Free sex, no strings: The role of twerking in building a brand July 11, 2014 Gotya… As a client said to me last week [not related to free sex…], “Craig, I need brand sizzle” – baffled and with the scent of a juicy sausage in mind [references to sausage and shameless innuendo will be present throughout this article], ignoring the eternal client desire for brand fame became futile. [...]
Some emergency: Why Whitehall won’t give up control over your personal data July 10, 2014 ACCORDING to the Home Office, the Prime Minister, and other senior politicians, it is important that police and officials of all kinds should be able to look at your telephone and internet records. In fact, it is so important that Parliament must act today to pre-empt the application of an April ruling by the European [...]
Welcome to the banker-poets: Why creativity thrives in financial services July 10, 2014 Why should I let the toad work/ Squat on my life?” With the summer holiday season upon us, it’s easy, even in a hardworking and ambitious place like the City, for the mind to turn to the pleasures of life outside the office. But Philip Larkin’s bitter question shouldn’t get the better of us for [...]
London’s future growth depends on bridging the east Thames chasm July 10, 2014 London is growing – and it is growing eastwards. A combination of large-scale redevelopment projects and underdeveloped land means that east London is in demand for both new homes and jobs. Over a fifth of all developments underway in London today are taking place in Newham, Tower Hamlets and Greenwich, while over a third of [...]
As Burberry faces a shareholder revolt over chief Christopher Bailey’s pay, is he worth it? July 10, 2014 Qing Wang, professor of marketing and innovation at Warwick Business School, says Yes. The success of Burberry is largely attributable to its seamless combination of creativity with tradition, which many think epitomises the essence of Britishness. Its chief executive Christopher Bailey is highly experienced (he worked as a designer at Gucci, then as creative director [...]
Massive debts mean Europe faces years of stunted growth July 9, 2014 The dramatic fall in Eurozone sovereign bond yields has led some to herald the end of the crisis. We believe this is premature. In reality, the fragile recovery remains under threat from the record debt levels built up during the financial crisis; these debts are not going away any time soon. For Portugal, Spain, Greece, [...]
Brazil’s World Cup woes expose a far more worrying economic reality July 9, 2014 The dream is over in Brazil; the illusion shattered. Despite President Dilma Rousseff’s claims that this would be the World Cup of all World Cups, for Brazilians it is now seen as the disgrace of disgraces. The national team’s hammering at the hands of Germany is likely to refocus attention on the tournament’s exorbitant cost [...]
Forget the celebrity tax allegations: Our complex system is the real issue July 9, 2014 Take That’s Gary Barlow has again been reported to have participated in complicated tax avoidance schemes. And as ever, discussion on the subject has been clouded by inaccurate reporting. Many have claimed that personal tax avoidance “costs the economy” £5bn a year. This is confused nonsense, based on an HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) estimate [...]
Do we need stronger restrictions on public sector strikes? July 9, 2014 Mark Wallace, executive editor of ConservativeHome, says Yes. Today’s strike is a farce. The National Union of Teachers walk-out, which is at the heart of the action, is based on a ballot which took place two years ago and secured only the majority support of a tiny turnout. That flimsy, moth-eaten mandate will be used [...]
M&S is having an identity crisis: Only radical action can save it now July 8, 2014 Thousands of articles have been written about, and just as many reasons given for, the ongoing struggles of Marks & Spencer (M&S). The latest one, given only yesterday by none other than the chief executive himself, Marc Bolland, was the “settling-in” period of the new website. This, of course, is balderdash, or at least peripheral [...]