BizResearch

Online Baby Boomers: A Demographic Profile

This report from Forrester provides a demographic profile of online baby boomers (a cohort of online consumers aged between 44 and 64). Currently, there are 64.8 million baby boomers online, representing 37% of the overall online population in the US.  In the North American Technographics Benchmark Survey, 2009 online consumers were asked about their technology and shopping behaviour, online activities and general attitudes.

Highlights from the survey:

Online baby boomers are more likely to be employed and financially stable. 73% are married and 27% have children younger than 18 years old in the household, compared with 58% and 35% for the overall online population, respectively.  Fifty-nine percent are employed full-time, and 16% hold managerial and other professional occupations, in contrast to 51% who are employed full-time and 12% who hold managerial occupations among all online users. Also due to their age, boomers have much higher household income levels compared with the overall US online population: 42% of online boomers have incomes of more than $100,000 per year, while only 29% of the total online population do.

Online baby boomers are comfortable with using the Internet, but they still fall behind younger cohorts when it comes to the frequency and variety of online activities.  With stronger spending power they are just as likely to purchase products and services online as overall online users; however, boomers spent $150 more, on average, on their online purchases during the three months prior to this survey compared with all other age groups.

Two-thirds of online baby boomers use search engines on a monthly basis, which is the most popular online activity for this online population segment.  Half of the boomers also research products for purchase and 43% purchase products online monthly or more frequently. Online boomers are on par with the Gen X group (ages 30 to 43) when it comes to product research and purchases, but they outpace Gen Y and Seniors by as many as nine percentage points.

Boomers use the Internet for social and communication activities much less. Sending and receiving photos by email, tracking the status of orders or packages, using yellow pages or local search, and signing up for free products and coupons are among the online activities that are less popular with online baby boomers. Activities popular with Gen X and Gen Y groups, such as viewing and posting on photo sharing Web sites, viewing and posting general classifieds, and using job boards, only garner usage by about one-tenth of the online boomers.

This report is available to current London Business School staff, students and faculty from the Forrester database located on the A-Z list of library databases via Portal.

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Vitamins, Minerals & Supplements 2009

This report from Key Note looks at the UK market for vitamins, minerals and supplements (VMS).  This includes the following products: single vitamins; multivitamins; fish and plant oils; glucosamines; minerals; and a variety of supplements.  Products that are essentially herbal or homeopathic remedies are excluded from this definition; they are classified as alternative medicines and are analysed in a separate Key Note report. In addition, this report refers only to retail sales of VMS products, through chemist's shops and drugstores, grocery multiples, health-food shops, via direct mail and online.

Until recently, there had been growth in sales of multivitamin/multimineral formulations, single vitamins, glucosamine products and omega-3 fish oils. However, sales of many of these products are now falling, as are those of other minerals and supplements (particularly cod liver oil). Major influences on the market include the changing regulatory situation for VMS products in Europe and regular scientific reports questioning the value of taking many of these products. This has contributed to slow or negative market growth, and has resulted in consolidation among manufacturers.

The UK's ageing population profile will continue to benefit sales of VMS products, since in general consumption increases with age. Manufacturers are increasingly producing vitamin and supplement formulations that are targeted more specifically at age-related conditions, such as those affecting the heart, brain, eyes and joints. Some of the most successful VMS products in recent years have been those containing glucosamines, CoEnzyme Q10 and omega-3 fish oils. Additionally, there is greater overall interest in healthy lifestyles and greater affluence among the older population.   

Sources of information used in this report include food and health trade associations and institutes, Government studies, manufacturers' websites, trade journals, sales data from IRI (Information Resources International) and TNS (Taylor Nelson Sofres), advertising data from Nielsen Media Research and consumer data from BMRB International's Target Group Index (TGI). Additionally, NEMS Market Research was commissioned by Key Note to carry out original research into consumer attitudes towards VMS products.

This report is available to current London Business School staff, students and faculty from Key Note Online which can be found on the A-Z list of library databases via Portal.

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The 2009 Institutional Investment Report

The Conference Board’s annual Institutional Investment Report provides analysis of the asset growth and portfolio composition of institutional investors operating in the United States.  The 2009 edition is structured as follows: Part I examines historical trends regarding the investment in US financial markets by institutional investors as a group and by individual types of institutions, including pension funds, investment companies, insurance companies, savings institutions, and foundations.  The section features information on overall asset growth as well as asset allocations across institutions.  Parts II through V expand on the general analysis of Part I by providing a closer snapshot of institutional investments in single asset classes, such as equity (Part II: US Equity Markets), debt securities (Part III: US Bond Markets), alternative instruments including hedge funds (Part IV: Hedge Funds and Alternative Instruments), and foreign securities (Part V: Foreign Financial Markets).  This edition focuses on the wide-ranging implications of the most recent economic recession and stock market declines on institutional asset value and investment decisions.

Selected findings from the report include:

Losses in 2008 alone erase years of steady growth: At the end of 2008, when measured as a percentage of outstanding U.S. financial assets, institutional assets had reached their lowest level since 1980: 15.8%. The investment industry reported substantial losses across virtually all asset classes, with total institutional assets plunging 21.3% to $22,251.7 billion, a level similar to what was recorded in 2004

Capital withdrawals hit investment companies: Mutual funds and other investment companies, which had seen the fastest growth in the last few decades, were hit the hardest in 2008 by the recent market decline and capital withdrawals, with outflows totalling 30.7% of their 2007 asset value, or $2,503.5 billion for the year. By comparison, pension funds lost 24.1% of their 2007 asset value whereas insurance companies experienced a 7.8% contraction.

The recession did not alter the institutional landscape: Declines in capitalization occurred fairly evenly across the institutional investor spectrum, without significant changes to the share of total institutional assets held by type of institution. At the end of 2008, pension funds were still the leading category, holding 38.6% of total institutional assets.

This report is available to London Business School students, faculty, staff and alumni from  Conference Board Online which can be found on the A-Z list of library databases via Portal.

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Sports Sponsorship 2009

This latest market research report from Key Note examines the UK sports sponsorship market in the context of sports marketing. It includes an overview of consumer involvement in sport at various levels (as spectators, television viewers and participants) and covers the major issues facing the sports industry today. 

Commercial sponsorship is now pervasive in professional sports and many sports rely heavily on the money paid by companies to link their names with healthy, popular physical activities. There is no way of measuring the exact size of the total market, but the ‘Sportscan’ series from market researcher Ipsos MORI has recorded an increase in major ‘deals’ from £353m to nearly £486m over the past 10 years.

Key Note predicts that sport funding will increase dramatically over the next 4 years to 2013. This is because of the Olympic Games scheduled in London for 2012, and the Commonwealth Games which will take place in Glasgow in 2014. However, there is a danger that these events could temporarily divert funds from the regularly sponsored sports led by football and Formula 1 racing. These two sports account for more than 50% of sports sponsorship spending in a market otherwise fragmented across dozens of sports for potential sponsoring, each offering sponsorship opportunities for leagues, cups, teams, individuals or even stadium sponsorships (e.g. Arsenal Football Club’s [FC’s] Emirates stadium).

Sponsors are drawn from most industry sectors, but the financial services retain the leading position for sports sponsorships, although its share slumped to 15.7% of deals in 2008. The sector mainly involves banks and insurance companies generating consumer and corporate awareness through sponsorship. For these companies, sports or arts sponsorship is a useful way of giving their brands a ‘sexier’ image.

Alcoholic drinks have a long commercial association e.g. the Heineken Cup, a European competition in Rugby Union. Despite the potential conflict between alcohol and sporting activity, the association with sport enables drinks companies to expose their brands to a target market of active, affluent young men and women who are harder to reach through conventional media. Brewers are particularly active, but wine, spirits and cider brands are all sports sponsors.

This report is available to current London Business School staff, students, and faculty from Key Note Online which can be found on the A-Z list of library databases via Portal.

A hardcopy of this report can be found in the market reports collection at ECLK/KWB

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Football Clubs & Finance 2009

This market research report from Key Note documents the structure and dynamics of the club scene in general, while placing football in its context as a sport and leisure interest among UK consumers. In the 2008/2009 club season, three of the four semi-finalists in the prestigious UEFA Champions League were English. This confirmed the steady rise of England’s Premier League as a sporting and financial force in Europe, with top clubs like Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool able to attract a high proportion of the world’s best players on lucrative contracts.

The UK’s main professional and semi-professional employers of footballers are estimated to have generated revenues of £2.73bn, compared with £1.21bn at the start of the decade. Key Note forecasts that the market will rise to £3.5bn by 2013. The strong growth rate has been driven by a variety of long-term improvements to the British club game, including stadium investment, foreign players and managers and attracting a more affluent and socially varied audience. However, the 2000 to 2009 period has brought two major boosts: broadcasters competing for the right to show Premier League matches, and investment from outside the UK. Broadcasting rights now comprise half of all revenues in the Premier League,
up from 31% in 2000.

According to Key Note, the successful club of the future, whatever its size; will be one which learns to maximise revenues from the unprecedented number of sources now available. In addition to the broadcasting rights, match-day revenues are generated not only from ticket admissions, but also from sales in the club’s shops, bars and restaurants; punters invest here to make a ‘day out’ of the live occasion. There is no shortage of sponsors for rights to adorn everything from shirts to stadia, and although supporters may object to the over-commercialisation, they are still prepared to pay for the newly designed strip each season, helping to advertise the club and its sponsors.

This report is available to current London Business School staff, students and faculty from Key Note Online which can be found on the A-z list of library databases via Portal

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The State Of Retailing Online 2009

The State of Retailing Online, the Shop.org study conducted by Forrester Research, asks retailers to assess their current and planned merchandising initiatives.  In 2009, improvements to the most basic of Web functions (e.g., checkout) topped the list of retailer priorities. A minority of retailers also appear to be focusing in the coming year on other key areas and are considering eCommerce tactics such as user-influenced content and greater transparency around shipping information.  Specifically, retailers ranked their focus on merchandising initiatives in the following order for 2009:

Checkout: enhanced checkout flow and improving the throughput of eCommerce transactions topped retailers’ to-do lists for 2009, with 79% saying that they would focus on this site feature.  58% of Web-based retailers, said improvements to the cart page is a significant priority for the coming year.

Product detail pages: this year retailers are pushing changes in one of two areas — either through image enhancement or through richer text-based content in the form of customer ratings and reviews on product detail pages. Indeed, more than half of retailers surveyed noted that they would focus on zoom functionality as well as customer ratings and reviews in the coming months.

Search results pages: Because most Web buyers are looking for specific products, the critical nature of the site search box and the subsequent results are particularly important for retailers. For this reason, retailers continue to hone the effectiveness, adding new features such as site search filters to their on-site search functionality. 71% of retailers in fact say that they will make site search/ browse results a priority for the coming year.

Home pages: With the rise in popularity of comparison sites, consumers are more likely to be introduced to a Web site on a page much deeper within the site. Therefore, Forrester argue that retailers should focus not only on the home page as a consumer entry point but also on other entry-point pages within the site. Consequently, while 60% of retailers designate the home page as a key priority in the coming year, this percentage represents a lower one than reported in previous years.

Help sections: despite stagnant conversion rates and a heightened interest in improving the checkout experience, retailers nonetheless seem less than eager to ensure that customer questions are answered at critical points during the transaction process. Only 35% said that they would focus on it in the coming year.

This report is available to current London Business School staff, students and faculty from the Forrester database located on the A-Z list of library database within Portal. (Pre-registration required).
 
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The Top 10 Beer Companies

This report from Business Insights profiles the leading players in the global beer industry.  Low malt alcoholic beverages such as happoshu and new genre beers as well as quasi beer have been included. The industry is analyzes in terms of market size (estimated based on on-trade sales), key drivers and resistors, trends and competitive positioning in the global alcohol market. It includes profiles of the top ten companies in the industry and also involves a brief summary of the top 11 to 20 players.

The global beer market was valued at approximately $507bn in 2008, an increase of 1.8% over 2007. Business Insights forecasts that the value of the global beer market will grow at a CAGR of 1.6% during 2007–12 to reach a total value of $540bn in 2012. A shift in preference for premium beer in emerging markets and product differentiation will help to drive an increase in beer market value through 2012. However, the recession and down-trading might reduce the pace of premiumization of beer. In addition, increase in preference for spirits, wines and healthy drinks will to some extent dent the market size of beer.

Selected highlights:

Europe accounted for 49.1% of the global beer market by value in 2008, followed by Asia-Pacific (22.9%), North America (17.7%), South and Central America (8.6%) and Africa and Middle East (1.8%).

Consolidation in the beer industry has changed the leading company, with A-B InBev becoming the market leader based on sales of $21,727m in 2008, followed by Heineken ($16,854m), pushing SABMiller ($15,751m) down to third rank.  Carlsberg had the highest sales growth of 25.5% during 2005–08 primarily driven by its acquisition of Scottish & Newcastle’s (S&N’s) operations in Russia.

Consolidation in the beer industry is set to continue, but deal sizes will decline, owing to the limited availability of funds in the challenging economic environment. Most of the focus will be on the emerging beer markets in Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe.

This report is available to current London Business School staff, students and faculty from the Business Insights database located on the A-Z list of library databases via Portal.

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Consumer Behaviour Online: A 2009 Deep Dive

People’s online behaviours are becoming more integrated into their offline interactions and it’s critical that companies understand where and how to reach them across media channels, according to a recent Forrester report. Forrester has been collecting self-reported data from consumers in the US since 1998.  Every year respondents are asked a variety of questions covering a range of behaviours in a benchmark mail survey. In this year’s survey, North American consumers were questioned about their participation (or lack of) in more than 125 online behaviours.  Data from the survey shows a stabilization of consumers’ overall time spent with online media. However, engagement with the online channel has deepened, as evidenced by the widespread adoption of such activities as social networking.

Selected highlights:

• There are almost 6.5 million new broadband households this year. This means that there are now almost 71 million households that report they have access to the abundance of activities on the Internet that are enabled by faster connection speeds.

• Gen Yers (ages 18 to 29) still spend the most time online. On average, they log on for slightly more than 19 hours per week. Gen Xers (ages 30 to 43) are logging on for 17 hours per week. While Gen Y dominates usage in most areas, there are some things that other generations do more of. For example, Gen Xers are more likely to be searching for sports content online, while Older Boomers (ages 54 to 64) are more likely to be checking on finance content.

• Just less than one-third of online consumers are using social networking sites monthly, up from only 15% in 2007. Sixty eight percent indicate they visit Facebook weekly, while 59% say they visit MySpace.

• Between 2008 and 2009, more mobile owners indicated using functions like emailing, sending pictures, texting, and instant messaging.  In fact, the percent of consumers sending or receiving picture messages jumped from 20% in 2008 to 29% in 2009. As the services improve, growth will follow. With continued price drops and bundled offerings, it will only become easier for consumers to make the jump from these activities to more complex ones like using the mobile Web.

This report is available to current London Business School staff, students and faculty from the Forrester database (pre-registration required) which can be found on the A-Z list of library databases via Portal.

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CEO 360 Degree Perspective - Global Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology Industry

This research from Frost & Sullivan is a strategic overview of current issues and concerns in the global pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry. It presents the findings of approximately 1,000 interviews with CEOs and director level executives in the industry.  The report also includes research findings from econometric, advanced technology and several other business divisions of Frost & Sullivan.

Main findings from the report:

IP concerns: copycat drugs and reverse-engineered medical products create cautionary barriers to global market entry. Products developed in country often have more patent protection and drive local manufacturing and development strategies.

Price regulations: some governments are introducing protectionist and nationalist policies to strengthen the local pharmaceutical industry by implementing more stringent price regulation on foreign manufacturers.

Shift in growth from mature markets to emerging markets: Emerging economies could generate up to a fifth of global pharmaceutical sales by 2020. This shift creates new developer interest in patient groups, including new growth opportunities for chronic disease indications. Improved regulatory and IP protection promotes innovation, competition, and increased access to safe medications.

Tighter regulatory approval: high profile product withdrawals in recent years have resulted in regulatory bodies such as the FDA and EMEA becoming more rigorous in their approval procedures. This has resulted in longer product approval times, and in some cases delaying product launches. Pharmaceutical companies need to be able to ensure better rates of approval, right from the discovery stage to enjoy market success.

Cost containment pressures: escalating healthcare costs have put pressure on payers to contain pharmaceutical expenditures. There are multiple stakeholders in the R&D/product development process, which includes payers, patients, and pharmacists. As a result, pricing and reimbursement analysis should be taken into consideration earlier on in the R&D process.

This report is available to current London Business School staff, students and faculty from the Frost & Sullivan database located on the A-Z list of library databases via Portal

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UK Film Market

This Market Review from Key Note examines the UK market for feature-length films. Currently this industry is experiencing a period of major change in the way that consumers access and watch films at home.  Alongside the traditional ‘release windows’ for major films, such as cinema release, video rental and buying DVDs, consumers can now use the Internet to download films or their digital televisions to subscribe to film channels or buy films on a ‘pay-per-view’ (PPV) or ‘video-on-demand’ (VOD) basis.

This fragmentation across distribution channels, or ‘windows’, represents an inevitable adaptation to new technology, but it has not benefited the industry economically. Key Note values the UK film industry at £4.2bn in 2008, down from an all-time peak of £4.47bn in 2004.  Income from selling films on DVD (£1.63bn in 2008) or renting them (£250m) is no longer increasing and the future lies with new channels such as VOD, up 250% since 2004, although it is still a fairly small market. Downloading films to home computers is still in its infancy but using the Internet to order DVDs is thriving, both for buying them (e.g. Amazon) or arranging rentals to be delivered (e.g. LOVEFiLM). The pervasive use of the Internet has put severe pressure on traditional high-street outlets.

Despite the negative economic factors, UK cinema audiences have stabilised in recent years and cinema-going, focused on the first window of release, is still the litmus test for the film industry. This stability, together with the occasional breakthrough, such as Mamma Mia!, bodes well for any industry entering depression-threatened 2009, and a trip to the movies has the added attraction of helping consumers cast aside economic worries, as in previous gloomy periods for the economy.

This report is available to current London Business School staff, students and faculty from Key Note Online which can be found on the A-Z list of library databases via Portal.  The print edition of this report can be found in the market reports collection

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Global Books

Global books from Datamonitor provides an industry overview for the book publishing market, which includes the sales of academic and professional textbooks, general readers books (fiction and non fiction) and other traded books.  For the purpose of this report the global figure is deemed to comprise of the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe.

Highlights from the report:

The global book market generated total revenues of $119.1 billion in 2008, which represents a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.6% for the period spanning 2004-2008.

General readers/trade sales proved the most lucrative for the global book market in 2008, generating total revenues of $51.1 billion, equivalent to 42.9% of the market's overall value. In comparison, sales of student’s textbooks generated revenues of $38.4 billion in 2008, equating to 32.3% of the market's aggregate revenues.

Growth within the mature global books market has been sluggish over last years, and prospects for the future growth are not promising, meaning new players will have to face increased rivalry from already established competitors. Pearson, Bertelsmann AG, or Reed Elsevier publishers represent the leading players within the market; they benefit from large scale of geographically diversified operations, and may compete more intensely on price.

Possibilities of substitution exist within the book market. The scope of publishing has expanded and includes variety of media formats and entertainment forms, such as the electronic versions of books (so called e-books) and periodicals, as well as websites or blogs, etc.  They may present significant indirect competition to established traditional channels moving forward, however at present they represent a relatively small proportion of distribution. Such substitutes have their advantages – usually it is less expensive to reproduce them and they are eco-friendly since they are delivered to customers in digital form and there is no need for paper, ink or other resources that are used to produce print books. Also they take less physical storage space and are easy to travel with since hundreds of them may be carried on one device and easy to read in the dark with a back-lit device.

This market report, plus a range of country-specific overviews for this industry are available to current London Business School staff, students and faculty from Marketline which can be found on the A-Z list of library databases via Portal.

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Innovations in Confectionery

This latest market research report from Business Insights analyses market data on the value growth of the confectionery market. Last year the European confectionery market was worth $66.8bn, almost twice the size of the US market, which has a value of $32.9 bn. The UK is the largest single market in Europe for confectionery with a market value of $12.3bn in 2008. With an overall growth rate of 7.5%, the UK market is projected to reach $13.2bn by 2012.

The confectionery market is segmented as follows;

Chocolate: Includes moulded bars, boxed chocolate, chocolate countlines, novelties and chocolate straightlines;

Sugar confectionery: includes caramels and toffees, hard boiled sweets, gums and jellies, medicated confectionery, other sugar confectionery, regular mints and power mints;

Gum: Sugar free gum, regular chewing gum, functional chewing gum and bubblegum;

Cereal bars: Sports and energy bars; granola/muesli bars and other bars.

Some of the key trends identified by the report:

• Ingredients that promote satiety are being used in confectionery and are forming part of a new generation of weight management products aimed to aid weight loss.

• Oral health has become a significant driver of growth in the confectionery market and this is set to continue as products with added benefits continue to be developed. Innovations such as functional gums and mints that freshen breath, whiten teeth and clean the tongue will continue spearhead this growth.

• Chocolate with a ‘high cocoa content’ is increasingly positioned as being healthy, premium and indulgent, as high cocoa content is often used to demark the quality of chocolate products.

• Heritage and tradition are being used as marketing tools to provide consumers with an alternative to mass food processing techniques which are unpopular with a number of consumers.

This report is available to current London Business School staff, students and faculty from the Business Insights database on the A-Z list of library databases via Portal.

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Global Internet Access

This latest market research report from Datamonitor examines the global Internet access market, providing information on market size, share and segmentation plus detailed analysis. It also provides information on the leading companies in this industry.  The Internet access market consists of the total revenues generated by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) from the provision of both narrowband and broadband Internet connections to Internet subscribers. Revenues generated by ISPs from other Internet related services are not included in this report. Market volumes represent the number of subscribers and exclude corporate data. For the purpose of this report the global figure is deemed to comprise of the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe.

Highlights from the report

• The global internet access market has shown strong growth over the previous five years, but will begin to slow in its growth approaching 2013 as internet access penetration reaches saturation within many countries.

• The global internet access market generated total revenues of $184.8 billion in 2008, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.9% for the period 2004-2008. In comparison, the Americas and European markets grew with CAGRs of 10.7% and 12.8%, respectively, over the same period, to reach respective values of $64 billion and $51.4 billion in 2008.

• The number of internet subscribers increased with a CAGR of 11.4% between 2004- 2008, to reach a total of 453.3 million in 2008. The number of subscribers is expected to rise to 678.3 million by the end of 2013, representing a CAGR of 8.4% for the 2008-2013 period.

• The performance of the market is forecast to decelerate, with an anticipated CAGR of 10.1% for the five-year period 2008-2013, which is expected to drive the market to a value of $298.8 billion by the end of 2013. Comparatively, the Americas and European markets will grow with CAGRs of 7.9% and 6.4%, respectively, over the same period, to reach respective values of $93.8 billion and $70 billion in 2013.

This report is available to current London Business School staff, students and faculty from the Marketline database which can be found on the A-Z list of library databases via portal

Individual country reports covering this industry sector are also available

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The Outlook for Retail Banking in Europe and the US

This report from Business Insights analyses the retail banking market following the impact of the financial crisis of 2008. It discusses how the banking market has been reshaped following the disruption with a huge shift in positioning for the leading global banks during 2009. It will also examines the key points leading to the financial crisis before evaluating individual banks and discussing the impact of legislation and regulation on the industry. The report will conclude with an analysis of the potential for the future of retail banking in Europe and the US.

Highlights from the report:

• HSBC dominates retail banking in 2009, while Citigroup has fallen down the ranks and RBS has disappeared from the top ten.

• Bank of America saw the highest revenue from retail sales in 2008, but when compared by net income European banks such as Santander and BBVA dominate

• JP Morgan Chase is one of the strongest banks in the US and has consolidated its position with a strong balance sheet and shrewd acquisitions policy.

• Citigroup has been one of the worst-hit banks of the crisis and despite government aid of $50bn is widely expected to require further assistance with no guarantee of a recovery.

• Banco Santander has benefited from Spain’s strict banking regulations, and with a strong retail base and high capital reserves is in a strong position for the future.

The outlook for 2009-2010

• The global economy is predicted to decline throughout 2009, but regain moderate traction by 2010.

• Governments will continue providing fiscal stimulus throughout 2009-2010 in an attempt to kick-start the economy, although the effects may not be seen until the latter end of 2010.

• The retail banking industry faces key risks including a lack of funding, shortages of capital and liquidity, and global price volatility.

• Consolidation within the industry will continue, but smaller banks and start-ups have greater opportunity than ever before and should take advantage of the open playing field.

• Regulation will have the biggest impact on the banking industry in 2009-2010.

This report is available to current London Business School staff, students & faculty from Business Insights located on the A-Z list of library databases via Portal.

Photo by Erica Marshall (Creative commons: Flickr)

UK Cosmetic Surgery

This Key Note market report examines the UK market for cosmetic surgery, including non surgical cosmetic procedures. Cosmetic surgery is also known as aesthetic plastic surgery, which should not be confused with plastic surgery (which is used to correct congenital defects, such as cleft palates, and for reconstruction after injury or illness). It should be noted that the sector definitions used in this report reflect those used by The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), which provides the main annual audit for the surgical industry. The market is divided into the following sectors: face/neck surgery; breast surgery; abdominal surgery; non-surgical procedures.

Main findings:
 
At the end of 2008 the estimated value of the UK cosmetic surgery market reached £536m, a rise of 8.7%.  There is an increasing level of diversity in the market, traditional providers of surgical procedures are becoming the minority as operators compete to offer other non surgical treatments, cosmetic dentistry, hair loss treatment, weight loss surgery and even cosmeceuticals. There is also a continued blurring between the traditional beauty salon and the medical environment traditionally associated with cosmetic surgery.

This diversity has resulted from technological developments in non-surgery and the popularity of these with consumers who want to see effective results with much shorter recovery times. In 2008, there was rapid product development in injectable fillers and laser technology, both of which are now becoming more widely used and understood by consumers.

The demographics of the consumer base are also changing. Payment deals offering enticements such as 0% for 6 months are attracting less affluent consumers.  Media interest in the market is still as keen and active as ever, as many consumers have an interest in stories about celebrity bodies. In addition, more men are opting for cosmetic procedures, in the US, the male market is moving faster than the female one, and this trend may also be emerging in the UK.

These factors all present challenges for the cosmetic surgery industry. While practitioners want much tighter restriction on how non-surgical treatment can be obtained and administered, the market is taking a bolder, more high profile stance in terms of promoting itself. There is now more competition, and the need to advertise and actively encourage consumers towards treatment is a trend that looks set to continue.

This report is available to current London Business School staff, students & faculty from Key Note Online on the A-Z list of library databases via Portal.

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UK e-Retail 2009

The latest market research report from Verdict analyses the current state of online shopping.

Selected highlights:

Last year online spending grew 25.0% to £18.4bn, outperforming the 2.1% increase in total retail. However, in terms of growth 2008 was the slowest in Internet retail spend since the dotcom bubble burst in 2002. Growth in the number of online shoppers was also down by 24.1%. Verdict predicts this rate will continue to fall over the next five years, as penetration of the population begins to level out.

The price of broadband is restricting C2DE growth – particularly during the recession. This has been a key factor in determining the gulf in access rates between ABC1s and C2DEs.

Low penetration among 55+s is more to do with a lack of appreciation of the channel. Among the 55+s Verdict also predict long term growth as this group become more tech savvy – and the growth of this demographic in the general population makes it an essential target for retailers. Websites are already making more of an attempt to engage older Internet shoppers by encouraging them to use features such as customers’ reviews, item recommendations and forums to find out more about products. Longer term the heavy using 35-44 year olds will move into this demographic and take their Internet shopping habits with them.

Price as the deciding factor in choosing an online retailer has fallen to 44.0% in 2008 from 50.0% in 2007. Shoppers may now take it for granted that online retailers will be price competitive and, with the ease of price comparison online, it is essential that online retailers continue to offer value.

Men remain the biggest online spenders. Despite the increasing gender parity between online shoppers in terms of numbers (51:49%) men remain clearly the biggest online spenders by value (58:42%). Men not only continue to be enticed by the added convenience and ease of online shopping, but are broadening the spectrum of categories in which they shop to include the likes of food & grocery, health & beauty and homeware. In terms of spend per head; men continue to outspend women at £789 to £590, with significant differences in typically male categories such as DIY, electricals and music & video.

This report from Verdict is available to current London Business School staff, students and faculty from the Business Insights database via the A-Z list of library databases in Portal

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The Top 10 Biosimilar Players

This report from Business Insights provides an overview of the global biosimilars market. Biosimilars ('biogenerics', 'follow-on proteins', or 'follow-on biologics', as they are currently known in the US) are protein drugs that are similar, but not identical to, an existing product. The report analyses the top 10 companies in this market according to market share, research focus, key marketed products and pipeline. Companies that outperformed and underperformed in the biosimilars market have been identified by this method, and their future has been analyzed according to their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. It also discusses the biosimilars approval process in the US, EU and major semi-regulated markets.
 
Selected highlights from the report:
 
The global biosimilars market grew 5.9% to reach a value of approximately $1 billion in 2007. Based on 2007 sales reported by IMS, biologics worth $25 billion are expected to go off-patent by 2016, thus creating a significant market opportunity for biosimilars. This growth has been fuelled by the increasing use of biologics in hard-to-treat disease areas such as cancer, autoimmune and orphan diseases and healthcare cost containment
 
The biosimilars market is highly fragmented, with the top 10 players representing 12.6% of the total market in the first half of 2008 (1H 2008). Leading generics players such as Sandoz, Teva and Stada are spearheading biosimilar development
 
It is expected that both patients and physicians will be reluctant to accept biosimilars and will need to be reassured of their bioequivalence before they will agree to switch from a proven branded product.
 
In 2006, the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) became the first regulatory body to legalize a pathway for the approval of biosimilars, providing 10 years of patent protection to biologics, while the US remains at a crossroads in the development of a biosimilars approval pathway.

This report is available to current London Business School staff, students and faculty from the Business Insights database located on the A-Z list of library databases in Portal.

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The Top 10 Spirits Companies

This report from Business Insights profiles the leading players in the global spirits industry. Spirits includes whisky, vodka, brandy, rum, liquor, tequila, gin and specialty regional spirits such as shochu, rye etc. Spirits also include flavoured variants of these products but exclude wines, sparkling wine and fortified wines. The report analyzes company developments in light of industry size, industry structure, growth strategies and the competitive landscape to distinguish industry trends as well as its major players. It also profiles the leading companies in the industry and includes a brief summary of the top 11 to 20 players. The companies were ranked on the basis of their estimated segmental revenues in the first half of fiscal 2008 and the market shares were calculated on the basis of segmental revenues in fiscal 2007.

Highlights from the report:

The global spirits industry recorded a revenue of $216bn including off-trade revenues in 2007, an increase of 2.4% from 2006 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 2.6% during 2007–2012.  Evolving markets in BRIC nations (Brazil, Russia, India and China), Latin America, Middle East and Central and Eastern Europe and innovations in developed markets are driving this growth. However, maturing volume growth trends in developed markets, rising commodity prices, stringent legislation and unfavourable tax regimes in certain high potential markets continue to stifle the growth of the spirits industry.  Margins in the industry will come under pressure in the wake of high commodity prices and a consumer shift away from on-premise consumption (consumption in pubs, bars or restaurants) to off-premise due to a consumer cutback in socializing out of the home.

The global spirits industry is highly fragmented with large number of geographically diversified players and local companies. Diageo dominates the industry with spirits revenues of £7,468m ($14,968m) in fiscal 2007 representing a growth of 7.9% over 2006. Diageo are focusing marketing and distribution efforts on its global brands which include premium brands such as Johnnie Walker Scotch, Smirnoff
vodka, J&B whisky, Captain Morgan rum and Jose Cuervo tequila.

This report is available to current London Business School staff, students and faculty from the Business Insights database located on the A-Z list of library databases via Portal

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Who's Who - a separate service in Portal

 

Who's Who and Who was Who?

 

Who's Who, is among the world's most recognised and respected works of reference and has been

published annually since 1849.

It contains over 33,000 short biographies, continually updated, of living noteworthy and influential individuals, from all walks of life, worldwide.

The 2009 edition includes 845 new entries including a number in the fields of business and finance, manufacturing and industry, technology, scholarship, and the media.

 

Who's Who is now listed in the A-Z list of Databases in Portal - available to staff, students and faculty of the London Business School.

 

 

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UK Internet Market

The Internet is now used at home by 68% of UK adults according to the latest market review from Key Note.  The fact that 68% of those adults who use the Internet `go online' at least once a day shows how quickly the internet has become part of everyday life in the typical UK household. The last decade have brought with it significant improvements in the Internet experience for the consumer: fast broadband connections, interactive Web 2.0 technologies, and remote access using portable computerised devices (e.g. mobile phones).  E-mail is used by 87% of those with home Internet access, but communicating through websites, particularly `social networking' websites such as Facebook and MySpace has become very popular.

Highlights from the report:

Online shopping is also increasing in popularity and changing the face of retailing. Travel is the largest online market and has underpinned the rise of the budget airlines, with companies such as easyJet and Ryanair relying almost entirely on the Internet for bookings. In contrast, online grocery shopping has yet to become a mass market. Generally, any business involving detailed information is suited to e-commerce (e.g. travel, house buying, insurance, books and tickets for events).

Information is itself a large part of the Internet market, ranging across government, education, health, job seeking, family history, weather forecasts and many other areas. Wikipedia has become the world's largest online encyclopaedia. With the exception of a few operators, the funding mechanism for websites has shifted over the years from subscription fees to advertising. In 2007, the Internet accounted for 15.6% of all UK advertising expenditure (from a mere 2.9% in 2003). The market divides between advertisements on websites and `paid-for searches', where companies pay search engines such as Google to give their websites prominence.

Looking to the future, key Note predict that the current economic crisis is likely to  reduce the growth rate for Internet advertising, but the medium itself will continue to play an increasingly important role in commerce and in consumer lifestyles. Key Note identified three main future trends: convergence between the television and the computer in home entertainment and information; the fragmentation of mass markets as the Internet offers tailor-made options for entertainment; and a stimulus to live events and `socialising' generally, as the likes of networking, blogging and organising events via the Internet spread from the youth market to older consumers.

The full report is available to current London Business School staff, students & faculty via Key Note Online which can be found on the A-Z list of library databases in Portal.  The hardcopy version of this report is also available and can be found in the market reports collection on the first floor of the library

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The Evolution of Organic Food and Drinks

Increasing public concern about the food production has resulted in a steady growth in demand for organic food and drinks. Consumers associate the term ‘organic’ with high ethical standards. This is because organic production is less harmful on the environment (mainly by lowering pollution from man-made growing aids). The more natural aspect of organic products also appeals to environmentally-aware consumers as organic farming can claim to be more in tune with nature. Organic livestock production has a strong focus on animal welfare issues, with free range and open-air systems the norm.  As a result the global share of NPD (new product development) taken by organic food and drinks has increased steadily since 2005 to reach 6.8% in 2008. According to the latest market research from Business Insights organic NPD is growing at a faster than average pace in nearly all sectors of the food and drink industry. 

Other highlights from the report:

Bakery and cereals represent the single largest area of organic food and drinks accounting for over 17% of global organic product launches in 2008. Rapid growth in the number of new organic soft drinks and confectionery has increased the share of these sectors to 10% and over 5% respectively.

Europe has overtaken North America as the main region for new organic products, accounting for over 45% of launches in 2008 compared to 41% for North America. Asia-Pacific accounted for under 7% of global organic NPD in 2008, while Latin America and Middle East and Africa have registered very fast growth and collectively account for 5%.

The organic sector’s rate of growth is expected to slow considerably in 2009 and into 2010, and total sales may remain at best flat in markets like the US, the UK and Germany. Demand for meat and produce is expected to weaken, with packaged grocery sales holding up well

This report is available to current London Business School staff, students and faculty from the Business Insights database located on the A-Z list of library databases via Portal

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Dynamics of the gender gap for young professionals in the corporate & financial sectors

This working paper discusses the various explanations put forward to explain gender gaps in career outcomes for highly-educated workers in the US corporate and financial sectors. The authors of the paper (Marianne Bertrand, Claudia Goldin, Lawrence F. Katz) looked at the careers of MBAs who graduated from a top US business school between 1990 and 2006 in order to understand how career dynamics differ by gender. Although male and female MBAs started with almost identical incomes at the outset of their careers, the study found that women’s earnings significantly declined over time compared to their male counterparts. The authors identified three main reasons for the large and rising gender gap in earnings: Differences in training prior to MBA graduation (women tend to take fewer finance courses); Differences in career interruptions; Differences in weekly hours.

These three determinants can explain the bulk of gender differences in earnings across the years following MBA completion. The presence of children is the main contributor to the lesser job experience, greater career discontinuity and shorter work hours for female MBAs. Disparities in the productive characteristics of male and female MBAs are small, but the pecuniary penalties from shorter hours and any job discontinuity are enormous for MBAs. The researchers stress that active discrimination is unlikely to have played much of a role in the pay gap but the influence of gender roles in determining career paths is still very much a factor.

This NBER paper (No. 14681) is available to current London Business School staff, students and faculty from the NBER (National Bureau of Economic Research) working papers database available from the A-Z list of library databases via Portal.

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Fighting the Market Slowdown in Alcoholic Drinks

The latest market research report from Business Insights looks at the state of the global market for alcoholic drinks. The three key drivers of growth in this market are: the increase of the world’s young adult population; the emergence and growth of the middle class with disposable income; and, to a lesser extent, consumers’ desire to trade-up to more premium products. The report, written by Gavin Humphries argues that the economic downturn of 2008-09 will have both negative and positive effects. On balance it is likely to help volume growth (because consumers are more likely to have a consume alcohol at home but slow value growth (because they will be less likely to premiumize their consumption).

Key findings from the report include:

Spirits lead the market (accounting for 46% of servings), though it is only just ahead of beer (43% of servings). The latter is expanding at the expense of the former and the two will be almost equal by 2012. Wine only accounts for a steady 11% of servings.

China is the largest emerging beer market, and the largest market in the world, having overtaken the US in recent years. This growth is being driven by a growing middle class that has increasingly Western tastes plus a shift away from traditional spirits consumption.

Almost 24bn litres of wine were consumed globally in 2007. Over half (54%) of the wine sold in the world is consumed in Western Europe, plus a further 15% in Eastern Europe. The largest segment in this market is red wine, which accounts for a 50% share of the global wine market, against 34% for white wine. Red wine is increasing its share primarily because of its perceived health benefits

Premiumization is a key trend in spirits, in both developed and emerging markets, and is being pursued by multinational and domestic companies alike. The monopoly of Western companies owning premium brands is coming to an end.

This report is available to current London Business School staff, students and faculty from the Business Insights database on the A-Z list of library databases via Portal.

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The impact of the credit crunch on European retail

This latest market research report from Verdict accesses the impact of the credit crunch on European retail. The report paints a bleak picture for the year ahead, suggesting that the aftermath of this severe financial crisis will stay with us for quite some time to come – at least until end 2010, but probably longer. Most consumers in the EU have reached the peak of private indebtedness, as unemployment rates are rising, consumer confidence is dipping and consumer credit becomes increasingly hard to get hold of. This will impact and hurt the housing market, stock exchanges and retailing. Already the effects of the credit crunch are becoming visible in the GDP performance of the leading Top 10 countries in the EU. CEE economies will also be severely impacted by the after-effects of the credit crunch, and many of the gains made in recent years in terms of employment, rising standards of living and increased stability will be reversed for the time being. Much foreign direct investment will be steered away from the region, currencies will come under pressure and demand from the US and Western Europe for Polish and other eastern European export products will be much reduced.

Verdict predicts that trading will continue to deteriorate further in the year ahead as the recession and mass redundancies continue to erode consumer confidence. Consumers will become increasingly cautious about spending and will think twice about where and on what they spend their money. In such an environment, retailers who focus on lower prices and better value products are likely to prosper. The effect of a slumping housing market will also knock consumer confidence and expenditure. Verdict urges retailers that are still looking at expansion opportunities to wait for real estate prices to fall.  They also suggest that retailers that are financially sound, should also exploit weak currencies if possible for sourcing as well as expansion. Indeed volatile currency fluctuations could become one of the most important things to watch going forward and as a result hedging will move into even sharper focus. Moreover domestically all retailers should look at ramping up and improving their private label offer and focus on value.

The Verdict report is available to current London Business School staff, students and  faculty from the Business Insights database located on the A-Z list of library databases in Portal.

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Top 10 Food and Drinks Companies

This report from Business Insights profiles the leading players in the global food and drink industry (covering the production, distribution and sales of food products and beverages). The report analyzes company developments in light of industry size and structure, innovation and new product development (NPD), growth strategies and the competitive landscape in order to distinguish industry trends as well as its major players. As well as presenting the profiles of the top 10 leading companies, the report also includes a brief summary of those companies just outside of the top ten.

Highlights from the report:

The global food and drinks market recorded sales of $3,498bn in 2007, up 3.1% over 2006. It has been forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 3.2% during 2007–10 to reach $3,843bn by 2010.

The food and drinks industry is highly fragmented, with the top 10 companies together representing about 12.9% of the global market share, based on 2007 sales.

Rising consumption of food and drinks in emerging countries, elevated fuel prices, and climate change have contributed to the rise in raw material prices, which will adversely impact the operating margins of the food and drinks companies.

Increasing consumer awareness of health and environmental issues, along with an increasing resistance towards genetically modified (GM) food products and GM farming, have led to the rapid increase in demand for organic food. The annual growth rate of organic food is expected to continue at 15% to 20%, compared to a less than 1% growth rate for conventional food products.

Rising concerns over safety of Chinese food products has led its government to draft a five year food safety plan to place new controls on food and drug imports and exports.

This report is available to current London Business School students, faculty and staff from the Business Insights database, located on the A-Z list of library databases in Portal.

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The 2008 corporate contributions report

This report is based on The Conference Board 2008 Corporate Contributions Survey, which collects and analyzes data on charitable contributions made by US-based companies. The annual survey was conducted between March and June 2008. The respondent companies (197) are among the largest corporate donors in the United States, with total US and international contributions of $10.97 billion in 2007. The contributions data contained in this report were collected directly from each company. Pre-tax income, sales, and employee data for this report are primarily based on data as reported by Standard & Poor’s Research Insight database. Responses to this year’s edition of survey indicate that charitable giving by companies and corporate foundations grew at a moderate rate in FY 2007 and outpaced corporate profits. Among the companies surveyed total contributions equalled $10.97 billion in 2007

Beneficiaries of corporate support – key findings include:

Health and human services organizations received the largest share of US corporate support at 53.01% ($4.56 billion). Of the industry total, pharmaceutical companies gave the largest share of contributions to health and human services organizations

Education received the second largest share of US corporate support at 18.65% ($1.60 billion)

Culture and the arts received nearly 5% ($400.01 million) with banks contributed the most ($120.14 million)

Civic and community organizations received nearly 13% ($1.09 billion) with computers and technology companies contributing the most ($323 million, up from $41.86 million in 2006)

Environmental organizations received the smallest share ($116.53 million) just 1.35%. Utility companies made the largest contribution ($17.48 million),

The “other” category includes contributions that do not fall into any of the five main beneficiary categories or for which the recipient is unknown. This category includes support for US-based international organizations, sponsorship of special events, public broadcasting and media, grants to public policy research organizations, religious and faith-based organizations, economic/business related organizations. Organizations in this category received nearly 10% of 2007 US corporate giving ($824.31 million)

The full report is available to current London Business School students, faculty, staff and alumni from the Conference Board Research database which can be found on the A-Z list of library databases via Portal.

Top executive compensation in 2008

The Conference Board have published the results of their annual Top executive compensation survey. Two years ago new rules for the disclosure of executive and director compensation were introduced by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These changes were intended to provide shareholders and other readers of proxy statements with clearer and more consistent executive compensation data. They were also designed to provide companies with more direction regarding form and content for the presentation of executive and director compensation information. Requirements now include both narrative and tabulated information about the compensation committee’s activities and considerations.  In addition to the new Compensation Discussion and Analysis (CD&A), the SEC requires more extensive executive compensation disclosures covering three broad categories: current compensation, equity-related holdings that can be the source of future gains, and retirement plans and other post-employment compensation.
 
In line with these changes this report considers both total cash and total CEO compensation including salary, bonus, non-equity incentive compensation—plus the value of option grants, other stock awards, increases in pension and deferred compensation values, and other compensation, primarily perquisites with a value of $10,000 or more.  The data analyzed for this report was initially compiled by Salary.com and provides findings about each of the elements of compensation reported in the proxy tables and their relationship to executive salary and total compensation. After merging the data sources from Salary.com, 2,154 companies were analyzed and categorized into 22 industries.
 
The full report is available to London Business School students, faculty, staff and alumni from the Conference Board Research database which can be found on the A-Z list of library database via Portal

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UK remote shopping 2009

The latest report from Verdict examines the UK remote shopping market. Remote shopping has grown nearly three fold in a decade, from £9.7bn to £26.2bn. The remote shopping market comprises three main channels: online, mail order and TV shopping. Online shopping has taken off over the past decade and now accounts for 74.1% of the market compared with 3.7% in 1998. The transition towards online has come not only from both pureplays and physical retailers' online sales growth outstripping total mail order sales, but also mail order retailers' sales moving online. Despite TV shopping growing strongly, it has struggled to keep pace with the Internet so its share of the market has fallen in the past two years.

Demographics of customer bases will be a strong influence on performance. The customer bases of catalogue and TV retailers are typically older than Internet shoppers – and more likely to be impacted by higher mortgage costs and the lack of house price growth, and have greater family-related financial commitments. Towards the upper end of the age spectrum, though mortgages will generally have been paid off and there will be fewer dependents, inflation and higher energy prices will be eating into limited incomes, restraining non-essential retail spending. Remote shopping retailers with customer bases less impacted by the economic environment will have an automatic advantage during 2009, such as ASOS and Play.com with their typically younger customers.  Remote shopping retailers can benefit from appealing to consumers' current desire for value and convenience. Internet retail is traditionally associated with opportunities to buy goods at low prices – partly due to retailer cost savings from not needing a store network, but also due to easy price comparisons and the high availability of second-hand goods. This taps into current trends and is likely to benefit retailers with a strong price message, such as Amazon, eBay, Asda, Tesco and Argos – providing positive impetus despite the other challenges facing these retailers.

Tesco and Amazon are the only profiled retailers to gain remote retailing share in 2008. Verdict estimate that Tesco has gained 0.5 percentage points of market share to take 5.8% of remote shopping spend while Amazon gained 0.3 percentage points to take 8.5%. However, the majority of profiled retailers have not been able to keep up with this growth. Meanwhile, Tesco's impressive performance is attributable to continuing strength in the world's largest online grocery site, Tesco.com, combined with the expansion of its relatively new non-food catalogue offer Tesco Direct.

The full report is available to current London Business School students, faculty and staff from the Business Insightsdatabase on the A-Z list of library databases via Portal

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MarketLine

MarketLine is an online service that provides Datamonitor research data on companies, industries and countries. Contents can be accessed via PDF reports or by using the interactive database functions and includes the following:

Industry reports: contain industry profiles as well as information on related financial deals. Look for "Value consumer markets" or "Consumer markets" on the right hand side of the two main tabbed screens.

Company profiles for 50,000 public and private companies including: company history; products and services; revenue analysis; biographies; SWOT analyses; key competitor; partnerships and M&A. Look for look for "Assess M&A activities" or "Financial deals" on the right hand side of the two main tabbed screens.

Country data: includes fundamental figures and political and macroeconomic analysis and comparison. Related company, industry and deal data is also presented in a country's view. Look for "Understanding country dynamics" or "Base drivers" on the right hand side of the two main tabbed screens.

The website also offers live feed of news, comment and analysis to keep you fully up-to-date with all the latest business developments

MarketLine is available to current London Business School students, faculty and staff via the A-Z list of library databases in Portal

Oxford Business Group – The Report

Oxford Business Group is a leading publisher of economic and political intelligence on the markets of Eastern Europe, North and South Africa, the Middle East and Asia. ‘The Report’ is a series of annual country reports written by a team of analysts based on the ground for six months. It offers comprehensive and accurate analysis of political, macroeconomic and sectoral developments. Regular sections covered include: politics, the economy, energy, construction, banking, tourism, capital markets, industry and transport. The library now has Oxford Business Group reports covering 27 countries with the latest to be added being Bahrain 2008 and Emerging Syria 2008.

The Oxford Business Group reports can be found in the journal collection located in the library basement. A full list of reports held can be found via the Library Catalogue.

Latest Key Note market research reports

The latest titles to be added to the library’s market research collection include the following Key Note reports:

• Automotive Services
• Building Materials
• Computer Services
• Consumer Magazines
• Motor Industry
• OTC Pharmaceuticals
• Poultry
• Rail Travel
• Ready Meals
• Soft Drinks (Carbonated & Concentrated)

To see all Key Note reports currently in stock check the library catalogue.

Alternatively, staff, students & faculty can access the reports from Key Note Online via the A-Z list of library databases in Portal.

New library subscription to FinanceAsia magazine

FinanceAsia is a monthly magazine that focuses on Asia and its capital markets. With a geographical range covering India to Australia, the magazine is a must-read for anyone interested in Asian regional finance. Regular features include: analysis of primary markets; people on the move; in-depth analysis of the key transaction of the month; interviews with institutional investor about their investment strategy;  insight to the life and career of a regional executive; analysis of a new structured product or derivative; and overviews of the major news events in each country.  The April issue comes with the magazine's annual supplement the Asia trade finance yearbook. One of the major themes running through this edition is the importance of managing your supply chain.

The latest edition of FinanceAsia can be found in the journal collection located in the library basement.

Business insights - latest reports

The latest market research reports available from Business Insights include:

• The Future of Spirits
• UK Retail Futures 2012: Health & Beauty
• Drug Approval Trends at the FDA and EMEA
• UK Neighbourhood Retailing 2008
• The Fastest Growing Biotechnology Companies
• The Future Customer-Centric Organization
• Impact of Pharmacogenomics on Public Healthcare Policy
• Next Generation Soft Drinks
• The Top 10 Software Vendors
• The Top 10 Hardware Vendors
• Retailing In Germany 2008
• The Future of Targeted Therapeutics
• UK Department Stores 2008
• Innovation and NPD in Ready Meals
• UK Fashion Multiples 2008
• Key Players In European Oil Refining

Current staff, students & faculty can access Business Insights via the A-Z list of library databases in the library area of the Portal.

Latest Key Note market research reports

The latest titles to be added to the library’s market research collection include the following Key Note reports:

·           Biscuits & Cakes

·           Bread & Bakery Products

·           Catering Market

·           Cosmetic Surgery

·           Cosmetics & Fragrances

·           Home Shopping

·           Pharmaceutical Industry

·           Sauces & Spreads

To see all Key Note reports currently in stock check the library catalogue.

Alternatively, staff, students & faculty can access the reports from Key Note Online via the A-Z list of library databases in Portal.

Latest Key Note market research reports

The latest titles to be added to the library’s market research collection include the following Key Note reports:

·         Drinks market

·      Clothing & footwear industry

·      Freight forwarding

·      Automatic vending

·         Meat and meat products

·         Confectionery

To see all Key Note reports currently in stock check the library catalogue.

Alternatively, staff, students & faculty can access the reports from Key Note Online via the A-Z list of library databases in Portal.

Business Insights - latest reports

The latest market research reports available from Business Insights include:

• Heart Health Food and Drinks
• UK Grocery Retailers 2008
• The Top 10 Flavour and Fragrance Companies
• European Out-Of-Town Retailing 2008
• The Cardiovascular Disorders Market Outlook to 2012
• Launching Combination Products

Staff, students & faculty can access Business Insights via the A-Z list of library databases in the library area of the Portal.

Global investment returns yearbook 2008

The 9th edition of the Global investment returns yearbook has just been published. In this edition, the authors Elroy Dimson, Paul March and Mike Staunton, of the London Business School, examine all 17 stock markets to update the international evidence on momentum investing: is it an enduring feature of financial markets, or a passing phenomenon?; when does momentum investing work, and what is the criteria for successful investment?; can the apparently conflicting value and momentum styles both generate superior long-run returns?  This edition also includes a chapter from ABN AMRO’s former head of European strategy, Rolf Elgeti on the role of momentum in the market for real estate.

To read the latest edition of the yearbook please ask at the library desk.

Business Insights - latest reports

The latest market research reports available from Business Insights include:

• Innovations in bioinformatics
• Innovation in healthy snacks
• UK mail order retailers 2008
• Consumer satisfaction survey 2008

Staff, students & faculty can access Business Insights via the A-Z list of library databases in the library area of the Portal.

Latest Key Note market research reports

The latest titles to be added to the library’s market research collection include the following Key Note reports:

• Chilled Foods
• Closed-Circuit Television
• Energy Industry
• Fish & Fish Products
• Newspapers
• Packaging (Paper & Board)
• Recruitment Agencies (permanent)
• Recruitment Agencies (Temporary & Contract)
• Tyres Industry

To see all Key Note reports currently in stock check the library catalogue.

Alternatively, staff, students & faculty can access the reports from Key Note Online via the A-Z list of library databases in Portal.

Latest Key Note market research reports

The latest titles to be added to the library’s market research collection include the following Key Note reports:

• Arts & media sponsorship
• Clothing manufacturing
• Commercial vehicles
• Corporate Hospitality
• Disposable paper products
• Food industry
• Medical Equipment
• Road Haulage
• Small domestic electrical appliances

Key note publish a range of market reports covering 27 UK market sectors. To see which Key Note reports the library holds check the library catalogue.

Alternatively, staff, students & faculty can access the Key Note reports electronically via the A-Z list of library databases in Portal.

OECD.Stat

New to SourceOECD is OECD.Stat, replacing the OECD statistical compendium. This new function enables users to search and collect data from a wide range of OECD databases. The data can then be exported into an Excel spreadsheet. OECD.Stat also provides detailed metadata about each dataset providing users with a greater understanding of the origins of each number and its overall context.

This service can be found on the A-Z list of library databases in the library area of the Portal. It is available to academic community members both on- and off-campus, click here to use this database.

The SAGE handbook of advertising

Tim Ambler, Senior Fellow in Marketing at the School, has co-edited this comprehensive, scholarly contribution to the field, published this month.

'In this era of 'snackable' content which satisfies only in the moment, it's great to have a comprehensive Advertising Handbook which one can consult repeatedly. The references are comprehensive and the Handbook opens up many key areas for practitioners' - Hamish Pringle, Director General, IPA

'Finally, a Handbook of Advertising that brings the field up-to-date. I am impressed with its comprehensive coverage of topics and the distinguished specialists who have shared their key findings with us' - Philip Kotler, Kellogg School of Management

'When trying to make sense of the mystifying world of advertising, academics and practitioners often seem to inhabit separate universes. Not in this Handbook. For once, the best brains from each side genuinely collude -- with constructive results. Wise agencies will read it before their clients do' - Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO, WPP

'This mighty tome brings together a vast range of views of advertising based on deep experience and scholarship. For practitioners and academics alike, it will be a voyage of discovery and enlightenment' - Lord (Maurice) Saatchi, Chairman, M&C Saatchi

'This magnificent volume captures all we need to know about how advertising works and its context' - Baroness (Peta) Buscombe, Director General, Advertising Association, London

Gerard J Tellis and Tim Ambler (editors), The SAGE handbook of advertising, SAGE, 2007

A copy is available in Library stock.

Verdict Retail research - now available

Verdict Research is a leading UK authority on retailing.

Verdict Research is now available through the database: Business Insights.
To access the reports click on the "list reports" tab and select "Verdict".

Examples of recent reports include: How Britain Shops 2007: Music & Video;

European Electricals Retailing 2007; Consumer Satisfaction Index 2007.

Verdict Research is available to students, faculty and staff of London Business School via Portal

Giant steps in management

In their new book, published today, Professor of Strategic and International Management Julian Birkinshaw and visiting researcher Michael Mol take on long-standing assumptions about how the work of management is best accomplished and show how key performance measures, such as employee engagement, customer interaction, and technological innovations, can be improved.

Human DNA and dinosaur DNA are 97 per cent identical. What matters is the three per cent of DNA that separates the two species. And it’s the same with management practices.  Giant steps in management will show you how to understand the practices that make a real difference to company performance and give you the new management tools and techniques that will help you and your business evolve and successfully compete in today’s business environment.

Michael Mol and Julian Birkinshaw, Giant steps in management: innovations that change the way you work, FT Prentice Hall, 2007, £22.99.

Copies are on order for library stock.

Winner of FT/Goldman Sachs business book of the year

The last tycoons, a vivid and compelling account of the rise of Lazard Freres, has won the FT/Goldman Sachs business book of the year 2007 award, narrowly beating Alan Greenspan's The age of turbulence.  William Cohan's history of “the world’s most elite and enigmatic investment bank” was awarded the £30,000 prize at a gala dinner on Thursday night in London.

Past winners of the FT/Goldman Sachs award were Thomas Friedman for The World is Flat in 2005 and James Kynge, whose China Shakes the World won in 2006.

At the same time, the FT on Thursday unveiled the results of its online poll of readers, to find the best business book of all time. Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations, published in 1776, was the runaway winner, well ahead of Barbarians at the Gate, the 1990 account by Bryan Burrough and John Helyar of the leveraged buy-out of RJR Nabisco.

Copies of all the mentioned books are available in library stock.

FT/Goldman Sachs business book of the year

There were more than 150 entries for the 2007 award, which aims to select the book which provides "the most compelling and enjoyable insight" into modern business issues, including management, finance and economics.  The finalists, selected by a panel of expert judges, are:

The age of turbulence, by Alan Greenspan.  The former Fed chief gives a behind-the-scenes account of how the US economy was managed in the aftermath of 9/11.

The black swan, by Nassim Nicholas Taleb.  Why we underestimate the risk of highly improbable events at our peril.

Immigrants, by Philippe Legrain.  Argues for freer migration, one of the most emotive topics in the political and business world.

The last tycoons, by William D Cohan.  A no-holds-barred account of the rise of the investment bank Lazard Freres.

Wikinomics, by Don Tapscott.  Explaims how internet-based collaboration can be harnessed to produce even more innovative content, products and services.

Zoom, by Iain Carson and Vijay V Vaitheeswaran.  Relates how Big Oil and the world's carmakers are striving to meet the challenge of developing new fuels and technologies.

The winner will be announced on 25th October.

Copies of all shortlist titles are available from / on order for library stock.

"The future of management" by Gary Hamel

"21st century challenges are testing the design limits of organisations around the world, and are exposing the limitations of a management model that has failed to keep pace with the times" - Gary Hamel.

In his new book, published on Tuesday 9 October, management guru and best-selling author, Professor Gary Hamel, Visiting Professor of Strategic Management at the School, will explain why it's time for a reinvention of management.

Gary Hamel, The future of management, Harvard Business School Press, 2007, £15.99.

Click here for a review by Professor Julian Birkinshaw in Management Today

Copies are on order for Library stock.

Energy risk

Energy risk is a monthly magazine published by Incisive Media that focuses on financial, political and legal risk in the oil, gas and electricity markets. Regular features include: updates on regulation & deregulation issues; case studies; risk management workshops; market statistics and data; technology reviews; regional focuses on the UK, Europe, US & Canada and Asia.

The magazine also includes a series of special reports that provide in-depth coverage of topical issues, specific regions and market sectors. This month’s special report examines the coal industry.

The latest issue can be found on the magazine stand located on the first floor of the library

 

Picture from Creative Commons: Flickr: Davipt

New subscription to Science Magazine

Science Magazine is the world's leading journal of original scientific research, global news, and commentary. Issues from January 1997 to the present can now be accessed online through the Science website. The entire School community (including alumni) can access Science on-campus using the link above.

Off-campus access is restricted to staff, students, and faculty, and needs to be authenticated via Portal. The magazine can also be accessed using Article Finder also via Portal.