tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6835361828600876222024-02-07T05:43:02.018+00:00The GapsterThe Gapsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06233346135957797627noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683536182860087622.post-73630888623012319062009-07-23T16:31:00.001+01:002009-07-23T16:31:47.973+01:00Knife Crime - a Cutting-Edge SolutionThe core demand of any advertising campaign is its inherent need to connect with its target audience – everything else (innovation, creativity) follows this central requirement. Occasionally an advert comes along that not only connects with its audience perfectly, but is also so innovative, creative and unique, it really is too good to ignore.Those of you au fait with current events will no Callum Saundershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00074369580127049117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683536182860087622.post-75968443392906936902009-07-23T12:20:00.002+01:002009-07-23T12:24:36.289+01:00Social Media = Financial Return - or does it?‘Earn money from your Twitter followers’. Whilst this statement reads like yet another piece of rogue marketing spam, cynics that suggest there is no money to be made from Twitter (a doctrine media mogul Murdoch himself subscribes to) may now be in for a surprise. A study released this week by enterprise wiki provider Wetpaint and the Altimeter Group shows that brands most engaged with social Callum Saundershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00074369580127049117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683536182860087622.post-64053655870569416902009-05-22T11:14:00.002+01:002009-05-22T11:23:12.257+01:00This isn’t just any u-turn – this is a Marks and Spencer u-turn…The ongoing Marks and Spencer ‘bra debate’ of recent weeks has ensured that the marketing and PR teams behind ‘Britain’s most trusted retailer’ have certainly had their hands full. The protests have come in all shapes and sizes (well, above DD) from outraged female consumers, forcing an extremely public u-turn. However, this isn’t always a PR nightmare if handled as well as M&S have…If you’re The Gapsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06233346135957797627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683536182860087622.post-5334153247920969712009-05-22T10:25:00.002+01:002009-05-22T11:48:44.111+01:00News in Brief with the Gapster ChiefA sideways glance at the latest shenanigans of the marketing world…Pity poor old Proctor and Gamble this week, hit with a £100m tax bill after losing their claim that their Pringles brand ‘isn’t a crisp’. Isn’t a crisp? For goodness sake, if you’re going to try and fiddle finances, at least consult an expert – British MPs have a number of cracking tips…Pot Noodle is investing heavily in its newThe Gapsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06233346135957797627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683536182860087622.post-43254862262728235902009-05-21T16:47:00.002+01:002009-05-22T11:46:11.774+01:00Putting Lipstick on a Pig...You have to feel sorry for anyone working in Government PR or communications at the moment. To quote the most successful African-American President of all time, “You can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig…” Whilst the pig in question currently comes in swine-flu flavour (don’t share that lipstick ladies), PR professionals are also trying to limit the damage caused by the greedy pigs inThe Gapsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06233346135957797627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683536182860087622.post-59244769555254440212009-05-19T10:27:00.002+01:002009-05-22T11:48:33.088+01:00News in Brief with the Gapster ChiefA sideways glance at the latest shenanigans of the marketing world…The M&S bra debate rumbles on, as the retailer issues an apology for overcharging on its DD cup bras. I guess they really have had a large handful of complaints…Coors Brewers is trialling Carling-branded mobile communications to tempt customers into pubs. What with swine flu, a battered economy and rising unemployment, I’d The Gapsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06233346135957797627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683536182860087622.post-76742081073791091932009-05-18T14:13:00.005+01:002009-05-22T11:48:20.657+01:00News in Brief with the Gapster ChiefA sideways glance at the latest shenanigans of the marketing world…Aviva stakeholders are criticising the brand’s £80m celebrity ad campaign featuring Bruce Willis. Apparently, employing over-paid, middle-aged men does not guarantee an ROI for the business, but enough about the board, Bruce Willis rules! Innocent has announced that it won’t be running its quintessentially English summer fete The Gapsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06233346135957797627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683536182860087622.post-58747904127314228322009-05-05T11:14:00.001+01:002009-05-19T11:08:42.443+01:00Viral Virals & Swine Flu Marketing...The recent hype surrounding the outbreak of swine flu highlights two very different forms of marketing. On the one hand, consumers are being bombarded with topical adverts as brands jump on the bubonic bacon bandwagon, whilst office in-boxes around the world are now contagious with spoof swine flu emails – the viral goes viral…So which of these is actually more effective as a form of mass The Gapsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074799286498167629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683536182860087622.post-22846736877445224902009-04-24T11:12:00.001+01:002009-05-19T11:08:48.785+01:00Every Little Helps - Especially Consumer UnderstandingAs millions of Britons congregate in the nation’s pubs this weekend, there’s no doubt that they’ll be talking about this week’s controversial budget as they quietly sup a beverage that cost 5p less just 7 days earlier. Whatever your political allegiance, it’s fairly obvious that no-one will be raising a glass to Alistair ‘don’t call me’ Darling – unless you’re a member of the marketing communityThe Gapsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074799286498167629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683536182860087622.post-19193394433919170202009-04-16T11:09:00.001+01:002009-05-19T11:08:55.754+01:00Brand Ethics or Bottom-Line?During these ‘tough economic times’ (surely the marketing community can think of a better moniker for ‘recession’ than this), one of the truly remarkable things is the miraculous recovery of the environment.The hole in the ozone layer has grown back, endangered species are now thriving in their natural habitats and all produce sold in the UK is organic, natural and locally sourced. Or at least The Gapsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074799286498167629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683536182860087622.post-75544700975492829012009-04-12T12:57:00.005+01:002009-05-22T12:10:00.871+01:00Too Innocent For Their Own Good?“We know that some people will always disagree and we respect that, but we know this […] is a great opportunity for Innocent.” No, the aforementioned quote from Innocent’s Head of Creative, Dan Germain, doesn’t refer to a ludicrous new smoothie flavour (banana and beef anyone?), but the rather more contentious issue of the company’s recent and extremely ill-perceived activity on the stock The Gapsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06233346135957797627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683536182860087622.post-38821295664442481462009-03-23T11:07:00.001+00:002009-05-19T11:09:02.751+01:00Marketers celebrate Metro’s 10th birthdayFor the past decade, it’s been making the daily commute bearable for millions of ‘urbanites’ up and down the country, and is now enjoying a landmark birthday. Last week, the Metro turned ten years old, celebrating with a showcase of iconic front covers and a glowing recommendation from none other than Gordon Brown, an increasingly prevalent advocate of Britain’s most successful free newspaper.InThe Gapsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074799286498167629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683536182860087622.post-5930763833719998702009-02-17T11:01:00.002+00:002009-05-19T11:09:13.112+01:00Cadbury’s Eyebrow Raising Eyebrow RaiserTwo children. Freestyle’s 1997 electro track ‘Don’t Stop the Rock’. A balloon. Three simple ingredients that combine to serve up one of the most talked about adverts of the year that has already resulted in cult classic status. Simple advertising with spectacular effect – Cadbury has done another ‘gorilla’.There are many techniques available to today’s television advertisers. Whether The Gapsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074799286498167629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683536182860087622.post-26811257760059832192009-01-27T10:58:00.002+00:002009-05-19T11:09:19.655+01:00You CAN teach an old dog new tricks...Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? If the ‘old dog’ in question is Nipper, age-old emblem of iconic music retailer HMV, then we’re about to be proved wrong in spectacular fashion.HMV recently announced its expansion into the live music market – an industry that’s worth a reported £1bn. The retailer’s 50% share in 11 Mama-owned music venues will result in famous live venues such as The Gapsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074799286498167629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683536182860087622.post-31297832248748270462009-01-22T10:55:00.004+00:002009-05-19T11:09:25.657+01:00Racist Royals? Bigoted Brands?So once again, a Royal is up on the front pages of daily rags nationwide for making a seemingly inappropriate remark to a chum of ethnic origin. No, for once it’s not Prince Philip, but his third-in-line-to-the-throne grandson, King of the lads’ mags and loveable rapscallion, Prince Harry.Whilst I don’t wish to plough precious time and energy into discussing whether the alleged ‘term of The Gapsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074799286498167629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683536182860087622.post-52518253475026581672009-01-15T10:48:00.001+00:002009-05-19T11:09:31.950+01:00Brands vs ProductsAs the recession swallows up more and more of our High Street’s iconic retailers, marketers across the land must be wondering what will be left to market if the credit crunch continues its greedy gorge on the UK’s various retailers.With a worrying casualty list that now includes such famous names as Woolworths, Zavvi, Wedgwood and Adams, competition on the British retail scene is looking The Gapsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074799286498167629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683536182860087622.post-71567103264085175462008-12-22T10:26:00.005+00:002009-05-19T11:09:38.159+01:00Who needs marketing in a recession? All of us, actually.There’s no hiding from the fact that the marketing industry, like the majority of sectors, faces tough times ahead as it heads into 2009’s inevitably stormy waters. The downturn in demand for non-essential goods and subsequent abandonment of lavish consumer spending has led many to question marketing’s fundamental purpose and role in society. Do we really need to be bombarded with marketing The Gapsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074799286498167629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-683536182860087622.post-17646478948758311782008-11-27T10:42:00.001+00:002009-05-19T11:09:52.260+01:00Pasta la vista Pizza HutShakespeare famously wrote that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet and ‘Pasta Hut’ must have hoped that their re-brand would bring them the sweet smell of success, although quite frankly, the new name caused quite a stink in the marketing world.Pizza Hut recently became the latest in a line of notable food brands taking proactive steps to shift consumer perceptions of their brand. KeenThe Gapsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074799286498167629noreply@blogger.com0