Marketing

Recent announcements of a number of high-profile high street chains in the UK being put into administration highlight the risks for retailers that don’t change their business models to reflect how consumers are now shopping, writes Paul McGarrity. The UK high street experienced its own winter of discontent in January as some of the biggest names in high street retail went bust. During the first few weeks of the year, HMV, Jessops and Blockbuster all joined the ranks of former high street titans that have fallen into administration. What’s perhaps most surprising about the announcements is that so many people in government, media and business treated the news as if…

Visa Europe is predicting that Ireland’s Visa card users will spend around €10m in florist shops this St Valentine’s Day. Based on card data from previous years, the company said around 40pc of Irish people will buy flowers for their loved ones, most will leave their purchases until the last minute, and those who purchase from florists will spend an average of €30 or more. In 2012, over the three days between 12 and 14 February, €22.5m was spent on Visa cards – debit, credit and prepaid – in florists, with almost half of the total amount being spent on Valentine’s Day itself. The average spend in florists on Visa…

The ranking of corporate websites in the fourth quarter of 2012 shows that the number of companies using social media has reached the tipping point, according to Investis. Investis is a specialist in digital corporate communications for public companies. The report shows that a total of 40pc of FTSE250 companies have a corporate social media presence, up from just 14pc of companies a year ago. These results refer only to those accounts used specifically for corporate communications and linked to from the corporate website, giving an accurate measure of corporate uptake and engagement. Investis has also seen social media growth in Europe, with the MDAX up from 20pc to 44pc…

Drinkaware.ie and Insomnia are launching a partnership aimed at helping people to change their drinking behaviours in the New Year. From 10 January they will be offering half-price coffees after 4pm in Insomnia outlets across Ireland – a number of which stay open outside of usual business hours – to help people pace their drinking in 2013. “January is a time when many people resolve to drink at a more moderate level,” said Fionnuala Sheehan, chief executive of Drinkaware.ie. “With this in mind, it’s also the perfect time for people to learn about pacing their drinking and the benefits of this approach. In overall terms we are drinking about a…

With the number of global mobile phone subscribers set to hit 6.5 billion by the end of this year, brands are increasingly seeing mobile relationship marketing (MRM) as a critical area for gaining competitive advantage, according to a new study from the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council. The immediacy, convenience, pervasiveness and personal attachment to mobile phones make them an ideal means of expanding marketing messages and enhancing engagement with a global customer base, says the CMO Council. The 6,000 member global organisation points out that mobile social networking has both become a better way to reach and understand customers, and given consumers the ability to get feedback and advice…

BBC Worldwide has appointed Amanda Hill as chief brands officer, a new position that has been created as part of the company’s restructure from divisional to geographic lines of management. Hill will join the senior executive team and be responsible for developing an overall strategy for BBC Worldwide’s global brands across all businesses and formats. This will include developing, segmenting and managing the current brand portfolio of 14 BBC global brands – including Dancing with the Stars, Top Gear, Doctor Who, BBC Knowledge, CBeebies and Global iPlayer – while also developing and building new BBC brands to protect and develop future brand revenue growth. Hill is currently managing director of…

Asthma Coach app launched to help Irish people manage their asthma Ireland has the fourth-highest incidence of asthma in the world, and in response to this, the Asthma Society of Ireland has launched Asthma Coach, a new free app for iPhones and mobile website for all Smartphone devices aimed at helping people better manage their symptoms. The app allows users to record and track their asthma symptoms, medication usage, and peak flow to help them control their condition. Users may also share the diary and a graph of their asthma activities with their healthcare professional if they wish. One in 10 Irish people are affected by the inflammatory lung condition…

Law firm Matheson Ormsby Prentice is changing its name to Matheson and rolling out a new brand identity from Tuesday 30 October 2012. According to Matheson, this will be “another important step in the firm’s strategy to differentiate itself from other law firms by its primary focus on international companies and financial institutions doing business in and through Ireland”. “Many of our international clients already refer to us as Matheson,” said managing partner, Liam Quirke.  “Formally rebranding the firm as Matheson is, therefore, a logical but nonetheless exciting milestone for us.” Matheson employs more than 600 people in its Dublin, London, New York and Silicon Valley offices.  The firm opened…

Channel 4 is to roll out a new advertising service in Ireland next year. The service, which will be launched on More 4, will broadcast a bespoke advertising feed offering tailored packages to Ireland. It will be sold by the station’s sales partner Medialink. “We’re pleased to be able to extend our bespoke advertising service for Ireland to More 4 in the New Year,” said Jonathan Allan, Channel 4’s director of sales. “In addition to our successful tailored service on E4 in Ireland offering the market its strong 16-34 demographic, More 4’s upmarket ABC1 audience will give agencies and clients even more opportunities to reach new audiences in Ireland.” Karina…