As it targets a direct relationship with shoppers, Diageo has whittled a pitch down to four agencies. The Drum understands four agencies have already been whittled down by Diageo, with Lowe Profero, Fullsix, Sapient-Nitro and Geometry making the final cut. Diageo wants the agencies to come up with a strategy that widens online revenues from gifting, an area it has been testing since 2013 when it launched a site for its luxury brands. A decision on the winning strategy is expected later this week.

Lidl spent more than double the amount of Tesco in the first half of this year, increasing its marketing investment by a whopping 408% compared with the same period last year, Marketing can reveal. It spent GBP26.4m on TV advertising between 4 January and the end of June, exclusive Nielsen data has shown. While TV is just one part of the marketing mix, that figure was more than double the spend of any other major grocer in the UK over the period apart from Asda, which spent GBP18.1m.

Windows 10, the biggest update Microsoft has made to its computer software, has launched in the UK. PC users across the UK stayed awake to wait for the updated operating system as the firm staggered its release, allowing some customers who pre-registered to get access before others. The new software will be the first to work across all Windows-powered devices, from smartphones to tablets and desktop computers, as well as Microsoft's Xbox One games console.

The UK ad market appears to be in strong health as the latest figures from the Advertising Association and Warc show that spend hit the highest quarterly level on record and outpaced growth in the rest of Europe. The study found that spend grew by 8.2% in the first quarter to reach GBP4.71bn, boosted by mobile, which saw growth of 50.9%.

Instagram is set to hit $2.81bn in mobile ad revenue globally by 2017, according to an eMarketer forecast -- surpassing the likes of Google and Twitter in the US. The mobile-only forecast shows that Instagram will make up 5% of Facebook's global mobile ad revenue this year ($595m), increasing to 14% in 2017.

ITV reported a 25% increase in pre-tax profits despite a 4% drop in viewing in the first half of this year, saying that it remained on track for a strong performance in 2015. The broadcaster, home to "X Factor" and "Downton Abbey," said pre-tax profits rose 25% to GBP391m in its half-yearly report. It increased total revenues across its business by 11% to GBP1.36bn.

Reebok has imported its biggest brand campaign in a decade, 'Be More Human' to Europe, where it hopes to boost sales by focusing on women, fitness and partnerships. Vice President of Reebok Western Europe, Chris Froio, told "Marketing" that the brand was increasingly focusing on partnerships, like its tie-up with CrossFit, and fitness.

Google has made a U-turn on its stance that people who use its services must sign up for an account on its social network Google+. The first Google service to be unshackled from Google+ will be YouTube, meaning that users will no longer need a Google+ account to leave a comment below videos.

The sponsorship for its secondhand car trading platform, which begins on August 8, is Gumtree’s biggest broadcast sponsorship deal. In December it agreed to sponsor Channel 5’s Celebrity Big Brother to promote its Home and Garden section. The ads, created by BT Sport's in-house team, will be activated across BT Sport’s online and mobile app platforms.

Sky is putting the finishing touches to an advanced set-top box, dubbed SkyQ, that it hopes will be a powerful weapon in its defence of its domestic pay-TV business against BT. The new hardware is due to be unveiled within weeks and will offer satellite households an "Apple and Netflix-style" experience, according to industry insiders. SkyQ is understood to allow subscribers to watch and record at least four programmes and beam content to smartphones and tablets around the home.