Posts made in February, 2016

on Feb 23, 2016

By John Glenday Google is to abandon its efforts to establish a price comparison platform for credit cards, vehicle insurance and mortgages after just one year following a tepid consumer response. Google Compare marked a conscious bid by Alphabet to harness its sprawling operations to offer customised shopping and financial service tools but the idea failed to gain much traction in a competitive marketplace. The Wall Street Journal reports that the abortive effort was finally acknowledged to be a failure by Google in an email to partners, informing them that the service will be terminated on 23 March. Instead Alphabet is set to channel its energies Read full story › Source: The Drum...

on Feb 23, 2016

By John Glenday Facebook is taking advantage of recent advances in artificial intelligence in order to use the technology to map the geographic location of its members in high resolution for the first time. This is to be achieved by using automated software to scan satellite imagery to pick out man-made structures to create a global heat map of habitation for use by a planned fleet of internet-relaying drones. Facebook believes that the data can be harnessed for other ends too, such as socio-economic research and conducting risk assessments into natural disasters allowing emergency services to respond more rapidly. Not all are so sanguine about the Read full story › Source: The Drum...

on Feb 23, 2016

By Tony Connelly The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has revealed the most complained-about ads of 2015 with Moneysupermarket’s ad featuring a man strutting and twerking in high heels and denim hot pants topping the list. A total of 1,513 complaints were directed at the ASA from discontent members of the public who took offence to the ‘Epic Strut’ ad which was part of the price comparison service’s wider ‘Epic’ campaign. While some viewers took exception to the ad it proved to be widely popular at the same time. It was dubbed the funniest advert of 2015 and featured in Charlie Brooker’s 2015 Wipe on Read full story › Source: The Drum...

on Feb 23, 2016

By Stephen Lepitak With the ‘Brexit’ campaign gearing up and divides being drawn over the forthcoming UK referendum on whether Britain should remain within the European Union, many can already see parallel’s with Scotland’s independence referendum campaign in 2014. The Drum spoke to two colleagues at Home Agency who during the Scottish referendum, like many within the Conservative party are now, were opponents; it’s managing director Giles Moffatt who worked on the Better Together’s marketing and Ian Dommett, now business director at Home who led the marketing for the Yes vote. During the conversation the pair discussed what they expected to see from Read full story › Source: The Drum...

on Feb 23, 2016

By John Glenday Business leaders have come out fighting to appeal to voters to keep Britain in the EU with the chairmen and chief executives of 36 of the UK’s 100 biggest companies all backing the call in a coordinated move organised by Britain Stronger in Europe. They include the heads of BT, M&S and Vodafone who have all signed a public letter in today’s edition of The Times in which they warn that an exit could endanger employment levels and future growth prospects. In the letter the signatories backed the PM’s reform agenda, arguing he had been able to ‘ reduce the burden of Read full story › Source: The Drum...