The Marketing Week

CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEK

Mondelez International introduced its revamped social media strategy, dubbed “Storytelling at Scale”, this week following the reveal of a Cadbury Crème Egg Facebook campaign that performed as well as TV, for a third less. When the chocolate brand shifted its strategy to focus on reaching 16 to 24-year olds at scale on the social network, it increased brand consideration on TV by around 20 per cent over three months, according to the snacks maker, while 18 per cent was attributed to Facebook.

The business said that the move led to campaign results that rivalled TV for reach, but said the ultimate aim was bolstering cross-media efficiencies – making TV perform better, but also making it work harder for Facebook. The marketing model is being rolled out to Mondelez’s core brands such as Trident and Oreo across Europe with it claiming its social media efforts are now focused on “reach and impact rather than deeply engaging small numbers of fans”.

GOOD WEEK FOR….

Nike is on fire. It reported blowout earnings this week, seeing growth across all its products and in almost every market globally, bar China and Japan, despite a challenging retail environment. Revenues were up 8 per cent to $7bn and shares hit a record high, while gross profit margins expanded still further.

The firm’s success shows that brand power is important to consumers even when budgets are tight. Nike has pumped a lot of money into its marketing, using high-profile ambassadors such as Barcelona FCB’s Neymar and Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney to promote its products. That has paid off, with the sportswear giant claiming that the campaign for its Hypervenom football boot helped make it Nike’s “most successful boot launch ever.”

A shift in marketing to focus on running, football and basketball has paid dividends and it is on a high as it celebrates the 25th anniversary of its iconic “Just Do It” slogan. With the football World Cup in Brazil next year, Nike is now planning to accelerate its innovation pipeline, teasing some “game changers” in its core categories.

BAD WEEK FOR…..

Tesco and Asda found themselves at the centre of a storm of protest over Halloween outfits that critics claimed stigmatised people with mental health issues. Charities and consumers alike were quick to condemn the costumes, labelling them “staggeringly offensive” and “disgraceful” and their sale “totally unacceptable”.

Given the huge number of items that retailers sell, its not surprising that occasionally a product like this slips through the net. What matters is how brands respond and how quickly.

The scale of criticism here forced both companies into crisis mode, with Asda quick to issue an apology and withdraw the outfit from sale. It also promised to donate £25,000 to mental health charity Mind. Tesco rapidly followed suit, although it hasn’t said how much money it will give. The furore even enveloped other companies, with eBay changing its listings policy to remove similar items and ensure that no such costumes will appear on its site in the future.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Apple launch developing markets push

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejaDY8tXCts

The global unveiling of Apple’s ‘low end’ iPhone 5c has helped further the brand’s presence in the lower tiers of the market and generate huge amounts of orders. This release has also see Apple to experiment with a new colour system for the first time in the six-year history of the iPhone. Earlier this week Apple released the below video to mark this development in its strategy.

ONE TO WATCH

Google+

During Social Media Week London Google representatives took time to assure audiences that user numbers of its social offer Google+ were on the rise. Matt Bush, Google’s head of agency, told one session audience that the upcoming official audience numbers would: “blow your mind”.

TWEETS OF THE WEEK

@richjm, social media and community manager at Metro newspaper:
“Cheers for putting a dot in front of the complaint tweet to that company. Do dial me into a conference call to their customer services too.”

@Tom_Kingsley, director and EMEIA marketing leader at Ernst & Young on Liverpool FC’s managing director saying Luis Suarez misdemeanours had damaged the club’s brand:
“Genuinely curious why so many reporters are finding it so hard to come to terms with the word ‘brand’ in connection with a football club.”

@LukeTownsin, creative development at Twitter UK on Apple’s iOS7 update:
“iOS 7. The definitive way to making your iPhone 4 load slower than a Commodore 64”

@KingOfShaves, King of Shaves founder Will King on rivals:
“Gillette pricing & product in USA looks “desperate” to me. Desperate to hang in to 85% market share. Big problem coming G.”

@leorayman, Head of strategy at Grey London on marketing buzzwords:
“I think we ought to ban the words ‘social’, ‘storytelling’ and ‘content’ from the marketing lexicon. And say something useful instead.”