Think pieces

Falling down the quality abyss

Attention stops being paid, compromises are made, quality goes down.

Expectations aren't met.

Expectations are lowered.

Customers drift away.

Budgets

JEFFERSON: Why do you build me up, buttercup?

‘What on earth do you think you’re doing?,’ snarled the imperious, plump little woman from behind her clipboard.

Design concept revealed for new US cannabis retail chain

The Pineapple Express stores tasked creative concept and design firm The McBride Company...

Is productive the same as busy?

No one complains of having spent an entire day doing 'productive work'. Busywork, on the other hand, is mindnumbing.

Experts are pulling our legs

My mum lived opposite what used to be called a parade of shops, says Dave Trott.

Brand of the Year 2015: O2 take the prize

From established brands on the high street like Barclays to GoPro, the go-to brand for the selfie generation...

Winning the ad blocking war

Can brands penetrate the wall that consumers are building to block their ads? Huib van Bockel, the former head of marketing for Red Bull...

A renaissance in creativity?

I wonder why I and all of the people I worked with believed – naively it appears - that ads would get better and better as time when on.

Do you listen to research or your intuition?

Successful customer-led organisations tend to be confident. They’re happy to lead the market because they understand...

A poisoned lemon

By now, you know the VW story. It has been described as the greatest scandal in automotive history.
 

Letter from China: Go online

When I wrote my last article, the opportunities in China seemed boundless...

Coke’s brand experience raises more than a smile

Laughter can be highly infectious. Just ask Coca-Cola. The popular soft drinks brand chose what at first glance appears to be a very unusual location...

Marketing at 30,000 feet

The past decade has seen a dramatic increase in the number of travellers and airlines on the map.

What the BBC taught me about marketing

A couple of weeks ago the BBC was in the news, as the public consultation on the Charter Review closed.

Variations on stupid

We throw the word stupid around a lot, labeling people (perhaps forever).

Letter from Miami: colourful start-up and business scene

Through the window of our newest office, halfway between Downtown Miami and Wynwood, I can spot a beautiful street art mural...

Two-headed people? Customers vs colleagues.

The Two-headed People Challenge. Customers and colleagues are all human, so why manage them as different disciplines?

Bias in the Spotlight: Status Quo Bias

Status quo bias is a preference for the current state of affairs.

JEFFERSON: Let them eat cake, she says

Some say the centre of Paris is prettier than the centre of London. That may or may not be true.

7 ways to build your brand identity

Ambitious brands need to do more than just get noticed - they need to get famous.

10 things we learned in October

From China's best Obama impersonator to what happens when vegetarians get drunk.