Simplicity may be the secret to creating a powerful brand and a strong workforce. Howard Belk, Co-CEO and Chief Creative Officer at Siegel+Gale, a brand strategy firm, was with us to share best practices for becoming a brand champion.
Uber is one company that could use some advice to help clean up its public image. Belk says the company's breakdown was that the C-Suite didn't act in a way that was consistent with the values they preached. He says it will be hard for Uber to pull off an image revamp if the company isn't clearer about its mission and values.
Snap is another brand struggling to express its mission. Belk says the problem isn't technology or leadership. Instead, he believes it is an issue of creating value. If your higher purpose doesn't make the register ring, Belk says, then you need to go back to the drawing table and re-work at the whole business model.
Orangetheory Fitness is redefining the future of workouts with smarter tech, strength-based programming, and community-driven studios built for what’s next.
Spain's government has fined Airbnb 64 million euros or $75 million for advertising unlicensed tourist rentals. The consumer rights ministry announced the fine on Monday. The ministry stated that many listings lacked proper license numbers or included incorrect information. The move is part of Spain's ongoing efforts to regulate short-term rental companies amid a housing affordability crisis especially in popular urban areas. The ministry ordered Airbnb in May to remove around 65,000 listings for similar violations. The government's consumer rights minister emphasized the impact on families struggling with housing. Airbnb said it plans to challenge the fine in court.
Roomba maker iRobot has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, but says that it doesn’t expect any disruptions to devices as the more than 30-year-old company is taken private under a restructuring process. iRobot said that it is being acquired by Picea through a court-supervised process. Picea is the company's primary contract manufacturer. The Bedford, Massachusetts-based anticipates completing the prepackaged chapter 11 process by February.
Serbia’s prosecutor for organized crime has charged a government minister and three others with abuse of position and falsifying of documents related to a luxury real estate project linked to U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. The charges came on Monday. The investigation centers on a controversy over a a bombed-out military complex in central Belgrade that was a protected cultural heritage zone but that is facing redevelopment as a luxury compound by a company linked to Kushner. The $500 million proposal to build a high-rise hotel, offices and shops at the site has met fierce opposition from experts at home and abroad. Selakovic and others allegedly illegally lifted the protection status for the site by falsifying documentation.
