Iain Anderson embodies the saying that if you want something done, ask a busy person. On learning that he’d just written a book, ‘F**k Business The Business of Brexit’, I tweeted Iain, asking if he could spare a review copy. A brace turned up by return of post. Typical. The last time our paths crossed, he’d…
Money Observer celebrates its 40th anniversary this October. In an exclusive Q&A, MO’s editor Faith Glasgow told me about the title’s birthday makeover, “sticky” readers (and how much they invest), plus the challenge of balancing content across multiple platforms. Andrew Michael (AM): Slightly premature congratulations on MO’s 40th birthday! The latest issue [September 2019] refers to a makeover.…
How do high-profile financial services companies keep on top of Twitter, Facebook, Instagram et al? In part two of this exclusive Q&A, Alison Traboulsi, Direct Line Group’s Head of Social Media, recalls a campaign where everything clicked and offers advice for working with influencers. Andrew Michael (AM): Is there a weekly pattern to your work,…
How do high-profile financial services companies keep on top of ‘social’ in all its many guises? In this two-part Q&A Alison Traboulsi, Head of Social Media at Direct Line Group, spoke exclusively to me about the challenges, issues and opportunities of working in this sphere. Andrew Michael (AM): You manage the social media team at Direct Line…
If I’m ever asked to give a talk to financial journalists who are new to writing about investing, stock markets, et al, I usually refer to a couple of books which helped me get started back in the dim and distant past. The first one is Michael Brett’s ‘How to Read the Financial Pages’ and…
The Neil Woodford calamity gauge moved from ‘really bad’ to ‘catastrophic’ yesterday. This was a result of wealth manager St James’s Place’s decision to terminate its £3.5bn relationship with the fund manager. At a stroke this wiped out 40 per cent of the entire assets under Woodford’s management. Thanks to recent events, his reputation as…
The UK is rubbish nowadays at producing successful Eurovision Song Contest entries, but leaves the rest of the continent standing when it comes to churning out newspaper consumer champions. Seriously. Try finding a financial agony aunt or uncle in Le Figaro, or Il Sore 24 Ore, or Die Welt. Any luck? If yes, you’re a…
If you’re a gardener, five years isn’t much of a time-frame in the grand scheme of things. Barely long enough to cultivate a shrub, or establish an asparagus bed. In the world of commercial sponsorship, however, five years can whizz by in a flash. I was just thinking of this as I cast my eye…
When’s the last time you heard of a bank launching a charity single? I daresay one of the major high street providers has done so. But I’m jiggered if I can think of a name off-hand. Actually, I’m not sure any of them ever have. Feel free to get in touch if you know differently.…
Do you remember Eastenders’ Peter “Awight tweacle” Beale? Barrow boy Pete was such a regular down the Queen Vic that his very own beer mug used to hang from a peg in the infamous E20 boozer. I also own a beer mug like Pete’s. On it is the dull, if accurate, inscription: “York Races May…
Iain Anderson embodies the saying that if you want something done, ask a busy person. On learning that he’d just written a book, ‘F**k Business The Business of Brexit’, I tweeted Iain, asking if he could spare a review copy. A brace turned up by return of post. Typical. The last time our paths crossed, he’d…
I have attended Masterclasses and events organised by Andrew for the last five years. He is a past master at bringing together PRs and journalists in effective and enjoyable ways. He understands the needs of both sides and provides innovative – and mutually beneficial – ways of bringing them together.