Big tech firms like Google, Amazon and Facebook spent a record amount on political lobbying last year January 24, 2019 Google, Amazon and Facebook's bill for lobbying the US government hit record highs last year, as life under the Trump administration put big tech firms in the spotlight. Google parent firm Alphabet said it spent $21.2m (£16.3m) on political lobbying costs in the US last year, topping its previous all-time high of $18.2m achieved in 2012. It [...]
Blue Monday is behind us, and managers must learn there’s more to employee wellbeing than office pets January 22, 2019 Well done, everyone. The UK has survived yet another Blue Monday – allegedly the most depressing day of the year, according to a holiday company that came up with the idea in 2005. To mark the occasion, journalists across the UK were bombarded with pitches about Blue Monday and how to stay happy, upbeat, and [...]
Google hit with €50m fine by French data regulator in GDPR battle January 21, 2019 Google has been served with a €50m (£44.1m) fine by the French data regulator for breaching the EU's rules on consumer data protection. CNIL's restricted committee laid down the judgement this afternoon, finding Google responsible for a "lack of transparency, inadequate information and lack of valid consent regarding ads personalisation" under General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) [...]
Debate: As we endure Blue Monday, is the onus on employers to keep their staff happy? January 21, 2019 As we endure Blue Monday, the most depressing day of the year, is the onus on employers to keep their staff happy? Yes- Mike Foster is creative director of brand design agency Straight Forward. Keeping employees happy makes good business sense apart from anything else. Smart employers want their team members to feel fulfilled, connected [...]
The European Court of Justice must answer two key questions on the right to be forgotten January 21, 2019 A search on someone’s name in Google reveals a great deal about them. This might include where they work or went to school, as well as more private information such as their religion, sex life, or criminal convictions. In 2014, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) decided that individuals can protect their privacy by delisting [...]
City Moves for 21 January – who’s switching jobs at Superunion, Opengamma and Aviva? January 21, 2019 Who’s changing jobs today? Superunion WPP global brand agency Superunion announced the appointment of Holly Maguire as UK managing director to drive the growth of its UK business. Holly will be responsible for managing key client relationships with the likes of Coca-Cola, IAG, Nestle, Tesco and Vodafone, and building the success of Superunion since its launch [...]
ITV shares tumble after bearish investor note casts doubt on ad revenues January 17, 2019 ITV led the FTSE 100 fallers today after Bank of America Merrill Lynch analysts slashed their target price for the broadcaster amid fears of declining advertising. Shares in ITV fell almost seven per cent after the bank changed its rating from buy to underperform and cut its target price from 210p to 110p. Read more: UK [...]
Youtube to ban dangerous prank videos inspired by Netflix’s Bird Box January 16, 2019 Youtube has said it will ban videos that contain dangerous or emotionally distressing "pranks", after a person crashed his car attempting to complete an online challenge inspired by Netflix's Bird Box. In an update posted to its support site, Youtube said it had updated its external guidelines "to make it clear that challenges like the [...]
UK advertising sector faces recession in the event of a no-deal Brexit January 14, 2019 The UK advertising sector could suffer its first recession since 2009 in the event of a no-deal Brexit, a new report has warned. Research by Enders Analysis estimates ad spend in 2019 would fall three per cent if the UK leaves the EU without an agreement in place. The decline would be the worst in [...]
Top 10 CEOs: Amazon’s Jeff Bezos tops index of chief executives, but who else makes the list? January 14, 2019 Amazon founder Jeff Bezos today took the top spot in a new index that rates bosses on the star power they bring to their companies. Billionaire Bezos, who has run Amazon for the past 25 years, has come first in a ranking out today that measures the brand value the world’s most rich-and-famous chief executives [...]