Eftpos Australia evolves to compete in a new era of payments

Eftpos, Australia's largest payment card scheme, is to implement a new interchange fee in Australia effective as of October 1, 2011, to embrace a new era in the Australian payments system. Mixed responses are expected from all payments participants, from merchant operators and acquirers to card issuers.

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Facebook reveals its growth potential in the virtual payments space

In its filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission to raise $5bn in new funding through its long anticipated initial public offering, Facebook revealed that its payments business accounted for 15% of the company's total revenue in 2011, giving the virtual games payment market an estimated $1.9bn annual value within Facebook's platform alone.

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Fast-moving consumer goods are well-placed for health and beauty opportunities

A deal between Coca-Cola and Sanofi to develop a range of functional beauty beverages and pilot them in France is the latest example of a fast-moving consumer goods company making a strategic move into functional health. Efforts such as this may provide opportunities for industry players to grow beyond their traditional focus.

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First Direct: winning customer approval by keeping it 'real'

Online bank First Direct has received the highest overall rating in the Which? customer satisfaction survey. The bank consistently receives excellent feedback from its customers, despite not offering the best rates. Its focus on customer experience, honesty and openness effectively targets the Authenticity trend, which is currently highly in demand from consumers.

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Food Allergies: Drug makers set to capitalize?

Although food allergies have been recognized in the medical community since the beginning of the century, they have recently been receiving much more public attention due to the perceived increasing prevalence of the condition in the US, Europe and Japan. As new research and treatments emerge, the potential for increased profits in this under-treated area will increase dramatically.

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Food Innovation: why new is not always better

Ceaseless innovation is often seen as the lifeblood of growth in the otherwise mature and stable food and drinks industry. That was certainly the message at a recent meeting of US corporate leaders and key industry analysts. But effective innovation marries trend spotting to real consumer insight.

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Food production: natural and organic ingredients are important

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FS providers need to incentivize customer feedback to realize the full potential of social media

Social media offers providers of financial services the opportunity to build a more customer-centric proposition by gaining deeper insight in consumers' desires. However, consumers may need encouragement to give feedback on products and services, and tangible benefits may help to boost this customer interaction and feedback process.

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FS: consumer confidence remains low despite signs of recovery

While there is a general belief that the economic recovery is at hand, policy uncertainty and fears of a 'double dip' recession mean that consumer anxieties remain. Indeed, recent figures show that consumer confidence in the US has fallen to its lowest level in 10 months. Financial services providers must engage with consumers and field products which offer security if they are to succeed.

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FSA's saturated fat campaign could add to consumer confusion

The latest campaign from the UK Food Standards Agency has prompted debate on the nutritional values of food and beverage products and how consumers can be persuaded to improve their health via diet. However, contradictory information from various studies is causing confusion among consumers. A clear and precise message on nutritional value is needed to reinforce a healthy diet habit.

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