Marketing news

• Judge rules Snuggies are blankets, not clothes

  20-02-2017 21:25
  
  Internet – and Liz Lemon - favorite Snuggie, the self-proclaimed blanket with sleeves, was the subject of a recent US trade court ruling that found the product should be classified as a blanket for tax purposes – and not as a robe or priestly vestment.
  That’s according to Bloomberg, which reported the court rejected an argument from the Justice Department that Snuggies are clothing and should therefore be subject to higher import taxes.
  Bloomberg said the judge found&
  
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• Monopoly will retire the thimble, but won’t name its successor until World Monopoly Day

  20-02-2017 20:10
  
  Bad news, makers, tailors and seamstresses: Monopoly fans have voted to retire the thimble from the game.
  There’s a good chance it will be replaced by a more high-tech token like an emoji or a hashtag, but Hasbro said it won’t reveal the thimble’s successor until World Monopoly Day, which is March 19. Mark your calendars.
  To be fair, there are 63 total token contenders, which also include a dinosaur, a trumpet, a roller skate, a cowboy boot and a bow tie.
  Hasbro said more
  
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• WhatsApp unveils ephemeral messaging as Facebook apps continue to emulate Snapchat

  20-02-2017 19:53
  
  Facebook is continuing its offensive on Snapchat with the rollout of an ephemeral multimedia messaging feature in WhatsApp called Status.
  The company revealed that the new feature is an evolution of its original objective to enable users to share with friends and family just what they are doing.
  After 24 hours the messages, be they videos, gifs or images, will disappear, emulating Snapchat’s Stories, already very publicly the inspiration of another Facebook app, Instagram’s, ‘S
  
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• Manchester United appoint former Yahoo and Sony boss, Phil Lynch, as media chief executive

  20-02-2017 18:48
  
  Manchester United have hired former Yahoo and Sony Pictures executive, as their new chief executive of media as the club looks to roll out its international television channel app MUTV.
  Lynch will be responsible for overseeing United’s digital media strategy which will include the recently launched MUTV app- a subscription based app for the club’s television channel which will offer fans in165 countries the chance to view match broadcasts.
  He will also manage the creation and ed
  
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• Manchester United appoint former Yahoo and Sony boss Phil Lynch as chief executive of media

  20-02-2017 18:48
  
  Manchester United have hired former Yahoo and Sony Pictures executive Phil Lynch as their new chief executive of media as the club looks to roll out its international television channel app MUTV.
  Lynch will be responsible for overseeing United’s digital media strategy which will include the recently launched MUTV app- a subscription based app for the club’s television channel which will offer fans in165 countries the chance to view match broadcasts.
  He will also manage the creat
  
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• Brits report surge in economic concerns despite high consumer confidence

  20-02-2017 18:12 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  The economy has overtaken terrorism and immigration as the UK's biggest concern, according to the latest Nielsen Global Survey of Consumer Confidence, from the end of 2016.
  
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• Agency bid-rigging scandal highlights the friction that exists between agencies and independent production companies

  20-02-2017 18:04
  
  Agency bid-rigging has underlined the friction that exists in the agency and production landscape.
  It’s a story that first broke at the end of last year, and the bid-rigging production scandal, first exposed in the Wall Street Journal, keeps gathering pace. What started with an investigation by the US Department of Justice into agencies requesting that independent production companies inflate their prices to ensure their in-house team won the work, has resulted in leading independent produ
  
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• Trinity Mirror ‘explores new business model’ with ad-free subscription service

  20-02-2017 18:00
  
  Trinity Mirror has rolled out an ad-free subscription service for the Mirror in a bid to keep an “ongoing dialogue” with its readers and try out different business models.
  For £2.99 a month, users are able to access the Mirror’s website without seeing any banner ads, pop-ups or video ads. While messaging to promote the service is shown every 10 articles and to people with and without ad blockers enabled, it seems a clear attempt to get people who block ads to pay.
  It is
  
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• FCM launch travel-buddy chatbot with help from Underscore agency

  20-02-2017 17:54
  
  FCM Travel Solutions, a travel management company headquartered in Brisbane, have launched an AI pocket travel assistant set to make waves at the Business Travel Show 2017 in London this week, thanks to assistance from design and branding agency Underscore.
  The chatbot was created to to offer corporate travellers a seamless end-to-end experience via a conversational interface to answer questions, anticipate needs, make recommendations and perform actions. As a highly interactive and tr
  
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• Spotify-backed Swedish startup raises $22m to bring music streaming to businesses around the globe

  20-02-2017 17:37
  
  Soundtrack Your Brand, a company that wants to bring music streaming to businesses, has closed a $22m funding round to ramp up global expansion.
  The funding round was led by first-time investors Nordic VC fund Industrifonden and Balderton Capital, as well as previous investors such as Telia Company, Northzone, Creandum, and HMP.
  Background music should be a key element of a brand’s in-store identity, according to the Spotify-backed Swedish startup. “Background music today is sold as
  
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• NASCAR launches DeskSite video app to provide 'DVR for the internet'

  20-02-2017 16:55
  
  NASCAR and DeskSite have launched NASCAR DeskSite, an app that brings HD video content to viewers. The DeskSite will have content such as “interviews with drivers and pit crews, race highlights, breaking news, behind the scenes coverage and more,” according to NASCAR.
  “NASCAR.com represents a massive portal through which millions of fans engage with our sport,” said Colin Smith, vice president, NASCAR Digital Media, in a statement. “Now, thanks to NASCAR D
  
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• Four actions marketers should take to be a better leader

  20-02-2017 16:54
  
  While there are many styles of leadership there are some universal skills and ways of working that all marketers should consider.
  Matt Barker, coaching and operations director at K2, who will be speaking at Marketing Week Live next month, outlines four ways marketers can improve their leadership, to get more from their team in the near term and set the business up for future growth.
  Be crystal clear on goals
  Leaders are often guilty of not spending enough time setting up projects  and outl
  
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• Vox Pop: How much creative freedom should brands give influencers? (Part 1)

  20-02-2017 16:48
  
  Since trading evolved into the art of business, companies have fashioned their history and ethos into a story that customers can follow. Yet, while the rise of influencer marketing proves itself as a great way to market a product in the technological era, brands' personality is getting left behind.
  We asked our Drum Network agency members,"as influencer marketing becomes a popular choice of promotion, the product becomes an accessory of the person in the spotlight. Should influencers be given cr
  
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• Advertisers have even less time to connect as mobile video hits turning point

  20-02-2017 16:45 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Advertisers have less than a minute to make their point via video, after which viewership drops off dramatically, finds AOL.
  
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• La Liga to show regular fixtures on Facebook Live as part of broadcast innovation

  20-02-2017 16:44
  
  La Liga has announced a deal with Facebook to live stream regular matches on the social media platform.
  The governing body for the top two divisions of club football in Spain will show free broadcasts of the Primera División’s Friday night fixtures on Facebook.
  The deal was made possible through a partnership with the league’s technical services supplier Mediapro and will run until the end of the current season.
  It kicked off on Friday (17 February) when Granada’s 4-1 vi
  
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• How Omnicom’s The Integer Group has evolved to keep up with the digital demands

  20-02-2017 16:24
  
  When The Integer Group was founded nearly 25 years ago, the retail landscape looked very different from today. The internet was still in its nascent stages, companies like eBay and Amazon didn’t exist yet, and social media was still years away from catching on.  
  The massive shift to digital that has taken place since then has forced the Denver-based promotional, retail and shopper marketing agency to evolve its capabilities to keep up with both the rise of e-commerce and smartphone-o
  
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• How Omnicom’s The Integer Group has evolved to keep up with digital demands

  20-02-2017 16:24
  
  When The Integer Group was founded nearly 25 years ago, the retail landscape looked very different from today. The internet was still in its nascent stages, companies like eBay and Amazon didn’t exist yet, and social media was still years away from catching on.  
  The massive shift to digital that has taken place since then has forced the Denver-based promotional, retail and shopper marketing agency to evolve its capabilities to keep up with both the rise of e-commerce and smartphone-o
  
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• How to build a creative culture

  20-02-2017 16:08
  
  Every agency’s dream is to be creative. It’s the ultimate goal, not just for creative directors, but the client and the rest of the agency too.
  But building the right environment in which an agency or client team can foster and produce great ideas is easier said than done. From my own experience, gained working with a host of creative teams in agencies across the globe, where some agencies won a shedload of awards, I can testify to that.
  And it’s not until I’ve looked bac
  
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• New tech adoption: why ‘quick on the draw’ brands often fail on customer experience

  20-02-2017 16:07
  
  2016 saw a lot of brands rushing to use new technologies (think everything from VR/AR to chatbots), but in many cases this ‘quick on the draw’ attitude saw brands miss opportunities to push the technology to its full potential. Would brands be better served by showing patience over rushed attempts to use technology just because it’s new?
  The past shows that first-movers aren’t always the most successful and history is still repeating itself; Alta Vista revolutionised web
  
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• Snapchat news and rumours fly ahead of IPO: spectacles, smartphones and Kate Nash

  20-02-2017 15:51 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  As Snap's proposed date for its IPO draws nigh, rumours of a Snapchat smartphone have sprung up, amid news of the departure of a senior ad exec and the online launch of its Spectacles.
  
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• Accenture acquires leading digital agency in Germany

  20-02-2017 15:48
  
  Accenture has taken a majority stake in one of the leading digital agencies in Germany, SinnerSchrader, which will see it now sit within the consultancy’s digital division, Accenture Interactive.
  The agency – which has around 500 employees in studios in Hamburg, Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, Prague and Hanover – works with clients including Allianz, Audi, BMW, Telefonica, TUI and Volkswagen.
  Accenture agreed to purchase a 62% majority of shares from co-founder and chief execu
  
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• Can loyalty exist in the grocery sector?

  20-02-2017 15:02
  
  Although consumers may have a favourite supermarket, more often than not convenience and location win out. In fact, new research finds that around one in six shoppers have switched their main supermarket over the past 12 months calling into question loyalty in the grocery sector.
  The study, of over 1,500 shoppers by retail marketing agency TCC Global, reveals that 16% of shoppers have switched their main store over the past year and 39% say it wouldn’t matter to them if the
  
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• Snapchat Spectacles are now available to buy online as US pop-up push ends

  20-02-2017 14:42
  
  After over 100 days of running a pop-up 'Snapbot' campaign, Snap Inc is finally letting customers in the US purchase its Spectacles online. 
  Anyone in the country can now order, and virtually try on, a pair of the $130 specs via Snap's website.
  Up until now tech lovers have only been able to get their hands on a pair of the company's camera-equipped glasses via yellow vending machines, AKA bots, which have been temporarily situated in cities across the country. 
  In the US at
  
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• The Marketer’s Survival Guide to Mobile World Congress - tips on getting the most from Barcelona

  20-02-2017 14:24
  
  First time at Mobile World Congress? GCSE Spanish a distant memory? No problem - The Drum’s latest video guide above has all the tips and tricks to get you through the tech conference and its home city of Barcelona.
  Learn all about the vast history of the Catalonian city, find out how to make a traditional jug of sangria and brush up on the language skills vital to getting around après conference.
  The Drum will be reporting live from the Gran Via next week. Check in here to read the
  
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• Slash Football on monetising content escapism for the YouTube generation

  20-02-2017 13:57
  
  Falling somewhere between Copa90 and Sport Bible, Slash Football claims to be the biggest channel of its kind and has its sight sets on using its unique brand of irreverent escapism to convince advertisers to fund its expansion.
  The fast-growing broadcaster has managed to cut-through the gaggle of football-related memes, gifs and videos – and timing could be everything behind its success.
  In the wake of (another) underwhelming tournament from the national team, Slash Football relaunched it
  
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• How a decade of Premier thinking has helped to create Clarity

  20-02-2017 13:54
  
  If you have travelled in the UK during the last decade either on business or with a young family and incorporated an overnight stay into your trip then chances are, you are already more than familiar with the work of integrated communications agency, Clarity. In the agency’s formative years, the Woburn-based creative agency was drafted in by the UK’s largest hospitality business to deliver strategic insight and creative support when their roster agency wasn’t quite hitting the
  
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• Eurostar shifts marketing focus with campaign aimed at opening travellers’ minds

  20-02-2017 13:39
  
  Eurostar is returning to TV for the first time in three years with a new campaign that aims to talk up the benefits of travel through a campaign called ‘Travel state of mind’.
  The travel brand last aired a TV ad in March 2014 with its ‘Stories are waiting’ campaign, which focused on travel to Paris.
  The latest ad follows a young traveller and his friends as they experience new things. Viewers are urged to pack small, live big and to open up their ‘travel state of m
  
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• Advent of 5G technology should outpace current sales of internet of things devices, research suggests

  20-02-2017 13:33
  
  As 5G is the chosen moniker for the next generation of wireless communication and internet of things (IoT), it currently remains just a concept. However, new research suggests that sales of 4G IoT modules will peak within two years, where sales of 5G modules will commence in 2019, reaching an inflection point in 2024 as they outsell 4G modules.
  Further, IoT cellular device sales will reflect a transition in the dominant air interface from 4G to 5G through 2025, Strategy Analytics expec
  
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• Unilever’s focus on long-term brand building was never going to fit with Kraft Heinz

  20-02-2017 13:23
  
  Unilever’s Sunlight brand is helping improve access to clean water to countries such as NigeriaKraft Heinz and Unilever surprised everyone last night (19 February) when they issued a statement saying they had “amicably agreed” not to go ahead with any deal.
  Kraft Heinz had tabled what the Financial Times claimed was a £115bn bid for Unilever, which was rejected, but had been widely expected to come back with a better offer. The CEOs of both companies had been in talks up
  
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• Acast broadcasts inspirational presidential speeches for Presidents’ Day

  20-02-2017 12:59
  
  To remember a time when US presidents made speeches that moved and inspired people in a positive manner, Acast, a global podcasting and on-demand audio platform, has launched a collection of 10 of the most inspiring presidential speeches from the last 70 years.
  This Presidents’ Day Collection was done by Acast and advised by Jeff Shesol, President Bill Clinton’s former speechwriter. Together, they delved into the historical archives to find the most memorable and inspiring speeches,
  
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• Why sustainable brands now have a competitive advantage

  20-02-2017 12:41
  
  Research for Unilever shows that brands are missing out on £820 billion by not pushing sustainability.
  This throws up a number of questions for marketers. What defines sustainable? How sustainable is your brand? In short, does your brand actually have permission to ‘push’ sustainability?
  First, we need to define the term. A sustainable brand should be one that sources ingredients that have a neutral or positive impact on the climate, uses renewable energy from concept to shelf,
  
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• Tech bosses urge new visa regime to draw brightest and best to Britain

  20-02-2017 12:02
  
  Tech bosses have called on the UK government to introduce a new visa regime to enable software developers to freely live and work in Britain post-Brexit amidst fears of a looming skills shortage.
  Britain’s fast-growing technology sector is heavily reliant on migrant labour with estimates that a third of hires at new start-ups emanate from beyond the UK’s borders, sparking fears that posts may go unfilled when Britain departs the EU.
  To see off this eventuality the government is being
  
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• Creative Work of the Week: Bradley Wiggins secures another title for Fallon and Skoda

  20-02-2017 11:45
  
  Sir Bradley Wiggins helps steer Skoda to Creative Works victory clinching the Creative Work of the Week European title for Fallon.
  Launched early February, the advert rings in the start of a three-year partnership between Wiggins and the Volkswagen-owned brand as it looks to position itself as a premium brand ‘driven by something different’.
  The 90-second film, directed by Martin Krejci, shows Wiggins’ journey to becoming a champion.
  To vote for next week’s Creative Work
  
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• Bauer Media partners with the Brit Awards to give radio listeners back-stage access

  20-02-2017 11:43
  
  Bauer Media has partnered with the Brit Awards for the second year running, bringing radio listeners behind-the-scenes access to the winners and performers as they leave the stage, hosted by Kiss Breakfast’s Melvin Odoom.
  The radio show, ‘Live at The Brits’, will be streamed across Kiss, Heat and Bauer City Network to an audience of over 11 million listeners.
  Melvin Odoom will provide live exclusive commentary and interviews with the likes of Katy Perry, Ed Sheeran, Craig
  
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• Nike's golfers wear all-black at Genesis Open in show of support for 'Equality' campaign

  20-02-2017 11:39
  
  Nike’s golfers issued a statement of support for the brand’s ‘Equality’ campaign when they showed up to the Genesis Open wearing head-to-toe black.
  All 16 of the brand’s sponsored athletes competing at the Riviera Country Club, including Jason Day Tony Finau and Brooks Koepka, wore all black apparel in a clear gesture of support for the Equality campaign which launched earlier this month.Jason Day hits driver off the deck at Riviera's 17th hole. #QuickHits pic.twitt
  
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• The Sun overtakes the Daily Mirror to become UK's second most read digital newspaper

  20-02-2017 11:35
  
  The Sun has outpaced the Daily Mirror in terms of digital readership, becoming the second most popular UK newspaper online after the Daily Mail and reaping the results of removing its paywall. 
  According to Comscore data for January 2017 the News UK-owned paper clocked up a total digital audience of 25.4 million unique visitors across the month in Britain. This figure placed it just ahead of the Mirror which had 23.8 million and Mail Online which was the most successful newspaper
  
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• Uber chief vows action amidst accusations of sexual harassment by ex-employee

  20-02-2017 11:20
  
  Uber CEO Travis Kalanick has vowed to launch an ‘urgent investigation’ amidst claims by a former employee that they suffered sexual harassment while working for the ride hailing service.
  Former engineer Susan Fowler went public with the accusations in a blog post on Sunday (19 February) after stating that she had hit a brick wall in pursuing official channels. 
  She alleged that her manager had propositioned her after joining the company in late-2015 but that no action was taken
  
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• Creative Works: Featuring St Luke's, Droga 5, The Full Service, BMB and more

  20-02-2017 11:20
  
  Welcome to The Drum Creative Works, in partnership with Workfront.
  As always this section is dedicated to showing the best creative work and gives you, the reader, the chance to decide which work we feature as our 'Creative Work of the Week'. 
  We've now introduced our new five-star voting system. To vote for your favourite, make sure you click on the stars. The winner be chosen based on the average rating and the number of votes cast. Voting closes on Monday 27 February.
  
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• Ogilvy buys a stake in Eightytwenty Ireland

  20-02-2017 10:52 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Ogilvy & Mather has acquired an undisclosed but "significant" stake in its digital partner in Ireland, Eightytwenty Customer Experience Ltd (Eightytwenty).
  
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• Ford pours $1bn into Argo AI to realise self-driving car dream

  20-02-2017 10:50
  
  Vehicle manufacturer Ford has poured $1bn into Argo AI to help it attain its goal of realizing self-driving cars by 2021.
  The mammoth investment is geared toward kitting out Ford vehicles with self-driving car technology while Argo AI retains its independence as a separate entity, although Ford will be a majority stakeholder.
  chief executive Bryan Salesky remarked: “Argo AI will develop and deploy the latest advancements in artificial intelligence, machine learning and computer vision to h
  
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• Eurostar encourages 'travel state of mind' in New Wave-style ad

  20-02-2017 10:37 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Eurostar is encouraging people to embrace new experiences in an ad campaign inspired by New-Wave cinema.
  
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• Movers and shakers: JWT, Ralph Lauren, Mo Film, Manchester United and more

  20-02-2017 10:33 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Campaign's weekly round-up of the hires, departures and promotions across the industry.
  
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• Nike Middle East launches bold campaign to celebrate female athletes

  20-02-2017 10:27
  Nike has unveiled a powerful campaign designed to champion women in the Middle East and challenge stereotypes. 
  The bold creative centres around the question 'What will they say about you?' and features five successful female athletes cherry picked by Nike from a range of fields. 
  A subtitled version of the colourful film has been shared by the brand on Twitter, and sees women from a range of fields including Parkour trainer Amal Mourad, boxer Arifa Bseiso
  
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• Facebook boss writes to the world, the Godzilla Growth syndrome and the week ahead: The Drum editor's overview

  20-02-2017 10:27
  
  Facebook's message to the world 
  Reading Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's open letter, it was hard to get away from the obvious fact that he believes the solution to the world's ills is Facebook – even if it is modified in some form. Facebook can cure all. 
  It's easy to be sceptical about this message when the platform has already turned Zuckerberg into one of the richest businessmen on God's green Earth. And media response followed exactly that line of reporting.&nbs
  
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• Sponsorship agency Prism expands footprint in Australia with new management team

  20-02-2017 10:25
  
  Global sponsorship and PR agency Prism has appointed a new management team in Sydney as it seeks to take advantage of the growing sponsorship market. 
  The WPP-owned agency has appointed Scott Barnes as managing director of Australia reporting to Justin Ricketts, chairman of Prism’s Australia and New Zealand business.
  Ricketts, who is also CEO of WPP content agency Agile, and Barnes will work together to scale the local business, which currently employs 12 people across the Sydney and
  
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• Review recap: Deutsche Telekom, ITV, EA Sports

  20-02-2017 10:21 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Campaign's weekly round-up of account moves across advertising and media.
  
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• Kraft Heinz abruptly abandon contentious Unilever takeover

  20-02-2017 10:12
  
  Kraft Heinz has abandoned its contentious takeover bid for consumer goods rival Unilever just 55 hours after first tabling a $143bn bid for the business.
  Unilever dismissed Friday’s approach out of hand, declaring that it saw no ‘merit, either financial or strategic’ in the tie-up – prompting Kraft Heinz to back-off having considered their options over the weekend.
  Both businesses dominate the comsumer goods market with Unilever playing host to well-known brands such as M
  
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• Bing, Yahoo and Google collaborate on torrents crackdown in push for global law

  20-02-2017 09:46
  
  Search rivals Bing, Yahoo and Google have buried the hatchet to combat a common enemy, torrents, by pulling resources to shutdown peer-to-peer download sites once and for all.
  The joined-up approach follows years of piecemeal action against such providers and promises to make such platforms inaccessible to the vast majority of the public by rejigging their algorithms and processes.,
  Executives of all three businesses are reported to have met entertainment industry bigwigs in the UK at the behest
  
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• Snap ad exec Sriram Krishnan quits to spend more time with family

  20-02-2017 09:21
  
  Snap ad executive Sriram Krishnan has snapped after enduring a weekly commute from hell for the past year shuttling between offices in San Francisco and Los Angeles, choosing to call it a day and spend more time with his wife.
  Krishnan’s departure is an inauspicious timing for Snap which is poised to undergo its long-awaited IPO, sparking gossip that Krishnan, a former Facebook Audience Network executive, had less than high hopes for the launch.
  Scotching such suggestions in a Twitter post
  
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• Kraft drops Unilever mega-merger bid

  20-02-2017 09:15 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  US food giant Kraft Heinz has withdrawn its offer to merge with Unilever following public rejection of its offer.
  
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