FMCG news

• GroupM’s John Montgomery says that publishers don’t have the 'moral right' to ask people to turn off ad blockers

  02-11-2016 22:56
  
  GroupM’s executive vice president of brand safety John Montgomery thinks that publishers need to consider what their current user experience is like in terms of advertising before imploring consumers to turn off their ad blockers.
  Speaking at The Drum’s Programmatic Punch at Ad:Tech New York, Montgomery (pictured above, far right) said that he thinks digital ads are overly monetized, 'suck up data plans and piss consumers off' – all of which are reasons why he doesn&r
  
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• Facebook's quarterly revenues have topped $7bn for the first time

  02-11-2016 22:38
  
  Facebook today (November 2) reported revenues of over $7bn for the third quarter, representing a 59% year-on-year rise, with its daily active users (DAU) hitting 1.18 billion (up 17% year-on-year) and mobile contributing 84% to this total.
  A more detailed breakdown of its results are listed in the chart below, with a key list of its quarterly highlights listed at the bottom of the page.  
  Loading...
  Q3 2016 highlights
  DAUs were 1.18 billion on average for September 2016, an increa
  
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• How to bridge the online and offline consumer experience

  02-11-2016 21:44
  
  The customer journey is only becoming more complicated with hundreds of potential touch points for a transaction as simple as buying a pair of shoes. So what are brands and marketers to do?
  Per Gwen Morrison, CEO of The Store at WPP, at ad:tech on Wednesday, brands should look at the online customer journey because consumers can search for whatever they want and customize their experiences and everything is contextually relevant because they’re driving it. That’s versus in-store, whe
  
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• Rubicon Project to lose 19% of global workforce

  02-11-2016 21:33
  
  Rubicon Project is to axe 19% of its global workforce amid continued speculation over its future, with the latest development coming as it revealed that revenues for the last quarter grew only 2% year-on-year to hit $65.8m. 
  The company included news of the “workforce reduction” – which will see it shed 125 staff members from its headcount – amid its latest Q3 numbers, which the company further forecast would cost it $4m in employee-termination benefits over the
  
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• Nissan marketing boss on how the automaker is linking its sports sponsorships with its innovation drive

  02-11-2016 19:28
  
  Two years into its bet on fewer but bigger sponsorships like the Champions League, Nissan is shifting gears to balance more fan involvement in its activations with a sharper focus on the technology powering its cars.
  How it does this - like it is for most brands - comes down to how well it can attach itself to the emotion around the rights it owns. It sounds straightforward and yet it’s hard to see a clear role for a car brand in Europe’s top club competition in the same it is for a
  
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• "Jargon & Buzzwords": Grapeshot VP Kevin McElroy reveals what element of Ad Tech he would deliver a Programmatic Punch to

  02-11-2016 19:11
  
  Grapeshot's vice president Kevin McElroy would give a Programmatic Punch to companies that use buzzwords and jargon he revealed, speaking before The Drum's two day event running as part of Ad Tech NY. 
  Speaking to The Drum about his major hates, McElroy relayed his belief that the current programmatic market is "unnecessarily complicated and in need of more simplicity and transparency!"
  Grapeshot, which is supporting The Drum's two-day programmatic punch event taking place within the Ad Tec
  
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• "We may have over targeted" admits Publicis’ Rishad Tobaccowala on what future companies should be and do

  02-11-2016 18:54
  
  Marketing is not a dying industry – just look at companies like Google, Facebook and Amazon, which are, in essence, marketing companies, said Rishad Tobaccowala, the recently appointed chief strategist at Publicis Groupe, in the opening keynote at Ad:Tech New York.
  However, marketers don’t seem to understand how amazing the opportunity is before them when they despair about the future.
  “The future is bright because of that stupid mobile phone you have,” Tobaccowala s
  
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• The story of StoryMade: How Publicis Seattle is helping startups tell their tales

  02-11-2016 18:29
  
  Let’s say you’re a startup and have a tech product you know everyone will love. The functionality is off the charts, your tests have proven it works faster than expected and it’s something that could revolutionize consumer interactions as we know them. The problem? You might not be able to communicate your vision to the people that will help fund your go-to-market plans as well as you would like.
  Enter StoryMade, a story ‘incubator’ from Publicis Seattle.
  While tech
  
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• Whole Foods Market like-for-like sales slip 2.6% in third quarter

  02-11-2016 18:22
  
  Total sales at US food retailer Whole Foods Market rose 2% in the third quarter to a “record” £$3.7bn, but fell 2.6% on a comparable store basis.
  
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• The Big Messy: how will sports navigate the chaos in 2017?

  02-11-2016 17:50
  
  Major global clubs taking their wares from TV to Facebook Live — and even casinos. Stadiums that go beyond luxury and are technological marvels. eSports threatening incumbents. Brands, leagues and media at penultimate moments, trying to figure out what is truly next in sports. To say there is “disruption” would be a grave understatement.
  The change is big. The future is messy.
  To that end, The Drum presents The Big Messy, the first in a series of live events that addresses issu
  
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• Slack warns Microsoft off workplace comms with NYT ad: ‘This is harder than it looks’

  02-11-2016 17:48
  
  In anticipation of Microsoft unveiling its workplace chat service in New York today (2 November), rival Slack took out a full-page ad in the New York Times letting the computing giant know it is in for a fight.
  A full page of copy, penned by Slack chief Stewart Butterfield, warned Microsoft that its relationship with customers will not be easily replicated, ahead of the launch of ‘Microsoft Teams’.
  It said: “We've spent tens of thousands of hours talking to customers and a
  
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• MEC names Castree global CEO as Courtier steps down

  02-11-2016 17:47 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  MEC has appointed Tim Castree as global chief executive, as Charles Courtier steps down after 14 years leading the Group M agency.
  
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• Reebok set to cash in on UFC 205 with New York inspired apparel marking the sport's legalisation in the state

  02-11-2016 17:30
  
  Reebok has unveiled an exclusive New York-inspired range of apparel as part of its marketing efforts to promote the UFC’s inaugural event in the city, after state lawmakers voted to legalize mixed martial arts (MMA).
  As the UFC’s exclusive apparel partner, Reebok is now looking to capitalise on the organisation’s most anticipated event ever: UFC 205 at Madison Square Garden, where its biggest athlete, Conor McGregor, headlines a title bout against lightweight champion Eddie Alv
  
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• Alibaba notes growth despite Chinese economic slowdown as it turns focus to cloud and entertainment sectors

  02-11-2016 17:24
  
  Alibaba has posted quarterly growth of 55%, as the company buckles down on e-tail and cloud computing.
  For the three months leading up to 30 September, the company posted a year-on-year growth of 55% to $5.14bn.
  Its commerce wing was up by 41% with entertainment and cloud seeing similar buffs. While China’s economy staggers to a halt, Alibaba looks to be a benefactor of the economic situation.
  Joseph Tsai, Alibaba executive vice-chairman said its cloud computing and digital entertainm
  
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• Ad of the Day: Childline enlists Cheryl to front powerful campaign encouraging young people to ask for help

  02-11-2016 17:21
  
  To mark its 30th anniversary week Childline has created a campaign featuring Cheryl, which looks to encourage young people to talk about any problems they may be facing.
  In the thought-provoking ad, the former Girls Aloud singer's voice is replaced by the voices of children talking about their issues as she sits in an empty gym hall. One boy is heard explaining his fear around telling his father he's gay, while a young girl is heard speaking about being sexually abused. Other stories come from a
  
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• Thistle Seafoods nets funding deal for growth

  02-11-2016 16:38
  
  Scottish seafood manufacturer Thistle Seafoods has agreed a multimillion-pound bank funding package to grow at home and abroad.
  
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• John Lewis' head of marketing: ‘We took a step back after Man on the Moon to ask if our creative was still compelling’

  02-11-2016 16:18
  
  John Lewis has dropped the biggest hint yet that the ‘advertising’ of years past might not be used in its upcoming Christmas advert after the retailer’s head of marketing revealed that the mixed reception to ‘Man on the Moon’ caused it to take a step back to revaluate its signature creative tactic.
  With less than two weeks to go until the much-anticipated advert lands on screens (10 November), it was unsurprising that Rachel Swift was hesitant to reveal too much on
  
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• Ornua expands US footprint with ingredients acquisition

  02-11-2016 16:00
  
  Irish dairy Ornua has acquired a US ingredients business from MCT Dairies as it seeks to expand its presence in America.
  
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• Make time to gel with your peers, says Testify's Mark Joseph

  02-11-2016 15:37 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Mark Joseph, the co-founder and managing partner at influencer marketing agency Testify, shares his lesson from the ladder.
  
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• Update: Facenook stamps out Admiral's plan to analyse user data to adjust insurance quotes

  02-11-2016 15:30
  
  Admiral Insurance garnered headlines on Wedneesday 2 November when it said that it would leverage Facebook user data to adjust user quotes.
  The opt-in firstcarquote initiative was geared toward first-time car owners and was to analyse traits such as writing in proper English, making use of lists and agreeing to meet friends at specific times rather than vague periods, to improve quotes. On the other hand, users with a tendency to pepper Facebook posts with disjointed grammar peppered w
  
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• Update: Facebook stamps out Admiral's plan to analyse user data to adjust insurance quotes

  02-11-2016 15:30
  
  Admiral Insurance garnered headlines on Wednesday 2 November when it said that it would leverage Facebook user data to adjust user quotes.
  The opt-in firstcarquote initiative was geared toward first-time car owners and was to analyse traits such as writing in proper English, making use of lists and agreeing to meet friends at specific times rather than vague periods, to improve quotes. On the other hand, users with a tendency to pepper Facebook posts with disjointed grammar peppered wi
  
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• Are your online ads getting seen?

  02-11-2016 15:00
  
  Wasted ad spend is a huge problem in the advertising industry. The Interactive Advertising Bureau and PWC estimated that poor viewability is costing UK advertisers around £154m a quarter.
  According to European ad verification company Meetrics, around £260 million was wasted last year in Q3 on unseen ads. The UK's online ad viewability figures were also lower than its European counterparts with 52%, compared to Germany’s 61% and France’s 69%.
  The Media Rating Cou
  
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• TV ad spend surpasses $300m by Clinton and Trump, but candidates spent less than expected

  02-11-2016 14:59
  
  With one week remaining in the US presidential campaign, ad spend money is flowing fast into television markets in battleground states across the country, Bloomberg reports today.
  Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton who has raised a total of $1.3bn has increased her ad spending by 86%  as compared with the week beginning October 18, to $29.6m, which is double what Donald Trump spent ($14.9m).  She has spent a total of $214m on television advertising so far, while Trump, w
  
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• 'Venture capital is a very human business' - Jessica Peltz-Zatulove, partner, KBS Ventures

  02-11-2016 13:56
  
  Ahead of her participation at this week's 3% Conference in New York, The Drum caught up with Jessica Peltz-Zatulove, partner at KBS Ventures, to discuss how venture divisions can strengthen creative agencies, the inequalities facing female founders and why VC is an inherently human business.
  In a world where brands and agencies are fighting to stay relevant with consumers, those who can tap into innovation will be the ones to succeed. Yet despite increasing initiatives from agency groups to work
  
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• Up to 400 jobs at risk at 2 Sisters factory in South Wales

  02-11-2016 13:48
  
  Packing operation run by St Merryn Foods in Merthyr Tydfil “no longer sustainable” after a strategic review
  
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• 'Fact, truth and honesty don’t win elections': The role of algorithms and social media in this year's presidential race

  02-11-2016 13:45
  
  As the excruciating US election comes to a close, it’s worth thinking about the fallout before we move on to the outcome.
  Thinking back to the beginning, with 20 candidates in the race for president, two stood out - Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders. Back then we were sure it was all just a big stunt and neither candidate had any credible hope of getting very far. We casually talked about how we live in a culture driven by marketing principles. We observed that polarization drives popularity
  
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• Former Havas NYC chief Peter Zillig joins Cheil UK as CEO

  02-11-2016 13:24
  
  Former Havas Worldwide New York chief executive Peter Zillig has been named as chief executive of Cheil London. 
  Zillig takes on the role following the resignation of Peter Hammersley from Cheil UK last month. 
  He will report to Cheil Europe chief executive Kevin Park as Zillig takes control of the UK operations, with BMB to run as a separate entity under chief executive Juliet Haygart. 
  Park said: “A proven leader, Peter has a compelling combination of energy, skills and ex
  
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• Shoppers still prefer high street for valuable purchases

  02-11-2016 13:23
  
  A report by Barclays also showed a growing demand for high street shops to adapt to modern technology
  
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• Who's making waves in social media? Vote now to crown the Social Buzz Individual of the Year 2016

  02-11-2016 13:06
  
  Voting is now open to decide who should be crowned the 2016 Social Buzz Individual of the Year at The Drum's Social Buzz Awards.
  This year, the Drum's editorial team has curated a shortlist of selection outstanding talents excelling in the social media arena - and now it is over to our readers to decide who is the most deserving of the individual of the year accolade.
  You have until 11am on Monday 7 November to have you say by making your selection on our voting page.
  The winner will be announce
  
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• Is advertising a young person's game? Campaign launches ageism survey

  02-11-2016 13:06 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Is the advertising industry guilty of seeing age as an issue, not an asset? Take part in Campaign's Ageism in Advertising survey and have your say.
  
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• Danone gives Volvic Juiced lower-sugar reformulation

  02-11-2016 13:04
  
  The flavoured water will see sugar content reduced by an average of 28%
  
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• How to make the grade when marketing to university students

  02-11-2016 13:00
  
  Each year, brands earmark freshers’ week as the ideal window reach out to new university students. But is this really the right time to open the conversation?
  PrettyGreen implemented a year-long qualitative research study involving 100 students around the country. Through conversations, video diaries, photos and questionnaires, our recruits documented their year at university, resulting in some significant findings for the brands who seek to connect with them.
  Here are 10 things to co
  
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• Facebook bars Admiral's 'firstcarquote' from using profile information

  02-11-2016 12:35 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Facebook has barred a new service from Admiral which uses profile data to inform car insurance quotes.
  
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• Stop loafing around - what brands can learn from this year's Great British Bake Off

  02-11-2016 12:09
  
  In the past seven years, the Great British Bake Off has become a national institution, attracting around 13 million viewers per episode. And, as the dust settles on its final series with the BBC, its interesting to see how much the show has influenced the UK's consumers and impacted the baking category.
  The analysis, that we did through our marketing intelligence platform Forecaster, found that online searches for baking products have risen by 17% since the start of the show, peaking on Sunday 2
  
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• Fighting the culture of ‘pro-bro’: How can women in advertising be themselves at work?

  02-11-2016 12:05
  
  Elephant on Madison Avenue, the 3% Conference’s aptly named new research into the biggest problem in advertising today, highlights the hurdles faced by female talent as they take on institutionalized discrimination. Whether it’s being overlooked for opportunities because you’re not invited to boys’ golf days, being left out of meetings because you’re a mother, or putting up with sexist remarks from colleagues, superiors and even clients, it’s clear from the fi
  
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• Aunt Bessie's adds I'm a Celebrity sweet and savoury lines

  02-11-2016 11:59
  
  The frozen food brand is offering shoppers the chance to win a holiday in Oz
  
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• Apple green lights free promo codes for paid apps

  02-11-2016 11:51
  
  Apple has given the green light to app developers to distribute up to 1000 free promo codes for their apps every six months to facilitate distribution to reviewers and priority individuals to generate interest in paid apps and in-app purchases.
  Announcing the new policy in a blog post Apple said developers can now request up to 100 promo codes per platform or for individual in-app purchases – up to a maximum of 1,000 in-app purchase codes per app every six months.
  Each code is generated fo
  
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• Hillary Clinton seizes the US presidency in Tinder global user ballot... except in Russia

  02-11-2016 11:48
  
  Tinder users have swiped who they are backing in the US presidential election into the dating app, giving Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton a clear lead in the week leading to the big day.
  Last year, Global Web Index stated that 83% of Tinder users are between 16-34 years old, comprised of 62% of males and 38% of females, giving a good idea into the base the company had when putting out the poll.
  The global ‘Swipe the Vote’ initiative went live in 16 countries to hit home the impo
  
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• Radio is '20% more cost-effective' at building brands, research claims

  02-11-2016 11:22 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Radio can improve the cost-effectiveness of advertising campaigns by over 20% because it helps a brand to win "share of mind" with consumers, according to new research.
  
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• Bethesda dismiss franchise talk ahead of Dishonored 2 release

  02-11-2016 11:16
  
  Bethesda Softworks, publisher of potential game of the year Dishonored 2 which hits store shelves on 11 November, have dismissed talk of establishing a new blockbuster franchise.
  Instead of consciously seeking to emulate these hit titles Bethesda’s VP of marketing Pete Hines told gamesindustry.biz that the publishers sole aim is to build the best game possible rather than get sidetracked by future concerns.
  Hines said: “I think we try pretty hard, and certainly my focus is always, th
  
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• Bethesda discusses what it takes to be a successful publisher ahead of Dishonored 2 release

  02-11-2016 11:16
  
  Bethesda Softworks, publisher of potential game of the year Dishonored 2 which hits store shelves on 11 November, have dismissed talk of establishing a new blockbuster franchise as they outline the secrets of their success in a cuthroat industry.
  Instead of consciously seeking to emulate hit titles such as Doom and Skyrim Bethesda’s VP of marketing Pete Hines told gamesindustry.biz that the publishers sole aim is to build the best game possible rather than get sidetracked by future concern
  
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• Why the burgeoning tech collaboration between China and the UK is only in its infancy

  02-11-2016 11:09
  
  Brand-owners, media agencies, and tech startups are increasing pivoting towards a Chinese market which boasts a growing middle-class, rising affluence and increasingly tech-savvy consumers. China is also rapidly emerging as a tech innovator in its own right. Already home to leading global tech giants such as Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, Huawei and Xiaomi, China has a vibrant tech startup ecosystem and is experiencing a boom in VC tech investment, with US$37.2Bn of capital invested into tech start-up
  
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• Market research horror stories featuring Coke, Microsoft, HSBC and more

  02-11-2016 11:04 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Some of the world's top brands have made costly missteps because they didn't know their markets well enough, says Ray Beharry, start-up adviser and head of marketing at Pollfish.
  
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• Henkel's four-year plan: German FMCG major expected to focus on 'white spots' to achieve growth - GlobalCosmeticsNews (press release)

  02-11-2016 11:03
  
  GlobalCosmeticsNews (press release)
  Henkel's four-year plan: German FMCG major expected to focus on 'white spots' to achieve growth
  GlobalCosmeticsNews (press release)
  In advance of the official announcement of Henkel's four-year plan, expected next month, the German consumer giant's new CEO has revealed that the company will announce a renewed focus on growth, with a dual strategy to reduce gaps– or 'white spots' ...
  
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• Take part in our One Minute Briefs challenge and your ads could appear in Times Square on Do It Day

  02-11-2016 10:57
  
  The Drum and One Minute Briefs are today (2 November) inviting our communities to take part in a quick-fire creative challenge ahead of Do It Day, with the potential to have their creative displayed on some of the world's most iconic billboards.
  On 10 November brands, marketers and tech talent from both the UK and US will come together to prove that marketing can change the world in just 24 hours.
  However, before the main event we’re appealing to creatives to share their ideas on how
  
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• Sony Music streams ahead as cloud services top downloads

  02-11-2016 10:54
  
  Sony Music is coining it in from the growing popularity of music streaming as the format becomes the divisions biggest money spinner, now accounting for 42% of all revenues.
  This growth has come at the expense of downloads which have suffered a corresponding dip to just 18% of revenues although physical sales remained steady at 40.5%.
  Over the second quarter streaming added $303m to Sony’s coffers, a 26.6 % year-on-year increase whilst downloads brought in just $132m after contracting by a
  
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• Ex-Weapon7 boss Adam Graham takes CEO job at Marketing Group

  02-11-2016 10:47 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  A low-profile marketing services group that has already bought nearly 20 small agencies has hired former Weapon7 boss Adam Graham to be global chief executive.
  
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• Dentsu sets up commission to eradicate overworking from its culture

  02-11-2016 10:35
  
  Dentsu has created The Dentsu Working Environment Reforms Commission, an action group that aims to stamp out the issues that led to a tragic incident of suicide, partly caused by overwork, at the agency.
  According to Dentsu, the group will be led by CEO and president Tadashi Ishii and consist of eight other representatives from across the business.
  The agency is also getting in third parties, such as an independent legal firm, to do a review of its practices and make sure that it is in line with
  
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• Turkey of the week: The Happy Egg Co "Chain of happiness" by The Clinton Lab

  02-11-2016 10:31 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Gurjit Degun is perplexed by The Happy Egg Co's new spot.
  
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• Pick of the week: Boots No7 "Ready to speak up" by Mother London

  02-11-2016 10:27 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Brittaney Kiefer is excited by Boots' choice of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie to front its new campaign for No7.
  
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