Truce or dare: A Trump stunt, or the end of the US-China trade war? November 6, 2018 Last Thursday, Donald Trump took to Twitter to tell the world that trade talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping were “moving along nicely”. His words prompted a rise in Asian stock markets; the Shanghai Composite index climbed by almost 2.7 per cent during trading on Friday, and the Hang Seng surged by about 4.2 per cent, [...]
The US midterms show that mixing politics and advertising makes a volatile concoction November 5, 2018 The US midterm elections tomorrow are set to be a significant milestone. With record voter attendance expected and the structural balance of Congress at stake, these midterms will either reduce Donald Trump’s power, or give him a mandate to pursue his political goals. It is of no surprise then, with so much on the line, [...]
Former Cabinet secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood dies of cancer aged 56 November 4, 2018 Former Cabinet secretary and head of the civil service Sir Jeremy Heywood has died of cancer, aged 56. Heywood, who served in Downing Street under Labour Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown and Tory leaders David Cameron and Theresa May, retired from the civil service on 24 October to focus on his cancer treatment. Downing Street confirmed [...]
Iranian oil sanctions loom as US gears up for ‘toughest sanctions regime ever imposed’ November 3, 2018 Politicians and businesses are bracing themselves for new US sanctions on Iranian oil that are set to come into effect on Monday, in what the White House has branded as its "toughest ever" measures imposed on Tehran. The US is planning to reinstate all US sanctions on Iran removed under the 2015 nuclear deal, in a [...]
Waitrose’s vegan row shows that we’ve all forgotten how to laugh November 2, 2018 I’ve heard it said – often by advocates of social justice campaigns like the #MeToo movement – that we should have little sympathy for people who don’t know what behaviour is on the right or wrong side of the line. Men, for example, have no need to be fearful in a #MeToo world as long [...]
FAANGs come out to play in Halloween shares surge October 31, 2018 Technology's biggest players, lumped together as the so-called FAANG stocks, have ended their October losing streak which had left investors spooked with just one day to go. Netflix's share price saw the biggest gains out of the FAANGs grouping, rising almost seven per cent this afternoon off the back of better-than-expected results for Facebook last night. The social [...]
The ASA watchdog is regulating the Wild West of online marketing and advertising October 29, 2018 It goes without saying that the web has revolutionised the global economy. As a source of knowledge and information, as well as a marketplace for trade, it has created jobs, fuelled innovation, and accelerated productivity (well, it has when we’re not browsing Twitter or watching Netflix). The internet has also changed advertising. The digitisation of [...]
Twitter shares soar on boosted revenue despite slump in active users as social media giant combats suspicious accounts October 25, 2018 Shares in Twitter soared today as the social media giant reported boosted revenues despite a slump in active users in the third quarter. Revenue for the period beat Wall Street expectations at $758m (£587.58m) – an increase of 29 per cent year-on-year – with advertising revenue totalling $650m, sending shares soaring by more than 15 per cent. However, [...]
Craft beer brand Brewdog is trying to mature after a tough year of marketing disasters October 22, 2018 It’s been a tough year for Brewdog, much of it the brand’s own fault. Tone-deaf advertising campaigns and PR mishaps have frustrated its fans and “equity punk” investors (I speak from personal experience – I’ve been a shareholder since 2015). The Scottish craft beer brewer, founded in 2007, is as well known for its marketing stunts as [...]
Truth to power: Adtech has to stand up for journalism October 22, 2018 The future of the press is in doubt. If you need an example of just how powerful fake news has become, remember August, when even seasoned journalists accepted at face value a spoof campaign ironically titled “Don’t believe every tweet”, featuring bogus quotes from Twitter’s chief executive Jack Dorsey. The changes in journalism have not [...]