London’s Uber app taxi protests: Here’s what you need to know June 11, 2014 Thousands of London's iconic black cabs are today staging a mass protest against innovative taxi app service Uber. Uber customers can hail a ride using their smartphone, which will show them the nearest vehicle available. Organised by the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association (LTDA), the protest could wreak traffic chaos across large swathes of the capital. [...]
Nigel Farage’s unresignation, Mayoral candidates and the Avon lady’s funny turn: Here’s what got us talking this week May 15, 2015 It was the week we dealt with the fallout of the election – including the coining of the phrase “doing a Farage” (aka “taking an extra day off to prolong the weekend”). What got us talking this week 1. Barage of Farage Some called it Ukip’s Easter (“on the third day, he rose again”), [...]
ITV a takeover target after Adam Crozier oversees dramatic turnaround May 14, 2015 Charlotte Henry watches a positive programme at ITV, unlike a few years ago. No wonder that takeover talk persists. In a conference centre in Westminster, some of ITV’s shareholders have assembled for the company’s annual general meeting (AGM). They broadly welcomed the progress of the share price, their positivity no doubt boosted by a [...]
The UK political system is dying and can only be saved by wholescale digitisation March 17, 2015 Look at the retail industry which has been revolutionised by digital, by online brands such as Amazon; and the likes of the taxi industry which is being disrupted by brands like Uber. But what about the UK political system, how is it using digital to engage with the electorate? To put it simply, it isn’t. [...]
Uber app strike to cause travel chaos as 10,000 taxis protest today June 10, 2014 More than 10,000 black cabs are expected to cause traffic chaos in central London today in a protest against Uber, whose customers can use a smartphone app that shows the nearest available driver. The protest, starting at Trafalgar Square at 2pm, is likely to cause gridlock, tailbacks and delays across many parts of the capital. [...]
Why we need an Apple for financial services – to rebuild customer trust May 13, 2015 Modern life has turned us all into perfectionists. We value companies that make our lives easier, and shun those that don’t. We expect brands to make us feel good and remind us that we’re part of something special. Companies have to deliver great service every time, or face our wrath on social media and risk [...]
How to unlock creativity as a driver of success April 6, 2015 Most business people are clear that creativity is an essential driver of success. Companies like Apple, Google, Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, Virgin, Tesla, and Uber set the standard that others aspire to achieve. Regular surveys of business leaders rate creativity as the most important characteristic their organisation needs to show. There’s very little disagreement: creativity is [...]
Uber app joins $10bn club with new fundraising May 15, 2014 Innovative car hire app Uber is set to hit a valuation of $10bn (£6bn) in its latest round of funding as the company looks to raise less than $1bn from new private equity investors. The San Francisco-based startup, whose iOS and Android app offers smartphone users the ability to book a car in 113 cities [...]
Hailo picks up third new chief executive in three months January 13, 2015 TAXI app firm Hailo yesterday appointed its third chief executive in as many months, as the British so-called e-hail firm looks to close the gap on rivals such as Uber and Lyft. The company has drafted in Andrew Pinnington, a former chief operating officer of Carphone Warehouse. He spent 12 years at the British mobile [...]
Taxi app Hailo scoops Europas award ahead of today’s bitter Uber strike June 10, 2014 HAILO may be embroiled in today’s anti-Uber taxi strike but there was no place for app-bashing at last night’s Europas Awards, the annual gong-giving bash for Europe’s tech start-ups. The taxi app, which has seen many of its black cab partners revolt against it, picked up the award for Best Transport app but aside from [...]