Putin is about to win his cynical bet in Ukraine: The West is truly dead August 23, 2015 I am becoming worryingly convinced that Vladimir Putin must be a big fan of this column. Just a few days on from me revealing that he is odds-on favourite to become the super-villain in the next Bond caper, the Russian President confirmed my worst suspicions. Falling back on one of his late-Roger-Moore-era stunts, Putin piloted [...]
City Matters: The five key commitments the City wants from the next mayor of London August 23, 2015 We only have to wait until the end of September before we know who is going to represent the two main political parties in the race to become the next mayor of London. These aspiring London politicians with ambitions to succeed Boris Johnson are gearing themselves up for a busy few months. From now until [...]
TfL Tube strike 26 and 28 August 2015: Driverless trains would break the militant unions forever August 23, 2015 This week, fed-up Londoners will be forced to endure two more Tube strikes. And this despite Transport for London having already offered the unions: a two per cent salary increase this year, inflation-protected rises in 2016 and 2017, a £500 bonus for all staff on Night Tube lines, £200 extra per Night Tube shift for [...]
Will Greece’s snap general election put the country’s third bailout deal at risk? August 23, 2015 Simon French, chief economist at Panmure Gordon, says Yes. Having just parted with €23bn to start the recapitalisation of Greek banks and to cover debt repayments, it’s inconceivable that Greece’s creditors will release the further €18bn due by 15 November. The key to receiving this money is a successful first review of progress on structural [...]
Ghost in the ad machine August 23, 2015 ZenithOptimedia’s Grant Millar talks stack-storytelling and AI WITH the rise of the algorithm in the advertising industry, it is becoming easier to tailor messaging around a consumer’s individual preferences. But as traditional segmentations are consigned to history and analytics continues its inexorable march, advertisers face pressure to defend their methods from criticism around privacy. Grant [...]
Mobile ads a privacy concern for Europe August 23, 2015 MOBILE advertising in Western Europe is growing sluggishly compared with Asia Pacific (Apac) and North America, according to a recent survey by location-based tech firm xAd. According to European marketers, their consumers have been rejecting mobile ads primarily on privacy grounds. So why exactly is Europe being turned off? Some have suggested this is a [...]
Power play: How Duracell intends to capitalise on 2015 Rugby World Cup with ranking system August 23, 2015 A recent documentary on Britain’s double Tour de France winner Chris Froome, was subtitled “the untold story of power is the ability to go harder and longer than anyone else”. In the offices of Duracell batteries, the marketing team nodded sagely at each other. Power and longevity: their two watchwords. After all, that Duracell bunny [...]
Perfect timing August 23, 2015 Harriet Green talks pub food, capitalism and the importance of shiny things with Watchfinder’s Lloyd Amsdon When I ask Lloyd Amsdon’s seven year-old step-daughter if she knows what an entrepreneur is, she draws a blank. It may be age-related, but there’s no reason why she would have heard the word. “I’m only an entrepreneur when I’m [...]
Investec Comment: Five rules for businesses on social media August 23, 2015 Whether it’s Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or Pinterest, social media has become an essential channel for businesses of all sizes to reach customers, potential customers, and wider society. The past few years have seen an intensification of the social trend. The ability of a company to access consumers directly (and vice versa), to be in the [...]
The danger of ambition without talent: Raw ability is as rare as raw beauty, so a motivation to improve is crucial August 23, 2015 The view often professed in self-help books and women’s magazines is that ambition and determination alone will help you achieve your desired result, regardless of talent and ability. I have always suspected that this premise was too politically correct to be true; we all know people who are aspiring to something which they simply do [...]
