The trade unions hate them. Investors love them. The German Government refers to them as "heuschrecken" or locusts. T he Economist describes them as a “superior model of capitalism”. They own big brands like Iceland, Kwik Fit and United Biscuits and they may soon get their hands...
Compare the results of the recent Millward Research on the Net Promoter Scores of some of Britain's biggest banks with their profits and you are in for a shock. All the worst performing banks are reporting the biggest profits. Eh? The reason is BAD PROFITS. Over the last few days we have seen some...
There are always those strategic roles and consulting jobs that appear to be beyond the skills of even the greatest marketing mind. Cue music from Mission Impossible. Teletext joins the list.... There have always been impossible jobs in marketing. The head of corporate social responsibility for Exxon...
Gap has announced the closure of its new women's brand Forth & Towne. Here is a Business Week article on its launch which focuses on how the store was creating a branded experience. Then here is an FT piece on F&T's demise. Looks like The Gap is slimming down ready for advances from Private...
With The Gap in brand freefall it is ironic that the reasons for its current problems are related to the original reasons for its success in the 70's. First comes the Christmas shopping. Then the January sales. And now we get excuses from all the brands that underperformed during this all-important...
Ultimate exclusivity means customers no even knowing that you exist. Amex gets it wrong. British Airways gets it right. Can you name the iconic luxury brand that began life as an urban legend and only later became a reality? The answer is the American Express Centurion card or, to use its more colloquial...
Whether deliberate or not the 40% discount that Thresher is offering its customer this Christmas is a bad move. Merry Christmas from Thresher! The retailer recently released a printable voucher on the internet entitling the bearer to 40% off wine and champagne up to a value of £500 until 10 December...
In an unprecedented letter of complaint this month, The Royal Society, Britain's most respected scientific organisation, rebuked Exxon for funding organisations that promote a 'misleading' viewpoint and condemned the company's attempts to create a 'false sense ... that there is a...
Probably the dumbest promotional move of 2006....and that is saying something. On paper, at least, the latest activity for Volvo's SUV, the XC90, looks good. Its agency Euro RSCG has created an integrated campaign featuring TV ads, PR, internet, viral and the all-important integration with a summer...
Google & British Airways - apparently very strong brands. Apparently. The British Airways pilot sounded calm, but he urgently needed a decision. Shortly after taking off from LAX one of the four engines on his Boeing 747, had exploded. With 5000 miles to fly and 351 passengers on board, should he...
