La valeur des publicités

Avez-vous déjà acheté quelque chose à cause de l’image d’une marque ? Certainement, surtout lorsque l’emballage est très voyant et séduisant. Si nous devions nier que nous répondons à de bonnes publicités, nous pourrions tout aussi bien condamner des millions de départements marketing à l’obscurité, car quelle valeur a le marketing dans un monde d’engourdis. […]

The value of brands

Brands are flashy, but they aren’t malicious Have you ever bought something because of the branding? Surely you have, especially when the packaging is very flashy and enticing. If we were to deny that we respond to good ads we might as well condemn millions of marketing departments to obscurity, because what value does marketing […]

Free to choose: adult consumers should make their own decisions

We have created a public policy monster that lurks out from the backroom once we eye the cookie jar… Not a day goes by without a public health campaigner knocking on your door (though currently it’s probably an email) to explain to your which product should be banned or taxed out of existence. It used […]

Introducing the ConsEUmer podcast / EP1: Targeted Fun (w/ Yaël Ossowski)

This week I launched the ConsEUmer podcast, the European podcast of the Consumer Choice Center. Broadcasting every Thursday, wherever you listen to podcasts. I will be updating you on the latest consumer choice issues in the EU and its member states, and will also host a weekly guest. This week with Yaël Ossowski, on targeted […]

The Farm to Fork is too much of a political utopia

The EU’s new blueprint for sustainable food systems risks hurting both consumers and farmers. By 2030, the European Union is aiming to achieve a wide range of goals, according to the European Commission’s “Farm to Fork” strategy. From a political point of view, the document is the confirmation of a trend: green ideas are gaining […]

[Policy Note] Illicit trade in Europe

Together with my colleague Luca Bertoletti at the Consumer Choice Center, I published the policy note “Illicit Trade is Dangerous for Consumers” just last month. I contributed content about the prevalence of illicit trade in the agriculture sector. You can find the entire paper HERE.

Brüssel will Raucher und Dampfer wieder zur Kasse bitten

Die EU-weite Tabakmindeststeuer soll erhöht werden, auch das ‚Dampfen‘ betreffend. Geht gegen Einkaufstourismus, der durch noch höhere Steuern aber höchstens auf den Schwarzmarkt abgedrängt würde. Im Juni billigte der Europäische Rat einen neuen Konsens über Verbrauchssteuern auf Tabakwaren. Die Mitgliedstaaten schlagen Änderungen vor, die den Tabakpreis erhöhen und auch Nicht-Tabakprodukte wie E-Zigaretten betreffen würden. Seit 2011 gibt […]