David Bowen commentaries

In his regular columns for the Financial Times and ft.com, senior consultant David Bowen has pursued themes ranged from customer relationship management and career marketing to ‘ethical’ retailing and royal family sites. His collected Financial Times and ft.com columns from January 2001 onward are indexed by theme and available for viewing on this site.

You can access articles directly by selecting a link below.

  • Siemens takes a risk Siemens has reinvented the corporate home page twice in five years. After six months, David Bowen tries to discover if its latest approach is working.
  • Why we need unrelated links Giving site visitors what you think they want is not recommended if the objective is to stimulate their interest, David Bowen says.
  • What journalists are looking for Most reporters would rather log in to your website than hack your phone even though many companies could do more to help them, David Bowen says.
  • Why, it’s déjà vu all over again Managing social media gives corporate web executives familiar challenges, the advent of the iPad lends them hope of coping more easily, David Bowen says.
  • Where it’s app – now and in the future Nestlé’s pioneering of apps has generated a raft of ‘early mover’ lessons for corporate communicators. But their potential has barely been scratched, David Bowen says.
  • Secrets from the top of the FT Index What makes the sites at the top of the FT Index so good? Here is a run-through of the top 12 to show where they do particularly well, and also their weaker areas.
  • Where bad things happen to good Top performing sites are increasingly revealing a Mr Hyde side to themselves that detracts from their better aspect, David Bowen says.
  • What sparkles in the new Index The annual FT Bowen Craggs Index is by its nature best studied in detail. Among the many specifics in the latest edition, some shone brightly, David Bowen says.
  • How to communicate in a disaster Companies faced with a crisis must look beyond conservative communication strategies to connect with everyone affected, David Bowen says.
  • When the fairy dust settles The word ‘social’ is being sprinkled on online communications tools and strategies as if it had magical powers, but it could cast a bad spell, David Bowen says.

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