Marketing news

• Aristotle, the AI babysitter for kids, has been canceled by Mattel

  06-10-2017 22:46
  Toy maker Mattel is pulling the plug on Aristotle, a connected kids room AI platform, and will not move forward on the project. 
  The Aristotle device could switch on a night light to soothe a crying baby and could keep changing its activities as the child grew, learning about the child along the way. 
  The voice-activated, AI-driven platform was "designed to aid parents and use the most advanced AI-driven technology to make it easier for them to protect, develop, and nurt
  
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• Could MIT bring the Bezos jobs plum to Massachusetts?

  06-10-2017 21:14
  Could a pitch built around the renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology win the century’s biggest industrial prize - the new Mark 2 Amazon headquarters with a promised 50,000 jobs?That’s the powerful thought behind a column by Boston Globe writer Shirley Leung this weekend.Leung points out, that more than anything, Amazon boss Bezos prizes innovation. “Whether it’s robots or rockets, MIT has been at the center of cutting-edge, world-changing inventions.”Yet sa
  
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• MGM Resorts CMO discusses massive campaign that was pulled in light of Vegas shooting

  06-10-2017 20:21
  The chief experience and marketing officer of the company that owns Mandalay Bay, the Las Vegas resort where mass shooter Stephen Paddock killed 58 people and injured more than 500 from his 32nd-floor hotel suite on Sunday, took a moment to address the tragedy at the ANA Masters of Marketing conference in Orlando before giving a pre-scheduled talk on how MGM Resorts has transformed itself into an entertainment-driven brand over the past few years.
  Lili Tomovich, who leads marketing for MGM Resor
  
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• Andre Agassi voices ad announcing that his hometown is Vegas Strong

  06-10-2017 18:54
  After this week's mass shooting targetting the Las Vegas community, stories of heroic actions to save lives and courage of those who were literally under fire have come to the surface. To shed a light on the resiliency of the people of the city and those affected by the tragedy at the Mandalay Bay on Sunday (October 1), native son Andre Agassi and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority have teamed up to send out a message of hope and strength.
  The Convention and Visitors Authority&
  
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• AOL is shutting down AOL Instant Messenger

  06-10-2017 18:50
  If you were a computer user in the late 90s, you probably dabbled with chat through AOL’s AIM. The instant messaging system, which got its start in 1997, will be officially shutting down on December 15.
  No more buddy lists. No more old messages. No more chats. The platform will cease to exist and the company says that they don’t have a replacement in the works.
  “If you were a 90s kid, chances are there was a point in time when AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) was a huge part of your
  
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• Ritson versus Sharp: Who won the clash of the marketing titans?

  06-10-2017 18:00
  Marketing heavy weights Byron Sharp and Mark Ritson took to the stage yesterday evening (5 October) at the Festival of Marketing to go head-to-head on some of marketing’s biggest issues.
  To kick off the debate, Ritson was given 10 minutes to criticise, question and playfully mock some of Sharp’s most well-known theories as presented in his hugely successful book ‘How Brands Grow’.
  Admittedly, Ritson did start off his speech rather amicably. He admits he will likely be rem
  
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• 'Stick with your gut': Pereira & O'Dell's PJ Pereira on being a great creative

  06-10-2017 17:34
  What Does It Take To Be A Great Creative? is a video series that highlights the thinking of global creative leaders on specifics actions that can build a successful creative career in the industry. See what other creative leaders had to say in past episodes.
  Pereira & O’Dell co-founder and chief creative officer PJ Pereira is a pioneer in the industry.
  The Brazilian-born creative and best-selling novelist (‘Gods of Both Worlds) has received plenty of accolades, and led his agency
  
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• Glamour drops print frequency from monthly to biannual in beauty-led, digital strategy

  06-10-2017 17:06
  Condé Nast glossy Glamour has announced it will cut its print frequency from monthly to just twice a year, as part of its implementation of a rebooted ‘mobile-first, social-first’ strategy aimed at cornering those with a passion for beauty.
  The brand wants to become the go-to online beauty destination for UK customers and advertisers alike. The magazine and website currently propagates a mix of celebrity gossip, fashion trends and lifestyle editorial, as well as beauty coverag
  
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• Pippa Glucklich to leave Starcom UK CEO role after 5 years

  06-10-2017 17:00
  Media company Starcom UK is saying goodbye to its chief executive Pippa Glucklich who has served in the role for almost half a decade.
  Glucklich is resigning to spend more time with family before moving onto ventures new. She steps down in December.
  Iain Jacob, Publicis Media chief executive EMEA, told The Drum: “After nearly five years, Pippa Glucklich, has decided to step down from her position and is leaving the agency in December. Pippa will remain in position until the end of the year
  
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• How fans and brands have reacted to the NFL controversy

  06-10-2017 16:47
  Football season, one of America’s most popular sports traditions, is now underway. And in keeping with a consistent theme for 2017, this year’s season is off to a controversy-filled start.
  While ongoing concerns around head injuries as well as debates around the popularity of the sport have made headlines, nothing has driven more attention so far than player national anthem protests. 
  Current and former NFL players have demonstrated their disagreement with the president and othe
  
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• Inside House of Peroni's citrus infusion

  06-10-2017 16:21 via campaignlive.co.uk
  Peroni, the premium lager brand, has set up its House of Peroni once again with an array of citrus-themed experiences.
  
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• A bite-size guide to millennials

  06-10-2017 16:17
  Baby boomers. Gen Z. Millennials.
  Broad-brush classifications based on when you were born, but does this really mean that everyone from that period behaves the same? Wants the same things? Expects the same things? Thinks the same way?
  We think not.
  The considerations of audience targeting and engagement go much, much deeper and falling into the trap of lazy categorisations is inexcusable for agencies and clients alike.
  That's why we at BWP have produced a three-part bite-size video series unpick
  
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• Mastercard to launch two-stage ad campaign for digital wallet Masterpass

  06-10-2017 16:13 via campaignlive.co.uk
  Mastercard will launch its first TV ad campaign on Monday for digital wallet service Masterpass.
  
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• Chatbots are buzzing with innovation as the nominations for the Social Buzz Awards are announced

  06-10-2017 16:00
  Taking social media to a new level can prove tricky and to stand out from the rest, you need to be thinking innovatively and chatbots appear to be doing just that. 
  This year's Social Buzz Awards nominations have been announced and taken centre stage with the judges is category the best use of chatbots.
  “It was fantastic to see a chatbot category this year.", expressed judge Rachel Kneen, social media lead UK of Just Eat. "We've only just scratched the surface
  
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• 'Design is subjective and everyone has an opinion': Beyond the Brief with David Luong, Horizon Media

  06-10-2017 15:53
  To celebrate its 100th Anniversary, the 4A’s has partnered with us at The Drum to pull back the curtain and look at an industry full of problem solvers, creative types and analytical minds. But what keeps them going once the briefs are written, the campaigns executed, and the pitches won (or lost)? The Drum is now interviewing 100 people at 4A’s member agencies — across all disciplines, levels, regions, and agency types — to get a glimpse into what drives them a
  
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• Dentsu receives paltry fine for overworking staff beyond legal limits

  06-10-2017 15:48
  Japanese ad network Dentsu has been fined 500,000 yen (£3,380) for overworking staff. The investigation was initiated after an employee logged 105 hours overtime in a month before committing suicide in 2015.
  Previously a government ruling found that 24-year-old Matsuri Takahashi died from ‘karoshi’, a term that directly translates to ‘death by overwork'. She threw herself from her the company dormitory balcony on Christmas day, a tragedy that launched a discourse wit
  
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• The Marketing Society to recognise risk-takers

  06-10-2017 15:00 via campaignlive.co.uk
  The Marketing Society has repositioned its Brand of the Year award to reward risk-takers.
  
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• Brands 'waste money' by showing the same consumers too many of the same ads

  06-10-2017 14:46 via campaignlive.co.uk
  By buying impressions through multiple DSPs and Networks, brands may be targeting the same consumer a hypothetical 18 times instead of just the desired three times.
  
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• Tampa’s 22squared handcrafts billboards with messages of hope after hurricane Irma devastation

  06-10-2017 13:48
  Hurricanes have left quite the wake of destruction this season in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. The staff of Tampa, Florida agency 22squared took a hands-on approach to help raise hope, awareness and money after Hurricane Irma ripped through the state.
  The agency has created fresh outdoor billboards from the remnants of their storm damaged predecessors. The billboards, which look like pieced-together notes, drive to a website created by 22squared, IrmaGivesBack.Org, where people can dona
  
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• Schweppes, Vodafone & Lidl – 5 things that mattered this week and why

  06-10-2017 13:35
  Coca-Cola gives Schweppes an historic makeover
  Coca-Cola unveiled plans to invest heavily in its Schweppes brand as it looks to tap into growing consumer demand for “quality” mixers and fight off newer competitors such as Fever-Tree.
  The investment, its biggest in the UK in more than 200 years, aims to give the brand “a new beginning” as part of a 15-month campaign to reinvigorate the brand. The bottle for its ‘classic’ range is being redesigned, with the new
  
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• Sally Hansen picks Chelsea Ladies footballer Aluko as global brand ambassador

  06-10-2017 13:35 via campaignlive.co.uk
  Chelsea Ladies FC striker and England centurion Eniola Aluko has become a global ambassador for beauty brand Sally Hansen.
  
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• Benefit creates 70s disco with makeovers

  06-10-2017 13:13 via campaignlive.co.uk
  Benefit, the cosmetics company, is taking people back in time with a 70s-themed disco.
  
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• BETC expands to LA by co-creating new fitness platform

  06-10-2017 13:02 via campaignlive.co.uk
  BETC is expanding to the US with an office in Los Angeles that will be focused on creating cultural products for brands.
  
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• Why United Colors of Benetton is parting with catwalk convention to showcase its brand DNA

  06-10-2017 13:00
  United Colors of Benetton used the most high-profile event in the fashion calendar to showcase its new collection in a unique, stripped back way. Its creative arm Fabrica explains why fashion retailers are getting experimental with the classic catwalk format.
  The fashion week cycle is done and dusted for another another year, with the spring-summer highlight for many having been the Versace supermodel reunion in Milan.
  The buzziest moment of the season saw Dontella Versace bring t
  
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• Netflix jacks up prices as original content investment takes its toll

  06-10-2017 12:52
  Video streaming site Netflix has announced a price hike in the UK and US and a handful of other regions. The move will inflate all subscription fees except the lowest tier which will remain at £6.
  The 'standard' tier is up 50p to £8 per month and 'premium' – which includes 4K and four screen simultaneous viewing – goes up £1 to £10. Similar jumps have been exhibited in the US, German and French pricing too.
  All the new costs have been implemented as
  
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• The world in 2018: the Economist's Daniel Franklin shares the trends to watch out for

  06-10-2017 12:22
  2017 has been a year no one could’ve predicted, and it would take a brave person to guess what’s coming next. So step forward Daniel Franklin, executive editor of the Economist and editor of The World In 2050, who has worked with his editorial team to gather information about the key trends we will see next year. From technology to politics, he gives The Drum a taster of what 2018 holds in store and we explore how the milestones on the horizon could translate into hidden opportunitie
  
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• Bompas & Parr to host flowers experience with Perrier-Jouët

  06-10-2017 12:17 via campaignlive.co.uk
  Bompass & Parr is hosting its first ever public feast it its studio with an experience around flowers, sponsored by Perrier-Jouët, to launch its a catering arm.
  
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• 7 things the sports marketing industry is obsessing over right now

  06-10-2017 12:12
  "You at Leaders?"
  It’s a question that gets asked each October, when the marketing industry meets the sports business at Leaders in Sport, a week-long series of lanyards, conference panels and keynote speakers, all served with sponsored food and corporate booze.
  This year's cast of characters went from Sorrell and Coe to Samsung and ESPN, via Dave Brailsford and Billy Beane, the Moneyball coach played by Brad Pitt in the film.
  But the real value of Leaders lies not in the big name guests b
  
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• Business on the Move: Carlsberg, HarperCollins, SunnyD and more

  06-10-2017 12:00
  Welcome to The Drum's Business on the Move section, where we collate agency account wins, reviews, agency launches, rebrands and acquisitions.
  Agency wins
  Carlsberg has appointed Life as its below the line agency following an eight-way competitive pitch process.
  Life will work across multiple channels including on-trade, off-trade, wholesale and impulse, taking immediate responsibility across a range of brands within the Carlsberg portfolio.
  HarperCollins has chosen brand comms agency Taylor Her
  
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• Addison Lee targets UK growth with appointment of Agenda21 Digital

  06-10-2017 11:50
  Managed car specialists Addison Lee is eyeing further UK growth with the appointment of Agenda21 Digital as she takes retained agency following a competitive pitch, winning the right to oversee all aspects of the businesses digital footprint.
  Operating a fleet of 5,000 vehicles Addison Lee undertakes up to 30,000 journeys per day in London but is keen to expand further by investing in new business, technology and vehicles.
  Rav Seehra, digital marketing lead at Addison Lee commented: &l
  
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• John Lewis: Human interactions are still the primary driver of loyalty

  06-10-2017 11:37
  Despite conceding online giants such as Amazon now dominate the retail market, John Lewis’s marketing director Becky Brock believes it is human interactions, not just a focus on digital, that will help her brand stand out.
  Speaking yesterday (6 October) at the Festival of Marketing, Brock said John Lewis faced “irrelevancy” if it failed to live up to customer expectations.
  She explained: “I read an article that very soon three companies – Amazon, Alibaba and eBay &n
  
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• Movidiam hires former BBH and AMV creative directors Chris Lawson and Simon Friedberg

  06-10-2017 11:35
  London based creative-tech company Movidiam  hires former  BBH and  AMV creative directors Chris Lawson and  Simon Friedberg  to spearhead their new campaign. Lawson and  Friedberg team up again  after working together at Cheil on the Samsung NX David Bailey campaign.
  Having recently raised  a further  round of funding, the startup is one  of the fastest growing in the creative sector and  is capitalising on the trend towards agile working.&
  
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• Publisher Freight Design invites 100 authors to buy their own books to stave off bankruptcy

  06-10-2017 11:22
  Scottish publisher Freight Design has been forced to resort to desperate measures to help stave off bankruptcy, inviting over 100 authors to snap up copies of their own work in bulk in order to sell on directly.
  In a round robin email to all writers whose works have been published since its financial position became perilous Davinder Samrai, co-owner of the business. Conceded that the future outlook for the business was ‘extremely uncertain’ amidst the prospect of matters being taken
  
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• Glamour print magazine cut to twice a year

  06-10-2017 11:22 via campaignlive.co.uk
  Glamour is dramatically scaling back its UK print operation and will publish just two issues a year, resulting in job losses as the editorial team is integrated with the commercial department.
  
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• Talk data to me: understanding the customer journey in a mobile-first world

  06-10-2017 11:16
  I recently gave a presentation at this year’s Technology For Marketing (TFM) about how marketers can use data to improve campaign performance and customer experience. Here’s what you missed…
  To begin with, here’s what you need to know to understand the value in understanding your audience:
  The product life cycle 
  Loading...
  Imagine a product lifecycle graph, with revenue plotted over a range of time. Ask yourself,  where is your business on this graph? Is it in
  
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• Ad of the Day: Virgin Holidays creates a world where straight tourists receive LGBTQ+ treatment

  06-10-2017 10:54
  Virgin Holidays is publicising its plan to become ‘one of the friendliest LGBTQ+ companies in travel’ with the release of a new film, which imagines a world in which a straight couple on honeymoon are faced with the discrimination that LGBTQ+ partners regularly endure while on holiday.
  Created by One Green Bean and released in partnership with media brand Attn, the spot follows the protagonists as they go about the usual tropes of holidaying in sunnier climes: helping one another app
  
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• L’Oreal & Founders Factory pick startup trio for their latest beauty tech accelerator

  06-10-2017 10:52
  Beauty brand L’Oreal has teamed up with London-based digital incubator Founders Factory to name a trio of startups to receive additional backing – two of which have been chosen to participate in the second round of their beauty tech accelerator.
  This latter duo includes Sampler, which seeks to help brands manage and measure their product sampling technologies by facilitating a more effective and targeted approach, which will benefit from a six-month accelerator programme. It wil
  
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• Glucklich steps down as Starcom UK CEO

  06-10-2017 10:52 via campaignlive.co.uk
  Pippa Glucklich is to step down as UK chief executive of Starcom after five years at the agency.
  
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• IMDA and Mediacorp look to reinvigorate public service broadcast content with new fund

  06-10-2017 10:46
  The Infocommunications Media Development Authority of Singapore (IMDA) and Mediacorp have announced the launch of a new content development fund to provide seed money to local content creators to pilot and test new concepts and formats. 
  The three-year fund aims to encourage experimentation and the use of cutting-edge technologies to create fun, engaging and meaningful content, which it hopes will reinvigorate, refresh and raise the quality, innovativeness and creativity of public serv
  
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• Snapchat’s Jeff Koons artwork vandalised as artists vie to control virtual public space

  06-10-2017 10:16
  Snapchat's much-publicised ‘Balloon Dog’ sculpture by acclaimed artist Jeff Koons has survived for less than a day unscathed in New York’s Central Park, despite solely occupying virtual space, after being vandalised by an irate artist.
  Koons' piece was intended to flex Snapchat’s growing augmented reality muscle but has instead become a sounding board for artists questioning the takeover of virtual public space by private companies.
  Using that rationale. local artist
  
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• Amazon to promote alcohol products via its own bar

  06-10-2017 10:11 via campaignlive.co.uk
  The 'Amazon Bar' will be a world first for the company.
  
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• Mountain Dew and Doritos to host AR events in Xbox giveaways

  06-10-2017 10:10 via campaignlive.co.uk
  Mountain Dew and Doritos, the PepsiCo brands, are giving Xbox fans a chance to win a new console with an AR capture-the-flag event in the US.
  
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• Y&R London names Leo Burnett's Paul Lawson as incoming CEO

  06-10-2017 09:49
  Y&R London has revealed Paul Lawson to be its incoming chief executive, succeeding incumbent Jon Sharpe.
  Sharpe will transition to another leadership position within the company, which will be detailed shortly.
  Lawson will join Y&R with effect from 1 November, making the switch from Leo Burnett London where he has been in post since 2004. He will report to the agency's global president David Patton.
  Lawson commented: “I am excited about coming to Y&R London, particularly a
  
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• Bank behind New York’s famed ‘Fearless Girl’ statue gored over gender pay discrepancies

  06-10-2017 09:24
  US asset manager State Street Corp, famed for installing the ‘Fearless Girl’ statue on Wall Street, opposite an intimidating ‘Charging Bull’ bronze counterpart, has been forced to settle an ironic gender pay dispute.
  The bank has agreed to pay out $5m to over 300 women following an audit conducted by the US department of Labor which is believed to have unearthed discrepancies in the remuneration between male and female senior leadership, stretching back to December 2010 a
  
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• Google’s shift levels the playing field for publishers & advertisers

  06-10-2017 09:16
  Google’s latest changes to its product suite for news publishers gives greater control to publishers and may signal a growing consumer trend for quality content and growth for premium publishers.
  Out with the old, in with the paid
  To anyone who has watched its repeated public commitments to frustrated news organisations over the years, Google’s latest announcement is a familiar one - a tweak to search behaviour, a pledged subscription payment infrastructure, and a promise of further,
  
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• Dentsu fined for failing to curb illegal overtime

  06-10-2017 08:43 via campaignlive.co.uk
  The ruling brings to a close an open trial for labour practice violations following the suicide of an employee.
  
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• Most Brits think AI should be regulated by the 'Blade Runner rule'

  06-10-2017 08:01 via campaignlive.co.uk
  As Blade Runner 2049 hits cinemas, a survey has found that 85% of Brits believe that AI in marketing should be governed by a key principle from the movie franchise.
  
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• 85% of Brits think AI should be regulated by the 'Blade Runner rule'

  06-10-2017 08:01 via campaignlive.co.uk
  As Blade Runner 2049 hits cinemas, a survey has found that 85% of Brits believe that AI in marketing should be governed by the 'Blade Runner rule'.
  
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• How eBay has been reading shoppers' brains to understand consumer cravings

  06-10-2017 08:00
  Online marketplace eBay has stepped offline and into reality with an experiential event that invites customers to find out what kind of shopper they really are.
  Combining science and art, the e-commerce platform has launched the Inspiration Zone where customers are set up with an electroencephalogram headset, which detects electrical activity in your brain. For 20 minutes, shoppers’ reactions to art – provided by Saatchi Art – are measured to create a custom shopping list.
  Brad
  
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• How brands should target Chinese consumers during Golden Week and beyond

  06-10-2017 08:00
  The impressive spending power of Chinese consumers, coupled with their love of travel, presents serious opportunities for Western brands, both at home and abroad.
  Key dates for the calendar are China Single’s Day (11 November) and Golden Week (1-7 October), a week-long holiday established in 1999 by the Chinese government to boost consumer spending.
  In 2016 alone an estimated six million overseas trips were booked by Chinese consumers during Golden Week, according to figures by Chinese tra
  
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