Lansons Conversations

Last week’s decision by the now-beleaguered England manager Fabio Capello to announce, somewhat publicly, that national hero David Beckham had played his last competitive game for a country he has served with distinction for so long, was rightly treated with much contempt from the British media.  Headlines such as “Get Beck [...]

Political leaders and mainstream media are maintaining an unusually balanced position on the banking recovery. But with public anger growing, and the banking sector recovering while consumers continue to struggle, how long can this pragmatic stance last?

It’s only mid-week and there have already been a number of clever stunts and PR exercises that have caught my eye. But the two that provoked the most reaction are two ideas which although are far from innovative, are hugely effective at gaining attention.
Would you like MacFries with that crossing?
During a recent public festival in [...]

The social media world received its first serious celebrity setback this week when, of all people, Keith Chegwin got a severe backlash from many comedians following alleged plagiarism on Twitter. Comics such as Ed Byrne and Simon Evans have been vociferous in their criticism of Chegwin, who has appealed to his 40,000 followers with jokes [...]

Making Sony Mini
How do you go about promoting the world’s smallest smartphone? Well, if you are Sony you make everything else mini; including your campaign. Like bouncing colourful balls down a San Francisco hill or smashing giant jet streams of paint against blocks of flats, Sony once again took to the streets. Rather than outlandish [...]

Here is a great example of a guerrilla stunt from Canada promoting Smart cars. Although I’m sure they are not trying to promote the security of a Smart car, with what are generally flimsy bike locks, passers by (and those who have seen this picture) are reminded of just how compact a Smart car actually [...]

Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin etc…the power shift in media has been obvious, uncontrollable, and – some would now argue – quite dangerous.
The recent tragic events in Northumberland have arguably given the nation the most compelling example of the power that social media has – where anybody, no matter who they are, can [...]

The chorus of concern about newcits hedge funds grows ever louder, but aren’t regulated hedge funds what the EU AIFM Directive architects wanted all along?

Everyone deserves a little distraction during their day, and my two favourite distraction points this week came from watching a couple of viral videos.
Shark Attack in Amsterdam Canal
With a headline like that it’s bound to grab the attention of any regular city mini-breaker or fin-fearing urbanite. Despite its B-movie-esque tension and comical acting Paris Hilton [...]

The economic crisis is revolutionising the ways people engage with financial issues and information. Our updated study into consumer sentiment and behaviour offers further insight into the Engagement Revolution, including a recent rise in anger and blame, the emergence of tribes with their own distinct strategies, and the rise of the internet and ‘go direct’ communication to rival the influence of traditional media channels.

Exempting hedge funds from new EU bank pay rules will be good for London, but may benefit big funds more than smaller funds, with potential further consequences

Should we be concerned about the surge of ‘newcits’ funds storing up future reputational issues for the asset management world?

The proposed restrictions on bankers’ bonuses which look set to be passed as EU law next week set a fairly draconian standard for the deferring of payments. But what constitutes a banker?
It seems that these rules won’t just impact those people working in banks, but at asset management businesses as well – so hedge funds, [...]

In the wake of the Obama election campaign commentators were quick to proclaim that how elections are fought and won had irrevocably changed. According to the theory once a campaign could harness new forms of political communications with such devastating effect, electoral contests would never again be the same. Looking back with some vantage it [...]

With apologies to Jane Austen, it is a truth universally acknowledged that a politician in possession of a seat in election year must be in want of publicity. No surprise then that we have seen the great and the good pass through the Lansons Live studio in its first year of operation. Yvette Cooper, Mark [...]