The research sector is often seen to be dominated by a few of the biggest names, so how do smaller agencies make themselves heard under the noise from much bigger beasts?

There are a plethora of lists citing the most innovative companies in the world published by some notable names in media. It does not matter that all differ in their membership; the debate of who is in and shouldn't be and who is missing but should be in is not important. What is important is that there are common principles of innovation to learn from and that can be drawn from the companies that are expertly surfing ahead on the wave of creativity.

Change is happening fast and it's clear that for many companies, the challenge is to keep up. We live in a world where value is being built and destroyed at mindboggling speeds, shareholders are becoming more radicalised and consumers can pass and spread judgement on a company in the blink of an eye.

The commercial backdrop for any pharmaceutical company bringing a product to market is the changing market landscape they face. This is largely one of fragmentation, both in terms of the types of patient who are appropriate for targeting and in terms of the disease.

When considering the current crop of advertising, seeking to tap into the patriotic Olympic spirit, how many of them are succeeding in this aim? Which are born British, and which are trying to thrust Britishness upon themselves?

I was carving a loaf of bread this weekend, with my new bread knife. For some reason, I didn't look at the knife and think to myself, 'Wow, that's some knife skills you have, maybe you could be a surgeon'.

Having easy access to reliever inhalers, when you have forgotten to bring one with you, must surely be a good thing?

Has the recession resulted in UK consumers expecting better service and more bang for their buck?