This government will use free enterprise as a force for good November 20, 2018 Last week, Cabinet Office staff visited a company called Clarity, a soap-making social enterprise established in 1845. In addition to sampling some of the excellent soap they supply to our department, they met the employees who make their products, all of whom have disabilities or long-term health conditions. Clarity is deeply committed to supporting and [...]
DEBATE: Do protests over fuel duty rises show that President Macron is out of touch with French citizens? November 20, 2018 Do protests over fuel duty rises show that President Macron is out of touch with French citizens? Beatrice Timpson, director at Media Intelligence Partners, says YES. “I want to rule like Jupiter,” President Emmanuel Macron famously declared, “above the political maelstrom.” To be fair to Macron, he has always been consistent. His is the vox dei, [...]
Google and DeepMind are playing fast and loose with society’s trust November 20, 2018 Last week, we were greeted by the disturbing news that DeepMind, an artificial intelligence subsidiary owned by Google’ s parent company Alphabet, is moving some of its healthcare activities into the newly formed Google Health. This isn’t the first time that one of the tech giants has been accused of making misrepresentations to consumers, using [...]
All I want for Christmas… is for retailers to get real and rethink their festive ads November 20, 2018 TV has long been a staple of Christmas advertising, highlighted by the millions of people who look forward to the annual John Lewis spot. This year, the retailer reportedly spent millions of pounds on a cameo from Elton John, though it is being tight-lipped about exactly how much. However, while the department store’s festive offering [...]
Banks should watch out – the fintech era has barely begun November 20, 2018 The fintech sector makes a lot of noise in London. There’s an endless stream of news about open banking and challenger banks, while the traditional finance sector watches on with a mixture of admiration and suspicion. Banks have come under attack, not only from the hype-machine, but more meaningfully from startups. Traditional finance providers that assumed [...]
Sam Torrance: Sheer hard work earned Danny Willett a long overdue return to winning ways November 19, 2018 Five holes into the back nine at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai on Sunday and it was starting to look very dodgy for leader Danny Willett. The Englishman – winless since his Masters victory two and a half years ago – had bogeyed twice since the turn and was now just one shot [...]
Nissan’s no panic approach to crisis management November 19, 2018 IN A TIME of austerity, CEO pay is a sticky issue most companies avoid if possible – especially if there is wrongdoing. Step forward Carlos Ghosn, who has been arrested for misconduct after allegedly dipping his hands into the cookie jar at Nissan. He and representative director Greg Kelly are being questioned about financial reports [...]
Dropping ‘mansize’ from Kleenex boxes is a good move, but won’t solve gender inequality November 19, 2018 Last month, Kleenex finally scrapped the use of the word “mansize” from its branding after 60 years on the shelves. The decision sees the world-famous tissue brand become the latest in a long line of well-known names to distance itself from gender-specific marketing. In recent decades, Yorkie’s “it’s not for girls”, Snickers’ “get some nuts”, [...]
DEBATE: Netflix consumes 15 per cent of global net traffic – will an online traffic jam break the internet? November 19, 2018 Netflix consumes 15 per cent of global net traffic – will an online traffic jam break the internet? Carl Erik Kjaersgaard, chief executive of Blackwood Seven, says YES If the current internet infrastructure remains the same, this could be a risk. Netflix’s current consumption is only the tip of the iceberg. This statistic – published [...]
After last week’s evictions, what next for Big Brother: Brexit edition? November 19, 2018 How could they do it? After 18 years on UK television, Channel 5 has waved goodbye to hit show Big Brother. But fear not, the fun format has been reborn. And it’s no mere house this time, it’s a palace – the Palace of Westminster. If the pilot is anything to go by, this one [...]