Weekly Wrap Up: Predicting the future with social media

Last week it was revealed that a new trading platform, Trading.co.uk, aims to inform traders about potentially market-moving events hours before they hit mainstream news outlets. How do they do this I hear you ask? No, not through a call center like room filled with psychics. The platform simply tracks social media conversations.

I use the word ‘simply’, as the website actually analyses 22bn bits of data every day from various social media channels, including twitter and blogs, alerting users if it spots a spike in activity or sentiment. So, just a bit of light cyber stalking then.

Closer to home, such technology could change the way PRs handle crisis communications for their clients. Imagine if your organisation’s communications advisor could pick up a potential crisis situation before the press did, even if it was only by an hour or two. That way you and your advisor would have between 20 and 120 minutes (that is the length of time estimated by Trading.co.uk between the event being flagged and a price movement) to calm the waters, correct the error, prepare for the storm, and mitigate the situation.

The platform uses an example that it identified the Smiler roller coaster crash at Alton Towers within minutes, nearly an hour before media reports were published and Merlin Entertainment’s share price dropped by 10pc. Another example where the algorithm caught on was with the public opinion fallout regarding Volkswagen. By picking up the words “recall”, “pollution”, “cheating”, “EPA”, “scandal”, “tests”, “pollution” and “emissions”, the platform caught wind of the potential story around two hours before markets closed that Friday. News outlets subsequently picked up the story after trading hours and shares in the car manufacturer had fallen 16pc when markets opened on Monday.

However Gareth Mann, Chief Executive of Trading.co.uk stresses that “it’s not a predictive analytics engine, it’s an indicator that something’s going on that you need to look at.” In case you were wondering too, the algorithm, which continually evolves and learns as it goes along, uses only 10pc of the data available to it, ignoring information that would not be relevant to the markets such as a person tweeting ‘I don’t like my phone’ compared to a conversation about company results or a CEO’s behavior.

If this technology is proved to consistently work, it is a real game changer for all industries that involve reacting to unexpected human or business catastrophes. That also includes the media, who wouldn't want to miss out on this prediction tool. This shows how much social media has taken hold of our daily lives. We look to social media platforms for news and more specifically flash news before traditional media outlets. Even the press now look to these areas by way of informing themselves.

Social media platforms are becoming the first port of call where customers or the public make complaints or voice their grievances, therefore it is important for organisations to be fully engaged with these outlets in order to get a better grasp on public sentiment that could potentially affect their reputations. Perhaps it is time for the communications industry to adapt this technology so that in the near future, it can benefit clients and Companies by helping them to be better prepared to respond to special situations.



Last week, Crowe Clark Whitehill appointed Lisa Mead as its Private Client tax partner. Ashurt appointed Nick Elverston and Amada Hale to its global TMT team.



Cyber stalking – The action of searching for people online in order to find more information about them whether this is for business purposes on LinkedIn.



Sunset Boulevard
Glenn Close will be performing in her West End debut in Andrew Lloyd Webber's celebrated musical Sunset Boulevard at the London Coliseum 1 April–7 May.

Christie’s Lates
On the first Tuesday of every month, Christies will keep their doors open late. Between 6pm and 8:30pm for a post-work drink, to hear experts talk about art, interior design and collecting, and to see what happens behind the scenes at 85 Old Brompton Road

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Abchurch’s University Shadow Day: Thanks Y’All!

As the London representative of IPREX, Abchurch recently had the opportunity to host a group of communications students from Georgia Southern University. The trip was organised by IPREX so that these future PR Professionals could gain some first-hand insight into the industry. It was eventful day that included a presentation by CEO Julian Bosdet on how PR works, a social media presentation and even an opportunity for the students to participate in a brainstorm.

For Abchurch, one of the best parts of this experience was reading what the students had to say about the day in their blogposts.

It seems many students enjoyed trying their hand at PR, and one of our visitors even went as far as to describe the brainstorming session as an, “… incredibly cool hands-on look into how that firm handles choosing various pitch and marketing ideas.”

Another student wrote, “They gave us the chance to brainstorm some ideas for a new project using the communication tool kit. Doing this made me so excited to get into the world of Public Relations.”

And their enthusiasm was contagious – the Abchurch team really enjoyed hearing what the students had to say. We couldn’t agree more with the student who wrote, “It was pretty amazing to see how a simple discussion (which is part of a larger creative formula) could potentially help a brand find success in a new market.”

But a shadow day isn’t all about work – it was also an opportunity for Abchurch to shape the image of PR professionals among the next generation of graduates. We seem to have done well, at least in one young person’s mind. “When Dr. Groover told the class we are going to a PR firm my mind automatically made them stuck up PR people who don’t love their jobs. I was surprised with how professional and fun the experience was.”

She went on to say, “Public Relations is not my major, but the experience at Abchurch made me think differently of PR professionals.”

One of the most valuable outcomes of this visit is that students were able to see academic theory in action. One student noted, “Recently, I had to write a blog post about the use of different social media platforms in the workplace. It was interesting for me to see how the information that I had found on the topic aligned with that of Abchurch.”

Of course, there are going to be big differences between the classroom and the workplace, as noted by another student, “I have taken several public relations classes; therefore, I feel as if I am fully prepared for the writing part of public relations. However, class cannot prepare me for the actual business environment. I enjoyed seeing everything in action and learning about what working in a corporate public relations firm entails.”

Of course, every PR person knows you can’t give all your secrets away, as noted by one of our undergrad guests, “Though I could not figure out how [Jamie] managed to get his hair to look both tousled but put together, his presentation on social media messages was flawless.”

Overall, both sides seemed to have benefitted from the experience. Our young American friends gained some real-world experience but Abchurch was also reminded that young graduates, who have never had a more difficult time entering the workforce, offer something just as valuable as years of industry experience: fresh ideas that will shape the future of the PR profession.

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Corporate Communications: The double-edged sword of Social Media

There’s a big reason why corporations should be monitoring social media. The Wall Street Journal recently reported on the increasing number of retail investors using social media to discuss and research their trades. The fact that the average investor can now easily access and share information about a stock means companies need to be aware of what is happening. Unlike the chatrooms often used by retail investors, social media reaches a much wider and mainstream audience.

Social media has undoubtedly changed the way the world communicates. So why are many corporations ignoring or misusing what is arguably the most influential means of communication in the twenty-first century?

The corporate communications industry has arguably been slow to embrace social media. Perhaps that’s because this channel of communication is not taken seriously enough – it’s often still associated with embarrassing Facebook profiles. But social media has evolved in the last decade to the point where a lack of social media strategy is not only a missed opportunity – it’s risky and perhaps even irresponsible.

Consider the many benefits of having a corporate social media presence. Social media can be used to respond swiftly, and very publicly, to an unforeseen crisis. The recent example of the GermanWings crash demonstrates this: The Company was able to immediately respond to media reports that one of its planes had lost contact, and they continued to use Twitter to update the public as soon as the information became available.

This points to perhaps one of the greatest benefits of social media for corporate communications: Control. Social media can and should be used to get the message you want out to a wider audience without an intermediary such as a journalist. Newsfeeds and blogs offer the opportunity to create, and control content on what a corporation is doing, how it does it and who is doing it. It increases transparency and is helpful for everyone – clients, investors, potential investors and the media.

Social media’s widespread reach is also why this channel of communication is a double-edged sword. Just ask the investment bank JP Morgan Chase, who once invited the public to “Tweet a Q using #AskJPM.” It was meant to give career advice but ended up going viral, with twitter users asking questions such as, “Did you have a specific number of people’s lives you needed to ruin before you considered your business model a success?” and “What section of the poor & disenfranchised have you yet to exploit for profit, & how are you working to address that?”

In the post-credit crunch era, it should have been obvious that this Twitter campaign was a bad idea. But that doesn’t mean JP Morgan should have avoided social media entirely. Social media is also a useful way to measure sentiment. This process of identifying and assessing what is being said about a corporation or brand is known as social media listening. Had JP Morgan done this first, it would have been able to predict the results of #AskJPM.

Simply put, a corporate communications strategy can’t ignore social media but also has to be very careful when it comes to execution. It gets down to the heart of the purpose of PR: Enhancing and protecting reputations. And in the digital era, it’s pretty obvious this can’t be done without a well thought out social media strategy.

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Weekly Wrap Up: The £5bn tweet

Twitter got a taste of its own medicine this week when its first quarter earnings were leaked… via a tweet. Irony aside, this was no joke: it only took four tweets of 140 characters or less to wipe more than £5bn off of Twitter’s stock in the final hours of trading on Tuesday.

So how did Twitter become the victim of its own viral reach?

Twitter was supposed to announce its first quarter earnings after close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange (where the company is listed). Unfortunately for Twitter, somebody at NASDAQ, which runs Twitter’s investor relations site, decided it would be a good idea to post the results early.

Posting the results two hours early on the investor relations website might not have been such a catastrophe if no one had noticed. But a financial data platform called Selerity uses automated technology to go through the various sources and detect important events for the markets. It’s known as data scraping and it has become a powerful tool for banks, hedge funds and proprietary trading firms – in other words, those trying to get an edge over the markets.

It wasn’t the first time Selerity struck – Microsoft is among their other victims – and it probably won’t be the last. And it isn’t just Selerity that leaks earnings – according to the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg journalists are known for trying to find corporate news releases early. All it takes is typing in the web address for a company’s earnings release and then adjusting the URL to change the number of the quarter. So it seems that this problem is quite preventable with a password, firewall, or even waiting to post the results.

What the leak meant for Twitter was that the Company didn't have the chance to present the results in a formal statement, which would have undoubtedly positioned them more favourably. There was certainly some positive news in the report: Twitter surpassed the 300 million active users mark for the first time. Instead, the bad news got out while markets were still trading and Twitter completely lost control of the narrative.

The Twitter debacle demonstrates the power and influence of social media in Financial PR and investor relations. It’s an excellent way to get good news out fast, but also difficult to control. After all, apparently not even Twitter itself can prevent damaging tweets.



As well as multiple sets of client results this week, Abchaps hosted a Technology themed Market Lunch this week where the discussion included cyber securtiy, and a sector generalist one.



Edison announced three UK equity analyst appointments: Neil Basten joins its industrials team from USS Investment Management; Lucy Codrington joins the healthcare team from SC Strategy, and Eric Opara joins the technology team from M&G Investment. Meanwhile Fidelity Worldwide Investment appointed Sajiv Vaid to its fixed income investment team as co-manager of the Fidelity MoneyBuilder Income and Fidelity Extra Income funds.



"Viral Reach" – The measurement of the number of people who saw or shared a tweet or social media post. A Tweet can now potentially reach over 300 million people - which Twitter learned the hard way is not always a good thing.



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Weekly Wrap Up: This will blow your mind

With a headline like that, how could you NOT read this blog post? After all, that’s the point of click bait, the internet phenomenon made popular by websites such as Upworthy and Buzzfeed. Click bait essentially exploits the curiosity gap by omitting a key piece of information to entice someone to click and/or keep reading.

The digital era has created a wealth of opportunity to reach a much wider audience. But there has also been a struggle to understand how, exactly, one should go about doing so. This is certainly true for the PR industry, but also for traditional news organizations and even businesses, and it makes the extraordinary success of the click bait strategy all the more enviable.

So it came as somewhat of a surprise this week when Business Insider reported that Upworthy's cofounder Peter Koechley apologized for the sensational headlines that made him rich – and his website famous - at the Guardian's Changing Media Summit in London this week. Going forward, he’s saying “good-bye to click bait”.

Upworthy successfully embraced the digital disruption – so why change strategy now?

The problem with Upworthy’s click bait headlines is that they tend to over promise and then under deliver. And eventually readers will catch on and stop falling for the same trick.

On the other hand, if your headline is incredibly boring it doesn’t matter if your content over delivers – no one will bother reading it. That’s exactly why click bait headlines shouldn’t be so easily dismissed. They do offer something. After all, they get people reading.

So here’s where your mind is blown: the solution is actually quite simple, and Koechley pointed to it at the Guardian event. He went on to say that Upworthy’s new approach would include sharing powerful stories “…that put you in someone else's shoes to help you see the world in other people's eyes."

The Upworthy example underscores that any piece of writing in the digital era – whether it’s a press release, news article or even blog post - needs to not only capture a reader’s attention but also deliver on content.

So go ahead and write an intriguing headline that sparks interest – just make sure your writing actually fills that curiosity gap.



This week Abchurch hosted two successful market lunches and had insightful discussions with City advisers on the sentiments of the IPO market and the potential effect the 2015 election will have. We also hosted the Allenby Capital team for an enjoyable evening, as well as travelling to Newcastle to celebrate Quantum Pharma’s successful floatation on AIM party.



Investec Investment Banking appointed Serge Rissi as a director of financial sponsor transaction group, whilst Sarah Owen-Jones joined Rathbone Brothers as chief risk officer from RBS. Meanwhile, Baker Tilly appointed Rowan Williams as head of its professional services group.



"Click bait" – exploiting the curiosity gap by omitting a key piece of information to entice someone to click and/or keep reading.



If you are a beer drinker, you can’t miss this weekend Over the Hop Festival at the White Horse in Parsons Green. There will be live music, an outdoor BBQ and Six Nations screenings on Saturday.

Fancy a bit of Asia this weekend? Silk Road travels to Marylebone for one long weekend. The seventh annual Asia House Fair will feature dozens of exhibitors that represent the best in arts, crafts, fashion and design from across the pan-Asia region.

Whether you are a rugby lover or hater, the Six Nations Championship concludes on Saturday with three teams (Ireland, Wales & England) in contention for first place. Italy play Wales first at 12.30, followed by Scotland versus Ireland at 14.30, with finally England playing France at 17:30. If you are a rugby hater, we would recommend avoiding the pubs at those times!

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Is PR ready for the digital revolution?

Humankind has benefitted immeasurably from change and progress, and there is perhaps no greater example than the industrial revolution. But there are always winners and losers when it comes to change and progress. And that is important to remember now that we are in the third industrial revolution – the digital one.

The challenges of the digital revolution are already evident: it has become a ‘disrupt or be disrupted’ world. And that is as true for the PR industry as any other.

But just as the digital revolution brings new challenges to the PR industry, it also brings new opportunities. And Abchurch recently participated in an event that did an excellent job of highlighting these opportunities.

Abchurch is a member of IPREX, a network of communication agencies with over 100 offices worldwide. Last week, members of many of these agencies gathered in London for the 2015 IPREX Global Leadership Conference. The theme of the Conference was Beyond Silos: Operating and managing in an integrated communication industry.

One of the major topics at the conference was the changing media landscape, which is of course a result of the digital revolution. The event kicked off with a very insightful presentation by Arun Sudhaman, editor-in-chief of the Holmes Report. He discussed the period of change the PR industry is currently undergoing and how agencies can capitalise on these new opportunities. Arun pointed out, quite rightly, that if PR agencies don’t ‘future proof’ themselves they will become irrelevant.

It was also incredibly helpful to see how IPREX partners from around the world are tackling the challenges that arise in the digital era. Based on what was presented at the conference, it’s safe to assume that many IPREX partners are already winners of the digital revolution. There were plenty of examples that demonstrated just how much innovation benefits the communications industry. Although traditional forms of print media and editorial coverage are becoming scarcer, social media creates new opportunities, whether delivering information, creating buzz by pre-empting traditional media coverage or even creating and publishing content for clients. These initiatives by our IPREX partners proved they won’t become the blackberries of the PR industry.

One of the key takeaways of the conference is that a digital silo isn’t enough – the PR industry has to fully embrace the digital revolution to stay relevant. Change can be scary, but here at Abchurch we are embracing the opportunities digital innovation is bringing to the PR industry.

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Weekly Wrap Up: The Great Firewall of China

Will economic ambitions force Beijing to liberalise internet policy?

In the build-up to the unveiling of China’s answer to Apple, Xiaomi’s new smartphone this week, a source leaked to Reuters that they had previously been approached by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg about a possible investment, but that the deal fell through.

The meeting between Zuckerberg and Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun came ahead of the smartphone maker’s $1.1 billion fundraising last month. That brought the company’s valuation to $45 billion, making Xiaomi the world’s most valuable start-up just four years after being founded. In fact, Xiaomi now comes in just behind Samsung and Apple in sales, meaning it is one of the top three smartphone makers in the world. So it’s pretty obvious why Zuckerberg was eager to go into business with Xiaomi.

Why, then, did the talks fail? It was said that part of the reason Lei turned down the offer was due to the potential political fallout of selling a stake in his company to Facebook. The U.S. social network is banned in China. It’s all part of a bigger effort by the Chinese government, which is afraid of the impact of a free internet. This has led to the implementation of all sorts of controls, dubbed the ‘Great Firewall of China’, and the blacklisting of a number of popular social media sites. In 2009, Facebook was added to that list.

Facebook is hardly alone in this regard. A more recent example came at the end of 2014 when Google’s Gmail was blocked. There was a huge outcry, including complaints from business travellers who could no longer access their email. Their Chinese counterparts were also frustrated with the increasing difficulty of conducting business internationally.

Both the failed Facebook/Xiaomi deal and the Gmail ban highlight the difficulty that international companies can face when investing in China. It is essential that any PR strategy takes into account that many means of communication are banned. Words must be carefully chosen because both domestic and international companies can have their online presence shut down completely if they violate the ban.

It is a delicate balancing act. Consider the example of Yahoo!, which decided to comply with China’s restrictions. Yahoo! then came under fire in the U.S. and found themselves defending their decision to Congress. The Company then had to admit that that it could not protect the privacy of its Chinese customers from authorities. One customer whose identity was turned over to authorities was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Obviously, when this news leaked it resulted in plenty of bad press for Yahoo! outside of China. 

The internet ban is certainly something to consider for any company wanting to do business in China. Ultimately, the economic implications of this firewall could be a far greater threat to sentiments amongst citizens than any online communications would have been. In order to facilitate cross-border investments, it is vital for the CCP to revise its media policy. For a little advice, Communist Party leaders might want to Google the phrase, “it’s the economy, stupid.” Oh wait. They can’t.



This week Abchaps hosted a market lunch with a focus on Asia. The group discussed the market sentiment and how Asia-based companies are developing in the London market in order to gauge future investor interest. Abchaps also celebrated David Brennan’s recent promotion at Gowlings to celebrate his. We congratulate him again on reaching Partner at the firm.



Charles Stanley appointed Peter Geikie-Cobb, formerly at F&C to head its Matterley business, with a new bond fund to be provided. Meanwhile, Ian Williams, previously at SGH Martineau,joined Baker Tilly as the International Lead for its Restructuring and Recovery service line. Eric Pang joined JLL to lead its UK markets group China desk.



“Great Firewall of China”- a term to describe Internet Censorship in China under a variety of laws, administrative regulations, and execution effort



Celebrate having Scotland as part of the UK tonight by attending the Ceilidh Club Burns Night – London’s biggest Burns Night event. With three hours of energetic ceilidh dancing and a buffet dinner of traditional Scottish haggis, neeps and tatties, it is a great way to socialise, exercise and have a laugh with friends!

If you are around Greenwich over the weekend or next week pop into the Royal Observatory which hosts the Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition. The free exhibition showcases remarkable feats of astrophotography entered into four categories: ‘Earth and Space’, ‘Our Solar System’, ‘Deep Space’ and ‘Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year’ for under-16s.

Take the opportunity over the weekend to visit The Nation Gallery’s exhibition which has become one of London’s biggest attractions since opening last week. ‘Rembrandt: the Late Works’ shows just four self-portrait canvases and a tiny etching by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, all made during the last 11 years of his life. This may not sound like a great deal but tell that to the queues outside the National Gallery!

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Weekly Wrap Up: Cyber Abuse

Cyber abuse has become an ever growing problem that has mirrored the internet’s growth over the last decade. With the introduction and vast uptake of social media in recent years, cyber abuse has become a popular topic, prompting discussions on cyber bullying and trolling. This week, Twitter announced new anti-trolling tools in an attempt to combat online trolls. ‘Trolling’ is a description for when a user’s account or post (on Twitter, Facebook etc.) is bombarded with insults, provocations or threats. Cyber bullying sees the ‘traditional’ form of bullying (physical and mental abuse) move online. This has a number of consequences: The most obvious being that it's much harder to control, monitor and discipline those partaking in cyber bullying, particularly as cyber abuse is often faceless and nameless. This means that recipients often don't know who is attacking them over the World Wide Web.

The anonymity of cyber abuse intensifies the insults because abusers feel they have the autonomy to behave without repercussion. Would they say the things they do if they were standing in front of the individual they were abusing? The internet and social media has allowed individuals to connect with a much greater audience than ever before, connecting with people who you may never meet or see face to face. This therefore makes it easier to insult another individual via keyboard. It takes away individual responsibility for what a person says as well as and more importantly, the consequences it has to the individual or the group the insult is intended for.

This also ties in with the concept of gang culture. ‘Pack mentality’ is as equally apparent online as it is in real life. More people are likely to join in if one person starts abusing a group, product, person, video or picture. For example, where avid followers of a band or artist have been seen to attack (online) journalists or individuals simply because they criticise said band or artist. What makes this scenario more worrying is the age of the online abusers and some of the deviant phrases posted. So as much as the young can be the targets for cyber abuse, they can just as easily be the culprits.

However, cyber abuse is not limited to certain categories such as age or profession. It encompasses anyone who has access to the internet. Being a part of a social media platform will also increase an individual’s chance of being targeted. Twitter in particular, has broken down barriers in terms of the contactable audience, placing every member on an even playing field. An example of this is the constant abuse aimed at celebrities on Twitter. Celebrities were once seen (and still are in some cases) as ‘untouchables’ – someone who would never be in contact with the ‘average Joe’. But with the increasing popularity of Twitter, it has been seen as a way for celebrities to connect with their fan base and stay in the public eye. It is now far rarer for example to find a celebrity who isn’t on social media than one who is.

After Robin Williams’ (comedian and actor) death earlier this year, his daughter Zelda Williams was driven to delete twitter after the intense online harassment she suffered following the suicide of her father (at least two people sent her “photoshopped” images claiming to show her father’s body). A more recent example occurred last month: Olympic gold medallist Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill received death threats via Twitter, after she said she would request her name to be removed from a stand at Sheffield United if it offered a new contract to convicted rapist Ched Evans. These are extreme examples of how easily anyone can be reached and targeted by online abuse with the even more troubling question remaining – can anything be done about it?

Twitter’s new anti-trolling tools announced this week is a good step towards abolishing internet trolls and bullies. Now a user can simply now click on a tweet and select ‘block or report’, then click through a list of reasons explaining why they wish to do this. The previous system meant the person had to fill out a report describing the alleged harassment. Users witnessing abuse will now also be able to report it. Twitter has improved their behind the scenes procedures so that reviewing and responding to abuse occurs faster. This is one step in the right direction as the attempt to eradicate this type of behaviour continues.

In the UK, there is no legal definition of cyber bullying, however a number of laws exist that can be applied to cases of cyber bullying and online harassment. In India on the other hand, cyber bullying is a bailable offence, punishable with three years of imprisonment and a fine; however the complainant and police can interpret what constitutes offensive behaviour. Perhaps using India as an example, the only way forward is to be harder on cyber abuse, making examples of the worst cases. With the internet and social media continuing to expand at such a rapid rate, cases of cyber abuse are likely to continue to rise with them. This may be the only way to turn online trolls and bullies into the equivalent of outdated technology.

Organisation All Rise are currently undertaking research into cyber abuse and collecting data on how wide spread it is. There's a short survey here which needs your input: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LRWKGJ9



This week, Abchaps attended the Pre Xmas Social Drink of the East meets West Club in Kensington Gardens. Abchurch and East Meets West Club share the interest of connecting businesses in Asia and the West. As well as joining Stickland Tucker's Christmas Drinks, we also participated in Gordon Dadd’s tech roundtable event, where we contributed our insights into the UK tech scene, especially on London tech IPOs.



Edison Investment Research appointed Hans Boström to its global healthcare team in London, who joins from Goldman Sachs. Meanwhile, Jim Muir has joined Baker Tilly as its new head of Financial Services. Muir Joins from KPMG. Finally WH Ireland have create the position of head of Risk for James Baptise. Baptise joins with 20 years’ experience in the industry, having previously worked for Espirito Santo Investment Bank.



‘Cyber Abuse’-Using the internet or digital media platforms to deliberately cause harm or harrass another individual or group, often repeatedly.



Starting with something a bit different, The London Illustration Fair returns with a three-day event of artist-led stands, workshops, live DJs and pop-up food stalls. Showcasing the most innovative and exciting illustrators, printmakers and draftsman working in London today, the fair also champions four invited designers as part of its Affiliated Artists scheme, which this year includes Mr Bingo and Louise Pomeroy.

Continuing with the weird and the wonderful, if you are set on spreading the Christmas cheer this Saturday, then join in with Santacon. Dress up as the man of the moment and run around London at this 'non-profit, non-political, non-religious and non-sensical' celebration of Christmas cheer. Santacon is a flash mob-style gathering that sees three huge groups of Santa’s wandering through the city, giving out gifts and free hugs, singing carols and occasionally popping to the pub. Towards the end of the routes the groups join together into a huge throng of merry Santa’s (plus a few elves and reindeer – they're allowed to join in, too).

Finally for a relaxed Sunday away from the high street crowds of Christmas shoppers, Spitalfields City Farm is the place to go. The farm is hosting stalls selling handmade cards and non-massed-produced presents, as well as Christmas tress themselves, and will be invoking a non-jarring festive atmosphere with carol singing, mulled wine and seasonal family activities.

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Weekly Wrap Up: The Communications of Switching

This week saw a new figure hit the headlines: 1.2 million people have switched their current accounts since September 2013.

This comes one year on from the launch of the Government’s scheme to encourage consumers to switch their banking current accounts by reducing the time that it takes to switch bank accounts from 30 days to just seven.

As detailed in the Payment Council’s annual report, switching levels are up 22% on last year, with some banks winning new customers - Halifax, Santander and Nationwide - and some, inevitably, losing customers - NatWest, Barclays, HSBC and Lloyds.

This rise in consumer switching has been hailed as a success story of a scheme that is going to plan, or so according to George Osborne.

There are many benefits that have been discussed as rising from the growth of consumers switching their current accounts:
1) Accountability: The Daily Mail has suggested that this switching is the public’s way of “punishing” the banks for the mistakes of pre and post-2008
2) Competitive rates: In order to woo potential new customers and to retain existing customers, banks are now offering more customers more competitive rates and incentives
 3) Entrepreneurialism: With increased switching comes the opportunity for new companies to appear and succeed. This has been seen in the banking industry with so-called “challenger banks”, and is also being seen in the energy industry with the growth of alternative energy providers

So to what can we attribute this switching?

The most obvious answer is the governmental support that this scheme has received; a call to action from the powers that be which made headlines by suggesting that consumers deserve better.

But we in the communications industry would like to suggest that another big reason as to why the scheme was so well received is the act of communicating itself, both online and in the press. Whereas previously it was more likely that “a man would divorce his wife than switch his bank account”, due to the fact that it was unheard of and very difficult to switch, this scheme has not only made it easier but also more common for bank customers to question the product that they have been receiving and to look around at other options.

Whilst some have said that this 1.2 million is a modest figure, the BBC reported that 69% of consumers are now aware that they have the ability to switch due to the launch of the scheme.

This scheme has come at a time when consumer understanding and empowerment is of utmost importance. Whether that be regarding current accounts, energy bills or phone tariffs, consumers are now being given the necessary information and comparison tools to take more control over their own finances and help them live their lives more efficiently. Consumer price comparison websites such as moneysavingexpert.com have become hugely popular in recent years for just this reason, as have debates about preferred providers on social media.

The communications industry sits at the heart of this new information era, with information about new schemes and alternative providers being disseminated through national, trade and technical press, as well as through websites and social media. Companies seeking to ensure that their voice is still heard and that their commercial and financial case is still shared must therefore be keen and willing to engage with communications so as to ensure that they are not on the losing side of the market. Companies must also learn to listen and respond to the comments of their customers or face losing them to competitors.

In years gone by, customer switching and the need for communication were not in the mind of the corporate. Today, however, customers are on the lookout and companies must fight (and shout) to keep them…



The cold may be setting in but Abchaps are still out and about! We met up with some of our favourite journalists at Bloomberg and Dow Jones this week to get their take on the somewhat ‘choppy’ markets. We also caught up with the team at Daniel Stewart over a few glasses at our favourite local. We work very closely with a number of their team, and so it was fantastic so get everyone together again.



Investec has hired Christian Hess to head its financial sponsor transaction group. Christian was previously a partner at Compass Partners and the founder of Hess & Co International. Warren Mead has been appointed the head of challenger banking and alternative finance at KPMG, where he worked for 15 years. Robin Baillie has joined law firm Squire Patton Boggs as a global projects and real estate partner. Robin was previously a partner at Nabarro.



"Uswitch": an energy price comparison website helping consumers find the best energy deals on the market. Websites such as these heavily drive consumer switching

Frieze London, the contemporary art fair, is taking place in Regents Park.  Frieze is expected to draw in the world’s rich and famous and it is anticipated that they will spend millions on different works. The art fair has gained enormous popularity of recent years but the organisers have capped admission to 70,000 over the course of the event as it is unable to expand. The nearby illustrious and plush streets of Marylebone and Mayfair are expected be net gainers of the elite who will pile into its restaurants, cafes and hotels. 

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Weekly Wrap Up: Boris Johnson - zip wire to Prime Minister?

This week Mayor of London Boris Johnson announced the explosive news that he will, “in all probability”, work towards becoming an MP at the next general election.

As with every statement that Boris puts out, the media coverage was both wide ranging and abundant. The Express was kind to the incumbent Mayor, quoting the Culture Secretary Sajid Javid “it’s fantastic news”, whilst The Guardian was more sceptical. It focused on how the announcement “drew accusations of hypocrisy” in regards to his previous statements that he would not hold two political offices at once.

Stepping past the issue as to whether or not he would make a good MP (again), the dramatic announcement through Bloomberg says more about his long-term political intentions than his short-term plans to become an MP. A Mayor of London running to be an MP is not a new thing. It is exactly what his predecessor Ken Livingstone did for a year, so the news should not have attracted as much attention as it did.

Some in the City have speculated that Boris will do anything for a headline, an idea that suggests this announcement was just another headline grabbing ploy ahead of a much bigger campaign. Few can forget the famous zip wire event of 2012 when he was famously left stuck and dangling and his name subsequently splashed across the media. Did the zip wire really stick by accident, or was it planned?

Fast forward two years... Does Boris truly plan on running for MP and then “sticking” with these two roles? Or is he simply building his reputation ahead of a bigger and more prime ministerial campaign?

Almost every piece published on the topic speculated that this move could simply be a small step for Boris ahead of challenging David Cameron for the role of Tory Party leader / Prime Minister. Cameron’s quote, interactively shared through social media, suggests that he was delighted with the news. He said that he has always wanted his “star players on the pitch”. Whilst this comment is clearly very supportive towards his old friend Boris, we must bear in mind the old adage: keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

If further building his reputation and positioning himself as a potential PM was Boris’s intention when announcing his MP-ship plans, he satisfied his objective.

Of the comments that resulted from the news, many contained expressions of delight at the idea of Boris becoming Prime Minister:

BBC: Corrigenda (6TH AUGUST 2014 - 16:10): Excellent news. This will liven up politics and will much increase interest and further eclipse Milliwatt-Balls.

nj (6TH AUGUST 2014 - 12:36) I would really love to see this MAN as our Prime Minister who speak TRUTH and stand by his words. Who walks with the current times.

Twitter fans also shared their views: Chris Beech ‏@chris1310beech (Aug 6): Yess Boris Johnson says he is going to run for priminister, come on Bojo!!!!

For now we have to wait and see what comes of both the 2015 election and the Uxbridge & South Ruislip seat. What we can do, however, is take stock of the media coverage that Boris achieved this week and keep an eye out for more headline grabbing moves on Boris’s political road to Westminster.



There was a flurry of activity in the Abchurch office this week with two particularly good Market Lunches taking place. Following the successful float of Savannah Petroleum last week, there was lots to talk about at the Natural Resources lunch. The take-home point from the Environmental lunch was that it is down to larger tech companies to bring environmental technologies to the forefront of consumers’ agendas and so solve the current energy crisis.



This week we congratulate Anne-Sophie Girault on her appointment as managing director of EMEA business development at RBC Global Asset Management, having moved from Aviva Investors. Meanwhile, RPC appointed David Gubbay, from Dechert, as a Partner in their corporate team, whilst Stephenson Harwood announced that Ben Stansfield will join as a real estate partner after having worked in the environment and planning group at Clifford Chance.



“Political stunt” - When a politician seeking to influence a politician or governmental policy takes an action they know will gain attention but is not likely to achieve its stated goal.


Prudential RideLondon FreeCycle will take place this Saturday. 10 miles of road in central London will be closed for the occasion, enabling cyclists to pass through the city safely without regular traffic. The route features Buckingham Palace, Tower of London, and many more sites along the way.

For fans of underground opera, Grimeborn Festival of New Opera will take place from 4 August to 7 September, featuring new composers, musicians, and artists. The festival is taking place at Arcola Theatre in Dalston Kingsland.

The 3 Crowns Wine Fair will take place near the Silicon Roundabout. Branded Portuguese, French, and Italian wine will be available at £5 per glass. There will be original folk music performance throughout the event.

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Weekly Wrap Up: EU plays with the News

Google’s domination of the search engine market often makes it seem like it is the only single portal of information. This continually raises controversy over the company’s power and therefore control over online data flow. This week the debate spiked in profile, as Google erased certain links to news articles, blogs and so on from its search results.

This action follows the European court ruling in May that granted individuals the “right to be forgotten” online. The decision, which was fought by Google, asks that the company comply with the law in taking down search results that are deemed “inappropriate, irrelevant, or no longer relevant”. Indeed, it is the search results themselves that are in contention, and not the content of the article or story in question. The ruling will only affect Google searches in Europe, whereas Google.com (in the USA) will remain untouched.

In response to this ruling, earlier this week Google began informing several British news outlets on the deletions that it was having to make. On Wednesday, for example, the BBC’s Robert Peston reported that he had received a ‘notice of removal from Google Search’ relating to a blog that he had written in 2007 on San O’Neal, the former CEO of notorious investment bank Merril Lynch. This removal hit the headlines throughout the course of the week, causing a spike in controversy and, no doubt, a spike in the number of hits that Google received.

A case can be made for the individuals who may deserve to disassociate their name from a story that has forever branded them on the basis of a mistake. However, more can be said and questioned on the wider implications that Google’s filtering could have on censorship and the media industry.

Importantly, should the EU have the right to pass judgment over what is “inappropriate, irrelevant, or no longer relevant”?

Surely this judgement is subjective; by giving search enginges the power to decide what should and shouldn't be removed from our screens are we not posing a great threat to freedom of speech? Written pieces on the questionable actions of those involved in the Financial Crisis of 2007/08 are surely still of significant interest to the public even if they are considered by some to be "no longer relevant". Allowing the wealthy and powerful to conceal their tarnished reputations by simply filing a request of removal to Google is a dangerous path for the company and the EU court to take.

Robert Peston said that Google had “killed” this piece of his journalism. Indeed, in response to Google informing publishers of what stories had been removed, the individuals who filed the complaints have since experienced the complete reverse effect on what the ruling set out to achieve; the publicity surrounding this discussion simply highlighted and re-told the very stories that were asked to be removed. Furthermore, the subject of the deleted article will surely face more questioning from the public as publishers reveal those wanting to hide articles written about their actions.

Between May 29 and June 30, over 70,000 requests of deletions were made to Google. At the core of this debate lies the lack of clarity surrounding Google’s decision making; who can make a request? What are the criteria for deletion? How can journalists respond? The media industry is calling for transparency from Google in order to establish to what extent search filtering will impact the freedom of speech.



Abchaps have been making the most of the fair weather this week by getting out and about with other advisers. We welcomed some of Cenkos’s finest Technology experts to our office for some bubbly, before the invitation was returned by a trip to their Summer part at Coq D’Argent.

Our Market Lunches never fail to stir some great discussions about the capital markets, and a particularly interesting discussion was held at our China focused lunch, relating to the need for further promotion of Chinese companies in the London.



To expand its London corporate practice, Hogan Lovells has added equity capital specialist, Daniel Simons, as a Partner. Meanwhile, Fieldfisher has added Mark Webber as a Technology Partner at its London office, who specialises in technology, digital media, e-commerce, IT law, and IP-related transactions.Crowe Clark Whitehill also promoted Paul Blythe to the role of Corporate Finance Partner. Blythe was previously a director at the firm and has expertise in Natural Resources. He will continue to be based in firm’s London office.



“Google Scrubbing”: The removal of certain results from a Google search.



Thursday saw Dow Jones warming itself up nicely for a record breaking Independence Day. Although we Brits may geographically be a few miles away from the Americas, there is no reason as to why we shouldn’t help celebrate this booming economy. Those wishing to do so can raise a glass tonight at 36 Craven Street, the former home of US founding father Benjamin Franklin, with a historical tour and show.

Care for a more international celebration? City lawyer Jessica Tucker will be serving up a selection of edible treats from across the world with the Urban Food Fest on Saturday 5 July. Taking place in Shoreditch, visitors will “want for nothing” with stalls of pizza, pad thai, halloumi, souvlakia, sushi and much more. This is just another event that proves that you do not have to leave London to escape the City!

Bringing the focus a little closer to home, on Saturday the V&A is launching itself into the 21st century with its “Rapid Response Collecting” exhibition. With a pair of Primark jeans from the Rana Plaza factory disaster and the world’s first 3D printed gun, the V&A is taking a whole new approach to modern art, communicating to the British audience about the interaction between current affairs, architecture, technology and society.

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Weekly Wrap Up: The Uber Battle of Trafalgar

For a City famed for constantly being on the go, London was forcefully made to “go slow” this week as nearly 5,000 London cab drivers drew their vehicles to a halt in Trafalgar Square.

The protesters were speaking out against new smart phone app Uber, which allows Londoners to flag the nearest cab available using Geo-tagging, as well as estimate how much their fare will cost.

Whilst the former aspect of the app may be good for cabbies – the method reduces their dependency on commission charging taxi operators. The protesters were complaining that the fare estimation tool forces them to sell their services for less. Their basis for complaint was that, by law, fare calculating devices known as “taximeters” are only allowed to be calculated by black cabs, and that the Uber app could constitute a taximeter by pre-calculating a cab fare.

Unfortunately, the protest didn't have the desired effect of tarring the app’s reputation; Thursday’s papers were filled with stories of how the operators of Uber app had seen an 850% jump in registrations on the day of the protest due to the number of Londoners who discovered the app through the protest. Indeed one Tory minister, Matt Hancock, tweeted that he had never heard about the #Uber app, but that he thought it was “awesome”. The EU digital affairs commissioner Neelie Kros became the app’s champion by lauding the its innovation and the industry of disruptive technology.

This 850% spike was a rather predictable result. Within reason, all PR is good PR, and Uber simply couldn’t have paid for the paper (and even broadcast) space that the protest’s coverage gave them. One might even go so far as to suggest that this whole protest was orchestrated by Uber with the intention of raising their profile internationally and nationally.

Let us go one step further. Beyond the increase in registrations, what long-term impact could the cabbies’ strike have on the world of disruptive apps such as Uber?

Whilst the British population was busy marvelling at the effect of the protest and downloading the offending app, America (homeland of San Francisco based Uber) was allowing the spiders of cynicism to creep onto the internet waves. At 3pm on Thursday afternoon Ellen Huet of Forbes magazine reported that The California Public Utilities Commission has warned apps like Uber in a stern letter that they are no longer allowed to take riders to or from any Californian airport.

This story serves as a reminder that the eye of regulation is upon disruptive technologies such as these, and as such they could face barriers to their development in the future.

The protest may have been beneficial to Uber in the short-term, but the publicity that the protest achieved has now raised the question as to how far apps and disruptive technologies should be able to interfere with other services, and whether regulation should be stepping in to control this interference.

As we have seen from the markets in recent months, the growth of digital technologies such as Twitter and Uber is incredibly dependent on ever increasing user-ship; Twitter’s share price has been falling amid fears of slowing user growth. If regulation does prove to threaten the future take-up of apps such as Uber, it could be hugely damaging for the future reputation of these apps by “potentially thinning profits and making it hard for Uber to justify its valuation” (CBSnews.com).

This week’s protest raised an issue that went beyond the confines of London’s famous black cabs. Although this year’s 'Battle of Trafalgar' may have been won by the defender, in time it may prove to simply be the start of a greater war against technology.



Abchaps have been out and about on an international scale this week, attending the LSE Greater China Forum in Hong Kong, taking the opportunity to catch up with our clients and advisers who operate out there. Abchaps also caught up with London’s top advisers at the LSE Summer Adviser Drinks, wonderfully hosted across the road on Threadneedle Street. Ever with the media in mind, we got the low down from Richard Fletcher, Business Editor at The Times, at the CIPR lunch briefing this week too.

As always, two of the famous Abchurch Market Lunches saw an interesting array of guests sit down to discuss market trends and opportunities; thank you to our guests for your insightful contributions!



This week Michael Hafner has been appointed head of oil and gas, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) at UBS. He joins from Deutsche Bank. David Bettesworth, previously of Deloitte, was appointed head of insurance and investment management advisory at PwC in London. Also, Vicki Harris has joined Aldermore from Octopus Investments as group strategy and marketing director.



“Black PR” – The process of destroying the target’s reputation and / or corporate identity.



Make the most of the sun this weekend. The More London Free Festival is in its 12th year and intends to celebrate! There is a 4-day street party which will see 5 different cultures show us the best of their food and fun on the South Bank- give it a try!

If you are a footie fan then you can catch the games at most London pubs, but we’ve heard about a few hidden gems. If you are central, head to Anthologist and if you want to enjoy the sun whilst keeping up to date with the Brazilian antics, then head to The Round House near Charring Cross Tube. Come on England!

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Weekly Wrap Up: George's Re-borne Popularity

Oh what a difference a day makes...

Once more, George Osborne emerged from the door of 10 Downing Street to present the Spring budget, clutching the box that has so often caused City-folk and the public alike to see red with anger.

As usual, the press were gathered; crowded around like a pack of hyenas ready to set upon and tear apart Osborne’s carefully worded document.

However it was not a shade of red that the City saw on this occasion but a fine shade of sky-blue, indicative of a budget and economy finally enjoying a sunny outlook.

It is easy to see why; the world of corporate is set to become markedly easier - the budget for exports is to be increased to £3bn, the Annual Investment Allowance for companies increased to £500,000, and R&D will receive a boost in the form of £220m and a 3.5% raise in the rate of cash credit payable to loss-making SMEs conducting R&D which do not have corporation tax liabilities.

Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of this week’s budget was not what the budget contained, however, but the effect that it had on the reputation of its owner. George Osborne’s has had a notoriously negative reception in the press over the past few years, battling to maintain composure with a struggling economy. Who could forget the coverage surrounding the “Omnishambles” of 2012 and the famously controversial “pasty tax”?

After the release of this rather more popular budget, however, it seems that Osborne has become the flavour of the month - on Friday morning The Sun published an article on how Osborne’s popularity is on the rise following the budget, with 37 of voters saying that he is doing a good job as Chancellor. This was a marked improvement on the figures released just a couple of months ago that painted Osborne as a man disliked.

Even Alistair Heath, City AM’s rather out-spoken editor, tweeted an unusually supportive article on Friday morning:

@AllisterHeath: My @cityam column: Labour would be mad to oppose George Osborne’s great pensions liberation http://www.cityam.com/article/1395365346/labour-would-be-mad-oppose-osborne-s-pensions-liberation …

So what is the underlying cause of Osborne’s new popularity? Is the public now recognising a job well done? Or is it just the warm, fuzzy feeling of an economy back on track which Osborne is lucky to be sitting at the centre of?

To some extent Osborne’s popularity will be due to both. He has dealt the British economy a good hand and so should be able to savour a brief moment of good favour. But it is also clear that his sudden lurch in popularity is the side-product of the British economy gaining momentum.

This week’s good news should serve as a lesson to those managing communications: no matter what the Company, who the CEO or what the contract, public opinion is often dictated by large-scale national issues over which neither the Company nor the communications manager has any control over. The job of communications agent is therefore to be on top of any industry happenings or national issues that could affect the entities that they represent, and to be able to react and adapt as necessary.



This week the Abchaps decided that as Spring has undoubtedly sprung into action in the City, it was time to throw a party! The excitement bubbling away in the technology sector was the focus of the event, and we were lucky enough to welcome over 100 companies and advisers into our 125 Old Broad Street office. Medtech, cleantech, biotech, fintech – you name it; we discussed it!

The LSE Media group also held a fascinating event which one of the Abchaps was invited along too. The BBC presenter, Justin Webb, explained his views on ‘the News from America’ as well as current trends such as social media and information aggregation in journalism.



Simon Newsham, who previously owned the tax law practice Newsham Tax Solicitors, has joined Winckworth Sherwood as a partner of the tax team. He previously headed the tax practice at Dorsey & Whitney, and his career has lead him through Macfarlanes and KPMG.

Monica Ma left her role as a partner at Simmons & Simmons to join Keystone Law. Monica is part of the pensions and incentives team.

Lucy Harrold has also joined Keystone Law, where she is now part of the intellectual property division. Lucy was previously a partner at Stephenson Harwood.



“Omnishambles” - A neologism first used in the BBC political satire The Thick of It. The word refers to a situation which is seen as shambolic from all possible perspectives.



One can never go wrong by immersing oneself in the world of art. This Saturday, the Royal College of Art’s annual fundraising exhibition and sale will be held at the RCA gallery at the Battersea site. RCA students, along with work by established artists, illustrators and designers and famous names will be selling their postcard-size artworks.

For cruise lovers, the sixth annual London Cruise Show will be held this weekend at Olympia. This will be the Europe’s biggest cruise expo, parading a range of ships of all sizes: from small to modern resort style. This exhibition would be perfect for experienced sailors and curious cruisers alike!

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Weekly Wrap Up: Obamacare "hangs" with the Millenials

President Obama, in what some have considered his riskiest interview to date, appeared on Between Two Ferns; a spoof chatshow hosted by Zach Galifianakis, star of "The Hangover". The show was broadcast online by the comedy website Funny Or Die on Tuesday.

Some may deem this move to have been a risky one by the affable President, but it is arguable that where there is risk there is also gain when appearing on a show that draws in 30 million viewers. Obama has been trying to promote the Affordable Care Act known as Obamacare, and what better way to reach out to young and politically indifferent Generation Y who are more inclined to support it than through their favourite medium: social media?

Barack Obama signs the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act at the White House - Pete Souza

With access to such a large and influential audience, appearing on the show for six minutes and gaining the opportunity to urge young people to sign up for health insurance at the website healthcare.gov was a remarkable success for Obama. Furthermore it generated significant social media attention as it went up online.

The message the business community can take from this week’s appearance is that too often business leaders are too reticent to engage with social media, deeming the risks too high. The opposite is true, and the more bold a company is and the more outspoken a Company’s CEO is, the more likely it is to make an impact and get its message heard.



On Thursday one Abchap was invited to have tea with the FT to talk about Abchaps’ favourite topic: video and multi-media! Abchurch was delighted to be invited to this round-table discussion to share our insights on how to make content more engaging and accessible. We can’t stress more about the effectiveness of using videos in communicating the true essence of a business to the wider audience.

Abchurch also never tires of hosting our well-received market lunches. On Tuesday, advisers from SP Angel, MXC Capital, WH Ireland, Fasken Martineau, Deloitte, Grant Thornton and Investec came and shared their insights on the current happenings in the increasingly heated market.

One of these lunches had a particular theme, with advisers from Liberum Capital, Pinsent Masons, CICC (UK), and Allenby Capital attending to discuss business in relation to China. The Abchaps enjoyed sharing their views on how the perception of Chinese companies continues to evolve among investors, in part thanks to improved communications!



This week, WH Ireland made a top-level appointment as Dan Cowland was appointed Finance Director and member of the Board. Dan joins WH Ireland from Shore Capital, having gained a wealth of experience at Macquarie Bank and Lehman Brothers in the past. Cantor Fitzgerald also gained two new advisers in the forms of Tobias Woerner and Howard Prince-Wright; they had previously held roles at Antenna Group and Saxobank (respectively).

Earlier in the week, Field Fisher Waterhouse announced that Philip Abbott has become a partner of the firm’s Finance division. Philip is a specialist in funds finance, real estate finance and restructurings sectors and has formerly worked for Simmons & Simmons.


"Millennials": Also known as Generation Y, Millenials are the demographic group following Generation X. Commentators use birth years ranging from the early 1980s to the early 2000s.



Whilst the ExCel Centre in Islington may be full of City speak during the week, at the weekend it becomes the site and haunt of London’s magical and mythical caricatures. Head up to the ExCel Centre this Saturday for the London Super Comic Convention, to include panel discussions, autograph session and publisher reviews.

This Sunday will be St Patrick’s Day; Abchurch forecasts showers of green and a rather jollier than usual vibe. Head on down to Piccadilly for the Parade and Festival, formed around the theme of “World of Dance”. Look forward to a headlining act by Riverdance and a performance from the cast of West End musical “The Commitments”.

If you would prefer to avoid the crowds of the City, why not head out to the Country with the Country To Country Festival. This two-day indoor festival brings the music of Nashville to Greenwich in London’s O2 arena with appearances from Zac Brown Band and Brad Paisley.

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