Brand Story of the Week
Cadbury's famous Gorilla ad may not have made it to our screens without System1's ad-testing software, marketer Kerry Collinger reveals. Collinger, who worked on the project back in 2007, told the BBC that technology ad-testing software finally persuaded Cadbury bosses to release the advert. When initial in-house market research failed to support the project, it was placed on hold. However, reaching out to System1, technology measuring emotional response reported overwhelmingly positive scores for the ad, meaning bosses were finally happy to go ahead. This is fortunate as the ad went on to generate large amounts of fame for the brand and in 2015 was voted the UK’s favourite advertisement.
TV Story of the Week
TV adspend smashed previous records, with £5.46bn total spend in 2021, driven by lockdowns and online-born business. Ad investment increased by 24% year-on-year and was 11% higher than pre-pandemic levels. Nearly all categories reported substantial rises in investment as people spent more time with their TV sets. "Online-born business" alone saw a 42% increase in spend as more brands entered the market, filling the gap left by social distancing and working from home.
Industry Story of the Week
The UK Government announced amendments to the Online Safety Bill to prevent online scammers from placing ads. The amendment includes a duty that focuses on fraudulent paid-for-ads across social and search, making it the responsibility of the platform or advertising intermediary. More specific details are yet to come, but OFCOM will have the power to impose fines of up to £18m, or 10% annual turnover to platforms that fall foul of the bill.
Press Story of the Week
Introducing a panel held at News UK’s London headquarters ahead of International Women’s Day, Sun Editor Victoria Newton drew attention to how journalism is becoming a better workplace for women. She cited the number of Fleet Street female editors (42% ) has made it easier for women journalists to feel supported and for female readers to be better represented in the stories they tell. Despite this, she also acknowledged there is still work to be done, with only 28% of regional newspaper editors being female and 12% of national newspaper political editors.
Digital Story of the Week
OneTrust solutions engineer Ashdeep Sood revealed the top ways marketers can make the most out of the ban on third-party cookies. By giving the consumer more control over their ads there will likely be a greater trust in brands; advertisers can capitalise on this by increasing transparency around data now, letting consumers have more control over their marketing preferences. She also recommends marketers get ahead of the ban and put in place a first-party data strategy to allow trial and error ahead of the extended 2023 deadline.
