TV Story of the Week
ITV has acquired the UK broadcast rights for the Academy Awards ceremony, after Sky ended its 20-year connection with Hollywood’s annual prizegiving event. ITV announced the news in a statement on Tuesday, in which it said it had made a ‘multi-year’ deal with Disney Entertainment, who are licensed by the Oscars for global TV distribution. The coverage will start with the 2024 ceremony, with plans to screen the event live on ITV1 and ITVX streaming service.
Industry Story of the Week
Sprout Social’s 2023 index, which surveyed more than 900 UK consumers, found that twice as many of them believe personalised customer service from brands is memorable on social media (51%) compared to those who remember brands posting content on social issues (25%). With customers primarily following brands on social media to stay up to date with products and services (68%). Research suggests that brands must engage with followers to stay in favour. Jamie Gilpin, CMO at Sprout Social said, ‘Today’s consumers want brands to do more than jump on trends and social issues – they want to trust and connect with a brand, requiring them to be more responsive and personal than ever.’
Brand Story of the Week
Four TikTok vape ads have been banned as pressure ramps up on e-cig brands. The Advertising Standards authority (ASA) has banned four ads for vapes that appeared on the social platform TikTok. According to the watchdog’s rules when it comes to vaping advertising, all ads for e-cigarettes containing nicotine that aren’t licensed as medicines are prohibited from being advertised across social media. The rulings against The Disposable Vape Store, Innofly HK Ltd, Vapes-Bars Ltd and ZOVOO come as part of current work being undertaken by the self-regulatory body to cut down on vaping ads appearing on social media. The ASA says it has made it clear ‘that one vaping ad on these channels is one too many.’
Influencer Story of the Week
According to a study from Unilever, three quarters (76%) of social media content creators do want to talk more about sustainability, but most (84%) experience at least one barrier that holds them back. Fear of greenwashing accusations was identified as the biggest barrier, with over a third (38%) of respondents admitting it holds them back. The study polled 232 content creators across YouTube, TikTok and Instagram in the UK, US, Brazil and the Philippines. Other barriers include difficulties transitioning from specialised content to sustainability focused content, confusion over what is or isn’t sustainable, and not feeling knowledgeable about key sustainability issues.
