David Bowen commentaries
In his regular columns for the Financial Times and ft.com, senior consultant David Bowen has pursued themes ranged from customer relationship management and career marketing to ‘ethical’ retailing and royal family sites. His collected Financial Times and ft.com columns from January 2001 onward are indexed by theme and available for viewing on this site.
You can access articles directly by selecting a link below.
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How countries manage their brand messages
As the tourist market continues to expand nations are becoming more refined in promoting their ‘product’ online. Their efforts fall into three categories of marketing effectiveness.
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What corporate predators do to reveal who they are
DP World’s takeover of ports in the US has raised a political storm there to match the one in Europe kicked up by Mittal’s bid for steelmaker Arcelor. While they and other
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How to make a pitch for foreign investment
Two events in January – a French campaign to get foreign businesses to invest in their country
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Why so few turn to the web in an emergency
The Worldwide Web can handle thousands of queries simultaneously and be updated every minute if need be. In the developed world it is used by between 60 and 70 per cent of people. Yet in times of crisis it is still all but ignored as an information medium
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Why the e-commerce numbers seldom add up to customer satisfaction
Online retailers are set to enjoy another big increase in business this holiday season, but while the amount people spend online continues to surge the irritations for buyers show no sign of decreasing.
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How French companies manifest their nationality
Slow to embrace it but capable of taking it to new heights, the French business presence on the worldwide web ranges from the conservatively staid to the radically brilliant. How typically Gallic is that?
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A walk in the park reveals the way the web’s going
A dog, a stick and a simple matrix help to explain where success has come from on the web and to draw conclusions about what may be next.
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Why it’s hard to act global and talk local
At a time when national and cultural differences are in such sharp relief, how does a multinational organisation account for local sensibilities?
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How China’s commercial web might give aid to Africa
While entrepreneurial development of the web in Africa has stood still, its evolution in China has reached the point where lessons are becoming clear for emerging economies.
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How structural issues are the root of Europa’s disarray
Europa, the European Union’s website, mirrors its owner’s offline problems: the lack of a workable structure and unifying ‘voice’ create a sense of alienation and obscure the good things it has to offer.