With the FIFA World Cup approaching in a few short months, football has been a major topic of interest for marketers. That is why we have recently been on the lookout for markets that have embraced the sport.

You can’t teach creativity - so said Hanif Kureishi, speaking at the Bath Literary Festival a couple of weeks ago.

The impact of the digital age on the marketing process has created a shift from a fixed process to something that is more fluid that is going to create challenges and opportunities for us in the future.

Consumer engagement with luxury is evolving. A previously exclusive market is being faced with a new, inclusive mindset. Luxury is becoming less about how the label looks, and more about what you can say with it.

What titles should be on any retailer’s bookshelf? Having taught MBA students about retailing for seven years, it would be churlish to overlook the key texts I recommend to them.

They let me out of the Library last week. As you know, it’s where I live at the Marketing Society. So it’s a virtual library, but quiet and bookish as you would expect.