Oh dear! 

Elon Musk's dalliance with social media doesn't seem to be bearing fruit, with the news that UK revenues from the platform have fallen by 60% over the past year. I can't see them recovering any time soon, what with the brand image being generated both by Elon Musk and the use of Grok to create sexually explicit imagery.  

This article highlights a company that, for a long time, has been one of the nation's darlings, Greggs. However, the proposed expansion of Greggs, with investment in two new factories and the stated intention to add another 800 stores to their portfolio, has received a mixed reception.

For some, given falling sales in 2025, it smacks of desperation, although you might argue that poor macroeconomic performance has affected sales more than anything intrinsic to the company itself. However, think about what Business Management concepts you might be able to apply - the product life cycle? What about the marketing mix? Or the implications of income elasticity of demand which may, or may not, be part of your syllabus but which is certainly a concept that you should become aware of. 

I rather like the comment of analyst, Dan Coatsworth: “Greggs is at a massive strategic turning point and the bosses need to do something,” he said. “Banging the drum saying nothing is wrong is not cutting the mustard. What’s wrong with doing what you do now and doing it really well?” 

I've put this here - it could equally be Microeconomics - but it seems as though Elon Musk's ill-advised foray into politics and his continuous sniping on social media have damaged the Tesla brand to the extent that EU sales for November are down by around a third. 

Oh dear, what a pity!

Asda's had a tough time, what with IT-related issues and the stagnant economy, and the complaint about the higher costs of business and fragile consumer confidence will resonate with many businesses. 

However, you'd also have to point out that the simple fact of the matter is that they are out-competed at either end of the market. Discounters undercut them, other stores are perceived as being of greater quality. Both are issues that Asda itself needs to tackle. 

Worth a look for Business Management students used to the ubiquity of low cost carriers operating from British airports, this BBC article celebrates the 30th anniversary of EasyJet taking to the skies, and it's remarkable to think how the business has changed - you used to book your flights over the telephone as the livery of the planes invited you to. 

However, Stelios Haji-Ioannnou, was a pioneer and many of the features of his venture have been replicated, not least the 20 minute turn around time. It's worth noting that 30 years on, a business with one aircraft and 77 staff has become Britain's largest airline, "356 aircraft, more than 1200 routes, and employs 19,000 staff – including 3,847 in Luton".

This Sarah Butler piece looks at the re-birth of the Next brand - with the clothing retailer seeming to be revitalised by a strategy of acquiring a number of other labels, signing licensing agreements with other brands and selling their products online and a rethink about its product range, and thus its marketing mix. 

It shows how third-party brands and online sales have helped the company regain its position in the market at a time when other brands are struggling. 

This could easily go in the International Economics section of the board but I've whacked it here because the Business Management syllabus looks explicitly at outsourcing. This BBC article highlights how outsourcing is a valuable source of income in South Africa, where unemployment is around 33%. 

It highlights how outsourcing can benefit the recipient economy and the workers that end up working for UK and US firms. In the case of South Africa, there are a number of advantages that extend beyond lower wages: employees speak English and the time zone means that they are effectively working at the same time as their UK -based colleagues. For the employees, too, there are higher wages.  

Ha ha. A Business Management 'scoop': a sharp increase in the number of cyber attacks, as reported by the National Cyber-Security Centre (NCSC), has led to them offering some sage advice.

Firms should have their contingency plans for such an eventuality written down on paper, and have paper-based alternative systems available on standby.   

The issue of cyber security is part of the IB syllabus, albeit a small part. However, I can see that future years examination questions will start to ask about cyber attacks and their potential impact on a business, making this sort of article essential reading.

It talks about the costs of such attacks, their increased frequency and the impact on revenues and brand image for the companies' affected.

More evidence of the importance of cyber security and information management systems, with the news that a cyber attack on Co-op cost the group an estimated £80m in profits last year. The attack gained members' data and damaged supply chain. 

It looks like Amazon's plans for world domination have been put on hold, with the news that it's to close its 19 UK grocery stores, almost all of them in London, albeit that 5 of them are being converted into Whole Foods stores instead. 

I particularly like the comments of the analyst: "I think that grocery everywhere in the world, including the UK is very competitive...It's unlikely that Amazon Fresh has created a differentiated offering and it may not even have ideal locations, so it's probably not been set up well for success from the start." However, even as an outsider, I doubt whether it would have taken me - or most good Business Management students that long to have figured this out. 

I scoop this because the Ben & Jerry's brand is iconic, and what has happened to it since it was bought by Unilever, and subsequently being spun off to the Magnum Ice Cream Company, is a depressingly familiar tale. The social activism that helped give the brand its appeal has been sidelined, and as a result, co-founder Jerry Greenfield, who's been with the company for nearly 50 years has had enough. He's resigned, symbolising the end for the original culture inculcated by one of the most famous iconoclastic brands.  

It's here, it's annual and for afficionados of the iPhone, it will be a must have. Apple have launched a thinner iPhone with a price tag of $999 and also enhanced AirPods and the Apple Watch. Plenty to think about in relation to marketing, brand loyalty and, for the economists who stray here, PED.

Really nice article about the rare concept of crisis management, with Nestle having to recall batches of baby formula for fear of contamination with toxins inducing sickness in babies. 

You'd have thought that an organization like Nestle would have done some contingency planning and even run some staff training in case of such an eventuality, and this should minimize the potential damage to the brand. It will be fascinating to see how this plays out. 

It's worth noting that BYD is now the world's leading selling electric vehicle seller, having overtaken Tesla. It's facing intense competition within China, but has become increasingly popular elsewhere and is estimated to have sold 2.25m cars in 2025, with an 880% increase in its UK sales illustrative of this rise. 

A quick peak at the new branding for Great British Railways, with a reworking of the Union Flag, and the promise of better things to come. 

The cost of the cyber attack on Jaguar Land Rover is apparent in its latest quarterly figures - revenues down 24% on the same quarter last year and The carmaker posted a £485m loss...compared with a profit of £398m for the same period a year ago."

Proof of the scale of the threat that a cyber-attack poses: it has cost Marks & Spencer an estimated £101m and around 55% of its pre-tax profit for the first six months of the year, despite the company receiving a £100m insurance payout. 

After a slightly disappointing quarter to September, Apple CEO Tim Cook has forecast 10%-12% revenue growth as a result of its new phones - the iPhone17, the iPhone 17 Pro and the super thin iPhone Air. Apple is pinning its hopes on sales picking up in China.

This is a fantastic article that every Business Management student should look at - Sarah Butler looks at how Tesco has quietly enhanced its position as grocery retail market leader, with market share up to 28.3% from 26.5% in 2020, largely as a result of smaller stores and online retail. The latter means that Tesco is responsible for 37% of all online grocery sales.

The other things that are also highlighted are the power of Clubcard and how Tesco might better leverage this, and the low profit margin that the company has as a result of the competitiveness of the UK grocery sector. 

And on the back of the previous story, it's a big day for Jaguar Land Rover as the carmaker's engine factory in Wolverhampton is restarting production, good news for suppliers.

That said, some of the smaller suppliers have already had to lay off workers and there's criticism of the government intervention because none of the funds offered have found their way down to the bottom of the supply chain. 

I'll just pop this here - the author of a book entitled "Enshittification Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It". He argues that Amazon is symptomatic of the modern world, and charts its decline. It's worth a read just to see whether you agree with it or not.

Has Disney lost its lustre? Certainly this Guardian article suggests that the wholesome values that used to be a central feature of the Disney brand are in short supply as the organisation abandons diversity and inclusivity. 

However, is its decline a function of the company and a failure of its culture or is it symptomatic of the wider challenges that face the market, not least because moviemaking simply isn't as profitable as it used to be. 

An excellent opinion piece in the Guardian looking at the decision of Jerry Greenfield to step away from his role with Ben & Jerry's and wondering about whether this signals something about the wider American business environment, namely that business - like everybody else - must kow-tow to the President.

It's a striking title too - is the era of corporate social responsibility over? And what does this mean for brands who purpose goes beyond profit and shareholder value?

This article suggests that one iconic craft brewing brand BrewDog has lost its lustre, with revenues flat. Some attribute this to a change in ownership with private equity taking a stake in the company, factor in reports of a "toxic culture" at the brewer and its brand image has certainly been tarnished .However, is this an almost inevitable consequence of successful, and rapid, growth?

It's a thought provoking article that all Business Management students should read.