Marketing
Asda customers will soon be able to buy products through the supermarket's YouTube channel. The brand is experimenting with 'shoppable' videos and online adverts. It is currently running trials on videos posted to its Mums Eye View channel that allow a shopping list of products to be placed alongside videos. Clicking on any product would prompt the viewer to log into their Asda basket, add the item, then check out -- all without leaving YouTube.
The Drum
EU antitrust regulators have launched an investigation into Facebook's proposed WhatsApp acquisition, asking communication rivals whether it would monopolise the market or drive up prices. Watchdogs have sent questionnaires to EU brands and telecom providers asking them what impact the deal could have.The $19bn acquisition is Facebook's most expensive deal to date. The EU Commission's findings are scheduled to be published in early October.
The Daily Telegraph
Apple owns the most valuable brand in the world --- worth nearly $117bn (GBP70bn) -- according to analysis conducted by "The Telegraph," based on data from three different media agencies. Google runs its U.S. tech rival close with a brand worth $107bn. They are the only two companies in the world with brands whose values run to nine figures. IBM's brand is worth $76bn, while Microsoft and Coca-Cola round out the top five -- theirs are worth $71bn and $65bn, respectively.
Marketing Week
Heineken will reward smaller pubs and restaurants for selling more of its beer through a location-based loyalty scheme it hopes will steal on-trade from rivals. The brewer says the digitally driven "Heineken Rewards" programme is the first of its kind in the UK. Unique codes attached to beer cases are scanned and verified against a database of independent outlets before being rewarded 10 points for each scanned case. Rewards include sporting and gig tickets
Marketing Week
Burberry is bringing the personal touch to the launch of its 'My Burberry' fragrance, allowing customers to add their initials and having it appear in digital ads. The TV spot features Kate Moss and Cara Delevingne with a close-up shot of the new fragrance bottle. On 4OD viewers will be able to personalise the ad with their own initials on the bottle. Users will also have the option to monogram their own virtual bottle on Google's ad network and share the image on social media sites.
Marketing Week
Walkers is asking customers to tweet to get their hands on a free packet of crisps, giving people a chance to sample one of the six finalist flavours in its "Do us a flavour" campaign. The three tweet-activated vending machine will be located at bus stops at Oxford Street and Clapham Junction in London until 11 September. Each one will give away 260 packets a day, with the machines topped up before 11.30 a.m. and 5 p.m. each day.
The Daily Telegraph
Virgin Media owner Liberty Global is canvassing support from major ITV shareholders following its summer acquisition of a 6.4 percent stake, raising speculation of a full takeover bid. The company is said to be aiming to strengthen its position for potential talks with the ITV board by forming alliances with the big American investors that own chunks of Britain's biggest commercial broadcaster.
Marketing Week
The ALS Association has filed an application to trademark the term "ice bucket challenge" -- a move that could stop other charities from using the phrase. The viral campaign has become popular in both the U.S. and the UK. In the U.S., that donation has tended to go to the ALS Association, which has raised in excess of $94m dollars -- more than it raised in the whole of 2013. In the UK both the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA) and Macmillan have raised more than GBPGBP3m.
Campaign
Starcom MediaVest Group (SMG), WPP and Omnicom have been the first agencies to pilot Twitter's online learning hub, Twitter Fight School. It aims to teach agencies how to develop high-impact marketing campaigns for their clients, help them maximise their content on Twitter, as well as promote messages at the right time to their target audience. Twitter has tailored the content and created bite-size modules to address different agency roles and functions.
The Drum
Apple has formed a partnership with American Express to develop a new iPhone payments system, expected to be formally announced during the launch of the iPhone 6 on 9 September. The system is expected to enable owners of Apple's latest handset to transform their phone into a mobile wallet. For this to work, however, Apple will need to obtain the approval of the credit card network -- Visa has previously been reported as agreeing to such a system.