DriveTribe co-founders Richard Hammond and Ernesto Schmitt talk dating, driverless cars and excluding Jeremy Clarkson from music ventures February 13, 2017 How would you transition from celebrity to business magnate? If you’ve already done well in life, one option is to wind down. This is not, however, the option Richard Hammond and sidekicks James May and Jeremy Clarkson are going for. In case they didn’t have enough to do launching Amazon’s The Grand Tour, they’ve also [...]
Lego’s not playing around: Toymaker appoints first British chief executive in structure shake-up to build for the future December 6, 2016 It's all go at Lego at the moment. The company's just announced that Jorgen Vig Knudstorp is stepping down from his position as chief executive and will be replaced by Bali Padda. Padda, currently chief operations officer at the firm, will be the Danish toymaker's first British chief executive and assumes the role on 1 January 2017, with [...]
Brands need to grow a backbone and stop pandering to the left’s virtue signalling December 5, 2016 On both sides of the pond, a censorious precedent is being set in the name of “brand values”. It’s a petulant reaction to the moral posturing of internet losers. And I don’t mean “losers” in the perjorative, playground sense – I mean literally, those on the losing side of either Brexit, or the presidential election. [...]
Daily Mail publisher’s shares shoot up despite print advertising woes December 1, 2016 Shares in the owner of the Daily Mail jumped five per cent this morning despite the company reporting falling profits amid print advertising troubles. The figures Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT) reported adjusted revenue up four per cent to £1.9bn in preliminary results for the year to 30 September. But operating profit fell four per [...]
World’s largest Lego store opens in London’s Leicester Square November 17, 2016 The world's biggest Lego store opened its doors in London's Leicester Square earlier today. The store, which is the 131st to open worldwide, features a life-sized Underground Tube carriage, where visitors can pretend to take a trip with a Royal Guard and a rather famous bard, but without the signal failures. The carriage, which took [...]
John Lewis resists “Stop Funding Hate” calls to pull newspaper advertising November 14, 2016 John Lewis is resisting calls to pull advertising from newspapers over their editorial coverage. The retailer issued a statement as campaign group Stop Funding Hate steps up efforts to encourage companies not to advertise in the Daily Mail, Sun and Daily Express. Read more: Lego is "not planning any future promotional activity" in the Daily Mail [...]
Lego “not planning any future promotional activity” with Daily Mail amid protests at recent coverage November 12, 2016 Lego is “not planning any future promotional activity” with the Daily Mail, in an apparent protest at its editorial content. Stop Funding Hate, a group campaigning for companies like John Lewis and Waitrose to pull advertising from certain tabloid newspapers, has claimed the move by Lego as a victory. DMGT, the owner of the Daily Mail, [...]
The one hire which has secured Lego’s business legacy June 22, 2016 What does it take for a company to be resilient? Not merely able to endure a setback, but bounce back stronger? Having suffered a severe shock to its global reputation through the emissions rigging scandal, VW reported its market share is at a five-year low. Investors will be assessing whether the damage is permanent, and looking [...]
International Girls in ICT day: What lego can tell us about gender equality April 28, 2016 Let’s hear it for Lego. Long criticised for introducing gender stereotypical brick sets, the Danish company unveiled three new Lego science figures last year: a palaeontologist, an astronomer and a chemist. The surprise? All three scientists were female. The plastic brick has suddenly become a symbol of gender equality. It comes at the right time: [...]
Warren Buffett values companies with strong brands: Should you? February 5, 2016 Coca-Cola, American Express, Heinz, Warren Buffett is a well-known advocate of buying and holding familiar companies with strong brands. “The dynamics of capitalism guarantee that competitors will repeatedly assault any business ‘castle’ that is earning high returns,” he wrote in 2007. “Therefore a formidable barrier such as a company being the low-cost producer or possessing [...]