YouTube’s double standards in banning PewDiePie February 20, 2017 If you've ever wondered what on earth a PewDiePie is, you’re not alone. He’s a man, Felix Kjellberg, who reviews video games online. In the YouTube world, he’s as famous as James Corden, as influential as Nick Robinson, and as we found out last week, as funny as Jim Davidson. “Very rich Swedish man pays [...]
Psychology in marketing: It’s time to get emotional February 10, 2017 To succeed at marketing you need to understand people. And to understand people, you need to know what makes them tick. In an age when ad blocking is on the rise and trust at a premium, understanding psychology has never been more important in marketing. Whenever I talk about the art of persuasion in [...]
Forget about demure, pink or sparkly – this year’s women’s watch mood is fiercer than a Beyoncé half-time show February 6, 2017 Move over Princess Grace, forget the “twinset-and pearls” brigade; the new watchmaker’s muse is strong, forthright and possibly wearing shoulder pads. Think Melanie Griffith’s Tess McGill in Working Girl and you’re most of the way there. It seems, finally, that the “shrink pink” treatment of existing men’s watches – with a liberal sprinkling of diamonds [...]
Fund managers plan executive pay crackdown to avert need for government intervention February 5, 2017 A group of fund manager giants have agreed to club together to combat excessive executive pay. Aberdeen Asset Management, M&G Investments and Standard Life Investments were among 13 firms involved in the recent pact. The agreement came after an 18 January meeting of the Investment Association, which came around the time Blackrock, the world’s biggest fund manager, indicated [...]
These are the funniest tweets from the UK protests against Donald Trump’s travel ban January 31, 2017 Tens of thousands of people took to the streets last night to protest against US President Donald Trump's ban on visitors from seven Middle Eastern countries. Controversy has brewed in the UK over whether Trump should come on a state visit. He has been invited, but more than one million people have signed a petition saying [...]
Us/Them review: two-person show about the Beslan hostage atrocity is a minor revelation January 26, 2017 This two-person show explores the incomprehensible horror of terrorism in the eyes of a child. A pair of unnamed teenagers begin by recounting a normal day at school, bragging about how their town, Beslan, is superior to nearby Chechnya, where the women all have moustaches. Their tale darkens as the infamous hostage situation unfolds, with [...]
Alibaba reports bumper revenues as Singles’ Day sales steal hearts January 24, 2017 China's biggest e-commerce company Alibaba had a bumper 2016 with a better-than-expected 54 percent rise in third-quarter revenue. The figures Alibaba's revenue hit 53.25bn yuan (£6.16bn) for the three months ended 31 December, compared with analysts' average estimate of 50.10bn yuan. The tech giant's e-commerce business boomed 45 per cent, up from the 41 per cent jump in the previous [...]
These were the 10 most complained about advertisements of 2016 January 19, 2017 The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) will today reveal Britain's most complained about advertisements of 2016. The contenders brought in thousands of angry accusations by displaying twerking businessmen and cat kicking as well as, of course, offending vegans. Although more than 70 per cent of complaints received by the ASA are about misleading adverts, all of the top spots were nabbed [...]
These peer-to-peer platforms lent nearly £3bn in 2016 January 18, 2017 Nearly £3bn was lent across the UK’s biggest peer-to-peer platforms last year, new figures out today showed. More than £800,000 was lent in the last quarter of 2016 by members of the Peer-to-Peer Finance Association (P2PFA). Since the beginning of 2010, members of the association have lent an estimated £7.3bn. Read more: The FCA is [...]
Five ways your drinking habits will change in 2017: Majestic Wine sets its predictions for the year ahead January 10, 2017 Announcing a Christmas season that pushed sales up 15.3 per cent, booze retailer Majestic Wine took the opportunity to polish up its crystal ball and make industry predictions for the year ahead…. 1. We'll start choosing English sparkling wine over champagne In 2016 UK winemakers experienced an exceptional harvest thanks to perfectly timed weather patterns, leading the industry to believe this year's [...]