

So, are they going to use the same hopeless script based call centres as they use for Broadband.... now this is something funny I have to see!!

It would be funny if it wasn't for the mess they are going to make. At least with broadband there are only a few areas the problem will lie in....

Actually... mess is good. I already get plenty of business following up the mess PC World make... so this will be even more work for my IT Support business. :D

0
0

###***##!!!!!

Feh. Having spent ALL day AGAIN talking to retards at BT Business trying to get two telephones and a router to CONNECT! TO! THE! OUTSIDE! WORLD! I would look at my premises going up in flames as a bit of light relief.

Cable. If you can, you should...

0
0

More from The Register

 breaking news
BBC-featured call centre slapped with hefty fine for unwanted calls
PPI pests: Swansea-based firm stung for £225k by ICO
Microsoft to open Windows Stores inside 600 Best Buy locations
Product showcases 'must be seen to be believed'
 breaking news
What did the Lehman Brothers implosion look like to a techie?
Insider tells all about the Gnab Gib at Lehmans
 breaking news
The only Waze is Google: Ad giant tipped to gobble map app 'for $1.3bn'
Pac-Man-satnav-ish upstart in bidding war with Apple, Facebook
 breaking news
1-in-10 e-tomes 'are self-published'... most are 'rubbish' says book ed
Publishing man scoffs at go-it-alone writers, ursines still fouling in forests
 breaking news
Facebook RSS reader said to uncloak June 20
Secret event scooped by Scottish developer?
 breaking news
O2 averts strike action over mass Capita outsourcing deal
Details of new agreement not yet released