Dear Customer,
So glad you like the stuff! We do make great toothpaste and laundry detergent and we really appreciate your loyalty. We’re really glad the food is good and the car works well. But, we’re worried about you. The fact is, we don’t know why you buy, and we don’t know what the triggers are. We would love to figure that out.
TrustedHonestly, we don’t mean to stand in your way and trick you into clicking on stuff, but if we didn’t we’d have no idea how we would get our products in front of you. You’re wiley. You make erratic decisions. Sometimes you buy from the end cap, and other times you don’t. How are we supposed to interpret that data? If we could find a way to know what your intent was and when you were ready to buy, we would be happy to get out of your way and maybe...
Business
Yesterday, Rolls-Royce confirmed its plan to launch a new SUV, ending months of speculation since CAR first broke the story back in March 2013. The annoucnement came in the most unusual of fashions: in an open letter from management. Here we republish the letter in full.
Click here to read why CAR contributor-in-chief Gavin Green believes a Rolls-Royce SUV is just plain wrong.
How Rolls-Royce announced its 2018 SUV
'The launch of Phantom in 2003 marked the beginning of the renaissance of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. Since then, we have set a new benchmark for what a super-luxury car should be – unique, hand-crafted, beautiful and rare. Often imitated, Phantom has never been equalled and continues to be hailed as ‘The Best Car in the World’ by our customers and media alike.
'Twelve...
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RBC has been in the news this week in a way no company ever wants to be.
The recent debate about an outsourcing arrangement for some technology services has raised important questions.
While we are compliant with the regulations, the debate has been about something else. The question for many people is not about doing only what the rules require - it’s about doing what employees, clients, shareholders and Canadians expect of RBC. And that’s something we take very much to heart.
Despite our best efforts, we don’t always meet everyone’s expectations, and when we get it wrong you are quick to tell us. You have my assurance that I’m listening and we are making the following commitments.
First, I want to apologize to the employees affected by this outsourcing arrangement as we...
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Dear Mayor Murray,
Let me start off by stating that I commend you. You’ve made a huge and very courageous move regarding fair wages. Thanks for stepping up.
Before I continue, you need to know a few facts about me.
1. I am not a member of the International Franchise Association.
As a matter of fact, I’m not very well liked by the IFA’s upper echelon. I don’t generally agree with their views on well, just about everything. In other words, I’m not a shill.
2. I’m an independent franchise ownership advisor. I advise prospective franchise business owners-from all over the US on how to carefully choose and research franchises.
3. I started the first-ever blog solely focused on franchising…way back in 2006. You’re on that blog now.
4. I write about franchising for several...
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When Yasmin Alibhai-Brown (20 January) laments the rich, she is seemingly oblivious that by her own country’s standards she is rich, and by developing countries’ standards fantastically rich.
According to the Fraser Institute’s Economic Freedom of the World report, the income earned by the poorest 10 per cent of individuals in economically free societies ($11,610) is almost twice the average GDP per capita of people living in the least free nations ($6,253).
If you are poor, the best place to be is in economically free societies such as Britain, as opposed to despotisms such as Zimbabwe, the Republic of Congo, and, increasingly, my home country of South Africa. We see millions trying to escape countries controlled by overbearing states to seek refuge in the richest and the most...
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Mr. John Martin
CEO, Turner Broadcasting
Dear Mr. Martin:
I was alarmed to read about your plans to start 2015 as a leaner, more nimble company. This sounds like downsizing over the holiday season, which disappoints me as a job market enthusiast and saddens me as an Atlanta resident. First and foremost though, I am a problem solver, and therefore moved to contact you with urgency.
I can tell you how to fix the Turner family of networks. Here’s where to start: Fix TruTV
TruTV's online Crime Library has (for years) had a cult following. The Library offers quality non-fiction to those of us who can’t pull the trigger on a novel, but love to stumble into a page turner. The CL is also a decent research tool—its well-organized narrative format stands out in a WWWeb oversaturated...
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Should South African Universities open up Business Incubators?
The issue of creating Business Incubators has been highlighted as the surest way of making small businesses succeed. The phenomena is not new at all. It swept America and most of the western world in the last 10 years and in smaller pockets some many years past. However, the new wave of Incubators have swept the South African Universities and most universities in Africa are waking up to this. There has been fierce resistance from academics who have always held the flag of “publish or perish”. The traditional universities have been more resistant to this new breed of thinking, while the technical universities warmed up to this new territory of creativity to which they are most familiar.
Technical universities in South...
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Did you know?
A few facts we need South African to know about our partners in the BRICS Nations. The combined population of this Economic grouping is about a little over 3 billion. This is huge, considering that the total world population is around 7 billion. BRICS therefore has close to 42% of the world’s population. China and India come 1st and 2nd in the list of the world’s most populous countries, with Brazil (200 million) at 5th position, Russia being 9th (143 million) and South Africa at 25th (50 million). In a quick conclusion we can easily say we are in very good company and we can economically take full advantage of our relationship with the two largest countries (in population measure) and with almost close to half of the world’s population on our side. There is a huge...
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Formation and roll out of Entrepreneurship clubs/societies at every High School in South Africa
SA Teen Entrepreneur Foundation, A Non Profit Organization that was formed by a concerned parent with a sole aim of promoting and seeding a spirit and culture of entrepreneurship in South Africa, is looking for funding to realize this dream. If South Africa is serious about increasing entrepreneurial activity , then it has to support structures like SA Teen Entrepreneur Foundation that are planting the seeds of entrepreneurship in our young children.
Currently there are approximately 18 million teenagers in South Africa. If we take the fact that there are 27,000 high Schools in South Africa say with an average of 600 children in each, we can conclude that there are roughly 16 million...
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Kris Engskov - My Open Letter Response to Starbucks UK Boss
Kris Engskov, thanks for your letter today in the papers. I wanted to write back. I applaud you for the announcement. It’s great that Starbucks UK has committed to pay at last £20m in tax over the next 2 years, regardless of profit levels. However, I think something more significant can be done, so that you’re not just seen as caving in to public pressure and you are able to re-establish trust with us, your loyal customers.
Bit of background on me as your customer. I visit Starbucks on average 10 times a week, and don’t use any other brand coffee shop. I would be considered a loyal advocate of yours. I check in constantly through Foursquare, have a Starbucks card and use the app to find nearby stores in London.
Many...
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