Zara Victorious in Christian Louboutin Shoe Design Lawsuit: Details
A French court has ruled that high-street chain Zara can continue using red soles for one of its high-heel designs in a judgment that will come as a blow to the king of red soles, Christian Louboutin. The designer had sued Zara, saying the chain had copied his Yo-Yo slingback design. However, the French court said that consumers would not be confused between the two versions, which are peep toe with a red sole, albeit with very different price tags: the designer version costs over €400 while the Zara version retails for approximately €49. It is believed Louboutin will have to pay Zara more than €2,000 in compensation. Despite the…
Read MoreThe importance of employee engagement
Eric Mosley, co-founder and CEO of Globoforce, shares his views on fostering a more engaged workforce. Importance of Employee Engagement The majority of today’s business leaders would agree that a more engaged workforce is a happier and more productive one. Accentuating the need to keep employees engaged with a positive working environment are the pressures that come from continued economic uncertainty – with businesses needing to get the most out of their workers and investments. However, there remains a lack of understanding on how to best foster this desired culture. Transforming Organizational Culture through Recognition What many organisations unfortunately continue to miss is that organisational reward and recognition should be…
Read MoreLRM is first medtech company in Europe to win a Shingo operational excellence award
Wexford-based Lake Region Medical (LRM) has become the first company in the Republic of Ireland, and the first medical device manufacturer in Europe to be awarded a Shingo Accreditation Bronze Medallion for Operational Excellence. The Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence is a not-for-profit located in the Jon M Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University. The mission of The Shingo Prize is to create excellence in organisations and to empower people and transform organisational culture. “The achievement is a real win for the company but also Ireland as an economy, as we strive to continue to grow in investment in operations by delivering higher value to investors than that…
Read MoreChris O’Donnell celebrates Irish heritage with support of Tourism Ireland
American film and TV star Chris O’Donnell is visiting Ireland this week to do a photoshoot at Ashford Castle in Co Mayo for the successful CBS Watch magazine. The actor has starred in blockbuster movies like Scent of a Woman and Batman Forever, and more recently, in the CBS TV crime drama NCIS: Los Angeles. Regularly read by about one million people across the US, Watch is the official magazine of the CBS television network. Each issue features behind-the-scenes interviews with CBS stars, as well as impressive photography and exotic destinations. O’Donnell is here, with support from Tourism Ireland, Aer Lingus and Ashford Castle, to do the photoshoot for a…
Read MoreYougetitback makes key appointment for global growth
Cork-based anti-theft solutions provider Yougetitback (YGIB) has appointed Paul Leahy to lead its global business development operations. Yougetitback works with insurance and warranty companies, telecom operators and consumer electronics retailers, having developed a range of anti-theft solutions for smartphones, tablets and laptops. CEO Paul Prendergast said Leahy’s appointment would provide the company with a deeper insight into the needs and ambitions of warranty and insurance clients. On accepting the role, Leahy said he believed Yougetitback brought value to clients by enabling them to accelerate their business growth by increasing attachment rates, lowering customer churn and driving better value. Leahy’s career spans working with global companies including Bank of America, Affinion International Group,…
Read MoreUK consumer expert to earn £87m from sale of his website
Well-known TV personality Martin Lewis is set to become £87million richer today in a deal to sell his website, MoneySavingExpert, to a rival. The website, which was set up for £100 nine years ago as little more than a ‘homepage’, is to be sold to MoneySupermarket . Under the deal, Lewis will receive receive £60m upfront in cash and shares plus a further £27million if targets are met under the deal. He has also pledged to give £10m to charity. A hugely popular site, in the year until 31 October, it had 39 million unique visitors and generated revenues of £15.7m in the same period. Under the takeover deal, Mr Lewis…
Read MoreIDG Direct to create 125 jobs in Dublin
IDG Connect has announced that the company is establishing a new base for operational support in Dublin, creating about 125 jobs. Located on Great Strand Street, Dublin 1, IDG Direct will play a pivotal role in helping IDG Connect understand global buying behaviour. The group, headed by general manager John Moran, has recently recruited 60 positions and the organisation is looking to grow to around 125 positions by the end of 2013. The roles will be across data analysis, campaign management and telephone research. “A key part of the Government’s plan for jobs and growth is ensuring that we deepen and develop the impact of multinational companies here,” said Minister…
Read MoreUK’s own label product development overtook branded in 2011
Own label food and drink new product development (NPD) overtook branded product launches for the first time in the UK in 2011, according to research from Mintel. The company said the proportion of new product development within food and non-alcoholic drinks has traditionally been higher for brands than for private labels. While brands held a 55pc share of total NPD in 2010, own labels accounted for 54pc of NPD in 2011, compared to 46pc for brands. The research reveals that 57pc of consumers now think that own label products have improved in taste and quality, while 52pc prefer them to brands in some cases. In addition, 82pc of adults think…
Read MoreDavy acquires Bloxham’s asset management business
Davy has acquired Bloxham’s asset management business which manages assets exceeding €700m in value. The deal, together with the acquisition of Bloxham’s private client business, announced last March, adds approximately €1.2bn to the value of assets under management by Davy. In Ireland Bloxham’s funds are distributed by both Irish Life and New Ireland and these relationships, together with Bloxham’s asset management team, led by Pramit Ghose, will now transition across to Davy. “Davy is pleased to acquire two profitable and established businesses from Bloxham,” said Tony Garry, chief executive of Davy. “The transition to Davy is a very positive development for Bloxham’s asset management clients who will continue to be…
Read MoreQuarter of Irish firms not tracking employee mobility – PwC
A quarter of Irish businesses do not track employee mobility at all and the majority do not know if their employees will avail of the new foreign earnings deduction tax relief introduced by Finance Act 2012, according to a survey launched today by PwC, which has also announced a new app to track employee mobility. In the survey, 33pc of respondents said they have no international employee mobility policy in place. Twenty-four percent reported that they do not track employee mobility at all. Just 14pc said they track employee mobility using specialised technology. Knowledge transfer (57pc) was the top business driver for having a mobility strategy. This was followed by…
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