Are shock tactics back?
Jonathan BaconThe Government’s return to shock tactics in its latest anti-smoking and anti-obesity advertising has sparked controversy over whether such ploys are more effective than a ‘nudge’ approach.
Month: January 2013
Racing towards a winning formula
Michael BarnettAs McLaren turns 50, brand director John Allert talks about life after Lewis Hamilton and widening its appeal with Sergio Perez.
Sky’s the limit if you press the right buttons
Mindi ChahalChanging TV viewing habits, both in terms of time and devices, means advertisers need to be smarter in their planning for time-sensitive ads.
Altered images of a marketing underling
Lucy TesserasDesign is increasingly being treated as a top-level strategic tool. Experts discuss its metamorphosis, the effect of technology such as QR and AR and the implications of redesigns
How loyal are you to the brand you represent?
David CoveneyOver Christmas, Melinda Gates (wife of Bill) was a guest editor on BBC’s Radio 4 Today programme. She was asked if she allowed her children to have iPods, to which she replied no, as their lives had been built upon Microsoft’s success and she was loyal to that.
Ocado rolls out digital campaign
Rosie BakerOcado is rolling out an online ad campaign welcoming customers into the “world of Ocado” as it looks to differentiate itself from traditional supermarkets.
EE and O2 data services mean smartphones are now ‘black boxes’
Michael BarnettMobile operators EE and O2 are mining deeper than ever into customers’ actions and movements. By offering this data to brands they’re walking a path strewn with risks and rewards in equal measure.
HMV brand thrown lifeline
Rosie BakerHMV is understood to have been thrown a lifeline after reports have emerged restructuring specialist Hilco has acquired the entertainment retailer’s debt giving it control over the business.
Brands back government’s soft drinks calorie cut
Seb JosephGlaxoSmithKline, AG Barr and Britvic are three of a raft of food and drink brands to commit to using lower calorie levels in their soft drinks as part of the latest phase of the Government’s Responsibility Deal with the industry.
IAB: ‘ Brands see 11-1 return on affiliate marketing’
Ronan ShieldsBrands investing in online performance marketing (OPM) are seeing return of £11 for every pound spent, according to the IAB’s debut report on the industry sector as it seeks to cast-off negative perceptions through the trade body.
Asics eyes greater share of growing running market
Seb JosephJapanese sportswear manufacturer Asics is to launch an international advertising campaign encouraging sportspeople to improve their performance as part of wider efforts to strengthen its positioning as a sports brand.
Trust in business on the up
Rosie BakerThe level of trust consumers have in business increased last year despite the slew of negative headlines about tax avoidance hitting many companies, according to the 2013 Edelman Trust Barometer.
Virgin Media names Jeff Dodds as CMO
Seb JosephVirgin Media has named brand director Jeff Dodds to succeed Nigel Gilbert as its chief marketing officer following the latter’s promotion to a new unspecified role in the Virgin group.
Müller details marketing plan to regain momentum
Seb JosephMüller Dairy UK is launching an internal academy to help its marketers develop more consumer driven marketing activity as part of a 7-point strategy aimed at clawing back some of the share it has lost to rivals Danone and Onken.
Tesco highlights online shopping in first TV ads of 2013
Rosie BakerTesco will focus its first TV ads of 2013 on its online grocery business as it looks to highlight the care and attention taken with every online order.