AB InBev appoints new CMO under refreshed leadership structure

Marcel Marcondes has been appointed AB InBev’s chief marketing officer. Marcondes will serve as CMO under a new leadership structure. This new structure sees the creation of a chief growth officer role, which aligns marketing, sales, B2B and direct-to-consumer (DTC).

Ricardo Tadeu takes on the newly created role, having been chief B2B officer at the company, which produces beer brands such as Budweiser, Corona and Stella Artois.

As CMO, Marcondes will report to Tadeu. He has been elevated from within the business where he was previously president of beyond beer. Marcondes has been a CMO before, from 2017 to 2021, he held the role at Anheuser-Busch, which is a subsidiary of AB InBev.

“This new structure is a critical step in delivering our strategy and transforming our business,” says Michel Doukeris, CEO of AB InBev.

The company says that Tadeu’s remit includes its DTC ecosystem of “fast-growing e-commerce platforms”.

“With a talented team, iconic beer brands, a powerful technology platform, and customer and consumer centric solutions that did not even exist five years ago, we have a remarkable opportunity to solve real problems and create extraordinary value for the company,” says Tadeu.

In addition to the creation of the role of chief growth officer and the appointment of a new CMO, the leadership team has been reshuffled further. Lucas Herscovici, who previously held the role of chief sales officer, now takes on the role of chief direct-to-consumer-officer.

AB InBev’s previous CMO Pedro Earp is leaving the company, having spent his whole career there. Earp led the business’ marketing team to win Cannes Lions’ creative marketer of the year for 2022.

Retail sales fall more than expected as cost of living crisis hits

Retail sales dropped by 1.4% last month, far more than the predicted fall of 0.3%, as consumers become more cost-conscious amid the cost of living crisis.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) says this was most impacted by online sales, which particularly dropped. In this category sales fell by 7.9% over March. Online retail sales are now at their lowest share since before the pandemic.

Car fuel sales also saw a significant drop of 3.8%. The ONS says that motorists are likely reducing non-essential car trips amid the sharply rising cost of fuel.

Food sales in shops fell by 1.1% in March 2022, while there was higher spending in pubs and restaurants. The ONS says this, alongside a rise in food prices may account for the drop in spend. Food sales have fallen every month since November 2021.

The ONS figures are seen as a barometer of consumer confidence, and suggest that inflation, which is at a 30-year is starting to hit discrectionary spending.

Despite these drops, sales volumes remain 2.2% above their February 2020 levels.

Nestle warns it will have to increase prices further

Nestle was helped to a “strong” sales increase in the first quarter of 2022. This increase in sales was made largely through price increases. It saw organic sales rise 7.6% in Q1 2022, helped through a 5% price hike.

The company has warned that inflationary pressures mean it will likely have to raise prices further soon.

Mark Schneider, Nestle’s chief executive told investors that it was raising prices “in a responsible manner” to reflect rising costs across raw materials, ingredients and transport.

The prices that rose most were in Petcare products, up 7.7%, followed by water, up 7.2% while confectionery rose 3%.

Water was one product category where Nestle saw double-digit growth in sales, driven by premium brands like San Pellegrino and Perrier.

Consumer analyst Amira Freyer-Elgendy at GlobalData says that premium brands helped to drive sales, but that it’s something that Nestle cannot rely on as the cost of living crisis intensifies.

“The interest in premium products is likely to dissipate over 2022, as mounting price hikes and living costs squeeze consumer budgets,” she says.

Santander cuts opening times and introduces appointment-only hours

Santander is slashing its opening hours, in a move that it says is a response to changing consumer habits.

All of Santander’s branches, bar four, will now shut at 3pm on weekdays for general enquiries. More than two-thirds will also be shut at 12.30pm on Saturdays, rather than 4pm. However, pre-booked appointments will be available for customers who “required support”.

No closures will be part of the changes and the reduced hours will allow its 450 branches to remain open, says Santander. The UK has seen over 4,000 high street banks close since 2015, according to consumer group Which?

Rival banks, Lloyds and HSBC have both recently said they are shutting dozens of their branches.

Richard Owens, head of branches at Santander says the changes will also allow the bank to increase its phone capacity.

“We want to make sure we have the right mix of channels to help our customers however they choose to bank with us,” he says.

Owens says the number of customers using its branches had fallen by one third over the two years before the coronavirus pandemic, and a further 50% in 2020, and 12% in 2021.

The changes will take effect in July of this year.

Alpro launches campaign to make everyday Earth Day

Alpro has announced a year-long campaign in which it aims to encourage people to think of every day as Earth Day.

Today (22 April) is Earth Day, and many brands will choose to focus on environmental issues. But the plant-based brand has launched its 365-day campaign to make the case that “Earth Day needs more than just a 24-hour cycle”.

The campaign launches with a film, which highlights other topics, such as laundry and pizza that also need more than one day dedicated to them.

Created by VMLY&R, “Earthdays” has been launched across digital, social, print and press, with further activations taking place every day over the next year, finishing on 23 April 2023.

Alpro’s campaign was created with carbon footprint in mind. The agency used sustainable methods of production, including filming the launch video remotely. AdGreen training and guidelines were also closely adhered to, say VMLY&R.

As the year progresses, the Earthdays campaign will look to minimise its carbon-footprint as it highlights Alpro’s goal to make everyday Earth Day.

“At Alpro, we’ve always believed that we need to do more to help our planet; it is in our DNA. This work reflects our long-standing efforts to protect Earth every day while encouraging others to do the same,” said Hedwig Borgers, global brand equity director plant-based, Alpro.

Thursday, 22 April

Elon Musk defends price increases as Tesla profits soar

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has defended the company’s decision to raise prices despite the electric car business enjoying a “record” first quarter.

Amid higher raw material costs, profits rose to $3.3bn (£2.5bn) in the first three months of the year, with deliveries of new vehicles up 68%.

“Q1 was once again a record quarter on many levels, reaching the highest deliveries, profit and an operating margin of 19%,” said Musk during an investor call. “This was despite a lot of chip shortages, many logistics challenges and an overall difficult quarter.”

The Tesla CEO is confident the company will achieve 50% growth in vehicle production in 2022 compared to 2021 and has a “reasonable shot” at a 60% increase versus last year.

On pricing, Musk addressed the idea that it might appear the business is “being unreasonable” by increasing prices after achieving record profitability.

“The waitlist for our vehicles is quite long and some of the vehicles that people order, the waitlist extends into next year. So, our prices of vehicles ordered now are really anticipating supplier and logistics cost growth that we’re aware of and believe will happen over the next six to 12 months,” he explained.

“So that’s why we have the price increases today, because a car ordered today will arrive, in some cases, a year from now.”

Musk said Tesla wants to make electric vehicles “as affordable as possible”, but this is difficult given inflation is at a “40- or 50-year high”. Claiming the official numbers underestimate the “true magnitude of inflation”, Musk explained that due to severe cost pressures suppliers are rising prices by 20% to 30% for parts, compared to last year.

“There’s a lot of cost pressure there. That’s way we raised our prices, because when things are this uncertain with respect to inflation, which we know is high, then we’ve got orders that go out a year or more in some cases, then we have to anticipate those cost increases,” he added.

While Tesla does not currently anticipate making any further “significant” price increases, CFO Zachary Kirkhorn warned the company obviously does not control the macroeconomic environment.

Looking ahead, Musk described Tesla as being at an early stage of its journey, having sold 1 million units in the past 12 months, with an aspiration to reach 20 million units a year. One new product on the horizon is a “dedicated robotaxi” optimised for autonomy, meaning it won’t have a steering wheel or pedals.

“The future is very exciting,” Musk added. “I have never been more optimistic or excited about Tesla’s future than I am right now.”

READ MORE: Tesla profits soar as customers pay more

Lululemon to launch ‘two-tier’ membership strategy in bid to hit $12.5bn revenue

Lululemon is poised to launch a “two-tier” membership strategy, as the Canadian sportswear brand aims to double revenue to $12.5bn by 2026.

Forming a key part of the company’s new ‘Power of Three ×2’ growth strategy, the membership programme is designed to build stronger engagement with the brand, community and products, in a bid to create an “immersive fitness marketplace”.

Having increased its revenue from $3.3bn in 2018 to $6.25bn in 2021, Lululemon says it’s on track to meet its growth targets ahead of schedule. Looking ahead to 2026, the idea is to double sales of menswear – having already achieved its 2023 men’s growth target two years early – double digital revenue and quadruple international revenues compared to 2021, while continuing to grow core areas of the business.

The core products – characterised as run, train, yoga and on the move items – will be augmented by “exciting opportunities” in tennis, golf and hiking, as well as new categories such as footwear.

The brand says its women’s business, stores and North American operations will continue to play an “important role in the strategy”, with womenswear and North America expected to generate low double digit compound annual growth rates in revenue over the next five years. Stores sales are expected to grow in the mid-teens.

Internationally, the focus is on mainland China and entering new countries across Asia Pacific and Europe, with plans to open the retailer’s first stores in Spain and Italy.

Lululemon is also expanding its trade in and resale programme Like New, which will be available across the US from this month.

“The success of our Power of Three formula in delivering on our 2023 growth strategy supports our goal to double the business over the next five years,” says CEO Calvin McDonald.

“We remain early in our growth journey, with our strong product engine, proven ability to create enduring guest relationships and significant runway in core, existing and new markets. Following our compelling track record of delivering against our goals, I am excited about taking our growth strategies to the next level to serve more and more guests around the world.”

Obamas poised to end exclusive Spotify podcast deal

Barak and Michelle Obama are reportedly ready to end their exclusive podcast deal with Spotify amid claims they are frustrated by the “limited audience reach”.

As reported by Bloomberg and the Guardian, the Obamas’ media company Higher Ground is set to leave Spotify when the current deal ends in October, the intention being to find a new partner. Sources familiar with the situation, speaking to Bloomberg, say Higher Ground wants to be able to distribute its shows more widely.

The 2019 deal, reportedly worth $25m (£19m), spanned shows fronted by the couple including Barak Obama’s tie up with musician Bruce Springsteen and The Michelle Obama Podcast. However, rifts began emerging in February, with Spotify reportedly pushing for the Obamas to appear in person in more shows.

By contrast the couple, who each appeared in an eight-episode limited series, prefer to use Higher Ground to shine a light on underrepresented voices. The Obamas also have deals with Netflix, a publishing relationship with Penguin Random House and have signed an agreement with Live Nation for events.

From a Spotify perspective, the audio giant has aggressively moved into podcasts as part of a $1bn push which saw the company pay a reported $100m (£73m) in 2020 for an exclusive licensing deal with podcaster Joe Rogan. In 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle signed an exclusive deal with Spotify via their company Archewell Audio, rumoured to be worth $30m (£23m).

READ MORE: Barack and Michelle Obama to end exclusive podcasting deal with Spotify, reports say

Instagram to deter users reposting TikTok clips with algorithm tweak

Instagram has tweaked its algorithm to prioritise original content produced on the app in a bid to discourage users from reposting clips from rival platforms like TikTok.

In a Twitter post, head of Instagram Adam Mosseri explained users on the site value getting credit for creating original content, which has sparked a ranking change focused on prioritising content deemed to be original.

“If you create something from scratch, you should get more credit than if you are resharing something that you found from someone else,” says Mosseri. “We’re going to do more to try and value original content more, particularly compared to reposted content.”

In comments responding to the post, one Twitter user asked what would happen if a user takes a TikTok video and uploads it to Instagram Reels before anyone else. Mosseri replied if the account is an aggregator, Instagram would likely be able to detect that the content is “not original.”

The Instagram boss added in the comments: “The idea is if you made it, it’s original. It’s okay if you edited it outside of Instagram and then bring it in via the gallery. Identifying ‘originality’ is hard though, so we will iterate over time.”

As part of the wider algorithm tweak, Instagram is expanding the use of product tags to every user, allowing them to tag a product in a post to drive traffic to a creator of choice. The social media app is also rolling out “enhanced people tags” enabling users to select a category for themselves, which is then highlighted when they are tagged in a video or image.

READ MORE: Instagram’s latest algorithm tweak will ‘value original content more’

Allbirds takes swipe at Amazon in Earth Day campaign

Sustainable fashion brand Allbirds is taking a swipe at ecommerce giant Amazon with a tongue-in-cheek new membership service launching for Earth Day (22 April).

Filmed in a 1990s infomercial style, the launch video for the ‘Keep the Amazon Prime’ campaign promises free same-day delivery of oxygen, complimentary removal of carbon dioxide and unlimited streaming of actual streams. The voiceover also reveals a sign-up bonus of “millions of Amazon originals”.

However, rather than promoting another online membership service, Allbirds says it wants to use comedy to highlight society’s duty to preserve nature and challenge the wider retail industry to protect the natural ecosystem.

The campaign is aimed at raising awareness of the Amazon – the world’s largest rainforest and home to 10% of the planet’s biodiversity – and its role in stabilising the global climate.

Alongside the video, Allbirds has launched a micro site, which includes a donation link to its non-profit partner Amazon Watch, a charity focused on protecting the rainforest and advancing the rights of indigenous peoples in the Amazon Basin. The brand has pledged to match donations up to $50,000 (£38,000), running until 30 April.

Wednesday, 20 April

Netflix considers ads as subscribers fall

Netflix lost 200,000 subscribers in the first three months of this year, the streaming service said as it shared its Q1 2022 results last night (19 April).

While the service has long eschewed advertising in favour of its subscription only model, CEO Reed Hastings suggested in the company’s earnings call that the brand is “quite open” to low cost advertising solutions.

This would see the streaming giant advertising on “low-end plans and to have lower prices with advertising”.

“Those who have followed Netflix know that I’ve been against the complexity of advertising and a big fan of the simplicity of subscription,” said Hastings.

“But as much I’m a fan of that, I’m a bigger fan of consumer choice. And allowing consumers who would like to have a lower price and are advertising-tolerant get what they want makes a lot of sense.”

The shift in position is down to multiple factors impacting Netflix’s growth, with the company saying it will now go after viewers who do not pay for an account and instead share other users’ details.

Hastings called this group of viewers a “tremendous opportunity”, as the company looks to translate them into paying consumers. Last month it began a scheme charging users for sharing passwords between households, trialled initially in Chile, Costa Rica and Peru.

Netflix also said that pulling out of Russia has caused a subscriber loss of 700,000, while increased competition and the economy are also contributing factors.

The streamer now has 221.6 million subscribers, down from 221.8 million last quarter. The company made $1.6bn (£1.2bn) in profit over the quarter and $7.8m (£5.9m) in sales.

Fridays announces new CMO to help make the brand famous again

American inspired food chain Fridays has announced its new CMO, Rhiannon Scarlett, who joins from her role as brand and activism director at The Body Shop.

As the chain focuses on customer experience and loyalty, Scarlett’s remit will include marketing, PR, CRM, loyalty and digital operations across Fridays and 63rd+1st. 

Formerly TGI Fridays, the chain rebranded in 2020 to drop its TGI moniker.

Scarlett started her career agency side, where she worked at Dunnhumby across its Tesco and The Kroger Company accounts. Scarlett headed up Tesco’s Clubcard CRM and loyalty at the agency, before moving to The Body Shop in 2017 as head of CRM.

Scarlett’s appointment comes amid the chain’s growth plans. Fridays has also announced a new flagship outlet opening in Chelmsford soon, as well as exploring the QSR market with its first offering opening in Dundee last month.

“As a retail marketeer with rich consumer knowledge, combined with her background in data and customer insight, she will play a key role as we deliver against our ambitious growth plans,” said Fridays CEO Robert B. Cook.

“We are on a mission to make Fridays famous again and Rhiannon will help us build creative, standout initiatives to spread that Fridays Feeling to new and existing customers right across the country.”

Macmillan campaign shines a light on support for people living with cancer

Macmillan Cancer Support has released a new campaign highlighting how no question is “too big or too small, too trivial, or too personal” when dealing with cancer.

The new spot, titled ‘Whatever you need’ acts as a sequel to 2021’s ‘Whatever it takes’ campaign. The new direct response campaign aims to drive awareness about how to access support through the charity’s services, which extends beyond the clinical environment to its support helpline, online community and healthcare digital service.

With this new strategy, Macmillan intends to both drive access and also highlight that these services exist in the first place.

The campaign follows research from Macmillan that found “several interconnected” barriers preventing people accessing the right support, whether that was down to feeling “too proud” to reach out for it, to people not thinking their problems are relevant to a big charity like Macmillan, to simply not understanding what support is out there.

The new ad highlights the questions that are prompted by a cancer diagnosis, from “Can I still date?” to “What if I get pregnant?” and “Can I sunbathe?”. The ad homes in on how Macmillan can support with the different areas of life.

Brand and marketing director at Macmillan Cancer Support, Anthony Newman, says: “Cancer is personal and can impact people’s lives in a variety of ways – their relationships, their bodies, how they are feeling, their finances and more. And right now may feel like a scarier time than ever to be diagnosed.

“So our new ‘Whatever you Need’ campaign is designed to show people that Macmillan is here for them, no matter how big or small their questions and raise awareness of all our brilliant services and the support we can offer.”

New rules to make fake reviews illegal

The UK’s competition regulator will directly enforce consumer law with the ability to fine company’s up to 10% of their global annual turnover for mistreating customers, the government has said.

The new rules will help to stamp out fake reviews and subscription traps to better protect consumers. The reforms also aim to level the playing field for businesses “doing the right thing”.

Plans will make it illegal to pay someone to write or host a fake review, which are known for boosting ratings on products. In addition, the new rules will make it easier for consumers to opt out of subscriptions so they are “not stuck paying” for things they don’t want.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) will now have enhanced powers to be able to tackle these issues. The 10% fining power will replace having to go through the courts to fight company’s taking part in the fake reviews practice.

“No longer will you visit a five star-reviewed restaurant only to find a burnt lasagne or get caught in a subscription in which there’s no end in sight,” said consumer minister Paul Scully.

“Consumers deserve better and the majority of businesses out there doing the right thing deserve protection from rogue traders undermining them.”

The average UK household spends around £900 each year on products influenced by online reviews, as well as £60 on unwanted subscriptions, says the government.

READ MORE: Fake reviews to be illegal under new rules

ASA bans offensive burger van Madeleine McCann ad

An ad from the Otley Burger Company, which ran over Mother’s Day this year, has been banned for making light of Madeleine McCann, who went missing in 2007.

The ad showed McCann and her mother, Kate McCann, with the caption: “With burgers this good, you’ll leave your kids at home. What’s the worst that could happen?”

Three complaints were filed to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) on the grounds that the ad was likely to cause distress and serious or widespread offence.

The ASA said that due to the nature of the content and concerns raising, it had asked Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to remove the posts and suspend the burger van’s accounts, pending investigation.

The company said all ads had been removed, however as Sky News reports, the ad was still available to view on Facebook this morning.

The ad watchdog said, due to the case’s high profile, that the images in the ad would be “instantly recognisable” and that reference to a missing child “was likely to be distressing”.

In the context of the ad in promoting a burger company, it said the distress caused was “unjustified”.

Timed around Mother’s Day, the ASA added that this factor was “likely to have compounded the distress of those who saw the ads, and particularly for those who may have experienced the disappearance of a child.”

The ASA ruled the ads must not appear again and the takeaway company has been notified.

Tuesday, 19 April

Next buys 44% of baby goods retailer JoJo Maman Bebe

Next has acquired 44% of JoJo Maman Bebe’s shares for an undisclosed amount, with the other 56% bought by investment companies managed or advised by hedge fund Davidson Kempner.

The up-market baby goods and maternity wear retailer has 87 bricks-and-mortar shops across the UK, which will continue trading. There are to be no immediate job losses.

Next also plans to make a £16.3m investment in the brand using its own cash, the BBC reports. The high street giant plans to keep the brand distinct and grow the business globally using its online shopping infrastructure to support its physical shops and online sales.

It has yet to be decided whether the brand’s products will be sold in Next shops.

“We are excited to see what can be achieved through the combination of JoJo’s exceptional product with Next’s infrastructure and Davidson Kempner as our investment partner,” says Next CEO Simon Wolfson.

JoJo Maman Bebe’s staff were told last week that the deal would “ensure the longevity of the brand for generations of new customers”.

The acquisition will see founder Laura Tenison leave the retailer after nearly 30 years, though she has said she is “excited by the opportunities this new partnership will offer”.

Gwynn Milligan, who joined JoJo Maman Bebe in 2017 as commercial director, has taken over as chief executive.

Wolfson added that the investment was not expected to have any immediate impact on Next’s profits this financial year, but he expects it “to make a positive contribution thereafter”.

READ MORE: Next and finance firms buy JoJo Maman Bebe

Energy companies cautioned over ‘troubling’ deterioration in customer service

Ofgem has warned energy suppliers it will hold them to account over “bad practices”, amid concerns customers are being directed towards tariffs that may not be in their best interest.

In a blog post, the energy watchdog’s CEO Jonathan Brearley reported “troubling signs” that some energy companies have reacted to the disruption in the market earlier this year, which saw around 30 energy suppliers go bust, by “allowing levels of customer service to deteriorate”.

Alongside leading customers to ill-fitting tariffs, Brearley said concerns have been raised that some suppliers may have been increasing direct debit payments by “more than is necessary”, while also reporting “troubling” stories about the way some vulnerable customers are being treated when they fall into difficulties.

“There is no doubt this has been a difficult year for the energy sector, with several companies exiting the market,” Brearley said.

“However, the people who are suffering most as a result of the gas crisis are customers, who are feeling the effects of the recent and unprecedented 54% increase in the price cap from 1 April…. When households are facing massive increases in their energy bills, it is particularly important that suppliers are held to account and bad practices are addressed quickly.”

Brearley added that the challenges customers face today around energy should be a “call to action” for energy retailers to improve both how they do business to ensure they remain resilient, and how they treat customers.

Ofgem has therefore set out two areas in which it is working to “tighten and strengthen” its supervision of the market. The first is in commissioning a series of ‘Market Compliance Reviews’ from suppliers to ensure they are fulfilling the licence conditions they require to operate. The second is in setting out proposals to tackle the misuse of customer credit balances and renewables payments.

“Where energy retailers fail to act responsibly, we will take tough and decisive action using the full range of regulatory tools at our disposal, including punitive measures if necessary,” Brearley said.

“We are also working with government to consider what additional powers may be needed so that we can continue to protect consumers in a rapidly changing market.”

Average family’s spare cash cut by £52 in March

The average household saw discretionary spend fall by 4.9% in March compared with the same month last year, leaving £52 less spare cash to spend after paying for all essentials.

According to the Retail Economics – HyperJar Cost of Living Tracker, this will have wiped out around £1.4bn worth of income for non-essentials throughout the month.

The least affluent households spend a disproportionate amount of their income on essentials such as food and energy, and therefore face a harsher reality from higher inflation than the average UK household. The least affluent households are seeing inflation rates of 7.1% across their spending, compared with 6.9% for the most affluent.

Retail Economics CEO Richard Lim says the “unfortunate reality” is that consumers are currently looking “at the thin end of the inflationary wedge”.

“The squeeze on incomes will set in motion recessionary behaviours, with many consumers shopping around more, trading down to own-brands and scaling back on big-ticket purchases,” he says. Indeed, recent research from Kantar shows own-brand sales have risen to 50.6% of consumer spend in supermarkets.

“Although many families have managed to increase their savings throughout the pandemic, this buffer lies almost entirely with middle to high-income earners. The most disadvantaged households will experience the brunt of the crisis, many of whom face the prospect of rising debts and tough choices when it comes to paying for everyday essentials such as food, energy and rents.”

READ MORE: What does the rising popularity of supermarket own-label ranges mean for brands? (£)

1.5 million streaming subscriptions cut amid cost of living crisis

Streaming subscriptions have been among the first expenses to be cut from household spending over the first three months of 2022, as research from Kantar reveals a total of 1.51 million subscriptions were canned.

More than half a million cancellations were attributed to “money saving”, as prices and energy bills jump. The proportion of consumers planning to cancel subscriptions has also risen to its highest ever level at 38%, the research said, up from 29% in the final three months of 2021.

“The evidence from these findings suggests that British households are now proactively looking for ways to save,” Kantar Worldpanel Division’s global insight director, Dominic Sunnebo, tells the BBC.

While “churn” rates have risen across almost all streaming platforms, Kantar identified a “clear difference” in the number of cancellations seen outside of Netflix and Amazon. Whereas Netflix and Amazon are seen as “hygiene subscriptions” for Brits and are therefore the last to be cut, Disney+, Sky’s Now, Discovery+ and Britbox all saw “significant jumps” in churn rates quarter-on-quarter.

The first three months of 2022 also saw the lowest ever rate of new subscribers, according to Kantar. Netflix added 18.2 million subscribers last year, approximately half the number who subscribed in 2020.

However, around 58% of British households still hold at least one streaming service subscription.

Earlier this month, Retail Economics’ CEO Richard Lim told Marketing Week subscriptions are a key area in which consumers tend to cut back during times of financial difficulty.

“Subscriptions are an area where spending often goes unnoticed. And actually, during times where incomes are under so much pressure, there’s a lot more focus on spending at a much more micro level,” he said.

With subscriber numbers tailing off, platforms such as Disney+, Discovery+ and ITV have been looking to ad-supported models to drive future growth.

READ MORE: Households cancel streaming services to cut costs, report says

Deliveroo focuses on the ‘how’ of eating in surreal new campaign

Deliveroo has launched a global campaign featuring four surreal films, which spotlight the customer rituals involved in ordering takeaway.

The food delivery company interviewed customers across markets to identify the intricacies of how consumers enjoy food at home. The research revealed that while customers will put a unique touch on their takeaway experience, many rituals are universal.

Created by Pablo London, the ‘How Do You Deliveroo?’ campaign launched with four 30-second films, three of which focus on takeaway food rituals. The fourth features supermarket essentials, as the company sees ongoing growth in on-demand groceries and success in its new rapid grocery delivery service, Deliveroo Hop.

The campaign continues to evolve Deliveroo’s ‘Food. We get it.’ platform launched in 2021.

“We know what we eat is important, but how we eat it is what makes it personal, memorable and emotional. This is the focus of our new global campaign,” says Deliveroo’s vice-president of marketing, Tina Koehler.

“Listening to our customers around the world gave us some great inspiration for this work – and it’s so interesting to hear some of the new ways in which people are enjoying food at home. You might see yourself in some of these rituals.”

The through-the-line campaign launched on Saturday 16 April in the UK, with three of the films debuting on ITV during Britain’s Got Talent. Activity will also run across OOH, radio, digital channels and PR across 11 Deliveroo markets.