While both men have contributed significantly to the football world, they have also contributed a lot to the business world: Ferguson from a leadership prospective and Beckham from a branding perspective.

In 2011 we wrote an article about brand Beckham ‘Brand Beckham: Five lessons on international marketing from Posh & Becks‘. The article was one of our most read article since we started writing The Conversation, so we thought what a fitting time to recap on what it is about the Beckham’s that has made the international phenomenon that is Brand Beckham.

1. International recognition: Visiting foreign countries to gain new business is fine, however if you want to truly succeed then you must have a stronger presence there. To fully understand the culture you need to live in a country. By living there, you then have a presence and will receive recognition. The Beckham’s have lived in Spain and LA, and most recently David’s base has been in Italy. While living abroad they still frequently returned to the UK. If you want to expand abroad – don’t forget about your roots!
2. Victoria was always reluctant to move to Spain, and her reluctance meant she spent very little time there. For those of you who might not remember – this led to problems for the Beckham in the form of ‘Rebecca Loos’. If you want international success you must be committed to it and be available to manage the processes.
3. Learn the Language: When Becks moved to Spain both he and his children fully embraced the culture and language. If you want a global brand then you need to have people working with you that can speak the necessary languages to communicate with local customers.
4. Make friends with locals: David and Victoria very quickly built close friendships with the celebs in LA, Tom Cruise, Eva Longoria, Will Smith – this not only got them media coverage but also gave them credibility. When going international make friends with the right (influential) people.
5. Don’t lose your identity: David and Victoria have not lost their English accents, culture or commitment to England and English football. People are attracted to your brand in the first place for a reason – don’t forget that reason when operating internationally.

Read more:

The Conversation, Management Lessons from Ferguson, May 2013

The Conversation, Brand Beckham: Five lessons on international marketing from Posh & Becks, April 2011

As the army troops continue their evacuation out of Afghanistan back to the UK, there is an ongoing battle facing interpreters who have worked alongside the British Army throughout the war. Unlike the interpreters in the war against Iraq, these interpreters are not being offered any asylum or protection when the army leaves putting them in grave danger.

Last week, British veterans who served in the Helmand province called on the British Government not to abandon the interpreters who worked with them, enduring the same risks and hardships. Their appeal was supported by a petition signed by 78,000 members of the public. A non-profit charity Red T is fighting for this specific cause.

Colonel Stuart Tootal, who led the Helmand battle group in 2006 said “They absolutely saved lives. They read the ground, judged the temperature, interpreted our intelligence. They would have faced considerable risk on leave. I think we owe them a lot of gratitude”.

Offering asylum to interpreters is one of many ways to help them when the army leaves. Offering support, protection, insurance, guidance and safety within their own country is another. The point is the UK government need to help.

The Times, We can’t forget debt to interpreters, say soldiers, May 2013

Red T

We are almost half way through the year and what a great start we have had.

Our ten year birthday celebrations started the year off on a top note and it has continued ever since!

We have had some great feedback from our clients on our Feefo page (if you’re reading this and you’re our client and haven’t given feedback yet then now is the time), received a record number of new clients, added new members to the Conversis team, we are getting ready to launch our new website and now to top it off we have been selected as one of three finalists in the Oxfordshire Business Awards for the ‘Excellence in Customer Care’ award! There are soooooo many factors about this that is super exciting!

To be a finalist in such an important category is, quite simply, an amazing feeling for us. We continue to work hard to be the best we can possibly be constantly reviewing our processes and service offering to be the best partner for our clients. We have built strong relationships with our clients and are very proud of this achievement (not that we like to boast).

Another exciting factor is the other finalists (BT and Miele) are international companies – we are an SME and competing against the top guns! Whoa!

Thirdly, translation and localisation is a service that receives very little visibility and often goes under the radar yet it is a crucial part of international success for companies so raising awareness of this is great. Also, customer care is a key part to successful translations, considering the work we return to clients is in multiple languages that they don’t speak and therefore they need to trust us to do a good job.

Finally – it’s our birthday year and we are in celebratory mode already so this is the icing on the cake. 10 years of successful business and finalists for a customer care award – all that is needed now is to win!!!

To start with his work ethic – over the years it has been reported that he works 18 hour days, is the first to be at the club and the last to leave. His commitment to success is reflected in his work ethic.

From the get go, Ferguson had a vision for the club. He joined Manchester United with a distinct and clear vision which was ambitious and daring. He also continued to grow the vision he had for the club identifying new ways to achieve this.

His ability to build a winning team by creating a ‘family’ like atmosphere has been key to the success of the team. Ferguson has worked to ensure his team members possessed a positive, winning attitude and encouraged players to build friendships.

Throughout his time in charge of Manchester United, Sir Alex has continued to have a belief that his team can be and will be the best. He used his managerial skills to ensure that all of his players had the same belief in themselves and in the team. Belief is the keystone of all achievement.

Finally – his industry knowledge and expertise has enabled him to truly understand the tasks facing him and the best ways to attack these challenges. Like any job, the more you know the better you will be and Ferguson has really taken this mantra on board.

So to be a manager like Ferguson you need to have:

1. A strong work ethic
2. A clear vision
3. Building the right team
4. Belief in yourself and your team
5. Become an expert in your industry

Read more:

The Independant, Sir Alex Ferguson’s leadership skills may be studied at Harvard, but is he right?, December 2012

Business Zone, Lessons from Leaders – Sir Alex Ferguson, October 2010

It was my pleasure this month to attend the Think Latin America conference in Dublin. Organized by my great friends Fabiano Cid, owner of CCaps and Ceci Maldonado, owner of SpeakLatan it was always going to be a lot of fun! They didn’t disappoint – thanks to both.

It was also a fascinating insight to the often dramatic development of business in Latin America. With my office based in the UK and being an enthusiastic consumer of the British press I am used to analysis of the growth in China, the challenges facing Europe, and the sluggish recovery in the USA. Latin America seems somehow to fly beneath the radar.

The Economist and The Financial Times cover the region quite well but, in general, I would have to hunt for specific stories rather than be hit with headlines. I am sure that many in the UK are unaware of the emergence of a new generation of powerful global enterprises located in South America.

The worlds richest man, Mexican, Carlos Slim has amassed a $71 billion fortune through his investment in América Móvil, one of the largest telecommunications businesses in the world and other Latin investments. In general the Multilatinas (as they have become known) are becoming dominant forces on the world stage.

Brazil’s Petrobras is an oil and varied energy supply business partly owned by the Brazilian State and had annual revenues of US$137 billion in 2012. Mexico’s Grupo Bimbo owns Thomas’ Muffins, Entenmanns Cakes and major parts of Sara Lee Bakery business. Ecopetrol in Columbia is ranked in the top 300 of the Fortune Global 500 companies.

There are many more. This exciting region is not without its problems but is going from strength to strength. It warrants and deserves our attention.

1. Strategy: Marketers should sit at the board table and be involved in strategy. It is a marketer’s job to get under the skin of the market, the product, the customers and the competition – these four factors are hugely important when planning for the future of the business. A good business will recognise this; a good modern marketer will bring these qualities to the table.
2. Brand: The digital world has changed the way companies can control their brand. Marketers now need to ensure that their brand is completely transparent. To do this they need to have a clear, certain understanding of their companies brand and communicate these in a consistent manner. Possessing a strong brand has become one of the most important aspects for companies and for the modern marketer.
3. Experience: The saying ‘the customer is king’ has never been more relevant. When it comes to the experience, the modern marketer should keep the customer at the forefront of all ideas. Digital marketing has changed how experiences are viewed; they must be made as relevant, pleasurable, easy and useful as possible to give the greatest value.
4. Data: The ability to capture and create value from insight and turn it into action is a big advantage to the modern marketer. With this information comes the success of research, segmentation, marketing automation, targeting customer lifetime value models and optimising marketing effectiveness. The modern marketer should see data as an exciting, valuable tool enhancing the opportunities available to them.
5. Digital: While some companies/marketers think it is not relevant for them, they need to properly consider digital and change their culture and processes to become more digitally oriented. If you don’t get digital then you don’t get what it is to be a modern marketer.
6. Personalisation: It is not just for existing customers but a way to engage new clients. Personalisation is key when using digital marketing – it transforms what clients currently get and enables marketers to use everything they know about a customer to inform and optimise each interaction.
7. Technology: More and more marketers will need to use technology. Technology is an enabler so modern marketers must use it to the best of their advantage.
8. Creative: Passion, creativity, emotions and storytelling are just as important as the technology and in the insight.
9. Content: Content is more than a few words, its pictures, video, games, apps and events. It reinforces a brand’s credibility and it is a vital expression of the brand.
10. Multi-screen: Modern marketers need to market to different screens and experiences rather than different devices or channels. You need to see beyond mobile. Think TV screens, books are screens, in-store kiosks are screens, and billboards are screens. Think online, think offline – a modern marketer thinks about the whole customer experience.
11. Social: The ways we work and the ways we engage with our colleagues and customers has changed. “It is about creating businesses that have social in their DNA” according to Marketing Week. Social is not a choice for modern marketers, it is compulsory.
12. Commercial: Marketers need to be business and finance savvy. Take responsibility for revenue targets, know where money is being made and why and then optimise these areas.

Forbes has recently released a list of 138 women who have made it onto this year’s billionaires list. There were 104 on the list in 2012. Curious as to who they are? Below is the list of the top ten richest women in the world:

1. Liliane Bettencourt: At the age of 90, Liliane is the richest woman in the world. Her fortune comes from the company which her father started, L’Oreal. Liliane is not only the richest female but she is also among the top ten wealthiest people in the world! She is worth a whopping $30billion.
2. Christy Walton: Based in the US, Christy is the richest female in the United States. Her source of wealth came from her husband when he died in 2005. He made his fortunes from the supermarket chain Wal-Mart which has continued to grow since his passing. Not far behind Lillian, she is worth $28.2 billion.
3. Alice Walton: A sister-in-law of Alice and a member of the richest family in the world, Alice has also made her fortune from Wal-Mart. She is worth a staggering $26.3 billion.
4. Iris Fontbona: Based in Chile, Iris made her fortune from her husband’s business empire when he passed away in 2005. The now family run business is one of the world’s largest copper mines. Iris is worth $17.4 billion.
5. Georgina Rinehart: She is the richest woman in the Asia-Pacific region living in Australia. Her source of wealth is in the mining industry and she is worth $17 billion.
6. Jacqueline Mars: On par with Georgina Rinehart, she is also worth $17 billion. If her surname didn’t give it away, Jacqueline’s wealth comes from the company that invented the Mars bar. Mars is the largest candy company in the world and Jacqueline runs this with her two brothers. Jacqueline is also worth $17 billion
7. Susanne Klatten: She is Germanys richest woman after inheriting a 12.6% stake in the automotive company BMW. Between Susanne, her brother and mother, they own nearly 50% of BMW. Susanne is worth $14.3 billion.
8. Abigail Johnson: She is President of Fidelity Financial Services founded by her grandfather. She is one of the most powerful women in finance and the leading candidate to take over the CEO seat when her father Edward steps down. Abigail is worth $12.7 billion.
9. Miuccia Prada: If the surname hasn’t given it away, Miuccia has made her fortune through the fashion label Prada. She is now the lead designer for the brand while her husband is CEO. The company was founded by her Grandfather. Miuccia is worth $12.4 billion
10. Anne Cox Chambers: At the age of 93 Anne is the eldest lady in the top ten female millionaires list. She has made her fortune from Cox Enterprises founded by her father James in 1957. She is worth $12 billion.

All of these women have more money that any of us could even begin to comprehend. While it is great that the female billionaires list is growing annually and that there are more females now in the business sector, it must be noted that none of the top 10 have earned their fortunes without inherited the family business. I believe that this is partially down to generation expectations and perhaps in the near future more female billionaires will appear having made their own money from their own start-up companies – do you agree?

Read more:

Forbes, 2013 Billionaires Richest Women, April 2013

Experian Marketing Services, a global provider of integrated consumer insight conducted some recent research, analysing 25 million internet users worldwide. The results of this research are quite simply fascinating (it looks at the time spent on the internet for personal computers were distilled into an hour):

- In the US 16 minutes out of every hour online is spent on social networking and forums nine minutes on entertainment sites and five shopping.

- In the UK 13 minutes out of every hour online is spent on social networking and forums, nine minutes on entertainment sites and six minutes shopping.

- In Australia 14 minutes out of every hour is spent on social networking and forums, nine minutes on entertainment and four minutes shopping online.

A common factor among the three markets is the time spent shopping online increased across all markets from the previous year. Surprisingly all three markets experienced a decrease in the amount of time spent on social media platforms which is significant information for marketers. (Does this mean the dying of social media?)

In addition to conducting the research on personal computers – research was also conducted on mobile devices for US citizens. The findings included:

- Email accounted for the largest time spent on average, making up 23% of the time spent on mobile devices for Quarter one in 2013.

- Social networking accounted for 15% of time spent on browsing on a mobile device.

- Entertainment had 13% of time.

- Shopping accounted for 11%.

- Travel had 9% of time spent on mobile devices in quarter for quarter one in 2013.

While all of this information is very interesting, it should also be used carefully particularly by marketers. “Understanding consumer behaviour across channels is more important than ever as more visits are being made on the move, particularly among social networking and email” according to Bill Tancer the general manager of global research for Experian Marketing Services.

So, now that you are aware of this information, what will you be changing to incorporate this information in your marketing?

Read more:

Wall Street Journal, Experian Marketing Services Reveals 27 Percent of Time Spent Online is on Social Networking in 2012, April 2013

Daily mail, What happens in an internet hour, April 2013

In January this year, I wrote about the battle of the sexes in the workplace “Are men really the better talent in the workplace?” The article looked at both arguments: why females should be treated equally in the workplace and why companies defend their male dominated hierarchy.

These topics have once again hit our headlines. A new book called the “Paula Principle” (a twist on the 1969 book Peter Principle) argues that most women get promoted to a level below their competence. Instead of ‘punching above their weight’ in the workplace, apparently women are taking jobs which are far below their ability in comparison to men who often do the opposite.

While the Paula Principle is ultimately a clever joke, it still raises awareness to the inequality in the workplace. Although it is over 40 years since the 1970 Equal Pay Act ending discrimination in pay between men and women, there is still clear discrimination.

Despite Lord Davies setting a target in 2011 to have a quarter of all boardroom representatives as females by 2015 – for the past six months there has been a decline in this according to the latest report from the Cranfield International Centre for Women Leaders: “Women now hold 17.3% of FTSE 100 directorships but just 5.8% of executive roles and 21.8% of non-executive posts”.

These stats lead back to the original discussion in January. Is the reason for the low number of senior females in the workplace because there are simply not enough women in the pipeline with the necessary experience or is it that men are still the favoured gender regardless of experience?

Read more:

The Conversation, Are men the better talent in the workplace, January 2013

The Paula Principle, April 2013

Cranfield International Centre for Women Leaders, April 2013

The Guardian, Drive to get more women on the board seems to be Petering out, April 2013

Of course there are the usual suspects such as Sir Paul McCartney who with a £680m fortune sits comfortably at the top of the ‘Music Millionaires’ list. Others that were unsurprising include: Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber (£620m), Sir Elton John (£240m), Sir Tom Jones (£145m), David Bowie (£100m), Robbie Williams (£105m) and Gary Barlow (£60m). I think the most surprising (and irritating) person on this list is Michael Flatley who comes in at number 7 with £191m lining his pockets. Really – Michael Flatley, I love river dance but hasn’t it gotten old now? (I am Irish so I can say this).

Below is that list – who else do you think ‘Oh my God – really?’ when you see how rich they are?

This leads onto the next list ‘Music Millionaires under 30’ not quite as impressive in money terms but then they are all 30 or under. Unsurprisingly, Adele tops this list with £30m. With both sides of the Atlantic worshipping her, I can only see her wealth continuing to escalate. Next to Adele is Cheryl Cole with £14m and increase of £2m since 2012.

The ‘Music Millionaires under 30’ list witnessed 5 new additions coming from the boy band that is One Direction. The boys are each worth £5m! They seem to have world domination at the moment and I predict by 2014 they will be a lot closer to Adele on this list.

Having wealth like this is often quite unimaginable – but it doesn’t stop us spending it in our head! So what would you spend this kind of money on?

Read more:

The Sunday Times, Rich List 2013 – One Direction Zoom into under 30s, April 2013