Information is Beautiful brings data to life, with over 90 visually engaging ‘graphs’ that provide answers to the questions we’ve all been asking ourselves. Ever hungry for juicy insights here at The Foundation, we’ve been taking a look inside this book by David McCandless.

Snake Oil anyone?…

We love this example of how the apparently subtle act of changing a user interface button on a website from ‘Register’ to ‘Continue’ can result in breath-taking results. A lesson in the importance of understanding your customer and the nature of the relationship they want to have with you.

John Kay shows how businesses that focus on customer value (rather than profits) are often the most commercially successful. For most of its history, Toyota focused on customer value but recently shifted this ideology, ultimately resulting in the recall of 8 million cars.

It’s not often you see a business stick its neck above the parapet to promise something, that by all accounts, is incredibly difficult to achieve. That’s what our client Marks & Spencer did recently with the launch of its new Plan A ambition – to be the world’s most sustainable retailer by 2015.

“Merci” in Paris offers designer clothes at discounted price, second hand books (along with the space to curl up and read them in), a perfume bar, a flower shop and a café, all in an amazingly designed and inviting loft space. With all profits going to a cooperative for young women in Madagascar, this new store – through its dynamism and relevance – is redefining the tired charity shop concept of yore.

A couple of articles that we’ve picked up recently, which for us really highlight the power plays going in the mobile market and the need for networks to be crystal clear on how they are choosing to play competitively, both against other operators but also the wider industry.

Very funny. Though not sure what’s so irritating about “hope that helps”.

Did you hear about Hotel Rafayel? It is London’s first sustainable luxury hotel.

Brilliant article from writer and ex-cricketer Ed Smith in the latest edition of Intelligent Life.