Posts made in January, 2015

on Jan 29, 2015

By Seb Joseph McDonald’s decision to elect global brand chief Steve Easterbrook to replace Don Thompson as chief executive will not resolve all its problems outright but it could be the first step to break from the outdated strategies that have held it back. The restaurant described its incoming boss as someone who can “effectively lead the company to improved financial and operational performance”. While Easterbrook is a marketer at heart, McDonald’s statement singles out his management expertise as the key to realising the customer-orientated focus Thompson had paved the way for. Recipe for growth In particular, it would seem the Read full story › Source: The Drum...

on Jan 29, 2015

By John McCarthy Argos has announced it will open 10 digital stores in Sainsbury’s supermarkets to extend its out-reach across the country. The agreement gives Sainsbury’s customers access to new format Argos digital hubs where they can buy over 20,000 non-grocery products in store via tablets, or reserve online for easy collection within 48 hours. A further forty thousand products will be available for home delivery. The Argos digital stores will range from 1,000 to over 5,000 square feet in size. Mike Coupe, chief executive of Sainsbury’s, said: “These 10 Argos stores will complement our supermarket, giving customers the opportunity to shop for an extended range Read full story › Source: The Drum...

on Jan 29, 2015

By Stephen Bell Design and neuroscience may seem like very odd bedfellows and you may wonder why a creative director is talking about neuroscience at all. But breakthroughs in neuroscience over the past four years have revealed much about the way we think, receive information, make decisions and, ultimately, make choices from which anyone in brand communications can learn. Design’s potency lies in particular in its ability to speak to the subconscious as powerfully as it convinces the conscious or ‘thinking’ parts of our brain. For brands this is crucial because this how we all make choices about what to buy. Neuroscience has taught Read full story › Source: The Drum...

on Jan 29, 2015

By Conor Cartwright VisitBritain aims to boost the profile of the British countryside with the launch of a three-year ‘Countryside is GREAT’ campaign designed to grow international visits and spend across the country. The campaign – in partnership with third party enthusiasts – is intended to position Britain’s countryside as a place to enjoy modern culture, top quality food and world-class accommodation in a beautiful landscape in an effort to allow the UK to compete with the likes of the Bavarian Alps and the Grand Canyon. It is hoped that the scheme will generate extra visitor spend of £70m and create 1,296 new jobs by Read full story › Source: The Drum...

on Jan 29, 2015

By Jennifer Faull New Morrisons chairman, Andrew Higginson, believes the accountants are winning in the supermarket price war, at the expense of innovation and honesty with customers. Speaking at the Advertising Association’s Lead conference in London today (29 January), Higginson said the ongoing battle over driving shareholder value at the expense of winning customers keeps non-executive directors awake at night. “In the case of the executives in retail, they are always looking for permission to keep opening stores even when there is no growth in consumer spending. Driving shareholder value has become this mythical thing that has been chased and chosen over Read full story › Source: The Drum...