Customers stay sweet on Cadbury’s despite low-tax owner October 17, 2018 Last week, several news outlets carried the news that Mondelez International – owners of chocolatier Cadbury – paid no corporation tax in 2017, though the company made profits of £185m. Mondelez’s subsidiaries were reported to have paid a combined total of £5.9m to HMRC. The news drew opprobrium from figures such as shadow chancellor, John [...]
FCUK must reconnect with British shoppers in a saturated market October 10, 2018 On Monday, news emerged regarding high-street retailer French Connection. The brand announced that it may be up for sale, prompting shares in the fashion chain to rise 25 per cent to 55p. Following on from speculation last weekend, the firm said it was “reviewing all strategic options” – one of which is a sale. French [...]
Pret a Manger has work to do in the wake of customer allergen death October 2, 2018 In recent days, an inquest heard about the tragic case of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, a 15-year-old who died after suffering an allergic reaction to a Pret a Manger sandwich while on board a flight to Nice. Her death came after she ate a baguette containing sesame seeds – an allergen not listed on the wrapper – [...]
Aldi and Lidl continue to attract customers – so what impact will Tesco’s budget chain Jack’s have? September 26, 2018 Recently Tesco unveiled its first Jack’s discount store. With a strong emphasis on Britishness and home-grown products, the brand is seen as a challenger to the German supermarkets, Aldi and Lidl. I have often talked in this column about the growth of both Aldi and Lidl, and YouGov BrandIndex data points to the continued improvements [...]
Brewdog takes on the big dogs – will its advertising cut through with mainstream beer drinkers? September 19, 2018 In its well-documented climb from independent disruptor to industry giant, craft beer brand Brewdog has successfully created a unique name for itself, now sitting at the top of the shelf alongside major industry names. When it comes to shock factor, Brewdog is rarely one to hold back. Back in spring the brand was criticised for [...]
Brewdog takes on the big dogs – will its advertising cut through with mainstream beer drinkers? September 19, 2018 In its well-documented climb from independent disruptor to industry giant, craft beer brand Brewdog has successfully created a unique name for itself, now sitting at the top of the shelf alongside major industry names. When it comes to shock factor, Brewdog is rarely one to hold back. Back in spring the brand was criticised for [...]
British Airways suffers turbulence as brand perception drops September 12, 2018 Last week, British Airways (BA) made headlines as 380,000 customer payment cards were affected by a severe data hack which compromised the personal and financial details of several customers. Unfortunately for BA, this news comes after a difficult couple of years which it has spent battling with negative press associated with a large-scale IT glitches, [...]
Why Coca-Cola’s acquisition of Costa makes sense from a consumer perspective September 5, 2018 News of Costa’s sale to Coca-Cola dominated consumer headlines last week, as the fizzy drinks megabrand purchased the UK-based coffee chain for £3.9bn. Whitbread’s shares jumped more than 16 per cent following the news. Alison Brittain, the chief executive of Whitbread – Costa Coffee’s parent company – said the price paid by Coca-Cola was far [...]
Wonga’s brand perception is struggling amidst negative headlines August 29, 2018 Over the last week rumours have swirled around one of Britain’s biggest payday lenders, Wonga, with suggestions that the brand may be close to collapse. This apparent crisis facing the short-term loan provider relates to an apparent surge in customer compensation claims. Wonga’s financial issues have resulted in a £10m emergency cash injection from shareholders [...]
Build-A-Bear Workshop’s ‘pay your age’ promotion backfires July 17, 2018 Last week, children’s toy store Build-A-Bear found itself in the headlines following a promotional campaign that backfired. Stores rolled out a ‘pay your age’ day, in which parents could buy a teddy bear for the price of the age of their child. However, the initiative took a sour turn after keen customers were left standing [...]
