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Yearly Archives: 2008
Boring business, great brand: ING
A lesson about the power of branding drawn from the woes faced by Dutch banking Giant ING. Continue reading
ING is fighting against a falling share price, after new rules required it take a €10 billion capital injection from the Dutch government (reports the FT’s Lex on 21 October) and Moody’s downgraded the savings bank (today's FT). While the analysts assess the ...MORE >
Stories in times of crisis
It is times like these that we need the stories embody analysis – not obstruct it – and connect us in mutually beneficial ways. Continue reading
Writing in this weekend’s FT Magazine, Hamman explores the Cold War through interviews with diplomats, politicians and spies who worked on the frontlines. Narrative emerges as the crux of how Hamman sees the power dynamic between the US and the Soviet Union. (Click ...MORE >
Sideways glance: Kings Place and eBay
A coherent strategy is one that selects not simply what is included, but also, what to exclude. This applies for the box office and the boardroom. Continue reading
Last week London’s newest arts centre Kings Place opened, and the FT’s Andrew Clark made it to the inaugural five-day festival. Here’s how Clark puts the venue on the map: “[T]he significance of Kings Place lies in the way its design reflects its ...MORE >
Television writer as Master Storyteller
The man who magicked Dr Who back into existence is “the Scheherazade of Cardiff Bay,” according to Veronica Horwell in the Saturday Guardian. Continue reading
Howell is reviewing Doctor Who: The Writer’s Tale, 512 pages of emails and texts flying between Davies and a confidant named Benjamin Cook.
Here’s what Howell says of Davies: “He’s making this up as he goes along. He can’t stop the narrative. He keeps ...MORE >
The actor’s “as if” in turbulent times
Management guru Stefan Stern meticulously recalls a screen performance by the late great actor Paul Newman. Continue reading
FT Weekend reprints Stefan Stern's eulogy blog to Newman. It's great to see how Stern notates Newman's deft performance of David Mamet's script for the Sidney Lumet 1982 film The Verdict. Click here to read the blog.
To add: The speech works on another level. In speaking of ...MORE >
Grabbing the imagination
To have impact in workplaces, stories must strike the right balance between the exemplary and the familiar. Continue reading
Good stories motivate staff is the key idea behind Rhymer Rigby’s piece in yesterday's FT.
Rigby quotes Allianz Insurance corporate events manager Stephen Flynn: “The [stories] that work the best are those that are unusual enough to grab the imagination but generic enough that you ...MORE >
Creating a new category
Are HSPA “mobile broadband” services another Starbucks? A £1billion campaign backed by 17 big names in IT and telecoms will promote mobile broadband just as rival service WiMax launches. Continue reading
The GSM Association’s campaign, explains Rob Minto in today’s FT, will run on- and offline in 91 countries. The purpose of the campaign is to establish mobile broadband as a category consumers recognise. The category is supported by products from multiple vendors, including mobile broadband ...MORE >
Crumb trail
“Design is the most faithful encapsulation of the politics, economics and fears and desires of a moment,” Edwin Heathcote affirms. Continue reading
Reviewing the Cold War Modern exhibition at the V&A, Heathcote writes: “Design is too often presented as a succession of iconic chairs; but here it is exposed for what it is, the most faithful encapsulation of the politics, economics and fears and desires ...MORE >