The subhead in the article complains that ‘Multibuy promotions are unsustainable for brands and retailers alike, so why keep running them?’ With more column inches to its name down the years than Coronation Street, this sob story – oops, soap story – has to be the Jack and Vera of the marketing channel.

Call me naïve – or pessimistic, depending upon your persuasion – but I reckon as long as there are supermarkets there’ll be BOGOFs… and twofers, and threefers… indeed an armful of incisions guaranteed to bleed the life out of any self-respecting brand. Or so the tale is told. I mean – aren’t the experts agreed that price-cutting haemorrhages brand loyalty?

The trouble is – for this argument and its advocates – deep discounting in the UK is now well into its fourth decade, and major brands are showing few signs of its predicted vampirical effects.

I also find curious the pathos that commentators reserve for the said brands and their dedicated, downtrodden managers. Okay – it’s no fun waiting for the Friday afternoon phone call, relayed via a quaking NAM (“There’s good news and bad news”) – I’ve been there… but do they think brand managers are hapless guardians, defending their helpless charges with a makeshift wooden cross hastily assembled from a ruler and pencil? No! They use a calculator. Think about it. Brands are booming.

How come? Apparently there’s some IGD research that suggests BOGOFs have now become as effective as TV ads in gaining consumer trial. Wait a minute… I just read this in the same article! Do I detect a sub-editor making mischief?