Helen Edwards: Marketing’s transformative questions don’t start with ‘how?’
Helen EdwardsMarketers are often preoccupied with practical challenges, but also need to address questions of vision that start with ‘why?’ and ‘what if?’.
McDonald’s new loyalty scheme has ‘exceeded expectations’ as digital sales jump
Matthew ValentineAccording to McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempcziski, the fast food chain’s global loyalty scheme has been the “single biggest driver of digital adoption” and is on its way to becoming the world’s largest loyalty programme.
Is the marketing funnel still relevant?
Charlotte RogersA cornerstone of marketing theory for more than 100 years, are brands taking the funnel concept too literally, or should they flex to reflect customer journeys in 2022?
Marketing’s opportunity is huge, marketers just need to believe
Russell ParsonsConfidence in business and marketing is returning. Now it’s time for marketers to realise their own potential.
Advertisers urged to change approach to pitching amid mental health ‘crisis’
Michaela JeffersonISBA’s director of agency services believes pitches have become “more frequent, more complex and more costly”, to the detriment of both advertisers and their agencies.
Diageo credits marketing investment boost for powering growth
Matthew ValentineDiageo increased marketing investment by 27% in the six months to the end of last year, ahead of sales growth, as it looks to build the business for the future.
Meet the brands using design to elevate their categories
Megan TatumFar from being content to play second fiddle to the established players, no and low alcohol brands and plant-based products are focusing on their visual identity as a means to capture market share.
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Mark Ritson: NFTs are just marketing’s latest idiot magnet
Mark RitsonMarketers just can’t resist pointless fads, which is why you can now buy your own piece of marketing history with my freshly minted series of non-fungible tokens.
Privacy-first is the right approach, but you need a new understanding of media
Mike FantisGoogle’s phasing out of third-party cookies means marketers must rethink targeting and measurement, but it enables brands to be more relevant, with a better grip on their first-party data.
Finding talent and marketing funnels: Your Marketing Week
Russell ParsonsAt the end of every week I look at the key stories, offering my view on what they mean for you and the industry. From marketing funnels to the search for talent, it’s been a busy week. Here is my take.
Cut the jargon: Marketers on how to discuss the funnel with the wider business
Charlotte RogersMarketers might need to rethink how they talk about funnels with the wider organisation if they are to gain the most traction.
‘We have to compete hard’: AA launches talent ‘taskforce’ to tackle skills shortage and diversity
Michaela JeffersonA renewed look at talent is “vital” for the future success of the industry as brands, agencies and media owners “struggle” to attract and retain staff, says AA president and Tesco chief customer officer Alessandra Bellini.
Kimberly-Clark to support price rises with increased marketing spend
Michaela JeffersonClaiming “the ROI is there” for investment in marketing-led innovation, the FMCG giant plans to leverage the strength of its brands to support price increases.
Start putting some common sense customer centricity back into your business
Secret MarketerOur marketer on the inside shares five resolutions careworn marketers should adhere to this year.
One M&S marketer on how a data science apprenticeship propelled her career
Charlotte RogersUndertaking a Level 4 apprenticeship unlocked both a love of data and a path to career progression for Marks & Spencer marketer Imogen Reid.
Marketoonist on brand experience and the metaverse
Tom FishburneTom Fishburne is founder of Marketoon Studios. Follow his work at marketoonist.com or on Twitter @tomfishburne See more of the Marketoonist here
3 questions I wish I’d asked as a junior marketer: Pentland’s Penny Herriman
Charlotte RogersThe CMO of the business behind Speedos, Berghaus and Ellesse believes in the power of curiosity, asking questions and finding a work culture where you can truly be yourself.
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If there was a marketing effectiveness ‘crisis’, it’s now over
Grace KiteThe industry has been telling marketers their ability to sell stuff using ads is in decline, but as well as not being particularly helpful it’s simply not true. New data shows ROI has been increasing over the past five years.
How has the pandemic changed brands’ view of ROI?
Charlotte RogersWhile some brands have been forced to ramp up their focus on short-term ROI, others have held their nerve and sustained their commitment to brand building with a view to the world post-pandemic.
Eve Sleep CEO: Growth does not come for free
Charlotte RogersAs marketers continue to be charged with driving faster growth on tighter budgets, businesses should not ignore the opportunity cost of failing to invest in their brand, warns Eve Sleep CEO Cheryl Calverley.
Why chasing ROI could kill your business
Charlotte RogersReturn on investment is the metric of choice for many marketers looking to define the success, or failure, of their latest campaign. But what if a focus on short-term gains is jeopardising the potential for future growth?
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Good purpose, bad purpose: Marketers shouldn’t oversimplify the arguments
Mark RitsonBrand purpose campaigns underperform ‘traditional’ marketing on average, but for the right brands purpose will still be the most effective strategic choice.
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If you’ve never heard of ‘anthimeria’, Google it before you end up like Kärcher
Mark RitsonCourtesy of French politics, Kärcher is the latest brand to find out that becoming synonymous with your category is a double-edged sword.
If you build a brand without considering its use you’re wasting your time
Secret MarketerBorrowing from philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, brands should not be defined by what they are, but how they are used. Trying to inject a profound meaning into brand is merely an exercise in ineffective positioning.
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The key basics that form the foundation for data strategy
The importance of data and its relationship with business success has been a key theme in many a marketing discussion in recent years.
How to be agile and drive innovation through times of disruption
Digital transformation: Agility and innovation best practice guide
As digital technologies drive rapid change in customer behaviour, expectations, and market and competitive dynamics, and with long-term trends dramatically accelerated by Covid-19, businesses need to find ways to be more responsive.
‘It’s time to shout about the brand’: How Purplebricks plans to win over sceptics
Michaela JeffersonNew CMO Ben Carter has launched the online estate agency’s biggest brand campaign in five years, fronted by TV personality and comedian Mo Gilligan.
How rethinking ‘value’ can improve effectiveness
Robin BonnThere’s growing momentum around a refocus on outcomes over agency inputs, but by defining ‘value’ too narrowly, marketers risk missing the opportunity.
Senior buy-in vital to accelerate culture of marketing effectiveness, IPA finds
Michaela JeffersonAs IPA research reveals effectiveness culture scores rise significantly in brands where the value of marketing is understood by senior leadership, creating a roadmap could be the answer to securing C-suite support.
Amazon: Customer anecdotes are as important as data
Marketing Week ReportersReading the ‘tea leaves of culture’ and choosing to prioritise empathy are reasons why the global ecommerce giant continues to grow at pace, according to Amazon Studios CMO Ukonwa Ojo.
Just Eat on how it became part of people’s ‘way of being’
Marketing Week ReportersThe online delivery brand’s marketing boss believes that it has now become an essential part of our everyday lives, rather than an occasional treat.
Motorway’s Lloyd Page on using long-term fame to fuel ‘accelerated growth’
Charlotte RogersPoised to grow by 300% in 2021, used car sales platform Motorway is embarking on a major new campaign to drive brand awareness and achieve future fame.
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If the old logo ain’t broke, fix it anyway: Ritson’s rules for playing with brand codes
Mark RitsonThose questioning the updates to Heinz’s slogan and the British Rail logo miss the salience the brands will gain – but there are rules for playing with brand codes effectively.
Is Pfizer’s ‘Comirnaty’ genius branding or a major misstep?
Michaela JeffersonPfizer’s newly named Covid vaccine has been met with ridicule and scorn, but while some believe it makes “little logical sense” others think it could be part of a bigger play by the pharmaceutical giant.
How Team GB rewrote the rules of Olympics marketing on a shoestring
Matthew ValentineA strategy of hijacking sponsors’ media budgets helped propel the Team GB identity into the national consciousness and unite the UK Olympic team ahead of the Sydney Games in 2000.
Insights from our roundtable series in partnership with eBay
Marketing Week PartnerTakeaways from our exclusive programme of events for marketers in the FMCG, finance, media and technology, home and garden, and fashion and lifestyle sectors.
Marketing Week Top 100 2021: We reveal the UK’s most effective marketers
Marketing Week ReportersMarketing Week reveals the Top 100 Most Effective Marketers for 2021, sponsored by Salesforce.
