Topshop poaches Burberry marketing chief
Mary-Louise ClewsBurberry marketing supremo Justin Cooke has been poached by Arcadia to help breathe new life into its Topshop retail business.
The innovation revolution
Mary-Louise ClewsAs PR leaders increasingly have to do more with less, a new era of creativity is emerging, reveals Mary-Louise Clews. Corporate teams are turning day-to-day company life into headlines and exploiting social media like never before.
Greenpeace ad banned
Mary-Louise ClewsA Greenpeace campaign that showed its eco-activists daubing slogans on power station chimneys has been banned because it “encourages and condones anti-social behaviour.”
Paddy Power transgender ad banned
Mary-Louise ClewsBookmaker Paddy Power ad featuring transgender people has been banned by the advertising watchdog – the brand’s second campaign to be censored in 2012.
McDonald’s fires latest myth-busting salvo
Mary-Louise ClewsMcDonald’s UK is stepping-up its bid to banish ‘myths’ over issues such as food-sourcing and employment practices in the run-up to headline sponsorship of the London 2012 Olympics.
Asda lowest price ad banned
Mary-Louise ClewsThe Asda press ad which carried the line “only one supermarket is always 10% cheaper” misled consumers because they would infer that Asda’s prices were always the lowest price, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled.
Morrisons hires first non-food commercial director
Mary-Louise ClewsMorrisons has signalled a major expansion of its clothing offering with the appointment of its first non-food commercial director.
Sunday Sun sales flag say pollsters
Mary-Louise ClewsEarly estimates that the Sun on Sunday dropped 500,000 sales in its second week since launch could be down to disappearance of ‘souvenir hunters’ and curious buyers says Ipsos Mori, which has researched attitudes to the new Murdoch publication.
Stub out TV and film smoking say doctors
Mary-Louise ClewsThe remaining marketing lifelines available to tobacco companies such as product placement on TV and films should be removed to prevent the continuing “death, disease and human misery” caused by smoking, doctors warned today (6 March).
Marketing impact on company value bounces back
Mary-Louise ClewsMarketing is once again being rewarded by investors in top UK companies following a period of spending cuts and retrenchment, according to a report.
Tesco unveils market share fightback plan
Mary-Louise ClewsTesco is hiring 20,000 new staff as part of a major store refresh programme to improve in-store marketing and customer experience, it announced this morning (5 March).
Estrella Damm ad banned for linking alcohol with risk
Mary-Louise ClewsA cinema ad for Estrella Damm lager that showed people drinking on a beach before running into the sea has been banned for linking alcohol with risky behaviour.
M&S lingerie ad ‘socially irresponsible’
Mary-Louise ClewsA Marks & Spencer bus ad for a lingerie range has been banned by the advertising watchdog for being ’overtly sexual’ and, because it was likely to be seen by children, “socially irresponsible”.
Murdoch hangs on at BSkyB
Mary-Louise ClewsJames Murdoch has held on to the chairmanship of BSkyB despite increasing controversy over his handling of the News of The World phone hacking scandal.
Waitrose plots “significant” uplift in social media spend
Mary-Louise ClewsWaitrose is planning a “significant” increase in its social media budget next year following a “great” response rates to its Facebook, Twitter and Youtube marketing activity.