2 May 2025
Now we are just past the first 100 days of this new Trump presidency, what are some of the signs that the world’s appetite to invest, study or vacation in the US are being impacted by tariffs and the deconstruction of US government institutions?
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28 January 2025
When it comes to international expansion it pays to do your homework. How many business stories have you read where a company expands internationally, only to find itself joining the list of foreign fails?
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8 December 2023
To say attending this year’s Global Peter Drucker Forum in Vienna (the 15th so far) was a 2023 highlight for me is an understatement. Besides getting to serve as Chair of a session looking at personal and company resilience that’s shaped by your ecosystems, getting to spend time with Amy Edmondson, Avivah Wittenberg-Cox, Dan Pink, Rita McGrath and many other influential business thinkers were genuine highlights.
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12 May 2023
12 MAY 2023 Britain’s royal family is one of the biggest brand platforms for its country brand, with their global visibility before, during and after the coronation affording them and the country a chance to remind tourists and investors of Britain’s assets including its innovation…
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21 January 2022
3 JANUARY 2022 Today is day 1 of year 2 for President Biden. But let’s not dwell on the past. Clearly, Joe Biden inherited a very broken brand as viewed from outside the US. Today, you could say that brand is also broken within the…
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15 November 2021
It’s International Trade Week, which means now is the time to (re)focus on the world’s vast appetite for British goods and services, especially those in the US, Latin America and Asia given the UK’s enviable reputation around the world for quality and innovation (even modesty!)
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21 January 2021
21 JANUARY 2021 Biden Rebuilds Brand USA As you observe the Biden-Harris administration’s first 10 – or even 100 – days alongside its future EU and UK relations, you can conclude Brand USA is being rebuilt as it re-engages with the world. With its nominal…
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9 November 2020
Biden Builds A New Brand USA As you follow President Elect Biden’s evolving administration, and likely relations with the UK and EU, improving US perceptions in the eyes of international business leaders around the globe – from pity to positive – has already started with…
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2 November 2020
Fixing Brand USA, whoever wins the Presidential election There’s no doubt that this is the most contentious US Presidential election in living memory. It has drowned out the dramatic decline in perceptions of Brand USA, on which I’m available to contribute expert views on how –…
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19 October 2020
Foster the Special Relationship Since 23 June 2016, when Britain boldly decided to leave the EU, one of the obvious questions has no doubt been how the US/UK Free Trade Agreement will impact marketing and growth plans in the world’s biggest (for now) economy. Yet…
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15 June 2020
For the UK to win in its US Free Trade Agreement negotiations, it must first understand Americans On the back of today’s leaked letter from consumer group Which? to International Trade Secretary Liz Truss urging the UK to stand firm on the country’s food standards…
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2 June 2020
Company leaders pushed to step up With the ever-growing expectation of corporate leaders and their brands across the globe to take stands on social issues, executives at all levels need to reveal their values to engage and motivate staff, prompted in part by Covid19 and…
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7 April 2020
American Culture Decoded The pervasiveness of American culture globally leads many enterprising businesses to think they have a good grasp of what makes the US tick. However, American business culture isn’t quite as seen on TV nor is it easy to grasp from a holiday…
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29 January 2020
Why Local Knowledge Will Save You Time And Your Reputation Customers don’t wait only in a company’s home market What should have happened in all of these cases is market research to ensure successful customer engagements happens from the start rather than fixing mistakes after…
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29 October 2019
Above and Beyond: Making the Most of your Overseas Opportunities You might think that expanding your company’s reach overseas is a complex, dangerous and risky exercise not worth undertaking, given the expensive mistakes you read about in the trade and national press. However, this couldn’t be…
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21 October 2019
Breaking America: Succeeding in the World’s Largest Economy As you’ll have seen in my recent article for the i Newspaper, working with Americans can be an expensive business unless you do your homework and know the rules of the game. The number of failures by international companies…
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4 July 2019
While Americans today celebrate 4th of July, businesses celebrate its market opportunities As today’s Financial Times article reveals, US economic growth enjoys its longest winning streak in history, with uninterrupted expansion hitting its straight 121st month to surpass the 1990’s boom. So you may ask…
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1 May 2019
The Sainsburys Strategy Dilemma faces all businesses With Sainsburys financial results this morning, the company clearly has some work to do to at least keep up with its competitors. While the retailer is innovating with the first-ever “till free” store in the UK (Holborn, London),…
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28 January 2019
What is your leadership brand? If you were to choose any product or service brand that most reflects who you are, your values, your desired reputation, then which one are you? Perhaps you’ve never considered yourself a brand. But by doing so, you start to…
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31 July 2018
Lots of Talk Talk, Little Action In the wake of today’s news of the Dixons Carphone data hack affecting 10 million customers, accessing 5.9 million payment cards, what should this the company learn from the experience? Not so long ago, TalkTalk suffered a similar fate, challenging then CEO…
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22 July 2018
Blackberry stays focused on what made it great With today’s Blackberry results showing its bets on software – for managing devices and even driverless cars – are paying off, the brand still has some way to go to regain the traction and market share it…
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4 July 2018
This July 4th, US Brands Seek a New Independence of Tariffs, Treaties and Trump As Americans today mark Independence Day, they should also celebrate the country’s global brands successfully independent of Brand USA, which has suffered the steepest decline in the past 12 months than…
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18 April 2018
Brands pay the price for gender pay gaps With today’s UK filing deadline for companies to reveal their hourly gender pay stats, most will be pushed to explain how it is that women in their businesses earn up to 71% less on average than their…
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12 February 2018
Gerber’s New Spokesbaby Speaks volumes about the brand With the recent announcement from US baby food leader Gerber that Lucas Warren is its 2018 “spokesbaby” comes a new first for the 90-year-old company: a child with Down syndrome to represent the brand. 18-month-old Lucas won…
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22 December 2017
2017 Winners and Losers With a fresh year, companies are no doubt assessing the impact Trump, Brexit and business innovation will have in 2017. It will also be a year marked, not least, by the 10th anniversary of the iPhone, the 15th anniversary of the Euro and…
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8 November 2017
The Apprentice You’re Fired is Making “Business” Accessible While on the panel again this evening as the business expert, my 4th appearance since 2015 for BBC2’s The Apprentice: You’re Fired, I was reminded of the fact that while I’m immersed in the world of business…
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20 July 2017
In China, Ford Cars Smell Like Nothing at All As Ford’s car marketing in China demonstrates, there’s nothing like having local knowledge to build a successful business. Unlike the brand’s customers in the West, who relish the smell of a new car – the leather,…
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3 July 2017
Independence Day brings chance to reflect on the role of business for Brand USA As American business leaders celebrate Independence Day this year, hopefully they will reflect on what their organizations can do to keep building economic interdependence as the world’s largest economy, keep international…
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16 May 2017
Making a Success of International Expansion For the majority of small- and medium-sized businesses to win overseas, you must make sure you’re ready – structurally, operationally, culturally -in order to de-risk this wildly exciting and usually profitable strategic pursuit with many distractions and tests along…
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28 April 2017
May Day for Trump’s Next 100 Days As May Day marks the start of President Trump’s next 100 days, you no doubt are assessing what his law-making approach and policies will mean for foreign businesses expanding in the world’s largest economy. First, the latest announcement…
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11 April 2017
Brands in Trouble, Part 573: Uber Given the United airlines fiasco this week, Uber must be very happy to have the limelight moved away from its own corporate culture meltdowns. Are these events limited to companies in the transportation industry or is it even more…
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24 January 2017
Coming Up Trumps on UK Trade Associated Press/Photos by (Trump) Cliff Owen and (May) Kirsty Wigglesworth Ahead of Trump meeting with Theresa May this Friday, their negotiations will only be successful if she recognises the mind set of Americans in business. As with all British…
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15 December 2016
Is Moia the vehicle to restore VW’s reputation? As one of Germany’s ambassadors shaping the world’s view of the country, Volkswagen will stay under the spotlight in 2017 thanks to its rigged emissions readings and noxious corporate culture. It is certainly trying to turn the…
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3 November 2016
How to Fix the Broken Brand USA: A Mandate for Our New President With only a few days before the biggest political battle in US history, these are my perspectives on the damaged “Brand USA” and what the President needs to do to fix it….
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7 June 2016
Navigating the consumer battlefield of the sexes Even in 2016, gender gaps continue, especially in the realm of product pricing, employer dress-codes and pay gaps fueling discussions at Boardroom and dining tables. That PwC has come under fire for enforcing a ‘high heeled’ policy with…
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27 April 2016
5 imperatives to protect your brand online BP, Google, Amazon, Starbucks, Volkswagen and Mossack Fonseca all have one thing in common: reputational damage. Over the past 12 months, despite their best efforts and millions invested in reputation and brand management, each of these companies has…
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14 April 2016
Increasing bowl sales may be a reflection of cultural tendencies A recent Wall Street Journal article highlights that sales of bowls are rising in the US and Europe. While the writer suggests they are a function of people eating healthier meals and ever more Asian…
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16 March 2016
A diverse company culture can positively impact your organization’s bottom line Recently, Thai cosmetics company Seoul Secret felt the wrath of the world following its ad for ‘Snowz,’ a skin-whitening pill. While Seoul Secret’s pill could easily have slipped into the global multi-billion dollar skin-whitening…
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10 February 2016
The Zica brand name provides a sting for Tata Motors Tata Motors Ltd. has announced it will rename its newest small car, Zica, to avoid association with the Zika virus. While the company has been promoting its new vehicle for the past few months under…
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21 January 2016
2016 promises a rough ride for international brands 2016 Predictions Will the business climate stay as volatile as these first few weeks or prove more predictable? I expect the 5 dimensions of 2016 which will critically impact how international corporations grow include: Dollar. On the…
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19 January 2016
Local heritage matters in a globalised world Our connection with food is an emotional one, spurring us to often pay more for heritage and the memories provenance brings. Over the last few years, “local food” has become synonymous with high quality, freshness and environmentally friendly. …
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24 November 2015
VW Crisis – The Saga Continues As the fortunes of VW decline on a daily basis, more worms emerge from the proverbial can with the latest news that the company now admits to its US regulator, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), that 85,000 more cars…
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3 September 2015
Minding The Cultural Perception Gap August is a traditional time for many workers to break away from the 9 to 5 and enjoy some rest and relaxation and, for some, a chance to go abroad and experience a new culture and environment. The great thing…
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1 July 2015
Why use International Business Education? Anyone who followed Steve Easterbrook’s recent appointment as CEO of McDonald’s will know he has a mighty challenge ahead; re-building a brand across multiple cultures is no mean feat. Many executives who are taking on a new global role will…
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26 May 2015
Old McDonald’s Lost its Charm? Ever think a British executive would be appointed to lead one of the world’s – and America’s – biggest brands? With the recent appointment of Steve Easterbrook as CEO, he certainly has his work cut out. A quick trawl of…
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29 April 2015
Is the Protein World “Beach Body Ready” UK billboard Ad Merely a Storm in a C-cup? For the past several weeks, a large yellow poster advert has appeared across the London Underground network promoting a very slim woman in a bikini, asking passengers “Are you…
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12 March 2015
Cultural intelligence: what butter on bagels can teach us When British high-street sandwich chain, Prêt A Manger, decided to expand into the USA, it fell into the same trap as many other brands do: it made assumptions. Their assumptions about the American people and what…
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15 February 2015
SWE Webinar On Cross-Cultural Confidence – Featuring Allyson Stewart-Allen This post is Allyson Stewart-Allen’s lecture to the Society of Women Engineers webinar on the subject of cross cultural confidence. Video and transcript of the presentation from 12 February 2015 are provided. Please contact the International…
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3 February 2015
Why Do International Market Research? Put simply, the purpose of international market research is to maximise your chance of success in capturing a new market. This is your greatest opportunity to explore the numerous cultural, social and economic influences that your product or service will…
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12 November 2014
Thinking of Doing Business in America? How to Avoid the Common Pitfalls The lure of the American market is understandable: the sheer scope, scale and diversity of the American culture makes it an enticing proposition for all sorts of niche products and services. Cracking the…
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21 October 2014
Brands in crisis: McDonald’s Reports 30% fall in profits 2014 Once one of the most successful players in the fast-food industry, McDonald’s reported a 30% drop in profits for its 2014 third quarter results. So, are we falling out of love with fast food or…
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10 October 2014
The Importance of Understanding Internationalising Your Business’ Culture Companies spend millions of pounds every year investing in their organisational culture, honing and perfecting it to deliver the strongest performance it can. However, it can be a tough process and the very concept of culture and…
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11 September 2014
What does Brand Britain stand for today? With the Scottish independence referendum looming, this article by David Benady is an interesting and insightful look into what Britain stands for today. Amid ongoing debates about Britain’s role in the world and position within Europe, David Benady…
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24 July 2014
Going International – What you Need to Know Allyson Stewart-Allen’s lecture to the Law Society in July 2014 about taking your business international. The importance of understanding culture and localisation. This blog post provides both the video of the lecture and a transcript of the…
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10 July 2014
UK Brands’ Sophisticated Luxury Appeals to Chinese Consumers, By: Christine Birkner, Marketing News David Beckham, Downton Abbey and the royal family reign supreme in China, a new study shows. “British-ness” is a major reason that Chinese consumers choose to buy British brands such as Johnnie…
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17 June 2014
Growing Demand for Luxury Tea in the Capital TEA FOR TWO In April this year the consumer powerhouse Unilever opened its first European tea shop in London, signalling the growing trend for a luxury cuppa in the capital. Considering worldwide consumption of tea grew by…
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19 May 2014
Coca-Cola and Consumer Empowerment The decision by Coca-Cola to remove BVO (brominated vegetable oil) from its fruit and sports drinks is the latest, but definitely not the last, example of how businesses are increasingly subject to the power of the consumer’s voice. Sparked by the online campaign…
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8 May 2014
Boots breaking American market Quintessentially British brand Boots could be wholly owned by America’s largest drug-store chain Walgreens by 2015. In its second of year trade in the US, Boots has opened 15 stores in Manhattan and is growing rapidly with an opening rate of…
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4 April 2014
UK’s House of Fraser store sold to Chinese Sanpower Besides the acquisition of House of Fraser by a Chinese buyer, several other recent large international deals – many from Asia and the Middle East – centre around buying and turning around British heritage brands starved…
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2 April 2014
China challenges Western Brands Given the growing importance of the Chinese market to Western brands in their international business development, some have fared very well while many have lost their opportunities and reputations: US electronic retailer Best Buy confirms their imposition of a Western retail…
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5 June 2013
Customer (dis)service is running rife Hardly a day goes by without me coming up against examples of poor service – either something that I have experienced personally or related by a colleague or friend. Far from improving their relationship with customers, my assessment is that…
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6 June 2012
Letter from America: Bonuses, Bungles and Brands What common factor do Barclays, WPP, BP, RBS, NewsCorp and Costa Crosiere share? As in my Market Leader magazine article (June 2012), they’re all under the spotlight by US shareholders for brand damage as a result of misjudged…
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