ZappiStore’s Stephen Phillips explains how he got through his first VC raise December 13, 2016 Stephen Phillips may have worked in market research for most of his career, but now he’s swimming against the tide. “Market research is full of smart people who care about understanding human behaviour, but profit margins are slim and processes are very intensive.” At a recent Leap 100 roundtable, Phillips explained how his firm ZappiStore [...]
Sir Martin Sorrell: Brexit not the only uncertainty worrying businesses November 21, 2016 Sir Martin Sorrell has said today current levels of uncertainty are hurting businesses, but Brexit was far from the only problem. Speaking at the Confederation of British Industry annual conference, the WPP group chief executive said of the Brexit negotiations: "What business wants is more certainty but, given the different objectives of both parties (businesses and government), [...]
Advertising expenditure forecast up despite Brexit uncertainty November 14, 2016 A WPP-owned group has upgraded its UK advertising growth forecasts for this year and next despite uncertainty around the UK’s Brexit vote. Expenditure is expected to grow 7.2 per cent in 2016, up from a previous estimate of 6.3 per cent. The same level of growth is forecast by GroupM for 2017, up from 5.8 per cent. [...]
Sir Martin Sorrell: Trump victory is “a second Brexit that leaves many very surprised, including the markets and me” November 9, 2016 Sir Martin Sorrell, the chief executive of economic bellwether WPP, has described Donald Trump’s election as “a second Brexit that leaves many very surprised, including the markets and me”. Sorrell, whose wife Cristiana Falcone Sorrell gave birth to their daughter, Bianca Eva Sarah, on election day in New York, admitted it will take a “ significant amount [...]
City bosses torn over Article 50 decision November 6, 2016 Senior City figures are struggling with mixed emotions following last week's Article 50 decision. Business leaders feel the High Court ruling, which decided parliament must be consulted before Prime Minister Theresa May can trigger Article 50, will generate yet more uncertainty in the wake of June's referendum result. However, there is also a sense of relief [...]
Here’s what Martin Sorrell thinks about Mark Carney, Philip Hammond and Brexiting Britain’s economic prospects October 31, 2016 WPP chief executive Sir Martin Sorrell has given his backing to Mark Carney, saying his departure from the Bank of England would be “disastrous”. Speaking to City A.M., Sorrell also expressed his support for chancellor Philip Hammond but said he was concerned over the suggestion of tension between him and the Prime Minister. Despite WPP [...]
Advertising giant WPP’s revenue spikes 23 per cent on the back of weak pound October 31, 2016 Revenue jumped at advertising giant WPP for the third quarter, up 23.4 per cent as it beat expectations. But business in the UK slowed, "perhaps the first signs of Brexit anxiety", while WPP reported a slowdown in organic net sales at 2.8 per cent. The figures Revenue for the third quarter was up 23.4 per [...]
Sir Martin Sorrell’s WPP makes French investment as part of Brexit vote push in Europe September 22, 2016 UK-based advertising giant WPP announced an investment in a French media group today as part of its post-Brexit vote mainland Europe push. Les Nouvelles Editions Indépendantes SAS (LNEI) was founded in 2009 in Paris and has investments in media titles such as the Le Monde newspaper, the French Huffington Post and Vice France. Read more: WPP chief [...]
MPs to launch new investigation into excessive boardroom pay September 15, 2016 MPs will launch a wide-ranging review into executive pay tomorrow after prime minister Theresa May promised to get tough on the country's top paid bosses. The Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) Committee will unveil the terms of a corporate governance inquiry tomorrow, which will look at the issue of what to do about runaway executive pay [...]
Getting creative: As agency margins get thinner, CHI & Partners’s Sarah Golding explains how the advertising industry can keep attracting young talent September 12, 2016 There are so many creative industries; young people have never had greater choice,” says Sarah Golding, chief executive of CHI & Partners. Attracting talent, she believes, is the biggest issue facing creative agencies today. “It is hard for creative agencies in the marketing industry to attract them; the best ones are in the centre of town and [...]