The luxury sector is negotiating the tight rope between its traditional exclusivity and the open-all-hours, democratising nature of the web. It is a fascinating space to watch as new ways of enticing and engaging with the customer emerge. This long Luxury Society piece explores the emerging influencers and how brands are finding their feet in … Continue reading Four For Friday (29)
Tag: social media
The age of un-empathy
"My Spotify drains my phone battery", she said. "Do you listen to it on streaming or offline?", I asked. "Why, yes I do listen to it on streaming!" "So you see both the 3G access you are using and the app itself use battery. You can see battery use by app and make choices accordingly … Continue reading The age of un-empathy
Customer service stories from America
I just got back from a few days in the Mecca of start-ups. They do things differently over there. Well they used to, till globalisation made us all the same. SCRIPTING FOR PRAISE Last week, while making a cardholder-not-present transaction with an American business, my card was declined. Twice. I told the customer service person … Continue reading Customer service stories from America
Four for Friday (15)
This week's eclectic, interesting reads: The hall of shame? A list of VCs with no female investing partners. One step closer to Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind? The forgetting pill. The case for the e-book as a more intimate literary experience. Mark Zuckerberg as an autocratic dictator? You don't say.
The Power of Us
Summer in India brings not only juicy mangoes but also the prospect of frequent planned and unplanned power cuts. The euphemism "load shedding" tries to hide the fact that the grid is unable to shoulder the demand for electricity. This demand is rising with India's rapid economic growth. This economic growth also means that fewer … Continue reading The Power of Us
Start-ups do not need a marketing budget, or do they?
Two deservedly well-regarded investors, Fred Wilson and Brad Feld, have written about why they think start-ups do not need a marketing budget. Both are deliberately a little controversial. Fred Wilson writes, for instance, that: "I believe that marketing is what you do when your product or service sucks or when you make so much profit … Continue reading Start-ups do not need a marketing budget, or do they?
Four For Friday (11)
This occasional series of good readings from around the web covers the themes of strategy, technology, investment and regulation. This week’s picks include: the broader business environment, enterprise collaboration and social media, how to pick a co-founder and some humour. Jeff Jarvis argues that the future of business is in ecosystems (link via @Syamant) Rupert Murdoch … Continue reading Four For Friday (11)
The social media opportunity in India (1)
My investor and business clients are increasingly interested in investing in India. While many of the conversations are about the less glamorous sectors, the chatter about social media is unavoidable. A quick Google search on the 'social media opportunity in India' brings up over 0.5 million articles, in English alone. This suggests a considerable degree … Continue reading The social media opportunity in India (1)
Four For Friday (4)
This occasional series appears when the week’s readings have been good and should be shared. The themes are strategy, technology, investment and regulation, but sometimes they just cannot be separated. Sometimes the readings have been so good that I have a hard time picking just four. That is why this issue appears on Saturday this week … Continue reading Four For Friday (4)
Authority on the web: Être et Avoir
This is what the Oxford English Dictionary says about the word 'authority': noun 1 the power or right to give orders and enforce obedience. 2 a person or organization having official power. 3 recognized knowledge or expertise. 4 an authoritative person or book. ORIGIN Old French autorite, from Latin auctor ‘originator’ In a BBC interview, … Continue reading Authority on the web: Être et Avoir