Will annual binding votes on executive pay actually discourage short-termism in large firms? September 1, 2016 Mark Goyder, chief executive of Tomorrow’s Company, says Yes. Remuneration structures are one cause of short-termism. Others include short chief executive tenure, threats from opportunistic shareholders, noise created by sell-side research, and the marketing need for fund management companies to demonstrate performance. Listed companies can move away from the madness with three steps. First, in its [...]
A bad night’s sleep can affect your cognitive performance, even if you feel fine August 25, 2016 Brexit has brought with it a period of significant instability. Since the vote to leave, many have feared their job security while watching the pound weaken on global markets. High levels of uncertainty have been fuelling distress in the workplace. In my most recent Sleep To Perform corporate workshops, I’ve heard Brexit fears being cited [...]
Hipster beards are here to stay: Independent grooming salons triumph on high street August 19, 2016 If you're already sick of the hipster beard trend, we have bad news for you. Increased attention to beards and eyebrows is here to stay, as 11 independent personal grooming salons opened each week over the last year. There was a net increase of 626 barbers and beauty salons last year, up 10.36 per cent from 2014, according [...]
Never mind the Brexit: Meet JP Morgan’s “glass half-full” European chief August 14, 2016 JP Morgan Chase employees were left in little doubt about how damaging the UK’s Brexit vote could be. In early June, chairman and chief executive Jamie Dimon spoke to staff in Bournemouth alongside now-former chancellor George Osborne and warned that a vote to leave the European Union could lead to as many as 4,000 job losses [...]
Branding and buyouts: Brand Union’s Toby Southgate on corporate takeovers, Tesco’s farms and Tesla’s higher purpose August 1, 2016 Perceptions of brands change over time,” says Toby Southgate, worldwide chief executive of Brand Union. “And building them takes a long time. It’s not about the final push over the line.” A consultative arm of WPP, Brand Union specialises in brand strategy, and has shaped the identity of some of the world’s biggest names, including Vodafone, Absolut [...]
This top ad boss has been suspended after sharing his dodgy views on gender July 31, 2016 One of the UK's top advertising bosses has been told to take a "leave of absence" after making some dodgy claims about gender diversity in advertising that incurred the derision of some of the most powerful women in the industry. The chairman of Saatchi and Saatchi Worldwide Kevin Roberts, who also has the title "head coach" for its [...]
Unilever’s razor sharp move in buying Dollar Shave Club is a major shift in how brands sell to customers July 22, 2016 Unilever wowed the markets on Wednesday when it unveiled a surprise acquisition of razor subscription brand Dollar Shave Club (DSC) for a reported $1bn. DSC's buyout by the consumer goods giant not only demonstrates the huge success the brand has achieved since launching in 2011 (and then going viral with a video marketing campaign in 2012), but also the credibility [...]
Unilever exceeds expectations as sales boosted by haircare products and ice cream July 21, 2016 A surge in sales of ice cream and personal grooming products helped consumer goods giant Unilever beat off a challenging sales environment in its first-half results. The figures Unilever beat analyst expectations by posting underlying sales growth of 4.7 per cent, with volume up 2.2 per cent, in the first half of this year. A median estimate [...]
Smooth move: Unilever hopes to sharpen up its business with takeover of razor startup Dollar Shave Club July 20, 2016 Consumer goods giant Unilever has expanded its men's grooming offerings by snapping up the US-based razor startup Dollar Shave Club. The financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed, though sources told Fortune Unilever paid $1bn (£760m) for the razor subscription company. Unilever said in a statement Dollar Shave Club's chief executive Michael Dubin will [...]
City Moves for 18 July 2016 | Who’s switching jobs July 18, 2016 Ogilvy & Mather London Ogilvy & Mather (O&M) London has promoted Sam Cartmell to the position of deputy executive creative director. In this newly created role, Sam will report to O&M London’s new chief creative officer Mick Mahoney. He will support Mick in the day-to-day running of O&M London’s creative department. Sam will also join [...]