By: Will Railton

I'm deputy money editor at City A.M. I focus on personal finance and investing. I'm particularly interested in macroeconomics, pensions and politics. Contact me at william.railton@cityam.com.

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Facing the muzak: Imagesound’s Derek Mapp talks jazz, Aim and Black Sabbath

March 7, 2016

Lift music, or muzak, has got a bad name. But since the 60s, studies have found that in-store background music directly affects customer shopping behaviour and the amount they spend. With the high street relying more and more on a better shopping experience, ambience is everything. In 1998, angel investor Derek Mapp helped to found Muzak [...]
Personality clash: Dealing with conflict in the workplace

March 3, 2016

Most of us will encounter difficult individuals at some point in our careers. Whether it’s an overly negative colleague or an overbearing contact, the confines of the modern workplace give us little choice but to face these people head on. Behind the headlines of employment lawsuits, there often lies a clash of personalities. And there [...]
Lessons from the Tories: How to debate diplomatically

March 1, 2016

Ten days after David Cameron secured his EU renegotiation, and the Tories are already at war. From divorce jibes to warnings of threats to national security, opening salvos have given way to heavy shelling, with the positions of the “remain-ians” and the Brexiters becoming more entrenched. Differences of opinion are useful in any organisation. But [...]
The rate of change: Oliver’s Simon Martin on speed, Starbucks and the in-house model

February 29, 2016

Whether it’s time to market or a reactive social campaign, speed is of the essence in business today. But while a catalyst remains unchanged after accelerating a chemical reaction, marketing agencies must transform to meet the evolving needs of their clients. “We created all the content around educating Starbucks customers about pre-ordering their drinks,” says Simon [...]
Being seen: Reducing the risks around viewability

February 29, 2016

Last month, it was announced that online ad fraud is expected to cost brands $7.2bn globally in 2016, because of an infiltration of botnets, networks of computers infected with malicious software. There is a very real risk that ads are not being seen and media spend is being wasted. What differentiates smart marketers from the rest [...]
The grass isn’t greener: Why you should stay in your job

February 24, 2016

One in five people have said they are looking to change their jobs this year. And while there are plenty of benefits to switching, there are also many reasons to stay put. Making the move may cause a significant upheaval in your life, and you need to ask yourself whether it is really necessary. Yes, you’ll [...]
Of data leaks and oil spills: Tips for tackling a corporate crisis

February 23, 2016

As Johnson & Johnson, BP, Volkswagen and TalkTalk can all attest, corporate crises are never easy. Communicating an assured and consistent message at a time when consumers may be vulnerable to fraud or even poisoning is one that few do well, especially when one eye is on the share price. “Businesspeople are used to being detached,” [...]
Vertical Thinking: Teads’s Todd Tran on finding a “via media” with video advertising

February 22, 2016

The case for vertical mobile ads has been won. Last year, Snapchat urged marketers and media companies to ditch wide-angle shots and go vertical, and Audi reported a completion rate which was 80 per cent higher when its mobile video ads were designed to be watched in portrait. Teads, which leads the field in native [...]
Creating disruption: Advertising financial services and Nutmeg’s new campaign

February 22, 2016

When it comes to selling financial services, advertisers have their work cut out. Consumer scepticism is rife and the jargon is labyrinthine. “There’s a perfect storm,” says Laurence Green, co-founder of 101, which handles the creative for Scottish Widows. “Too often, financial services firms’ brief to advertisers is: ‘We’re basically the same as everyone else; can [...]
Bias and behaviour: Vestra Wealth’s David Scott on investing in uncertainty

February 18, 2016

What do we mean by “risk”? For some, it is the absence of certainty. Others associate it with danger. Whatever your view, it is an inevitable part of investing. Since the start of the year, investors have been dumping equities, and to some extent the rout has been self-perpetuating. As share values fall, we tend [...]

UK fintech Zempler Bank gets snapped up for less than half its previous valuation

Why KKR-Arctos is not just about private equity getting bigger

The unlikely City florist that once served the royals

By: Will Railton

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