Is 2015 the year digital disruption goes physical? January 26, 2015 Now that our environments are increasingly embedded with sensors and overlaid with software, digital is extending its reach beyond the domain of ones and zeroes and into the physical world. This shift is bolstered by a new breed of startups with broad visions for how to mix digital and physical services for the first [...]
General Election 2015: Business ethics must be top of the manifesto writers’ agendas January 26, 2015 Tesco has taken the right step towards healing its frayed relationship with its suppliers. The supermarket giant last week launched an online network for its 5,000 suppliers where businesses will be able to interact with Britain's biggest retailer. Whilst it is encouraging to hear that big businesses like Tesco are taking responsibility for their dubious [...]
Syriza wins Greek election: Victorious radicals will need to learn how to compromise – and quickly January 26, 2015 So what’s next for Greece after the Syriza win? This relatively new radical left anti-austerity party managed to get a considerable lead over its closest rival in yesterday’s elections. Its leader, Alexis Tsipras, can claim that the vote gives him the democratic mandate to pursue the policies he promised a population that has been ravaged [...]
Saudi soap opera: The petro-kingdom’s day of reckoning is now approaching fast January 25, 2015 I have never understood the world’s fixation with soap operas; why obsess about EastEnders when the real world is so often far more dramatic and even less plausible? Even more to the point, why worry about 80s American re-runs Dallas and Dynasty when we have the true-to-life House of Saud, the world’s most prosperous family, [...]
Practise what you preach – especially if you’re working for a regulator January 25, 2015 It’s an old saying, but you really must practise what you preach. And this is especially important when you work for a regulator of any sort. Having taken up the position of deputy chairman at Quindell this month, Jim Sutcliffe stepped down from his position as chairman of the Codes and Standards Committee at the [...]
The City is well-placed to help fast-growing economies diversify January 25, 2015 A recent statistic has been stuck in my mind over the past few weeks. I read that the G7 nations currently account for around half of the world’s total economic output, but that the figure will fall to about a quarter by 2050. This simple fact explains why countries like the UK are so keen [...]
As Three’s owner eyes up O2, will more sector consolidation prove negative for consumers? January 25, 2015 Kester Mann, principal operators analyst at CCS Insight, says Yes. A move from four mobile operators to three will undoubtedly raise concerns among UK consumers that they’ll end up paying more for mobile services. Indeed, evidence in other European markets, notably Austria, points to an increase in prices following similar in-market consolidation. Mobile users in [...]
Rihanna vs Topshop: Three things businesses need to know about using celebrity images and endorsements January 23, 2015 Rihanna's “We Found Love” was one of the biggest hit songs of the autumn of 2011. Some readers may remember the furore surrounding the video shoot when the farmer, whose land the video was shot on, took a dislike to Rihanna’s dancing style and dress sense. Yesterday, we saw the next instalment in another dispute [...]
How to give a good speech – a cheat’s guide January 23, 2015 I know, I know. I have heard it all before. You meant to spend more time researching, you really wanted to get coaching, you intended to get input from friend or colleagues. But you didn’t. And now you are in trouble. The speech you have to give is this weekend, tomorrow, this evening or, worst [...]
Davos 2015 World Economic Forum: Top execs gather for grand old Duke of York January 22, 2015 It takes a lot to overshadow a quantitative easing programme on the scale of the one announced by the European Central Bank yesterday, but the Duke of York’s private life somehow managed it. Squeezed eight-deep into the Salon Rotary at the Belvedere Hotel, bosses from BP, Citi, Marks & Spencer and Diageo turned up to [...]