Why the ‘product delusion’ is holding B2B back
Peter WeinbergThere’s plentiful research to show buyers don’t make purchases logically, yet B2B marketers still try to make sales largely based on product features.
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.
Ritson on the UK’s top 10 sonic brands
Marketing Week ReportersFrom Autoglass to Netflix to Just Eat, Mark Ritson explores the brands with the most effective sonic assets.
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.
How the aid sector plans to reverse a ‘cataclysmic’ drop in support
Michaela JeffersonThe UK’s international aid organisations are launching a joint campaign for the first time, aimed at rebuilding the prospects of the entire category.
Marketing’s ROI returns to 2005 levels, study shows
Michaela JeffersonA new report by econometrics firm Magic Numbers suggests the evolution in online advertising is a driving factor behind the increase in marketing’s average return on investment.
People want to shop green – what can brands and retailers do to help them?
Jeremy KingAttest research shows consumers want to shop sustainably, but brands and retailers need to offer good-quality and good-value products to help them make that choice.
Market research, data strategy, remote working: 5 interesting stats to start your week
Marketing Week ReportersWe arm you with all the numbers you need to tackle the week ahead.
Peloton, BrewDog, Unilever: Everything that matters this morning
Marketing Week ReportersGood morning and welcome to Marketing Week’s round-up of the news that matters in the marketing world today.
Pricing strategy and building to an IPO: 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 P&G’s improvement in marketing effectiveness to the rise in investment for market research, it’s been a busy week. Here is my take.
Brands’ hiring intentions remain ‘strong’ but begin to soften
Michaela JeffersonWhile more than a third of marketers expect to see new hires over the next three months, expansion plans have begun to tail off since hitting a peak last year.
Volvo on using its ‘creative superpowers’ to attract next generation drivers
Matthew ValentineTargeting some “fairly lofty growth aspirations” in 2022, Volvo plans to use its “marketing machine” to attract a new generation of customers.
Confidence takes a knock as consumers brace for cost of living squeeze
Lucy TesserasRising inflation and energy price increases have dampened consumers’ confidence in January, but marketers are warned to “hold firm”.
Festival of Marketing returns with Transform in March
Marketing Week ReportersThe Festival of Marketing will be kicking off the year with a two-day, in-person and virtual event on 24 and 25 March.
Lidl GB brings in new commercial chief to lead marketing
Michaela JeffersonPeter De Roos will join Lidl GB in April from Lidl Netherlands, where he is currently director of purchase and marketing.
Major Unilever investor says business has ‘lost the plot’ with brand purpose focus
Michaela JeffersonHaving taken the decision to put purpose at the heart of its brands in 2018, Unilever is now facing a backlash from fund manager Terry Smith, who claims the business is “obsessed” with showcasing its sustainability credentials.
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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.
Heinz switches slogan to ‘Beanz Meanz More’ as part of purpose drive
Manny PhamHeinz is launching a campaign to promote the versatility and health credentials of baked beans, as it pays homage to its famous strapline while “evolving conversations” around the brand.
Peter Field responds to ’emotional’ critics of purpose research
Manny PhamPeter Field says criticism of his research was launched before his full findings were released, stating backlash was “emotional” instead of “rational”.
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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.
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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.
Inside Creativity
The latest campaigns, creative effectiveness and performance from the UK’s top agencies. Brought to you by Oystercatchers.
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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.
