5 Things That Mattered Last Week in Marketing #MarketingMoments

As always, last week was another busy one in the world of marketing. Here we’ve summed up the top 5 marketing stories to keep you up to date on the latest news in the industry.

1.Marketing budgets stay strong for 2017 despite growing uncertainty over Brexit

Despite the uncertain financial forecast, marketers are still predicted to spend more than ever on marketing this year. There will be a continuing focus on online marketing and a shift away from sales promotions, according to the IPA’s quarterly Bellwether report.
To read more on this story click here.

2.Vine is officially shut down

Twitter officially shut down the much loved video app Vine last week, after it announced the app would be closing down back in October last year. However, it’s not all bad news for fans, as the app will be transformed into Vine Camera, which will allow users to create 6 second videos that can then be uploaded to Twitter.
To read more on this story click here.

3. Over £600 million was spent on non-viewable ads in 2016

Despite a growing effort to improve ad visibility, advertisers in the UK still spent over £600 million on non-viewable ads last year according to a report carried out by Meetrics, leaving the UK significantly behind other European countries in terms of ad visibility rates.
To read more on this story click here.

4. Moneysupermarket.com top ASA’s list for most complained about adverts in 2016

For the second year running, moneysupermarket.com has topped the list for the most complained about adverts in 2016. The hard to forget ads racked up a total of over 2500 complaints last year.
To read more on this story click here.

5.Facebook introduces tools to combat its fake news crisis

Amid growing pressure to tackle its fake news problem, Facebook has introduced a new tool which will allow users to report an article if they think it’s fake. Facebook introduced the tool in Germany last week and is the first country in the EU to trial it, as German politicians fear it could influence the country’s upcoming election.
To read more about this story click here.

Digital Marketing Trends to watch out for in 2017

With 2016 but a distant memory, 2017 is now in full swing. We are certain it is going to be another exciting and unpredictable year…and that is just for digital marketing.  From chatbots to video marketing, with lots in between, the industry is awash with talk about this year’s most important trends.  Here we’ve rounded up some of our favourites and why you need to be watching out for them in 2017.

1.Live streaming
We saw the buzz of live streaming first-hand last year with the US Presidential election, but it’s set to get even bigger in 2017. Most recently, Instagram has followed in the steps of Facebook and launched a live streaming service on its story feature. Virgin Media also received high praise for its live TV ad, which was created by piecing together live footage from 18 locations into a 60 second feature. Not only does live streaming allow brands to get creative, but it can also be more cost-friendly and allows consumers to interact on an even deeper level.

2.Chatbots
Chatbots are set to be the next big thing in messaging app technology and will reshape the way we communicate with consumers. Companies such as Google, Facebook and Amazon have already started using them, so we’re sure many other businesses will follow suit.  While some are still unsure about chatbots, many argue that they’ll increase both sales and communication.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.Video marketing
From Android’s ‘Friends Furever’ to Always’ #LikeAGirl campaign, video content is gaining ever more popularity amongst both consumers and marketers. While creating video content can be daunting, when done right it can be extremely effective. Videos generate 1200% more shares than text and images combined and it’s predicted that 74% of online content will be video by the end of the year.

4.Further personalisation
In a survey carried out by Swirl Network in 2015, it was found that 88% of shoppers were more likely to shop with retailers who offered personalised experiences.  From emails, to your homepage, personalisation can be done easily and effectively.  Research has also found that customers spend up to 48% more when their experience is personalised, which is revenue that no business can afford to lose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.Influencer marketing
Influencer marketing has been around for a while now; however, businesses are now moving towards what are known as “micro-influencers”. These people may not have millions of followers, but they have the niche audiences businesses are looking for. You no longer have to be a big business either to use influencers; smaller businesses are constantly using them to bring about brand awareness, making it a useful marketing strategy for businesses of all sizes.

Snow has arrived at the office!

Snow has arrived at our Owslebury office!

 

Camkids: Sreylim Update

As proud sponsors of Camkids- The Cambodian Children’s Charity, we were delighted to receive this update video from the Charity to see how Sreylim, the girl we sponsor, is getting on. Camkids helps many orphans and abandoned children like Sreylim grow up in a happy and stable environment. Now 16 years old, Sreylim enjoys spending time with friends and her studies are going well. She also hopes to go to University soon. Most recently her orphanage received a new cooker from Camkids, which the staff and children have both been enjoying.

To find out more about the work Camkids do click here.