Mark Ritson: Talk of crisis could be a death spiral for Thomas Cook
Whether or not Thomas Cook responds to financial rumours, once trust in its stability is undermined its brand equity will erode, obliterating future sales.
Tango returns to TV with vibrators, sexts and Tanguru
Tango did “a lot of soul searching” to ensure the ads fell on the right side of outrageous as it looks to become “part of the national conversation again”.
M&S boss: We must get back to being a value retailer
M&S is attempting to shake off perceptions as a premium retailer and boost its appeal to families as it looks to transform every area of its business and return to growth.
Pret confirms the end of the Eat brand to ‘turbocharge’ Veggie Pret
Pret has bought its high street rival Eat as it looks to service growing demand for vegetarian and vegan options.
Carlsberg brings its ‘Probably not the best beer’ campaign to TV
Carlsberg looks to bring its ‘Probably not’ campaign to a wider audience as it says it has been “overwhelmed” by the positive reaction so far, although it is too early to tell if it will lead to long-term success.
Helen Edwards: Vision and purpose should stand above commercial considerations
Asking whether purpose will increase market share is the wrong question. But brands all have a deep-seated vision, which marketers should dust off and use to inspire their approach to innovating for, and engaging with, consumers.
Has GDPR improved brand experience? Most consumers aren’t convinced
With the first anniversary of GDPR coming into force just days away, most consumers don’t feel any better off, and nearly a fifth believe their experience with brands has actually got worse.
Coca-Cola appoints new UK marketing director
The company has promoted Kris Robbens, currently its western Europe brand director, to the top marketing job in Great Britain as it looks to do more product launches to keep up with changing consumer habits.
The great balancing act: The long and short of B2B marketing
Sponsored by The Marketing Practice
Successful B2B marketers are twice as likely to think long-term, but the pressure to deliver immediate results remains intense. To tackle the growing effectiveness gap, we need to balance the long and the short term.
Why silos are the enemy of effective marketing
We highlight some of the key advice on how to break down silos and increase collaboration from our recent event, hosted in partnership with Workfront.
Thomas Barta: To instigate change, first you must prove yourself
As a marketer you can only instigate change if you have a proven track-record and people believe in your ability – it’s about building up credit.
Marketoonist on the 5 stages of digital transformation
Tom Fishburne is founder of Marketoon Studios. Follow his work at marketoonist.com or on Twitter @tomfishburne See more of the Marketoonist here
The three Ts and three Rs: How General Mills invests in influencer marketing
General Mills is putting influencer marketing at the heart of its new organic business but it has strict criteria about when to invest revolving around the three Ts and three Rs.
NatWest tackles ‘patronising’ way banks to women in new campaign
The bank is trying to tackle the “huge” financial confidence gap between men and women with a campaign that apologises for past behaviour and promises to smash stereotypes, but it’s already proving polarising.
One globe-trotting marketer on never getting ‘too comfortable’
Anna Chokina has worked in Russia, America and the UK at world-renowned brands including P&G, L’Oreal and PepsiCo, but last year took on her first truly global role as vice-president of global face care and personal care at Avon.
If less really is more, did BT get its new logo right?
As BT underwhelms with its new brand design, Harry Lang asks how important investment is in an exciting logo and whether there is such a thing as ‘too simple’.
GDPR, sport sponsorship, commercial radio: 5 killer stats to start your week
We arm marketers with all the numbers they need to tackle the week ahead.
DMA rebrands to Data and Marketing Association to be ‘fit for the future’
The DMA is dropping ‘direct’ from its name in favour of ‘data’ as it looks to reflect the changing nature of marketing and appeal to its broader membership base.
Urban Outfitters, M&S, Evian: Everything that matters this morning
Good morning and welcome to Marketing Week’s round-up of the news that matters in the marketing world today.
Hack your commute: Timebox your tasks
‘Timeboxing’ is a common practice in project management but it can also be useful for marketers looking for new ways of completing tasks beyond the traditional to-do list.
BrewDog, Boots, Asda: 5 things that mattered this week and why
Catch up on all the marketing news from the last week including BrewDog’s ‘most honest ad ever’, Boots’s move into digital loyalty and Asda’s plans following the failed merger.
The consumer insights you need to improve your marketing strategy
Brought to you by Dynata
Join this webinar to find how key trends around technology, media consumption and trust will impact your activity.
Watford FC on its plan to go global ahead of its FA Cup battle with Man City
As Watford prepares for the FA Cup final against Manchester City, the club’s marketing boss has another battle on his hands, extending Watford’s reach internationally without getting preoccupied by “chasing the big”.
Prostate Cancer UK celebrates men with ‘stripped back’ campaign that aims to raise awareness
The charity is using raw home-footage and images of real men to help people understand the disease, which kills one man every 45 minutes in the UK.
Boots makes Advantage Card loyalty scheme digital
The move coincides with the launch of its summer campaign, a “celebration” of body confidence which is where Boots sees itself playing a bigger role in future.
School of Marketing readies debut event to engage young people nationwide
The half-day event, which takes place at Saatchi & Saatchi’s head office on 15 July, aims to inspire young people to find out more about a career in marketing.
The scourge of email: How companies are shifting policies to improve productivity and mental health
There can be enormous pressure at work to read and respond to emails immediately but more progressive companies have realised this is causing stress and burnout, and are introducing policies to tackle the issue.
Asda refocuses on price and customer experience following failed Sainsbury’s merger
Asda plans to “accelerate” its price position and invest in new technology to improve the customer experience as it looks to position for future growth that boss Roger Burnley admits will be harder to deliver without the synergies the merger would have provided.
Ellen Hammett: BrewDog needs to be honest with itself about its ‘honest’ new ad
The craft beer brand’s “most honest ad ever” is nothing of the sort and is instead a sign that this “anti-mainstream” brewer has realised that the big brand advertising is crucial to raising awareness and boosting growth.
‘It was a piece of magic’: How Levi’s ‘Laundrette’ ad led to an 800% sales boost
The Inside Story: The classic 1985 Levi’s ‘Laundrette’ ad by agency BBH is admired for its craft, but like most great marketing it was grounded in insight, and boosted sales of a struggling product in a moribund category.
Warburtons on its new bagels ad: ‘Without De Niro we wouldn’t have run that creative’
Warburtons hopes its ‘Good Bagel’ campaign will create “talkability and fame” for a brand that is facing a decline in its key white sliced bread market.
Colin Lewis: All marketing is data-driven marketing
Data-driven marketing drives results, proves value and delivers insight, but don’t fall into the trap of thinking it can’t be used to enhance creativity too.
Marketoonist on personalisation
Tom Fishburne is founder of Marketoon Studios. Follow his work at marketoonist.com or on Twitter @tomfishburne See more of the Marketoonist here
How to make the middle manager cool again
Middle managers often get a bad rap but they are the ones closest to what’s happening within a business and therefore in the best position to get things done.
Why managing risk is now essential to marketing
With ad fraud, brand safety and data breaches presenting increasing threats, managing financial risk is now a key responsibility of marketing.
Diageo’s Andrew Geoghegan: Disruption comes from ideas, not just tech
There are five key ways for brands to grow and disrupt a category, none of which begin with data or technology.
Online shopping, customer experience, AI: 5 killer stats to start your week
We arm marketers with all the numbers they need to tackle the week ahead.
Amazon, Deliveroo, Pret: Everything that matters this morning
Good morning and welcome to Marketing Week’s round-up of the news that matters in the marketing world today.
Hack your commute: Track the development of new skills
Spending 10,000 hours on anything can seem daunting but a new app can help you track achievement levels for new skills.
The real impact and effectiveness of Gillette’s ‘#metoo’ ad
There are a few criteria which need to be met for strategic brand purpose work and stand a chance of delivering, which leads to the conclusion Gillette’s ‘#metoo’ ad was a waste of time and money.
The benefits of taking control of the creative process
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The typical marketing agency business model has had to change because the customer journey increasingly starts on mobile and ends up on ecommerce.
Watch on-demand: How to reach shoppers at key moments
Brought to you by MiQ
A host of technologies and tactical considerations are on marketers’ radars as they seek to help shoppers choose their brands over the competition, especially during key shopping periods such as Black Friday and Christmas.
How messaging bridges the chasm between brands and customers
Sponsored content
From discovery of new products to customer care, today’s customer journey is more complex than ever. In this competitive landscape, brand success is centred on meaningful, one-to-one interactions.
Should brands have a voice on society’s big issues?
Sponsored by YouGov
New research from YouGov examines whether it’s riskier for brands to speak up on important social and political matters, or to stay silent.
Tom Goodwin: A cynic’s thoughts on why blockchain could change the world
On the surface, blockchain seems to be an inelegant solution to an unknown problem, but where it shows real potential is in getting CEOs to care about improving customer experience.
Ladbrokes Coral CMO: Marketing is fundamental to gambling so you need to bring your A-game
The pace of change, obsession with brand and sheer scale of the CMO role persuaded Dominic Grounsell to give up general management in financial services for a return to marketing at Ladbrokes Coral.
Tesco, Heineken, Morrisons: 5 things that mattered this week and why
Catch up on all the marketing news from the last week including Tesco bringing Jack’s in store for the first time, Heineken’s alcohol-free push and Morrisons’ move into ultra-fast delivery.
Ben Davis: Let’s consign ‘dark patterns’ to history
As we near the first anniversary of the GDPR coming into force, the hope is shady tactics deployed by digital services will be whittled out and brands will prioritise ethics over economics.
Heineken launches first cross-brand zero-alcohol campaign to help ‘explode the category’
Heineken’s ‘Say Yes’ campaign, which includes Heineken 0.0, Birra Moretti Zero and Old Mout Alcohol-free, marks the drinks giant’s biggest investment in low and no alcohol to date.
Molly Fleming: Brands should follow Selfridges’ lead on palm oil to ensure long-term loyalty
As Selfridges becomes the first retailer to become palm oil-free, retailers and FMCG brands must ensure they fully understand and communicate their plans effectively to ensure they don’t do more harm than good.
Morrisons eyes opportunities with Amazon, Just Eat and Uber as it relaxes Ocado deal
Morrisons is paving the way for a closer relationship with Amazon as it sees big opportunities in the ultra-fast delivery space.
Missed opportunity: Why is the beauty industry still failing women of colour?
The makeup industry has made strides to become more inclusive and cater for women of all skin tones, but more still needs to be done and failing to act now could have serious consequences.