5 things you need to know this week

From Facebook opening up its Messenger app to brands to M&S posting falling fashion sales (yes, again), it has been a busy week in the world of marketing. We line up the five things you need to know.

Burberry uses first ever Snapcode to let in-store customers unlock Snapchat content

It was a week of firsts for Burberry. Besides being the first luxury brand to launch a ‘Discover’ platform on Snapchat, it also used the social media app to integrate ‘Snapcode’ into its latest campaign.

The Snapcode allows in-store shoppers to scan a barcode using their mobile device to unlock content from Burberry’s new campaign for male fragrance Mr Burberry.

Burberry is running the content on Snapchat’s Discover channel, offering access to style and fragrance content, including tailoring and grooming tips. Those who are keen to explore the content will have to be quick – it will only be available for two months.

Cadbury thinks it’s ‘unfortunate’ that its Dairy Milk slogan is similar to Coca-Cola

Earlier this week, Cadbury’s Dairy Milk unveiled its shiny new slogan ‘Taste like this feels’ as part of its latest campaign. There is one problem, however – Coca-Cola’s slogan is eerily similar. Coca-Cola introduced its ‘Taste the feeling’ slogan in February, similarly focusing on the emotional enjoyment of its product’s taste.

In response, Cadbury’s global brand equity director Nikhil Rao said the similarity between the two was “unfortunate”, but he pointed to the difference between the creative campaigns.

He told Marketing Week: “[It seems] we were both working on it at the same time. It’s unfortunate that two of the words are the same, but when you look at the creative work they’re totally different.

“The Coca-Cola work dramatises everyday moments in life and how Coke makes you feel as a result of consumption. So they focus on the consequence. But our ‘Taste like this feels’ work, focuses on the actual consumption experience. So one is about the consequence and one the experience.”

Facebook opens up Messenger to brands with scannable ‘Messenger Codes’

FB CODE

Snapchat is not the only brand to be exploring scannable codes; Facebook unveiled its latest venture Messenger Codes this week.

It allows brands to display codes that can be scanned by customers in order to start up an instant one-on-one conversation on the messenger platform.

Facebook’s Messenger platform, which now has more than 900 million active monthly users, is set to launch three new tools; Messenger Codes, Messenger Usernames and Messenger Links.

The social media giant is particularly excited about how brands will adopt Messenger Codes, as it hopes it will make the platform a key customer service tool.

New M&S boss Rowe says Sparks card will ‘improve marketing’ amid falling fashion sales

M&S

The M&S boardroom could not have been the happiest place to be this week. For the 13 weeks to 26 March, M&S reported a 2.7% decline in like-for-like sales in its struggling general merchandise division. This means M&S has seen falling clothing sales in 18 of the last 19 quarters.

However, its brand new CEO Steve Rowe insists it’s not all bad news. He believes the brand’s Sparks loyalty card scheme help it build better marketing.

He told Marketing Week: “Fortunately we have a fantastic customer insight device through Sparks, which already has 4 million people in its loyalty programme, up from 3.5 million in the Autumn.

“We want to use Sparks as a tool to reach out to our customers and to inform all of our new marketing campaigns. It will enable us to improve and have even deeper insight into how our customers are thinking and shopping.”

Mark Ritson: Reports of the death of the sales funnel are greatly exaggerated

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It’s undoubtedly true that the modern day sales funnel has changed. But to say it is “completely and utterly dead” is simply not true, argues Mark Ritson in his latest column.

While consumers might be bombarded by media and marketing from all angles, marketers still need to understand how to influence their journeys towards a purchase.

Ritson explains: “The sales funnel precedes the invention of television, direct mail, telemarketing, cinema ads, the internet and smartphones. Each and every one of these technologies has changed the tactical options available to marketers, but the essential challenge of marketing strategy and the enduring value of a properly derived sales funnel remain undimmed.”

Do you agree with Mark? As always, do let us know in the comments section below.

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