Havana Club on possibilities, price points and ‘extreme quality’
Niamh CarrollPernod Ricard-owned Havana Club wants to become the “preferred rum” for consumers by emphasising the versatility of its portfolio.
John Lewis top marketer Charlotte Lock departs the business
Niamh CarrollCharlotte Lock spent three years as pan-partnership customer director at the business. It is not yet known who will take on leadership of the marketing function.
Don’t forget the little things as you plan your media for 2025
Ben DavisThe ‘McRib’ campaign from McDonald’s last year was a sterling example of how to take a smaller bit of messaging and maximise its effectiveness.
Marketoonist on the AI learning curve
Tom FishburneTom Fishburne is founder of Marketoon Studios. Follow his work at marketoonist.com or on Twitter @tomfishburne See more of the Marketoonist here
How can brands drive growth in 2025?
Niamh CarrollWith 2025 unlikely to bring cheer in terms of macroeconomic growth as brands face up a lacklustre era dubbed the “new normal”, what can marketers do to drive growth in this environment?
A model for ‘distinctive growth’: Inside Diageo’s innovation strategy
Charlotte RogersTwo decades into its premiumisation strategy, Diageo believes a balanced approach to innovation has helped the drinks giant become an “in-culture brand builder”.
Aldi enjoys record Christmas as premium own-label sales soar
Amrit VirdiAldi pledges to maintain “price gap” setting it apart from “traditional full-price supermarkets” after generating £1.6bn Christmas turnover.
Teenage Cancer Trust on partnerships, influencers and ‘thinking differently’
Amrit VirdiThe Teenage Cancer Trust is using partnerships and influencer tie-ups to reach a broader audience, focusing its messaging around why it exists.
A hiring blueprint for brands in 2025: How to stand out as an employer
Marketing Week PartnerMarketing organisations need to build a compelling offer around benefits and the employee experience, if they are to solve ongoing hiring challenges and convince candidates to look beyond salary.
Tesco outperforms festive market as Sainsbury’s hits six-year high
Amrit VirdiGrocery sales surpassed £13bn in December for the first time, with Tesco enjoying the biggest market share gains and Sainsbury’s claiming its largest share since 2019.
Next ups prices to offset £67m increase in wage costs
Grace GollaschThe retailer intends to increase prices by 1% on like-for-like goods to combat a rising wage bill, alongside a projected £7m marketing “cost increase”.
Business confidence slumps as prices set to rise, data shows
Josh StephensonNew data from the British Chambers of Commerce shows business confidence is falling in the wake of tax rises and inflationary pressures.
Media trends and committing to co-creation: Your Marketing Week
Russell ParsonsAt the end of every week, we look at the key stories, offering our view on what they mean for you and the industry. From 2025’s media trends to Lidl’s record breaking Christmas, it’s been a busy week. Here is my take.
Laura Ashley looks to become ‘full lifestyle brand’ under new ownership
Niamh CarrollLaura Ashley has been acquired by the US owner of Ben Sherman, the ambition being to take the British brand into new categories and markets.
Lacklustre festive season tops off ‘disappointing’ year for retail footfall
Niamh CarrollRetailers failed to drive more shoppers to the high street or into shopping centres this festive season, with golden quarter footfall down 2.5%.
How Chinese EV brand BYD used targeted media to make its mark in Europe
Marketing Week ReportersAs a largely unknown brand in EMEA, the electric car company used programmatic platforms to help drive awareness in five markets.
Innovation meets insight: Diageo on the value of ‘future back’ thinking
Charlotte RogersChief innovation officer Mark Sandys and global consumer planning director Giles Hedger on leading tribes, new eras and brand building’s “double manoeuvre”.
‘Apply your own oxygen mask first’: Why marketing bosses should address their skills gaps
Michaela JeffersonRather than only prioritising training for their teams, marketing leaders should carve out time for learning and rethink what ‘upskilling’ really means.
Data, financial literacy, AI: The skills that matter to B2B marketers in 2024
Michaela JeffersonData and analytics skills gaps might be worrying B2B marketers, but are they underestimating the importance of critical thinking, financial fluency and empathy?
‘On the backburner’: Marketing leaders on tackling the upskilling imperative
Josh StephensonNearly half of marketers haven’t been offered the opportunity to upskill, compounding an existing skills problem and piling increasing pressure on teams.
Gaining customer insight ‘most critical’ skill for B2B marketers
Charlotte RogersMarketing Week’s new and exclusive State of B2B Marketing research reveals customer insight is the most critical quality B2B marketers can possess, with empathy languishing at the bottom.
Why most marketers are using AI wrong (and how to fix it)
Peter WeinbergIf you haven’t yet worked out what AI can do or why it’s valuable for your brand, consider these three principles for putting it to effective use.
Marketing to female audiences is becoming shockingly polarised
Jane CunninghamMuch progress has been made in traditional media to stamp out everyday sexism in marketing, but social media is fuelling unattainable and idealistic images of women, which are particularly damaging to young girls.
Helen Edwards: And the marketing winners of 2024 are…
Helen EdwardsOur columnist names her picks for the best and worst of marketing in the past 12 months.
The summer of sport - Euros 2024
Creative campaigns and exclusive insights from across the agency landscape.
‘We’ll never think we know everything’: Mars on building its effectiveness culture
Niamh CarrollMars introduced a tool that uses “behavioural philosophy” to predict the impact of creative in driving sales in 2020, part of its eternally evolving effectiveness effort.
Only people can give the gift of effectiveness
Grace KiteHaving the right people at the heart of effectiveness programmes is the difference between succeeding and failing.
Why it’s time to move beyond lead generation as a measure of effectiveness in B2B marketing
Niamh CarrollB2B marketers have long leaned on lead generation as a way to quantify their contribution to revenue, however, with many recognising it can be a blunt measure, is there a better way for marketing to showcase its contributions?
What can be done to solve marketing’s problem with work overload?
Josh StephensonSolving the increasing burden of responsibilities on marketers doesn’t come with any easy answers. But from increasing the profession’s presence in the boardroom to changing the culture of overwork, there are things that can be done.
Are we witnessing the end of the CMO? No, and stop asking
Mark RitsonMarketers should cease pontificating about the validity of CMOs and their time in post, and start focusing on how to do the job better.
‘Credibility in the boardroom is critical’: CMOs on the future of marketing leadership
Molly InnesFive top marketers from a range of businesses share their outlook for the future of marketing leadership, from struggles with role fragmentation to the need to be deep collaborators.
How can brands drive growth in 2024?
Niamh CarrollHigh levels of inflation have forced many brands to lean on increased prices as a lever of sales growth. This year, growth will have to come from elsewhere, presenting marketers with a huge challenge.
McDonald’s: Loyalty scheme will enable ‘even smarter’ pricing
Niamh CarrollMaintaining a balance between price and footfall growth is a “North Star” for the McDonald’s business, which hopes its growing loyalty scheme will help it further step up its pricing strategy.
Welcome to IMGFUCK: Seven steps to kicking your price-promotion addiction
Mark RitsonEscaping dependence on price promotions is a tough challenge, but it’s achievable with Mark Ritson’s systematic approach.
Why brands must move fast to keep pace with consumer AI adoption
Niel BornmanAI is making strides in retail personalisation and marketing content creation, and will continue to be a game-changer alongside expert human judgement.
The red-flag signs it’s time to rethink your marketing technology
Marketing Week PartnerIf engagement is falling, your technology isn’t serving your objectives or campaign stagnation is creeping in, it may be time to switch or upgrade your marketing platform. Here’s what you should know.
How virtual production is changing the way ads are made
Marketing Week PartnerVirtual production helps brands to cut the costs and environmental harms of video shoots, without compromising on the creative possibilities.