Marketing news

• Journalists, take heart: content marketing needs you

  10-08-2016 23:05
  
  John Oliver’s recent segment on the state of the journalism industry was perhaps bittersweet for reporters who feel vindicated by the exposé, but helpless to enact meaningful change.
  But the good news, if anything, is that content is in high demand. And so there actually is a growing market for editorial skills. This will not likely cheer the Columbia Journalism School Class of 2017 graduates who dream of becoming the next Bob Woodward or Carl Bernstein. But it does mean they&r
  
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• Nike and Chance the Rapper create uplifting music video to celebrate USA Basketball

  10-08-2016 22:56
  
  In a year that’s been marked by a tumultuous presidential election and mass shootings, Nike is hoping to bring a sense of pride back to America via the Olympics with a music video that celebrates both the women’s and men’s USA Basketball teams.  
  The black-and-white film features an original song that Chance rhe Rapper wrote for the ad called “We The People,” a nod to the first three words of the United States Constitution. In the ad, which was directed by Hiro
  
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• US Creative Work of the Week: Hhgregg touts its ability to cure “FOBO” in satirical video created by Zimmerman

  10-08-2016 20:32
  
  Home appliance retailer Hhgregg is hoping that its latest campaign will cure shoppers of “FOBO,” or “fear of better options.”
  Voted by readers as US Creative Work of the Week, the campaign positions the retailer as a one-stop-shop for anyone on the hunt for home appliances and electronics, providing consumers with “unmatched selection, service and price.”
  In a two-minute film that parodies cheesy pharmaceutical commercials, a woman cries in a therapist’s
  
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• Manchester United confirms EA Sports as official video games partner

  10-08-2016 20:13
  
  Manchester United FC have inked a three-year global deal with EA Sports which will see the entertainment company become the club’s official video games partner.
  The announcement comes just a day after EA Sports strengthened its ties with the Premier League via a new contract that will see it gain greater access through a ‘lead partner’ status.
  The central focus of the Manchester United relationship will be digital, with the deal giving fans access to Manchester United cont
  
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• Snapchat has apparently upped the number of ads it's showing between Stories already

  10-08-2016 19:38
  
  Snapchat announced back in June that it was doubling down on advertising. Part of the shakeup included the introduction of branded content being slotted between Stories on the platform – meaning messages from users' friends would be bookmarked with ads. 
  At the time, Snapchat promised that it would "careful" about how many ads Snapchatters would see, capping the maximum number of skippable video spots displayed between friends to three promotions per-day.
  According to Ad Week, ho
  
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• Make your mobile marketing strategy work for you

  10-08-2016 18:56
  
  I’m sure I’m not alone when I say I use my JustEat app to order a takeaway and use O2’s loyalty programme to get access to the latest gigs and events on the move. Thanks to the ease of doing almost everything on our mobiles we find ourselves engaging directly with brands on an almost daily basis, so it’s not surprising that companies are keen to adopt a mobile marketing strategy to take advantage of this.
  In fact, according to the 2016 Salesforce State of Marketing report
  
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• Havana Club believes ‘it’s up to us to expose Cuba to the masses’ as it opens immersive pop-up Casa featuring VR experience

  10-08-2016 18:29
  
  Pernod Ricard’s Havana Club is embracing its Cuban roots and using virtual reality in order to do so within its pop up experience. 
  The alcohol brand is prizing its authenticity above all else at its current London pop-up experience, and senior brand manager Liam Murphy believes it’s up to the brand “to expose Cuba to the masses” as the country continues to open its borders.
  Speaking to The Drum within one of the pop-up’s many themed rooms, Murphy explaine
  
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• Burberry turns to Pinterest to host global personalised ‘Cat Lashes’ mascara campaign

  10-08-2016 18:29
  
  Burberry is the latest brand to collaborate with Pinterest, choosing to partner with the visual bookmarking tool for the launch of its new ‘Cat Lashes’ mascara.
  The campaign marks the first time a cosmetic brand has created a personalised experience for Pinterest users, and looks to tap into the 38.5 million views Pinterest receives each month across ‘pins’ filed under its hair and beauty categories.
  The initiative will offer up a personalised experience to customers base
  
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• Love HP Sauce, ITV News and shopping at Iceland? You probably voted leave

  10-08-2016 18:13
  
  Research has shown a clear divide between brands favoured by voters in the EU referendum. But which household names can heal the nation?
  Theresa May entered Downing Street pledging to stitch a divided Britain into one nation, but it turns out we’re still a long way even from one household.Writing in Campaign magazine, Emily James, chief strategy officer at creative agency RKCR/Y&R, details how she went through YouGov’s tracking survey – which monitors about 1,200 brands &nd
  
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• Television remains a key advertising strategy for B2C, while B2B leans more toward digital channels

  10-08-2016 18:11
  
  TV advertising is still the primary focus of marketing efforts for nearly one quarter (22 per cent) of US enterprises who indicated that TV is their number-one priority channel. Further, 85 per cent of companies have a website, and almost 80 per cent are active on social media according to the results of a recent study released today by B2B research firm Clutch and marketing agency R2integrated (R2i).
  The findings strongly suggest that while many enterprise companies depend on digital as part of
  
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• Burberry becomes first luxury brand to personalise on Pinterest

  10-08-2016 18:11
  
  Burberry has become the first luxury brand to offer customers a personalised experience on Pinterest, letting them create customised make-up boards to promote its new ‘Cat Lashes Mascara’ product.
  The personalisation works by asking visitors three questions. Their answers, along with their initials will be combined to create the personal Pinterest board.
  The partnership allows Burberry to benefit from Pinterest’s features and data to cater its posts to individuals though person
  
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• Brand Recruitment: Marketing Assistant - 3 month contract

  10-08-2016 18:10
  
  £25000 per annum:Brand Recruitment:Marketing Assistant - 3 month contract, Welwyn Garden City -A leading company based in Hertfordshire are looking to recruit a Marketing Assistant initially on a 3 month contract.
  Welwyn Garden City
  
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• Why P&G is moving away from targeted Facebook advertising

  10-08-2016 18:08
  
  P&G, which owns brands such as Fairy, Always and Pampers, is shifting its marketing spend away from Facebook advertising that targets specific groups of consumers after finding it did not always lead to the expected sales boost.
  In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Marc Pritchard, P&G’s chief brand officer, said the company took the strategy too far. He said: “We targeted too much, and we went too narrow. And now we’re looking at: What is the best way to get th
  
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• ‘I like to hire smart, thoughtful and hardworking’: Rachel Barek promoted to general manager at AKQA's DC office

  10-08-2016 18:07
  
  Rachel Barek is a New Yorker at heart, but she has embraced her adopted home in Washington, DC, and has been promoted to general manager of AKQA's Washington DC office. Barek, formerly the director of client services at the agency, takes on the responsibility of helping AKQA’s clients by driving forward ideas, products and services as well as continuing to develop the company culture and client relationships. 
   “AKQA DC has several of the most successful
  
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• "Good catch" ad focuses on sustainable fishing with a twist

  10-08-2016 18:06
  
  A new advertisement launched this week entitled "Good Catch," airing this week in hopes of raising awareness of sustainable fisheries, which work to protect fish stocks, ecosystems and local fishing communities in New England. The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), an international non-profit organization based in the UK that is dedicated to safeguarding the seafood supply launched the campaign to educate New England consumers about identifying sustainable seafood products.
  The ad features v
  
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• Is ‘brand engagement’ a meaningless metric?

  10-08-2016 17:30
  
  When measuring the success of marketing activity, the term ‘engagement’ is often used as a metric. But what does it really mean? The word has become ubiquitous yet it represents many different things to different people depending on the circumstances and campaign objectives.
  For some, brand engagement can be as simple as a mention on social media or an email being opened, while others class the act of buying a product or service as the only sign of engagement.
  While some ma
  
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• M&S' 2016 Christmas ad shoot sees gift-packed helicopter flown into north London

  10-08-2016 17:27 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Marks & Spencers' Christmas ad could feature a helicopter packed with gifts shot in a north London square after pictures from the shoot were revealed.
  
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• Independent Influence: The visual vocabulary of Philadelphia in collaboration with RTO+P

  10-08-2016 17:23
  
  (Editor's note: Independent Influence is a series that explores the motivations, inspirations and perspectives of independent agencies, work and thinkers. This collaborative project is wide-ranging and an opportunity to tell the true stories of independence around the world. If you're interested in learning more, contact The Drum's North America editor at large, Doug Zanger.)
  There is a certain quality to Philadelphia that shouts “independent.” The most obvious would be Independ
  
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• Lidl’s Arnd Pickhardt on what it takes to turn a challenger brand into a contender

  10-08-2016 17:20
  
  When Arnd Pickhardt headed up Lidl’s UK marketing team in 2011, the discount supermarket had a market share of only 2.5%. Fast forward to November 2015 – when Pickhardt left the UK to take control of Lidl’s marketing in Germany – and market share hit a record high of 4.4%.
  This transformation and turnaround of perceptions are why Pickhardt was crowned ‘Visionary Marketer of the Year’ at the Marketing Week Awards in May.
  It is fair to say Pickhar
  
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• Digital jumps the shark: Hello to the post-digital era

  10-08-2016 17:12
  
  There’s increasing evidence to suggest we’ve reached a tipping point. Technology has become ubiquitous and screens seem to have had their day. We’ll need to reset our thinking if we want to remain relevant in a post-digital age.
  I’ve written previously in this blog about the exponential potential of connected technologies, and a few weeks ago I ran an event that brought together architects with digital specialists to explore technology’s increasing role in the built
  
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• Life science marketers are more tech savvy, erudite but only 2 per cent looking to Twitter, survey says

  10-08-2016 17:02
  
  A new kind of market researcher is emerging as the pace of the life sciences sector changes and evolves with the demand on market researchers quickly changing, too.  
  A recent report took the pulse on this highly educated group and found that market researchers in the life sciences are more nimble and focus on big data while valuing longevity and colleague interaction, with 71 per cent of those surveyed having 15 or more years of experience in their field with 71 per cent holding a graduate
  
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• Greenpeace crowdfunds Financial Times ad to pressure Siemens into meeting Amazon indigenous representatives

  10-08-2016 16:04
  
  Greenpeace has funded an ad in the Financial Times in a bid to pressure Siemens into talking with indigenous Amazon peoples before building a hydropower dam in the rainforest.
  The organisation crowdfunded the ad from 3,600 donors in just over a week, to pressure the German-based company into meeting with Munduruku spokespeople, as it looks set to continue its engineering involvement in the project.
  Munduruku general chief Arnaldo Kaba Munduruku and senior advisor Ademir Kab, have travelled all t
  
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• Beano Studios appoints House PR to relaunch brand into the digital space

  10-08-2016 15:39
  
  Beano, the famous UK children’s comic brand, has appointed House PR to lead and activate the PR strategy for its relaunch as a children’s entertainment network this autumn.
  Beano Studios will create, curate and deliver entertainment for kids across multiple touchpoints, including TV, digital content, consumer products and theatrical projects as well as the much-loved comic and annual.
  At the heart of the relaunch is a completely new digital experience for 7 to 10 year olds, bringing
  
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• Comscore replaces CEO and CFO amid internal financial investigation

  10-08-2016 15:14
  
  TV and cross-platform measurement firm ComScore has announced a c-suite shakeup amid an investigation into its financial practices, replacing its both its chief executive officer and chief financial officer.
  The firm’s co-founder Gian Fulgoni has been appointed as chief executive, replacing Serge Matta who will become executive vice-chairman, according to Bloomberg. Meanwhile, chief revenue officer David Chemerow will take hold of the chief financial remit from Melvin Wesley III who is poi
  
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• Inside Mothercare's marketing strategy as its turnaround plan begins to pay off

  10-08-2016 15:12
  
  Mothercare is looking to redefine its brand as it emerges from one of the most tumultuous periods in its 55-year history. Following the arrival of a new marketing director in Gary Kibble last year, the retailer will continue to overhaul its store estate and refresh its brand comms as well as position itself as a leading digital player.
  Two years years ago, it’s fair to say that Mothercare was at its lowest point. Profit warnings had been issued and shareholders were convinced a b
  
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• ‘Tired of being… fat and ugly? Just be ugly!’ provocative Fit4Less ad proves divisive

  10-08-2016 15:10
  
  In 2015 health supplement firm Protein World showed just how far a provocative ad can go to boosting sales, a strategy that now appears to have been adopted by Fit4Less which is the latest fitness brand to erect a supposedly offensive ad.
  The gym chain put up an OOH ad in Derbyshire, claiming to be the salve to obesity – but not ugliness – with the following tagline: 'Tired of being… fat and ugly? Just be ugly!'
  The ad has been condemned by a number of social media users,
  
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• Kutcher doubles down on Airbnb regulations with Thiel

  10-08-2016 15:07
  
  By Kyle O'Brien
  Ashton Kutcher is making his considerably more weighty name heard about relaxing regulations on Airbnb, and now he has PayPal co-founder, and recent political lightning rod Peter Thiel backing him up in his fight against New York home share regulations.
  A bill was passed by the New York State Legislature that would find New York City residents up to $7,500 for renting out their homes and apartments on Airbnb. Kutcher, Thiel, Facebook’s Marc Andreessen and other tech movers
  
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• Ashton Kutcher doubles down on Airbnb regulations with Thiel

  10-08-2016 15:07
  
  By Kyle O'Brien
  Ashton Kutcher is making his considerably more weighty name heard about relaxing regulations on Airbnb, and now he has PayPal co-founder, and recent political lightning rod Peter Thiel backing him up in his fight against New York home share regulations.
  A bill was passed by the New York State Legislature that would find New York City residents up to $7,500 for renting out their homes and apartments on Airbnb. Kutcher, Thiel, Facebook’s Marc Andreessen and other tech movers
  
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• Procter & Gamble pulling back on targeted Facebook ads

  10-08-2016 15:06
  
  By Kyle O'Brien
  One of the world’s biggest companies has decided that targeted ads on Facebook really aren’t so targeted. Procter & Gamble is moving away from targeted ads on the social media giant, saying that hyper targeting on Facebook did not prove as effective as the company thought it would be.
  P&G is the biggest ad spender on the globe, with a reported $7.2bn ad budget in 2015, and is constantly trying new avenues, but the road taken down targeted ads proved too narrow
  
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• P&G pulling back on targeted Facebook ads

  10-08-2016 15:06
  
  By Kyle O'Brien
  One of the world’s biggest companies has decided that targeted ads on Facebook really aren’t so targeted. Procter & Gamble is moving away from targeted ads on the social media giant, saying that hyper targeting on Facebook did not prove as effective as the company thought it would be.
  P&G is the biggest ad spender on the globe, with a reported $7.2bn ad budget in 2015, and is constantly trying new avenues, but the road taken down targeted ads proved too narrow
  
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• The Drum Digital Trading Awards USA nominees unveiled

  10-08-2016 14:53
  
  The Drum’s inaugural Digital Trading Awards USA nominees have been announced with PMG leading the nominations count up for a total of four prizes.
  Resolution Media follows immediately behind PMG, with a total of three nominations, with a host of ad tech outfits all joint-third all of them up for a two awards each on the night, among them: Cadreon; DataXu; Goodway Group; MDC; OpenX; Syzygy; Teads; The Exchange Lab, and TripleLift.
  Those shortlisted for blue ribbon categories such as Best Ov
  
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• Why the US media need to get tougher on Donald Trump

  10-08-2016 14:48
  
  For a man who devotes an unprecedented amount of every rally ranting against an 'unfair, biased media', for my money Donald Trump gets a remarkably soft ride from America's mainstream media. And, yes, there is something beyond satire in the hysterical 'shoot the messenger' tirades from someone who built his 'celebrity' profile on assiduously courting the media he now accuses of trying to shoot down his bid for the most powerful job on earth: president of the United States.
  Take the Trump ca
  
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• Russell Parsons: The biggest indicator of engagement is sales

  10-08-2016 14:03
  “Spending money on marketing grows sales.” I paraphrase but that was my takeaway after reading the commentary around Procter & Gamble’s full-year results last week.
  Speaking as the FMCG giant posted a 3% drop in net sales for its fourth quarter and an 8% drop in full-year sales, CEO David Taylor was effusive about the merits of advertising and promotional spend as a means to build awareness and trial, promising to increase spend on everything from TV to digital,
  
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• Russell Parsons: The biggest indicator of engagement is a sale

  10-08-2016 14:03
  
  “Spending money on marketing grows sales.” I paraphrase but that was my takeaway after reading the commentary around Procter & Gamble’s full-year results last week.
  Speaking as the FMCG giant posted a 3% drop in net sales for its fourth quarter and an 8% drop in full-year sales, CEO David Taylor was effusive about the merits of advertising and promotional spend as a means to build awareness and trial, promising to increase spend on everything from TV to digital,
  
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• It's all about 'standing out' in new Foot Locker ad

  10-08-2016 13:54
  
  The New York-based retailer Foot Locker just released it newest commercial "Stand Out," a smart, quick look at star athletes and entertainers who still need a little help "standing out" in a crowded celebrity landscape and a good pair of shoes can help.
  The ad, created by worldwide agency BBDO, features NBA star Draymond Green trying on shoes. He gets some advice from fellow customers who happen to be NBA start Horace Green and singer for Destiny's Child  Michelle Williams who are also cele
  
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• Disney readies streaming service for ESPN with $1bn BAM Tech investment

  10-08-2016 13:46
  
  Disney is set to roll out an ESPN-branded “multi-sport” streaming service after it announced a $1bn investment in streaming technology unit BAM Tech, created by Major League Baseball.
  ESPN has lost over 7m subscribers since 2013, 1.5m of which was lost from February to the end of May this year, according to 2016 Nielsen data.
  Through the new deal Disney is hoping to secure a raft of new users, creating a service that will be “direct to consumer” meaning users will be able
  
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• Social Buzz Show: SEENConnects MD Sedge Beswick on social talent and how brands can nurture it

  10-08-2016 13:45
  
  Sitting down on the Social Buzz sofa this week is SEENConnects managing director, Sedge Beswick, formerly of Asos. 
  Beswick spoke to The Drum's head of social Adam Libonatti-Roche on influencer talent and how brands can nurture it.
  "There's a lot more that brands can be doing to support and educate talent. So when you get someone who's become an overnight Instagram star, they don't know about SEO or how to optimise their videos on YouTube," she said.
  "If brands want
  
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• 5 takeaways from #SMBuzzChat with Laurence Hebberd on personal branding

  10-08-2016 13:38
  
  What makes a strong personal blog? Is it the fact that you have a logo made that features your initials or is it that you are writing in a unique and personable style? During #SMBuzzChat, Laurence Hebberd explored the who’s and what’s of personal branding. 
  Community Tweetchats
  If you enjoy #SMBuzzChat and want to get into the professional social media community, then make sure to take part in next week’s chat and these other chats held by friends of The Social Buzz Awards
  
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• Adblock Plus: Facebook alienates audience by blocking ad-blockers

  10-08-2016 13:27 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Adblock Plus has sharply criticised Facebook's decision to effectively block ad-blockers on its desktop site because they are "alienating" their audience.
  
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• CHI & Partners hires BBH senior creative Toby Brewer

  10-08-2016 13:07 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  CHI & Partners has appointed Bartle Bogle Hegarty senior creative Toby Brewer as creative director.
  
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• Adblock plus blasts Facebook’s battle against ad blocking as ‘anti-user’

  10-08-2016 12:54
  
  Adblock Plus has described Facebook’s decision to block ad blockers on the desktop version of its site as an “unfortunate move” that “takes a dark path against user choice.”
  The company, which provides one of the most-recognised ad blocking extensions in the market, has penned a blog slamming Facebook’s clampdown on the practice.
  Facebook announced yesterday (9 August) that it was embarking on a crackdown to overpower the tools for the first time, as well as o
  
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• Alphabet a year on: Why Google's parent company gets a B for brand strategy

  10-08-2016 12:50
  
  A year since Google announced it was restructuring under new parent company Alphabet, FutureBrand's Tom Adams spells out the perception problems it still needs to overcome.
  Alphabet’s birth was announced in a blog post by Google co-founder Larry Page on 10 August 2015. The missive makes clear that financial clarity drove the decision to restructure. Nevertheless, Page also wanted people to get “super excited” and for the entity to stand for something new.
  The markets have since
  
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• Now TV London rooftop pop-up urges you to undress to impress in contract-free bundle promotion

  10-08-2016 12:44
  
  Now TV wants viewers to ‘break away from convention and be free,’ underlining this mantra by opening a rooftop nude colony in Westminster.
  The pop-up relaxation area offers great views of the Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and the London Eye in addition to some less savoury views of the attendees' personal landmarks as they look to make the British summer.
  The company urges those attending the central London terrace to go ‘clothes free’ and &lsq
  
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• Unilever's Keith Weed urges industry to tackle ad fraud

  10-08-2016 12:33 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Keith Weed, chief marketing and communications officer at Unilever, has warned that the industry should be concerned over ad fraud.
  
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• Cindy Gallop: Trust crisis demands clients 'completely rethink' agency relationships

  10-08-2016 12:09 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Cindy Gallop, the entrepreneur and advertising consultant, has urged clients to completely rethink their agency relationships in the wake of the scandal over kickbacks at US media agencies.
  
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• Mark Ritson: We’re all killing our businesses by giving the hard work away for free

  10-08-2016 11:52
  
  A lovely long lunch with a couple of advertising people remains one of the great unadulterated pleasures in life. Like cigarettes at midnight or urinating on your lawn, it is a lovely combination of illicit fun and the magic of bygone days.
  So it was last week as I launched into a third cocktail and my two lunch companions bemoaned the state of modern marketing. “Yes, I do feel your pain,” I nodded as I cancelled the rest of my meetings with a drunken s
  
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• Microsoft’s new chatbot Murphy answers 'what if' questions and probably isn't racist

  10-08-2016 11:51
  
  Microsoft has bravely unveiled a new chatbot called Murphy as it looks to pick itself up from the PR nightmare ignited by its learning Twitter bot Taybot – that very quickly reflected the worst traits mankind had to offer.
  Murphy is a different beast, boasting integration with Facebook Messenger, Skype, Telegram, and soon Kik and Slack, it creates pictures based upon 'what if' propositions.
  Murphy builds upon Microsoft’s Azure machine learning capabilities; you may remember the
  
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• Publishers warned after Facebook blocks the blockers

  10-08-2016 11:31 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  The "arms race" between publishers and and ad-blockers has intensified after Facebook took the radical step of rendering ad-blocking software ineffective on its desktop website.
  
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• Hearst Magazines UK appoints Duncan Chater as chief revenue officer

  10-08-2016 11:19
  
  Hearst Magazines UK has promoted Duncan Chater, currently group publishing director of Cosmopolitan, Red and Esquire, to chief revenue officer.
  Duncan replaces Ella Dolphin, who leaves Hearst at the end of this month to join Shortlist Media as chief executive.
  Reporting to Hearst Magazine UK’s chief executive Anna Jones, he will lead group commercial strategy across all platforms and for all of Hearst’s brands.  He takes up his new role on 1 September.
  Hearst is planning to reas
  
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• Turkey of the week: Sprite "#BrutallyRefreshing"

  10-08-2016 11:17 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Shona Ghosh is unimpressed by Sprite's online ad fiasco.
  
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