 A student demonstrates his skill during the Colour Belt Taekwondo promotion test conducted by Faith in Action Taekwondo Academy on May 13.  Students line up for their Colour Belt Taekwondo promotion test conducted by Faith in Action Taekwondo Academy on May 13.Dimapur, (MExN): The Faith in Action Taekwondo Academy conducted its Colour Belt Taekwondo promotion test on May 13 at Grace Academy, GC Paira Colony, Dimapur. A total of 156 Taekwondo players from Little Star Higher Secondary School, Grace Academy, Pranabananda Women’s College, Immanuel Taekwondo Academy, Little Angels School and Manic Taekwondo Academy appeared for their promotion test, informed a press release from the Academy. Matsungyanger, Nito Sema, Lidya Yepthomi and Kimeri of LSHSS and Wadankokba K Yaden of Grace Academy have obtained double promotion for their excellence in overall Taekwondo techniques during the test, it said. The Taekwondo Colour Belt Promotion test was taken under the World Taekwondo Academy’s curriculum, it added. Faith in Action conducts Colour Belt Taekwondo promotion test | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com |
Akshay Kumar & Wamiqa Gabbi twin in matching outfits as they commence promotion for 'Bhoot Bangla' (2026-03-03T11:31:00+05:30)
 Photo: Wamiqa Gabbi/ Instagram) Mumbai, (IANS) Bollywood actress Wamiqa Gabbi is all set to share the screen with Akshay Kumar for the first time in Priyadarshan's upcoming horror comedy, "Bhoot Bangla". As the project nears release on April 10, the cast has commenced the promotions of the eagerly-awaited drama. Akshay and Wamiqa will make their first stop at Nashik to promote their next. Sharing the professional update on social media, Akshay and Wamiqa were seen twinning in matching outfits. Both of them opted for white shirts with blue denim as their outfit of the day. Dropping two photographs posing with Akshay on her official Insta handle, Wamiqa wrote the caption, "Heading towards Nashik… starting first day of promotions of Bhoot Bangla… need your wishes and prayers (sic)." For those who do not know, "Bhoot Bangla" marks the reunion of director Priyadarshan and Akshay after a long gap of 14 years. The beloved actor and director duo is credited with delivering some memorable hits like "Hera Pheri", "Bhool Bhulaiyaa", "Garam Masala", and "Khatta Meetha". The core cast of the drama has on board some prominents names, including Tabu, Paresh Rawal, Rajpal Yadav, Jisshu Sengupta, and Asrani, along with others. "Bhooth Bangla" will also see Akshay and Tabu coming on screen together after 25 years, after sharing the screen in "Hera Pheri" and "Tu Chor Main Sipahi". Presented by Balaji Motion Pictures, a division of Balaji Telefilms Ltd, in collaboration with Cape of Good Films, and backed by Akshay Kumar, Shobha Kapoor, and Ektaa R Kapoor, the story of "Bhooth Bangla" has been penned by Akash A Kaushik, with the screenplay provided by Rohan Shankar, Abilash Nair, and Priyadarshan. Moreover, Rohan Shankar is credited with the dialogues for the film.Over and above this, Wamiqa will also be seen alongside Ayushmann Khurrana, Rakul Preet Singh, and Sara Ali Khan in "Pati Patni Aur Woh Do" Akshay Kumar & Wamiqa Gabbi twin in matching outfits as they commence promotion for 'Bhoot Bangla' | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com |
Cristiano Ronaldo tipped for ownership role at Spanish club (2026-02-19T12:14:00+05:30)
.jpg) 10-09-2025, Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo could be involved in an ambitious takeover of a Spanish club fighting for promotion to La Liga, GOAL reports, citing Marca. Ronaldo could become involved in the Saudi takeover of Almeria, who have been purchased by an investment group led by Mohamed Al-Khereiji. The relationship between the new owner and Ronaldo is said to be closer after he facilitated the former Real Madrid star's move to Al-Nassr in 2022. Ronaldo could buy shares in the investment group that has completed the takeover and is linked to media, advertising and sport. The report states it is likely he would then be involved in Almeria in the future. The club are currently battling to win promotion back to La Liga in the final weeks of the season. Ronaldo has been building a business empire away from football, including investments in hotels, fashion, technology and health. He also has a stake in water brand URSU.Ronaldo is likely to feature in Al-Nassr's final two matches of the Saudi Pro League season, against Al-Khaleej and Al-Fateh, though did miss Friday's 1-1 draw with Al-Taawoun. Source Article |
The marketing tricks that have kept Barbie’s brand alive for over 60 years (2026-02-19T12:13:00+05:30)
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Rejected by the toy industry at first, Barbie is now one of America’s most trusted brands. “She” – the 11.5 inch blonde doll, but also her brand persona – generated worldwide sales of around US$1.5 billion (£1.3 billion) in 2022, and has a brand value of US$590 million. Barbie debuted on March 9 1959 at the New York International Toy Fair as Barbie Teenage Fashion Model. Sixty-four years later, the doll continues to be the subject of cultural, sociological and psychological interest. By creating an iconic brand with special meaning for fans of all ages (Barbie is marketed to children aged three and older), toy company Mattel has successfully extended the lifecycle of the Barbie brand for well over half a century. Barbie is also a polarising figure. The brand embodies the notion of a “double bind”, celebrated as an inspirational role model while at the same time blamed for creating unrealistic expectations of women, particularly when it comes to how they should look. But while most toys remain popular for only two or three years, Barbie’s long-term success reflects Mattel’s responsiveness and adaptability to the changing cultural and political discourse in society and around this doll. So how has the company done it? A Barbie girl, in a Barbie worldResearch shows there are many ways to build and sustain brand characters, but Mattel has used a “multiply” strategy for Barbie. This has involved introducing other characters that play supporting roles in Barbie’s “world”. Over the years, these supporting acts were introduced to portray Barbie’s relationship with friends and family. First there was Ken (1961), Barbie’s boyfriend, then her younger sister Skipper (1964), followed by friends including Midge (1963) and Christie (1968), the first black Barbie character. The storylines and individual characteristics of these additional characters connect to Barbie’s persona and increase brand visibility. Mattel has also used storytelling tactics such as announcing that Barbie and Ken had officially broken up on Valentine’s Day in 2004 (they got back together in 2011). Such stories resonate with fans’ emotions, sustaining interest in the brand. These tactics typically work for a while, but how has Mattel sustained true brand longevity for this long? There are many strategies designed to revitalise mature brands. Mattel successfully extended Barbie’s brand to capture new audiences, drive growth and expand into new types of products beyond dolls. This is a risky endeavour if the brand is stretched too far. But Barbie’s brand has been successfully extended into other profitable categories such as clothes, accessories, cosmetics and entertainment (music, movies and games). And now, after several computer-animated, direct-to-video and streaming television films, Barbie’s first big budget, live action movie will be released in cinemas in July 2023. Early reports suggest the movie – helmed by Oscar-nominee Greta Gerwig, who also directed Little Women (2019) and Lady Bird (2017) – is likely to be rated PG-13. This is not the “universal” rating you might expect for a film about a popular toy. It hints at another strand of Mattel’s successful Barbie branding strategy: nostalgia. Life in plastic, it’s fantasticAlongside ongoing efforts to appeal to young girls, Mattel also deliberately targets older consumers. Specific objects – not just toys but clothes, food such as sweets, or even items like vinyl records – can give a physical form to a set of attitudes, relationships and circumstances for people. This evokes a powerful sense of the past. This kind of nostalgia generates trust and positive attitudes towards a brand, influencing consumer preferences when it comes to choosing between toys. In addition to the upcoming film, Mattel has attempted to capitalise on the nostalgia Barbie evokes in other ways. It sells more sophisticated designer and limited edition lines of collectible dolls aimed at adult fans, for example. These items are typically sold in speciality or boutique stores, and carry higher price tags than the average doll. As Barbie’s brand has expanded and evolved, the doll has also encountered criticism. Over the years, Barbie went through many transformations to look more confident, and was marketed as having many life options, particularly when it comes to work. There are now Barbie dolls representing more than 200 careers – from astronaut, surgeon, paratrooper, game developer, architect and entrepreneur to film director and even US president. But critics have argued that these career dolls are a “misfire attempt at inspiring girls”. This negative perception of the brand’s moral vision is linked to the notion that Barbie is rooted in an ideal of femininity that still characterises women by their physical appearance. Barbie has been accused of promoting unrealistic body standards, stereotyping and objectification of women, as well as having a negative influence on girls’ self-esteem and body image. But research suggested that young girls aged between three and ten prefered the original tall and petite dolls. They were negative about “curvy” Barbie, and this doll also received intense public scrutiny. In 2017, Mattel took another significant step by introducing ethnically and racially diverse dolls of different nationalities, including the first hijab-wearing Barbie doll. However, this approach prompted criticism that Mattel was treating race and ethnic differences as “collectible”, and commodifying culture. Despite this, Barbie continues to be a toy that many children play with. The longevity and iconic status of the doll is a tribute to Mattel’s astute marketing and reinvention efforts. These have helped the brand remain relevant even now, 64 years after it was launched. Sameer Hosany, Professor of Marketing, Royal Holloway, University of London This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. |
T20 World Cup and Sri Lanka’s tourism promotion (2026-02-19T12:12:00+05:30)
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The ongoing ICC T20 World Cup – co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka – has created an atmosphere of excitement and frenzy in the island as the country is hosting a major sporting event after a long period of time. A large number of Irish tourists was seen among the crowds who watched the game between Sri Lanka and Ireland last Sunday and the confirmation of the clash between India and Pakistan has already raised the excitement associated with the tournament. Sri Lanka does not get the chance to host international sporting events regularly and hence this is a good opportunity to promote the island’s attraction as a tourist destination among travellers with high spending capacity. Last time Sri Lanka hosted an international event of this magnitude was in 2012 when the T20 World Cup was held entirely in the country. Unfortunately, it is questionable whether the tourism promotion authorities pay adequate attention to integrate such events into long-term promotion initiatives. The absence of planners with vision and foresight has always stifled the progress of many sectors of the economy and tourism is no exception. Integrating international sporting events to tourism promotion activities in a thoughtful manner is imperative at a time when analysts and observers have expressed disappointment about the level of tourism income despite the growth in arrivals. Earnings from tourism amounted to $ 3.22 billion last year, compared to $ 3.17 billion in 2024, recording a year-on-year growth of 1.6%. During the same period, tourist arrivals rose to more than 2.36 million in 2025, up from 2.05 million arrivals in 2024, reflecting a 15.1% year-on-year increase. Thus, tourism earnings per visitor declined from $ 1,543 in 2024 to $ 1,363 in 2025. A volume-driven strategy in the model of Bangkok and Bali is not ideal for a geographically small country like us, hence; we need to develop a strategy which maximises earnings per visitor through proper planning and shrewd marketing strategies. It has been observed that unlike in the past, the majority of the visitors to Sri Lanka come from places like India, China, and Russia whose average length of the stay is shorter, and spending is less than traditional European travellers. The industry as well as the economy would be best served by enhancing the income generated through tourists instead of being satisfied by merely increasing the number of visitors. Such an approach requires tourists to get exposed to more enhanced offerings and activities. In 1998, Malaysia used Commonwealth Games as part of Malaysia’s broader strategy to position itself as a modern, world-class destination and reinforced Malaysia’s emerging global tourism brand – “Malaysia, Truly Asia”. The games were strategically used as a tourism and nation-branding platform, not just a sporting event. The enormous international exposure the country receives from worldwide media coverage of an event like the T20 World Cup provides an excellent opportunity to showcase the island’s appealing tourism offerings without having to spend a lot of money. Nevertheless, the extent to which efforts are undertaken to position Sri Lanka as a sought-after travel destination by capitalising on the widespread media exposure associated with international events of this nature are not satisfactory to say the least. It is high time that policymakers make use of international sporting events as part of Sri Lanka’s long-term strategic initiatives to position the island as a tourist destination among high-spending travellers to overcome the stagnation of the industry in terms of its economic outcomes. T20 World Cup and Sri Lanka’s tourism promotion | Daily FT |
Lifestyle changes, intake of ultra-processed foods driving obesity at alarming rate: Eco Survey (2026-02-16T12:42:00+05:30)
 IANS Photo New Delhi, (IANS): Obesity is rising at an alarming rate and is today a major public health challenge in India, said Economic Survey for 2025-26 on Thursday. According to the Economic Survey, tabled in the Parliament by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the concerning trend was driven by unhealthy diets, lifestyle changes, including sedentary lifestyles, increased consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs), and environmental factors. “It is affecting people across all age groups and increasing the risk of NCDs such as diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension, impacting both urban and rural populations,” the Survey said. Citing data from the 2019-21 National Family Health Survey (NFHS), the Survey said that 24 per cent of Indian women and 23 per cent of Indian men are overweight or obese. Among women aged 15-49 years, 6.4 per cent are obese, and among men, 4.0 per cent are obese. The prevalence of excess weight among children under five has risen from 2.1 per cent in 2015-16 to 3.4 per cent in 2019-21. As per estimates, more than 3.3 crore children in India were obese in 2020, and it is projected to reach 8.3 crore children by 2035. The Economic Survey also flagged concern over the rising UPF market in the country, which is displacing long-established dietary patterns, worsening diet quality, and is associated with increased risk of multiple chronic diseases. “India is one of the fastest-growing markets for UPF sales. It grew by more than 150 per cent from 2009 to 2023. Retail sales of UPFs in India surged from $0.9 billion in 2006 to nearly $38 billion in 2019, a 40-fold rise. It is during the same period that obesity has nearly doubled in both men and women. This mirrors the global rise of obesity, parallel to dietary shifts,” it said. “The rising use of UPFs imposes a substantial economic cost through higher healthcare spending, lost productivity, and long-term fiscal strain,” it added. The Survey also cited comprehensive, multi-pronged initiatives launched by the government to prevent, manage, and reduce obesity in the country. The interventions include POSHAN Abhiyaan & Poshan 2.0, Fit India Movement, Khelo India, Eat Right India, Nationwide Awareness Campaign - ‘Aaj Se Thoda Kam’ and AAMs, the School Health Programme, and Yoga promotion.These aim to promote a holistic approach that integrates health, nutrition, physical activity, food safety, and lifestyle modifications and continue to advance the goal of a healthier, stronger, and obesity-free India. Lifestyle changes, intake of ultra-processed foods driving obesity at alarming rate: Eco Survey | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com |
Tamannaah Bhatia says her new OTT has ‘first-mover’ advantage (2026-02-11T12:16:00+05:30)
 Mumbai: Actress Tamannaah Bhatia poses for a picture during the Filmfare Glamour and Style Awards 2025 in Mumbai, Sunday, September 07, 2025. (Photo: IANS) Mumbai, September 13 (IANS) Actress Tamannaah Bhatia, who is receiving positive response to her recently released streaming show ‘Do You Wanna Partner’, has spoken about the first-mover advantage with the series, and how it had the “best of both worlds”. The actress spoke with IANS in the Khar West area of Mumbai during the promotional campaign of the show, and shared how having two directors on board, added up to the larger narrative. She told IANS, “We had the best of both worlds with Archit Kumar and Collin D’Cunha. Archit had a firm grip on emotional graph and Colin was just somebody who held fort whenever it came to anything extremely comic. They both are two very different directors but thanks to Prime Video and Dharmatic, I think we were able to pull off a very ambitious schedule and we were able to get ready very quickly but one interesting thing is that we shot the show in April last year. But in so much time, still no one has picked up this type of subject”. She further mentioned, “Considering, in today's time, there's a lot of talk about entrepreneurship, startups, there's a lot of knowledge about it, there's a lot of information but no one has picked up this type of story yet. So, we're hoping that we kind of have that first mover advantage in this space”. Earlier, Tamannaah had called her character in the show a ‘hustler’, who is impulsive and passion-driven. She said that her character in the show is more sort of voice of reason and she creates that sense of balance in her madness. Helmed by Collin D'Cunha and Archit Kumar, the series also stars Jaaved Jaaferi, Nakuul Mehta, Shweta Tiwari, Neeraj Kabi, Sufi Motiwala, and Rannvijay Singha in key roles.‘Do You Wanna Partner’ is available to stream on Prime Video. Tamannaah Bhatia says her new OTT has ‘first-mover’ advantage | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com |
After Five-Year Campaign, Woman Successfully Rallies a Nation to Protect 763,000 Square Miles of Ocean (2026-01-20T13:10:00+05:30)
Over 763,000 square miles of ocean are now protected from pollution, seabed mining, and overfishing thanks to one 48-year-old marine conservationist. Jacqueline Evans is the hero behind the Marae Moana legislation that was passed in the Cooks Islands, protecting the ocean territory rich with stunning array of marine biodiversity—including whales, sea turtles, manta rays, seabirds, several threatened shark species, and migrating humpbacks. Despite how traditional Polynesian cultures have come to rely on large-scale commercial fishing, Evans spent five years tirelessly persuading, traveling, and advocating for the legislation’s approval.In July 2017 her conservation goals became enshrined in law, and now Evans is being honored with the 2019 Goldman Prize for Islands and Island Nations. After Five-Year Campaign, Woman Successfully Rallies a Nation to Protect 763,000 Square Miles of Ocean
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Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck reunite on the red carpet (2026-01-05T12:26:00+05:30)
.jpg) Ben Affleck continues to support Jennifer Lopez's professional endeavors, People reports. Lopez, 56, stars in the upcoming musical, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and appeared at the Monday, Oct. 6, New York City premiere. Along with Lopez, the film's executive producer, Affleck, made a surprise appearance at the N.Y.C. event. Affleck and Matt Damon’s Artist Equity production company co-produced the movie. At the premiere, the former couple posed together in celebration of the production. A few photos captured the two A-listers chatting with each other on the carpet. Affleck, 53, also spoke to the press about the film. For the occasion, Lopez wore a sculptural gown from Harris Reed's spring 2026 collection. Ahead of the screening, Lopez introduced the film and thanked her ex-husband, saying, “Thank you so much, thank you everybody for being here tonight. Thank you, Ben, this movie wouldn’t have been made without Ben and without Artist Equity.” “I read the script, if you know, I was in bed and I was just floored," she continued. "I was just like could this be happening right now. I get to sing, I get to dance, I get to act. I get to be an old-time Hollywood movie star." Affleck's supportive appearance follows their 2025 divorce. The former couple initially met in 2002 and began dating. After ending their engagement in 2004, they both pursued other relationships and started families of their own. Then in 2021, they rekindled their romance and they married in an intimate Las Vegas ceremony in July 2022. The next month, they celebrated their nuptials with a second ceremony in Georgia in front of friends and family.In 2024 they split, citing irreconcilable differences. They settled their divorce in February. Source: https://www.panorama.am/
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How advertising can repurpose itself to serve cities in more sustainable ways (2026-01-01T13:36:00+05:30)
Sergio Brodsky, RMIT UniversityNoisy, ugly and dirty. Advertising has polluted cities, annoyed consumers, and jeopardised its own existence. Beyond a mass-media cacophony, brand communications’ significant carbon footprint and runaway consumption are certainly contributing to what economists call market failure. In this sense, should messages such as a City of Melbourne campaign inviting people to cycle more even be allowed? On the one hand, it is better to communicate a solution (cycling) to the issue than not. On the other, if the communication contributes to the problem more than the solution, what’s the point of it? Jerry Seinfeld’s 2014 infamous line at the Clio awards called out the advertising sector to its face:
Still, contrary to that sentiment, marketers and their brands can (and should) move away from being part of the problem to becoming part of the solution for sustainable development and the industry’s own sustainability. Offering a new outlookThe urbanisation megatrend wholly underpins other forces shaping the way we live, now and in the future. Although cities occupy only 2% of Earth’s landmass, that is where 75% of energy consumption occurs. Advertising growth is also concentrated in big cities. Because of increased demand for ever more comfortable lifestyles, urban infrastructures have been feeling “growing pains” for decades now. Whether it’s energy, education, health, waste management or safety, cities’ services are struggling to keep up with their larger and “hungrier” populations. The strategic opportunity here is to reframe brand communications from the promotion of conspicuous consumption to becoming a regenerative force in the economy of cities. That means using brands’ touch points as more than mere messengers, but rather delivering public utility services. I’ve coined it Urban Brand-Utility. For example, Domino’s Pizza’s Paving for Pizza program fixes potholes, cracks and bumps said to be responsible for “irreversible damage” to pizzas during the drive home. This may sound silly, but the US National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission estimates that simply to maintain the nation’s highways, roads and bridges requires investment by all levels of government of US$185 billion a year for the next 50 years. Today, the US invests about US$68 billion a year. In Moscow, major Russian real estate developers approached Sberbank to collaborate on better infrastructure planning in residential areas. People’s opinions on local needs fuelled targeted campaigns, promoting loans for small businesses. The “Neighbourhoods” campaign generated nine times as many small-business responses as traditional bank loan advertising. In other words, people had their needs met. And neighbourhoods become more attractive as a result. The city increases tax collection from the new businesses being set up, which also reduces the costs of having to deal with derelict areas. A shift to serving citizen-consumersIf we could see ourselves as citizen-consumers, as opposed to individual shoppers in the market, every dollar spent would enable business to tackle the issues that matter most. Here’s a hypothetical situation. Let’s assume Domino’s Paving for Pizza program is taken to its full potential, generating a large surplus to the City of Bartonville by minimising the costs of repairing potholes. Rather than treating this as a one-off campaign, smart mayors would try to create a virtuous cycle, where the city retains 50% of the surplus, 25% is returned to the advertiser, and 25% goes to the agency and media owner – a value only unlocked by repeating the approach. This way, marketing budgets are effectively turned into investment funds. The returns are in the form of brand cut-through, happier customers, social impact and more effective city management, as shown in the model below. Brands with some level of foresight will be able to broaden their audiences from customers to citizens and their revenue model from sales to the creation of shared value. These will be game-changers for profit and prosperity. Markets, choice and competition are not just a consumer’s best friend, but their civic representation. After all, as one of the tribunes asks the crowd in Shakespeare’s Coriolanus: “What is the city but the people?” Sergio Brodsky, Sessional Lecturer, Marketing, RMIT University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. |
British Rail wasn’t all bad. Sixty years after the brand launched we should remember its marketing successes (2025-12-24T12:39:00+05:30)
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Lewis Smith, Brunel University of London, In 2025 Britain is marking the 200th anniversary of the modern railway. Many will be quick to celebrate the legacy of steam engines and the old red lion railway logo, but there’s one bit of Britain’s railway that perhaps doesn’t get enough praise – British Rail. Abbreviated to BR, the brand is 60 this year. BR officially began trading in 1965 and ended with the privatisation of the railways in 1997. But despite the brand coming to the end of the line, many of its iconic elements remain on the railways today. These include the “double arrow” logo, the font known as Rail Alphabet and a whole palette of colours and styles. State-owned Great British Railways, which is replacing Network Rail as the operator of most of Britain’s rail infrastructure as well as taking over the privatised franchise system, will unveil a logo in May. This may well incorporate the double arrow. The messaging is about the hope of “restoring pride” in Britain’s rail network. BR as an organisation, on the other hand, has an often controversial legacy. Those who remember it are quick to complain of late-running trains, high fares and a poor standard of service – including the soggy British Rail sandwich. This legacy is often politicised. One could equally argue that it was a cutting-edge business that served the people in times of dire economic crises, with recessions in the 1970s and 80s as well as the decline in manufacturing that led to widespread unemployment. The railways were nationalised under the 1947 Transport Act and managed by “British Railways”. Back in the 1950s, the railway had a poor reputation. As one survey respondent described, the railway was a “big, monolithic institution, not at all concerned with the welfare of the individual”. Trains were often late and dirty, the result of a lack of investment combined with the dying days of the steam era. Coupled to this, British Railways was hesitant about outside intervention, whether from managers, government officials or even passengers. Efforts to improve the railway began with the 1955 modernisation plan, which made a number of strategic recommendations. But by 1960 it had failed to deliver any financial benefits. For all nationalised industries in Britain, the 1960s were different. With the release of a government white paper in 1961, all the state-owned industries including gas, electricity and airways were set financial targets. One of the outcomes of this for the railways was Dr Richard Beeching’s Reshaping of British Railways plan published in 1963. It included a number of changes, including slashing the number of unprofitable routes. My recent research has examined BR marketing in the 1960s and 1970s, and found that this period represented one of great change in the history of marketing the railways. This included the introduction of the “British Rail” brand, with the publication of a corporate identity manual in July 1965. This represented management slowly opening up to recruit marketing and PR experts from the private sector, including from consumer giants like L'Oréal. Compared to other operators in Europe, BR received one of the lowest government subsidies. Over its operational life, BR fought hard to innovate in the market with the support and resources it had. It used new methods to locate and identify consumers, targeted advertising and services, and teamed up with private-sector giants like Kellogg’s and Persil with offers for discounted tickets. It also created new pricing structures, including Awaydays, Weekend Returns and Railcards. A fierce competitor
As a nationalised railway, it might be easy to assume that BR had a monopoly and therefore did not have to compete. But this couldn’t be further from the reality. The car business was booming, with cheaper, more reliable models on offer. And, thanks to government infrastructure policy, more roads, car parks and fuel stations were being built. Other domestic transport like coaches (the National Bus Company was formed in 1968) applied constant pressure. And British Airways launched its domestic “shuttle” services between London and other UK cities in 1975, promising passengers they could just “turn up and go” without the need to book. This also marked a point at which marketing experts shifted their focus from places to people, identifying not only who wanted to travel but why. This included focusing on specific market segments by gender. In the 1970s, BR’s InterCity launched a TV campaign with the slogan “Travel Inter-City Like the Men Do”, which focused efforts on middle-aged women looking to travel to get away from their domestic duties. Rail travel could be a feminist issue too. Similarly, messaging for business travellers tightened. Before the 1960s, business travel was about luxury. Now it was about economic efficiency, where businessmen could work, eat and sleep on the train in advance of their meetings (none of which you could do if you were driving to a meeting). In the 1980s, before his horrifying crimes came to light, BR brought in TV star Jimmy Savile as the face of rail travel. Although hard to believe today, given what the public now knows about Savile, it was a coup at the time because of his media and business profile. But today, the railways are at a turning point. The government’s plans to nationalise railway franchises has prompted excitement from organisations like passenger group Bring Back British Rail. Let’s be clear: nationalisation on its own is not a silver bullet, though the BR case shows that it should be possible to have a nationalised industry that can serve the public interest and compete within the wider economy. Crucially, BR was an innovative marketer. What follows next should endeavour to be the same.  This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. |
Historic Tokyo Bridge Liberated from Concrete Overpass Will Shine Again Thanks to Grassroots Campaign (2025-12-22T13:29:00+05:30)
 Nihonbashi Bridge before WWII – credit Urbz CC 2.0. via Flickr24-09-2025, Imagine the outrage if construction of a highway interchange was approved directly overhead of the Brooklyn Bridge—that’s what one Tokyo neighborhood has had to deal with for more than 60 years. The most historic bridge in the city has long been bathed in the shadow and tumult of a concrete overpass, but things are looking up for the Nihonbashi Bridge—literally.  The bridge under the overpass – credit Charles, CC 2.0. via Flickr A coalition of the metropolitan governments is preparing to remove the overpass as part of an urban rejuvenation project. The result will take the area back to the days of the Meiji Restoration, when the bridge was a center of community activity, and a symbol of both progress and order. Construction of Nihonbashi was ordered in 1603 by the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, and it was to serve a huge purpose in the future organization of the state. It was considered the first reference node of the entire Japanese national road network at the time. The network consisted of five postal routes which reached from Tokyo—then the prosperous merchant-artist-fishing town called Edo—to the Imperial capital at Kyoto, and four other major provincial capitals. Road signs to and from the locations grew or shrank in distance according to the sign’s distance from Nihonbashi Bridge. It was the point from which all distances in the country were measured, and this collection of digitized postcards and other drawings shows how it and the neighborhood named after it changed over the years.  A depiction of the Nihonbashi Bridge during the Edo period – credit, Urbz, CC 2.0. via Flickr Rebuilt in a European style in 1911, it survived all the ravages of World War II, only to be crowded over by the elevated expressway during the hasty modernization of the city in the lead up to the ’64 Summer Olympics. “Historically, Nihonbashi used to be a place where people could look up and see Mount Fuji,” Taneo Nakamura, chairman a local preservation group pushing to remove the overpass, told Japan Times. “Now, you look up and just see concrete.” Nakamura was an executive of a department store chain that had a location near the bridge, and he was there day in and day out while it was being built. “At the time, the river was dirty and the area run-down, so there was excitement about modernization,” he said. “But when it was completed, the structure was lower and darker than anyone had expected. The entire atmosphere of the bridge was lost.” On the current bridge’s centennial year, the Tohoku earthquake struck the city, and the government began reassessing infrastructure on a nationwide scale. Nakamura and other community leaders seized the opportunity to collect signatures on a petition calling for the overpass to be removed, and to bring “light to the river” again. Half a million John Hancocks later, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Chuo Ward municipal government, national government, and Metropolitan Expressway, formally submitted a plan for a $2.2 billion rejuvenation project that would see the overpass move underground, and the bridge returned to its place at the center of the community. A hugely sensitive project that will involve tunneling under the river and between subway lines all while redirecting a major traffic artery, it will be coupled with the building of a riverside pedestrian walkway about 0.8 miles long lined with recreation areas. Tunneling is slated for completion by the next decade, and the whole area should be finished by 2040. Historic Tokyo Bridge Liberated from Concrete Overpass Will Shine Again Thanks to Grassroots Campaign |
Hyundai Motor, Kia showcase latest electric SUVs at LA Auto Show (2025-12-17T11:31:00+05:30)
 IANS Photo Los Angeles, November 22 (IANS): Hyundai Motor said on Friday it has showcased the Ioniq 9, the company's first large electric SUV at the Los Angeles Auto Show, along with over 40 other models. The Ioniq 9 is set to launch in early 2025, starting in South Korea, followed by rollouts in the United States, Europe and other regions. For the US market, the vehicle will be manufactured at the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, the automaker's dedicated EV plant in Georgia, reports Yonhap news agency. It boasts a spacious and lounge-like interior, which can accommodate up to seven occupants, and a "sleek aerosthetic" exterior design that reflects the company's commitment to blending aerodynamic innovation and sophisticated, futuristic styling, according to the company. The car also features its innovative E-GMP architecture to enhance the power electric system, which works as an engine and power inverter for hill climbing and efficient driving. Hyundai also unveiled the Initium, a hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) concept car, for the first time in North America. The concept model provides a glimpse into the design and product direction of Hyundai's passenger FCEV, set to debut in the first half of 2025. Hyundai's booth features 42 vehicles, including the Ioniq 9, Initium, Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6 and the Santa Fe SUV. The Santa Fe has been named a finalist for the 2025 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year at the L.A. Auto Show. Jose Munoz, Hyundai's global chief operating officer, highlighted Hyundai's strong U.S. performance and said the company anticipates achieving its highest annual retail sales in the U.S. market this year. Meanwhile, Kia said it has unveiled the high-performance version of its flagship EV9 electric SUV at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The EV9 GT, which made its debut at the LA Convention Center, features a 160 kilowatt front motor and a 270 kilowatt rear motor, delivering a targeted maximum output of 508 horsepower. The three-row model is the first Kia SUV to be equipped with an advanced suspension system, ensuring stable handling and ride comfort. Its electronic stability control functionality optimally adjusts the shock absorbers' damping force by utilising road surface data from its front camera and navigation inputs. The EV9 GT is scheduled for release in South Korea in the first half of 2025. Kia also showcased revamped versions of the EV6 and Sportage SUVs, both making their North American debut.The EV6, which was a finalist for the 2023 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year, and the Sportage, Kia's best-selling model in the United States, are expected to perform well in the market following their updates, according to the company. Hyundai Motor, Kia showcase latest electric SUVs at LA Auto Show | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com |