By Paul Simons on January 25, 2013
I was glancing through a few year end results and spotted WH Smith, a retailer I have a grudge with. The bottom line is sales down, margins up. Sounds like a miracle in retail at the moment. So how do they manage to pull off this elusive trick? I try to avoid ranting as it [...]
Posted in Analysis, Clients, Finance, News | Tagged airports, bad service, high prices, high street, Kate Swann, monopoly, retail, wh smith
By Stephen Foster on January 24, 2013
We often muse in these pages about quite what sort of company WPP is and, more pertinently perhaps, what sort of company it intends to be. For years the assumption was that founder and CEO Sir Martin Sorrell just wanted it to be the biggest marcoms company in the world (which it now is): if [...]
Posted in Agencies, Clients, Finance, News, Research | Tagged acquisition, data, digital, e-commerce, retail, salmon, Sir Martin Sorrell, technology, WPP
By Stephen Foster on January 21, 2013
The fashion business, by and large, has proved remarkably resilient in the recession. Some big names, Aquascutum and Jaeger, have hit the buffers but such brands always seem to live on under another optimistic owner. House of Fraser and Debenhams, which many have consigned rather too soon to the knacker’s yard, seem to be thriving. [...]
Posted in Agencies, Clients, Creative, News | Tagged ais london, asos, catalogues, crm, harris tweed, jaeger, online, pure, retail
By Paul Simons on January 16, 2013
With all of the worrying news on the UK retail scene (Comet, Jessops, now HMV) it makes me wonder to what extent management of these companies genuinely listen to what the great unwashed actually think. I fully understand the energy needed to turn around a business – I’ve lived through a few – but that’s [...]
Posted in Analysis, Clients, Creative, Finance, News, Research | Tagged BT, ggt, IBM, Lou Gerstner, Marc Bolland, marks & spencer, research, retail, simons palmer, Sir Ken Morrison, Voltaire
By Paul Simons on September 19, 2012
Travel broadens the mind, as they say, and I certainly benefited from this mind-developing effect after a trip that included a few days in Milan. The broadening of the mind was nothing to do with the magnificent buildings or the amazing food, it was the people. I realised Milan is packed with slim people, no [...]
Posted in Agencies, Analysis, Clients, Creative | Tagged amv/bbdo, armando testa, food, italy, John Lewis, live well for less, obesity, retail, Sainsburys, simons palmer
By Staff on September 13, 2012
For marketers to take advantage of the power of data, they are increasingly turning to more seamless integration with vendor partners via advanced tag management argues James Sandoval (left), managing director EMEA at BrightTag. If you’re looking for a buzzword for marketers right now, it’s big data. There is massive excitement about the ability of [...]
Posted in Analysis, Clients, Media, News, Research | Tagged big data, brighttag, e-commerce, James Sandoval, retail, tag management, vendor partners
By Paul Simons on June 8, 2012
I got a bit of a shock wandering around Barnes High Street last weekend. Where are all the shops? For those who don’t know London, Barnes is a well-heeled, leafy, village-like community, just south of the Thames. I saw at least 6 closed shops in the space of 100 yards – startling in an area [...]
Posted in Clients | Tagged Amazon, Barnes, dhl, Empty high streets, internet shopping, marketing, post offices, retail
By Stuart Smith on June 5, 2012
And now for something in the great tradition of Opel cars that break down, but only in Spain – and Pepsi Cola that brings your ancestors back from the grave, if you’re Chinese. The IKEA Redalen bed, on sale in the global furniture retailer’s recently opened Bangkok superstore, is apparently a lot more seductive in [...]
Posted in Clients, News | Tagged Bangkok, bing, Brand name blunders, Bundh, Furniture, ikea, Jättabra plant pot, Microsoft, Mitsubishi Pajero, Opel Nova, Pepsi Cola, Redalan, retail, Sharwood's, Thai, Trades Description Act
By Paul Simons on May 22, 2012
Several times in the past I’ve written about the challenges of managing brands from the top of companies, in particular in a turbulent trading environment like the one we find ourselves in. According to various experts this is likely to get worse before it gets better. It would seem French Connection is another retailer having [...]
Posted in Agencies, Clients, Creative, Finance, News, Research | Tagged brand equity, brand icebergs, cadbury, club 18-30, fading stars, fashion brands, fcuk, french connection, lizard ad, next, orbiting stars, Paul Simons, retail, rising stars, Sir Adrian Cadbury
By Staff on May 3, 2012
Former Oasis singer Liam Gallagher’s fashion brand Pretty Green has appointed Holler to handle its digital communications and other promotional work. Holler will work alongside brand agency Neighbour. Pretty Green brand director Nigel Grant says: “Pretty Green has enjoyed a successful first few seasons and we are currently where we planned to be. It is [...]
Posted in Agencies, Clients, Creative, News | Tagged Adam Clarkson, all saints, digital account, fashion start-up, holler, Liam Gallagher, neighbour, Nigel Grant, Oasis, retail, Victoria Beckham
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