Bango lifted by mobile tie-up with Facebook September 25, 2012 SHARES in British mobile payments firm Bango soared yesterday as it launched a tie-up with Facebook to let the social network’s users make purchases on smartphones. The service, which allows people to purchase extra content on Facebook – such as game extensions and virtual gifts – and charge it to their monthly network bill, will [...]
Zacharanda and me: the true story of an accidental YouTube sensation October 31, 2012 IT WAS on the eve of Obama’s 2008 election victory that a friend of mine, quite inadvertently, became a YouTube “sensation”. Adam Smith, who at the time worked as a reporter for the Birmingham Mail, had flown himself to Miami to campaign for Barack Obama (because Miami was: “where the party’s at. I was hardly [...]
Higher spenders would be better than a new strategy October 24, 2012 WHAT does the future of retail look like? Clicks-and-mortar is the buzzword of the moment (Tesco calls its version Clicks and Bricks), a Frankenstein-like stitching together of physical retail locations with online, anytime ordering. When Home Retail Group (HRG) announced its strategy to turn around Argos yesterday that’s very much what it had in mind, [...]
Banks will protect your reputation in the online market October 17, 2012 PEOPLE are becoming increasingly empowered in their interactions with companies. But this is only the beginning. Soon, people will be using the assets of their reputations to make all their dealings with businesses easier. And banks are well placed to be the custodians of this data. For example, buying a car is currently a headache. [...]
John Lewis first retailer to sell Barnes & Noble ereader in UK August 28, 2012 AMERICAN book retailer Barnes & Noble yesterday said it has chosen John Lewis to be its first UK partner in the push to sell its Nook ebook readers in Britain. The department store group will be the first retailer outside the United States to sell the Nook devices across its 37 of its shops from [...]
Nintendo up as Wii U ready for Christmas boost September 13, 2012 NINTENDO yesterday announced that its next generation Wii U video game console will be released in time for Christmas, as it aims to get a head start on rivals Sony and Microsoft. The Japanese company – which reported its first annual loss in its 123-year history this year as sales of its current Wii console [...]
LOVEFILM ADDS MIRAMAX FILMS TO CATALOGUE July 31, 2012 Lovefilm has announced a tie-up with studio Miramax to bring a roster of titles including Kill Bill (pictured), Pulp Fiction and Bridget Jones’s Diary to its on-demand film streaming service. The Amazon-owned business needs to expand its online catalogue in the wake of Sky’s move into online movie streaming with the launch of its Now [...]
Amazon is catching up to Britain’s top brand January 17, 2012 GOOGLE, Amazon and Marks & Spencer’s remain the healthiest brands in the UK in the eyes of consumers for the third year running, according to the annual YouGov BrandIndex league table of brands. They lead the way on the Index score, which is a composite of consumers’ perception of brands terms of quality, value, customer [...]
Apple’s market value exceeds Microsoft during 1999 bubble August 21, 2012 Apple market value has climbed past $623bn (£396bn), surpassing the record set by Microsoft during the heyday of technology stocks in 1999. Apple shares rose 2.6 per cent, bringing its gains this month to almost nine per cent as Wall Street bets on the 12 September rollout of the latest version of the iPhone, the [...]
BBC iPlayer topples Marks & Spencer as digital brands dominate UK’s top three July 10, 2012 The latest YouGov BrandIndex bi-annual league table reveals that Amazon, Google and BBC iPlayer have managed to beat 850-plus brands to become the most highly-rated brands in the UK. The 2012 bi-annual league table, compiled using the Index score (a composite of six key image attributes – general impression, value, quality, satisfaction, recommendation and corporate [...]