Whilst absent mindedly trawling Youtube the other day I found this little gem.

Trusting Google to place yours ads near related content is one thing ...whether it helps sell your product  is quite another.

With bonuses back on the agenda, an ex chairman in hiding and reports of bankers taunting protesters - you’d be forgiven for thinking there’s not a lot of trust left in the financial sector.

It’s certainly a hot topic of conversation here at Libertine. How did it all go wrong, and is it too late to make amends? Well we thought it was finally time to answer these questions with the launch of a new Libertine book. The Trust Diaries won’t be at a bookshop near you, but a limited run of copies will be available on request.

What’s it all about then? Well it’s the until now, unpublished letters of one of our best loved agony aunts and a disgraced corporate officer named Fred. We get back to basics on what trust really means as a human emotion, how different people understand it and which brands do it well and which don’t.

So what did we find? Simply put, companies have to stop thinking like companies and get back in touch with their emotions by being human and occasionally even using the ‘S’ word... Brave stuff when you’re used to KPI’s, corporate reports and data driven results. Off course that's easier said than done which is why we've included a Libertine roadmap to building trust brands. 

But why does it matter we hear bankers ask? I mean let’s face it, “love us or hate us, you have to use us.” Well, no, actually we don’t...

Whilst there’s a lot of aloofness around at the moment (or is it burying heads in the sand), brands that have recognised they need a slice of humble pie will be the ones who come out of this mess ahead. Betrayal takes a long time to forget and the long term implications in the eyes of the public have yet to be seen.

So if you think our agony aunt may have some words of wisdom for you, or you just fancy a light read with some serious thought provokers included, then give us a call.

These apples were spotted in a Malaysian supermarket. In Chinese culture it's common to give fruit as a gift or offering, so growers have started ripening their fruit with stencils to create auspicious messages on them. The symbols mean things like “wealth”, “happiness” and “peace.

Such a simple idea I’m surprised it hasn’t caught on elsewhere.

With the government aiming to put 50% of UK school children through the university system it’s easy to question the real value of having a degree. However, It’s good to see that internationally (even in the far reaches of the Borneo jungle) a British degree is still valued with a certain cachet.

Shanghai, like most modern Chinese cities has seen a huge influx of workers moving from the surrounding rural communities into the cities. With many of these unskilled labourers using taxi driving to earn a living, taking a cab in Shanghai can be a dicey activity.

To instil a bit more confidence in their transport system, the Chinese have introduced a star rating system to help nervous passengers like myself. The star rating is loosely based on driving experience and ability to speak English.

I couldn’t help wonder if a similar policy could be introduced in London, maybe based on quality of conversation, likelihood that you’ll get the correct change and passive attitude towards cyclists...