Crackdown on junk food adverts ‘will damage’ broadcasters and advertisers June 3, 2019 The government’s plan to crack down on junk food TV advertising is an “irrelevant symbolic gesture” that will damage business for broadcasters and advertisers, a damning new report has warned. Media research firm Enders Analysis said plans to ban TV adverts for unhealthy food will not tackle the issue of childhood obesity and will cause [...]
John Myers: a radio giant June 3, 2019 When I heard that John Myers had died unexpectedly, I felt more than the usual range of regretful emotions. It’s a sad fact of life that friends pass away; and sometimes they do so suddenly. We are shocked and sad and full of memories, but there was something different about this one. I was shaken, [...]
Words, psychology, and marketing – why Verbalisation founder Sven Hughes wants to know how you talk June 3, 2019 I’ve never been psychoanalysed before. But upon entering the conference room with Sven Hughes, founder of strategic communications consultancy Verbalisation, he presents me with a handful of my recent articles, points out how all the introductions share similar traits, and explains what this supposedly says about me. For instance, early in each intro, I use [...]
One in five digital transformation projects fails as tech knowledge falls short June 2, 2019 One in five businesses has launched an unsuccessful digital transformation project, new research has revealed, as companies fail to get to grips with new technology. Figures published by digital services firm Econocom showed a sharp increase in the number of businesses undergoing digital transformation, but revealed 20 per cent are doomed to fail. Read more: [...]
Three reasons why the UK stock market looks compelling May 31, 2019 Whatever the opposite of a sweet spot is, many investors think UK equities are currently in one. With Brexit still unresolved, some have put the market in the “too difficult” basket. While it is understandable to fear uncertainty, as stock pickers we embrace the mis-priced opportunities created by it. The global nature of the market [...]
Is wanting Rory Stewart to be the next Prime Minister just a pipe dream? May 31, 2019 The world has moved on from Bill Clinton’s infamous line 26 years ago that, though he may have experimented with marijuana in his youth, he never inhaled. Yesterday, international development secretary and Tory leadership hopeful Rory Stewart told Sky News that he made a “very stupid mistake” by smoking opium at a wedding in Iran [...]
Netflix raises prices by 20 per cent as it blames $15bn production budget May 30, 2019 Netflix is raising the prices of some of its subscriptions by as much as 20 per cent as it prepares to ramp up investment in new TV shows and films. The streaming service is increasing the cost of its standard plan, which allows users to watch on two screens, by £1 to £8.99, while the [...]
Shares in Daily Mail owner jump on profit boost as streamlining strategy pays off May 30, 2019 Shares in Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT) jumped as much as 10 per cent this morning after it posted strong growth in profit for the half-year. The Daily Mail owner reported a 19 per cent increase in adjusted profit before tax to £100m in the six months to the end of March, while revenue ticked [...]
Investors given second chance to buy a piece of Star Wars May 30, 2019 By Rodney Hobson from interactive investor. This iconic brand has rewarded shareholders handsomely, and could do again, argues our overseas expert. Investors could be forgiven for thinking they had missed their chance to buy into The Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) when the shares shot up 10% one April day, and then went on to set new [...]
Post-Maybot, the Tories are on the hunt for a likeable leader May 30, 2019 Every Tory leadership election has a flavour. In 2016, after childishly airing our dirty laundry to our European neighbours during the bitter referendum, a sheepish UK was looking for a “grown-up”. Six years of boyish David Cameron making rash decisions on behalf of the country had taken its toll on the Conservative party, and the [...]