Purpose Reviews the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoints practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings Why people buy things is still, despite decades of research and observation, a relatively mysterious phenomenon. Every day hundreds of firms start up and a similar number fail, and all of them have the same hope – that people will spend their money on the things they are providing. And yet those firms that start up, with all of the planning and investment behind them, will still be unsure if that expenditure will happen on their things. Just as those firms that have failed once benefited from that spending before it started to stop. Practical implications Provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations. Original/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.