The general public doesn’t need an iPad

Steve Jobs’ powers of presentation and salesmanship have been well remarked upon. However, one statement in his recent keynote address launching the iPad jarred for me. All of us use laptops and smartphones now Who is this “us”? The people in the audience? The people in Apple’s target market? Because it certainly isn’t everyone. Data [...]

The selective truth

There are two sides to every coin, but nuance is difficult to convey in a headline or summary. A clear and decisive statement is far likelier to catch the eye. It is important to question the motives of both the source of information and the reporting when making a decision as to the veracity. I’ve [...]

Bigger isn’t always better

As part of my ongoing Diploma, I have to write several assignments based on the company I work for. This is pretty good in that it means my studying ultimately has some practical benefit. But the reading literature isn’t making it easy. Leaving aside the fact I’m not a marketer (and that Essential doesn’t even [...]

Escaping the echo chamber

Elizabeth Kolbert’s recent New Yorker article The Things People Say – a review of Cass R. Sunstein’s “On Rumors: How Falsehoods Spread, Why We Believe Them, What Can Be Done“- brought up some fascinating examples of group polarisation. The brief summary is that in the internet age, we are increasingly associating ourselves with likeminded people [...]