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 [...]
Let’s get kraken: How the Octopus Group is making waves October 22, 2018 For a long time, it seemed like the bosses of finance, energy, and property corporations were laughing – the heartless belly laughs of those raking in stacks of money at the expense of their customers. Now there’s a growing trend for companies that care about the people they serve, a feeling that this should be their [...]
Technology is set to be this week’s hottest ticket on Wall Street as its biggest leaders go head-to-head October 21, 2018 This Thursday is set to be a battle of the technology heavyweights, as behemoths Amazon, Alphabet, Snap and Twitter all report their quarterly results. Both Amazon and Alphabet, the parent company of Google, trounced consensus estimates last quarter, with Amazon truly shaking up the game on Wall Street with earnings per share rising over 1,157 per cent [...]
TfL moves step closer to offering 4G mobile coverage on the Tube from 2019 with plans to roll it out to Elizabeth Line and Crossrail 2 October 18, 2018 Tube passengers should soon be able to read emails and check Twitter on the go, as Transport for London (TfL) has formally kicked off the procurement process to deliver 4G mobile coverage across the Underground. TfL is on track to introduce 4G coverage from next year, with plans to branch out further and incorporate the [...]
Celebrities like Kanye West and Taylor Swift need to learn that we really don’t care what they think October 16, 2018 Taylor Swift, look what you made me do. Swifty has been a hallowed island of political neutrality in a sea of bad blood. But she’s now come out as a mid-term Democrat, and the love story is over. Maybe one day historians will look back and admire how Bob Geldof’s support for a People’s Vote [...]
Sacré bleu! Tour de France trophy stolen during UK tour October 10, 2018 Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas has made desperate appeals for thieves to return his trophy, after it was announced today that the coveted cycling prize was stolen at a show in Birmingham. The trophy, which was lent to bike maker Pinarello, was on a tour across the UK with Sky team’s other Grand Tour [...]
Tesla shares bounce back after Elon Musk agrees to step down as chairman October 1, 2018 Tesla shares have jumped over 16 per cent following a backlash last week over the company's $40m (£31m) fine from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Musk has been pursued by the SEC over a tweet he sent in August saying he has secured funding to take Tesla private at $420 per share. The SEC said [...]
DEBATE: Is Elon Musk’s erratic behaviour just the price we need to pay for brilliant entrepreneurs? October 1, 2018 Is Elon Musk’s erratic behaviour just the price we need to pay for brilliant entrepreneurs? Kathy Gromotka, associate at Downing Ventures, says YES. We back entrepreneurs because we buy into their desire and ability to behave in a way that creates value, whether they’re a star in the spotlight or operating in stealth mode. Elon [...]
Character assassination: Business bosses are starting to realise that Twitter has a price September 30, 2018 It is not boardroom discord or tumbling profits that are causing mayhem for Elon Musk, the maverick and publicity-hungry Tesla chief who is set to lose his role as chairman. It’s his Twitter habit. His case exemplifies how Twitter, the social media platform that can send 280 poorly chosen characters right round the world in [...]