War in Ukraine: How brands are responding
Marketing Week ReportersGlobal brands including Coca-Cola and McDonald’s have now suspended operations in Russia, while three in four advertisers have reduced or cut ad spend since the war began.
Musicians like Neil Young lack the market power to force Spotify’s hand over Joe Rogan
Mark RitsonThe asymmetry between millions of available songs and the five companies dominating streaming means no artist can put Spotify in a corner.
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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.
Starling Bank pulls Facebook advertising until it cracks down on financial fraudsters
Lucy TesserasThe online bank says it wants to prevent its customers from being scammed and protect its “brand integrity”, so will not advertise on Facebook or Instagram until the company stops financial fraudsters from profiting on its platforms.
Authentic brands and political speech: Can companies have it both ways?
Christine MoormanBrands see both dangers and benefits when employees publicly address social and cultural issues, according to The CMO Survey, but they should still be encouraged to do so – with proper training.
Cryptocurrencies a ‘red alert’ priority for ASA amid crackdown
Manny PhamAds for pizza brand Papa John’s and six cryptocurrency platforms have been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority, which plans to ramp up its focus on ads for crypto products and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
Meta promises ad ecosystem relying on ‘less data’ in privacy push
Manny PhamMeta is pledging to give users greater control over how their data is used to target ads, as the social media giant calls for an industry-wide response to regain consumer trust.
Peloton has snatched victory from the jaws of death – again
Mark RitsonMr Big’s (spoiler alert) death after a Peloton ride in the latest Sex and the City spin-off had social media forecasting the brand’s doom, but it actually created greater mental availability for the brand – especially after Ryan Reynolds’ creative agency got involved.
Moonpig hails ‘strong’ marketing performance despite revenue dip
Michaela JeffersonDespite praising its marketing efforts, the business’ revenue sunk 8.5% from £155.9m to £142.6m, as the reopening of non-essential retail in April brought with it further competition for Moonpig’s online service.
‘We’re bigger than clothes’: Why Gymshark is opening its first flagship store
Manny PhamThe online fitness giant’s first permanent store will dedicate less space to selling clothing apparel and more to customer experiences, as it builds out an “ecosystem of touchpoints”.
Unilever on why sustainability has acted as a ‘talent magnet’
Manny PhamUnilever says in 54 out of 75 markets where it tracks staff attitudes, sustainability comes out as the top reason for joining the company.
‘Punks with Purpose’ six months on: What’s the state of the BrewDog brand?
Manny PhamWhile YouGov’s BrandIndex data shows BrewDog has taken a significant hit to several brand health scores after claims of a toxic culture emerged, the long-term legacy of the revelations could be to its reputation as an employer brand rather than to sales.
M&S claims ‘renewed competitiveness’ in clothing and home following profit boost
Michaela JeffersonM&S has posted a profit before tax of £187.3m for the first half of its financial year, as its clothing and home division shows potential to “reverse years of decline”.
How losing trust costs brands customers – and what marketers can do to prevent it
Marketing Week PartnerNew research from Adobe shows more than half of customers stopped buying from a brand that broke their trust last year, with data indiscretions being the biggest cause. But there’s also an opportunity to build trust and strengthen customer relationships by using data to add value for customers.
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Does Facebook’s corporate rebrand to ‘Meta’ prove the future is ‘beyond’ it?
Mark RitsonOur marketing columnist stayed up late in Tasmania and put his headset on for the Facebook Connect VR conference. But he came away unimpressed with the branding revelations that followed.