Marketing news

• The News Media Alliance appeals to Congress as it takes on the online content duopoly

  10-07-2017 22:59
  
  The News Media Alliance, which represents almost 2,000 news organizations, has asked Congress to allow publishers to negotiate collectively with Google and Facebook as they constitute “a de facto duopoly that is vacuuming up all but an ever-decreasing segment of advertising revenue”.
  According to a release, the objective is to permit publishers to have discussions with these two dominant distributors of online news content on “business model solutions to secure the long-term av
  
  Read more

• Acura puts influencers in the driver’s seat in an AR livestream race on Facebook

  10-07-2017 21:23
  
  To showcase its 2018 TLX A-Spec model with what it calls Super Handling All-Wheel Drive, Acura is hosting What A Race, an augmented reality (AR) driving experience with four influencers that it will livestream on Facebook today (July 10) at 5pm PT/8pm ET.
  It will also be broadcast from Acura’s Twitter and YouTube pages, where the brand said it will remain following the competition. Participating influencers will also host the livestream on their own Facebook pages.
  
  Read more

• Remote workers in the media & marketing sector favor instant messaging for staying in touch with managers

  10-07-2017 20:35
  
  There is no question that a remote workforce can still be an effective and hardworking team, but keeping the more traditional lines of communication open remains key as a means of regular assessment and communication.
  A recent Regus survey notes that 77% of respondents in the media and marketing sector believe that remote workers and managers should remain connected via telephone and instant messaging apps.
  With the mission of its survey set to understand the attitudes towards remote working rep
  
  Read more

• Westworld site warns of disaster as ominous hacked message promotes season two

  10-07-2017 19:50
  
  HBO TV series Westworld is a boundary-pushing show that deals with the moral implications of humans treating sentient androids as disposable units. This conflict is now being reflected by the show's website in a neat bit of digital marketing that has captured the imaginations of fans.
  The Discover Westworld site is alluding to some unrest in Westworld with a mysterious staged hack requesting help from the outside world; in it, an unknown user asks:
  “Is an
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Mazda makes your Facebook feed a car-crash in safety ad drive

  10-07-2017 17:26
  
  Japanese auto company Mazda is experimenting with an immersive ad format on Facebook that sees an out-of-control car skeet across the newsfeed.
  The ‘Distracted Driving’ campaign from BBR Saatchi & Saatchi is looking to inform Facebook users that fiddling with your phone while driving opens up a substantial risk of danger for those in – and outside – the car.
  The ad, a full page screen takeover, sees a car skid across the newsfeed and supposedly crack the phone screen
  
  Read more

• Madza makes your Facebook feed a car-crash in safety ad drive

  10-07-2017 17:26
  
  Japanese auto company Mazda is experimenting with an immersive ad format on Facebook that sees an out-of-control car skeet across the newsfeed.
  The ‘Distracted Driving’ campaign from BBR Saatchi & Saatchi is looking to inform Facebook users that fiddling with your phone while driving opens up a substantial risk of danger for those in – and outside – the car.
  The ad, a full page screen takeover, sees a car skid across the newsfeed and supposedly crack the phone screen
  
  Read more

• The Ad2Pro Group expands management and prepares for growth

  10-07-2017 17:18
  
  The Ad2Pro Group, a technology-enabled marketing services company providing strategy, creative and content automation for global brands and media companies, is strengthening its global management team with new hires and promotions. The agency has named Vikram Menon president of global operations and is elevating Gopal Krishnan to executive chairman and Todd Brownrout to chief executive officer.
  Menon comes to the Ad2pro Group from Ogilvy One Worldwide and Neo@Ogilvy, where he was president
  
  Read more

• What does the European Commission’s antitrust ruling mean for Google Shopping?

  10-07-2017 16:51
  
  On 27th June, Google was fined £2.1bn by the European Commission for breaching antitrust rules by promoting Google Shopping's comparison service at the top of the SERP. With only 90 days to comply with the ruling, what’s in store for advertisers?
  What happened?
  The European Commission has ruled that Google abused its dominant position in the search engine market and gave an illegal advantage to another Google product, its own comparison shopping service. Initially launched as Froogle
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• After Wunderman and Possible, expect to see more consolidation within the holding companies’ networks

  10-07-2017 16:25
  
  Given there's been so much disruption from technology, the market has become complex and fragmented. It's only natural that clients should crave greater simplicity from their partners.
  In the face of this and an increasingly competitive landscape it's no surprise holding company groups should try to better leverage the talent they have and seek greater collaboration, at the same time as targeting operational efficiencies. 
  WPP's recently announced plan to bring together Possible Worldwide a
  
  Read more

• Why research shows you're better off with your existing ad campaign

  10-07-2017 16:17
  
  For marketers, using the same campaigns and spokespeople year after year can seem highly unimaginative.
  Brand teams often just get bored with it all. But agency teams can be downright hostile about existing campaigns – which may have been introduced by a previous agency, and/or under the brand’s prior chief marketing officer. Plus, it’s hard to believe that creative concepts developed years ago can resonate with today’s millennial consumers. So why not switch things up?
  T
  
  Read more

• Dove pulls breastfeeding ad after consumer outcry

  10-07-2017 16:07 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Unilever is pulling it's controversial Baby Dove ad that has been accused of supporting those who oppose breastfeeding in public.
  
  Read more

• How Microsoft, Virgin and EA are approaching employer branding

  10-07-2017 16:03
  
  Employer branding is increasingly being recognised as an important aspect of marketing. Marketing Week’s Best Places to Work list in May this year attempted to uncover some of the best companies to work for as a marketer, with brands including BT, Sky, McDonald’s and PepsiCo making the grade.
  READ MORE: Employer Brands 2017
  Yet for many brands, the employer aspect remains an afterthought. According to analysis by LinkedIn, just three of the top UK brands (as ranked in Millward Brown
  
  Read more

• Wimbledon 2017: this year's best brand ads and stunts

  10-07-2017 16:01 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Campaign's round-up of brand activity around this year's Wimbledon tennis championships.
  
  Read more

• #WorkThatWorks campaign shows flexibility is key to retaining Millennial talent

  10-07-2017 15:30 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Flexible working could be the key to holding onto Millennial talent, according to a new report from social media training experts Digital Mums.
  
  Read more

• Parkinson’s UK reaches half a million viewers with We Won’t Wait personalised video campaign

  10-07-2017 15:30
  
  Parkinson’s UK has released the results of the charity’s first integrated fundraising campaign We Won’t Wait, which launched in April of this year.
  The campaign separated audiences into three key groups: existing supporters, people who know someone affected by Parkinson’s, and new supporters. For each audience, digital agency Manifesto collaborated with Parkinson’s UK to design a different digital journey.
  Existing supporters were invited to create and share a perso
  
  Read more

• How your band or brand can make it to number one – without fudging the figures

  10-07-2017 15:28
  
  Launching a new brand in the constant chaotic cacophony of the myriad of marketing messages is increasingly difficult. 
  So how can we be heard? Rather than fudge the figures as the music industry has started to do this week, we should embrace the opportunities offered by technology.
  It has been an interesting week from discovering why the coffee we buy sometimes tastes like s#!t with suitable sympathy from Paddy Power to the Lions stopping the All Blacks juggernaut and T
  
  Read more

• Logos, lies and monochrome: the enduring legacy of Woolmark crest creator Franco Grignani

  10-07-2017 15:25
  
  The Woolmark insignia is one of the most iconic of the 20th century and beyond; Creative Review went as far as to name it number one on its list of the top 20 logos of all time. The man behind the familiar nine-striped swirl was Franco Grignani, one of a select group of commercial crest designers to be remembered – celebrated, even – after their death.
  The Woolmark logo was not devised in a boardroom after rounds of research and testing by a white-labelled agency. Its story in t
  
  Read more

• Five ways to spot a business trend that will last

  10-07-2017 15:12
  
  It can be tempting to invest in the latest technology, marketing strategy or fashionable product line, but how do you know which ones will fade away and which ones will make your bottom line flourish?It’s not unusual for businesses to make huge investments based on the latest trend. Picking the right trend to get on board with can open up a whole new market, along with a ready made customer base. But not all trends are here to stay. For business owners, knowing which ones are going to last
  
  Read more

• Mcgarrybowen makes changes to US creative leadership team

  10-07-2017 14:17
  
  Global creative agency Mcgarrybowen has announced several changes to the US creative leadership team today.
  Kurt Fries has been named chief creative officer for Mcgarrybowen Chicago. Fries has been working for Mcgarrybowen since 2013, leading creative efforts for Chicago’s largest accounts, including Disney Destinations. Fries also was instrumental in the agency’s securing - and building - of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association family as well as winning last year’s Clor
  
  Read more

• Gfinity injects the X Factor into eSports as Syco exec Mark Brittain joins to tempt brand integration

  10-07-2017 14:11
  
  UK-based eSports organizer Gfinity hopes to emulate the commercial success of Simon Cowell’s X Factor by hiring Mark Brittain, a former executive from the TV production firm Syco, that helped produce the show.
  Tapping into the entertainment industry, the company has hired Brittain as chief commercial officer whereupon he will bring his licensing and prowess to the fore, experimenting new ways to connect brands with eSports. He told The Drum he has identified “at l
  
  Read more

• Independent Influence: Omelet fosters ‘wake and make’ mindset via its maker space

  10-07-2017 14:00
  
  Creative agency Omelet is no stranger to big-budget work. 
  Last year, the Los Angeles shop created Pokemon’s first-ever Super Bowl spot, and since then has rolled out elaborate broadcast campaigns for the likes of Final Fantasy XV and Far Cry Primal. The agency also recently dabbled in virtual reality to create a three-minute 360-degree video for Smashbox that gives viewers a behind-the-scenes tour of the make-up brand’s headquarters.
  But as brands increasingly look to their age
  
  Read more

• Movers and shakers: Havas, Mars, ITV, Mother, Shazam, and more

  10-07-2017 13:55 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Welcome to Campaign's weekly round-up of the hires, departures and promotions across the industry.
  
  Read more

• Campaign TV: how Pimm's is making the most of its first Wimbledon sponsorship

  10-07-2017 13:53 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  The British drinks brand celebrates as an official partner of Wimbledon.
  
  Read more

• Campaign TV: how Pimm's is making most of its first Wimbledon sponsorship

  10-07-2017 13:53 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  The British drinks brand celebrates as an official partner of Wimbledon.
  
  Read more

• No quick win: Brands must commit to long-term wellbeing goals to drive change

  10-07-2017 13:43
  
  Committing to wellbeing is no short-term fix and must be hardwired into the way organisations operate.
  It is for this reason that Direct Line Group’s marketing director Mark Evans believes businesses need to consider how the short-lived nature of CMO tenure is affecting wellbeing.
  “Because CMOs have a short tenure they focus on the short-term results aspect,” he argues, adding that only with time in the job do senior leaders commit to “people building” as opposed to
  
  Read more

• The Rise of Driverless Cars: How to Keep Marketers and Manufacturers in the Driver’s Seat

  10-07-2017 13:08
  
  In the early days of auto, cars were called “horseless carriages” – a term that spoke more to what cars lacked versus the innovative features they had. Similarly, the early mobile phones were simply known as “wireless” because they did not have the obvious wires oftu their predecessors. Today, we call them smartphones because they are so much more than just wireless devices.
  We’ve come a long way from horseless carriages, but we are still focusing on what&rsqu
  
  Read more

• Marketing marketers: The techniques to help your agency stand out

  10-07-2017 12:30
  
  We’re all marketers here, right?
  We’re all keenly tuned into the demands of those who ultimately want to give us their hard-earned cash, right?
  Well, actually – in a classic case of irony – many agencies in our wonderful industry often forget how to market themselves to the decision-makers at brands they’re desperate to work for.
  The Future Factory recently spoke to senior figures in the brand world, in search of answers to how agencies can best influence the p
  
  Read more

• Five secrets of achieving effective ROI from personalised advertising

  10-07-2017 12:30
  
  We are in an era where 92% of online ads aren’t even noticed, and, if they are, they’re often an annoyance to the consumer. A seamless advertising strategy isn’t enough anymore. You need to consider the user - and personalisation is the key ingredient.
  Along with resourceful localised targeting and personalisation, time of day, day of week and device have never been so critical to ensure an effective ROI on your advertising spend. What’s the point in investing in localise
  
  Read more

• Soundcloud cuts 40% of staff, closing up shop in London and San Francisco

  10-07-2017 12:09
  
  Audio hosting service Soundcloud has let go 173 of its 420 staff in an attempt to balance the books. To do this it has shut offices in London and San Francisco.
  The startup’s remaining staff have been consolidated into the Berlin headquarters and New York as a result of the company failing to adequately monetise its service amid rife competition from the likes of Spotify, Deezer, Amazon Music and beyond.
  Alex Ljung, chief executive and cofounder of Soundcloud, said: “By reducing
  
  Read more

• The other side of the internet: Identifying cues for concern

  10-07-2017 12:03
  
  Today’s competitive and highly digital landscape sees businesses scrambling to get control of their data; organisations know how important it is to leverage analytics in order to make better decisions and gain an edge over their competitors.
  But commercialism and consumerism aside, why do we not focus more attention on data analytics to address other pressing issues as well, such as identifying people who need help?
  Identifying cues for concern
  Of course, there are those who have made
  
  Read more

• UK corporate equality drive runs out of steam

  10-07-2017 11:59
  
  Recent progress toward equalizing representation of men and women on the boards of Britain’s biggest companies has run out of steam, with FTSE 350 failing to increase the share of women employed in senior roles over the past year.
  Research undertaken by The Pipeline showed that gender diversity was stagnant across this group, with women making up just 16% of executive committees on average as of April – the same proportion recorded a year prior.
  Where female figures carrying hig
  
  Read more

• Tencent’s mission to attract global users to its entertainment ecosystem

  10-07-2017 11:42
  
  Not content with owning China’s most popular app, Tencent is on a mission to make global audiences fall in love with WeChat’s captivating entertainment ecosystem.
  The internet giant, which was recently ranked the eighth most valuable brand in the world behind the likes of Google, Apple and Facebook, has built a solid ecosystem of social and entertainment properties that dominate their respective categories from gaming to music, online payments and  
  However, there is no denying
  
  Read more

• Cannes winners are to everyday work what haute couture catwalks are to the high street

  10-07-2017 11:06
  
  You don’t need me to remind you that the Cannes Lions festival took place less than a fortnight ago.
  The post-competition comment has been rather scratchier than usual.
  This is mostly thanks to the bombshell dropped by Publicis halfway through the week that they are pulling out of all awards shows for the next year.
  The timing made it look like an assault on Cannes Lions in particular. That’s how a host of commentators have chosen to interpret it, anyway.
  The point about Cannes, thou
  
  Read more

• Lidl to open 60 stores a year

  10-07-2017 11:02 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Lidl is planning to open approximately 60 new stores a year as the budget chain gains ground on the UK's big four supermarkets.
  
  Read more

• Creative Works featuring Valenstein & Fatt, Creature, BBH London and more

  10-07-2017 11:00
  
  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 17 July.
  For project in
  
  Read more

• Creative Work of the Week: Cute animal alert as Blue Cross explores the vital roles of pets

  10-07-2017 10:46
  
  The votes are in and it’s official: the industry is a sucker for cat videos as much as anyone else. Creative Work of the Week goes to Lida’s new integrated campaign for animal care charity Blue Cross.
  The creative shows the myriad ways pets help humans, from being our best friends to our partners in crime as children. It also introduces a new strapline for Blue Cross – 'Pets change lives. We change theirs' – which aims to inspire animal lovers to give
  
  Read more

• Review recap: Debenhams, Rimmel, HMRC

  10-07-2017 10:08 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Campaign's round-up of accounts up for review across advertising and media.
  
  Read more

• Amazon Prime poised to leapfrog pay TV in the US

  10-07-2017 09:28
  
  Amazon Prime’s popularity in the US is now such that the fledgling streaming service is on track to become more popular than the entire cable TV industry combined, according to the latest market survey by Morningstar.
  The remorseless growth in Amazon Prime subscribers, which now stands at close to 79m US households, together with a steady decline in cable subscriptions, projected to dip to 90m this year by S&P Global, is likely to see the point of crossover occur sometime in 2018.
  That
  
  Read more

• London's deputy mayor for business Rajesh Agrawal: UK and India share a common vision for the future based on innovation

  10-07-2017 09:00
  
  With the UK facing an uncertain future within Europe from a business perspective, relationships with other markets are gaining attention.
  Not least for India, which has emerged as an economic pole of global growth by surpassing China, according to recent research conducted by Harvard University's Center for International Development (CID).
  The study also projected that India will feature on top of the list of the fastest growing economies till 2025, with an average annual growth of 7.7
  
  Read more

• Subway, Havaianas, Game: Everything that matters this morning

  10-07-2017 08:55
  
  Subway secures lead sponsorship of NFL in the UK
  Subway has secured lead sponsorship of the NFL in the UK and Ireland over the next three years.
  In its position as presenting partner the sandwich chain will see its branding integrated across the NFL’s major events and initiatives, including the London Games, the league’s schools programme and NFL UK Live fan events throughout the UK.
  Subway plans to stage NFL themed events across its 2,500 stores in the UK and Ireland, as well as pro
  
  Read more

• M&S, Amazon, Benetton: Everything that matters this morning

  10-07-2017 08:55
  
  M&S slows clothing decline in first quarter
  Marks & Spencer has made progress in arresting a long-term decline in its struggling general merchandise division.
  Today (11 July) it reported clothing sales were down by 1.2% on a like-for-like basis during the 13 weeks to July 1, an improvement on the much steeper 5.8% fall it posted during its fourth quarter. Total sales in the GM division were down 0.5% to £2.3bn.
  It was better news on food, with the upmarket retai
  
  Read more

• Lidl, BT, 20th Century Fox: Everything that matters this morning

  10-07-2017 08:55
  
  Lidl plots £1.5bn UK expansion
  Lidl is stepping up its UK expansion plans as it looks to make it easier for the 50% of the population that don’t shop with the retailer to visit one of its stores. In an interview with The Telegraph, UK boss Christian Härtnagel says the plan is to roll out “at least one shop a week” and that it has already agreed sites for between 50 and 60 shops over the next two years. That will mean an investment of at least £1.45bn.
  “Th
  
  Read more

• Formula 1, Vice, Jaguar Land Rover: Everything that matters this morning

  10-07-2017 08:55
  
  F1 pens a deal with SnapchatFormula 1 fans will now be able to enjoy Grand Prix coverage via Snapchat.
  Starting this Sunday with coverage of the 2017 Formula 1 Rolex British Grand Prix, races will be available via Our Stories on Snapchat’s curated editorial platform, Discover.
  The deal with Snap Inc is Formula 1’s first commercial collaboration with a major mobile platform and is part of its strategy to develop its digital offering and attract a younger audience.
  Frank Arthofer, hea
  
  Read more

• Coca-Cola, Deliveroo, Google: Everything that matters this morning

  10-07-2017 08:55
  
  Coca-Cola reveals AI-powered vending machine app
  Coca-Cola is launching an AI-powered vending machine app. Greg Chambers, the global director of digital innovation at Coca-Cola, revealed the news at VentureBeat’s MB 2017 event, as he explained how AI is going to power next-generation vending machines.
  “My goal is to push boundaries and push the brand forward. AI is the foundation for everything we do. We create intelligent experiences. AI is the kernel that powers that experience,&rd
  
  Read more

• Retail Safari: Daiso, a Japanese brand that isn’t about craft or kawaii

  10-07-2017 08:46
  
  There are some Japanese cultural exports that romance us with their aura of understated elegance and artistry. There are those that captivate us with their imagination and visual wit. There are those whose kawaii qualities make them utterly irresistible. And then there is Daiso.
  Ah, Daiso. How many of us can say we have never been seduced by its lurid pink neon signage and promises of disposable plastic bliss? If there’s a random product that you can’t find anywhere else, chances are
  
  Read more

• How APAC marketers and Cannes Lions have formed a relationship of pure symbiosis

  10-07-2017 08:30
  
  2017 will go down as the year that APAC – and particularly China – landed in Cannes. These brands were there to share knowledge and inspire fellow creatives with learnings from the East, but did their presence there represent a bigger power shift making its way through the industry?
  In its first Postcards from Cannes series, The Drum chats to marketers from the likes of Isobar APAC and H+K’s Shanghai Edition to explore why the region is investing more and more in a festiva
  
  Read more

• 10 Questions with...Tim Hipperson, chairman of Booxscale & Fearlessly Frank

  10-07-2017 08:26
  
  What was your first ever job?Data strategy consultant at The Database Group (part of Olivetti computing)
  Why did you get into marketing/media?
  I went to present a neural networking solution to Tequila (now TBWA) and was approached post meeting to join the agency as director of data Planning, which I subsequently did.
  What's been the highlight of your career so far?Can I have three? Founding and building the most successful start up in 100 years of history at McCann Ericsson with MRM. Winning Mic
  
  Read more

• Yes, it's a KFC phone

  10-07-2017 08:20 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  KFC launched limited edition Huawei phones to celebrate its 30th anniversary and growth into a 5,300-restaurant chain in China.
  
  Read more

• Soundcloud shuts London office

  10-07-2017 08:13 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  SoundCloud is shutting its London office amid a 40% cull in jobs as it streamlines the business globally.
  
  Read more

• P&G’s Marc Pritchard urges marketers to ‘go layers deeper’ to gain digital transparency

  10-07-2017 08:01
  
  Marc Pritchard was absent from the recent list of “the world’s most influential CMOs” published by Forbes. Even if his impact on brand performance and awareness – two of the four criteria for inclusion –  could be questioned by the most critical of observers,  his “internal and external influence” and impact on peers, could not.
  Procter & Gamble’s chief brand officer cast a long shadow over the marketing world in January whe
  
  Read more

Follow @marketing_UKnws on Twitter!