FMCG news

• Adidas goes Midtown to compete with Nike in NYC

  05-12-2016 22:56
  
  Barely a month after Nike opened its Nike Soho store in lower Manhattan, Adidas has upped the competition by opening a Midtown feature store at 46th Street and Fifth Avenue, according to reports in Footwear News and Business Insider.
  With its massive 45,000-square-foot store just blocks from Times Square, the German sports retailer has shown a willingness not just to keep up with its Swoosh rival, but also to make a big statement in a sports shoe and apparel market that is swarming to Manhattan
  
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• Google launches new Android app Trusted Contact today 'in case of emergency'

  05-12-2016 20:08
  
  Google has rolled out Trusted Contacts today, an app to let users’ loved ones know they’re safe.
  The launch coincides with the aftermath of a deadly Oakland, California fire over the weekend, during which Facebook activated its Safety Check feature, according to the San Jose Mercury News.
  The new Android app lets users identify trusted contacts with whom they might share their location, if they’re ever in danger or for some reason are unable to respond to the usual &l
  
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• General Mills will cut 400-600 jobs worldwide as part of major reorganization

  05-12-2016 19:26
  
  General Mills has announced a global restructuring that will see it cut as many as 600 jobs worldwide. 
  The new structure, which the maker of Cheerios said will “support growth and drive greater efficiency,” comes as the company continues to face sluggish sales. In September, it reported a drop in sales for the fifth straight quarter.
  As part of the reorganization, General Mills said it plans to name a new global chief marketing officer and marketing innovation leader. Ann Simon
  
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• Blood appoints former Paddy Power marketer Sarah Davies in senior role

  05-12-2016 18:59 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Blood, the "brand-tech" practice within You & Mr Jones, has appointed Paddy Power's former director of marketing innovation, Sarah Davies, to help run the global agency.
  
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• Under Armour lands its first major kit supply deal with MLB agreement

  05-12-2016 18:40
  
  Under Armour has agreed its first major sports uniform supply deal after agreeing a 10-year deal with Major League Baseball (MLB).
  Starting from the 2020 season Under Armour will be the official provider of on-field uniforms, base layer and game day outerwear as well as training apparel for the league’s 30 clubs.
  Under the terms of the agreement sports gear e-commerce specialist Fanatics will manage the manufacturing and distribution of jerseys and other apparel.
  The deal represents a sign
  
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• Google gets into the holiday spirit with Santa Tracker

  05-12-2016 18:27
  
  Google’s Santa Tracker is officially live and counting down the days until December 24 in an advent-calendar-like experience with interactive features that really up the ante from the chocolate in the physical calendars of yore.
  That’s right: The 2016 experience includes Santa’s Village, which opened on December 1 and includes new daily features that allow visitors to practice basic coding skills, exercise their geography knowledge, learn different languages and get to kno
  
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• Brewdog launches new £10m Crowdfunding bond pitch

  05-12-2016 18:14
  
  Craft brewer BrewDog has launched another crowdfunding pitch to raise up to £10m and help fund its continued global expansion.
  
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• Russia watchdog group targets Fifa 17 for its support of LGBT Rainbow Laces campaign

  05-12-2016 18:03
  
  Russia's state-sponsored media watchdog group has made headlines again as it looks to impose restrictions upon Fifa 16 developer EA Sports over its subtle inclusion of material from LGBT group Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign.
  Having previously spoken out against Calvin Klein, U2 and Apple over supposed outlawed gay propaganda, popular football simulation game Fifa is now in the organisations' crosshairs.
  The Guardian quotes the Izvestia newspaper, claiming that Russian MPs have issued a
  
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• AirBnB drops lawsuit in New York, seen as a win for affordable housing advocates in city

  05-12-2016 17:56
  
  Airbnb has agreed to settle its  lawsuit in New York, its largest market, in which it was pushing back against a newly passed state law that would have hurt its business, according to an article today in the New York Times. The move is seen as an astounding about-face on the part of Airbnb, and a win for its opponents in New York City who cite that some Airbnb hosts are simply 'turning affordable housing into illegal hotels'.
  The short-term home rental service on Friday ended the lawsuit th
  
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• Digital Cinema Media wins Everyman Cinemas contract

  05-12-2016 17:53 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Independent cinema chain Everyman has appointed DCM as its commercial partner, with the cinema advertising market leader taking over from Pearl & Dean from 12 December.
  
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• Coca-Cola GB unveils 'face-swappable' bottle for Oasis

  05-12-2016 17:47
  
  The limited edition allows shoppers to use any face-swapping app to put their visage on the front label
  
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• Amazon shows off queueless supermarket

  05-12-2016 17:47 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Amazon has unveiled a concept supermarket, where shoppers can buy groceries without queueing or paying at the till.
  
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• Kevin Roberts reasserts his views on gender equality in first post-resignation interview

  05-12-2016 17:45 via campaignlive.com
  
  In a "candid" sit-down with TV New Zealand, the former Saatchi & Saatchi chairman says his statements were misunderstood and taken out of context
  
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• TV's transformational state is just a question of putting the pieces of the puzzle together, MODI executive says

  05-12-2016 17:30
  
  An apt analogy for planning and executing addressable television advertising is that it is akin to tackling a giant jigsaw puzzle. While there remains a need for pieces of the process to be fully automated, "the future holds amazing things for addressable television. We just have to connect all the pieces and stay positive," according to Jamie Power, senior partner at MODI Media in New York.
  “To be honest, it’s been the best three years of my career, it’s been so much fun,&rdqu
  
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• Demonetisation beneficial for organised FMCG players: Dabur - Economic Times

  05-12-2016 17:12
  
  Demonetisation beneficial for organised FMCG players: Dabur
  Economic Times
  NEW DELHI: FMCG firm Dabur today said the demonetisation of high value currency notes would have beneficial impact on organised players in the segment. However, on account of scarcity of cash available with customers and trade, the company foresees ...
  
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• Demonetization to have positive impact on organised FMCG players ... - Daily News & Analysis

  05-12-2016 17:04
  
  Daily News & Analysis
  Demonetization to have positive impact on organised FMCG players ...
  Daily News & Analysis
  Dabur said it is focusing on modern retail, e-commerce and institutional sales and also encouraging its general trade retailers to adopt cashless payment ...and more »
  
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• How Nielsen Social looks beyond owned content to measure the whole social TV conversation

  05-12-2016 17:00
  
  Social TV measurement is no easy task. Networks (and measurement companies) would like nothing more than if fans strictly used official handles and hashtags when tweeting about favorite shows; in reality, fans often reference inside jokes, use made-up hashtags, and express feelings via emojis.
  Nielsen Social, which measures social TV activity, released today findings from a deep dive it conducted into how people actually interact with shows. 
  The first thing Nielsen must do when measuring s
  
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• How the marketing industry is changing to protect its greatest asset – the people

  05-12-2016 16:39
  
  Over 2016 we seem to have done some soul-searching about what it means to be a marketer.
  We’re all guilty of indulging in nostalgia for the industry we once were. I’m not talking particularly about skills and expertise, but the way we are as people, how our business works, or doesn’t work for that matter. It’s easy to point to the good old days. But whilst there’s lots to cherish from our rich heritage, there are many more ways in which being a marketer today is bet
  
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• Data science is the new frontier in media research, TiVo executive says

  05-12-2016 16:37
  
  A paradigm shift from media research to data science in television advertising bodes well for marketers trying to target major media spend. Information is also more readily available, in part because of acquisitions like TV data company Rovi acquiring set-top box outfit TiVo, a deal valued at $1.1bn.
  With brands now reaching audiences via different channels and an improved understanding of the consumer, buyers and sellers are investing more in big data and digital platforms, says, Joan Fitzgeral
  
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• Vice taps Sam Bergen to lead creative out of its Los Angeles office

  05-12-2016 16:31
  
  Vice Media, owner of brands including TV channel Viceland, Vice News and women’s interest site Broadly, has hired Sam Bergen to fill the newly-created role of West Coast executive creative director.  
  Bergen joins from Omnicom, where he served as chief creative officer of McDonald’s new agency We Are Unlimited. According to Vice, Bergen “led over 50 multidisciplinary creatives across 19 Omnicom companies to pitch, and win, the billion-dollar business.” Before joining
  
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• Ferrero completes deal for Belgian biscuit brand Delacre

  05-12-2016 16:30
  
  Swiss confectionery giant Ferrero has announced the completion of its deal to buy Belgian luxury biscuit brand Delacre from UK-based Pladis.
  
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• Sadiq Khan announces £7m scheme to help strengthen London's tech workforce

  05-12-2016 16:29
  
  London mayor Sadiq Khan has announced a new £7m scheme to get more Londoners into digital, technology and creative careers.
  The two-year long initiative focuses on encouraging more women and minority ethnic groups to pursue careers in the sector and work to meet the needs of tech business in the capital.
  It will support young people developing digital skills through the creation of apprenticeships thanks to funding from a combination of the London Local Enterprise Partnership and
  
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• Amazon reveals its high street trump card: Go, its solution to in-store queues and check-out

  05-12-2016 16:26
  
  Amazon has upped its offensive on bricks and mortar with perhaps its most disruptive shopping solution yet completely eliminating the need for queues and check-out.
  Amazon Go is an app that keeps track of the goods shoppers leave an Amazon store with through a feature called ‘Just Walk Out Shopping,’ a move touted to evolve the commerce experience.
  A trial will be launched in Seattle at an 1,800 foot store, currently open to employees of the company, although it’s expected to e
  
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• Advertising agencies' staff costs reach all-time high

  05-12-2016 16:13 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Employments costs at advertising agencies have reach an all time high, according to the latest Kingston Smith report. Kingston Smith partner Esther Carder reports in more depth.
  
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• Five facts on why Word Of Mouth marketing is a sound investment

  05-12-2016 16:01
  
  Word-of-mouth marketing is one of the highest-yielding marketing disciplines. Yes, you read that right. And you can accurately and effectively measure the impact on sales of conversations between ordinary people about your product or service – and not just those that happen online.
  There are some commonly held myths around word-of-mouth marketing, or WOM as its often referred to: that it can’t be measured; that only those conversations that happen online and in public can be tracked.
  
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• Sid Lee named Canadian Olympic Committee agency of record, to promote Canadian athletics beyond Olympics

  05-12-2016 15:52
  
  Canadians are known for being particularly polite. So, it’s not surprising that, even as the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) named Sid Lee its new agency of record, they still gave praise to the two previous agencies that helped build the brand of Canadian athletics.
  “Five years ago, we started an agency search because we realized that we could, despite being a lean operation marketing-wise, find partners that wanted to use the Canadian Olympic Team as a great canvas to tell athlete
  
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• How digital is ‘devaluing’ luxury fashion brands and what marketers can do about it

  05-12-2016 15:15
  
  Once a mysterious entity shrouded in secrets, luxury fashion brands have been forced to adapt for the digital age by overhauling their season-based approach to selling, and making goods available immediately via an online click. However, they are now at risk of “devaluing” their brands by bowing to the pressure of younger audiences who are constantly demanding for the new, and instantly.
  2016 has been a turning point for many luxury fashion brands. Burberry led the way earlier in the
  
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• White men in advertising are too quiet - and their silence speaks volumes

  05-12-2016 14:50
  
  I despise this story, but the silence is killing advertising:
  Working at this agency was killing me. For years, I had wanted to work at this shop. I dreamed of being here. Too bad the dream was nothing but a nightmare.
  My creative director (CD) didn’t hire me, a partner did. I thought that was a good thing. How stupid I was.
  My “interview” with my CD was more a formality since the partner had already offered me the job. He had been out of country during my interview. (I wasn&rs
  
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• Unicef animates David Beckham’s tattoos to take the hardline on child violence

  05-12-2016 14:41
  
  Unicef ambassador David Beckham is fronting another campaign, this time donating his body as a canvas upon which animated tattoos tell the story of child abuse.
  Created by animation and production studio BlindPig, the 60 second video tells stories of violence alongside Beckham’s many tattoos, looking to share common scenarios that arise in homes, schools, online and in communities.
  Phil Oldham, creative director of Absolute, BlindPig sister company, said: “It was important for u
  
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• Star Wars producer Kennedy continues drive to hire female directors

  05-12-2016 14:25
  
  There has been a surge of interest in female directors in film, TV and advertising, much brought to the surface by the “Free the Bid” campaign by director Alma Har’el.
  Now, the push has become even more prominent after Star Wars producer Kathleen Kennedy has come out to say that she has “every intention” of hiring a woman to direct one of the Star Wars films.
  Kennedy had gotten a bit of flak when she first stated in an interview with Variety that a woman should dire
  
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• UFC tells sports broadcasters they’ll have to bid big as company aims for fourfold increase in media rights revenue

  05-12-2016 14:24
  
  Sports broadcasters looking to capitalise on the UFC’s growing popularity will be expected to bid big when it comes negotiating with the mixed martial arts brand after network executives learned that owner WME-IMG is seeking a new 10-year agreement worth nearly four-times its current deal with  Fox Sports.  
  The UFC’s TV rights deal was one of the main talking points when sports promotion outfit Zuffa sold the UFC to WME-IMG for $4bn this summer with the new owner
  
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• Eurobest: The future of creativity and what it means for the industry

  05-12-2016 14:23
  
  Creative minds from across Europe last week descended on Rome and the striking location of Palazzo Barberini, home to the Eternal City’s National Gallery of Ancient Art. Amid the background of paintings by renowned artists from the thirteenth to the eighteenth century, agency faces debated the future of creativity, the changing role of the creative director and how to inject more ingenuity in to advertising. The Drum rounded up the best bits.
  Creativity in advertising is in crisis, and edu
  
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• One Stop offers retailers free e-learning and people scheme

  05-12-2016 14:09
  
  The kit aims to get franchisees and their staff members in line with Trading Standards legislation
  
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• Blakemore Wholesale opens Bmorelocal store in Northumberland

  05-12-2016 14:06
  
  The Bmorelocal fascia offers retailers a full symbol group package including chilled, frozen, EPoS and food to go 
  
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• ARTE allows fans to create their own short animated videos

  05-12-2016 14:00
  
  ARTE France launched autograf, a platform that generates short animated videos based on descriptions of series and films. The tool was created in partnership with Doncvoilà productions and the French cultural website SensCritique.
  #DÉFI du lundi : racontez-nous les 6 saisons de @GameOfThrones en 400 caractères ! https://t.co/3R2u8Ide3l pic.twitter.com/6SqzUR5ReR
  — ARTE (@ARTEfr) November 21, 2016
  Fans can decide whether they want to create an autograf themselves or if
  
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• Adspend growth to slow to lowest level since global recession, IPG forecasts

  05-12-2016 13:36 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Next year's global adspend growth will slow to its lowest rate in 15 years outside of the 2008/09 recession, according to latest forecasts by IPG Mediabrands' Magna researchers.
  
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• Publicis Canada appoints new team to head up Montreal office, will renew focus on data and distribution channels

  05-12-2016 13:32
  
  Publicis Canada announced the appointments of Rachelle Claveau as president of Publicis Montreal, and Sylvain Dufresne as executive vice-president, creative director of Publicis Montreal on Friday.
  The appointments reflect Publicis shift towards more integrated messaging across growing distribution channels and a renewed focus on the importance of data as a core component of the agency.
  "Our business has changed significantly, we are now dealing with an ever growing number of distribut
  
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• Google DeepMind releases source code to the Quake III levels its using to train AIs

  05-12-2016 13:30
  
  Alphabet artificial intelligence wing Google DeepMind has been developing and utilising mazes and challenges, designed using video game Quake III Arena’s 17-year-old software, to teach its artificial intelligence programmes how to operate in 3D spaces.
  Somewhat reminiscent of the rat-in-a-maze experiment, the ‘DeepMind Lab’ project was used to create enviroments capable of testing AI systems’ “ability to achieve goals in a wide range of environments”.
  Tas
  
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• Global marketers move to consolidate ad server rosters amid wider adtech concentration

  05-12-2016 13:30
  
  Two years ago the average global advertiser would have paid four or five ad serving companies now they’re more likely to work with three, consolidating their spend into fewer businesses in order to curb costs and exert more control over their media.
  It’s the standout finding from a study of 30 companies - spending a total of more than $30bn on media globally – that the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) and Ebiquity conducted this year. From agency rosters to internal expert
  
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• North Sea cod quotas to rise 16% following EU-Norway talks

  05-12-2016 13:27
  
  Improving cod stocks pave way for bigger catch limits, however, Scots warn too much quota ceded to Norway 
  
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• What problem do you want to solve? A challenge for all creatives in 2017

  05-12-2016 13:25
  
  2016 has been full of fun little surprises for us all. As professional marketers that are supposed to be trained to understand customers, we really should have known better. We’re Guardian-reading Netflix subscribers who only pick up a copy of the Daily Mail to see if our ads are in there (unless we work for Lego). We need to wake up, pay attention and think. It’s already too late to save the present – but we need to think about the future.
  The first surprise, Brexit, has now b
  
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• Microsoft, Zizzi and Network Rail among brands exposing the secrets of successful agency relationships in new book

  05-12-2016 13:23
  
  The Drum’s Recommended Agency Register (RAR) has released the third edition of Together Works, a publication that celebrates successful marketing relationships. The book features in-depth interviews with famous brands including Microsoft, Network Rail and Zizzi, which focus on some of the challenges found in this new era of marketing, and the secrets to achieving success.
  Marketers such as Elodie Gillet, marketing manager, eBAy and Robin Stevens, head of digital and marketing services, Avi
  
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• Mattessons campaign teaches teens to code through training course disguised as online game

  05-12-2016 13:18 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Mattessons Fridge Raiders aimed to exploit kids' interest in playing video games and turn it into an educational opportunity, in a campaign created for the brand by Saatchi & Saatchi.
  
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• Iceland trademark dispute set to continue as delegation fails

  05-12-2016 13:13
  Iceland CEO Malcolm Walker claimed the country’s government had no interest in a compromise
  
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• Tampax launches party-themed push for Compak Pearl

  05-12-2016 12:51
  
  \\\\…
  
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• Volkswagen launches Moia brand to build on-demand transport

  05-12-2016 12:37 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Volkswagen is planning to serve congested cities with an on-demand public transport service operating under the new Moia brand.
  
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• Asics takes over IAAF sponsorship after Adidas severed ties amid doping and corruption scandals

  05-12-2016 12:36
  
  Asics has agreed terms with the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) to become the new top-tier sports brand sponsor.
  The Japanese sports brand will replace Adidas, which confirmed last week that it was ending its relationship with the governing body early by "mutual agreement”.
  The German sports brand’s signed an 11-year deal with the IAAF in 2008, however the doping and corruption scandal that has engulfed world athletics reportedly drove the company to sever t
  
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• Samantha Burke joins Love Drinks as sales & marketing boss

  05-12-2016 12:33
  
  Burke has more than 20 years’ experience in the premium drinks industry
  
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• Northumbrian creates 40 jobs with £1.2m biscuit line

  05-12-2016 12:23
  
  The investment ’will reinforce our leading position in the gluten-free sector’, says the supplier
  
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• Visa builds European regional marketing hub as integration of Visa Europe continues

  05-12-2016 12:18
  
  Visa is building a regional pan-European marketing hub to mirror those it has in other markets following the acquisition of Visa Europe earlier this year.
  Redundancies and job transfers are understood to be taking place now, so details on who from the Visa Europe team is affected by the shake-up are yet to be finalised.
  However, all those marketers who do stay with the business will work within the newly-formed regional division in London that will report into the financial firm’s global h
  
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