The book of 2023 is already half written.
Extreme violence by young people has been gripping major French cities for more than a week. There is no shortage of explanations and search for causes. France is – like the US – more than ever a divided country.
People don't like revolutions. Also when it comes to listening to the radio.
Apple is not the first to take steps in the world of virtual reality, but according to experts, it could soon be the most successful provider. Another illustration of the knowledge that a brand does not always have to be a pioneer to become the market leader in the long term.
Last month, Bud Light was dethroned as the best-selling beer in the United States. The controversy surrounding a campaign by the beer brand featuring transgender Dylan Mulvaney has plummeted the market capitalization of parent company AB InBev and also resulted in a boycott by right-wing conservative activists.
There is a real consumption bubble. But how long will that last?
Belgium is a complicated country, but also a country with many assets and possibilities. However, we are very often too modest to unpack with this, at least that is what many in the outside world think about us.
There is a great tendency to consciously take a step back, to live differently, to devote more time to what we find important, and to seamlessly merge real and virtual worlds.
Away from the world, welcome to another world. Escapism (whether or not in a business package) is one of the main drivers behind the success of the so-called experience economy (after the authoritative book
While recession still lurks around the corner, inflation remains abnormally high, and the war in Ukraine rages on unabated, participants braced themselves with fervent pleas for innovation, creativity, and yet a little more humanity.
"Amazing, or rather disturbing? That's the question I ask myself when I think about the almost unimaginable evolution of ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence capable of understanding human language and generating appropriate responses."
In team sports, players win together, or lose together. Victories are collective, defeats are as much. Cycling is an outsider in that respect.
Our national beer pride Jupiler is launching a very remarkable campaign to raise awareness about the many dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol. In this way, brands are increasingly taking on an important social role. Marketing can make a difference.
The decision of Delhaize's shareholders to phase out branches in-house and switch to a 'franchise' system for all stores continues to cause turmoil. Central to this is the question of how companies with a long tradition as an iconic brand can survive in these disruptive times?
U.S. companies are cutting spending on diversity and inclusion, Financial Times reported this week. Many companies, including ours, will be faced with a choice: are inclusion and diversity 'nice to have', in better times, or 'must have' beacons in an uncertain future?
Beer brand Heineken is under heavy fire in the Netherlands. Last year, the brand led the way in announcing that it would leave Russia after the invasion of Ukraine. Still, it launched 61 new drinks.
In FT, professors from MIT and the University of Copenhagen report on scientific research into differences between an MBA graduate who makes it to CEO of a company succeeding a predecessor without an MBA degree. The results are disconcerting, to say the least.
At a time when more and more people are threatening to isolate themselves from a hostile outside world and prefer to retreat into a protective 'cocoon', it remains more important than ever to keep in touch with others.
If you wanted to be completely involved in 'the world' in the past few days, you had to be able to talk about ChatGPT, and preferably have experimented with it yourself. As a trial: my first view written by ChatGPT itself about the social impact of the technology.
We live in a divided society in which a large majority of the population is increasingly self-absorbed, has less and less confidence in our democratic institutions and is open to authoritarian leadership.
But football is much more than an investment. It is a vessel full of sporting emotions and above all an ultimate social experience. You don't support alone.
Perhaps no better indicator of the spirit of our time than the way we live. In times of great uncertainty about what the future will bring, for many of us, our own home (house or apartment) is more than ever a beacon of trust that offers support and security.
More than a temporary slump, it seems that the internet sector has reached a turning point in its development, even a peak has passed. It's looking forward to what the next big wave of technology will be.
The current crisis cuts deep and, according to half of the Belgians, will last at least another 2 years. The 'permacrisis', a state of permanent crisis, is becoming the new normal. We have to go back half a century in time for a crisis with such a profound, long-lasting impact.
While the first freezing temperatures were recorded outside, last week the dutch marketing community gathered again for the annual congress of BAM, Belgian Marketing Association.
After the disastrous result at the World Cup, the Belgian football association must look for a successor for Roberto Martinez who kept the honor to himself on Thursday. Football club Anderlecht has meanwhile recruited a noble unknown from Denmark as the new head coach. But who is the best candidate: someone from their own stable, an insider, or an outsider, from outside the organization?
A few weeks ago, on the eve of the World Cup, I had the privilege of sitting at the table with national coach Roberto Martinez for an entire evening. The conversation was of course about the chances of the Red Devils, but also and especially about leadership style, the strength of a strong team and the need for a culture change. A real master class in modern management.
The acquisition of Twitter by Elon Musk causes a real culture shock inside and outside the company. The question arises whether such a radical approach can be successful in the short and longer term, or on the contrary completely undermines the fragile trust of employees, users and advertisers. Many acquisitions fail because they clash with the prevailing culture. And if you want to succeed in change, it is best to choose the path of evolution. No revolution.
Mixed feelings prevail: paddling in the North Sea at the end of October, or picnicking in the park, at 25 degrees. We find it pleasant, but at the same time we make the reservation: this is not normal. Even though the war in Ukraine and the expensive life may give us the most headaches today, the ongoing global warming remains the biggest threat to humans, according to insurer Axa in a global study into safety risks. But there is hope.
The inflation rate peaked at more than 12 percent last month. It has been since 1975 that life became so expensive in a year's time. Rising prices (and not just for energy) are fueling an infernal spiral that has a major impact on consumers' purchasing behaviour and confidence in the future. Consumers across Europe only buy what is 'essential' for them.
Last week I was interviewed extensively by the French-language newspaper L'Echo about the current crisis and the impact on consumers, businesses and society. We will have to adapt to survive. And that also requires a new leadership style: the exemplary guide who shows the way in uncertain and unpredictable times. Are you reading along?
A few days ago, the flower seller in my neighborhood asked me if people will still buy Christmas trees. Because today she is a bit worried about the side effects of the expensive life for her business for the coming end-of-year period. I tried to reassure her. Even though consumers have to pay attention to the little ones in these times of crisis, there is also such a thing as ... the lipstickeffect. What effect?, I hear you say.
It shows once again that a brand does not always have to be the largest in its market to be successful. The battle for greater market share is one of the biggest myths in the business and marketing world.
I was a guest in Luxembourg last week for a lecture on the current crisis and how companies and brands can survive in these disruptive times. I previously wrote my book 'The Immortal Enterprise' about it. Dark clouds are gathering over our heads and the outlook is not very favorable for the time being. This crisis is also a personal and mental crisis for many. Afterwards, a woman came to me with this penetrating question: what do I tell my children about this?
Consumer confidence has reached an all-time low this month. Economists estimate the probability of a recession in the eurozone in the next twelve months at 80 percent. At such a moment, the question also arises whether it makes sense to continue to invest in marketing campaigns. Contrary to popular belief, historical research on major recessions over the past 100 years shows that companies that invested more in advertising during a recession saw their sales, market share and profits increase during and after a recession.
The 83-year-old founder and owner of the sustainable clothing brand Patagonia announced last week that he will donate his fortune worth $ 1.2 billion to a foundation that fights climate change. "The earth is our only shareholder," it said. It is a remarkable and admirable decision at a time when many companies are under attack for greenwashing. Important brands now want to do something about that.
It is gradually becoming clear that the current crisis has many faces and will not be over tomorrow. The question then arises how we can live and, above all, survive with a crisis of this unprecedented magnitude. In my book 'The Immortal Enterprise' I indicate how companies and their brands can stay on top of a crisis. But the principles apply to each of us personally. It is mainly a matter of adapting and still staying true to oneself. That seems like a paradox, but it doesn't have to be.
While I – like probably many – have been able to enjoy a holiday, the world around us has unfortunately not stood still. Where at the beginning of this year we thought we were free of the coronavirus and hoped to finally enter the realm of freedom, today the world is on fire more than ever. And that on a scale that seems unprecedented in modern history. A long winter is just around the corner.