Breaking up is hard to do

Don't you just love marketing people? They let nothing get in the way of a good press release.

Such as their firm splitting up, for example.

Six days after leading Welsh firm Hugh James Ford Simey announced that it is going to demerge, we received yet another breathless press release from Cardiff.

What could have happened now, we wondered? The exciting news was that Hugh James Ford Simey has appointed a new marketing assistant, Anne Impey, 'as the firm continues to develop new legal services for an ever-growing number of clients'.

It then went on to quote marketing partner Alison Love as saying: 'Hugh James Ford Simey is widely recognised for the breadth of our experience and services, and our varied and exciting client list is testimony to our continued success.

Anne brings much to our team and we are pleased to have her on board as we look forward to another successful year during 2002.' Perhaps before bringing in more marketing muscle, both firms (as they shortly will be) might consider investing in an internal communications capability.