Consumers who rely on social media for news are less informed. Where do we go from here?

Opinion A major new study from Pew Research has found US adults who predominantly get their political news from social media are less likely than other consumers to closely follow major news stories. But what is underpinning this?

The study, which analysed surveys conducted between October 2019 and June 2020, argued that US adults who rely most on social media for news tend to be younger, are less likely to be white, and have lower levels of education than those who use several...

By | 6 August 2020 | Content Marketing

Branding best practice: Exploring how to create a brand which cuts through the noise

Webinar Having a strong, unified brand image is a must in today's noise-heavy, social-amplified marketing landscape. With the disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic added in, it is even more indispensable.

The recent 2020 BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands Ranking, put together by WPP and Kantar, is a gold mine of information when it comes to assessing why the biggest brands dominate as they do. As with previous rankings, the influence of technology is apparent: seven of...

By | 4 August 2020 | Branding

Machine learning for marketers: Getting the strategies and processes right

Webinar Machine learning has the potential to transform marketers' operations - but organisations need to overcome various hurdles to achieve success.

Writing for this publication at the end of last year, Phil Midwinter, CTO at Third Foundation, said organisations needed to make a 'serious commitment to data and digital via ML and AI' in 2020.

To achieve this, you not only need the right data, but also the right tools to read between the lines. Artificial...

By | 16 July 2020 | Automation

Retailers have a long way to go for autonomous supply chains, says new report

The process of automating the retail supply chain is a slow one according to new research - but the desire for change is strong.

The Retail Supply Chain Digital Readiness report, from Blue Yonder and WMG, University of Warwick, found that of more than 100 global retailers surveyed, only 15% have advanced autonomy in their supply chains.

For those who aren't there yet - level three and four, representing prescriptive or autonomous supply chains respectively - more than...

By | 9 July 2020 | Automation

CMOs maintain optimism for post-Covid marketing budgets despite fears, says Gartner

Marketers are adopting a 'stoic' attitude to their marketing budgets post-Covid-19, but it is an opinion not widely shared by their C-suite colleagues.

That is the top line finding from the latest Gartner CMO Spend Survey, which found almost three quarters (73%) of CMOs expect the pandemic's negative impact to be 'short-lived.' The after-effects, according to heads of marketing, are expected to turn positive within 18-24 months, with CMOs reporting increased investments across...

By | 6 July 2020 | Advertising

Facebook: Zuckerberg says ad boycott will end ‘soon enough’ as Oxford study explores impact

As the number of companies boycotting Facebook continues to grow, a study from the University of Oxford argues an 'immediate' negative impact could result, particularly in the retail sector.

Various major brands, including Adidas, Coca-Cola and Starbucks - with PlayStation the latest big name to join - are withdrawing advertising to pressure the social network into taking a stronger stand against hate speech.

According to the Information - with the story's veracity later...

By | 3 July 2020 | Advertising

Tech behemoths maintain brand dominance as sustainability is key, says Kantar

Tech companies continue to dominate the biggest global brand lists - as the latest ranking from WPP and Kantar shows the largest brands are in a solid position to recover and thrive post-Covid-19.

The 2020 BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands ranking saw Amazon retain top spot and Apple again secure second place, with Microsoft and Google swapping places for third and fourth. The latter was down to a 30% brand value change for Microsoft compared with last year, although this...

By | 30 June 2020 | Branding

The state of influencer marketing amid Covid-19: Concern but micro-influencers show path forward

Influencer marketing campaigns, so often trying to achieve a balance between aspiration and authenticity, have seen a fault line rip through them as the coronavirus pandemic has progressed.

For all of the missteps which made the news last year - Philip Morris breaking its internal rules on a campaign, fashion influencer Marissa Casey Grossman's marriage which brought a new meaning to the term 'brand engagement' - the statistics around influencer marketing were solid. According to...

By | 29 June 2020 | Campaigns

Thoughts on how to ensure GDPR does not kill your marketing strategy

Webinar The European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was supposed to be a wake-up call for marketers to clean up their act. But how has this actually played out?

It is safe to say the consensus from the industry in 2018 was less than universal. In a blistering New York Times op-ed, Alison Cool noted that, in the run-up to the law's introduction, many scientists and data managers who would be subject to the law 'found it incomprehensible... doubting that absolute...

By | 22 June 2020 | Advertising Technology

How Covid-19 has shifted consumer expectation – and digital commerce investment

The global coronavirus pandemic has driven half of shoppers to buy products they have never bought online before, with 70% admitting to buying more than usual, according to a new report. But what does this mean for customer experience?

According to Bloomreach, in a study put together alongside Forrester, heightened customer expectations has meant a greater shift in investment from brands.

Overall, the impact of Covid-19 has been variable. Based on 50 global decision...

By | 11 June 2020 | Commerce