The Marketing Week

CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEK 

You might not have heard of Gaz and Leccy yet, but you soon will. They are the new Tom and Jerry-esque cartoon versions of gas and electricity from Smart Energy GB, an organisation set up by the Government and funded by energy companies that is hoping to rally support for smart meters. 

The aim? To position smart meters as a platform for future lifestyle changes in households as homes become connects. It wants to reach every household in the UK. Expect Gaz and Leccy to be finding their way to a doormat near you in the very near future.  

GOOD WEEK FOR…

Digital marketing

“Digital is changing the world and chief marketing officers know it”. So said Accenture in a survey of senior marketers around the world. Digital marketing might make up just a third of media spend budgets at even forward-thinking Procter & Gamble, but that is set to change over the next five years.

By 2019, a third of senior marketers think digital will account for 75 per cent of their spend, while another third think mobile will account for 50 per cent. Overall, 78 per cent believe marketing will “undergo fundamental changes” over the next five years. 

BAD WEEK FOR…

Sugary drinks

The nation appears to be ending its lovely affair with sugary drinks with sales dropping 8 per cent following the launch of Public Health England’s Change4Life push, which encouraged people to swap sugary fizzy drinks for healthier alternatives. That decline was maintained through to May, claims the executive body responsible for executing the Government’s public health strategy, with sales down 5 per cent in the five months to 31 May.

Sugary drink manufacturers aren’t the only ones to feel the effect. Speaking on Ocado’s earnings call earlier this week, chief executive Tim Steiner said a “significant portion” of the drop it saw in basket size was concerns over sugar causing an industry-wide decline in fruit juice sales.

“In 2007, we saw smoothie sales come down and move into juice. As juice sales have come down, it has not moved into anything, or moved into waters, some of which comes out of the tap,” he said.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

Australian Cannes Lions award winners mystery

Australian marketing, media and entertainment trade title Mumbrella has challenged the local brand custodians of McDonald’s and Panasonic to answer questions over whether their campaigns trumpeted at the Cannes Lions advertising festival last month ever actually ran in the real world. In an open letter, Mumbrella’s  content director goes as far as calling the winning campaigns in question out as “scams” that flout the Cannes Lions eligibility rules. So far none of the parties concerned, nor Cannes Lions, have provided a direct response to the accusations. 

ONE TO WATCH 

Google buys Songa

This week Google confirmed it is to buy Songza, a music app that makes customised playlists. The acquisition adds an extra layer of curation to Google’s Play Music service, one of the main attractions of the Beats music streaming offer. The acquisition also gives brands the opportunity to partner with Google Play Music, like the Weather Channel has already done, creating playlists inspired by current local weather conditions.  

TWEETS 

@interacter – head of communications at Adur and Worthing Councils

on the recent trend of making cats the stars of ads

Oh! A cat in an advert! Wow! Unique! Sigh. #CreavitySchmeativity #advertising Honey Nut Cheerios: Grumpy Cat http://bit.ly/1o2Kv3b 

@ArtCopywriter – freelance copywriter

on the bane of pre-roll ads

‘Oh, this video looks interesting!’ *unskippable 30 second advert starts playing* ‘Well, guess I’ll never know.’ *closes window* 

@TonyW – Twitter vice president and former Twitter UK managing director

on leaving Twitter to start a new venture

Excited about building another business. Looking forward to working w/@eladgil & @othman again & the amazing team @ColorGenomics! #getcolor 

@m_bertozzi – president of audience on demand EMEA and North American client services at VivaKi

on the need for corporate Twitter accounts to lighten up

Corporate Twitter accounts if they were real people would be so dull! A Dutch person can’t say Adios to a losing team?! This is football…