Asset stripping leads to an internal review

February 5, 2010 10:55 am by Ravi Mattu

The downturn has meant business is front and centre on pretty much any news programme you can think of so it is not surprising that many banks now have live television news reports being transmitted from their offices.

For those of you who work in one of these offices, however, beware of where the camera is. One banker at Macquarie obviously didn’t realise he was on camera – only to discover that his perusing of a near naked model at the office was captured live on TV.

Fortunately for the banker, after an “internal review”, the broker will keep his job.

Posted in Communication, Management, Technology | Permalink

Sun’s Jonathan Schwartz tweets his resignation

February 4, 2010 2:09 pm by Ravi Mattu

This is extraordinary and surely a first. Sun CEO Jonathan Schwartz announced his resignation on Twitter – in the form, no less of a haiku.

Posted in Communication, Hard times, Leadership | Permalink

Biz Stone in 140 characters or less

November 27, 2009 11:27 am by Ravi Mattu

We’ve launched a new section today called 20 questions, in which we talk to leading businesspeople in rapid-fire form. First up: Biz Stone, co-founder of Twitter who answers, of course, in 140 characters or less. Definitely worth a read. And keep an eye out for next week’s executive: Guy Hands.

Posted in Communication, Innovation/tech, Leadership, Management | Permalink

How do you keep everyone on message?

November 25, 2009 10:16 am by Ravi Mattu

The McCann Worldgroup agency created controversy last week by giving a lukewarm response to the London 2012 Olympics logo, designed by Wolff Olins, even though McCann is marketing the games worldwide.

In our “Judgment Call” section, we asked three experts for their take on how do you keep multiple teams working on the same project ‘on message’? And what are the key mistakes to be avoided?

I couldn’t help but think something had gone wrong in the management of this massively complicated, multiteam project. Surely someone at the London Organising Committee should have told McCann to just stick to a line – the logo is great and innovative in a way that the public don’t yet realise – to avoid reopening a controversy.

Earlier this year, for example, I met with one of the key Olympic sponsors who were proudly displaying the logo in their London office. Their take was a bit more nuanced: when it was first released, they said, they were a bit anxious but when Wolff Olins when through the various ways in which the logo was going to be used they began to think it was brilliant.

That, surely, was a better way of communicating the message. And one that didn’t suggest the reopening of a controversy that the Olympic organisers don’t need.

Posted in Brand management, Communication, Management | Permalink

The trouble with Renault’s ‘nom de girl’

November 24, 2009 6:01 pm by Ravi Mattu

Renault’s latest car, the Zoé, has caused a bit of controversy. Not everyone likes the name apparently – it’s been a popular name for girls in France recently and a few young parents are none too pleased that it’s now the name of a car.

It is always curious how consumers react to decisions taken by companies. I bet a lot of people at Renault thought long and hard about the name for the car. Maybe the person who made the final judgment has a daughter called Zoé and chose to name it precisely for that reason. Who knows.

Posted in Brand management, Consumers, Marketing/sales | Permalink

The Vatican works on its communication skills

November 9, 2009 6:43 pm by Ravi Mattu

Every organisation needs to think about how it manages its communication and engages with new media. The Catholic church is apparently no different.

“Benedict XVI has chosen to dedicate World Communications Day 2010 to the theme “The priest and pastoral ministry in a digital world: new media at the service of the Word.”

The announcement continues:

The Holy Father urges priests to “consider the new media as a powerful resource for their ministry in the service of the Word and wishes to express a word of encouragement in order to address the challenges stemming from the new digital culture,” the communiqué explained. “If the new media is adequately known and appreciated, it can offer priests and all pastoral agents a wealth of data and content that previously was difficult to access, and it facilitates ways of collaboration and growth of communion that were unthinkable in the past.”

Hat tip: Sameer Padania

Posted in Communication, Community, Innovation/tech, Technology | Permalink

The guitar guy and United Airlines, round two

October 30, 2009 10:14 am by Ravi Mattu

Dave Carroll, the Canadian folk singer who accused United Airlines of breaking his guitar, wrote a song about it that became a huge viral success on YouTube (the biggest hit of his career) and brought lots of shame on to the airline, is at loggerheads with the company again.

Since the incident, Carroll has tried to avoid flying the airline but while en route to deliver a speech to a group of customer service executives in Denver, they lost his luggage.

It seems a curious way to deal with a customer and manage your reputation. I would have thought that after the first case, they would have put an asterisk next to Carroll’s name so that if he ever flew with them again, they would bend over backwards to ensure that he was treated well. Maybe they should have offered him free flights for life?

All companies will have the occasional bad experience with a customer. The key thing is how they deal with it. I wrote a few days ago on the case of a worker on the London Underground who resigned after being filmed ranting at a passenger. It looked liked the company handled the story well. As for United, I can’t imagine alienating a customer for a second time, after he has generated a lot of negative publicity for your brand, is a great idea.

Posted in Brand management, Consumers, Customers | Permalink

Business Book of the year: Lords of Finance by Liaquat Ahamed

October 29, 2009 10:00 pm by Ravi Mattu

Earlier this evening, the winner of the Financial Times and Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year Award was given to Liaquat Ahamed for Lords of Finance, his history of how central bankers’ mistakes led to the Great Depression.

As it happens, I shared a table at the ceremony with Mr Ahamed and his publishers – and managed to keep from revealing the winner to any of my dinner companions.

The book bowled over the judges – but did it bowl you over, too? Do you agree with decision or do you think one of the other shortlisted titles were superior?

Have your say in the comments section or vote on the awards homepage.

You can also see video from the event at the London’s Victoria and Albert Museum and find extra information about the winner and the awards.

Posted in Business book award, Hard times | Permalink

The curiously popular Dyson fan

October 28, 2009 7:00 pm by Ravi Mattu

A few weeks ago, the most popular story on FT.com was on Dyson’s new bladeless fan. I have to admit, I couldn’t quite figure out why so many readers were looking at it, but who am I to go against the grain?

I did wonder if it had anything to do with the following Dyson has among consumers and this video suggests I may have been on to something. Emma and Molly are two fans of the fan and have created a video showing just how this impressive device works. I especially like the Brazilian music overlaying the clip. What was that I said in a previous post about the changing nature of consumer engagement?

Of course, this could be nothing more than a clever marketing ploy and for all I know these could be Dyson employees or the wife and child of the guy who designed it. Whatever the case, I wonder if it will generate as much attention as our original story.