In slashing grad recruitment, are we creating a future skills gap?

It has been clear over the last six months that intelligent, eminently employable graduates wanting to enter the communications industry are really struggling to find jobs.  I know of several really bright 2008 graduates who are still plugging away at part time jobs while trying to find a way into our industry.  It is not … Continue reading In slashing grad recruitment, are we creating a future skills gap?

understanding value

Like many other Planners I suspect, I’ve been pulling together a lot of insight pieces for work recently looking at the effect of the downturn economy on buying behaviour. Since it’s proper paid-for-by-my-employer stuff drawing on all the groups and depths the research team have been doing with mums recently, I can’t really share it … Continue reading understanding value

we’re all doomed…right?

So, the economy is in free fall and we’re all doomed. Right? The quallies at work have been doing a lot of focus groups with Credit Crunched Mums recently. Apparently yes, Mums are being careful and trying to be more frugal – but a lot of them are doing so not because they are very … Continue reading we’re all doomed…right?

Economic Indicators

Sorry to keep banging on about this (now apparently official) recession.  But a few things cropped up over the weekend that I thought were worth sharing. On the downside, over the last couple of days I’ve had reports of a restaurant where the takings are down 20% year on year, the hairdresser whose customers have … Continue reading Economic Indicators

Worried? You should be.

Worried about the economy or think its all a lot of hot air?  A couple of months ago I would have said that we were in danger of talking ourselves into a recession, now I think its clear that we are in for one whether we like it or not: Manufacturing output fell for the … Continue reading Worried? You should be.

The Downwave Revisited

    I found an old copy of ‘Into the Upwave’ by Robert Beckman at home (loving the author pic).  It was published in 1988 but some of it is so relevant right now that they might as well save money on economists and read the first few chapters out loud on the Ten O’Clock News … Continue reading The Downwave Revisited