Kevin the Carrot ranked most Googled Christmas advert character

Kevin the Carrot.

Aldi’s Kevin the Carrot is the most Googled Christmas advert character, according to data from Google trends.

The friendly little vegetable has been crowned the best Christmas advert character, after data comparing Google searches over the last five years revealed that Kevin the Carrot is the most Googled Christmas advert character.

The data as compiled based on the top six UK retailers, who release hotly anticipated Christmas adverts every year, including John Lewis,...

4 January 2022 | Advertising

Quartile creates ‘largest cross-channel e-commerce advertising platform’ with Sidecar takeover

Quartile, an ad optimisation platform for top e-commerce marketplace sellers, has acquired Sidecar, a performance marketing technology provider for e-commerce retailers and brands.

The two companies will combine under the Quartile name, growing the brand into the world’s largest cross-channel e-commerce advertising platform. Both platforms apply machine-learning and natural-language processing to provide data-driven strategies and best practices to brand marketers while also...

15 December 2021 | Advertising

Lush shuns social media in user safety protest

A Lush shop.

British cosmetics retailer Lush has ditched social media in protest at what it deems to be a lack of action taken by the social media networks to improve user welfare.

From November 26, the brand has turned its back on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Snapchat, until the platforms take action to provide a safer environment for users. This policy is rolling out across all the 48 countries where Lush operates.  

In the same way that evidence against climate change...

30 November 2021 | Best Practice

Julie Meredith, Dash Hudson: Why video and authentic content are vital

Julie Meredith, VP of marketing at Dash Hudson.

Could you tell us a little bit about Dash Hudson and what makes it unique?

Dash Hudson was founded back in 2015 with the mission of helping the world's most important companies deepen engagement with their consumers through photos and videos. Our goal is to close the loop on all key visual marketing channels for brands, by focusing on the performance of photos and videos. Our software helps brands to choose the right image, inspire their audience to action, and measure the results...

22 November 2021 | CMO

B2C e-commerce leaders are fast-tracking social commerce initiatives

Social media apps on a smartphone.

Social commerce has become a strategic imperative for brands seeking to expand revenue and capture new audiences as competition for next-gen consumers grows at a staggering rate across the retail and direct-to-consumer markets. 

This is according to a study commissioned by customer experience platform Emplifi, which uncovered insights from more than 220 global enterprise ecommerce leaders on social commerce strategies, early trials, and planned areas of...

8 November 2021 | Commerce

Advertiser spend on TV and social media is twice as high as daily consumption

A couple holding hands while watching TV.

Advertiser spend on TV and social media is highly inflated in relation to daily consumption. 

This is according to analysis of advertising spend forecasts of 100 worldwide markets by marketing intelligence service WARC, and the results of a survey by GWI of more than 715,000 consumers.

The analysis found that, as of the first quarter of 2021, social media now attracts more investment from advertisers than linear TV for the first time. However, both media draw far...

21 October 2021 | Advertising

Institute for Rebooting Social Media launched by Harvard University

Social Media Platforms

Harvard University has launched an academic initiative called the Institute for Rebooting Social Media, which aims to fix social media's most urgent problems.

Described as a “three-year pop up initiative”, the institute will focus on addressing misinformation, privacy breaches, harassment and content governance.

The institute is part of the University’s Berkman Klein Centre for Internet & Society (BKCIS) and it is being funded with £1.5 million from the John...

22 September 2021 | Data Science

TikTok introduces Shopify Shop Tab for approved merchant profiles

TikTok logo on a smartphone.

TikTok has unveiled an expanded partnership with Shopify and pilot testing TikTok Shopping among a select group of Shopify merchants in the US, UK, and Canada in the coming weeks. 

TikTok Shopping will bring new features that help Shopify merchants create engaging, organic content that sends consumers directly to their online store for checkout, making it easy for people to explore and buy the products they discover on TikTok.

Creative outlet

Through...

26 August 2021 | E-Commerce

Everyday social media influencers grow in popularity

A man and woman covered in paint and holding paint brushes.

The everyday social media user has become the preferred influencer to follow for more than half of consumers (56%). 

Whether it is friends, family, peers, or wider networks, those that share day-to-day content, products, and places that they find a genuine interest in, without an agenda to promote, are now the most trusted source for authentic and genuine content for two in five consumers (38%).

The findings come from a study by Bazaarvoice, a provider of product...

17 August 2021 | Influencer Marketing

Home Office spent £23,000 on social media ads to stop Channel crossings

Cliffs of Dover

The UK’s Home Office has spent more than £23,000 on social media advertisements targeting potential migrants in France, a freedom of information request has revealed.

The adverts, which told people not to cross the Channel, ran on Facebook and Instagram between December 2020 and April 2021.

However, since the five-month campaign ended, more than 7,000 people have gone on to cross to the UK in small boats, according to data compiled by the Press...

30 July 2021 | Advertising