Achim Müllers

We all know that there is no lack of foolishness in bureaucracies and the EU most certainly is no exception.

Here’s another sad example of rampant bureaucracy. From 2014 onwards, the EU has decided to ban refillable bottles and dipping bowls of olive oil in restaurants. Restaurants will only be allowed to serve olive oil in “original” non-refillable bottles, labelled according to EU standards. The EU claims this to be to the benefit of the customer.

Yes, you read that right.

Strangely enough, this new EU-law doesn’t apply to salt, pepper or vinegar. Is there no need to protect customers here? Are these products tamper-proof? And what about the food on your plate? Couldn’t the restaurant tamper with that in the kitchen? And what about the house-wine served by the glass or in an unmarked carafe?

How long will it take the EU, before they regulate that too?

And think about all these small non-refillable, often probably half-full, EU-labelled bottles of olive oil that will be thrown away. What a waste.

Overregulation doesn’t lead to increase in trust, it leads to an increase of distrust, namely distrust in the bureaucracy.

Whose interests is the EU really protecting?

Those of the consumer?

Or those of the largest producers of olive oil in the EU, who had asked for the new law?

It is about time, we red-carded red tape!

Recently, the magazine “Reader’s Digest” carried out a survey in several countries to find out which professions people trusted. They’ve been doing this for quite a few years now. Here are some results for Germany:

10% trust politicians
14% trust financial advisers
16% trust car salespersons
28% trust union leaders
29% trust journalists
48% trust clerics
52% trust lawyers
62% trust teachers
76% trust the police
80% trust doctors
88% trust pilots
89% trust nurses
92% trust firefighters

Some results are not surprising. What is surprising is that some levels of trust don’t seem to change considerably over time. Look at politicians, who’ve been little trustworthy for some time (13% in 2002).

Could it be, that they care little about these survey results?

Declaring our mistrust in surveys won’t do. We have to make it imperative for politicians and other professions to earn our trust. And that means rocking the boat, not anonymously moaning in surveys.

Confucius once said “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life”.

Looks like Commander Hadfield did.

The other day, Porsche announced the launch of the new Turbo and GT3. The brand also announced that both would not be available with a manual gearbox, due to low take rates on the previous models and technological progress. Modern sequential transmissions change gears faster than any human possibly could. Hardcore fans would also add that constantly rising retail prices have led to a older clientele preferring more comfort.

This trend has been developing for years and not just for Porsche.

As always, it’s not just about technology, but also about customer orientation, sales and profits. A brand is well advised to cater to the needs and wishes of their customers, in order to keep up its aspirational value.

Theodore Levitt once said that “people don’t want to buy a quarter-inch drill, they want a quarter-inch hole”. One could also say that more and more people don’t want a manual transmission, they want a fantastic driving experience. The manual transmission is not the “conditio sine qua non” for a Porsche-like driving experience anymore. It is a tool that admittedly did a good job in the past. But better is the enemy of good. Always has been, always will be.

The other evening, we were having a soup as a starter. Looking at the spoon, I had an aha moment.

Why do we “eat” soup? After all, it is primarly liquid. Not only that, why do we use a spoon?

Wouldn’t it be easier to drink the soup, without a spoon? Well, sometimes we do, but most often we don’t. Is it, because we have been taught that “eating” soup with a spoon is a sign of good manners? The spoon as a symbol of civilization?

George Santayana once noted that “habit is stronger than reason”. We are creatures of habit and do many things automatically, without thinking about them, even though they don’t necessarily make sense. Like “eating” soup with a spoon for example.

Life is full of spoons inhibiting change and innovation. To kick the habit, we need to question each and every one of our everyday actions, i.e. find the spoons.

By the way, in German we have a saying “den Löffel abgeben”. It means “to kick the bucket”. However, literally translated it means “to give up the spoon”!

You could of course buy this great bottle of wine – if you can find one – today, let it rest for a couple of days and drink it.

I bought it in the early 80′s and stored it in my small wine cellar.

Instant gratification has its merits, but so does the thrill of anticipation.

Not just in case of a bottle of 1976 Gevrey-Chambertin.

First published on October 19th, 2011.

… as a matter of fact, it is a never-ending marathon!

Back in 1985, Barbara Tuchman published a fantastic book called “The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam”. She uses 4 historic examples to demonstrate how rulers, politicians and governments pursue policies contrary to their own interests, even though there are alternatives.

The 4 historic examples are:

- The Trojan War
- The breakup of the Holy See provoked by the Renaissance Popes
- The loss of the American colonies by Britain’s George III
- The United States’ persistent folly in Vietnam

The current European crisis would be the perfect 5th example!

Then and now, the writing was on the wall. As a matter of fact, it was and is everywhere. So why are politicians not reading and acting accordingly?

Barabara Tuchman points out three major reasons:

- Primacy of self-aggrandizement
- Illusion of invulnerability
- Disregard of growing dissatisfaction

Politicians are the perfect example of the likelihood of “normal” people yielding to the temptation of power. As a matter of fact, they are often consumed by it. Being blinded by ignorance and arrogance, they are unable to read the writing on the wall.

Human evolution has a long way to go.

First published on October 22nd, 2011.

This morning I happened to listen to “Can’t buy me love” released by the Beatles back in 1964.

The lyrics are rather simple. Then again, the truth often is:

Can’t buy me love, love
Can’t buy me love

I’ll buy you a diamond ring my friend if it makes you feel alright

I’ll get you anything my friend if it makes you feel alright
‘Cause I don’t care too much for money, money can’t buy me love

I’ll give you all I got to give if you say you love me too
I may not have a lot to give but what I got I’ll give to you
I don’t care too much for money, money can’t buy me love

Can’t buy me love, everybody tells me so
Can’t buy me love, no no no no

Say you don’t need no diamond ring and I’ll be satisfied
Tell me that you don’t want the kind of thing that money just can’t buy
I don’t care too much for money, money can’t buy me love

Then I read the obligatory horror stories about Europe and the Euro.

Song and news made me think: Can’t buy me union either, not even with a common currency. We are all painfully realizing, that there is a lot more to a union than a common currency and an ever-expanding bureaucratic institution not really elected by the people.

For a true union, a common identity based on values – and not prices – is required. No identity, no feeling of solidarity.

As any brand manager will tell you, developing an identity takes time. The time was there, unfortunately our politicians did not use it wisely.

Can’t buy me union – Thanks Beatles.

Some 5 (!) years ago, in 2008, Horst Köhler (economist, former Head of the IMF and former German President) described the financial markets as a ‘monster’. He criticized ‘the over-complexity of the financial markets and the possibility of carrying out large leveraged deals with a small amount of capital’. He called for more transparency, stricter and more efficient regulation and higher bank capital ratios.

Back then many accused him of just trying to get re-elected and flogging a dead horse.

Don’t believe me?

Here is a link to an interesting article in the Spiegel from 2008: http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,553484,00.html

And today?

Has the ‘monster’ been tamed? It doesn’t look like it, does it?

Looks like our political can kickers haven’t learned a thing.