Diageo, Dove and Ryanair – 5 things that mattered this week and why

Diageo’s move to advertise on Amazon a sign of things to come?

There have been growing murmurings in the marketing world that Amazon is about to up its focus on advertising as it goes after Google and Facebook and bids to become a third player in the market. And Diageo’s decision to create content for Amazon throws into sharp relief why the ecommerce giant could be such a potent force in the digital ad space.

Speaking about the new content series, Diageo Reserve’s global director Johanna Dalley says Amazon is appealing for two reasons: scale and the ability to purchase. “It gives us that complete circle – we can entertain and educate viewers with how-to guides, and then make it as easy as possible for them to make the purchase.”

That should make for difficult reading for both of the main digital ad players. Amazon not only has the audience to compete, but the data about their purchases and operates as close to the ‘conversion’ part of the purchase funnel as it is possible to get. And advertisers are keen for a third player to end the digital duopoly and offer more choice and competition.

READ MORE: Can Amazon put an end to Google and Facebook’s digital duopoly?

Ryanair CMO Kenny Jacobs’ super uncool view of marketing

Marketing Week sat down with Kenny Jacobs recently and the results of that interview make for fascinating reading. Its hard to know what to pick out in a piece that ranges from his view on Google to his “common sense approach” to marketing and how he has structured Ryanair’s whole strategy on creating marketing that delivers. There are some valuable lessons in there for any marketer, but here’s my favourite.

“We spend nothing on Google and I am so proud of that fact. We’re the world’s most searched for airline website and we spend nothing on Google because everyone knows what we stand for. It’s organic traffic.”

You can read the full interview here.

John Lewis and Waitrose finally see that they might be stronger together

John Lewis and Waitrose might be owned by the same company, operate under the same model and stand for the same things, but when it comes to their marketing they’ve always kept their distance. John Lewis has become famous for its high-profile (and expensive) Christmas campaigns, while Waitrose has favoured the understated and in some cases appeared to be looking on its sister brand with disdain.

But with the high street and grocery retail becoming more competitive than ever, and both brands now using the same creative agency in adam+eveDDB, finding marketing synergies makes sense. The John Lewis Partnerships says new research found that 10% of its customers account for 60% of sales and they shop across the two brands. Time to finally start making use of that crossover in marketing.

READ MORE: John Lewis and Waitrose test joint marketing campaigns in a bid to boost loyalty

Has YouTube done enough to bring brands back?

Some two months on from The Times investigation that led tens of major UK brands to suspend advertising on YouTube, has its parent Google done enough to allay concerns and lure advertisers back? The simple answer is no. From Pepsi to Tesco, Marks & Spencer to Nestle, Toyota to Aviva, the Guardian to Channel 4, all are still withholding spend, awaiting “guarantees” over brand safety.

That isn’t to say that brands are no closer to resuming spend. Almost all the marketers spoken to by Marketing Week said they are pleased with progress, with some, such as McDonald’s and RBS, back advertising. But its clear Google still has a long way to go to convince marketers it has done enough, despite those “thousands of calls”.

READ MORE: UK advertisers split over ending YouTube boycott after brand safety scandal

Coca-Cola’s new GB marketing boss on Coke Life, the chief growth officer and her plans for growth

Coca-Cola’s relatively new (she’s been in post for six months) GB marketing boss Aedamar Howlett gave her first interviews to the press this week as Coke launched its annual summer campaign. It’s a difficult time for the brand – consumers are moving away from sugary drinks, the arrival of the sugar tax is imminent and it has just had to can Coke Life after a disastrous sales drop.

Yet Howlett is upbeat. The GB market is growing, she claims, there is excitement around its 2020 vision to become a “total beverage company” and the success of Coca-Cola Zero Sugar shows it can adjust to consumer trends. For all that though, the headwinds are only likely to get stronger. She dismissed our columnist Mark Ritson’s talks of a “managed decline”, only time will tell who is right.

READ MORE: Coca-Cola dismisses talk of a ‘managed decline’ as it launches summer campaign