Airbnb sees revenue rise as travel begins to recover

Airbnb CEO and cofounder Brian Chesky has hailed the home sharing business’s “adaptable” business model and innovation for helping it rebound after the pandemic forced travel to come to a halt last year.

The firm posted revenue of $1.3bn (£942m) in the second quarter of 2021, a 300% increase on the same quarter last year, and a 10% boost compared Q2 in 2019.

Airbnb’s profit also increased, with adjusted EBITDA in the second quarter at $217m, substantially higher than the loss of $397m it made in 2020 and an improvement on 2019 when it posted a loss of $43m.

The holiday rental business says it saw “strong demand” for bookings during the second quarter, buoyed by the rise in vaccinations and restrictions being eased, which it says is driving the travel recovery.

It is seeing a change in booking trends, however, with people choosing to stay outside of top destinations and an increase in long-term stays. Bookings in its top 10 cities dropped from 14% of revenue in Q2 2019 to 7% in the same quarter this year. Meanwhile stays of at least 28 nights remained its fasted-growing category of trip length.

Chesky says: “Travel is different than before, and because of our adaptable business model and continued product innovation to meet the changing needs of our guests, Airbnb is leading the travel rebound.”

Adidas to sell Reebok in £1.8bn deal

Adidas plans to sell the struggling Reebok brand to Authentic Brands Group for up to €2.1bn (£1.8bn), in a deal which is expected to close in the first quarter of 2022.

Adidas bought Reebok in 2006 for €3.1bn as part of its effort to take on Nike. But the brand has struggled to make an impact and Adidas confirmed its intention to sell off the business earlier this year.

Authentic Brands, which recently acquired Forever 21, Brooks Brothers and Aeropostale, is preparing to IPO, which could happen in a matter of months.

Jamie Salter, CEO of Authentic Brands, says it plans to strengthen the Reebok business and maintain its retail outlets.

READ MORE: Adidas strikes deal to sell off struggling Reebok to Authentic Brands Group

UK regulator raises competition concerns over Facebook’s Giphy deal

Facebook could be forced to sell gif website Giphy, which it acquired for $400m (£290m) last year, after the UK competition watchdog identified “competition issues” for social media companies and the digital advertising market.

The Competitions and Markets Authority raised concerns about the fact Facebook plans to integrate Giphy into Instagram, which could result in it no longer supplying gifs to other platforms. It highlighted that Facebook could demand additional user data to enable people to continue to access gifs from Giphy, which would boost its already “significant” market power.

The CMA’s investigation also raised concerns the deal would remove a potential competitor from the digital advertising market, given Giphy had offered paid advertising in the US. Giphy had been considering expanding the service to countries including the UK but Facebook terminated all deals following the takeover. Facebook, which is the biggest player in the UK, accounting for more than half of the £5.5bn digital ad market, said it did not compete with Giphy.

A Facebook spokesperson says: “As we have demonstrated, this merger is in the best interest of people and businesses in the UK – and around the world – who use Giphy and our services. We will continue to work with the CMA to address the misconception that the deal harms competition.”

READ MORE: Facebook could be forced by UK watchdog to sell gif creator Giphy

Employees fear diversity drops off the agenda without high profile cases

Two-thirds (67%) of racially diverse professionals feel frustrated that high profile acts of racism are the main driver of conversations around inclusivity in the workplace, according to a new research by networking group People Like Us and Censuswide.

Meanwhile, 59% believe work around diversity and inclusion would drop down the agenda if it wasn’t for public acts of racism such as that directed at Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka following the Euro 2020 final.

The study of 2,000 UK respondents also shows that Brits from black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds are more likely to agree momentum will slow without high profile cases compared to white Brits – 58% versus 48%.

Looking specifically at the views of people working in marketing, advertising, PR and journalism (albeit a relatively low sample of just 79 people), 55.7% worry businesses will drop the ball on diversity and inclusion without high profile cases to ensure it’s top of mind. This figure rises to 59% for ethnic minority professionals in these fields.

Indeed, 62% of people working in the industry say the racism following the Euros final spurred conversations at their workplace. But 78% agree it should be a continuous effort.

Sheeraz Gulsher, cofounder of People Like Us, describes the data as “heart-breaking”. “Diverse employees shouldn’t have to feel that it requires a celebrity or sports star being horrifically abused for racism in the workplace to be taken seriously. Prioritising diversity and your diverse employees needs to be approached in a consistent way, not just when it is a trending topic on social media.”

Food delivery startup Dija acquired by US rival

Rapid delivery startup Dija has been acquired by US rival Gopuff just five months after launch.

London-based Dija, was founded by former Deliveroo executives eight months ago and promises to deliver groceries within 10 minutes.

Philadelphia-based Gopuff, which has been in operation for eight years and is valued at $15bn, is using the deal to fuel its “rapid expansion” in Europe. The details of the deal were not disclosed.

Gopuff will take on around 40 micro-fulfilment centres and 200 staff in the UK, France and Spain as a result of the deal.

The fast-track delivery market is set to be worth an estimated £3.3bn in the UK, with a number of players vying for dominance.

READ MORE: Food delivery group Gopuff eats up British rival Dija

Thursday, 12 August

Google may cut pay of work from home staff

Staff of technology giant Google based in the US may see a cut in pay if they choose to work permanently from home.

Google currently has no plans to implement this measure in the UK, which follows the technology giant developing a pay calculator that enables employees to see the effects of working remotely or moving offices.

Workforces have proven working from home full time is viable during the pandemic, with many companies looking ahead to implement hybrid models permanently.

Other technology brands including Microsoft, Facebook and Twitter have offered lower pay for employees based in locations where it is less expensive to live. However smaller firms such as Reddit have pledged to keep pay rates equal to improve diversity, no matter the employee’s location.

A Google spokesperson says: “Our compensation packages have always been determined by location, and we always pay at the top of the local market based on where an employee works from.

“Our new Work Location Tool was developed to help employees make informed decisions about which city or state they work from and any impact on compensation if they choose to relocate or work remotely.”

READ MORE: Google may cut pay of staff who work from home

Boohoo hits back at throwaway fashion brand label

Online retail brand Boohoo says it has a clear strategy to being more sustainable and it is not a “throwaway” brand.

Chief executive John Lyttle tells the BBC: “We’re here because people want to wear clothes, they have to be supplied. We’re trying to make the journey as sustainable as possible.”

But he conceded the sustainability targets set by the company could take more time to meet, stating there are “lots of pieces still to answer”.

He highlights how 20% of Boohoo’s range will be sustainable by this autumn, and 40% will be by spring/summer.

Lyttle also points out how Boohoo’s internal data does not show customers are buying every day or “buying once and wearing something new”, alluding to the throwaway culture of fast fashion.

Boohoo owns 13 brands including Karen Millen, Dorothy Perkins, Warehouse, Oasis, Wallis, Burton and Debenhams.

READ MORE: Boohoo boss: ‘We’re not a throwaway fashion brand’

NABS reveals low mood in advertising and media

Advertising and media industry support organisation NABS reveals “low mood” among professionals has increased since last year, showing the progressively negative impact of the pandemic on the industry’s wellbeing.

Low mood has been a repeating theme for the past few years, NABS’ latest stats for the first half of 2021 also show industry members have been reaching out for new ways for help.

There has been a 48% increase year on year in attendance of group coaching sessions, with sessions focusing on confidence being the most popular as attendees prepare to return to the office.

Newer session themes coming through this year include building rapport remotely and different ways of working as a team, reflecting continued working from home practices, as well as a move into hybrid working.

Many are rethinking their careers and considering a life change as they consider priorities. Some working mothers are concerned about the effect the pandemic is having on their careers.

The top three reasons for seeking advice through the NABS Advice Line and NABS Chatbot in the first half of 2021 are financial assistance (32%), emotional support (27%) and redundancy (18%).

Calls for emotional support and redundancy have decreased this year showing continued growth in demand year on year for requests for financial support.

NABS CEO Diana Tickell says: “Our stats for the first half of 2021 reveal that as an industry we have to do more to support people’s low mood before we start to see more increases in this area. Relying on summer breaks won’t be enough.

“This is especially important as we face new challenges over the next few months, and uncertainty and anxiety may increase as people start to focus on returning to the office.”

ITV spotlights invisible disabilities in a new on-air campaign

ITV is launching is a new on-air marketing campaign to highlight invisible disabilities as part of its commitment to creating culture change around disability and representation.

The ‘Invisible Disabilities’ campaign is devised by ITV Creative and developed with charity Scope. It is part of ITV’s Social Purpose commitment to shaping culture for good, including fostering creativity by championing diversity, equality and inclusion.

Central to the campaign is a TV ad featuring The Chase star Paul Sinha, author and TV personality Katie Piper, actress and Loose Woman Kelle Bryan and Real Housewives of Cheshire star Tanya Bardsley.

They reveal how they have invisible disabilities to highlight how one in five people has a disability. The ad ends with encouragement to visit ITV’s website for more support on understanding invisible disabilities and tips from disabled people on what non-disabled people can do to be a good ally. The site will also include information about ITV’s diversity and inclusion plan.

Research commissioned by the broadcaster finds less than a third of the UK population are aware of the levels of disability in the UK and that among those with a disability, only 40% feel confident about telling people they are disabled.

ITV director of social purpose Susie Braun says: “ITV is pleased to put this important issue centre stage for our viewers. 14 million people in the UK are disabled, but invisible disability isn’t something that is often talked about and recognised. We’re delighted to work with Scope to help change that.”

Comic Relief launches comedy series on Snapchat

Comic Relief is launching a new comedy series that shows the private lives of the UK’s popular TV stars and comedians on Snapchat.

The ‘Virtually Everything’ series features Joe Lycett, Katherine Ryan, Roman Kemp and Shaparak Khorsandi in five-minute episodes.

The six-part series will be shown on Snapchat Discover, which presents content from broadcasters, media brands and creators.

Comic Relief creative director Kate Cooper-Owen says: “We’re delighted to be partnering with Snapchat for the first time with this fantastic series.

“With Virtually Everything, we’re bringing comedy and laughter to new audiences in a way that only Comic Relief can… by probing brilliant friends like Joe, Katherine, Roman and Shaparak.”

Wednesday, 11 August

Deliveroo grows ahead of expectations following brand building push

Food delivery service Deliveroo has grown “materially ahead of expectations” during the first half of 2021, with orders and average order value proving resilient despite the easing of Covid-19 restrictions.

The business recorded revenue growth of 82% compared to the first half of last year, which it says is primarily a result of increased gross transaction value (the total value spent by consumers on the marketplace) driven by a rise in monthly active users. Revenues totalled £922.5m for the six month period.

Nevertheless, Deliveroo posted an operating loss of £27m, broadly flat compared to H1 2020. A 75% increase in gross profit to £264m was largely offset by increased investments to “support future growth”, including brand-building marketing spend to drive awareness and recruiting employees in tech.

In the UK and Ireland alone, however, operating profit reached £55.4m, up from £34.5m last year.

Earlier this summer, Deliveroo launched its ‘Full Life’ campaign, in which the brand committed to work with restaurant and grocery partners to deliver 1 million meals to communities in need by early 2022.

Deliveroo now claims to offer the most food merchants in the UK of all the food delivery platforms, while it has exceeded its UK expansion target by reaching 72% population coverage by the end of June.

“We are seeing strong growth and engagement across our marketplace as lockdowns continue to ease. Demand has been high amongst consumers,” says founder and CEO Will Shu.

“We have widened our consumer base, seen people continuing to order frequently and we now work with more food merchants than any other platform in the UK. At the same time, more riders are choosing to continue to work with the company because they value the work we offer.

“As reflected in our guidance, whilst we expect that consumer behaviour may moderate later in the year, we remain excited about the opportunity ahead and our ability to capitalise on it.”

Earlier this week Deliveroo’s shares jumped 11% to its highest level since going public in March, as online food delivery firm Delivery Hero took a 5% stake worth £284m in its UK rival.

Google and YouTube to block advertisers from targeting under-18s

Google has announced a raft of changes to its advertising and privacy policies, which are designed to keep under-18s safe across its platforms.

Over the coming months, Google is to begin blocking ad targeting based on the age, gender or interests of people under-18, while also expanding its safeguards to prevent age-sensitive ad categories from being shown to teenagers.

Location history will be automatically turned off for all under-18 users globally, while apps will be required to disclose how and why they collect data in greater detail to help parents to decide which apps are appropriate for their children.

On YouTube, the default upload setting for teens aged 13-17 will be set to the most private option available, and users will be provided with safeguards and education about commercial content. Google will also make ‘Safe Search’ the default setting for users under-18, to filter out explicit results.

Among a number of other updates, the digital giant will be rolling out wellbeing filters that allow users to block news, podcasts and access to webpages on Google Assistant-enabled smart devices. On YouTube, users under-18 will be automatically opted into ‘take a break’ and ‘bedtime’ reminders, with the autoplay function turned off by default.

However, writing in a blog post, Google’s general manager of kids and family, Mindy Brooks, called child safety a “complex challenge” for the platform.

“It will require input from regulators, lawmakers, industry bodies, technology providers, and others to address it – and to ensure that we all build a safer internet for kids,” she says.

John West promises ‘Strength for Life’ in new positioning

Canned fish business John West is hoping to drive reappraisal of its brand by repositioning itself as a health and nutrition company.

Kicking off the ‘Strength for Life’ positioning is a new TV campaign, ‘Girl on the Move’, in which a teenage girl fuels herself with John West foods as she goes about her everyday life.

The brand is hoping to bring in a younger customer with the campaign, which introduces a new tagline: ‘Eat Strong, Go Strong’.

The new brand positioning and TV ad were developed by creative agency Havas London, while media planning and buying was handled by Havas Media. The campaign will run across TV, video-on-demand, social media and on gym TVs.

John West describes the new strategy as a “radical departure” for the brand, which has traditionally focused on its 160-year heritage and the origins of the product.

Explaining the shift, John West’s international marketing director, Jon Burton, says: “Eat Strong, Go Strong enables John West to own both physical and mental ‘strength’, and underlines our products’ many health benefits.

“We want to remind consumers about the nutritional benefits of fish and make John West more modern and relevant to people’s lives, across different life stages.”

As part of the brand repositioning, the ‘Eat Strong, Go Strong’ tagline will be activated in-store and across all consumer touchpoints, supported by an enhanced product offering focused on functional health.

Odeon to accept Bitcoin as payment

AMC, the US-owner of UK cinema chain Odeon, is going to allow customers to pay for tickets and concessions in Bitcoin by the end of the year.

The cinema company joins an increasing number of businesses beginning to accept the cryptocurrency as payment, including Microsoft, Wikipedia and US telecommunications business AT&T.

Sexual wellness brand Lovehoney has launched a new TV ad in the UK as part of its global ‘Love How You Love’ marketing campaign.

Created by ad agency Virtue, the 30-second spot shows couples and singles in various scenarios alongside a range of Lovehoney products. Words on screen reveal ways to discuss the role that sex toys and lingerie play in people’s sexual happiness.

In 2011, Lovehoney became the first sexual wellness brand to advertise on TV in the UK.

“Our vision is to become the world’s leading sexual happiness brand, synonymous with a healthy, happy sex life,” says global brand director Helen Balmer.

“We undertook extensive quantitative and qualitative research with consumers to understand their motivations and attitudes towards sex and the role of sex toys. This identified that there is a big opportunity with current active users and potential considerers, and that the Lovehoney brand is well placed to spark a conversation between couples.”

Tuesday, 10 August

Return of sport sees profit surge 221% at Paddy Power owner Flutter

The return of sport following a Covid-induced hiatus caused group revenue to surge 99% to £3.1bn at Paddy Power owner Flutter Entertainment during the six months to 30 June. Over the same period the company, which also owns SkyBet and Betfair, experienced a 221% rise in pre-tax profit to £77m.

In the UK and Ireland alone revenue grew by 30% to £1.1bn, despite Paddy Power stores being closed for the entirety of the first quarter and a proportion of Q2. Online revenue rose by 37% across the UK and Ireland business, with the Euros tournament helping to drive a 44% increase in average monthly players across the SkyBet, Betfair and Paddy Power brands.

Flutter says its gaming business also performed well, despite the fact such products typically claim a lower share of consumer spend during summer football tournaments.

The company praises SkyBet, Paddy Power and Betfair for continuing to deliver a “differentiated proposition to recreational and more engaged customers alike”, with the team pursuing a ‘complement and compete’ strategy.

Flutter claims targeted marketing campaigns have helped to enhance the SkyBet in-play experience, while Paddy Power and Betfair have benefitted from improved ‘Bet Builder’ products. The popularity of the ‘Bet Builder’ functionality has allowed the business to reinvest in enhanced rewards to acquire and retain customers.

Improvements to the product offering across the three brands have been brought about by creating “centres of excellence”, sharing insights on areas like pricing and risk management. As a result of the improvements, all three brands achieved “record high engagement” during the six months to 30 June, with sports betting average monthly players up 24% compared to 2019.

Flutter also claims to have improved the proposition of its gaming products over the past 12 months, leveraging the expertise of the Sky Vegas team to successfully launch daily engagement products such as ‘Paddy’s Wonder Wheel’ and ‘Betfair’s Prize Pinball’. The business says these changes have led to improved customer engagement and retention.

The results show the integration of the SkyBet, Paddy Power and Betfair brands is “progressing well” and benefits are being found from shared learnings across product and operations, according to Flutter Entertainment chief executive Peter Jackson.

He describes the company’s first half performance as exceeding expectations, indicating “substantial progress” is being made towards the group’s strategic objectives.

Retail sales remain strong despite rising high street vacancy rate

Retail sales remained strong in July, rising by 6.4% on a total basis compared to growth of 3.2% in July 2020.

However, a combination of wet weather and a smaller than anticipated boost to in-store sales following the lifting of restrictions means this figure is well below the three-month average growth of 14.7% and the 12-month average growth of 10.4%. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) figures show that, compared to July 2019, total retail sales grew by 9.1% in the four weeks to 31 July.

UK retail sales increased 4.7% on a like-for-like basis compared to July 2020. However, these sales are below the three-month average growth rate of 9.7% and the 12-month average growth of 11.1%. The slowing of growth in retail sales is thought to have been affected by the reopening of hospitality and leisure, which has diluted consumer spending.

Over the three months to July, in-store sales of non-food items grew 64.9% on a total basis. During the same period food sales increased 2.9% on a total basis and rose 0.8% on a like-for-like basis. Non-Food retail sales increased 24.6% on a total basis and 17.6% on a like-for-like basis.

Online sales remained strong as social events like weddings began to ramp back up, registering notable improvements in sales of formalwear and beauty. Furthermore, the end to mandatory work from home rules caused sales of home office equipment to finally begin to decline, although consumer appetite for furniture and household appliances held up.

The BRC data indicates online non-food sales increased by 0.6% in July, against a growth of 41% in July 2020. The non-food online penetration rate fell to 48.4% last month from 54% in July 2020. While down on last year, the penetration rate was significantly up on the 29.7% seen at the same point in 2019.

Perhaps more worrying is the rising vacancy rate on UK high streets. Given the impact of the pandemic many high streets are crying out for investment, says BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson.

“Unfortunately, the current broken business rates system continues to hold back retailers, hindering vital investment into retail innovation and the blended physical-digital retail offering,” she says.

“The government must ensure the upcoming business rates review permanently reduces the cost burden to sustainable levels. Retailers want to play their part in building back a better future for local communities and government must give them the tools to do so.”

Looking ahead, UK head of retail at KPMG Paul Martin expects the retail sector to grow at a much slower rate as retailers face a growing set of challenges. “Staffing pressures, increases in commodity and component costs, rising inflation eating into households’ spending power and stalling consumer confidence could lead to a slowdown in retail sector growth as we head into autumn.”

Instagram tests adding adverts to Shops tab

Instagram is looking to bring adverts to its Shop tab as the social media site investigates new ways to monetise its platform.

The ads, which will be either a single image or carousel, are being tested in the US with brands such as Fenty Beauty and DTC luggage company Away. It is reported ads appearing in the Shop tab will only appear on mobile and will launch with an auction-based model, while the frequency of adverts shown to users will be based on how they use Instagram and consumer sentiment will be monitored to strike the right balance with the content.

Instagram introduced Shops in May last year, saying at the time it offered a way for brands to pivot to selling online during the Covid crisis, creating an “immersive full-screen storefront” through which to tell their brand story and drive product discovery.

The site has been experimenting with other new ad formats. In March Instagram rolled out ads on IGTV to UK users, designed to appear when people click to watch an IGTV video from previews in their feed. The video ads are built for mobile and intended to last up to 15 seconds. Instagram describes the ads as “immersive, mobile-first”, with the ability to reach “high-intent, engaged audiences”.

Ads were also introduced to the video Reels feature in June, despite the functionality itself only being launched less than a year earlier, and Instagram has been testing sticker ads, which allow brands to add stickers to their stories advertising a product.

READ MORE: Instagram tests ads in its Shop tab

Ivy restaurant chain pulls ad amid claims of ‘racist stereotyping’

The Ivy has pulled a social media ad for its Chelsea restaurant and is launching an internal review amid claims of “racist stereotyping”.

The advert for the chain’s The Ivy Asia restaurant, which has since been deleted, showed women dressed as geishas riding in a rickshaw before falling through the doors of the restaurant and being stared at by the diners. Restaurant critic Jay Rayner described the advert as act of “premeditated racist stereotyping”.

In response, The Ivy apologised for the video, calling it “naïve” and “culturally insensitive”. The restaurant chain claims to have launched an internal review into its marketing processes and publication guidelines, to ensure this kind of situation does not happen again.

The Ivy says it wants to work with relevant external bodies to “review concept, culture and all internal and external processes”, adding: “We must learn lessons and move forward in a totally new and appropriate way.”

READ MORE: Chelsea’s Ivy Asia restaurant sorry for ‘culturally insensitive’ advert

Harvey Nichols branches out into second hand fashion with resale deal

Harvey Nichols is hoping to create a “circular model” for luxury fashion consumption through a tie-up with resale service Reflaunt.

The premium department store will allow shoppers to sell handbags, fashion, accessories and watches via the Reflaunt space on its website, enabling them to earn up to 80% back on the original price of the items.

The Guardian reports that consumers will be able to drop items off at Harvey Nichols stores in London, Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester, Edinburgh or Leeds, while London-based sellers will also be given the option to have a Reflaunt concierge pick up the garments from their house.

Harvey Nichols chief executive Manju Malhotra sees the partnership as a means of ensuring luxury fashion items are “given the longer lifespan that they deserve”.

The department store follows rival Selfridges, which in 2019 opened a permanent space dedicated to second hand fashion both online and in its Oxford Street store, carried out in partnership with luxury fashion resale site Vestiaire Collective.

The news from Harvey Nichols comes the same day as climate activist Greta Thunberg appeared in the debut issue of Vogue Scandinavia. Sharing her cover image, Thunberg posted a Twitter thread criticising the “greenwashing” of the global fashion industry and the damaging ecological impact of its supply chain.

She described fashion as a “huge contributor to the climate-and ecological emergency”, noting the impact fast fashion has on workers and communities “being exploited” globally.

Thunberg also called out the marketing campaigns used to make the fashion industry appear sustainable: “Many make it look as if the fashion industry is starting to take responsibility, spending fantasy amounts on campaigns portraying themselves as ‘sustainable’, ‘ethical’, ‘green’, ‘climate neutral’ or ‘fair’. But let’s be clear: This is almost never anything but pure greenwash.”

READ MORE: Harvey Nichols teams up with Reflaunt to launch luxury resale service

Monday, 9 August

Virgin Atlantic planning surprise flotation

A reported initial public offering (IPO) of Virgin Atlantic shares could see Sir Richard Branson’s stake drop below 50% for the first time.

The surprise flotation on the London Stock Exchange, possibly to take place in the autumn, according to Sky News, would come shortly after the airline receives a £160m capital injection and could coincide with a reopening of transatlantic flights.

It would be the first time since Virgin Atlantic’s launch in 1984 that it has sold shares to the public and would see Branson give up overall control of the business.

Currently, Branson’s Virgin Group owns 51% of the airline, with the remaining 49% owned by Delta Air Lines.

READ MORE: Virgin Atlantic takes flight with surprise plot to land on London stock market

Klarna hoping to educate consumers on influencer ads

Fintech brand Klarna is hoping to educate consumers on UK social media advertising guidelines, as part of a push to raise awareness about influencers being paid to promote products and services.

Research by the brand find 46% of consumers are unaware ‘#ad’ means that an influencer has been paid to post something on social media involving a product or brand – that it’s an advert, in other words.

Using a double-decker bus parked in Manchester city centre, Klarna is staging a pop-up activation that includes various ‘Instagrammable moments’ with an educational focus, in a bid to encourage responsible marketing practices across the industry.

“We are excited to return to Manchester and continue a conversation that’s becoming increasingly important in modern day life – responsible advertising on social channels,” says head of UK marketing at Klarna, AJ Coyne.

“As social media plays an increasingly present role in our lives, it’s vital that consumers are fully aware of when they are being advertised to.”

There will be a series of side events, including talks and various audio experiences.

Boohoo Group opens up supply chain to the public

The Boohoo Group is to open the door to its supply chain and invite customers to take a look behind the scenes.

The fashion company was criticised earlier this year for failing to improve working conditions among its suppliers based in Leicester, including low wage payments.

“We are committed to transparency and this initiative is another demonstration of this,” says Boohoo Group CEO John Lyttle.

“Customers can be confident in our operations and the way in which we are working with suppliers to drive positive change, as we help rebuild a vibrant manufacturing base in Leicester that offers good employment and great prospects for the city and its workers.”

Interested customers can email the company explaining why they want to “meet the makers”.

Their request will be considered and a select group from the company’s consumer base will be invited to take a look behind the scenes at factories in Leicester, getting an overview of the whole supply chain.

ITV Hub enjoys record month

ITV Hub had its most successful month ever during July, boasting 93.3 million viewing hours (up by 221% on the same time last year) and a 119% year-on-year increase in monthly active users. There were also 219 million live streams throughout the month.

The figures were significantly buoyed by both the Euros football tournament and the return of Love Island. Soap operas Emmerdale and Coronation Street both had episodes premiering on the platform during the football too.

The ad-free subscription service ITV Hub+ reached 567,000 during the same month, a 16% year-on-year increase.

“We knew this summer was going to be a big TV moment, but these figures show just how successful ITV Hub has been in bringing those ‘can’t miss’ occasions to viewers,” says ITV managing director, on demand Rufus Radcliffe.

Sky Broadband campaign celebrates the need for speed

A 30-second hero spot is the centrepiece for a campaign promoting Sky Broadband’s Ultrafast Plus package.

Running across television, video on demand (VoD), radio, out of home (OOH) and digital out of home (DOOH), the campaign has been put together by Engine Creative and features characters being literally blown away by the high speeds offered by Sky’s latest package.

A series of special build OOH ads will also appear in Westfield shopping centres, with one of the minion characters having his dungarees blown off by the broadband’s speed.

“Our campaign is designed to feel as disruptive as our new game-changing speeds will feel to broadband customers across the UK, and to inject a sense of humour and fun to the market at a time we all sorely need it,” says Sky Broadband marketing director Dave Stratton.