Brands and marketing execs are coming under fire for using animals in advertising, particularly fashionable flat-faced dogs like Pugs, Frenchies and English Bulldogs. Heinz, Costa, Comic Relief, HSBC and most recently Three UK with their Snapchat ‘Puggerfly’ have attracted criticism for using these breeds in their ad campaigns. Many claim they’re adding to the […]
As marketers we draw inspiration from the world around us – whether it’s a place, object or person. This guidance from others is important for us to learn, improve and succeed in the workplace, but what is often overlooked is the role our mental health and wellbeing plays in our career development. A recent survey […]
It seems that rarely a week goes by without a new statistic showing just how low consumer confidence has dropped thanks to Brexit. This isn’t great for brands, but this issue seems fleetingly short term compared to the almost equally prevalent statistics about the fragility of young people. The latest report from the annual UK […]
The Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) has recently launched its public consultation on new ways to regulate advertising containing gender stereotyping and as the lead on This Girl Can, I’ve been asked quite a lot for my opinion on it. When we launched This Girl Can in January 2015, it was the first campaign […]
Recently I was given the opportunity to take on a new role at GSK HQ in London. Living here again after 15 years my first impression is that not much seems to have changed – great curries, crammed Underground, pre-occupation with the royal family, lengthy and repeated discussions on the weather (remains a national pastime) […]
My car recently came due for servicing, which ultimately delivered a rather interesting experience. I took the vehicle to the service centre on the designated day, but several things went wrong, and I didn’t get it back as planned. Needless to say, I was anything but happy. Why am I telling you this? Well, things […]
Many brands often believe they have a responsibility to serve a purpose which reaches beyond their business objectives. According to Havas’ Meaningful Brands research, three-quarters of people feel the same way, expecting their chosen brands to make a positive contribution towards wellbeing and quality of life. Brand purpose has many definitions, but in its basic […]
We’re all aware that technology is transforming every area of our lives, from our working environment, to planning our social lives, shopping for groceries, exercising, and even finding the loves of our lives. For almost any aspect of your daily life there’s some technology on offer designed to improve the experience. Consumers have adapted to […]
A few weeks ago, I ran the London Marathon. I still can’t quite believe I did it – especially considering beforehand, the odds felt a little stacked against me. After sustaining a knee injury in February, I’d been restricted to the gym and had only braved the treadmill for a few weeks before the race. […]
“Today, we declare a new front in the battle for good beer. This is a new chapter in the craft beer revolution. This is all or nothing.” Few campaigns start with such emotive words, but this was how BrewDog co-founder James Watt described the launch of Punk IPA’s audacious push to increase its customers by […]