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BLOGGING FOR BUSINESS

Why you should do it, how to start and how to be effective

MY SPACE: ANIL PILLAI

Anil Pillai invites us into his digital agency's east London headquarters

Get your customers' Pinterest

Pinning your products could boost your bottom line

Consumer trends and the evolution in shopping

In this second Director roundtable in association with Visa Europe, we bring together seven retail gurus to discuss trends in consumer behaviour and how to turn them to your advantage

Think global, act local

From the Maharaja Mac to Kit Kats flavoured with soy sauce, giant brands are going 'glocal' to reach new markets. But just how much product tweaking is acceptable?

BRAND AID

Research shows companies that invest in their brand reap financial rewards, so why are many SMEs brushing aside the opportunity to capitalise?

GREAT BRITISH CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS

As party and present time draws closer, we've chosen a few of our favourite things to help your shopping – and looked at the brilliant British companies behind them

NATALIE GROSS

The chief executive of digital marketing and technology company Amaze talks perfectionism, growth and skills

FROM PRIVATE JET TO easyjet

Why the super rich can be customers for all sorts of companies

FOR QUEEN AND COUNTRY

From heritage brands to a quirky start-up, we speak to the firms making the most of the diamond jubilee

The next frontier

Mobile marketing is a rapidly evolving trend that helps brands engage with people when, where and how they want.

Debate

Is big-brand customer service getting worse?

How to make the most of licensing

Licensing can help maintain sales, revenue and brand loyalty. But as a marketing strategy, it is under-used by companies

Love my tender

A shake-up of public procurement aims to drive a quarter of all contracts to small firms. How do you make your bid stand out from competitors?

The great giveaway

From schooling children in Africa to providing free meals for India's homeless, companies and their customers are increasingly united by a desire to blend consumption with philanthropy

All you need is love

The iPhone 4 fiasco caused jitters at Apple and a privacy row embroiled Google. How do superbrands soothe loyal supporters after blundering? It's about emotional attachment

Ask Sahar

I am marketing director for a well-established brand and I want the team to be more creative about customer service. Any suggestions?

Customer is king

Customer service has come a long way in the UK... and it matters more than ever when times are tough and social media is on the rise. Here, a group of experts and entrepreneurs reveal how businesses can improve their approach

Debate

Should there be a ban on junk food TV ads aimed at children?

powerful service

Top tips for building strong customer relationships

Grey Power

Opportunity knocks for businesses engaging with our ageing society. But how should products be targeted at increasingly savvy older consumers?

Guerrilla tactics

Daring PR stunts entice consumers and excite the media, but they can also put valued brands at risk. So what's the secret of telling a good story?

Write stuff

The creative director of business language consultancy The Writer, offers 10 tips for plainer prose

Privacy versus progress

Why the idea of geolocation seems unstoppable

the art of selling

10 top tips for seizing sales opportunities

Hey little spender

Innovative marketing agencies are hatching big ideas for small firms without breaking the bank

Winning by design

Design thinking is changing the way creativity and commerce interact. Even big players schooled in efficiency are beginning to ask the question: what would a designer do?

Selling power

10 tips for selling on eBay

Stratospheric sales

What Star Trek teaches us about the selling process

Tales of the unexpected

10 surprising PR strategies that made a splash

Service breakdown

The ten worst customer care errors

Going public

Five tips to help you earn government contracts

The 13 golden rules of Twitter

Social media can help your company win new fans. Here's how to make it work for you

Place your bets

Companies seeking to improve the odds of a successful business outcome have a powerful new weapon. They’re turning to employees who play prediction markets

Rising from the ashes

The smoking ban has left the leisure industry in poor health. Amy Duff talks to the man trying to breathe life back into the UK's most popular snooker brand

time management

Despite what we read about a bounce in City fortunes (and bonuses), the wind has been taken out of the watch market's sails

"Now's the time to be brave"

Two former M&C Saatchi ad men say their start-up agency breaks new ground. Just in time, too

Silver lining

Cash-strapped Britons hit by recession and a weaker pound are expected to holiday at home in rising numbers this summer. But is the UK tourist industry ready to reap the dividend?

Home and away

A rich heritage, spectacular countryside and vibrant cities... Britain seems well placed for a tourism bonanza. But will the weather, traffic jams and hotel rip-offs spoil the summer party?

Social message

Promoting CSR is almost as important as practicing it

Brand You

If your business is based on who you truly are, you will naturally attract those who want what you do

A beginner's guide to Twitter

How to use the social networking site to win customers

Selling yourself

DIY public relations could be a winning formula for small firms as the credit crunch deepens and budgets are trimmed. But what's the best way to send an eye-catching message about your brand without breaking the bank?

Order of merit

Winning the approval of a recognised body can raise your business profile. But with so many stamps and logos to choose from, how do you pick the right one for your company?

Leaders of the pack

As products and services struggle for consumers' attention, maintaining a market lead takes more than just innovation. But how do top businesses fend off the competition?

How to communicate in 2008

Three marketing experts tell Director their plans for the year ahead

Campaigns that hit the spot

Five experts talk about their favourite advertising campaigns

Stuck in a jam?

Four online marketing experts tell Director how businesses can increase Web traffic without breaking the bank

British scorn US goods, reveal survey

We Brits love shopping but when it comes to buying American products almost half of us are put off by its US origin

Is Web advertising

David Gent questions whether online advertising results in bigger returns than more traditional means

Ethics: fact or fairytale?

All kinds of businesses are now marketing themselves as socially or environmentally friendly. But if these claims are hollow, they can backfire in spectacular fashion

From the horse's mouth

Savvy CEOs get into PR

Essential shortcuts

Follow these essential rules to avoid your press release being chucked straight in the bin

Creative accounts: why ideas matter

Alison Coleman speaks to three experts in creative fields about business development and employee imagination