Marketing news

• “Always be three steps ahead”: Beyond the Brief featuring Val DiFebo, Deutsch

  20-07-2017 23:09
  
  Bronx natives have put their stamp on all aspects of culture for decades now: think Al Pacino, Jennifer Lopez, Ralph Lauren. If Deutsch NY CEO Val DiFebo isn’t on this list of icons from the “boogie down”, she very well should.
  DiFebo started her tenure at Deutsch in 1992 and quickly became one of the agency’s cornerstones as the entire industry adapted to a nascent digital era. Five years into her time there, and she was named a partner and director of the full-service s
  
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• Can Alexa-enabled air conditioners halt Sears’ death spiral?

  20-07-2017 22:53
  
  If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em?
  In what might be the first good news for department store brand Sears in years, its appliance brand Kenmore is now available on Amazon, including smart air conditioners with Alexa integration.
  The Kenmore Smart appliances available on Amazon as of launch also include washing machines and microwaves, but only the air conditioners appear to boast the Alexa capability as of July 20.
  Sears says this marks the broadest distribution of its h
  
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• Atari’s Speakerhat is like a connected boombox for your head

  20-07-2017 22:15
  
  Gaming company Atari says it is “[blurring] the line between fashion and future” and "transcending its traditional gaming roots" with the launch of Speakerhats – baseball hats with high-fidelity stereo speakers embedded into the brims.
  Speakerhats are the first in a line of wearables to emerge from what Atari calls its Connected Life initiative, which will eventually include additional lifestyle products, with the iconic brand also planning a co-branded Speakerhat&nbs
  
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• Creating a new campaign is not the question - transforming your marketing is

  20-07-2017 21:39
  
  Ed Bastian, the chief executive of Delta, recently said that if you’re not growing as a business you’re going through slow-motion liquidation. (Just wait until the next airline downturn, Mr. Bigshot.) The rapacious drive for growth that defines late Capitalism–and is likely killing the planet–also seems to shape the prevailing wisdom on creative campaigns. Change lives at the center of digital business, so marketing for said businesses must evolve and change con
  
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• Advertising labor rates remain stable, despite ongoing concerns among agencies

  20-07-2017 21:39
  
  Billing rates by agencies to clients has been an ongoing concern in the ad industry, with agencies obliged to cutback on staff and resources when clients reduce agency compensation or scope of work.
  Despite concerns within the industry, the ad agency trade association 4A's, released an updated hourly labor billing rate information report today citing that 2016 labor billing rates in the advertising industry are generally higher than those in 2014.
  "One of the most frequent questions we get from
  
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• Integrate raises $8m to further martech among B2B marketers

  20-07-2017 21:30
  
  B2B martech specialist Integrate has just raised $8m in funding bringing its total investment to $35m, with a host of big-name execs now among its backers.
  The new investors of the seven-year-old martech startup include Iron Gate Capital, as well as a notable selection of industry luminaries, including: Scott Dorsey, founder and former chief executive of ExactTarget (acquired by Salesforce); Reggie Bradford, founder and former chief executive of Virtue (acquired by Oracle); plus David Karns
  
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• Global mobile device usage is expected to reach more than 5.5bn users by 2022

  20-07-2017 20:17
  
  Mobile phones are expected to be in the hands of  66% of the world's population by 2022, with mobile device usage slated to reach 5.5bn users by then.
  That is almost double the total number of users (2.8bn) in 2008, according to a report by Forrester, with up to 3.8bn new users predicted during the next five years, crossing the 50% mark for smartphone use by population in 2017. 
  The report noted that smartphone use is expected to increase particularly in Asia and Latin A
  
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• ‘The Cal’ is back with an all black cast for Pirelli

  20-07-2017 18:43
  
  The annual Pirelli calendar, affectionately known as ‘The Cal’ by its legion of fans, is returning for 2018 and it has a notable twist – an all-black cast of models.
  As with the calendars of the past, the calendar has little to do with the namesake tires it should be representing, and a whole lot to do with beautiful images shot by famous photographers. Where the calendars of previous decades exuded of sex with images of women in various states of undress, the current wave
  
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• The rise of the consultancies: Accenture, EY, Deloitte and IBM are finding their industry groove

  20-07-2017 18:30
  
  This year’s Cannes – now, hopefully, a long and distant memory for most – was undoubtedly marked by the Publicis boycott shocker. However, 2017 will also be remembered as the year the consultancies held their very own industry cotillion with sponsorships, activations and beach takeovers, firmly placing their flags in the sand.
  In The Drum’s latest documentary, the likes of Accenture, EY, Deloitte and IBM explain where their creative prowess truly lies and where
  
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• Doner kicks into high gear as Detroit-based agency turns 80

  20-07-2017 18:13
  
  There are few agencies that have as many iconic campaigns under their belt as Doner, which is celebrating its 80th birthday this year.
  From “What would you do for a Klondike bar?” to the Vlasic stork mascot, the MDC Partners agency has created classic campaigns that still resonate - or are at least memorable - among consumers today. Perhaps its most recent success to date was Mazda’s signature “Zoom Zoom” campaign, which the agency created for the car company s
  
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• GS&P teams up with bike charity to ‘Outride ADHD’

  20-07-2017 18:09
  
  High performance bicycle brand Specialized and San Francisco agency GS&P have unveiled an initiative that aims to educate parents, teachers and doctors about the benefits that cycling can provide to children with ADHD.
  Called ‘Outride ADHD,’ the effort is for the California-based company’s charitable arm, The Specialized Foundation, which works with schools throughout the country to incorporate cycling into the school day. According to the Specialized Foundation, cycling ca
  
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• Grey London COO Wayne Brown exits for Play Sports Group

  20-07-2017 18:07
  
  Grey London chief operating officer Wayne Brown has departed the agency, and the advertising industry altogether, to join Play Sports Group as managing director.
  Brown (pictured above, right) was promoted to a newly created chief operating officer role at the London agency following the surprise departures of chief executive Lucy Jameson, managing director Natalie Graeme and chief creative officer Nils Leonard last year. At the time, the appointment was very much seen as pivotal in steadyin
  
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• Programmatic agency Cadreon opens northern office in Leeds

  20-07-2017 17:27
  
  Cadreon, the ad tech unit of media agency IPG Mediabrands, has announced the launch of its Leeds office.
  The agency, which was one of the first programmatic teams in the world, use best-in-class technology to deliver the most comprehensive, highest performing programmatic strategies in the market.
  Cadreon focuses on delivering smart cross-channel solutions to make every client’s ad relevant and every brand engagement valuable. By integrating data and technology from a wide variety of third
  
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• Dark web marketplaces AlphaBay and Hansa are shut down in a global crackdown

  20-07-2017 17:24
  
  An international police investigation into the trade of illicit items on the dark web has culminated in two of the biggest dark web marketplaces - AlphaBay and Hansa - being shut down.
  The takedown follows months of preparation and coordination from law enforcement in the US and Europe, led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the Dutch National Police, with the support of Europol, the European Union’s law enforcement agency.
  Euro
  
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• International round-up: Gillette’s targeting errors & Facebook’s subscription news service

  20-07-2017 16:28
  
  Audi criticised for comparing a wife to a used car in ad for ChinaComparing women to any inanimate object in advertising is never a good idea, but sadly brands are still falling foul of this.
  This week, car marque Audi landed itself in hot water after comparing a wife to a used car in an ad for its Chinese market.
  The ad goes like this: A mother-in-law interrupts a wedding ceremony to inspect the bride, checking whether she’s up to standard. The older woman grabs the bride’s nose an
  
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• Snapchat's e-commerce boss says World Lenses could transform how brands convert online shoppers

  20-07-2017 16:14
  
  Snapchat’s head of e-commerce and streaming, Fintan Gillespie, has hinted where the commercial potential of its augmented reality capabilities lies, saying brands could allow shoppers to visualise how products will look in the real world before purchase. 
  In April, Snapchat launched a feature called World Lenses, which lets users overlay pictures taken using their rear-facing camera with a series of interactive 3D filters. The messaging app monetised the tool just one month later
  
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• Mike Ashley reputation hurts Sports Direct as profits plummet 60%, claims study

  20-07-2017 15:00
  
  Sports Direct has reported a 60% annual drop in profits, a slump that has been blamed on the decline of the pound by chief executive Mike Ashley, however, research from the Reputation Institute has partially linked the misfortune to the reputation of retail mogul.
  The company, which issued a profit warning in January 2016, has been linked with numerous staff mistreatment scandals and has dropped out of the FTSE 100 since. The data “demonstrates a strong link between reputation and financia
  
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• Campaign TV: Winter is here for King's (Landing) Cross

  20-07-2017 14:48 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Sky, Transport for London and Exterion Media created "Stark" makeovers for London's largest stations to celebrate the launch of the latest Game of Thrones season.
  
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• Tackling gender stereotypes: Are new ad rules the answer?

  20-07-2017 14:45
  
  You only have to go back a few years to see what marketing teams once thought made good advertising. Women falling at the feet of attractive men or slaving away in the kitchen were commonplace, while men were all too often portrayed as hapless morons literally unable to figure out how to work a washing machine.
  Progress has been made since then. Lynx has dumped its ‘Lynx Effect’ ads in favour of showing a more progressive brand purpose. And brands such as Always have taken up the man
  
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• Unilever credits in-house content agency U-Studios as marketing savings ‘bear fruit’

  20-07-2017 14:22
  Unilever says the savings it has been making to its marketing have started to pay off, crediting its in-house production division Unilever Studios for creating more cost-effective digital campaigns.
  The company released its results for the first of half of 2017 today (20 July), and claims to have delivered its savings “faster than expected”. It has made more than €1bn in savings in the first six months of the year, which it called “a strong start” to reaching its tar
  
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• Unilever credits in-house content agency U-Studios as marketing cuts ‘bear fruit’

  20-07-2017 14:22
  
  Unilever says the cuts it has been making to its marketing have started to pay off, crediting its in-house production division Unilever Studios for creating more cost-effective digital campaigns.
  The company released its results for the first of half of 2017 today (20 July), and claims to have delivered its savings “faster than expected”. It has made more than €1bn in savings in the first six months of the year, which it called “a strong start” to reaching its target
  
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• Unilever to up marketing investment in second half of the year after massive cutbacks

  20-07-2017 14:17
  
  Unilever has committed to up its brand and marketing investment in the second half of the year as it seeks “accelerated” growth following a “substantial” increase in first-half profits.
  The Dove and Persil owner has been on an efficiencies drive when it comes to advertising spend following a move to zero-based budgeting, revealing earlier this year that it would slash its ad production by as much as 30% and the some 3,000 agencies it worked with by as much as half in
  
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• Unilever to up marketing investment in second half of the year after €200m cutbacks

  20-07-2017 14:17
  
  Unilever has committed to up its brand and marketing investment in the second half of the year following a series of cutbacks, as it seeks “accelerated” growth following a “substantial” increase in first-half profits.
  The Dove and Persil owner has been on an efficiencies drive when it comes to advertising spend following a move to zero-based budgeting, revealing earlier this year that it would slash its ad production by as much as 30% and the some 3,000 agencies it w
  
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• ‘Never stop asking questions’ to become a great creative says SapientRazorfish CCO Daniel Bonner

  20-07-2017 13:23
  
  The Drum caught up with Daniel Bonner, the chief creative officer at SapientRazorfish, to find out what he thinks it takes to be a great creative.
  Having spent over 20 years in the industry, Bonner insisted the cornerstone of being a creative, regardless of what field, is to never stop asking questions to the person you are creating something for and to yourself.
  “When you ask a lot of questions you find out a lot of things that might not have been considered,” He explained. “I
  
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• BBC needs to talk value as it faces fallout over pay

  20-07-2017 13:07
  
  Something most un-British is happening in the national conversation: we’re talking about pay. The six figure salaries of top TV talent and the payslips of public sector workers are two very different issues. Yet both come down to the matter of value and worth.
  The BBC has been forced kicking and screaming to make the pay of its stars earning more than £150,000 public. With a reputation tainted by apparent blindness to the abuses of its stars – most notably Jimmy Savile &nd
  
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• Thomas Barta: A leader’s biggest asset is their ability to inspire

  20-07-2017 13:00
  
  When I’m not speaking at conferences, I sometimes teach masterclasses to help marketers raise their boardroom profile.
  Not long ago, a technology firm asked me to extend one of my marketing leadership keynotes into a class for 30 of their senior marketing clients. The firm had come to realise that the best marketing software goes nowhere unless marketers get buy-in internally. I couldn’t agree more.
  Why waste money on artificial intelligence in online campaigning when your sales team
  
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• Diversity should be everyone’s business, not just HR or diversity experts

  20-07-2017 12:49
  
  New research by Refinery29, National Geographic and IPG provided fresh insights into women’s lack of representation in advertising. Refinery29’s senior vice-president of client services and strategy Hallie Johnston says this should concern us all.
  Having spent the past 20 years working at ad agencies where I was often one of the few women in any room I entered, it’s no secret to me that the majority of executives are men. This remains true despite all the calls to action from i
  
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• Three things the ANA is proposing advertisers do to gain transparency from their agencies

  20-07-2017 12:43
  
  One year on from the investigation into media transparency and rebates taking place within the marketing services sector, conducted by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) the organisation has released advice for members from learnings its investigation provided. 
  The widespread allegations made against media agencies and their financial behaviour when it came to billing clients was a major talking point of 2016 and is one that has yet to be fully overcome, with Procter & Gambl
  
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• BBDO launches global video content agency Flare in Shanghai

  20-07-2017 12:41
  
  BBDO has launched its video content and production agency Flare in China in a bid to help brands engage with the country’s active social media audience.
  Flare Shanghai will be tasked with creating video content including documentaries, live events, behind-the-scenes, interviews, case studies, teasers, product videos and photography shoots for clients such as Tourism Australia, HP and General Electric.
  The launch of the global brand, which has 16 offices worldwide including six in the APAC
  
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• New findings reveal top hurdles for marketers

  20-07-2017 12:39
  
  Earlier this week, Bynder, the global creative file management agency, released the results of a research report entitled Small Business Marketing, Big Digital Challenge, and findings reveal marketers at small and midsize businesses are struggling to efficiently reach intended audiences due to technology roadblocks.
  Data illustrates that companies lack the technological and organisational structure for safely and securely storing and sharing digital files, including logos, images, video, br
  
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• Chipotle and RZA cook up music with each of the Mexican grill's 51 ingredients

  20-07-2017 12:38
  
  Chipotle Mexican Grill is using music to draw attention to the 51 ingredients making up its menu in a sonically-pleasing collaboration with Wu-Tang Clan producer RZA.
  In the two-minute video, an original sound is designated to each ingredient. RZA composes music like a chef would a meal in a visually engaging ad that splices animation with a unique soundtrack.
  Ingredients like guacamole, cilantro, jalapeno and more were all designated instruments which all contributed to the song.
  Video of
  
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• Omnicom posts strong UK growth but global revenue dips 2%

  20-07-2017 12:19 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Omnicom's UK organic revenue growth gathered pace in the second quarter of 2017, exceeding 9% year on year, as exchange rate movements drove a decline in its global revenue.
  
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• From another era: the decade's most sexist ads ft Protein World, Carl's Jr, Lynx and more

  20-07-2017 12:17
  
  UK ad rule-makers, the ASA and the CAP, have introduced measures to clamp down on offensive ads that perpetrate sexist stereotypes, underlining that work featuring unhealthy depictions of each gender is still being created and distributed by agencies.
  The ASA said that UK brands would have to walk “a tougher line" as offending ads can "potentially cause harm, including [those] which mock people for not conforming to gender stereotypes".
  The issue is expansive and reache
  
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• Transformative technologies are often Silent Phoenixes not shooting stars

  20-07-2017 12:15
  
  The news that Google Glass is back - albeit in a more sober, enterprise focussed form - is a reminder for those of us who dabble in innovation and futurism, that the progression of emerging technology is much less like the short term glitzy world of fast moving fashion and more like the slow and steady world of engineering [who knew?] than we’d like to think.
   
  The law of the fashion launch is go big, ride the wave and then jump onto the next one, quietly abandoning whatever
  
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• Ad of the Day: Former most interesting man Jonathan Goldsmith is back for Luma internet privacy

  20-07-2017 12:00
  
  Luma, a home Wi-Fi system company, has enlisted the commanding presence of former Dos Equis ‘Most Interesting Man in the World’, Jonathan Goldsmith, for its latest campaign.
  Luma is introducing its latest venture today (July 20), the Luma Guardian. Billing itself as the ‘world’s first personal IT team’, the subscription service is a personal concierge that manages a home network’s privacy, security and performance, while offering a tech expert on demand.
  
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• Unilever cuts agency fees by 17% in first half of 2017

  20-07-2017 11:51 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Unilever is making progress with moves to streamline its advertising operations, its chief executive and finance chief have said.
  
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• Sports Direct positions itself as ‘The Home of Football’ with Nike partnership

  20-07-2017 11:42
  
  Sportswear brand Nike has teamed up with High Street retailer Sports Direct as the latter seeks to reposition itself as ‘The Home of Football’ under the guidance of creative agency The One Off.
  To cement the partnership Sports Direct has dedicated the entire second floor of their flagship Piccadilly Circus Lillywhites store to the beautiful game, centerpiece of an online, in-store and OOH advertising campaign which brought the football message to tube stations, a Metro cover wrap and
  
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• Argos scraps digital and marketing role with departure of Bertrand Bodson

  20-07-2017 11:13
  
  Sainsbury’s-owned Argos is scrapping the role of digital and marketing chief with the departure of incumbent Bertrand Bodson, whose responsibilities will instead be shared among the remaining leadership team.
  Marking the end of an era Bodson’s role will be passed down to marketing director Gary Kibble and digital director Mark Steel who will jointly undertake the brand’s marketing under the guidance of chief executive John Rogers.
  Before that point Bodson will remain in po
  
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• Uber’s leadership head believes redemption is possible for fallen CEO Travis Kalanick

  20-07-2017 10:39
  
  Uber’s newly installed head of leadership, Frances Frei, has stated her belief that fallen CEO Travis Kalanick, forced out of the job following a succession of scandals, could yet be redeemed - though pointedly refused to be drawn on whether a return to some form of leadership role is on the cards.
  Frei was parachuted in as part of efforts to rebuild trust and confidence in the ride hailing business after it was battered by a succession of embarrassing scandals, culminating in the departur
  
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• McDonald's takes over Clear Channel screens in Singapore for National Day burger launch

  20-07-2017 10:38
  
  McDonald’s has created a burger inspired by local cuisine in Singapore to celebrate National Day 2017.
  In a deal to spread the joyous message, McDonald’s took over 150 Clear Channel Singapore’s digital out of home screens on 13th July to promote their newly launched Nasi Lemak Burger. 
  This is the first time ever that a single brand has bought out close to all the digital screens in a single day and it is estimated to generate about 234,123 views throughout the entire acti
  
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• Mixed fortunes for Publicis as first half revenues slip despite return to quarterly growth

  20-07-2017 10:07
  
  Publicis Groupe has posted a mixed set of results after a small dip in revenues over the first half of the year took the shine off a welcome return to growth in the second quarter.
  Revenues grew 1.9% over the first half but this fell to a mere 0.2% when the effects of currency movements and acquisitions are stripped out, although growth picked up in the second quarter when organic growth hit 0.8%.
  Blaming its disappointing performance over the six months taken as a whole, Publicis blamed le
  
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• Wunderman and Founders Factory partner to swap client and start-up expertise

  20-07-2017 09:55 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  WPP-owned Wunderman has partnered with incubator and accelerator Founders Factory, granting the former's clients early access to promising start-ups.
  
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• GroundTruth CEO Dipanshu Sharma departs over alleged 'policy violations'

  20-07-2017 09:32
  
  Dipanshu Sharma, CEO of ad tech startup GroundTruth, has abruptly tendered his resignation just one month into a much heralded rebrand of the agency formerly known as xAd ‘amid an investigation into allegations of violations of company policy’.
  According to reCode, colleagues were made aware that Sharma was no longer amongst them by a round robin email penned by chief financial officer Stephen McCarthy on Monday morning, who was at pains to stress that the decision was not conne
  
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• Reebok awards Southeast Asia social media duties to RED2 Digital

  20-07-2017 09:27
  
  Reebok has awarded its social media responsibilities in Southeast Asia to RED2 Digital, which won the vacant position after a competitive pitch against other agencies.
  RED2 Digital’s Vietnam office will take charge of account and will be responsible for activities such as content creation and creative development for Reebok’s social media accounts in Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
  The Boston-based lifestyle and fitness company is looking to increas
  
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• Publicis Groupe holds 3% organic growth in Europe

  20-07-2017 09:23 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Publicis Groupe has praised strong organic growth of 7.8% in the UK for the first half of the year, as the French advertising giant's half-year performance was marred by legacy issues in the US.
  
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• Aardman and Independent Films launch joint production offer

  20-07-2017 08:55 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Aardman Studios and Independent Films are joining forces to offer a combined live action and animated video offer for clients with tight budgets.
  
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• Google introduces voice based search within analytics

  20-07-2017 08:27 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Democratising access, Google has launched a voice based interface for users of Google Analytics, lowering barriers to entry for those unqualified or unfamiliar with the system.
  
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• Google relaunches Google Glass

  20-07-2017 08:16 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  Whereas most products launched by internet companies rely on consumer-side interest to validate business side application, Google Glass has stumbled into the exact opposite.
  
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• Unilever's mustard marriage halted as RB food brands sold to rival bidder

  20-07-2017 08:10 via campaignlive.co.uk
  
  RB has sold its food unit to Schwartz spices owner McCormick for $4.2bn (£3.2bn).
  
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• Apple appoints first China managing director, as it steps up Apple Pay push

  20-07-2017 08:05
  
  Apple has appointed Isabel Ge Mahe as vice president and managing director of Greater China as it steps up its efforts to boost its brand and business in China.
  Ge Mahe was previously vice president of wireless technologies, where she oversaw the engineering teams developing cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, location and motion technologies in products, as well as Apple Pay, HomeKit and CarPlay. 
  In the newly-created role, Ge Mahe will be responsible for running Apple’s
  
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