Something for your weekend: ONS blog

What? National Statistical, the blog from the UK's Office of National Statistics.    Where? You can read it here.   So what? This blog has really interesting articles focusing on particular datasets, such as this one about happiness levels in the UK, which covers implications for policy, as well as an interesting correlation between the gap … Continue reading Something for your weekend: ONS blog

A brief and non-techy introduction to the Internet of Things for marketers

This paper aims to demystify the Internet of Things (IoT) for marketers. It provides a non-technical introduction to what the IoT is, and how it creates value for users (and, hence, why there has been so much excitement about it).   The paper also presents a general overview of key implications for marketers to consider, … Continue reading A brief and non-techy introduction to the Internet of Things for marketers

New Year’s resolution for marketers

Want to be a better marketer in 2017?   Here is the one key thing to do: Choose one customer segment to focus your marketing efforts on. The problem that I usually come across, when advising companies, is that they do not have a suitable target customer.   Often, they try to sell to everyone. … Continue reading New Year’s resolution for marketers

Something for your weekend: The Machine Stops

I have a present for you.   It is my favourite kind of present: a book.   What? It is a short novel by E. M. Foster, first published in 1909. It is called ‘The Machine Stops’.    Where? You can read it here, or buy it here (no affiliate links).   So what? This … Continue reading Something for your weekend: The Machine Stops

The rise and fall of cash machines

Back in 1997, my husband and I missed a flight from Barcelona to Paris because we did not have enough Spanish pesetas* to pay for the taxi from the hotel to the airport. You see, in those days you needed to pay for taxis (and many other things) with actual notes or coins. And to … Continue reading The rise and fall of cash machines

Something for your weekend: The Joy of Data

What? A one hour documentary, presented by mathematician Dr Hannah Fry, exploring ‘Data’ – what it is, why it is valuable, and issues around collecting, storing and using it. Where? I first saw it on BBC iPlayer, but you can also access it on Youtube.   So what? Like many other BBC science documentaries, this one offers … Continue reading Something for your weekend: The Joy of Data

Christmas adverts’ buzz – How does it help brands?

There are two topics of conversation that you are sure to encounter at one point or another, during Christmas season, in the UK. One, is the likelihood of a white Christmas (spoiler alert: very unlikely!). The other is the various Christmas adverts put up by the major brands.   As I write, Allegro’s Polish grandpa … Continue reading Christmas adverts’ buzz – How does it help brands?

Something for your weekend: Social media reviews of 2016

We are now well into December and social media are full of 2016 reviews, and 2017 predictions. Here are two that caught my attention.   YouTube Rewind More than 200 YouTubers and personalities got together to relive some of 2016’s crazes – there is dabbing, and bottle flipping, and pineapple pen apple pen, and mannequin … Continue reading Something for your weekend: Social media reviews of 2016