Heathrow, Gatwick and London City warn of cancelled flights thanks to freezing fog January 23, 2017 The capital's airports have warned of travel disruption today caused by that pesky freezing fog. Both Heathrow and London City have told passengers to expect delays and cancellations this morning as reduced visibility causes problems, while Gatwick has said it is monitoring weather conditions closely. Around 100 flights of 1,300 have been cancelled at Heathrow, while London City [...]
It’s time to get over the mythical “Brexit Effect” on advertising spend January 23, 2017 Brexit means Brexit; it’s neither black nor white, hard or soft, red, white or blue. We’re leaving the Single Market and possibly the Customs Union; disowning the ECJ, but keeping EU laws for now. The final deal will be presented to parliament, and we can all get on with our lives. For Adland, the news should [...]
Breaking news: Revenue woes are driving a wave of deals in the print media sector January 23, 2017 After the closure of the Independent, the failed launch of Trinity Mirror’s New Day newspaper and plummeting revenues across the industry, 2016 will likely be remembered as a messy year for the print media. Less than a month in, and with rows brewing over press regulation, part two of the Leveson Inquiry and fake news [...]
Weak sterling and higher special dividends boosted quarterly payments to record levels January 23, 2017 Dividend payments jumped to a record £16.6bn in total during the final quarter of last year, figures show this morning – up 11.7 per cent year-on-year. The rise lifted full-year totals 6.6 per cent higher than the previous year. Capita Dividend Monitor data showed this growth wasn't driven by large increases to regular dividends, but by a [...]
Mark Zuckerberg can no longer claim that Facebook is free January 23, 2017 For a business that began as a dorm-room start-up, no one can doubt Facebook’s dominance within the digital world. Valid or not – claims that the US presidential election result was swayed by fake news circulated on the platform illustrate the network’s extraordinary degree of perceived influence. It’s been an interesting time for the social [...]
How well do you know your audience? Not as well as Spredfast’s Leo Ryan January 23, 2017 In the 1970s German philosopher Jurgen Habermas concocted the notion of Offentlichkeit – better known as the public sphere, or “an area in social life where individuals can come together to freely discuss and identify societal problems”. Some 40 years on, the advent of social media has realised his ideal tenfold, and the mass sharing [...]
More than concrete cows: Six things you need to know about Milton Keynes on its 50th birthday January 23, 2017 Us Brits love history. But 50 years ago today we did something that cut against the grain. The UK's cities, towns and villages are generally steeped in history. From black and white houses, old castles and local churches, you can trace the roots of many areas back for centuries. Today, however, is the birthday of Milton [...]
Original Travel’s chief executive reveals how its services stand out in a sea of travel companies January 23, 2017 Parents have 40 opportunities to go on a holiday with their children before they outgrow family outings according to travel company chief executive Nick Newbury. He points out that there’s only so much time in a year, and so much holiday leave in a job. As well as time constraints, pressure is mounting on consumers [...]
Why SMEs are so optimistic in the face of Brexit January 23, 2017 Now that Theresa May has set out her 12 priorities for Brexit, and with Article 50 set to be triggered within weeks, are the UK’s SMEs starting to feel any effects? We caught up with Peter Alderson, managing director of LDF, the UK’s largest independent finance provider to SMEs, to find out how his clients [...]
Financial Conduct Authority fines to increase in 2017 as new rules take effect January 23, 2017 Unusually low level of fines handed down by City watchdogs in 2016 will not be repeated this year, with new rules and a broadening of remits likely to mean more penalties are on the cards in 2017. Fines issued by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) fell by 97 per cent in 2016 compared with the year [...]