MARKETERS IN THE MAKING
23/08/22
According to new research by the Chartered Institute of Marketing 60% of young people would consider marketing for a career, citing pay (37%), progression (33%), creativity (28%), and skills transfer (25%) as the key attractions. The views of 500 under-21s were sought. However, 30% of parents did not want their child working in marketing, believing it to be too stressful and with a reputation for poor mental health wellbeing.
MARKETING FOR PROFITS
08/08/22
Food delivery service Just Eat has boosted its marketing budget by £100 million in a drive to reach profitability. Losses for the first half of 2022 were £112 million, but falling. The company has pledged to shareholders that it will focus on marketing efficiency and states that the business has doubled in size since pre-pandemic.
HIGHLY DIFFERENTIATED
01/08/22
Broadcaster ITV claims its new streaming service, ITVX, will enable it to satisfy new followers because of a "highly differentiated proposition" and "valuable" advertising. Starting this autumn with an initial 9,000 hours per week, it is expected to deliver a minimum £750 million in revenue by 2026.
REVENUE AND PROFITS UP
22/07/22
Cheshire-based MoneySuperMarket has announced a 19% revenue increase for the last six months, taking the total to £193.2 million, with profits up 10%. The group has attributed success to a revised marketing direction after a brand relaunch involving a new corporate identity and a "squad of money-saving specialists" push. In an £87 million deal, consumer cashback pioneer Quidco has been acquired.
WETHERSPOON MARKETING
19/07/22
Public house chain Wetherspoon has announced what it described as a "substantial" increase in marketing spend, as a fight back against heavy losses. Wetherspoon will report shortly that it will have lost £30 million in the 12 months to July 2022, the third negative year in a row.
EMMERDALE CONFUSED
13/07/22
Confused.com is the new sponsor of the ITV soap Emmerdale, together with Classic Emmerdale on ITV3. The deal involves bespoke content, branded digital and social media, licensing and one-set activities.
SHEFFIELD STUDENTS
06/07/22
"Sheffield: Your University City" is a new marketing campaign funded by the city council and universities Sheffield Hallam and Sheffield. Already, students are drawn from 150 countries and the aim of the television and cinemas campaign is to encourage more, then persuade them to make their homes in Sheffield after graduating.
CAMELOT PLEDGE
30/06/22
The UK Gambling Commission will not be renewing Camelot's licence to run the National Lottery in 2024. Camelot, however, has reported ticket sales in excess of £8 billion for the second year in a row and pledged to continue with its investment and to be "innovative" while it still holds the licence.
AUTO TRADER GOES LEASING
27/06/22
Online classified car sales specialist Auto Trader has bought Autorama, one of the UK's largest online vehicle leasing businesses, in a deal thought to be worth close to £200 million. An Auto Trader spokesperson said: "This will transform our leasing proposition and help meet growing consumer demand to lease rather than own new cars."
PODCASTS BOOMING
22/06/22
Latest figures from podcast independent Acast and global researcher Neilson indicate that podcast numbers among UK and Ireland younger participants are booming. More than one-third of respondents to a recent survey said they listen every day, over two thirds at least one per week. About 45% overall are new to podcasts in the last 12 months.
APPLE TRILLION
20/06/22
Apple is heading towards becoming the world's first trillionaire brand and has overtaken Google and Amazon to be 2022's most valuable marque. It is seven years since Apple topped the Kantar BrandZ table and now has a ranking worth $947 billion, up 55% on last year and closing in on trillion status. Microsoft was fourth in the 2022 listing, Tencent fifth. The only new entry in the top 10 was Louis Vuitton.
HYBRID HEALTH
13/06/22
Alder Hey children's hospital in Liverpool has launched what it describes as a ground-breaking hybrid health platform, designed to revolutionise how care is delivered to youngsters. The digital technology has been developed in collaboration with Microsoft and Mindwave. It is going to address capacity in hospitals and community facilities in terms of workspace and staffing, elevating levels of access and care, it is claimed. The system should allow individuals to be more involved in their own healthcare and treatment.
ICON BRAND
08/06/22
Footwear's Dr Martens is confident its direct-to-consumer strategies will feed growth this year and beyond, in spite of global price rises. Dr Martens is an icon brand, according to its chief executive, and the business wants demand to outstrip supply. Dr Martens sold 14.1 million pairs of footwear in the year to March 31, double the amount of four years ago.
MORE RELEVANT
01/06/22
Marks & Spencer is putting extra effort behind its marketing this summer and seeks to make its food selection "more relevant, more often". Research shows that healthy eating is a priority for UK consumers, in spite of cost-of-living pressures, so the M&S plan is to offer healthier choices at acceptable prices.
NO TRADING DOWN
20/05/22
Premier Foods, with brands such as Mr Kipling and Sharwoods, said it will increase the marketing spend this year and expects growth in spite of inflation and pressures on household budgets. It does not believe large numbers of people will trade down to own brands. The company announced an operating profit of £148 million for the 12 months to April,
AGAINST PRIVATISATION
09/05/22
Television's Channel 4 has made public its alternative plan to privatisation and announced a record-breaking performance for 2021, with digital revenues up by 40%. The broadcaster said its non-privatisation plan would increase contributions to the UK's exchequer, create a more distinctive look, add jobs and support small businesses. It claimed it could be even more attractive to advertisers.
SKILLS FUND
04/05/22
The BBC, Channel 4, UKTV and Paramount have joined forces to try for a solution to a national shortage of production managers. They have set up a £1 million fund to increase skill levels and capacity.
LONDON LOVE
03/05/22
Coca-Cola has opened a flagship store in London's Covent Garden in an attempt to further what it describes as "brand love". Building on the success of stores in the US, the London outlet is stocking Coke-branded accessories and premium clothing.
NEWS REBRANDED
27/04/22
Regional newspaper publisher JPI Media, with titles such as The Scotsman, Yorkshire Post and Belfast's News Letter, has been rebranded by its owner National World Publishing. From the end of April 2022 it will carry the National World name and imagery. There will be a new website, Connect Local.
EIGHT YEAR HIGH
21/04/22
Brands are spending more on marketing, reflecting general business confidence. The proportion of UK companies increasing marketing-related budgets is at an eight-year high, according to the latest IPA Bellwether report. A quarter of surveyed businesses said they upped spending in the first quarter of 2022.
FOREVER COVID
12/04/22
Manchester-based digital marketing agency Forever has won an NHS account to promote Covid-19 vaccinations. The agency was first appointed by the NHS 18 months ago to create and manage digital campaigns covering the flu jab, winter illnesses and mental health support.
TO YOUR DOOR
11/04/22
Supermarket chain Morrisons has signed a deal with American instant commerce platform Gopuff aimed at enabling to-your-door deliveries of food and groceries within 20 minutes.
MARKETING'S OUT
06/04/22
Unilever's top marketer Conny Braams has dropped the word marketing from her job title in favour of "commercial" because that's the way she says the sector moving. Commercial is more about brand building than marketing, which is akin to sales, she claims.
NICE LITTLE EARNER
28/03/22
Lord Grade is to become chair of media regulator Ofcom, working a three-day week for a salary of £142,500. He will succeed Lord Burns, at a time when big question marks hang over the future of Channel 4 and the BBC's licence fee.
ADRENALINE PUNCH
23/03/22
DIY supplier Wickes has stated that Covid-19 not only opened up the brand to new customers and channels but also gave the wider marketing discipline an adrenaline punch. Lockdown made people "home improvements crazy".
LOTTERY LOSS
21/03/22
National Lottery operator Camelot has failed in its bit to retain the licence when it expires in 2024. Lotteries multinational Allwyn Entertainment will take over. In a statement, Allwyn said it will "revitalise" the National Lottery in a "safe and sustainable way".
PAY GAP NARROWING
10/03/22
The gender pay gap is narrowing, according to the 2022 Marketing Week Career & Salary Survey. On average, female marketers working full time are being paid 12.6% less than male peers, with the figure down from 23% in 2021 and 28% the previous year.
BANK'S NEW LOGO
04/03/22
The Bank of England's design staff have revamped the organisation's corporate logo, to make it plainer, simpler, with a more inclusive version of Britannia and easier-on-the-eye typography. The Bank dates back to 1694.
LIVERPOOL TOP
02/03/22
Liverpool was the most popular football club online in the English Premier League last year. It enjoyed 1.43 billion engagements from around 100 million followers. The latest financial results have been released, showing a drastic fall in match day revenue because of Covid-19 but increases in media and sponsorship money. Overall revenue was £41.5 million, pre-tax loss £4.8 million.
BANKING FOCUS
28/02/22
Lloyds Banking Group has claimed that successful execution of its customer-focused marketing has contributed to a 6% rise in pre-tax profits, to £6.9 billion for the last full year. The plan is to invest £4 million over the next five years in a new strategy to become a "digital leader and integrated services provider, capitalising on new opportunities, at scale". Lloyds wants to make its channels simpler and more personalised to use.
ELECTRIC CARS 12%
22/02/22
Around 190,000 new electric cars were bought in the UK during 2021, the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders reported. The electric sector has grown to 12% of all new models. However, half of prospective buyers are concerned about battery life and almost one-third say they don't understand the benefits of buying an electric vehicle.
VISIONARY EDITOR
21/02/22
Colin Brannigan, former editor of the Sheffield Star, has died aged 84. Highly regarded, Colin has been described as "visionary" and "trailblazing" in tributes. He was known for his campaigning, always with a compassionate approach.In the 1960s Colin spearheaded a move to persuade numerous local authorities to work together, regarded as the forerunner to today's Sheffield City Region.
WINNING BETS
16/02/22
More from Marketing Week's 2022 survey of careers and salaries. Jobs in gambling and gaming are the best paid for marketers with an average of nearly £67,000 pa. Those working for charities are doing least well.
ETHNICITY PAY GAP
10/02/22
Marketers from ethnically diverse backgrounds earn less than white counterparts at all levels, according to data from the 2022 Marketing Week Career & Salary Survey. Ethnic minorities working full-time in the marketing sector have been found to earn an average 23.7% less.
KEEPING IT REGULAR
02/02/22
Topical tip: To be successful with online content marketing you have to maintain a regular publishing schedule. Time-consuming, but businesses that post often can expect to receive payback in the form of traffic. If necessary, pay for a copywriting service. But it's not just written content – you can create material in the form of original graphics. Visual elements grab attention and are easy to share. Going a step further, videos are a highly effective method of engaging with visitors.
INTO THE REGIONS
25/01/22
ITV is accelerating its policy of creating jobs outside London with the hiring of 27 extra journalists, producers, camera operators and video editors across Scotland, Wales and northern England. ITV's early evening news slot will be extended from 30 minutes to an hour, accounting for most of the new posts.
MORE MARKET RESEARCH
20/01/22
Spending on market research in the UK is on the rise, according to the latest IPA Bellwether report. The number of businesses investing in market research is increasing rapidly, by 7% in the fourth quarter of 2021. Research was the top marketing sector performer during IPA Bellwether's survey period.
NEXT'S SALES SURGE
11/01/22
Christmas period online sales surged ahead for clothing retailer Next, in line with a switch to digital promotional spending. Full-price sales were up 20% but the biggest rise was online, with a 45% improvement. Next is expecting full-year profits before tax to reach £822 million, nearly 10% ahead of the last published figures.
BEST BEANZ
04/01/22
Readers of Marketing Week magazine have named "Beanz On Bix" by Weetabix as the best campaign of 2021. The Boots "Feel Good As New" promotion was placed second and other popular campaigns were those of Tesco, Airbnb, Channel 4, Guinness and KFC. Weetabix said that "Beanz On Bix" contributed to a 40% increase in spontaneous brand awareness compared to the previous year.