Marketing news

• IBM starts using Watson AI to buy online media in the UK

  25-01-2017 23:50
  
  IBM has started to use its artificial intelligence programme, Watson, to plan and buy media in the UK.
  It’s something the tech giant has been doing in the US for over 18 months and has thus far delivered massive gains in the performance of its online ad campaigns, according to the business.
  Sitting within The Trade Desk – its media planning platform – Watson over time learns how effectively a campaign is performing for different audiences at different times, locations, devices
  
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• The Movie Marketing Blog: IBM Watson-powered Hollywood influencers

  25-01-2017 23:05
  
  Influencer marketing is all the rage right now. Back in December of last year a report was released by Linqia showing that while ROI was sometimes sketchy, more and more brands were pouring more and more money into influencer campaigns.
  The rationale and logic behind these efforts seems to be that these influencers - those with large and highly-engaged online audiences - have a more authentic voice than a brand could ever hope for, not to mention a built-in audience that can sometimes number in
  
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• US Creative Work of the Week: Neil Patrick Harris kicks off 2017 with another Heineken Light ad

  25-01-2017 22:30
  
  Neil Patrick Harris has been shilling for Heineken Light since 2014, and it looks like this year will be no different: the funnyman is slated to appear in three more ads for the brand throughout 2017 to round out its “Best Tasting Light Beer” campaign.
  The first of the trio, “Hypnotize,” features Harris using a bottle of Heineken Light as proof that low-calorie beer can still have great taste. The actor then “proves” that Heineken Light also has magical p
  
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• United named eco-airline of the year

  25-01-2017 21:18
  
  United Airlines was named the Eco-Airline of the Year by Air Transport World magazine. The award recognizes an airline in global commercial aviation for its environmental leadership as demonstrated by consistent and impactful environmental action within the company and industry.
   
  United was recognized for its multiple initiatives in 2016 and prior years, including becoming the first US airline to begin using sustainable biofuel for regularly scheduled flights. It is the second time since t
  
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• Facebook announces updates to Trending feature to help combat fake news

  25-01-2017 20:28
  
  Facebook has announced three updates to its Trending feature, which shows popular topics being discussed on the social media platform.
  The blog post on the site, by Will Cathcart, VP of product management, states that the updates mean:
  Trending topics will now feature a publisher headline below each topic name
  An improved system to determine what is trending
  Everyone in the same region will see the same topics
  This announcement comes not long after Facebook received negative press for its handli
  
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• My favorite Super Bowl ad: FCB’s Susan Credle

  25-01-2017 19:58
  
  Ahead of Super Bowl 51, The Drum has asked some of the industry’s most influential people to reflect on their favorite Super Bowl ad of all time and discuss why it stands out to them.
  We’ve also asked them to give their thoughts on whether they think social media has helped or hurt the effectiveness of the coveted Super Bowl spot. Over the past few years, many brands have chosen to leverage the power of social media by teasing or releasing their Super Bowl spots online days befo
  
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• Facebook trials Snapchat-style Stories service above news feed

  25-01-2017 19:49
  
  Facebook has taken aim at Snapchat once more, testing its very own Stories service at the top of its news feed. 
  The social network is initially trialing Facebook Stories in Ireland, but in a statement the firm said the new format will be rolled out in more countries in the coming months.
  The new feature is an exact replica of the Stories product launched by Facebook's sister company Instagram in August last year. Facebook's version also takes the form of an ephemeral content service which
  
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• Matchmakers aren’t just for lonely hearts – programmatic needs them too

  25-01-2017 19:41
  
  Millionaire Matchmaker Patti Stanger might want to consider moonlighting in martech.
  And that’s a terrible joke because video inventory management platform SpotX said the continued growth of programmatic ad spend and the use of private marketplaces has given rise to a new industry skillset – the publisher-buyer matchmaking specialist.
  SpotX said its Demand Facilitation team, which includes these very matchmakers who help create relationships between publishers and buyers and help str
  
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• Snapchat reportedly eyeing multimillion dollar ad deals ahead of IPO

  25-01-2017 18:59
  
  Snapchat's parent company is eyeing several multimillion dollar deals with advertisers ahead of its IPO, with the Wall Street Journal reporting the company is seeking spending commitments of up to $200m in some cases for 2017.
  Snap Inc is said to be in talks with some of the world's biggest networks, including WPP, Publicis Groupe, Omnicom Group and Interpublic Group, with the aim of getting them to agree to one and multi-year deals. 
  Citing ad executives familiar with t
  
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• Publicis Buenos Aires launches 'My Darkar is' for Renualt to give women with a cause a voice

  25-01-2017 18:28
  
  The Dakar Rally is one of the most grueling automotive races in the world, pitting man and machine against the harshest of conditions, and Renault has always had a strong presence in the predominantly masculine event.
  Publicis Buenos Aires decided to show that women with purpose can also have their own struggles against greater forces and come out on top, so they helped Renault come up with the 'My Dakar is' campaign as a metaphor for the effort and commitment women bring to causes they care dee
  
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• Taco Bell Speakeasy defies traditional fried chicken values for its Naked Chicken Chalupa

  25-01-2017 18:25
  
  Change is never easy – particularly when it threatens long-standing values. Look no further than the current US political climate for countless examples – as well as to a perhaps more unlikely source: quick service chain – and Millennial favorite – Taco Bell.
  That’s right: As Taco Bell readied its new Naked Chicken Chalupa for a national audience, it faced perhaps somewhat fictional pushback from The Council for Eating Fried Chicken The Same Way You Always Have, an
  
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• Still the greatest show on earth? Why Super Bowl advertisers should take heed of Ringling Bros. closure

  25-01-2017 18:24
  
  Last week, it was announced that Ringling Brothers Circus will soon cease operations after over 100 years in business.  The owners cited the high cost of operations and the decline in ticket sales, which have made the circus “an unsustainable business.”
  Many will find this sad.  There was a time, not that long ago, when the “Greatest Show on Earth” was a much anticipated event in many towns across the United States, a spectacle people greatly looked forward
  
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• Facebook Live snags Blizzard’s Heroes of the Storm eSport broadcast from ESPN

  25-01-2017 18:17
  
  As one of the leading eSports games developers in the world, with the likes of World of Warcraft, Hearthstone and Overwatch to its name, Blizzard’s decision to use Facebook Live as the platform to stream one of more obscure titles hints that there could be more to come from the social network in the gaming sector.
  The studio’s annual eSport competition for multiplayer online battle game Heroes of the Storm, called Heroes of the Dorm, will stream on the platform, tasking US and Canadi
  
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• Alibaba on conquering Europe in a ‘different way’

  25-01-2017 17:57
  
  Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba, was one of the first businessmen to meet President Trump following the election.It is telling that Alibaba founder Jack Ma was one of the first businessmen to meet with President Trump after his election win, with the pair thought to have discussed plans to create 1 million jobs by helping US SMEs sell into China.
  However, despite being one of the most powerful brands in the world, worth an estimated $49.3bn (£40bn) according to Millward Brown’s
  
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• What Twitter's dead buy button means for social commerce

  25-01-2017 17:45
  
  The platform is dropping its buy button, but there is still plenty of opportunity for social commerce, writes the co-CEO and founding partner of Wondersauce.
  
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• ISBA will ‘up its game’ in 2017, says new director general

  25-01-2017 17:45
  
  ISBA will be “upping its game” in 2017, according to new director general Phil Smith. Under his leadership the self-proclaimed ‘voice of British advertisers’ plans to move from a “defensive” position of protecting advertisers’ interests in the media owner and agency environment to addressing the issues brand builders face in the digital world.
  Marketing Week speaks to Smith, who succeeds Mike Hughes who stepped down after 10 years at the trade body
  
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• Know No initiative announces collaboration with Black Women’s Health Imperative to expand reach

  25-01-2017 17:22
  
  The Know No initiative, developed to inform college students about the importance of the word “no” when it comes to sexual consent and assault, has announced a collaboration with the Black Women’s Health Imperative, My Sister’s Keeper, to bring the Know No campaign to the US’s historically black colleges and universities.
  Project Know No was launched last September by MARC USA in the wake of light sentences for campus sexual offenders and the lack of clarity around
  
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• Could Apple take on Netflix with original content?

  25-01-2017 17:18
  
  In the face of not so meteoric sales of iPhones and iPads, reports suggest that Apple is contemplating a move into commissioning its own original premium content in genres beyond the music-related formats that accompany its Apple Music service (see Carpool Karaoke, Dre series, etc).
  While details are still scant – Apple being a notoriously secretive company – if Apple is serious about broadening its offering to become a media business rather than just a technology focused company, an
  
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• Fleeing John Malkovich: Squarespace Super Bowl ad unleashes actor upon web domain impersonator

  25-01-2017 17:12
  
  John Malkovich, star of 'Being John Malkovich', has made an on-the-nose reference to his legal battle with a man who was allegedly impersonating him on the web domain ‘malkovich.com’ in a heated spot for Squarespace.
  Malkovich will air his grievances to one of the most viewed ad spaces in existence - the Super Bowl - in a video entitled 'Get Your Domain Before It's Gone'.
  Mashable reports that Malkovich wanted the domain as he looks to capitalise upon his brand to
  
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• Ad of the Day: Beer52 goes against the grain with 'the world’s longest beer ad'

  25-01-2017 17:11
  
  Edinburgh-based craft beer club, Beer52.com, has unveiled a 40-minute long ‘interactive’ ad to celebrate its collaboration with Stone Brewing Co.
  Created by Grey London, Beer52’s Beer Buddy – played by comedian and actor Lee McQueen – chit chats, plays games and drinks beers over the course of 40-minute spot.
  “We read that ad agencies are making commercials that are maybe five seconds long, on account of how short people’s attention spans have become,&rd
  
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• Twitter is using Instagram Stories to cement its status as home of breaking news

  25-01-2017 17:05
  
  Twitter is using Instagram Stories to bring breaking news to life within its own walls in a move that could help cement its status as a serious news platform. 
  The social network is making use of Stories in order to share tweets relating to trending topics.
  Stories was launched last August to allow Instagram users to share chronological slideshows of videos and pictures with a life-span of 24-hours and despite initial criticism that it had copied Snapchat's Stories forma
  
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• Snickers reveals plans for its 'live Super Bowl ad' starring Adam Driver

  25-01-2017 16:57
  
  It’s starting to look like Super Bowl 51 might be the year of one-upping. A week after Hyundai announced that it will shoot, edit and produce its Super Bowl spot during the actual game itself, Snickers has revealed that it will air a live ad during the first commercial break of the third quarter.
  Created by BBDO New York, the 30-second ad will star actor Adam Driver and will continue the brand’s 'You’re not you when you’re hungry' theme.
  To try and garner some buzz before
  
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• Gough Hotels appoints Digital Visitor to deliver influencer marketing on social

  25-01-2017 16:42
  
  Gough Hotels, a boutique hotel chain based in Suffolk, has hired Digital Visitor to deliver an influencer marketing and PR campaign across the brand’s social media platforms.
  Digital Visitor’s brief is to work with influencers to raise awareness of each of Gough Hotels’ properties, with a focus on creating educational content to engage potential visitors.
  Alex Paul, director of sales and marketing at Gough Hotels, said: “Having heard a lot about influencers in previous ye
  
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• A fifth of UK agencies lost business due to Brexit

  25-01-2017 16:00
  
  A survey of 200 advertising businesses about Brexit found that 22% reported lost business or contracts after the vote to leave the European Union, and 62% felt the decision had negatively impacted their outlook.
  
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• Los Pollos Hermanos, Campari and Ericsson star in the latest branded content review with Redpill

  25-01-2017 15:37
  
  Every fortnight, Redpill reviews three new or relevant branded videos and assesses the reasons behind their social performance. Redpill’s rating system scores videos across five categories (awarding a maximum of 20% for each category): originality; on brand; creativity; craft; and shareability. The sum of all five scores produces a rating out of 100%.
   
  Los Pollos Hermanos - Taste the Family!
  Video of BETTER CALL SAUL Season 3 Promo (HD) Bob Odenkirk Drama Series 
  Loading...
  Rati
  
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• Panda Express launches informational website for Chinese New Year, and makes heartwarming film in partnership with PepsiCo

  25-01-2017 15:34
  
  Chinese fast food chain Panda Express has teamed up with PepsiCo, the longtime exclusive beverage partner for the restaurant, in the spirit of the Chinese New Year to promote inclusion and good fortune with a short film showcasing the power of family, food and love.
  The film is meant to bring people together from all backgrounds. It shows a little Chinese girl being welcomed by her adoptive parents, who embrace her background through food and gatherings. The film then shows the girl growing up t
  
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• Pokemon Duel hopes to emulate Pokemon Go - without the draw of augmented reality

  25-01-2017 15:25
  
  Nintendo hopes to follow up on the critical and commercial success of augmented reality smartphone game Pokemon Go with the launch of Pokemon Duel, a separate strategic battle game where trainers can face-off online.
  The free game has been released on iOS and Android and tasks players with building teams of six Pokemon whereupon the objective is to seize enemy territory and collect digital Pokemon figures.
  Nintendo, which only owns an undisclosed stake in 'Go' developer Niantic, and 32% in the P
  
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• Things we like: Sue Unerman's promotion and The Scotsman's 200th anniversary

  25-01-2017 15:05
  
  MediaCom promotes Sue Unerman to the new position of chief transformation officer and The Scotsman celebrates a milestone.
  
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• Tiger Woods ends speculation over his club choice after announcing partnership with TaylorMade

  25-01-2017 14:56
  
  Tiger Woods has agreed an endorsement deal with TaylorMade golf clubs.
  The 14-time major champion teased an announcement on Twitter yesterday (24 January), leading to rumours that he may even be buying the company.Big decision made. Find out tomorrow. -TW pic.twitter.com/7Ll6LUngIc
  — Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) January 24, 2017
  However, Woods has since revealed that he has agreed a sponsorship deal with the brand and will be using TaylorMade clubs as he presses ahead with his return to compe
  
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• Turkey of the week: Belvita "Good mornings" by Jésus et Gabriel

  25-01-2017 14:40
  
  Simon Gwynn finds Belvita's new ads nauseating.
  
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• Pick of the week: Sainsbury's "Food dancing" by Wieden & Kennedy

  25-01-2017 14:34
  
  Brittaney Kiefer is charmed by Wieden & Kennedy's debut work for Sainsbury's.
  
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• Sourcepoint closes $16m funding round, preps payment solution for publishers

  25-01-2017 14:00
  
  Sourcepoint, a company that positions itself as a solution for publishers to help ease the ever-growing problem of adblocking has announced a $16m investment round as it prepares the roll out of an online payment solution that means publishers can limit the amount of ads they serve but still generate revenue. 
  The Series B funding is led by new investor Northzone, with support from existing investors, including Spark Capital, Foundry Group, Accel Partners, and Greycroft Partners, and brings
  
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• BAME staff representation fails to improve in adland

  25-01-2017 14:00
  
  Adland's record on ethnic diversity has taken a step backwards in the past year, according to the latest research from Campaign and the IPA.
  
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• Saatchi & Saatchi scoops HSBC global advertising

  25-01-2017 13:55
  
  HSBC has awarded its global brand creative account to Saatchi & Saatchi, replacing J Walter Thompson, after a competitive pitch process.
  
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• Havas London wins Carling creative account

  25-01-2017 13:53
  
  Molson Coors has appointed Havas London to the creative account for Carling, one of the biggest selling beers in the UK.
  
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• Journalism union denounces ‘disturbing’ inauguration arrests as US press freedom called into question

  25-01-2017 13:41
  
  The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has called on the media to contact Donald Trump in condemnation of the arrests of at least six journalists covering the unrest surrounding the new president’s inauguration.
  Four of the journalists have been charged with the most serious level of offense under Washington DC’s law against rioting, after being targeted by police taking action against anti-Trump demonstrators.
  The six known to have been arrested face up to 10 ye
  
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• Planners and account handlers, here's a little feedback on feeding back

  25-01-2017 13:40
  
  If you work in a creative agency the chances are that you spend a lot of time in creative reviews. You know the ones I mean. The rather crowded affairs of the entire team sitting about for what seems like days endlessly reviewing idea and idea from team after team until you find the magic. Or just keep going.
  Now, before I start, I want to say that broadly this is a very positive development. When I started in advertising, in the mid-90s, all-team creative reviews were still quite rare. The far-
  
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• Cutters Studios NY names Julia Pepe as director of business development

  25-01-2017 13:30
  
  Cutters Studios New York, a provider of editing and post-production artistry, has elevated Julia Pepe to director of business development for its east coast business, announced by Cutters executive producer Elizabeth Krajewski and managing director Craig Duncan.
  Pepe, a highly accomplished producer and filmmaker, joined Cutters in New York as a producer in 2014, following time as a producer and studio manager with mcgarrybowen in Chicago. Cutters named Pepe a senior producer in 2015 and she cont
  
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• Calvin Klein recruits Stranger Things’ Millie Bobby Brown for new democratised line

  25-01-2017 13:24
  
  Once only available to the celebrity set, Calvin Klein has opened up its made-to-measure service to the public in a new line called Calvin Klein by Appointment.
  In a departure for the clothing brand known for its jeans and underwear, the new collection, which is fronted by Netflix’s Stranger Things actress Millie Bobby Brown, will allow any member of the public to make an appointment for the personal service when it begins on 1 April at Calvin Klein’s New York headquarters.
  The
  
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• Latest remarketing report from SaleCycle reveals cart abandonment rose by 2.4% during Q4 2016

  25-01-2017 13:21
  
  Based on averages across 500 leading global brands, SaleCycle has published its latest remarketing report, featuring cart abandonment and remarketing stats from October, November and December 2016.
  The research reveals that the global cart abandonment rate rose to 76.8% during Q4 2016 – up 2.4% on the previous quarter. The report also breaks down the percentage of abandonments by industry: retail, fashion, travel, eGaming and, for the first time, figures for utilities and non-profit organi
  
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• Get closer to the single customer view - by connecting online and offline data

  25-01-2017 13:19
  
  Marketers must now run campaigns across multiple digital devices. But connecting the customer journey across all of these devices and channels is a challenging task.
  This is where data onboarding comes in. By stitching together online and offline data, the modern marketer can get closer to the single customer view, according to Richard Foster, UK managing director at LiveRamp.
  In the last episode of the Everything You Need to Know (EYNTK) about data and customer experience series, Foster ex
  
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• New Look hires Paul Rasmussen from Burberry as head of digital

  25-01-2017 13:18
  
  New Look has replaced former digital director Jack Smith with Burberry’s head of user experience. 
  Smith – who had been leading a project to get the fashion retailer’s senior executives on board with emerging technologies – left last September to set up his own business.
  Taking on the role as head of digital is Paul Rasmussen, who has spent nearly five years as Burberry’s head of user experience. He also left the embattled luxury brand at the end of last y
  
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• DNA Recruit: Senior Planner - Digital and Direct Agency - London

  25-01-2017 13:07
  
  £55000.00 - £60000.00 per annum:DNA Recruit:
  Enjoy creating powerful direct response campaigns? Love working across all media and appreciate the value of traditional channels?
  London
  
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• Rimmel moves with the times and changes famous strapline to reflect people’s right to self-expression

  25-01-2017 13:01
  
  Beauty giant Rimmel has shed the famous ‘Get the London Look’ strapline that has become so tied to the brand in favour of what it has dubbed a “subtle, yet powerful” change to reflect a time in history where people are being more expressive.
  And it is subtle. Now, Rimmel is urging people to ‘Live the London Look’.
  “We want move accordingly with our consumer [and] they don’t want to be told what to do, they want to have a dialogue,"Montse&
  
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• Rimmel London unveils ‘brand evolution’ to make consumers ‘part of the story’

  25-01-2017 13:00
  
  Rimmel London has evolved the brand’s identity in a new campaign featuring its first male beauty influencer, alongside a new strapline ‘Live the London Look’.
  The campaign, created in partnership with BETC London, launches with a digital-only film that looks to celebrate diversity and self-expression. It shows brand ambassadors, including numerous influencers and a male beauty blogger, talking about confidence, individuality and make-up.
  The film concludes with everyone framin
  
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• Costa: Product Analyst – Apps

  25-01-2017 12:49
  
  £Competitive + Benefits:Costa:
  You're someone who's got their finger on the digital pulse
  Holborn, London
  
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• Ford hires Apple Retail marketing boss Tariq as chief brand officer

  25-01-2017 12:47
  
  Ford Motor Company has appointed Musa Tariq, previously global marketing and communications director for Apple Retail, to the newly created role of vice-president and chief brand officer.
  
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• Tabloids, brands and the government are out of touch with UK adults

  25-01-2017 12:32
  
  Despite the perceived power of tabloids in Brexit Britain, a study earlier this month by Crispin Porter & Bogusky indicates that out of all other media formats they are the least representative of populist views.
  
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• My PANDORA “love booth” Valentine Campaign is launched with help from PrettyGreen

  25-01-2017 12:05
  
  PANDORA jewellery UK is launching the My PANDORA Valentine campaign which is taking place from 4 -5 February 2017, with help from UK experiential agency, PrettyGreen.
  PrettyGreen Events has fashioned six specially designed ‘love booths’ and created a PANDORA Valentine’s Day site to bring it to life online.
  My PANDORA Valentine gives PANDORA customers the opportunity to visit these specially created PANDORA "love booths" to create a unique Valentine’s Day card to give thei
  
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• Max Factor calls ad review following Coty acquisition

  25-01-2017 12:05
  
  Max Factor has kicked off a review of its global advertising requirements after Procter & Gamble sold the brand to Coty last year.
  
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