Sammy M

‘What does success look like?’

Marketer Branding Agency AUK Strategy

As featured in Insider Magazine by Zane Radcliffe, Creative Director at AgencyUK, on the pursuit of commercial creativity. When agencies sit down with our clients to write a creative brief, there is a critical question that should be asked at the outset. And I don’t mean ‘Who are we talking to?’ or ‘What is the […]

1 In 3 Visits To Sites Driven By Search

Bing Advertising

Most brand owners are by now well aware of the impact search marketing has on their business. But the latest data from Experian Hitwise can do more to convince them why it is worth it.

10 Golden Rules For A Successful Celebrity Affair | CreativeMatch Feature

Celebrity influencer advertising

The celebrity machine took hold in advertising decades ago, and as Ad Men and Joe Public we’ve been pushing, pulling and undressing celebs to capture a sneak peak into the brands they live with. But, the influx of semi-celebrity, the invention of zelebrity’s and the see and forget nature of the media means that at […]

10% Of Facebook Accounts Don’t Belong To Humans

Facebook social media mum consumer

Many people like creating a social media page for their pet and I have often wondered how many dogs, cats and hamsters are on Facebook. I have read a report from researcher eMarketer, which claimed that more than 10% of users with an account on the social website are not human.

10% Of Retail Sales Took Place Online In April

UK Consumer Shopping

Some 10% of retail sales in April were conducted on the web, as many Britons preferred to shop while sitting on the sofa due to the cold temperatures outside, which lasted until the end of the month, according to official figures.

10% Of Young TV Viewers Rely On Social Media For Programme Tips

Millennial mobile social app

New research from YouView reveals that a tenth of TV viewers in the 18-24 age group receive most of their tips regarding what to watch from channels such as Facebook and Twitter. At the same time, if they have to catch up on a TV programme, young viewers tend to steer clear of their social […]

12% of UK consumers buy clothes and shoes online

eCommerce AgencyUK launch

We’ve recently been doing a considerable amount of brand and advertising acquisition work with online retailers and insurers. Looking through a few market studies, I discovered that “men are twice more likely to shop online than women” according to retailer CB Richard Ellis.

13% Of Britons Purchased Products After Viewing On Social Media Platforms

Blogger blog writing content social strategy

A recent report from YouGov’s unit SixthSense which looked into UK consumers’ interactions with brands via social media networks. The report showed that despite the modest levels of communication, 23% of Internet-connected users have researched a product or a service after reading something on a social site, which is 6% more than this time last […]

18% Of Companies Fail To Differentiate Between Mobile And Desktop Users

Multichannel Integrated Advertising

Nearly one fifth (18%) of businesses are not capable of identifying the differences in the behaviour of their mobile and desktop visitors. This is quite surprising given mobile devices’ growing power in terms of higher website traffic and sales and the increasing adoption of smartphones and tablets among consumers.

18% Of UK Seniors Now Using Facebook

Facebook social user

Older people in the UK are more open to the use of social media than many of us probably think. While they are not as enthusiastic about appearing on social networks as their children or grandchildren, the pace of adoption is definitely speeding up, eMarketer says in a new report, titled UK Seniors: Digital on […]

2 month Graduate Placement Opportunity

Award winning, Bath based integrated marketing agency, Agency UK have an exciting opportunity for a Graduate within their Client Service Team. The successful candidate will work within a busy and friendly team supporting across multiple client accounts. The position is initially for 2 months, however there could be the potential for an extension. We are […]

20% Of Ad Budgets Spent On Native Advertising

AUK Advertising

According to the latest Internet Advertising Bureau UK Digital Ad Spend report, as conducted by PwC, one fifth of digital display budgets was spent on native content in the first two quarters of 2014, Marketing Week reports. The total spent on native advertising actually reached a total of £216 million according to the survey, with […]

20% Of Brits Shop Online More Than In-Store

Mobile ecommerce security

It won’t come as much of a surprise to reveal that the popularity of e-commerce keeps growing rapidly and is now a preferred method of shopping for many Britons. But, more surprisingly, the Internet is now considered the top place for buying products and services by a whopping 20% of Britons, a survey from the […]

20% of car buyers book a test drive via a website

Automotive carshop car sales

Saw some interesting research this morning which raises some questions around the power of automotive brands today . The research shows that 40% of potential car buyers search car manufacturer and dealer websites but 46% just start with Google. Almost one-third opt for car magazines and online reviews and 30% go to classified websites. The […]

20% Of Online Sales In 2018 To Occur During The Christmas Period

Christmas Online Consumer Retail

According to recent research from the computer software giant Adobe, 19.3% of total online sales for the year will be made during the Christmas period, as stated in a blog by the company. This is an increase of 10% compared to 2013 figures and the UK is also expected to witness around 25% of its […]

20% Of Parents Feel Tempted To Buy After Seeing An Ad

TV Advertising Spend

A recent survey from UK parenting site Parentdish, which claimed that 20% of parents feel enticed to purchase a new product after seeing it advertised.

22% Of Brits Complain On Social Media

Trustpilot Social Media Sentiment

Brits are stereotypically regarded as reserved and trying to avoid confrontations but a recent survey suggests that UK consumers may have become more outspoken when it comes to complaints.

22% Of Companies Yet To Jump On The Mobile Bandwagon

Mobile Commerce ecommerce app

22% of companies across the UK have taken no measures to build their presence in the mobile world, thus missing out on an unlimited number of opportunities offered by the channel to engage with their customers. Econsultancy approached 500 business professionals for the purposes of its Reducing Customer Struggle Report, finding that 55% of companies […]

23% Of Parents Influenced Directly By Christmas Ads

Christmas Retail advertising consumers ecommerce

This morning I read a survey aimed at identifying mums’ attitudes towards Christmas ads and how these marketing messages influence their buying decisions during the holiday season. The survey found that commercials help 23% of parents generate ideas for their holiday gifts.

23% Of Staff Believe Marketers Should Head Digital Strategies

Information published by The Drum, drawn from a report by digital agency Omobono, has highlighted differences in opinion within organisations in regards to which department should lead a company’s digital strategy. The report shows that whilst 88% of marketers believe their department should be at the forefront of their company’s digital strategy, only 23% of […]

24% Of Britons Find It Hard To Identify Pirate Sites

Trustpilot Social Media Sentiment

According to a new survey, more than two in 10 adults in the UK are not capable of distinguishing a piracy website from a legitimate one, with over a third confessing that they have visited an entertainment site that contained pirated content.

24% Of Consumers Need More Than One Year To Forgive Poor Brand Experience

AUK Iridium Insights Brand

UK consumers are consistently setting high standards for brands to live up to, increasing their expectations and demanding a higher quality of engagement. It is now easier than ever, what with the large number of communication channels available, for customers to claim brand loyalty – but it is also easier to abandon a brand due […]

24% Of UK Consumers Say Brands Don’t Listen To Them

Natwest banking brand

Just 24% of UK consumers agree that brands listen to what they say on social media and only 29% believe that they are valued as an individual, according to a new research.

24% Polled Use Second Screen When Watching TV

Digital TV Advertising Media Channel

Our love for technology has grown to the point where a single device is no longer enough to scratch the itch. “Second screening” anyone? A growing number of consumers are getting into the habit of enjoying good old telly while using their computers, laptops or tablets to indulge in online activities.

25% Of Britons To Use Mobile Devices For Online Shopping Over Next 12 Months

Augmented reality advertising media

A new survey from parcel delivery services provider DPD this morning has shown once again that m-commerce is gaining strong momentum in the UK and it’s not likely to come to an end soon, as more and more consumers are turning to their phones to purchase products.

25% of consumers would switch to Lidl or Aldi

Supermarket branding

The latest survey from the grocery industry analysts IGD has re-affirmed that financial constraints have made more UK households turn to cheap supermarkets.

25% Of Hotel-Related Searches Come From Mobile

Hotel marketing local search

A recent report from SEO and PPC consulting and technology specialist Greenlight revealed that as many as 2.5 million Britons looked for hotels online in May, with 21% using their mobile to search for accommodation. The proportion of online hotel searches made via a mobile device totalled 522,115 queries. Greenlight’s quarterly Hotels Sector Report is […]

25% Of Mobile Users Online For Over 6 Hours A Day

Millennial mobile social app

We are already aware of the increasing impact of mobile technology on consumers. Mobile devices have become an integral part of our everyday communication, but are now also considered the preferred tool for browsing the web. This was recently confirmed in a global survey conducted by mobile software solutions provider NetBiscuits, which revealed that many […]

25% of UK Consumers Fail To Save Money By Switching Financial Providers

eCommerce AgencyUK launch

A number of recent surveys have maintained that UK consumers are increasingly savvy and spend their money wisely. However, recent research suggests otherwise.

27% Of UK Shoppers “Showroomed” Over Christmas

Christmas Online Retail eCommerce Consumer

The showrooming phenomenon continues to keep high-street retailers awake at night and there is reason for this: consumers are now visiting stores to look at a product they are interested in only to return home and buy the product from an online competitor. And it seems that the popularity of this practice is not likely […]

2m Britons Leave Facebook In Six Months

Facebook social media content

It seems that some two million Britons have decided to take a long break from Facebook (or leave it for good) in the past six months, at least according to a report from social media monitoring expert SocialBakers.

3 Simple Steps To Improve Your Pinterest Strategy

Pinterest Social Media Advertising

Pinterest might be one of the newer social media channels, but it has already upped the ante with the introduction of some new features for 2014 which will help marketers make the most of the channel. Pinterest is more than just a visual network to be added to a marketing strategy with no real thought […]

3 Steps For A Successful Mobile Marketing Campaign

Mobile Search engine optimisation

With mobile marketing quickly dominating the sector, marketers need to adjust to this growing trend in order to achieve the best possible results in their industry. Here are three key methods to consider with regards to mobile marketing, in order to take advantage of the trend and achieve the best possible results:

3.6% Of UK Tweets Mention Brands

Twitter social commerce

Research from social media monitoring firm BrandWatch gauging the current state of Twitter and which type of brands UK users mention the most often. Overall, 3.6% of all tweets mentioned brands, with female users being the more likely to refer to a brand in their posts compared with men.

30% Of People Most Engaged With TV Ads During Movies

Digital TV Advertising Media Channel

Recent Avid-sponsored research study conducted by Ovum, based on responses from over 3,000 people in the UK, US, Germany and Brazil, reveals that in terms of genre, 29.8% of people feel most engaged with TV advertising content that is aired during movies. TV audiences feel less interested when watching ads during kids shows (13.6%). They […]

30% YoY Rise in UK Shoppers Leaving Social Comments

AUK Chat app software

Most of us, marketing folk, will have got used to the idea that consumer habits are diversifying and evolving by now. As proof of this fact, new research from consultancy firm Deloitte highlights the importance of various channels for shaping an opinion and defining purchasing intent.

32% Of Britons Doubt Social Networks’ Data Protection Abilities

Mobile App Data Security

Social media platforms are those organisations that Britons tend to trust the least when it comes to private data protection, according to the results of a recent study.

32% of UK Companies Consider Their Multi-Channel Marketing Effective

Augmented reality advertising media

Knowing the path and walking it are two different things, as a popular film hero once said. Placed within a marketing context related to channel integration, this could be taken to mean that UK companies are fully aware of how important an integrated marketing approach is but they are still taking baby steps in that […]

32% Of UK Top Travel Brands Still Not Marketing Across Mobile Channels

Mobile Commerce ecommerce app

The latest report from the Internet Advertising Bureau UK (IAB), has stated that 48% of the country’s 50 largest travel brands already have a mobile-friendly website. However, surprisingly 32% of them are yet to start using the mobile channel to engage with a constantly growing audience.

33% Increase in the use of mobile

Data marketing Kindle and Amazon

Recent research from the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB), shows that 98% of UK agencies include mobile advertising in their portfolios, and the demand for mobile campaigns is still growing.

34% of Consumers Use Social Media To Choose Beauty Products

Social Media Beauty Products Retail

According to a recent report from market research group Mintel, more than one in three UK consumers (34%) rely on social media to help choose beauty and personal care products to buy.

34% Of UK Online Shoppers Searching For Deals

ecommerce website consumer spending

A new study which polled 2,000 online shoppers has confirmed that when buying products on the web, 56% of people feel tempted to take advantage of attractive promotions, and another 34% actively look for deals.

35% In The Dark About Contactless Payment

Contactless Payments, eCommerce, Online Shopping, Consumer

Modern people are typically up to date with all the latest developments in technology and communications and are generally positive in their attitude towards innovations. New gadgets tend to gain popularity very quickly and move into the mainstream within months.

35% Of Marketers Admit Failure At Multi-Channel Interaction

eCommerce AUK Web

In a world where consumers have a rich choice of shopping platforms, success for brands is determined by their ability to become well-oiled multichannel machines operating efficiently and effectively on several fronts.

36% Of British Advertisers Have No Mobile-Optimised Websites

Men working in office

Over a third (36%) of the 100 leading British advertising brands (in terms of advertising spend) have not optimised their websites for mobile use, according to recent research from the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB).

36% Of Britons Do Most Of Their Shopping Online

eCommerce AgencyUK launch

I read yet another report this week confirming that UK consumers are increasingly using the Internet as a medium for shopping, fuelled by the growing adoption of mobile devices and tablets among the population. Broadboand comparison site broadbandchoices.co.uk has found that in the past decade, the sum spent by shoppers online has more than doubled […]

36% rise in UK online video watching

Online Video Streaming YouTube

According to new data from Experian, UK consumers spend 240m hours per month watching videos online. In general, the number of visits to Internet video platforms has grown by 36% year-on-year in September, reaching 785m.

40% Of Consumers Run Mobile Searches Whilst Watching TV

Mobile Search engine optimisation

Recent findings from a study conducted jointly by iAcquire and Survey Monkey, has suggested that 40% of mobile searches now take place while consumers are in front of the TV. This implies that for marketers, knowing that TV is emerging as a major component of multi-screen users’ activities is no longer enough and it’s also […]

40% Of Instagram’s 1,000 Most Shared Videos Are From Brands

Instagram social media channel

Today, more and more brands are using online video as part of their marketing strategies. Social networks may be dominated by user-generated content, but when it comes to Instagram, brands are certainly making a splash.

40% of Tablet Users Think Ads Are Acceptable

Online Video Streaming YouTube

As mobile is slowly but surely becoming the norm for UK marketing agencies and consumers alike, new research into mobile advertising sheds more light on consumers’ engagement.

40% Of UK Mobile Searchers Decide To Purchase Within The Day

Mobile Search engine optimisation

I read recently that in the UK, price comparisons and reviews are the two most common mobile research activities performed on smart devices.

40% Prefer Social Media Over Search Engines For Content Discovery

Search Marketing Survey

A couple of years ago, the only way to find a good restaurant in town or a TV programme worth watching was by asking Google. But times have changed: now 40% of younger Brits rely more on social media than search engines when they want recommendations, according to a study from Blinkx I read last […]

41% Of Britons Happy To Buy Online

Mobile ecommerce security

E-commerce is rapidly growing in the UK as users are becoming more happy to shop online, figures show. In fact, 41% of Britons are content to purchase items over the web according to “The Future of Online Retail” report by YouGov, commissioned by Vouchercodes.co.uk.

41% Of Marketers Fail To Measure ROI

Data Marketing CRM

Top management expert TagMan have revealed that while 59% of digital and e-commerce marketers consider big data as a large contributor to their company’s bottom line, 36% of them admit they are yet to get to grips with it.

42% Of Consumers Have No Trust In Supermarket Promotions

AgencyUK consumer brand

The four biggest supermarkets in the UK have faced accusations for misleading customers with bogus low prices. A report commissioned by the BBC for its Panorama programme shows that some of the pricing practices, employed by Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons could in fact be breaching the law.

42% Of UK Shoppers Abandon A Purchase Due To Lack Of Information

ecommerce shopper retail marketiong mobile app

The digital revolution has greatly impacted consumers’ expectations regarding product information, as nowadays many wouldn’t hesitate to cancel a purchase if they don’t receive enough information about the item in question.

43% Of UK Internet Users Will Shop Mainly Online During Holiday Season

Christmas Shopping Harrods

During November and December, or “the holiday season,” 43% of internet users are planning to do most of their shopping online, according to a study conducted by media buying company Kinetic.

44% Of Britons Shop On Mobile Devices

Mobile ecommerce security

Mobile shopping is becoming more popular among consumers in the UK and 44% use a mobile device to shop online, a survey by retail technology company Omnico revealed. Still, this means that 56% have never shopped via their mobile phone or tablet. What’s more, 29% of respondents in the survey said they prefer to shop […]

44% Of Connected Brits Play Online Games

AUK on Gaming Brands

I knew online gaming was popular, but it was still a surprise to find out that 44% of UK Internet users now engage in this activity. Moreover, online gaming is popular with all age groups, and what was once a niche market has now gone mainstream.

45% Of British Consumers Prefer High-Street Shopping To Online

Integrated online retail channels ecommerce

A recent poll by Rackspace, which questioned 2,000 British consumers, found that almost half of them prefer to shop on the high street as opposed to online due to a number of problems they often encounter when online shopping, Warc reports.

45% Of Consumers Willing To Share Private Data In Return For More Relevant Ads

AUK Advertising

Some 45% of people across the globe wouldn’t mind exchanging all of their online private data, collected over a six-month period, for ads that better correspond to their interests, according to new research.

47% Of UK Consumers Choose The Internet To Make Grocery Price Researches

Food brands creative

Buying groceries through the web in increasingly popular in the UK. Nielsen’s Global Survey of Digital’s Influence on Grocery Shopping reveals that, in comparison to other Europeans, Britons are more likely to buy food and beverages online in order to save money.

47% Of UK Consumers Now Own Smartphones

eCommerce AUK Web

If you’ve been following the development of the UK mobile market lately, you will hardly find the following piece of news surprising. According to the latest survey from YouGov, almost half of UK consumers own a smartphone.

4G Encourages Users To Shop From Their Smartphone

Mobile Search engine optimisation

Over two thirds of 4G users feel that faster access to the Internet increases the likelihood of them completing more purchases from their smartphone, reveals a recent survey by eDigitalResearch and IMRG, conducted among 2,000 consumers.

5,000 Different Devices Used To Access The Web

Men working in office

New research from Netbiscuits has found that in the third quarter of 2014, consumers used in excess of 5,000 different devices to access the web, The Drum reports. The information comes from the Netbiscuits Web Trends report which gathered data from Netbiscuits Mobile Analytics, utilising a sample base of around one billion page impressions every […]

50% Growth, 5 New Appointments and 8 RAR Award Nominations Kick-start 2014

Team receiving reward

Bath based Planning, Creative, Technology and Media firm The Agency have released their annual accounts showing an increase in agency turnover by 50% and gross profit by 35% in 2013. The Agency have grown to 25 full time staff, and continue to hire into their planning teams, creative and design teams as well as their […]

50% Of “Baby Boomers” Admit To Showrooming

Baby boomer consumer generation

New research from retail technology expert Omnico Group has revealed that “Baby Boomers” are the generation leading the rapidly evolving trend of showrooming. This is a trend where consumers browse in-store, only to go online later and purchase the same products at cheaper prices.

50% Of Ad Experts Believe Programmatic Ad Trading Aids Creativity

Apprentice creative agency

Just under 50% of advertisers believe that programmatic trading is helping the industry to come up with new, unique and creative ways to market a brand and generate stories, VideoAdNews reports. However, a further 28% of advertisers actually believe that programmatic trading “inhibits” creativity, and 24% said it made no difference.

50% OF All YouTube Views Come From Mobile Devices

YouTube Desktop Social Channel

It was recently revealed that 50% of all views on YouTube originate from mobile devices, The Drum reports. This is a crucial milestone in the history of the channel, the article continues, and it seems that this news represents the continuing dominance of mobile devices over that of desktops.

50% of Brand followers on Twitter would buy from them

Twitter social commerce

A recent study by The Drum does go some way to quantifying social media ROI, but is it telling us anything we don’t already know?

50% Of Britons Use Facebook

AgencyUK on parent trends to Facebook ads

British Facebook users are known to be among the most enthusiastic fans of social networking. Everyone is on Facebook, we often hear. Although it sounds pretty vague this is not far from the truth, as it turns out.

50% Of Britons Willing To Pay For Apps, Study Finds

Email marketing

A new study from Simon-Kucher & Partners has further evidenced that smartphone and tablet users across the UK are big fans of apps and buying them is becoming less of a behavioural change for consumers.

50% of consumers watch TV + other device at the same time

Multichannel Integrated Advertising

According to a new survey almost half of the consumers in the UK, the US, Germany and France watch TV and look at another electronic device at the same time.

50% Of UK Consumers Would Switch Brands Due To Bad Customer Service

Customer Experience UX UI

Brands can expect their UK customers to be less forgiving regarding unsatisfactory customer service than clients from the US, although consumers on the other side of the Atlantic are twice as likely to report a poor experience to others.

50% of UK Marketing Execs predict major transformation in 2012

Marketing executive team

Are you all geared up for the new year ahead? According to a new survey, most of the marketing folk are done with the plans for 2012 and their predictions are worth noticing.

50% of UK Women Distrust Brands That Use Airbrushing

Creative Model retouching

According to a new report from the Advertising Associaltion (AA) and research unit Credos, brands which use airbrushed photographs in their marketing campaigns might put off female consumers.

52% October surge is busiest Social Media month

Social Media groups

We’re regularly asked to implement and enhance social media strategies, and being an agency that specialises in brand engagement through to sale, social media now has a major role to play. The one elephant in the room is proving social media ROI, or its positive effect on a brand, beyond general awareness.

52% of UK Consumers Worry About M-Commerce Security

Mobile ecommerce security

With more and more UK consumers happily embracing mobile and sales of smartphones and tablets going strong, you’d think that the time when Britons will substitute mobile wallets for their cash is not far away.

53% Of Brits To Make Use Of Pre-Christmas Discounts Rather Than January Sales

Christmas retail advertising

More than half of Britons will prefer to make use of pre-Christmas discounts as opposed to January sales this festive season, with 14% citing plans to spend more in the lead-up to Christmas than the previous year, according to insights from RedEye’s Pre-Christmas Sales Report.

53% Of Travel Marketers Lack Multilingual Online Strategy

Integrated online retail channels ecommerce

The Internet is a vital hub for people planning their holiday. But according to the results of a recent research study, the travel industry is still not taking advantage of the online opportunity by failing to provide online content that is compelling enough.

54% of men shop every two days

Male Shopper Consumers eCommerce

I came across an interesting survey, which may overthrow the previously held belief that men are not into shopping. Actually, new research from the independent research agency Shoppercentric shows that 54% of men shop every couple of days.

56% Of UK SME’s Using Twitter To Drive Traffic

Twitter social commerce

For small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) in the UK and Ireland, Twitter is not just another social media platform, but rather a powerful business tool that can greatly enhance their marketing, sales and customer service activity.

56% Of Users Are Influenced By Twitter Content

Twitter Brand Advertising

Twitter is more than a micro-blogging site for sending and reading tweets – it is also a tool enabling mobile purchases, recent research reveals.

57% of UK Brands Plan To Hike Marketing Budgets

Men working in office

Despite many companies facing financial constraints and fierce competition, to achieve better results and greater return on investment, many brands are willing to invest more in marketing in 2012, according to a recent study from market research firm MindMetre.

58% of SMEs prefer Facebook to LinkedIn for branding

AgencyUK on parent trends to Facebook ads

Facebook has become the most trusted social platform for branding among small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) according to a recent YouGov survey.

58% Of UK Shoppers Increase Time Spent Online Comparing Product Prices

ecommerce website consumer spending

A new report released this week from research and training charity IGD predicts that UK consumers will increase spend on food and drink this holiday season by 3.9% compared to last year, and are expected to spend £19 billion this Christmas.

58% Of UK Silver Surfers Shop Online

Old Consumer Online Baby boomer

A whopping 58% of people aged 66-88 shop online, which is just one percentage point less than the national average of 59%, a research from next-generation payment firm Kalixa Group suggests. With this in mind, it wouldn’t be surprising to see tech-savvy silver surfers among the most active online shoppers this Christmas season, taking advantage […]

58% Of UK’s Top Advertisers Have Mobile-Friendly Websites

Mobile Search engine optimisation

According to research from the Internet Advertising Bureau UK (IAB) I came across recently, 58% of the country’s top 100 advertisers have adapted their websites to display content in the best possible way when accessed through smartphones.

60% of auto execs believe cars, media entertainment and IT will converge

Integrated tech media converge cars gaming mobile

An interesting new survey from KPMG has gauged the attitudes and predicted the trends for the next five years in the UK automotive sector.

60% Of Businesses To Increase Marketing Budgets In 2014

Marketing executive team

Almost 60% of businesses are planning to invest more in their marketing activities in 2014, compared to 54% in 2013 and 45% in 2012, a new report from Responsys and Econsultancy shows. Just over a third of marketers are looking to keep their budget the same, and only 6% are aiming to decrease spending.

61% Of Companies Increase Analytics Budget, But Skills Gap Remains An Issue

mobile video Social Media Influencer

According to the latest Measurement and Analytics Report by Econsultancy and Lynchpin, 61% of companies are setting aside more money for analytics technology, compared to just over a third (35%) last year. However, despite expanding budgets, there still remains a skills gap when it comes to putting this tech to use, says Econsultancy editor-in-chief Graham […]

61% Of Consumers Approve Of Digital Ads

AUK Advertising

According to a new survey, the majority of UK consumers are supportive of online ads and acknowledge how important they are for the digital industry.

61% Opt For Cards Over Cash For Small Purchases

eCommerce AgencyUK launch

Over the past few months there have been various polls gauging consumer attitude towards forms of contactless payment, showing a general polarisation of opinions. However, UK consumers seem to be feeling increasingly comfortable when it comes to contactless payment, especially for smaller sums of money, according to a new survey from Barclaycard.

63% of Consumers Reluctant To Share Personal Data With Apps

Mobile App Data Security

A report from global trade association MEF, carried out in partnership with On Device Research, which was intended to sound out consumers’ feelings on applications collecting and using personal information for business purposes. The research found that just 37% of the respondents to a survey of 9,500 people don’t mind providing private data with an […]

63% Of UK Consumers More Loyal To Brands Using Personal Data Effectively

Experimental Marketing

We all know that consumer data contributes to a brand’s marketing success, but according to a new report form Transactis, the correct use of data continues to open the way into more consumers’ hearts and earn their trust, loyalty, and respect.

64% of Tech-Savvy UK Online Shoppers Complain Of Bad Customers Service

Customer Experience UX UI

More than six in 10 online shoppers in the UK are not satisfied with the customer service they get from businesses on the web, which implies that e-businesses could be losing billions of pounds as a result of their inadequate treatment of customers.

65% Top UK Food Brands Run From Abroad

AgencyUK consumer brand

British consumers have a tradition of supporting and preferring domestic businesses, especially when it comes to food, but things may be changing according to a new survey from research firm Nielsen and trade magazine The Grocer that was published today.

66% of B2C Marketers Rank Email Above Social Media for Acquisition

Email marketing

Consumers may have gone ga-ga over social media but it does not mean that advertisers can afford to turn their backs completely on customer engagement methods that have stood the test of time.

66% of Marketers to Invest more in Tech in 2015

Men working in office

Around two-thirds of marketers questioned in a survey by Marketing Land said that they plan to spend more on marketing technology in the upcoming year. The survey polled 182 marketing professionals from both B2B and B2C businesses.

66% of UK consumers buy on multi-channel

Multichannel Advertising eCommerce

A new report out this morning describes a new phenomenon in UK consumer habits, according to a survey from loyalty marketing analyst GI Insight. Modern consumers use shops as showrooms to see and try out products, before deciding whether to buy them, as it often happens these days, online.

66% of UK consumers shop offline then buy online

Teen brand retail eCommerce

An emerging phenomenon in UK consumer habits, according to a survey from loyalty marketing analyst GI Insight, shows modern consumers are using shops as showrooms to see and try out products, before deciding whether to buy them online.

68% Of UK Marketers Rate Email As Best Channel For ROI

Email marketing

UK marketers continue to view email as the channel generating the highest return on investment (ROI), Econsultancy has found in its Email Marketing Industry Census.

69% Of Britons Influenced By Friends And Family On Purchases

Baby boomer consumer generation

It’s in people’s nature to search for a second opinion when choosing a good dentist, a nice restaurant or a manicurist, for example. It also turns out that Britons rely on their families or friends most when planning purchases; receiving recommendations like this on a new product would make 68% of UK consumers more likely […]

70% of companies worldwide have social media presence

Social Media channel advertising users

As the advertising market becomes more competitive, marketers have to come up with fresh ideas to engage consumers. According to new research, UK marketers are missing out on opportunities given by social media.

71% Of Marketers Motivated By ‘Interesting Work’

Marketer Branding Agency AUK Strategy

According to a recent poll which focused on a number of professions by recruitment consultant Robert Walters, marketers tend to put a lot of pressure on their own contribution to a company and are mainly influenced to work hard if presented with interesting tasks, Marketing Week reports. The poll questioned 1,150 professionals from 14 professions; […]

74% Of Online Retailers Lose Sales Due To “Irrelevant Promotions”

eBay Shopping Retail Consumer eCommerce Web

A new study by OrderDynamics reveals that just under three-quarters of online retailers (74%) miss out on sales because they have promoted items of little relevance to their shoppers, reports Digital Marketing Magazine.

74% Of Online Sharing Is Untraceable

Social Media Trend Jacking

Recent research from RadiumOne has found that 74% of online sharing activity in the UK comes from what is referred to as ‘dark social’ activities, the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) UK claims. Such ‘dark social’ methods include emails, forums and instant messaging and are untraceable by analytics tools.

75% Of Small Retailers Ignore Mobile

Mobile ecommerce security

These days it seems nearly impossible to talk about successful marketing strategies and fail to mention mobile as an essential tool for growth. However, it seems that adopting the channel is no mean feat for the vast majority of small and medium-size businesses in the UK.

75% of UK Small Firms Use Social Media

Social Media groups

It would seem impossible to imagine modern business without social media, and apparently the majority of UK firms think so too.

78% of UK buyers would buy an electric car

Electric Car Brands

A new study into the future of automobile production by Marketing Weekly claims that eco cars are still its future, even though UK consumers have not been particularly active in that area of the market. They’ve suggested that the reason may lie in the focus of their advertising.

79% Of UK Consumers Engage In Multi-Screening

Multichannel Integrated Advertising

Internet tools and the digital world are an inseparable part of our lives, but spending time online has never been so attractive to Britons. Not only are they among the most avid media users globally, but they simply cannot get enough of it, so they adopt multi-screen viewing as well, a new survey from the […]

8 Steps To Developing An Effective Social Media Content Strategy

Social Media Marketing

The first two things that need to be fully understood in order to develop a social media content strategy are:1. What is content marketing?2. Why social media?Now, these may seem like fairly simple concepts for marketers to understand – they’ve certainly been around for a few years now and most professionals and non-professionals alike think […]

8 Things We’ve Learned from the John Lewis Christmas Ad

Christmas retail advertising

by Zane Radcliffe, Creative Director at AgencyUK It’s big, it’s bold and it’s trending. But what can we really learn from the Man on the Moon?  1. Almost any song in the entire history of rock can reduce unsuspecting consumers to tears by simply employing a helium-voiced female singer to warble coyly over a whimsical, […]

8% Decline in UK online retail fraud

eCommerce AgencyUK launch

Following our recent article on consumers becoming increasingly conscious of eCommerce fraud, online shopping has in fact reached its lowest level for more than five years, according to figures presented last week by Financial Fraud Action UK.

80% of UK CMOs unsure of how to adopt social media

AUK Chat app software

A recent global study has shown chief marketing officers (CMOs) in the UK and Ireland are not dealing with social media and the data explosion as successfully as their counterparts around the globe.

80% Of UK Mums Engage In E-Shopping Every Month

TV Advertising Spend

I remember reading recently about research from BabyCentre that established a significant increase in use of the Internet and digital devices by UK women once they become mums. It seems that a combination of widespread technology use and the abundance of bargains online has helped turn UK mums into ardent e-shoppers and 80% of them […]

84% Of Global Consumers Use Shopping Lists When Buying Groceries

Supermarket branding

A new study by Nielsen’s research into global consumer shopping behaviour this week, reveals that the majority of people (84%) rarely enter a grocery store without a shopping list. Some 88% always compare prices when in-store as they seek to make the best deal and cut back on spending, the researcher said.

88% Of UK Brands Now Have A Content Marketing Strategy

Social Media groups

One growing trend to keep an eye on in the UK throughout 2014 will be that of content marketing, experts predict. An impressive 88% of marketers in January last year admitted to using the tactic to increase both their sales and consumer loyalty, according to a poll conducted by the Content Marketing Institute (CMI) and […]

89% Of Mums Influenced By Coupons When Shopping

Mums Consumer

Printed and digital coupons influence the buying behaviour of nearly one in nine supermarket-shopping mothers, new research from women’s online community Womensforum.com shows.

90% Of Britons Love E-Commerce But Delivery Services Disappoint

eCommerce AUK Web

E-commerce has been the one constant bright spot on the UK retail landscape for quite a while now. Britain has earned quite a reputation for its digitally savvy population and its love of online shopping, with 90% of Britons expecting to maintain or exceed their current level of online spending through to 2017.

92% Of UK Adults Reluctant To Share Personal Data With Social Networks

Social Media Channels

A recent study from professional services company EY suggests that UK adults are more comfortable sharing personal details with government bodies than with private sector organisations such as social media platforms.

92% Of Web Consumers More Disposed To Open Ads In Niche Sites

AUK Advertising

Marketers should get accustomed to the fact that, when looking for particular information, consumers prefer visiting sites that are already in their personal list of top venues and rarely turn to websites that are not specific to their interests.

95% of brands struggle to show real ROI

Consumer Branding

UK brands are quite obviously active advertisers and employ various integrated channels but they still find it difficult to see ROI, a recent survey from BSkyB’s own research unit Sky IQ suggests.

A Day in the Life of a Senior Account Manager

People in a meeting

As a Senior Account Manager at AgencyUK, my day revolves around our B2C (business-to-consumer) clients. Working within the Client Services team here at AUK means you’re at the heart of everything that happens, building solid relationships with both the client and our internal teams and ensuring projects run smoothly. At AgencyUK, our day starts with […]

A Great Tablet Experience Has A Positive Effect On Brand Perception

Data marketing Kindle and Amazon

Receiving a good shopping experience on tablets is starting to have an effect on the relationship between a consumer and a brand, technology platform company Usablenet claims. A positive online shopping experience is key to successful e-commerce, a recent white paper article from the company reveals.

A month in the life of an intern at AgencyUK

We’re pleased to say that James Slater has recently joined the AgencyUK team as part of his Business Management with Marketing degree at UWE. For 9 months, he will be playing a key role in the Client Services department as well as assisting other teams across the agency. After one month in the job, James […]

A team from AgencyUK run the Bath Half!

CHARITY NEWS: A team of five runners from Bath-based integrated marketing agency, The Agency completed the Bath Half Marathon at the weekend, to raise over £600 for the Great Western Air Ambulance charity.

A Virtual Reality Check

Virtual Reality Digital Channel

Virtual reality is set to explode as 2016 is hailed as the year that VR hits the mainstream. Previously only the remit of developers and die hard obsessives, the long awaited release of Oculus Rift pre-order has everyone excited that the virtual world is soon to become a reality for the everyday consumer. The recent […]

AA/Warc Report Paints Mixed Picture For UK Advertising Market

Advertising AgencyUK Global Launch

There have been a number of reports recently with an overall optimistic tone, either revealing increased advertising expenditure in one segment or another or forecasting growth for the rest of the year and further ahead.

Ad blocking and the Publisher Model

by AgencyUK’s Digital Media Manager, Ian Young Online ad blocking is a hot topic right now. According to PageFair, the number of UK users of ad blocking tools reached 12 million last year. The graph below shows the increasing trend in the number of consumer searches on Google for ad blocking terms. It’s an issue […]

Ad Frequency Increase Could Fuel Negative Reaction From Marketers

Outdoor Out of Home Advertising

Earlier this month Facebook silently doubled the number of ads that appear on a user’s news feed from a page they are not connected to, Marketing Week reports. However, by increasing the number of ads seen from one to two a day, the social networking site risks a kickback from marketers and users alike.

Adding Mobile To Retargeting Mix Boosts Sales By 18%

Male Shopper Consumers eCommerce

Marketers are using various tactics to regain the interest of customers who have been inactive over a certain period of time, or of those who did not make a purchase after visiting a brand’s website. Many resort to sending re-engagement e-mails to offer tempting discounts, but results from a new research suggest that adding a […]

Advertisers Relocate Budgets From TV To Digital Video

Multichannel Integrated Advertising

Most brand marketers and advertising agency executives expect original digital video to become as important to their business and marketing strategies as TV advertising, and are willing to relocate advertisement spending from TV to the Internet, a survey by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) reveals.

Advertising Budgets On The Rise

Outdoor Out of Home Advertising

Advertising budgets in the UK have seen a slight growth of 1% year-on-year, a new report the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) has found.

Advertising might work, who’d a thunk it? | Brand Republic Feature

AUK Advertising

We’re in the midst of man bird pig flu panic. We all ignored the letters from our GPs. Seems fair really, they do tend to ignore our requests for appointments. But the result is men, women and children are dropping like flies around us.
Now some brig…

After TV Sets, Users Prefer To Watch On Tablets – Not Desktop

Twitter social commerce

New research from IpsosMediaCT for Thinkbox has found that tablets (for example the iPad from Apple, the Galaxy from Samsung and the Nexus from Google) will soon overtake laptops as the device of choice for users who wish to watch a film or TV show not on their TV sets, Brand Republic reports.

Agencies & Clients Require Clearer Briefs

AUK Appoint Creative Director

A new survey, titled ‘Enhancing Client/Agency Relations 2015’ has discovered that professionals from both sides have differing views on what they believe are the most important aspects of their working relationship, Warc reports. The two specific areas directly mentioned are briefs and compensations. The survey was carried out by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) […]

AgencyUK ‘in pieces’ over success of the first ever National Jigsaw Day

Last week the inaugural National Jigsaw Day was celebrated around the UK. The campaign was orchestrated by marketing agency AgencyUK on behalf of client, Wentworth Wooden Puzzles, who recently appointed the agency to look after an integrated Christmas campaign. AgencyUK’s Social & PR team devised a campaign which celebrated the simple pleasure of the jigsaw […]

AgencyUK announce Air Products PLC account win

Air Products Appoint AUK

Air Products plc, the 10 billion dollar global gas and chemicals company has appointed 2008 start-up TheAgency to spearhead their Europe-wide communication for performance chemical solutions in the construction market.

AgencyUK Appointed to Launch e-Tailer PestleHerbs.co.uk.

AgencyUK have been appointed by founder and serial entrepreneur Mathew March-Smith to launch Pestle Herbs, his latest venture catering to the increasingly aware ethical consumer. Mathew has a string of successes under his belt, including a leading London digital agency and the much-revered PongCheese.co.uk. PestleHerbs.co.uk is a unique online business that fills the retail gap […]

AgencyUK Appointed to launch Falk Outdoors’s new Tiger outdoor navigation system

AgencyUK has been appointed by Falk Outdoor, a leading German satellite navigation brand, to handle the European launch for their new consumer product, Tiger. AgencyUK was appointed following a competitive two-way pitch and the brief encompasses a new brand and market strategy for Tiger, as well as developing packaging, creative and web assets ready for […]

AgencyUK appointed to launch inward investment service by Bristol and Bath

Bristol temple quarter enterprise zone advertising

The Bristol and Bath Inward Investment Service, a partnership between Bristol, Bath, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire councils designed to promote the region to on-shore and overseas investors, have appointed The Agency, based in Bath, to handle the brand, marketing and promotional roll-out for the region’s Enterprise Areas and Zone.

AgencyUK appointed to raise awareness of The Institute of Osteopathy

The Institute of Osteopathy (iO) has launched its first national UK campaign ahead of the General Election on 12th December. It is the first campaign created by AgencyUK, since their appointment as iO’s agency of record. The disruptive copy reads ‘We believed in freedom of movement. Discover your Osteopath. They provide a drug free, whole […]

AgencyUK Appoints Matt Rees As Planning Director

Men working in office

After a heady start to 2012 and revenue figures that show exponential growth in excess of 300% for Quarter 1, TheAgency have appointed Matt Rees as Planning Director. Matt joins AgencyUK having been Planning Director for Bray Leino Bristol.

AgencyUK attempts longest selfie chain World Record for Send a Cow

On 10th November hundreds gathered at Bath Spa University to help Send A Cow attempt the longest selfie chain – an event orchestrated by local integrated marketing agency, AgencyUK. Students and volunteers came together to snap pictures in pairs, passing a phone down the line to try and break the world record. Send a Cow […]

AgencyUK attends preview of Banksy’s Dismaland

Banksy Dismaland AgencyUK

Graffiti artist Banksy has announced his latest exhibition – Dismaland – a “bemusement park” held at a derelict seafront lido in Weston-super-Mare. Dismaland is to feature works from artists Damien Hirst, Jenny Holzer and Jimmy Cauty as well as Banksy. The exhibition will take over the Tropicana site for the next six weeks, described by Banksy as […]

AgencyUK Big Bake Off for Comic Relief

Comic relief bakery

The Agency’s Creative, Media, Tech and Client Services teams pitted against each other for the crown of Bake Off Comic Relief Champion on Red Nose Day.

AgencyUK BSM Summer Campaign Hits the Beach | Marketing Week

AgencyUK launch BSM summer campaign

BSM, the UK’s largest driving school, has launched an integrated summer ad campaign designed to strengthen the brand’s youth appeal and drive lesson bookings during its 100th Anniversary year.

AgencyUK c’est magnifique in Bath Boules Championship

By Katie Oliver – Hayesfield School, Bath: Work Experience at AgencyUK It was a winning week for The Agency last week! Fresh from taking five chips and the Grand Prix in the Chip Shop Awards and a gong at the RAR Digital Awards – last Friday the whole company took the day off to compete […]

AgencyUK Celebrate BSM 100th Birthday | Marketing Week

BSM, the largest and most established driving school in the UK, is launching its ‘Pass on the BIG 100’ campaign in January, created by TheAgency to celebrate its 100th birthday.

AgencyUK celebrates 16 years

South West-based brand and communications specialist AgencyUK has announced record growth as evolutions in the company’s culture continue to drive unprecedented levels of performance, despite an economically turbulent period for many. AgencyUK (AUK) achieved record numbers in their 2023 financial results, following two years of cultural alignment and investment in their new Senior Management Team […]

AgencyUK comment on Virtual Currency | New Media Age

Cash

As Facebook prepares to roll out its Credits virtual currency, the social gaming industry is taking an interest. But there are still concerns about its potential for take-up among gamers.

AgencyUK create multi-media launch for BSM Fiat 500 | Marketing Week

AgencyUK Fiat 500m Launch

BSM, the largest and most established driving school in the UK, is launching its ‘Beautifully Simple’ campaign, created by AgencyUK to mark its relationship with Fiat 500 across multi- media platforms.

AgencyUK Creates Tailor-made Campaign for Indian Sauces

AgencyUK has teamed up with The Spice Tailor to promote their unique brand of Indian sauces in the UK and Australia. Created by TV chef Anjum Anand, The Spice Tailor utilises authentic ingredients that can be ‘tailored to taste’ in a convenient, three-step cooking process. AgencyUK was tasked with launching an above-the-line campaign for the […]

AgencyUK delivers integrated campaign for Chang Beer

Earlier this year ThaiBev-owned brand Chang Beer appointed Bath-based marketing firm AgencyUK to run an integrated PR, social media, creative and experiential marketing campaign to increase awareness of the product and its new SKU. Using the “refreshingly Thai” strapline, AgencyUK organised a series of events to create a greater awareness of the brand and showcase […]

AgencyUK Dominate 2013 Marketing Industry Awards

People receiving reward

Bath based Planning, Creative, Technology and Media firm AgencyUK have dominated the prestigious Marketing Industry Network Awards this year, picking up four awards out of six nominations. AgencyUK team saw off stiff competition from larger established agencies to take The SW Best Marketing Business of the Year, Best UK Small Agency of the Year, Best […]

AgencyUK earns six nominations in the 2015 Cream Awards

Awards AgencyUK Winners

The Cream Awards aim to showcase the very best work within the Midlands, East, South West & Wales. Flying the flag for the South West, AgencyUK has received an impressive six nominations in categories that include best TV/cinema advert [Welsh Lamb], press campaign [The Spice Tailor], outdoor campaign [Hornby], copywriting and item of self promotion. […]

AgencyUK Grows Again

Brand and response marketing specialist, AgencyUK, has strengthened its team further on the back of its recent BSM lead creative agency account win with the appointment of three new staff.

AgencyUK Halloween Happy Hour

Halloween Advertising CAMPAIGN

This year we decided to celebrate Halloween by brewing some gruesome cocktail concoctions for our very own Halloween happy hour. AgencyUK’s different teams picked a Halloween inspired cocktail and were each judged by the group on taste, originality and deadliness. Here are some of our creepy cocktail recipes for you to have a go at […]

AgencyUK Help Slimming Brand Swell Sales Through Boots Retailers

Slimsticks slimming brand

Slimsticks, a natural weight loss aid has enjoyed a dramatic rise in sales since securing retail distribution with more than 700 UK Boots stores late last year. The growth has been in part due to recent press coverage and online advertising campaigns planned and created by advertising specialists AgencyUK.

AgencyUK help Westfield Health turn workaholics into walkaholics

Earlier this year, award-winning communications firm AgencyUK was appointed by leading provider of workplace health and wellbeing cover, Westfield Health, to launch a new campaign for National Walking Month. Following a successful internal campaign in 2015 Westfield Health wanted to grow its Walking Month campaign into something that would resonate with a wider audience. AgencyUK […]

AgencyUK helps charity Send a Cow raise over £2.3million

Last October AgencyUK was appointed by international development charity Send a Cow to promote their Christmas fundraising campaign. The Bath-based charity’s campaign was given extra impetus as the Government had agreed to match every donation, £1 for £1 until December 31st 2015. The Planting Hope campaign kicked off with a Guinness World Record attempt for […]

AgencyUK helps consumers Discover Delicious food and drink from Wales

June 2018 heralds a consumer-wide launch for DiscoverDelicious.Wales.  The only marketplace of its kind, it celebrates Wales’ best loved producers and the incredible produce that has made them local foodie favourites. Bringing Welsh flavours to consumers’ tables and putting Welsh food on the map. The integrated consumer launch campaign developed by AgencyUK that includes TV advertising, […]

AgencyUK launch ‘refreshingly Thai’ experiential activation for Chang Beer

AgencyUK launched a ‘refreshingly Thai’ experience at Westfield Stratford City last week in their latest experiential activation for popular Thai Beer brand Chang Beer. Londoners were invited to receive a free ‘massage in a bottle’ inside a 2-metre-high replica of the new green Chang Beer bottle design that has just launched in the UK. Award-winning […]

AgencyUK Launch “Not All Lamb Is Created Equal” Campaign To Promote Welsh Lamb

Welsh Lamb HHC

Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC), the organisation responsible for the development, promotion and marketing of Welsh meat and Bath-based integrated communications firm AgencyUK, have launched this year’s national advertising campaign to promote Welsh Lamb. The campaign’s strategic objective is to increase awareness of the brand and clearly differentiate it from the competition.

AgencyUK launch “The Knife Sentence” with Readipop artists for Thames Valley Police

Knife angel statue

Thames Valley Police have partnered with AgencyUK to launch their latest campaign tackling knife crime in Milton Keynes. ‘The Knife Sentence’ invites young people aged 11-25 to sing, rap and speak about their feelings on knife crime, and comes as part of December’s ‘Month of Action Against Violence’, during which the ‘Knife Angel’, a 27ft […]

AgencyUK Launch Augmented Reality Brand Experience with Aurasma

Augmented reality advertising media

As part of a new campaign for the Bristol Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone, an initiative focussed on attracting major investment for the redevelopment of more than 70 hectares of central Bristol real estate, TheAgency have opted to launch an augmented reality experience, in partnership with Aurasma and MediaGrand.

AgencyUK launch Freedom of Movement campaign ahead of Election Day

The Institute of Osteopathy (iO) has launched its first national UK campaign ahead of the General Election on 12th December. It is the first campaign created by AgencyUK, since the organisation’s appointment by iO’s agency of record. The campaign, titled Freedom of Movement, is the first step towards raising broader consumer awareness of the importance […]

AgencyUK launch NHS campaign to change frontline consumer behaviour.

AgencyUK NHS Dial 111 Campaign

AgencyUK have announced the launch of the latest NHS public campaign which is designed to encourage people to call ‘111’ rather than ‘999’ when they have non- emergency minor conditions. The campaign activity is aimed at high risk groups in deprived areas, those with poorer access to GP care, or people with small children, young […]

AgencyUK launch TV campaign for Children’s Hospice South West

Children's Hospice Charity TV Advertising Campaign

Children’s Hospice South West are one of the largest children’s hospice charities in the UK, providing Children’s palliative, respite, end-of-life and bereavement care for children with life limiting and life threatening illnesses and their families from the South West England region. Before the challenges of the 2020 pandemic, CHSW had already identified a need to […]

AgencyUK Launch UK Youth Insight Research Panel Service

Research Group

A new youth marketing insight service is being launched by AgencyUK, a leading brand and response marketing consultancy. Bike Shed will provide clients with exclusive access to a range of programmes delving into the minds and attitudes of young people aged between 16 and 19.

AgencyUK launch Youth Motor insurance brand advertising campaign

motor insurance brand i-Kube

iKube, the specialist youth motor insurance company have unveiled their new brand, website and advertising campaign aimed at 17 to 25 year old drivers.

AgencyUK Launches

Advertising AgencyUK Global Launch

Following the news in late December 2007 that Rapier would consolidate its regional business back into London, a new team of agency planners, creative’s, account managers and designers have this week announced their startup. TheAgency is a unique mix of senior advertising and brand experts, as well as direct response specialists. The idea is to […]

AgencyUK launches National Jigsaw Day for Wentworth Puzzles

AgencyUK will be launching the first ever National Jigsaw Day with Wentworth Wooden Puzzles to celebrate the rewarding benefits of jigsaws, as well as a nationwide search for a ‘Minister for Jigsaws’. On Tuesday 3rd November jigsaw fans are encouraged to start puzzling and share pictures of themselves enjoying jigsaws on social media with the […]

AgencyUK launches new product ranges for Pestle Herbs

Pestle Herbs eCommerce Brand NPD

The misery of summertime itching , sleepless nights and endless winter sniffles could be left behind as AgencyUK launch a series of new product ranges from online e-tailer, Pestle Herbs, with a targeted digital campaign. The campaign follows the agency’s appointment earlier this year to develop brand strategy and manage brand communications. www.pestleherbs.co.uk fills the […]

AgencyUK launches new TV campaign for Welsh Lamb

AgencyUK (formerly The Agency) has released its first fully integrated TV-led campaign for Welsh Lamb. The TV ad, entitled ‘First words’, launched on 2nd September and features the brand’s new strapline: ‘There’s lamb… and there’s Llamb’. The action opens on three generations of a family enjoying lunch. The young boy announces ‘Lamb!’ when it is […]

AgencyUK launches the first ever Llamb’s Day for Welsh Lamb

AgencyUK launched the inaugural Llamb’s Day on 1st August 2016 for client Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) – to raise awareness of the seasonality of Welsh Lamb. The newly created Llamb’s Day kicked off Welsh Lamb’s summer and autumn marketing campaign efforts, celebrating the start of the season for buying high quality […]

AgencyUK Lead Gaming Titles Re-launch :: Marketing Week

Future Publishing Sony Channel FirstCast

Future, the special-interest media group, has appointed AgencyUK, a leading brand and response marketing agency to develop creative online and print advertising for several of its high profile gaming brands.

AgencyUK look to Polish digital experts

AUK Poland Web Team

In an economically driven move, TheAgency has decided to produce part of its web development in Krakow, Poland. The decision is largely influenced by the mass relocation of a UK based Polish workforce, due to favourable economic conditions back home, and a relaxation on the tax benefits earned abroad. Many Polish workers have started to […]

AgencyUK nominated for 10 Drum Recommends Awards

AUK Drum Interview

South-West based team, AgencyUK has been nominated for 10 awards within the ‘Overall Agency’ and ‘Under 40 Staff Agency’ category groups for Drum Recommends, qualified by independent client ratings. AgencyUK is an independent integrated brand communications agency based in the South West who are passionate about working with brands they believe in. With a strategic […]

AgencyUK Nominated for Four RAR Digital Awards 2015

AUK Drum Interview

Bath-based integrated communications firm AgencyUK have been nominated in four categories in this years prestigious RAR Digital Awards. Famed for being an “award like no other”, the RAR Digital Awards are intended to give recognition to UK digital agencies that excel at delivering the highest levels of service, and are judged by their toughest critics […]

AgencyUK Nominated in Record 6 Drum Digital Awards

AgencyUK have been nominated for a record 6 awards at this years Drum Recommends Digital ceremony. The Drum Recommends carries with it a level of prestige and validation that exceeds most standard industry awards, as the nominations are based on a complex review process that includes annual performance, financial performance and most importantly past and […]

AgencyUK Online Advertising Agency Winners 2019

After receiving a record 6 nominations at this years Drum Digital Awards, south west based AgencyUK walked away the countries leading Online Advertising Agency under 40-people. The nominations round off a year which saw the team win Advertising Agency of 2019 in May, as well as a string of new client wins. Established in 2008 […]

AgencyUK Photoshop Wars: Bristol Balloon Fiesta

Bristol Balloon Fiesta

Last week saw the Bristol Balloon Fiesta return to the South West for its 37th year. That morning Paul, our Technical Lead, received an image from someone who was working in an office overlooking Bristol and the view was quite special. Paul decided to share the image around AgencyUK office. Creative Director Zane replied “Contrast needs tweaking … […]

AgencyUK puts Principality at heart of the community

AgencyUK Principality Campaign

Principality, the leading Welsh building society has undertaken an ambitious campaign to seek out and reward individuals who have made a measurable difference to people’s lives in Wales.

AgencyUK raises awareness for Julian House Christmas Appeal

Cartoon of people outside building with Christmas tree

Julian House is a charity that supports vulnerable and at-risk individuals, including those experiencing homelessness, escaping domestic abuse, adults with learning difficulties, and people needing support after leaving prison. Last year they provided help for over 1,600 vulnerable individuals across the South West, while their outreach teams supported more than 600 people on the streets. […]

AgencyUK Rank As No.1 Digital Agency In UK’s Biggest Industry Census

Bristol, Bath and the South West of England is fast becoming one the UK’s top hotspots for creative and digital services. Already celebrating some of Britain’s most successful exports including Aardman Animation, Dyson and Banksy, the two cities are now home to some of the UK’s top creative and digital agencies, many of which are […]

AgencyUK Ranked a Top 100 UK Design Agency by The Drum

AUK Drum Interview

Bath based integrated marketing firm AgencyUK have been listed in The Drum Magazine’s Top 100 UK Design Agency’s following their exceptional growth and financial performance throughout 2012. The result positions The Agency as a Top 5 South West design agency. Last November AgencyUK were ranked 45 in the UK’s Top 100 Agencies for 2013 by […]

AgencyUK Ranked a Top 100 UK Design Agency by The Drum

AUK Drum Interview

Bath based integrated marketing firm AgencyUK have been listed in The Drum Magazine’s Top 100 UK Design Agency’s following their exceptional growth and financial performance throughout 2012. The result positions AgencyUK as a Top 5 South West design agency. Last November AgencyUK were ranked 45 in the UK’s Top 100 Agencies for 2013 by the […]

AgencyUK rated No 1 independent marketing agency in the UK

After a recent wave of awards success, Bath-based integrated marketing firm, AgencyUK has been announced as the No 1 independent agency in the UK, according to The Drum’s annual national Agency Census.

AgencyUK re-launch global catering specialist brand BerkeleyScott

Berkeley Scott appoint AUK

Leading brand and response company AgencyUK has relaunched BerkeleyScott, the UK’s leader in hospitality and leisure recruitment. The relaunch includes new branding, website design, web-copy and web-architecture and an innovative print advertising campaign. The relaunch will present BerkeleyScott Ltd as a premium recruiter, once a core strength of the company which has become diluted over […]

AgencyUK recruits Zane Radcliffe as Creative Director

AUK Appoint Creative Director

AgencyUK – a triple winner at the recent Drum Network Awards – is building on a hugely successful 2014 with the appointment of Zane Radcliffe to its creative hot seat.

AgencyUK Rides High With Hat Trick Sports Brand Portfolio Wins

AgencyUK have introduced 3 new sports brands to their portfolio of clients following a focused new business campaign ahead of Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Ride Smart, Jon Pitts Human Performance and Flora Harris Eventing are all well known brands among the equestrian elite athlete fraternity. Each has appointed AgencyUK to the planning and […]

AgencyUK sampling of 50k loaves

AgencyUK Launch Glutafin wheat free bread

Glutafin, the prescription-only gluten-free food brand, is to mail 50,000 sample loaves of its new gluten-free fresh bread to UK coeliacs as part of an integrated launch created by AgencyUK.

AgencyUK Scores a Hat-Trick of Awards at the Emirates Stadium

AgencyUK Drum Network Awards

Bath-based integrated marketing communications agency, AgencyUK scored a hat-trick last night after winning top accolades at a leading awards ceremony for the Marketing industry, held at The Emirates Stadium in London (Thursday 6th November).

AgencyUK Shortlisted for Eight Leading Industry Awards

AUK Drum Interview

Integrated marketing firm, AgencyUK is shortlisted in eight categories at the leading Industry RAR awards.

AgencyUK shortlisted for two SPARKies Awards

Awards AgencyUK Winners

The team at AgencyUK have been shortlisted in two categories at the upcoming Bath SPARKies – the awards for Bath’s digital industry and a strong focus on the UK’s South West.

AgencyUK sign exclusivity contract with AdLib

AUK Appoint AdLib agency

Leading brand response company TheAgency has signed a Managed Recruitment Service contract with specialist media, creative and marketing recruiters, Ad Lib.

AgencyUK spring launch campaign for mattress brand SleepHack

sleephack mattress

AgencyUK has been appointed by Plitex Europe (trading as SleepHack) to complete a branding project and integrated launch campaign. The brainchild of a materials scientist, a bioengineer and a bedding industry veteran, SleepHack is the most technically advanced mattress to hit the market. AgencyUK has developed the SleepHack brand, designed and built the website — […]

AgencyUK strengthens its integrated team

AgencyUK Studio

Bath-based integrated creative agency AgencyUK has hired Paul Surridge as Art Director and Sophie Bullock as junior account manager.

AgencyUK Take Flight With 36% Growth and Executive Appointments

Apprentice creative agency

Bath based Brand, Creative, Digital and Social firm AgencyUK have promoted Planning Director Matt Rees to agency Partner, following a 12-month period of unprecedented growth. The latest set of filed company accounts show that AgencyUK turnover has increased by 30% and gross profit by 36% in the period ending January 2013, a continuation of 2012’s […]

AgencyUK takes home another win at the Chip Shop Awards

Bath-based integrated advertising and marketing firm AgencyUK has won another Chip Shop award for its creative work on a poster ad for train ticket website thetrainline.com. A celebration of creativity, the Chip Shop Awards are unusual as they allow for creatives to submit work for any brand they like – whether a client or not. […]

AgencyUK takes home prestigious Chairman’s Award at Drum Network Awards

Leading integrated marketing agency AgencyUK has rounded off a successful year with five wins at the prestigious Drum Network Awards, including the coveted Chairman’s Award for its work with Welsh Lamb. AgencyUK also took home awards for Agency Creative Team of the Year, Crisis PR Strategy, Food and Drink Campaign of the Year for its […]

AgencyUK Takes Home Two RAR Awards

Leading independent integrated marketing firm, AgencyUK has won two awards at the prestigious Industry awards, the RARs (Recommended Agency Register awards). The RARs are different from other agency awards, entrants are judged by clients, not a judging panel. To stand out, you have to really prove that your agency delivers outstanding results and the highest […]

AgencyUK Tech Team: Parallax Scrolling Websites

Website Eye tracking research UX UI

Our Tech Team here at AgencyUK have a lot to say about technology. This post is the first in a series delivered by our Tech Team to provoke discussion and opinion on all things Tech, so get involved! One of the hottest web design trends nowadays is parallax scrolling, which involves independently moving backgrounds and […]

AgencyUK to promote affordable home ownership

Campaign Promotion Affordable Housing Charity

Sovereign Living, part of Sovereign Housing Group, one of the largest social housing groups in the country, has appointed TheAgency to raise the profile of affordable home ownership and its developments.

AgencyUK to sponsor Insider Media’s Powering Business event

AUK Oi Conference

Award winning integrated marketing firm AgencyUK is to sponsor Insider Media’s Powering Business event that takes place this Thursday 22nd October at the Hilton Bath City Hotel. The event is an entrepreneurial conference which enables guest speakers to interact directly with the audience, aiming to help companies succeed and grow by avoiding mistakes others have […]

AgencyUK top Digital Agency in the South West

AgencyUK (formerly The Agency) has been revealed as the top digital agency in the South West, according to The Drum’s Digital Census. The prestigious piece of research produced annually by industry publication, The Drum, reviews the UK’s digital agency sector, taking a measure of its health and success over the previous year and providing a benchmark […]

AgencyUK win £4m BSM account

Women driving car

BSM, the largest and most established driving school in the UK, is driving into a £4 million brand evolution to reinvigorate and modernise the company, to broaden its appeal and be more relevant to the core youth learner market. The move comes ahead of its 100th anniversary in 2010, and is designed to reinforce BSM’s market […]

AgencyUK WIN Recolight 7-fig account

AgencyUK recycling brand

Currently, less than 10 per cent of UK households recycle energy efficient light bulbs, which are classed as hazardous waste due to their mercury content. In a bid to increase this figure to 60 per cent by 2014, Recolight, the specialist recycling service organisation for fluorescent and mercury lamps, has appointed TheAgency in a seven […]

AgencyUK Wins Advertising Agency Of The Year 2019

AgencyUK have been awarded Advertising Agency of the Year having been nominated for a record 10 awards within the ‘Overall Agency’ and ‘Under 40 Staff Agency’ category groups for Drum Recommends 2019. The only awards qualified by independent client ratings. AgencyUK is an independent integrated brand communications agency based in the South West who are […]

AgencyUK Wins Chewits Creative & Social Media Account

Cloetta UK, home of international confectionery brands that include CandyKing and The Jelly Bean Factory, has selected integrated brand comms agency, AgencyUK, to deliver marketing and communication services for its iconic Chewits brand. In response to a three-way competitive pitch, AgencyUK has been selected to provide services including creative brand strategy, public relations, and social […]

AgencyUK Wins Grand Prix at The Drum Creative Awards

The UK’s No.1 Independent marketing agency scooped the top accolade at the annual Chip Shop Awards in London for its disruptive and funny ‘Station Posters’ campaign for Hornby. It capped a successful evening where The Agency showcased the strength and breadth of its creative product, winning four category awards for Best Political Ad (UKIP), Best […]

AgencyUK wins Rex Resorts global creative pitch

Rex Resorts Tourism Brand AUK

Brand response specialist AgencyUK has been appointed by Rex Resorts, the UK’s leading Caribbean hotel and African Safari operator, to create a new direct response print campaign for the brand and also to refresh the brand’s positioning. The move will make it more relevant to a newer, travel savvy target audience and give it a […]

AgencyUK wins RKA account

London Recruitment Brand AUK

AgencyUK wins accountancy recruitment firm’s global brand and sales acquisition strategy Leading brand & response marketing specialist, AgencyUK, has won the integrated brand and sales acquisition strategy for accountancy recruitment specialist, RK Accountancy (part of the Kellan Group).

AgencyUK: Amdaris Win Great British Entrepreneur Award

Amdaris Brand PR Awards AUK

Softech firm Amdaris have won the Great British Entrepreneur Award just 6-months after securing a £6m investment from BGF. The Bristol company has offices in the UK, Dubai, Moldova and Romania, providing software development teams in high profile industries from Oil and Gas to finance and logistics. In 2017 the board appointed AgencyUK to help […]

AgencyUK: most-awarded independent agency in the UK

Awards AgencyUK Winners

Leading Bath-based Integrated marketing firm, AgencyUK has topped a chart of the most-awarded marketing communications agencies in the UK.

AgencyUK’s Tech Director gives talk on Digital Ideation

We’re delighted to announce that AgencyUK’s Technical Director Nick Clarkson will be speaking at the next Bristol BBMN (Bath and Bristol Marketing Network) event.

AgencyUK’s Antibiotic awareness campaign receives national award for its community focus

A campaign created by AgencyUK to help tackle antibiotic resistance by educating parents has just received national recognition at the Antibiotic Guardian Awards. The award comes as news of a ‘dramatic’ reduction in antibiotic prescription has been announced by the NHS this week. The news of the reduction follows the campaign which aimed to increase […]

AgencyUK’s creative is judged Cream of the crop

AUK Drum Interview

AgencyUK’s creative team has returned from a successful night at the Cream Awards in Birmingham, earning six wins from six nominations. With two Gold awards and four Silver, the night showcased the strength and breadth of AgencyUK’s creative product, with category wins embracing TV, posters and press. The funny and disruptive ‘Station Posters’ campaign for […]

AgencyUK’s feeling chipper with five Creative Award nominations

Bath-based integrated advertising and marketing firm AgencyUK has gained its record number of nominations in The Drum’s annual Chip Shop Creative Awards.

AgencyUK’s summer of festivals: a review

As the summer draws to a close, our Social & PR team reflect on their summer of festivals spent with our client Welsh Lamb… Late July saw us head backstage to artists catering at V Festival with celebrity chef Luke Thomas, who was cooking up all sorts of Welsh Lamb delights for the likes of […]

AgencyUK’s Walking Lunch campaign for Westfield Health wins B2B Campaign of the Year at the PRMoment Awards

AgencyUK’s Walking Lunch campaign for Westfield Health in 2016 came away with a top prize at the PRMoment Awards last night, having been named B2B Campaign of the Year. The campaign, which took place during National Walking Month 2016, encouraged teams within businesses to spend their lunch breaks getting out of the office and walking […]

Alive to change: a flexible approach to the ‘always on’ consumer

Virtual Reality Digital Channel

All brands must evolve to survive and thrive. We’ve recently experienced a rapid period of evolution at the freshly branded AgencyUK (formerly The Agency), so we thought it appropriate to offer a few insights into the strategy that lies behind our own agency evolution. For many, the past few years have shown signs of creative […]

All good things come in threes: the power of social, video and Amazon

Social media and video content go together like macaroni and cheese. However, getting the right recipe to drive sales from your video content isn’t always as easy. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know by now the most effective way to engage your audience is with video. According to HubSpot, an astonishing 72% of […]

All Regions But Europe Record Increase In Q1 Ad Spend

European Consumer Advertising

All regions but Europe saw a rise in advertising expenditure in the first three months of the year, recording a 4.4% decline as economic growth on the old continent remained subdued.

Almost 25% Of Britons Use Mobiles To Compare Prices While In-Store

Mobile ecommerce security

Nearly a 25% of UK consumers turned to their mobile devices while shopping in-store to compare prices during the holiday season, as I read in a report from experience design specialist Foolproof.

Altruism or selfishness? | Brand Republic Feature

Mountain on lake

To the casual observer, the recession appears to have made consumers far more careful. But actually, we may be witnessing a more significant change in their behaviour. They are, in fact, becoming considered rather than careful. Consumers are increasingly ready to break away from more ‘conventional’ behaviour. But before we go into the why let’s examine […]

Amazon Opens First Physical Store For Christmas Surge

Amazon user experience ecoomerce retail app

With Christmas swiftly approaching, online retail giant Amazon has opened its first physical store in New York City, The Drum reports. In a move contrary to that of other shopping brands who are focussing on more online availability, Amazon is hoping the first bricks-and-mortar store will act as a mini-warehouse for various items and be […]

Amazon Rated The Number One Company For Customer Experience

Data marketing Kindle and Amazon

A recent study by eDigitalResearch, entitled the ‘eChannel Retail Benchmark’ report, has recently found that Amazon tops the list of retailers in terms of digital customer experience in the UK. The report consists of a mystery shopper survey which looked at the customer experience at ten retailers; including an insight into the first impressions of […]

Amazon Top Social Influencer In The World

Data marketing Kindle and Amazon

According to the recent Klout 50 list, from Lithium Technologies, of the top global companies for social media influence, online retail giant Amazon is the top global brand for this form of influence, the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) UK reports.

Amongst the brand claims and influencer chatter, authenticity reigns

Mobile Advertising Influencer

Trendjacking. Put simply, the art of capitalising on an existing trend with the intention of boosting brand awareness, growth or engagement. This is an act that most brands identify with, and dependent on their chosen course of action, will either thrive or die by. Its success? Authenticity. In the world of PR, trendjacking is a […]

An open letter to the ASA, CAP and Electoral Commission

I write not through political discontent, a disheartening towards our democratic process or through any ill wishes towards Brexit or Remain voters. I write in complaint of the propaganda and battle cries from which all parties fought their corner. In particular, I write to lobby your organisations so that future political campaigns may fall subject […]

Android OS Most Popular In UK with 37% Market Share

Social Media channel advertising users

Apple may still be the leading brand on the UK smartphone market but Google seems to be speeding up in the next lane. According to new figures from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, published in the Guardian, Google’s smartphone OS, Android, now has the biggest market share.

Android Sales Strengthen Globally

Social Media Content Channels

Smartphones and iPhones have been synonymous in many people’s minds around the world for quite some time now, but things look set to change, as new figures from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech reveal that Android-operated mobile devices are enjoying a huge boost in popularity across Europe, the US and Australia. In fact, Google’s Android now accounts […]

Anonymous Apps The Latest Craze

Anonymous apps are gaining in popularity, attracting the attention of children and teenagers due to the anonymous aspect, giving them the opportunity to pour their hearts out without fear of being identified by their audience. Apps like Whisper and Secret have huge audiences because of this, with Whisper estimated to get 3.5 billion views on […]

App Revenues In The UK Increase Dramatically

The revenue generated from apps in the UK is growing faster than downloads, Warc reports, with consumers in possession of a smartphone or tablet looking to gain access to news and entertainment services whilst on the move. The results – which show that app revenue is growing six times faster than downloads – comes from […]

Apple Remains Britain’s “Coolest Brand”

After a recent poll by the CoolBrands List, Apple has remained number one in Britain for the third year in a row, The Guardian reports. The tech firm beat competitors like Twitter, Instagram, Netflix, Nike and Aston Martin to the top spot.

Apple To Offer Programmatic Buying Of iAds

According to a recent article on Marketing Week, tech firm Apple is due to begin offering advertisers the chance to buy mobile app inventory with programmatic buys, in an attempt to make its advertising services more accessible. iAds will be made available on a worldwide scale via this method of purchasing as the company looks […]

Apps for kids, the new golden goose?

kids mobile channel advertising content

As the popularity of tablet devices continues to increase, a new and exciting market is emerging. A new article on the topic of smartphone and tablet apps for children, has been published in the Financial Times.

April Fool’s Day: The Best Brand Hoaxes this Year

It’s that time of year again – where brands get extra points for letting loose and showing their real personality. Deceptive, silly and hopefully funny – here are the best ones from this year: 1. Google – Google Plastic Jumping on the current virtual reality hype, Google has launched its latest high tech VR product […]

Are Brands Ditching Social Media?

Social media still leaves some marketers baffled and only a third are actively employing social to promote new products. Another third are abandoning social platforms after failing to make them work to their advantage, Decision Marketing reports.

Are Britons Falling Out Of Love With Facebook?

Facebook social media content

It was quite surprising to find out this week that as many as 600,000 Britons shunned Facebook in December, prompting concerns that the most popular social media platform was running close to saturation in its key markets.

Are Silver Surfers Responsive To Social Media Marketing?

Consumers over the age of 50 are often ignored by online marketing campaigns, as many brands assume this older demographic are not engaged with the digital landscape. However, reports have confirmed the influx of “Silver Surfers” to online channels. Econsultancy has shed light on the matter and revealed the reasons that make it so hard […]

Are today’s “Big Creative” ideas really just small thoughts? | Brand Republic Feature

Men working in office

It has long since struck me that what we do as advertising agencies emulates the music business. Over the past decade band loyalists have diminished, and been replaced with screaming fans in need of a one off lyrical fix, and very few bands are able to sustain the momentum needed to make a regular income.

Are You A Dipper Or A Peacock On Social Media?

Social Media Content Channels

The University of Winchester, in collaboration with first direct, has found that, although they may seem quite similar, active Facebook and Twitter users perceive content on these two channels quite differently. The researchers have separated the types of social media users into 12 groups and here’s an overview of the main characteristics of their behaviour.

Ariel’s New Campaign Seeks Emotional Connection With Consumers

Web analytics tracking gender

Ariel, the laundry detergent line of consumer packaged goods giant Procter & Gamble (P&G), is looking to engage consumers by offering them a more intimate and affective approach with its latest campaign, an article I read in Marketing Week suggests.

Articles Voted The Most Helpful Form Of Content

Blogger blog writing content social strategy

A recent survey from the Economist Group and Peppercomm asked B2B marketing executives their opinion on the most helpful forms of content, Marketing Charts reports. The survey found that the overwhelming majority of those questioned found business-related articles to be the most helpful, with 71% of the respondents choosing it as part of their top […]

ASA To Maintain Current Approach To Facebook Brand Pages

Facebook social media content

Last week, Australia’s Advertising Standards Board (ASB) had social media users let out a collective gasp of astonishment and horror after the regulator declared brands responsible for what their Facebook followers post on company walls. The ASB decided that posts constitute advertising regardless of their creator and as such they should abide by the laws […]

Asda Gains On Tesco In Grocery

AgencyUK consumer brand

With Morrison’s falling profits news debated on the BBC this morning. Rarely has competition among the UK’s top retail brands been as fierce as it is these days. With cash-strapped consumers looking for possible ways to reduce costs, retailers’ sales volume and market share matter significantly.

Asda, Tesco Tweak Non-Food Development Strategies

Supermarket Brands Integrated Advertising

UK retailers have had a bit of a rough time lately so the latest news will come as no surprise. The two biggest retailers, Asda and Tesco, have changed their strategies on the development of non-food stores.

Ash Communications Celebrate AgencyUK Win

People at event

Ash Communications celebrates marketing client win second time around. Leading brand & response marketing consultancy AgencyUK, has awarded its PR contract to Ash Communications. The consultancy has been appointed to raise its profile in the advertising, marketing and creative fields, and in vertical market client sectors, and communicate AgencyUK’s focus on delivering a larger return […]

Asos, Amazon Score Top In Customer Satisfaction Index

Augmented reality advertising media

Customer satisfaction is a key concept for retailers who wish to remain competitive. How consumers view and measure good customer service is something that many brands should be interested to hear and the new UK Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI) by the Institute of Customer Service (ICS) may offer some insight into that.

AUK & Pimento 6PM Club | Feb 26th @ Walcot House

Sammy MD AgencyUK Pimento Event

6pm Feb 26th @WalcotHouseBath the AUK team be giving a short overview on Kantar | Milward Brown’s Meaningful Difference for Brands. Please join us and our Pimento partners for a few drinks & opportunity to meet some influential marketing folks. https://lnkd.in/dPwXFPY to register.

AUK completes brand refresh and website launch for Iridium Insights

AUK Iridium Insights Brand

AgencyUK has developed a full brand strategy and online presence for FMCG industry business intelligence company Iridium Insights. The company, which was formed by consumer industry experts with 20 years experience of data management and market analysis within business intelligence, came to AgencyUK for a new brand and website to better align with the company’s […]

AUK Creates  ‘Panto Farm’ Mockumentary for Local Charity

AgencyUK has launched an online Christmas film for Send a Cow, a Bath-based charity dedicated improving the lives of African families. ‘#PantoFarm’ was shot as a spoof documentary concerning a rural cattle farmer who breeds pantomime cows for panto season. Assisted by his ‘principal boy’ Beth – sorry, Bob – he fattens up his herd […]

AUK on Glaxo Smithkline | Marketing Week

AUK GSK Opinion

In response to a release on 15th Sept 2010 by GSK in Marketing Week “GlaxoSmithKline’s consumer healthcare division is looking to bolster its understanding of its customers’ online shopping habits and improve the marketing of its products with the launch of an online store.”

AUK PodCast: How we navigate Covid19 as we ramp up for work

Sammy PodCast AgencyUK

Part of the GYDA Initiative. By no means an exhaustive list and very high level but a good start when prioritising decision making. First two Top Tips… 1. Stay positive 2. Protect the business Full Podcast here https://lnkd.in/dFnwb62

Australia Prefers News Content In Digital Form

Digital Media Agency User Experience

According to a new piece of research from Enhanced Media Metrics Australia (EMMA), 58% of news readers prefer to receive their news stories in a digital form, The Newspaper Works reports. This figure rises even further for those aged 25 to 54, reaching 66%.

Auto Brands Among Biggest Mobile Ad Spenders

Automotive carshop car sales

It was quite interesting to discover that car manufacturers have been among the 10 biggest spenders on mobile marketing for more than two years, spending 72% more than dealerships, auto repair services and online car listings.

Automotive Brands Embracing Mobile

Automotive Car Brands

A number of top automotive brands – including Audi, Volkswagen and Peugeot – have embraced mobile, with 90% of the UK’s top 50 brands creating a mobile optimised website, the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) noted.

Avoid short term brand fails with meaningful difference

Short term focus versus long term brand thinking can make the difference between a successful organisation and a smart organisation. It can also determine the company culture regardless of its size. Over the last twenty years I’ve seen companies that end up commoditising their offer nearly always start by trying to fix a short term […]

Award-winning The Agency rebrands as AgencyUK

The award-winning integrated marketing firm The Agency is entering a new era, with a complete rebrand and the addition of new flagship services. From the start of September, The Agency will be known as AgencyUK. Founder and Managing Director, Sammy Mansourpour said: “It’s a natural evolution for our business and one that better reflects our […]

Baby Boomers Emerge As Most Positive Product Reviewers

Baby boomer consumer generation

The Baby Boom generation, people aged between 47 and 65, may not be as tech savvy as younger generations but this has not affected their enthusiasm for engaging in online conversations about product and service quality.

Baby Boomers Lead Last-Minute Shopping Frenzy This Christmas

Old Consumer Online Baby boomer

Baby boomers (people aged 45 and over) were the generation most responsible for the last-minute shopping rush at Christmas, a new study from customer payments and insight specialist The Logic Group reveals. The study outlines some surprising differences in festive shopping behaviour among different age groups, which should again highlight how important it is for […]

Banks More Trustworthy To Customers If They Use Content Marketing

Natwest banking brand

Around 33% of UK consumers don’t trust their banks, a recent study has found – but they are more likely to if the banks engage in content marketing, Fourth Source reports. It seems that content marketing should not be overlooked even in the niche banking market.

BARB To Measure TV Viewing Across All Devices

I read this week that starting from August, TV ratings in the UK will also include Internet TV viewing as part of the figures. The Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board (BARB), the official TV ratings body in the UK, has revealed it would start measuring for the first time TV usage across computer devices, including tablets.

Bardsley England pitch bears fruit with appointment of AgencyUK as brand communications partner

Bardsley England are one of the UK’s largest producers of top fruit. The business grows 22k tonnes of fruit annually from their 24 sites and 820ha of land across the Kent countryside. A fifth generation family business, Bardsley England has undergone a significant transformation over the past 6-years under the stewardship of managing director and […]

Basic Instinct | ViewPoint Magazine Feature

Brand agency

My alarm clock kicks in and the DJ tells me to tweet him. I brush my teeth and wonder if one of those semi-intelligent brushes might make my teeth whiter. I head downstairs and think it would be good to get one of those interactive fridges that tells …

Bath artist creates AgencyUK’s Christmas card with festive songs hidden in snowy scene

The Christmas season is upon us and award-winning integrated marketing firm AgencyUK has commissioned local artist Kate Davies to create an interactive Christmas card. The festive scene was hand painted by Kate Davies, an illustrator and watercolourist. Kate works from her studio at home in Colerne, Wiltshire to create beautiful, illustrative art with English charm […]

Bath Chronicle: Festival Puts the Digital spotlight on City “for Good” featuring AgencyUK’s Sammy

Bath Digital Festival Forest of Imagination

This week hundreds of people are expected to flock to Bath, not because of the usual tourist attractions but because of all things digital.

Bath Uni Interview: Amy Stobie On Getting A Career in Advertising

Sammy and Amy

A: We set up the business six years ago, myself and my husband and business partner Sammy. I came from a business background, and was a sales and marketing director for a global outsourcing operation, where I headed up the sales and marketing teams. My husband worked for Rapier London, and then we set up […]

BBC To Use IMImobile To Merge Mobile & Social Audience Engagement

BBC iPlayer mobile app

The BBC recently awarded a contract to IMImobile – specifically the company’s newly developed DaVinci Social platform – to merge the media conglomerate’s social and mobile audience cross-channel engagement into a single platform, The Drum reports.

Be sociable and size won’t matter | Brand Republic Feature ::

Social Media groups

Let me start with a few questions… Did you make poverty history? Did you buy the Haiti single? Have you enjoyed some comic relief?

Being Commercially Creative – featured by Brand Republic

People at event

Phil Blackmore, creative director at AgencyUK, discusses what being “commercially creative” means for a business and how to ensure success. It’s Monday morning and I’m taking a brief for a new client. The brief is well written, focused and full of promise. But as I scan the page I see a familiar phrase rears it […]

Benefits Of Online Marketing For Professional Services Providers

Professional services marketing online digital strategy

Successful online marketing requires a clear understanding of business goals in order to use the medium to effectively promote a company. Brands can then deliver engaging content and communicate messages the right way. While it can prove a hard task for some, it appears that online marketing is of paramount importance to tradesmen, as I read in an article from […]

Benetton’s Latest Ad Campaign Directs Attention To Youth Unemployment

Brand Benneton Youth Consumer Targeting

United Colours of Benetton is coming out with a new campaign aimed at highlighting the booming rates of young jobless people and the company is asking the young unemployed to make proposals on how to cope with the problem.

Beverage Brands Yet To Reach Today’s Consumer

Women Consumer Drink Food FMCG

Fierce competition and the continuing fragmentation of the beverage market is forcing brands to fight for their place on store shelves and compete for consumers’ attention via social media.

Beyond CRM & Onto Marketing Automation

ecommerce website consumer spending

Marketing professionals constantly have to deal with new developments within the industry and trying to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and innovations. CRM – or customer relationship management – is part of this, and is a key aspect of any business. In a recent article on Biz Community, columnist Lauren Heap writes how marketing […]

Big companies aren’t creative | Creative Match Feature

Big company creativity

I’ve spent quite a bit of time with a senior principal at IBM recently. We’ve had a few inflammatory discussions around the IBM brand, corporate green washing and the most recent Accenture / IBM / NHS deal or no-deal. However what did spark an interesting debate was based on IBM’s approach to creativity and commercial […]

Black Friday Due To Be Biggest Online Shopping Day

ecommerce shopper retail marketiong mobile app

In a recent report by The Telegraph it has been stated that this coming Black Friday – which falls on November 28th – is due to be the biggest online shopping day in history. Black Friday, traditionally an American shopping craze which made its way into the UK within the last four years or so, […]

Black Friday Sales Break Record; Mobile Sees Significant Increase In Adoption

Multichannel Advertising eCommerce

There was a lot of hype surrounding Black Friday, with predictions that the day would break a number of records set in previous years. These predictions were not unfounded and it has recently been revealed that online sales on November 28th reached $2.4 billion, the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) UK reports.

Blogging Has Become A Profession In The UK

Blogger blog writing content social strategy

It has become common for bloggers in the UK to be paid for their work – in fact, 65% of bloggers now receive some form of income for their writing, while 27% are pursuing blogging as a career, a new report from Mason Williams Communications reveals. The study, which is part of a Pan-European Blogbarometer […]

Blogs Have Strong Impact On Buying Decisions

Twitter Brand Advertising

I find it really astonishing every time I read about women’s dramatic power to influence (in a good way) the people around them, with their ability to give tips and persuade increasing with the help of the Internet. Today, I came across a recent survey from UK parent blogs community Tots100, which once again confirmed […]

Bloom & Co. diamond jewellery brand appoint AgencyUK

Wedding ring

Bloom & Co, the UK’s leading expert jewellery designers and re-modellers have appointed AgencyUK to implement their online retail strategy, supporting planning, creative and web development.

Boomtown Festival appoints AgencyUK as strategic creative and media partner

Since its launch as an alternative music festival in 2009, Boomtown Fair has grown into one of the world’s most recognised ‘experience festival’ brands, each year giving rise to an entire theme-town bursting out of the Hampshire hillside. As well as hosting world class musical acts like Gorillaz and Wu-Tang Clan, Boomtown Fair also presents […]

Boxing Day sets all-time record for busiest ecommerce day

ecommerce website consumer spending

According to research from Experian Hitwise, UK consumers spent 13m hours shopping online on Boxing Day, which makes it the biggest e-commerce day in the UK ever.

Brand and Response works better together – The BARCO Model

Men working in office

The BARCO (Brand and  Response Communication Optimisation) model is a planning and evaluation tool that allows us to interrogate your brand promise and establish your campaigns response criteria, before going Live!

Brand Santa

Brand Santa Christmas consumer

Ahead of the Christmas season our planning and creative teams seem to have spent a little too much time thinking about Brand Santa. Here’s their thinking, straight off the white board.

Brand Websites Preferred Hub For Entering Competitions

Social Retail eCommerce Digital Shopper

Social media is gradually becoming the top choice for brands wishing to have a strong platform for running promotions, but in their rush to share consumers’ excitement with new media formats, they shouldn’t overlook other effective methods for engagement.

Branding Brexit: the comms strategy failures around the EU referendum

By Sammy Mansourpour, Managing Director, AgencyUK Nine minutes before Boris Johnson publicly declared which side he was backing in Britain’s referendum on membership of the European Union, he texted David Cameron to let him know – “Dave, I’m backing Brexit. Soz.” Or words to that effect. It was less than ten minutes before the media-at-large […]

Branding lessons you can learn from Apple

Apple… The likelihood is when somebody says ‘apple,’ the fruit isn’t necessarily the first thing you think of; it could well be the technology giant and branding maestro’s from Apple Inc. – the American multi-national company that has taken over the world. As a result of the company’s success, businesses both big and small are […]

Brands Advised To Capitalise On Increased Female Spending Power

Beach Body Marketing Trends

I read this week that despite women’s strong spending power and their increasing potential to contribute significantly to the revenues of certain brands, most companies still fail to respond adequately to their needs when it comes to value, time saving and emotions.

Brands Can Further Improve M-Commerce Experience

Mobile Search engine optimisation

These days, companies seem to be busy doing one of two things – devising ways of maximising the marketing potential of social media, or working on strategies to increase sales through mobile channels.

Brands Double Investment In Programmatic Platforms

Multichannel Integrated Advertising

A new survey by the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) has revealed that the world’s biggest-spending marketers have doubled investments in programmatic platforms over the past 12 months, Warc reported.

Brands Encouraged To Make Emotional Connection To Mothers Online

Mums Consumer

At the recent Mumstock event in London last month it was revealed that brands are being encouraged to abandon the use of large data sets in order to gain an insight into the activity of mums online, and should instead use small focus groups and face-to-face conversations to generate a meaningful relationship, Marketing Week reports.

Brands Experience Higher Engagement On Instagram Than Twitter, Report Finds

Social Instagram channel content

A recent report published by Socialbakers has discovered that brands with an online presence on Instragram tend to receive 50 times more engagement than those present on Twitter, Marketing Week reports. Engagement was measured in terms of the number of retweets, replies and favourites received by a brand on both sites. There is, however, no […]

Brands Fail To Use Google+ For Marketing

Google offices

A year after it was launched, Google+ has hardly managed to live up to expectations in terms of user adoption and marketing influence.

Brands Long-Term Values Damaged By Over Reliance On Promotions

AUK on branding chemistry for consumer interaction

Brands spending too much time and effort on promotions risk affecting long-term values, as many consumers have now become “immune” to such marketing techniques, the Institute of Promotional Marketing (IPM) warns.

Brands need Chemistry not Creativity

AUK on branding chemistry for consumer interaction

In a world where big ideas are deemed less important than a 0.1% increase in customer journey conversions, creative agencies are working hard to justify their clients continued support. As a believer that creative ideas change the world and mathematicians make it go round, I am wondering if the small world of marketing is becoming […]

Brands Need To Be Local, Not Global, When Looking To Better Their Reputations

Local brands

According to the advertising and marketing news aggregator site Warc, new research from MSLGroup has found that brands looking to improve their reputation need to market at a local – rather than global – level.

Brands Need To Come Across As Useful In Order To Hold Onto Consumers

Branded Websites

According to a new piece of research from Digital Dopamine, the concept of brand loyalty has fluctuated wildly with the advent of digital, with consumers now looking for useful information and rewards from brands as opposed to interesting tit-bits, Warc reports.

Brands Need To Work Harder To Engage Young Girls

Professional services marketing online digital strategy

According to recent statistics published on Marketing Week, brands that aim to engage young girls are resorting to old stereotypes and may in fact be putting off a large proportion of their target audience from buying from them. Research has found that young girls tend to prefer brands that empower them and encourage them to […]

Brands Prove Unsuccessful In Measuring Social

Social Media Content Channels

With social channels now widely seen as a conduit for higher customer engagement and sentiment, brands are now increasingly keen on integrating social media into their marketing and businesses strategies. However, they still find it difficult to develop an effective approach to evaluating the effects, according to a recent study.

Brands See Sustainability As Key To Growth

Food brands creative

Sustainability is turning into a major concern for brand owners, who are placing more emphasis on it, not just in terms of production, but also in areas like new product development and marketing. This is the main finding of a new study by Accenture.

Brands Seek Strong Customer Relationship Through Social Media Investments

AUK on Social Media Marketing

A recent blog post by Adam Sarner, research director at Gartner, who claims that – judging from the results established through the annual social media surveys of the IT research firm – enhancing customer relationships is the main reason that spurs brands’ investments in social media.

Brands Shopping For Customer Insights To Improve Performance

TV Advertising Spend

Broadcaster Sky and retailer Sainsbury’s, two of the largest collectors of personal data, recently revealed strategies aimed at boosting the consumer experience and opening more opportunities for advertisers, according to an article today in Marketing Week. This underscores the increasing importance of customer information as a mighty tool not only for fostering revenues, but also […]

Brands should focus on big spenders to make profit

Male Shopper Consumers eCommerce

New research re-enforces the validity of the Pareto Principal during the recession, and shows that UK brands can see their profit increase if they stay focused on the top 20% of their consumers.

Brands Should Improve Privacy Policies As Consumers Become More Willing To Share Data

Retail mobile digital app

Companies seeking to reach more customers should install robust data privacy controls to improve their credibility in the eyes of consumers, the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) suggests in its Customer Acquisition Barometer 2014.

Brands Should Partner With YouTube Creators To Connect With Younger Generation

YouTube Desktop Social Channel

YouTube is the favourite brand of young Britons aged 18 to 24 and has been at the top of the polls for two years in a row now. This demographic use it for everything, from watching videos to finding how-to guides. Advertising, however, has not been able to fully leverage this channel, since traditional formats […]

Brands Still Failing To Get The Most From Social Media

Social Media Marketing

An interesting study has revealed that despite the broad range of tools Facebook provides to business owners to make their pages engaging and attractive to consumers, the majority of brands still fail to reap the benefits of this type of communication channel.

Brands To Get Access To Twitter Archive

Twitter Brand Advertising

With Facebook’s upcoming IPO and Google’s change of privacy policy, many users have been seriously concerned about their personal information being used for the wrong purposes.

Bring brand response to beat the crunch!

Marketer Branding Agency AUK Strategy

In the current climate, says Sammy Mansourpour co-founder of AgencyUK, marketing budgets are getting crunched just as much as credit, which means the marketing buck has got to work much harder to achieve the ROI bang than it did this time last year.

Bringing Digital Technology In-Store Is One Of E-Retailers’ 2013 Priorities

ecommerce shopper retail marketiong mobile app

Expanding sales power in Europe, bringing digital technology in-store and optimising trade via mobile devices will be the major goals European online retailers will seek to achieve this year as part of their growth strategies. An article in Internet Retailing, which outlines the main conclusions that can be drawn from Forrester’s latest report.

Bristol Against Cancer | Above & Beyond appoints AgencyUK

Doctor in kit

Bristol’s hospitals charity Above & Beyond has appointed AgencyUK for its latest campaign. Following a competitive pitch process, the Bath-based agency will be delivering a creative, integrated campaign for the charity, focussing on cancer services in Bristol’s hospitals. Julie Worrall, director of fundraising and development for Above & Beyond, said: “This is a really exciting […]

Bristol City Council appoint AgencyUK for launch of Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone

Bristol temple quarter enterprise zone advertising

Bristol City Council has appointed TheAgency, based inBathto handle the brand and marketing roll-out for the new Bristol Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone.

Britain votes for coolest brands

Union Jack Crumpled

The marketing world has conducted a survey for what it believes to be the coolest brands available in Britain in 2015. The CoolBrands survey asked 2,500 British consumers, along with a panel of 36 professionals including musicians, TV personalities, fashion industry experts and editors for their opinion on the coolest brands on the market. According […]

British food & drink brands need to take back control — here’s how.

The Brexit turmoil is taking its toll, that’s for sure. There’s no doubt that international trade hangs in the balance, but if British food and drink brands act fast, they can take back control. Why? Because although Brand Britain overseas may be damaged, domestic love is still strong. Independent producers marketing their food and drink […]

British Mums Set To Keep Christmas Spirit Alive Despite Lower Budgets

Mum Shop Online Consumers

Recent research from Asda has found that, despite concerns about shrinking budgets, British mums are determined to do their best to help their children enjoy the spirit of Christmas and not let their financial hurdles spoil the celebrations.

British TV Ad Spending Reached Record Amount In 2011

TV Advertising Spend

Digital advertising may be occupying the thoughts of marketers but don’t be in a hurry to write off good old television.

Briton Is Most Digitally Engaged Nation In Europe

UK Digital Social Engagement

Believe it or not, our country is a champion in terms of time spent online and we are more digitally engaged than any other European nation, according to an interesting snippet from a new study from ComScore.

Britons Dedicate 13 Minutes Every Hour Online To Social Media

Social Media channel advertising users

Britons use 13 minutes out of every hour spent on the web for social networking and forums, figures from information services company Experian has shown.

Britons More Emotionally Attached To Mobile Phones Than Americans And South Koreans

Mobile Commerce ecommerce app

The Internet Advertising Bureau UK (IAB) is passing on a hint to marketers seeking to establish successful campaigns and make use of new innovations with the release of research looking into consumers’ attitudes towards mobile technology and the level of their emotional connection with these devices.

Britons Spend 32% Of Shopping Budgets Online

eCommerce AgencyUK launch

It is common knowledge that Britons are avid online shoppers. Other European nations may spend more money online but UK consumers channel 32% of their shopping budgets into e-commerce transactions and that is the highest proportion on the continent, the Interactive Advertising Bureau Europe (IAB Europe) said in its latest Mediascope Europe report.

Britons To Spend £1.3 Billion on World Cup Shopping

World Cup FIFA Advertising Marketing

With the 2014 World Cup in Brazil due to kick off, market researchers are busy publishing forecasts on all aspects of the tournament and related activities. A Centre for Retail Research report commissioned by VoucherCodes.co.uk estimates that fans will spend as much as £1.3 billion if England passes the group stage. If the team reaches […]

Britons Top The List Of Biggest Online Shoppers

Outdoor Out of Home Advertising

It was quite surprising to read today that Britons are champions in online shopping, with e-commerce in the UK having more admirers than any other major country.

Britons Yet To Embrace Mobile Wallet Technology

UK Shoppers Consumer trends

Mobile payment technologies are yet to win the hearts of British consumers, with less than one in ten people saying they have made a transaction using their mobile device.

Brits Lose Patience After Waiting in Queue For 6 Minutes

Supermarket Brands Integrated Advertising

British shoppers’ patience for standing in queues in physical stores lasts only six minutes, at least according to omni-channel retail specialist Omnico. They hinted that the time has come for retailers to figure out how to keep checkout lines moving.

Brits Spend Over £3,300 On Online Shopping

ecommerce website consumer spending

Here’s some interesting stats: according to the 2012 WorldPay eCommerce Basket Survey, the average British consumer spends £3,370 a year on online shopping, with men spending slightly more than women.

BSM puts Dual Theory to the Test

AgencyUK Fiat 500m Launch

Helped by a tie-up with Fiat, BSM is using its centenary to take its marketing in a new direction by targeting the two key elements of its customer base – young learner drivers and their parents.

BSM realigns digital strategy to increase sales

BSM Digital Marketing Campaigns

BSM, the largest and most established driving school in the UK, has launched a new website as part of a wider realignment of its digital offering, following extensive usability testing.

BSM.co.uk goes mobile with AgencyUK

AgencyUK Fiat 500m Launch

BSM has launched a new mobile optimised website www.bsm.co.uk for pupils and instructors. It marks the driving school’s continued commitment to making sure all its customers receive the best possible experience and support. The site has been designed to work on desktops, smartphones and tablets alike, incorporating the very latest in mobile technology.

BT & Superfast Cornwall Appoints AgencyUK to Superfast Broadband Campaign

BT Superfast appoint AUK

Superfast Cornwall – the pioneering broadband partnership between the EU, BT and Cornwall Council – has appointed fast growing advertising firm AgencyUK for its latest advertising campaign.

Business Outcomes Affected By Social

Social Media channel advertising users

According to a new piece of research from consultancy firm Deloitte and the MIT Sloan Management Review, around two thirds of businesses have reported a positive impact on business outcomes thanks to the use of social channels, Warc reports. Around 60% of B2B and 68% of B2C companies agreed with the view that investing in […]

Businesses Rushing To Keep Up With Mobile Data

Mobile Commerce ecommerce app

Mobile devices are being used for more and more everyday activities, creating a huge amount of data that marketing departments need to deal with in order to leverage the channel more efficiently, writes Econsultancy analyst Bola Awoniyi. This struggle is part of the transformation that the digital analytics sector is experiencing under the influence of […]

Can agencies make a success of flexible working?

Apprentice creative agency

Drum featuring Co-founder and MD of AgencyUK Sammy Mansourpour: “I think the key words are flexible culture, not flexible working. Culture is far more embracing than just working hours spent in an office. At AgencyUK, we have always had a disdain for the clock in clock out factory life. We don’t pay people to put […]

Cancer Drugs Retain Top Spot For Print Ads In H1’13

.Net Magazine brand launch

For the third year in a row, cancer drugs remained the most advertised pharmaceutical products in professional health journals during the first half of the year.

Cars In Videos Keep Viewers Gripped Until The End

Fresh research from video technology company Coull has revealed that online videos featuring cars have the best chance of grabbing UK viewers’ attention and making them watch the video to the very end. The percentage of participants who said they watch car videos from start to finish was 61%, The Drum reports.

Cerba Research appoint AgencyUK to support their global marketing communications

Cerba Research Global Drug Development Diagnostics

Cerba Research, one of the world’s leading central, specialty and diagnostic laboratory services companies, have appointed AgencyUK to support their marketing communications effort from 2022. The appointment follows a competitive pitch that involved a number of agencies from around the world. Cerba Research is owned by Cerba HealthCare, a leading global player in medical diagnosis. […]

Changes To Facebook ‘Like-gating’ Rules

Social Media groups

New rules from Facebook, which come into effect on 5th November, will mean that companies and brands encouraging customers to ‘like’ their pages in order to participate in competitions or win coupons will have to stop the practice, or risk being removed from the site, Ragan reports.

Charlie’s First Month as an Intern at AgencyUK

Agency UK Office

Over the past couple of months, I have been working as a Social Media and Client Services intern at AgencyUK! I’m currently at the start of a 12-month placement which sits between my second and final year of university in Manchester where I study Advertising and Brand Communications.  Whilst my first month has flown by, […]

Cheap Is Not All That Matters To Consumers

Male Shopper Consumers eCommerce

Retailers are increasingly getting into manufacturing by offering own-label brands in-store, allowing customers to buy cheaper products without compromising on quality. It seems, however, that despite the recession which has eaten into household budgets, customers don’t just consider the price when choosing between products.

Chewits Updates Its Brand

Confectionary company Cloetta UK is relaunching its popular Chewits brand across packaging, online and social channels. The new look includes a facelift for brand ambassador Chewie the dinosaur, who first appeared in 1976. A range of giveaways will take place on various social platforms this week, with the rebranded product available in stores. Cloetta UK […]

Children’s Doctor Calls For Further Restrictions On TV Ads For Junk Food

Junk food advertising campaign

Dr Hilary Cass, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, insists that the UK should make changes to regulations on TV adverts for “junk food” given the alarming rates of obesity among children and young people.

Click & Collect Poised For Solid Growth

Contactless Payments, eCommerce, Online Shopping, Consumer

There will be twice as many online shoppers in the UK making use of click & collect options in 2017 than at present, Planet Retail predicts.

Click-baiting & its role in the modern marketing mix

Modern marketing has evolved significantly since the professionals of yesteryear left the workplace to make room for the latest generations. With a new group of marketing professionals entering the industry, with different moral compasses and a whole host of new capabilities, the marketing sector has undoubtedly changed dramatically.

Climate Change at AUK

Hike in Bath

Climate Change at AUK  As the UK heads towards Net Zero by 2050, there is a growing importance and commitment needed from companies to do their part in protecting the environment and reducing the effects of climate change. AgencyUK’s climate vision:  At AgencyUK, we strive to have a positive impact in every way possible! One […]

Clutter-Free Web Pages Deliver Better Ad Returns

ecommerce website consumer spending

If you are a website publisher chances are you belong to the overwhelming majority that relies on advertising for revenues.

Cold Snap Freezes High Street Sales In March

The extreme cold weather which gripped the UK in March also brought a decline in sales on the high street, which, added to consumers’ already strained budgets, has made people weary of spending unless given a very good reason.

Common Problems Encountered When Marketing To The Over 50’s

Grey market tech mobile app old people

Marketers tend to make a number of mistakes when trying to target the so-called “grey market.” A recent conference, called “Older, Richer, Wiser,” organised by Marketing magazine, highlighted a number of these mistakes.

Commonwealth Games Leave Sponsors Wanting More

Commonwealth Games Digital Advertising Events

The Commonwealth Games recently came to an end, but according to Marketing Week sponsors of the event were unable to take full advantage of the positivity that surrounded the event, with ineffective marketing activity.

Consumer Behaviour Varies Across Platforms

Email marketing

With technology advancing and consumers being offered a wide choice of shopping options, it is sometimes difficult for retail brands to follow where their sales come from and how consumers choose what to buy. The following might give retailers better understanding of the issue.

Consumer Goods Sector Joins Finance In Digital Ad Spending Charts

Men working in office

According to a new report the consumer goods sector was one of the two biggest contributors to UK digital display advertising spend in the first six months of the year, making up 16% of the total investments in the segment.

Consumer Purchase Decisions Driven By 8 Emotions

Consumer behavioural economics

Have you ever thought about what motivates a consumer to buy a certain brand product? Quality? Price? Well, it turns out that purchase decisions are driven by… emotions. This is what a new survey on brand purchasing choices in the UK reveals.

Consumer Satisfaction With E-Retailers Hits All-Time High

Consumer Branding

In their latest eCustomer Service Index report, IMRG and eDigital Research claim that online consumers are reaching the highest recorded levels of satisfaction. These levels reached a record-breaking 83.4% between July 2012 and January 2013 after plunging to an all-time low of 76.7% in July 2009.

Consumer Spending To Increase Thanks To More Internet Access

Christmas Online Retail eCommerce Consumer

A recent report released by PwC has found that better internet access is highly likely to increase consumer spend than any other media product or service within the next half decade, Bizcommunity notes. The report focused on the media industry in South Africa, which is expected to see its compound annual growth rate (CAGR) increase […]

Consumers And Retailers Share Different Views On Marketing

Integrated online retail channels ecommerce

Consumers and retailers broadly differ in their opinions when it comes to the successfulness of brands’ marketing initiatives. This suggests that brands must ramp up their marketing efforts to ensure they are targeting people with the right message.

Consumers Buy More Eco-Frienly Products, But Price And Quality Still Matter

AUK on greenwashing

Consumers across the globe are becoming more and more conscious of environmental issues, which can be recognised when looking at the changing attitudes towards buying products and services. This, however, doesn’t mean that they are ready to sacrifice quality or their budgets for the sake of becoming more environmentally-friendly, according to a recent survey.

Consumers Distracted By High-Tech Systems In Cars

Integrated tech media converge cars gaming mobile

While car brands try to attract customers with a wide variety of functionalities and high-tech gadgets, a new survey from Which? among car users reveals that consumers are happy with simpler-to-use technology systems fitted in their vehicles.

Consumers Engage With Financial Ads More On Weekends

Global Advertising Financial Service FS Advertising Media

Consumers are most likely to make use of special offers from financial companies late on Saturday and Sunday, Rocket Fuel has concluded in new research focusing on the financial services.

Consumers Enjoy Interactive Ads, Want Rewards In Return

eCommerce AgencyUK launch

According to the findings of a new poll I saw this week, while consumers generally enjoy interactive advertisements, they expect to gain something in return for becoming engaged with ads.

Consumers Expect Retail Channels To Converge By 2014

UK Consumer Brands

Most marketing folk are well aware that consumer habits are changing in line with the development of technology. However, what some people may not realise is that consumer expectations for the future are quite well-shaped. This is according to a new global report by Capgemini, called Digital Shopper Relevancy.

Consumers Increasingly Using Their Mobile Devices In-Store

Mobile ecommerce security

People from around the world are increasingly turning to their mobile devices to improve their shopping experience in physical stores, according to a study by DigitasLBi. The research examined consumer behaviour patterns from customers across 12 countries, including China, the UK and the US.

Consumers Like Mobile Apps More Than Mobile Sites

Microsoft Technology Channel Digital Applications

Companies often wonder what will be better for their businesses – creating mobile apps or making their website mobile-friendly. This mainly depends on the needs of the business and the goals that they aspire to achieve, but it’s good to take into account consumer preferences as well.

Consumers Prefer Own Label Products Over Brands

UK Shoppers Consumer trends

Supermarket chains are continuing to deal with a lot of pressure. On the one hand, they have been trying to survive in an extremely competitive market, while on the other, cash-strapped consumers have been looking for goods at the lowest price possible, without compromising quality.

Consumers Still Wary Of Retailers Operating On Social Media Sites

eCommerce AUK Web

Consumers are increasingly reaching out to brands via social channels and businesses are embracing the online realm to interact with users, but it seems that when it comes to shopping, people are still more likely to purchase from a high street store or an online retailer rather than one selling through social media. Not surprisingly, […]

Consumers Use Three Channels To Choose Banking Service

Multichannel Advertising eCommerce

According to recent retail banking research that I spotted today, the more savvy consumers become, the more demanding they grow in terms of customer service.

Content Is Key, But It Needs Editors

Blogger blog writing content social strategy

Nowadays the focus of marketers lies heavily on content – everyone is investing in it, but few are doing it well, says Econsultancy contributor Maximilian Tatton-Brown in an article posted on the website. Most marketing departments that are getting to grips with content strategies tend to produce trite, conventional content that fails in its primary […]

Content Marketing Key For Reaching Mums

Mum Consumer Shopping

If mums are the target audience for your brand, it is vital that your content is engaging enough for them to take the time to read it during their busy schedules.

Content Marketing World Conference Takeaways

Wifi Mobile digital user experience

The Content Marketing world conference very recently drew to a close, featuring over 2,500 marketing delegates from over 50 countries, Ragan.com reports – making it the largest content marketing event in the world. Christine Oneto, writing for Ragan, covered the event and listed the top key takeaways from the event.

Content Posted By FMCG Brands Is Most Shared On Facebook

Facebook social user

A report I came across recently from Socilabakers suggests that content posted by fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies is most likely to be shared by users on Facebook.

Corporate Green Washing | Brand Republic Feature

AUK on greenwashing

Do companies who market themselves with ethically labelled products do what they say on the tin? How fair is Fairtrade? In recent years our food, clothes and household goods have become coated with a layer of ethical labelling. Many products have been marketed with a Fairtrade, Organic or Rainforest Alliance stamp – but do we […]

Cosmetic Surgery Industry Raises Prospect Of Tough Ad Regulation

Cosmetic Surgery Retouching Model Designs

The health scare triggered by the PIP breast implants scandal has prompted Health Secretary Andrew Lansley to request a comprehensive review of the cosmetic surgery industry. As a result,one of the outcomes could be tougher regulation of advertising for cosmetic surgery procedures as part of the overall drive to ensure the safety and protection of […]

Could Kindle provide marketers next generation data?

Data marketing Kindle and Amazon

There has been a lot of buzz lately after Amazon announced the arrival of its Kindle Fire tablet in the UK but there is much more to Kindle Fire than an attractive price tag.

Could Marketing Become The Latest As-A-Service Offering?

Professional services marketing online digital strategy

After Software-as-a-Service, Platform-as-a-Service, Infrastructure-as-a-Service and a variety of other as-a-service options, it is only natural that somebody should think about doing the same in marketing. In an article reviewing trends in the industry, Econsultancy editor-in-chief Ashley Friedlein discusses why a Marketing-as-a-Service (MaaS) model could be exactly what marketing needs in the future.

Creating A Tech-Life Balance

Website Eye tracking research UX UI

A recent survey by Crucial asked 1,000 individuals in America aged between 18 and 65 about how they use technology and how it impacts their life, and found that 25% became stressed if they went for more than 30 minutes without checking their connected devices, Warc reports.

Creative And Tech Open For Business In The South West, Now Home To The UK’s No.1 Independent Agency

Men working in office

Bristol, Bath and the South West of England is famed for its creativity, celebrating some of Britain’s most successful exports including Aardman Animation, Dyson and Banksy. Recent government investment initiatives have put the creative sector at the heart of the regions economy, relying on more than 2,500 creative businesses to lead the way in the […]

CreativeMatch Take Five!

AUK Take Five Q&A

What does ‘creative’ mean to you? Great ideas that deliver on commercial objectives. That’s the business we’re in.

Cross-Border Trade Lures UK Online Retailers

ecommerce shopper retail marketiong mobile app

As the UK e-commerce market is beginning to reach a much more advanced stage of maturity, cross-border trade is becoming a lucrative option for local sector players. Trading across borders offers a raft of opportunities for retailers to achieve a healthy growth, as these markets keep developing and consumers are broadly going online to shop, according to a report I […]

CRR Report Paints Gloomy Picture of UK Retail Industry

UK Shoppers Consumer trends

It would probably be quite disturbing for retailers to hear the latest predictions from the Centre for Retail Research (CRR), which painted a grim picture of the state of the industry and its development over the next five years. The researcher forecast that by 2018, about one in five stores in the country could have […]

Custom Multiple Input Form for Gravity Fields

Men working in office

We recently undertook a new challenge in customising the excellent Gravity Form WordPress plugin that taught me something new, and required venturing into undocumented, or certainly non-obvious, waters. And that’s coming from someone who has done more hacking of Gravity Forms than one person should healthily undertake. The requirement for the client was to collect […]

Customer Satisfaction With E-commerce Drops In UK

ecommerce website consumer spending

Shoppers across the UK are increasing their spending on purchases via the Internet, although satisfaction among online consumers proves to be disappointing, with levels falling compared with last year, new research shows.

Customers’ Love With UK Brands Diminishing

Union Jack Crumpled

I read today an article in Bizreport outlining the results from a survey by customer experience specialist Strativity, which I think may make some UK organisations reconsider the way they treat and communicate with customers. Just like in marriage, relationships should be constantly nourished with thoughtfulness for the other’s needs to keep it healthy. The […]

Cyber Monday 2013 Named Busiest Ever Online Shopping Day

Multichannel Advertising eCommerce

Experian’s latest report into the state of online shopping on Cyber Monday, which revealed that 2nd December was the busiest-ever for Internet retailers in the UK.

Cyber Monday 5th Dec when online retail will peak

Christmas Online Consumer Retail

Christmas shopping in the UK will peak in the evening of 5th December. The prediction is made by Amazon and is based on the company’s previous experience with the so-called Cyber Monday – the first Monday in December, which traditionally marks the start of the Christmas season shopping spree and is considered the busiest day […]

Cyber Monday Breaks All Records For Online Retail Traffic

ecommerce website consumer spending

Experian report shows that Cyber Monday, thought to be traditionally the busiest day for UK retailers, exceeded even the bravest predictions for consumer activity as visits reached 112 million, or 32% more than last year.

Cyber Monday Hikes UK Online Sales By Over 21%

Home Shopping eCommerce Website

According to statistics from IBM, Cyber Monday hiked UK online sales by 21.5%, compared to the busiest e-commerce day in 2010.

Dawn Of The Designer Shopping Experience by AgencyUK

Teen brand retail eCommerce

As UK etailers are poised to see a 16% rise in sales by the close of 2014, we’re reminded that retailers were the first to bear witness to the rise of the digital consumer and the first to realise that today this includes everyone. The ordinary challenges retailers faced have been compounded by an increasingly […]

Deal-Seeking Becomes The Norm Amongst UK Shoppers

Teen brand retail eCommerce

UK consumers are making use of the Internet’s power to explore sites that can earn them a good discount whilst shopping, and deal hunting is now becoming firmly ingrained in their everyday shopping experiences, research from rewards-based incentives company Parago shows.

Death of the Mall | Brand Republic Feature

UK Consumer Shopping

The list, the rush, the panic shoving and buying, the last minute promotions all make up the Christmas shopping experience most of us have grown up with. In recent times, a shortage of highly prized Christmas toys has crystallised the power of product placement. For most high street retailers, they call this the exciting shopping […]

Del Monte appoint AgencyUK to launch UK fruit juice campaign

Del Monte appoint AgencyUK

Del Monte has launched a national advertising and social media campaign aimed at positioning the global brand at the premium end of the UK ambient juice category.
The commercial, airing on ITV1, features members of the public tasting Del Monte orange …

Deliveries discourage online shoppers ahead of Cyber Monday

eCommerce AUK Web

A survey by software company Postcode Anywhere, which focused on consumer attitude towards online shopping in the UK.

Design Intern Opportunity

Design Intern Opportunity ASAP for 6-12 months. Potential for future permanent position. Salary – £5.30 per hour under 21 years, £6.70 21 and over, 40 hours per week. 23 days holiday plus bank holidays. Requirements – Must be proficient in Adobe Suite. Some experience of working with or developing branding/guidelines, and designing layout for print […]

Desktop To Be Replaced By Mobile As Top Search Device For 2015

Website Eye tracking research UX UI

It has recently been found that desktop computers are highly likely to be replaced by mobile devices in terms of the number of internet searches conducted on them by next year, the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) UK reports. This will be the first time that desktop and laptop internet searches will be surpassed by those […]

Diageo Turns Marketing Focus To Women

Women Consumer Drink Food FMCG

Women have long ceased to follow blindly where men choose to lead. It has taken certain male-centric industries a while to wise up but they have come to realise that a one-track marketing policy is not an effective way to go about boosting brand image and promoting sales.

Did we just become best friends? The fine line of brand over-familiarity in consumer relationships

In a world where every brand is vying for the limited attention of the modern consumer, brands are continually pushing boundaries in the quest to increase engagement. Pushy sales is a thing of the past as brands try instead to strike up familiar friendships with the consumer. But where do you draw the line? Brands […]

Digital Ad Spend In The UK Rises 12.6% In H1 2012

Branded Websites

UK brands pumped £2.6 billion into online and mobile advertising in January-June 2012, making for a healthy 12.6% rise on a like-for-like basis despite the tough economic climate that is weighing on their budgets, according to the Internet Advertising Bureau’s latest report.

Digital Advertising Needs More Focused Attention From Marketers

Digital TV Advertising Media Channel

Digital advertising has been found to waste both the time and money of marketers as they fail to use the channel effectively, Warc reports. Poor execution of digital advertising from professionals in a number of industries will only be turned around if they combine the science of programmatic with a human touch, Ben Wood – […]

Digital Advertising Spend Grows by 14.4%

Insider Magazine AgencyUK

When the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) speaks, marketing professionals tend to listen. Its latest report has to do with UK digital ad spending in 2011 and the news is good, folks! Working alongside professional services provider PricewaterhouseCoopers, the IAB has estimated that UK brands poured £4.8bn last year into digital advertising, which makes for an […]

Digital Design & The Digital Canvas

by Matt Griffin, Front End Developer/Digital Designer at The Agency Digital Design encompasses many disciplines, including information architecture design, content strategy, interface design, User Experience design (UX design), graphic design, accessibility design, animation and programming. Anywhere there is digital content or functionality, being engaged with by people, there is a need for Digital Design.

Digital Marketing Predictions For The Year Ahead

Digital Media Agency User Experience

A recent prediction from the chief executive of the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) UK, who claims that the future of digital marketing is more than obvious – we are already witnessing it! Here are some of the developments Phillipson believes will mark the industry in the new year.

Digital Marketing Technologies Tipped To Trend In 2014

AUK Advertising

With the continued rapid growth of digital communications channels in mind, certain areas will exhibit stronger growth and innovation than others in the next 12 months.

Digital Society Gives Us Reach, But That’s Not a Sale

Trustpilot Social Media Sentiment

Forget Big Society, if you haven’t already, and embrace Digital Society, because that has been the actual focus for many people over the past three years.

Digital, TV Adspend To Support E&M Sector Growth

Digital TV Advertising Media Channel

Global spending in the entertainment and media (E&M) sector is set for healthy annual growth between 2012 and 2016 and much of the credit will be due to online and TV advertising expenditure, accounting services major PwC predicts in its Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2012-2016.

Direct Marketing Seen Behind 23% Of UK Sales

Online Video Streaming YouTube

European Union regulators are deliberating tougher data protection rules and while that may be good for consumers, it would cost companies a significant amount of money. In an apparent attempt to bolster the lobbying arsenal of the marketing industry, the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) has come out with a report claiming that 23% of the […]

Disability and Inclusiveness at AUK

People in a meeting

Saturday 3rd December celebrates the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD), and in recognition of this important day, we thought we’d take a look at what we have, are, and can be doing as an agency to create a fair and accessible workplace environment for everyone. Following on from our B Corp Certification earlier […]

Discount Stores Enjoy Healthy Growth As Consumers Look For Deals

Integrated online retail channels ecommerce

UK consumers are still on the lookout for the best deal, which has helped discount stores Aldi and Lidl see dramatic growth in revenues over the past quarter, recording a 26.1% and 11.5% increase respectively, according to new figures from research firm Kantar Worldpanel.

Discover Delicious TV campaign turns the spotlight on Welsh food and drink producers

The launch of www.DiscoverDelicious.wales, a new online market place for high quality food and drink produced in Wales, has kicked off with a new TV campaign. The 30-second TV ad showcases some of the Welsh producers featured on the site, including Halen Mon Seasalt (which is now famed by many a celebrity chef), Pant Mawr Cheese, […]

Display Ad Spending Surges By 26.6% In First Half Of 2013

Multichannel Advertising eCommerce

TV remained the preferred advertising medium during the second quarter of this year, but it was display Internet advertising spend that stood out due to its growth rate, as I found out from the latest Global AdView Pulse report from information and measurement company Nielsen. Internet ad expenditure worldwide continued to grow by double digits, […]

Divine Inspiration Campaign launch at SXSW for .Net Magazine

.Net Magazine brand launch

Publishing company Future is to launch a print campaign for the new website of .netmagazine.
Developed by TheAgency, the ‘Divine Inspiration’ campaign has begun to roll out to tie in with the publication’s presence at South by South West (SXSW) I…

Do The Grey Market Use Social Media (Or Is It Just For The Young)?

Grey market tech mobile app old people

It may seem like a young person’s game, but social media is in fact gaining in popularity amongst the older generation. Known as the ‘grey market’ (or sometimes given the somewhat hipper title of ‘silver surfers’), those aged 65 or older are the topic of hot debate for marketers. The debate itself tends to focus […]

Do You Have App Fever? Oli Ward Featured By Insider Magazine

Man

Company exec “We need an app!” Marketing exec “Okay. But, what’s it going to do?” Company exec “It doesn’t matter, our competitors have got one / apps are very in / look at Apple, they’re doing well…” Sound familiar?

Does 4G free brand advertising? | Brand Republic Feature

Mobile Advertising Influencer

The dust has settled on the bidding process for the new 4G network in the UK with the main protagonists, Everything Everywhere, Vodafone, O2, Hutchinson 3G and Niche Spectrum Ventures (BT), shelling out a combined £2.34 billion for access rights. Not an insignificant sum you might say, but still only around 10% of the auction […]

Drivology steers towards the future of car insurance with AgencyUK

motor insurance brand

A new telematics car insurance service, Drivology, has been officially launched, featuring branding by Bath-based communications firm AgencyUK.

Drum feature on AgencyUK

AUK Drum Interview

AgencyUK, confident that its offer is unique outside the largest London agencies, this agency is one that aims to grow places, fast.

Drum Magazine Interview: Why size doesn’t matter to AgencyUK’s founder Saman Mansourpour

Team receiving reward

Last week AgencyUK from Bath scooped an impressive four MiAwards in Manchester, including the chairman’s award and small agency of the year, proving it’s not the quantity of thinkers, but the quality of thinking that matters most in marketing. MiNetwork catches up with AgencyUK’s founder and MD Saman Mansourpour to find out more about this […]

E-commerce Adds £483bn To UK Economy in 2011

ecommerce website consumer spending

E-commerce is gaining steam in the UK and more and more companies are embarking on measures to improve their online performance in order to generate higher returns, I read in the E-commerce and ICT activity report published by the Office of National Statistics.

E-Commerce And Last-Minute Shoppers Save Retail In December

Christmas Online Retail eCommerce Consumer

UK retail sales displayed a decent growth in the last month of 2012, fuelled by last-minute shopping during the weekend before Christmas and buoyant online sales. Despite this, the total growth failed to beat inflation and was only equal to December 2010, when severe weather affected sales.

E-Commerce Growth To Change UK Delivery Industry

Home Shopping eCommerce Website

With e-commerce now firmly established as a favourite way of shopping for many Brits, the delivery industry is expecting significant changes over the next few years, according to new research from Global Freight Solutions (GFS).

E-Commerce Keeps Retail Industry Afloat In February

ecommerce shopper retail marketiong mobile app

The floods that devastated the UK in February had a negative effect on high street retail, but they proved beneficial to the performance of online retailers as consumers opted to shop from the comfort of their sofas to avoid the dire weather conditions.

E-commerce Preferred By Over 60% of Consumers

Christmas Online Consumer Retail

Nowadays it is in consumers’ power to look for time and money-saving methods to do their shopping and it seems natural that they go online to buy products instead of going to physical stores.

E-commerce Provides Only Ray Of Light For UK Retailers In January

eBay Shopping Retail Consumer eCommerce Web

E-commerce has once again become a port in the storm for the battered UK retail ship, proving the only section of the retail market to register growth during the first half of January.

E-Commerce Spending Predicted To Pass £10Bn This December

Christmas Online Consumer Retail

It will be interesting to see whether Interactive Media In Retail Group (IMRG) is accurate in its prediction for e-commerce sales of £10.8 billion this December. This would be a major achievement, since it would be the first time that e-retail sales would exceed the £10 billion mark.

E-Commerce To Capture A Third Of UK Retail Market By 2022

Male Shopper Consumers eCommerce

E-commerce continues to gain traction in the UK and currently the segment accounts for 13% of domestic retail sales. Fuelled by the growing use of digital devices, which is even yet to expand, online retail is predicted to make up a third of the country’s retail market by 2022, according to a new report from […]

E-Commerce To Witness 12% Growth This Year

eCommerce AUK Web

According to the new report from IMRG and Capgemini, sales generated via online retail will stage a strong growth of 12% to reach £87 billion this year compared to 2012, as consumers will be increasingly willing to get the maximum value from each transaction they make despite the challenging market conditions.

E-Gift Delivery Now Possible On Facebook With New Tool

Facebook social media mum consumer

Internet users in the UK and Ireland now have the opportunity to buy and send presents via Facebook with the help of an innovative tool, which has been jointly developed by PrePay Solutions in partnership with Ticketmaster UK and gift card specialist Hemingway’s.

E-mail Marketing: What You Need To Track

Email marketing

There are a number of different things to consider when it comes to e-mail marketing; as one of the cheapest forms of marketing, it has been adopted by a number of companies around the world, according to an article by Ragan. Measurement, however, is one of the most important factors to keep track of. A […]

E-mail Remains Preferred Channel For Marketers

Email marketing

Mobile and social are all the rage nowadays but being relatively young, the two channels have yet to prove their true worth for marketers. Sure, there are numerous reports suggesting that this is already happening but an equal number claim the opposite.

E-mail, Reviews And Apps Most Helpful Digital Tools For Shoppers

ecommerce shopper retail marketiong mobile app

E-mails from brands and retailers, along with product reviews and shopping apps, are the three digital tools with the greatest impact on consumers’ buying decisions, a new study reveals.

E-tail Sales In UK To Rise 16% In 2018

ecommerce website consumer spending

Marketing and media research group eMarketer has estimated that electronic retail sales in the UK will increase by 16% this year, while mobile sales will rise by as much as 64.8%, the research company said. The main drivers behind overall e-tail sales are the improving economy, the increasing usage of mobile devices and a greater […]

eBay In Talks With FMCG Brands For Mobile Advertising

eBay Shopping Retail Consumer eCommerce Web

Online auction site eBay is in talks with a number of companies, including “big FMCG” brands, as it looks set to introduce a mobile ad system, The Drum reports. The nature of the mobile ad offering means that it requires a curated approach to filling the ad space as it is limited, hence why a […]

eBay pops up offline

eBay Shopping Retail Consumer eCommerce Web

Contrary to the common tendency of brands moving online, the online auction and shopping website eBay now open with a pop-up store in London.

eBay Report Sheds Light On Omni-Channel Behaviour Of UK Consumers

eBay Shopping Retail Consumer eCommerce Web

Roughly a third of UK consumers research products in-store before making a purchase online, eBay says in a new survey. The report provides new insights into the offline and online activities of UK shoppers.

EC Report Shows British SMEs Failing To Keep Up With Technology

European Consumer Advertising

Unlike Britain’s tech-savvy consumers, the country’s small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) have thus far failed to live up to the expectations of the Digital Agenda team of the European Commission (EC).

EC To Look Into Mobile Wallets Dubbed Project Oscar

Contactless Payments, eCommerce, Online Shopping, Consumer

One of the most anticipated events in the world of UK marketing in 2012 is the planned launch of the mobile wallet. The joint venture between the three biggest mobile operators O2, Vodafone and Everything Everywhere, known as Project Oscar, was planned to kick off in the summer but it might have to wait.

Embrace the dark side: stop neglecting dark social

Trustpilot Social Media Sentiment

Hyperbole. Most departments are prone to it in some form or other but marketing seems particularly keen to cite the life changing consequences of just about every development in their field. True, the mechanisms brands use to communicate with consumers have changed drastically and companies have been forced to adapt their strategy accordingly but I […]

Embracing Digital Is Key To Success, Research Finds

Social Retail eCommerce Digital Shopper

‘High digital performers’, or brands that are embracing mobile and online channels to communicate with consumers and promote their products, are more likely to enjoy higher revenues than those that are yet to adopt digital marketing.

England Football Fans Most Active On Social Media

Cup final sport fan engagement marketing

English World Cup fans are the most active on social networks, with an average of 17,729 re-tweets a day and about 57.7 million views on YouTube. This gives England a ‘starscore’ of 334,017, according to calculations by Starcount, a research company focused on fan sentiments and statistics.

Ensuring your hub content is a brand hero

Social media is a tightrope every brand walks — some confidently running, others crawling blindfolded, about to fall to their peril. I’ll be delving into what to look out for on social, from copyright infringement to influencer marketing, to avoid your brand trending on social, for all the wrong reasons. You may be thinking: ‘Social […]

Euro Consumers More Responsive To Mobile Ads Than US Shoppers

UK Consumer Shopping

We keep coming across reports predicting impressive growth in mobile advertising over the next few years. Such publications undoubtedly leave marketers all a-tingle but let me share something that may cool some of that enthusiasm, or at least give companies a serious reason to apply themselves with great diligence to their mobile strategies.

European Commission Approves Facebook Acquisition Of WhatsApp

European Consumer Advertising

The European Commission has approved the acquisition of WhatsApp by social media giant Facebook – a move that was announced earlier this year – ruling that consumers would continue to enjoy the benefits of a range of alternative communication apps after the transaction, The Drum reports.

European FMCG Companies Bank On Promotions To Support Sales

Supermarket FMCG Consumer

The economic headwinds blowing across Europe have largely suppressed the indulgent streak in consumers, turning them into bargain hunters and forcing fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies on the continent to increase promotional activity to protect their sales. I came across this piece of news in a Warc article, which cites the findings of a study […]

European Online Ad Spending Grows By 14.5% In 2011 – IAB

European Consumer Advertising

Last year was not an easy one for Europe, what with the eurozone sovereign debt debacle, austerity winds blowing across the continent and the generally bleak economic picture. But it warms my marketer’s heart to find out that the online advertising sector fared remarkably well against that background, recording growth of 14.5%, as revealed by […]

Evidence that consumers do spend, but shop for brands first

Teen brand retail eCommerce

There’s been an interesting announcement by Unilever chairman Amanda Sourry today about the changing demands of today’s UK consumers and how brands, particularly in retail and FMCG, need to adapt in order to remain in the game.

Existing Clients Drive Higher Returns For E-commerce Retailers

Multichannel Advertising eCommerce

Online retailers tend to earmark a significant portion of their marketing budgets for media technologies aimed at luring new customers, but it turns out that existing clients are those who bring the real income, according to a report I saw this morning.

Experian Reveals Top Digital Trends For 2013

Digital TV Advertising Media Channel

If you still haven’t thought about what 2013 will be bringing you in terms of new digital marketing trends, then the latest Digital Trends 2013 report from Experian can help you get an insight of what the new year has in store for marketers.

Experimental marketing is probably cheaper than failing

Experimental Marketing

At AgencyUK we’ve been flying the flag for experimentation and research with brands since we opened our doors, but in 2017 we noticed a marked uplift in research briefs and experimentation strategies fro our clients. Why is that? After all, experimentation in marketing is almost a century old, and there have been some world changing examples […]

Eye-Tracking Reveals What Users See On Brand Pages

Website Eye tracking research UX UI

New eye tracking technology gives advertisers a valuable insight into what users actually look at and see on a brand page on social media.

F-Commerce Can Boost UK Retail Revenues By £3.1bn Over 3 Years

Facebook social media mum consumer

Extra revenues of £3.1 billion sounds like quite an attractive proposition, doesn’t it? This is what UK retailers could add to their sales proceeds over the next three years if they embrace Facebook commerce and make online shopping through the social media platform a worthwhile experience for buyers, an InternetRetailing article reveals.

Faberge in search of exposure

Faberge Luxury Brand Advertising Goods

Luxury jewellery manufacturer Faberge is launching its first ever advertising campaign. It is the beginning of a creative modern era for the brand, a spokesperson has announced.

Facebook & Twitter Will Help Brands Make The Best Of The World Cup

World Cup FIFA Advertising Marketing

Facebook and Twitter have released some hints that will help brands make the best of their social presence during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, which starts in June. According to The Drum, the tips include utilising second screening, planning in advance, accurate targeting and using videos and images.

Facebook Axes Its “Like” Button

Social Media groups

Social media giant Facebook has ditched its thumbs up “Like” button to replace it with a new share option intended to help people share more engaging content on the Internet.

Facebook Becoming More Popular Than YouTube For Video Marketing

New research from Socialbakers has found that Facebook is swiftly overtaking YouTube as the channel of choice for video marketers, Marketingland.com reports. The research analysed 180,000 Facebook video posts from 20,000 Facebook pages and found a significant increase in the number of marketing videos being uploaded directly to Facebook in 2014 compared to previous years.

Facebook Counts 4.1M UK Mums As Valued Users

Facebook social media mum consumer

With Mother’s Day on the horizon, Facebook has decided to use the celebration for inspiration, and has counted how many mothers in the UK use the platform as well as identify their level of engagement by measuring their activity.

Facebook Due To Advertise How Relevant Ads Are For Users

Facebook recently announced that it is going to be adding relevancy scores to the adverts that appear on users’ profiles, The Drum reports. This means that users will now be able to see only the ads that are the most relevant to them and their interests, leading to a more immersive experience for them.

Facebook Introduces Premium Ads In UK

Facebook social user

Facebook will offer premium video ads to a limited number of UK corporate clients, the company announced in a blog post. Apart from the UK, premium video ads and improved video metrics will also be launched in Japan, France, Canada, Brazil, Australia and Germany.

Facebook Loses Out To Twitter As Teens Favourite Social Platform

Facebook social media mum consumer

The semi-annual teen market research report from investment bank Piper Jaffray finds that young people across the globe no longer think that Facebook is cool enough and are increasingly turning to rival Twitter. The micro-blogging networking site has overtaken the world’s most popular social platform as the channel considered the most important to younger people, […]

Facebook Most Trusted Social Media Site For Product Reviews

Facebook is the most frequently used platform because it is the social media site that active users trust the most, results from a recent Social Media Link survey suggest.

Facebook News Feed Twice As Fast On New iOS

Facebook social media content

According to Facebook, the company has answered the call of consumers and made the social media site’s news feed operate 50% faster than the previous version in the iOS app, Mashable reports. The company swapped from HTML5 to native iOS code around two years ago in order to make sure the Facebook app ran as […]

Facebook Popular With 98.2% Of Hospice Fundraisers

Facebook is now the most popular social media hub among hospice fundraisers in the UK, used by 98.2% of them to promote their activities and attract donations, software consultancy and developer The Access Group has found.

Facebook Preferred Social Media Channel For Sales Lead Campaigns But Twitter Favioured For Brand Building

Facebook social user

For UK marketers, Facebook is the social media platform that ticks all the boxes when it comes to campaign development and evaluation, the inaugural “social media scorecard” from the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) shows.

Facebook Rolls Out Verified Profiles And Pages

Facebook social user

It is good to hear that Facebook is moving to increase confidence among users that the brands they engage with are exactly who or what they say they are. The social media platform has rolled out a verified program for profiles and pages created on the site, in an effort to curb fake and unauthorised […]

Facebook Targets Travel Companies In 2014

Facebook social user

Facebook plans to launch events, research and ad targeting improvements in its aim to see more travel companies add the platform to their digital marketing mix.

Facebook To Minimise Limit Number Of Promotional Page Posts

As of early 2015, the social media giant Facebook is due to address the number of unsolicited promotional posts users will see in their news streams, The Drum reports. The crackdown aims to tackle posts that ask users to buy a particular product or enter a competition; it comes not long after Facebook announced new […]

Facebook To Reach One Billion Mobile Users In Near Future

Facebook social media mum consumer

It was recently reported by the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) UK that the social networking site Facebook will reach one billion mobile users at some point in the coming 12 months, as more than 70% of the site’s worldwide users have access to mobile technology.

Facebook Trials Expanded Scheme For News Feed Ads

Facebook social media mum consumer

Having close to one billion users is all fine and dandy but a business needs more than popularity for popularity’s sake. In other words, it needs to make money from that massive user base.

Facebooks Active Advertisers Reach 1M

This week, Facebook once again made the headlines after revealing that it has recorded its one millionth active advertiser. This major milestone, announced by Facebook director of small business Dan Levy, has been achieved thanks to the growing interest of small company owners in promoting their products on the platform, the social media giant said.

Female Pinterest Activity Is Still On The Rise

Pinterest Social Media Advertising

A surprisingly high proportion (84%) of female Pinterest users have remained active on the image-sharing network come their fourth year of membership, a survey by RJMetrics has discovered. To compare, Facebook boasted around 49% active users at the start of the year, Twitter had 36% and Google+ had 35% registered active users. This makes Pinterest […]

Field to Fork – The Power of Provenance

With the meteoric rise of direct to consumer brands, it’s of little surprise that consumer demand for field to fork brands continues to steam ahead. Traditionally field-to-fork only included food and drink produce that was served locally and could be traced back to local roots, usually a farm. Today field to fork has a broader […]

Finalists! HSBC Start Up Awards

AgencyUK Award nomination HSBC Startup

A Bath advertising agency which is enjoying 100 per cent year-on-year growth is in the running for an award.

Financial Companies Starting To Shun Investments in Social Media Marketing

London Recruitment Brand AUK

Businesses in the financial sector are starting to trim spending on social media marketing after encountering some pitfalls when using such platforms, says Anthony Cooper, MD of business intelligence company Pearlfinders.

Fine Bros: The rise and fall of the YouTube star

Real-life brothers, US-born Benny and Rafi Fine started their YouTube channel the Fine Bros with humble beginnings. Nine years on Fine Brothers Entertainment is now a huge YouTube operation thought to be worth over £5 million.  Most famous for their  ‘reaction’ videos such as ‘Kids React’, ‘Teens React’, ‘YouTubers React’ – they’ve used this format […]

First Drinks Seeks To Engage Older Drinkers With Zubrowka Vodka Campaign

Vodka brand campaign

First Drinks is looking to engage “authenticity-seeking drinkers” through a fresh marketing initiative aimed at reinstating the Zubrowka vodka brand in the UK, according to Marketing Week.

First Three Weeks Crucial For Brand Engagement On Twitter

Twitter social commerce

Recent research has revealed that brands have a maximum of three weeks to engage new users on Twitter, or risk losing them completely, SocialBro suggests.

Five Steps To Ensuring Your Website Enjoys Commercial Success

ecommerce website consumer spending

Nowadays, if a company does not have a website it means that they are at a serious disadvantage compared to their competitors. In an increasingly digitalised and highly connected world, having an online presence is absolutely essential for business success. A website goes hand in hand with a social media presence, however maintaining a Twitter, Facebook […]

Five Tips For Managing Your Reputation On Social Networks

YouTube Desktop Social Channel

Various videos, tweets and other forms of online content are continuously going viral, engaging millions of people around the world in a matter of minutes. If a particular piece of viral content happens to impact your brand negatively, however, this can pose a serious problem, says PR expert Danny Whatmough in an article for Econsultancy. […]

FMCG brands boast 35% of traffic on Facebook

AgencyUK on parent trends to Facebook ads

In Marketing week today research has shown that companies are failing to agree on this question. At present, most businesses have their own Facebook pages but not all of them know how to make the best of social media. In fact, the gap between the most and the least visited was quite wide. The research […]

FMCG Outstrips Entertainment As Top Online Video Spender

Online Video Streaming YouTube

In the first quarter of 2013, advertisers in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector outstripped entertainment in terms of online video spend, taking a 26.1% slice of the market.

FMCG Promotions Lose Appeal In Europe

Supermarket FMCG Consumer

It might sound hard to believe, but recent findings suggest that promotions in the food and non-food market could be reaching a tipping point as they are no longer attractive enough to consumers. A new report from market and shopper intelligence provider IRI shows that the time for fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) brands to reconsider […]

FMCG Sector Has Highest Share In Global Ad Spend

Augmented reality food and drink fmcg

The fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector held the highest share of global advertising spend in the first half of 2013, aided by a 5.7% year-on-year growth in spending, the latest quarterly Global AdView Pulse report from researcher Nielsen shows.

FMCG Takes Largest Share Of Global Ad Spend In 2013

Women Consumer Drink Food FMCG

Companies involved in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry were responsible for 21.3% of total global advertising spend in the first three quarters of 2013, the latest research from Nielsen reveals.

Forever Young appoints AgencyUK to lead Probio7 brand communications

Probio7 health wellness probiotic brand

Founded in 1995, Forever Young International has grown into one of the world’s leading producers of live bacteria supplements. Through their brand, Probio7, they aim to educate and support digestive health and immunity from babies aged 2 months+, children and adults. Over the past few years there has been a marked behavioural change in UK […]

From buzzword to bullsh*t: celebrating 144 years of ‘influencer marketing’

mobile video Social Media Influencer

By Ian McKee, Social and PR Director, AgencyUK The first known instance of ‘influencer marketing’ was in the late 19th century.  Yeah, you read that right — 1873. Jules Verne, a hugely influential author, was known to be writing another adventure novel when he was lobbied by transport companies for mentions. Perhaps if Jules had […]

Futurising Magazine: An interview with Sammy Mansourpour, Founder

Sammy Mansourpour Managing Director AgencyUK

Prior to founding AgencyUK, Saman worked for Campaign’s Agency of the Year and was the European Marketing Manager of a Fortune 500 company at the age of 23. What was your first ever job? Air Products plc, I joined them after my degree on a graduate programme where I worked from multiple departments across Europe […]

Gamers Happy To Receive Value Exchange Ads

AUK Brand CVG Magazine

I came across a recent report from MediaBrix, an advertising and services platform for social and mobile games, stating that gamers are very interested in value exchange ads as they expect such options to further enhance their gaming experience.

Gaming Scores Serious Points For Marketing Potential

AUK Brand CVG Magazine

An interesting article by Marketing Week has revealed the potential of gaming and the opportunities it presents to brands looking to reach highly engaged audiences.

Gartner Sees Good Times Ahead For Mobile Payment

Contactless Payments, eCommerce, Online Shopping, Consumer

Most consumers have only a vague idea of what purpose Near Field Communications (NFC) serve and many remain reluctant to use their mobile devices to make payments, mostly on account of security concerns.

Gen Z Generation More Likely To Be Brand Loyal

Gen Z Consumer Audience

People aged between 18 and 23 have been found to be more likely to show their loyalty on digital outlets to brands that they like compared to the older generation, according to an article by Luxury Daily, which cited a report from Forrester Research.

Generation X & Millennials Almost Equally Tech Savvy

Mobile Advertising Influencer

Millennials are not that far ahead of the previous generation in terms of digital device usage, the latest Institute of Direct and Digital Marketing (IDG) global mobile survey has revealed, as the portion of millennials who regularly use a tablet stands at 65%, while the figure for Gen Xers is 60%.

Generation Z: The Tech-Savvy Generation Of The Future

Gen Z Consumer Audience

Generation Z are the newest consumers set to heavily influence the marketing industry in the future, Marketing Magazine reports. This generation were born with technology as a normal extension of everyday life, and many are still in school and younger than Google. Gen Z are aged between five and 19 and were born from 1995 […]

German cars Top Trumps for UK consumers

Automotive Car Brands

The survey, by Fleet News FN50, asks respondents to identify the most reliable cars and vans on the market, and shows that German cars now occupy six positions in the top ten for reliability, with BMW 3 Series and Honda Accord still holding the first and second place, the same ones they took in 2010.

Germany’s Chancellor Advocates For Stricter Data Protection Rules

Data protection EU regulation

The marketing industry will likely face tougher data protection laws following calls by the German chancellor for more transparency from brands when it comes to data usage, Marketing Week has reported.

Get Social and Build Trust to Win Big | The Drum

AUK Teen Audience

Despite times being tough, our criteria for choosing who we work with has got even tougher. In the good old days, before bank balances took a bashing, investors used to look for big ideas to back. Today, we see venture capitalists investing in the people behind the ideas, in addition to the ideas themselves. Dragon’s […]

Global Ad Spending To Grow By 7.4% In 2012

Marketing executive team

Thanks in part to the London Olympics, this year will be a good one for global advertising spend, which will rise by 7.4% to reach $542.3 billion. This is according to the prognosis of eMarketer, which expects growth to lose some steam in 2013, slowing down to 6.4%. Latin America and the Asia Pacific will […]

Global Adspend In 2015 To Increase By 4.9%

Advertising AgencyUK Global Launch

A recent report by ZenithOptimedia predicts that global adspend will reach the $545 billion mark by the end of next year, an increase of 4.9%, The Drum reports. The Advertising Expenditure Forecast puts this increase down to the increasingly positive outlook of the world’s economy; however, compared to 2014 – which saw the impact from the […]

Global Adspend Increases By 5%

Global Advertising Financial Service FS Advertising Media

According to a recent article published on Warc, global adspend is due to increase faster than expected for the rest of 2014; this is due to media network giant Carat revising their forecasts for the year and indicating a growing positive outlook in the major regions.

Global Adspend Reached $19.3 Billion In 2013

Global Advertising Financial Service FS Advertising Media

A recent study by Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has revealed that global advertising spend almost doubled in 2013 to hit $19.3 billion, up from the $10.1 billion recorded in 2012. The Global Mobile Advertising Revenue study also found that along with this global increase of 92%, Latin America recorded the highest amount of growth at […]

Global Consumers Ready To Embrace Online Grocery Shopping

Augmented reality food and drink fmcg

Online grocery shopping is already gaining momentum around the world, with a new survey suggesting that consumers are happy to use such services at least once a month.

Global Customer Satisfaction Level Dips In Q4 Of 2013

Outdoor Out of Home Advertising

Global customer satisfaction slipped by two percentage points to 80% in the fourth quarter of 2013, while in the UK the decline was more pronounced – dropping by four percentage points to 83%, The Zendesk Benchmark report shows.

Global E-Commerce Sales To Hit $1.2Trn In 2013

ecommerce website consumer spending

I came across figures from insights provider eMarketer revealing that, by the end of 2013, global online retail sales will surge to more than $1.2 trillion. E-commerce businesses in Western Europe will likely show a double-digit growth, despite the market’s greater maturity compared to other regions.

Global edutech leader QS appoint AgencyUK as social media partner

QS global edutech brand appoint AgencyUK to social strategy

Global education service provider and brand owner of TopUniversities.com, QS Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) have appointed AgencyUK as social media partner. QS is the world’s leading provider of services, analytics, and insights to the global higher education sector and famed for its university rankings, which have become the annual benchmark for universities around the world. AgencyUK […]

Global Firms To Hike Digital Ad Spend By 14.6% In 2013

Global Advertising Financial Service FS Advertising Media

According to the latest report from GroupM, companies across the globe will raise their spending on Internet advertising by 14.6% on the year to a combined $113.5 billion in 2013.

Global Marketers Spent Heavily On Traditional Media In 2012

Outdoor Out of Home Advertising

Market researcher Nielsen have revealed that, despite the explosive growth in digital marketing through social media and mobile communications, traditional media channels are still popular with industry professionals across the globe and it remains a promising source of revenue growth.

Global Marketers To Spend More On E-Mail And Social Media In 2014

Advertising AgencyUK Global Launch

E-mail and social media are among the top four mediums that global marketers plan to centre their strategies around in 2014, according to new study from digital marketing software expert ExactTarget Marketing Cloud.

Global Marketing Budgets Rise

Global Advertising Financial Service FS Advertising Media

According to the latest Warc Global Marketing Index, marketing budgets are on the rise internationally.

Global Mobile Media Spend To Hit $200Bn By 2017

Advertising AgencyUK Global Launch

I came across a report from Strategy Analytics predicting that by 2017, global mobile media spending will hit $200 billion, surging from $161 billion in 2012.

Global Pioneers InterCasino move Integrated Brand re-positioning into AgencyUK

Casino Gaming Slots Brand Online

InterCasino, one of the pioneers of online casino gaming, has appointed UK based communications specialists AgencyUK to research, plan and create their new brand proposition and global advertising campaigns.

Glutafin appoint AgencyUK as lead creative partner

AUK Appointed FMCG Creative

Glutafin, one of the leading providers of prescription-only gluten-free food products, has appointed leading brand response agency, AgencyUK to evolve the food brand, engage with a wider base of consumers and healthcare professionals, and promote new product launches.

Glutafin Brand Re-Launch

AgencyUK Launch Glutafin wheat free bread

Glutafin, one of the leading providers of prescription-only gluten-free food products, has launched a new advertising campaign designed to help coeliacs carry on with life after diagnosis.

Good Delivery Experience Stimulates Consumers To Shop Again

Home Shopping eCommerce Website

This week the fifth annual UK Consumer Home Deliver Review was published from the Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG) community, which highlights the strong impact of delivery experience on consumers’ shopping behaviour. IMRG asked 1,290 Britons, including 864 regular online shoppers, to study the delivery perceptions and needs of UK consumers. The e-retail industry […]

Google And Facebook Suffer Drop In Visits Since 2012

According to a new study from Experian, Google UK is still the website accessed most often by UK Internet users in September, grabbing a 6.06% share of total site visits in the country.

Google Experts See Growth Potential In Weather Advertising

UK marketers can utilise the extremely unpredictable nature of the country’s weather to deliver targeted strategies to consumers, industry leaders announced at Weather for Breakfast, a marketing event held in London this week.

Google is the new Twitter with its new Expanded Text Ads

Tuesday saw the launch of Google’s new Expanded Text Ads (ETAs for those of you who love a TLA). You may now notice in the paid-for search results that you get a lot more real estate for your money – 47% to be exact. The old format headline with a 25-character limit and two lines […]

Google Loses Some Of Its Appeal In October

Google offices

Google suffered its first disappointing month for the past five years in the UK search market after seeing its market share slip below 90% to 89.33% in October, as I read in the latest analysis from market research company Experian Hitwise.

Google Makes MCC Scripts Available For All AdWords Users

Google offices

Google has made the scripts of its My Client Center (MCC) tool available to all users of its AdWords service. The tool allows PPC marketers to manage more than one account from a single AdWords dashboard, saving a significant amount of time. With the newly available scripts account managers will also be able to introduce […]

Google Teaches UK Businesses To Excel At Mobile Marketing

Google offices

If you had to choose one word to describe marketing these days, chances are you might pick the word “mobile”. The importance of mobile for consumers has been highlighted quite often lately, but it seems that UK business is not entirely up-to-date with the practical side of things.

Google To Offer More Insights Into Shopper Behaviour & Media Consumption

By expanding its Consumer Barometer tool, Google will be able to offer marketers and other professionals more insights into consumer behaviour towards – and interactions with – online media, The Drum reports. The barometer tool has been available for four years, but this newly available design will make it simpler for professionals to switch between […]

Google Unveils New Search Algorithm

Google offices

I was recently reading an article about Google announcing its new algorithm update, marking the search giant’s shift away from using simple keywords to determine what to show in search results. The move highlights Google’s ambition to better deal with longer, more sophisticated user queries.

Google+ Still Long Way To Go To Win Marketers Trust

Google channel media ppc

Although many reports suggest that marketers have an increasing interest in Google+, the truth is that the social platform still has a long way to go before becoming a major competitor to others like Facebook, especially when it comes to number of users and dwell time.

Grey market ignored by online marketers

Despite the ‘grey market’ – aka consumers over the age of 55 – spending around £14.45 billion online and set to account for 66% of total retail spending by the year 2025, less than a quarter (22%) of marketers directly target them as a demographic, Warc reports.

Guest Blog: How To Set Up A Global Social Media Strategy

Laura apprentice agencyuk

We’re delighted to introduce guest blogger Rachel Chilson. Rachel is a marketing communications specialist in social outreach. Ready to participate in global social media? How to set up a proper strategy There are 1.73 billion social media users worldwide. By 2017, this number is predicted to reach 2.55 billion, according to SocialMedia Today. Of these users, […]

Guinness Offers Trip To Dublin In New Advertising Campaign

Guinness Advertising Campaign

Guinness Europe has found an innovative way to reward beer lovers for drinking its famous Irish dry stout, by offering them a trip on a private jet to Dublin. For the campaign, the brewer has engaged 1,000 pubs across the UK, which will be visited by its own flight crew to find people drinking a […]

Half Of British Mums Worry About Christmas Spending

Mums Consumer

Although it may seem more appropriate to be thinking about the summer holidays at the moment, a new poll suggests that many British mums are worried about the expenses they will have to face this Christmas, the Retail Gazette reports.

Half Of Britons Now Use Mobile Devices For Shopping

eCommerce AgencyUK launch

Smartphones have become UK shoppers’ top sales assistant, a trend that explains the growing importance of e-mobile to retailers. I read recently that 57% of Britons have used their gadget to confirm product availability and half of the country’s population already use it as a tool for shopping, suggesting that businesses need to tap into […]

Harnessing The Power Of The Digital Consumer

Male Shopper Consumers eCommerce

We live in a world where media is increasingly fragmented and brands have to fight harder and harder to attract attention, and it has taken marketers a long time to come to terms with this.

Has Alexa Saved Our Copywriters?

Blogger blog writing content social strategy

I recently attended a conference where JustEat (the foodie app folks) became the latest brand to unveil their new Voice App companion for Alexa, Amazon‘s intelligent personal assistant. We’re seeing more and more brands embracing voice technology every day, keen to be an early adopter and tap into the changes in consumer behaviour that Alexa and other voice assistants […]

Has Max Clifford taken over the world? | Brand Republic Feature

AgencyUK on PR Brands

Okay, that may just be a headline to grab your attention, but the point I’d like to make is that social media is turning us all into our own PR agents.

Has the bubble burst for ‘champagne’ brands?

Champagne brand

In July I wrote an observational piece on how some luxury brands were losing ground to younger, hungrier, more inclusive challenger brands, and how this was particularly prevalent at Goodwood Festival of Speed, where Fever-Tree outstripped the popularity of Moet, Martini and others. But in a world of sanitised conjecture and false facts, it’s perhaps […]

Heads Of Marketing At Top Law Firms Can Earn Up To £500,000

Marketing executive team

According to a recent article published on Marketing Week, quoting research from Carter Murray, some marketing bosses employed at the top 20 largest law firms in the UK can earn up to £500,000 annually.

Health And Well-Being Products See 319% Rise

Health wellbeing product consumer marketing

Results of a recent study from price comparison provider Become Europe, revealing the types of products UK online shoppers rushed to buy this spring. According to the research, items in the health and well-being category showed strongest growth in online traffic, mainly as a result of the unusually cold weather that gripped much of the […]

Heavyweight weight-loss brand Slimsticks appoint AgencyUK

Slimsticks slimming brand

Slimsticks,  a natural weight loss aid has appointed TheAgency to spearhead their advertising and marketing communications, ahead of a national roll-out with a well known national retailer.

Heinz Bets On Digital To Support Growth Through Innovation

Heinz brand

Ketchup maker Heinz is taking a “digital first” approach and is transferring money from other segments to back its shift towards more innovation, Matt Hill, the company’s president for UK & Ireland operations, has said, as quoted by Marketing Magazine.

HFSS & The Sweet Future of UK Sugar

Kid reaching for sweets

Background In July 2020, in an attempt to tackle the growing obesity problem in the UK, the government announced new restrictions for food and drink products high in fat, sugar, and salt (HFSS). With 64.3% of adults and 14.4% of reception-age children being either overweight or obese, the restrictions will intervene in how HFSS products […]

High Expectations From Online Shoppers Drive E-Retail Development

eCommerce AgencyUK launch

E-commerce is a fast-developing industry, but it seems that the expectations of shoppers in the online space are rising exponentially, prompting retailers to constantly offer them more shopping incentives.

High Street Retailers Urged To Embrace Technology To Win Consumers Hearts

UK Consumer Shopping

Many high street retailers see e-commerce as a serious threat to their businesses. With the rise of online retail seeing no signs of slowing down, and for the sake of retaining consumers’ interest, retailers need to embrace technology to provide better value and satisfactory customer service, results from a survey conducted by deal-of-the-day website Groupon […]

High Street Shopping Preferred Due To Poor eCommerce Experiences

UK Consumer Brands

A new research conducted by mobile shopping app Udozi overthrows the popular belief that e-commerce is taking the place of traditional in-store shopping, which now seems to disappoint consumers with extraordinary high delivery costs and unsatisfactory shopping experience.

High Street Shops Should Embrace Online To Attract Consumers

Augmented reality advertising media

Marketing is a field in which change happens fast and those who fail to adapt are bound to lose their ground. Recently, this has referred to many high street retailers and the reasons causing their misfortune are exposed in an analysis in the Manchester Evening News.

High-Street Blues Spur Marketers Into Tweaking Christmas Strategies

Christmas Shopping Harrods

This being a crucial time of the year for us marketing folk, I could not help but click yesterday on a news link that had “Christmas” and “media agencies” in its title. This is how I found out that over 60% of the marketers and agencies participating in an O2 Media study have made adjustments […]

High-Street Retailers Likely To See Drop In Spending In 2012

Consumer Branding

Retailers in the UK might be well aware of the importance of e-commerce but they need to put more effort into developing their online shopping platforms, as more consumers are likely to reduce the amount of money spent in-store and increase their shopping online in 2012.

Honda Civic’s Ad Most Viewed By Brits On YouTube This Year

Honda Automotive advertising

Top TV commercials that have been the most viewed on YouTube this year. This year’s chart for the UK market highlights businesses’ ambition to catch consumers’ attention through more creative and amusing ads than ever before.

Hornby posters scoop international D&AD award

Hornby’s spoof passenger information posters on station platforms campaign has been awarded the highest accolade in world advertising, winning a coveted pencil at the annual D&AD awards in London. The ‘Station Posters’ campaign, created by Bath based AgencyUK, was selected from over 24,000 entries from all over the globe. D&AD – the Design and Art Directors […]

How brands can do less and mean more on social media

AUK on Social Media Marketing

This post is a precis of our Social & PR Director Ian McKee’s presentation at #OiConf Cardiff 2017. If you draw a comparison timeline between social media marketing and SEO, social media’s about six years behind. It’s a loose analogy, of course, but given Google was founded in 1998 and Facebook in 2004, that’s where we […]

How Can Brands Keep Up With The Increasing Use Of Mobile?

Mobile ecommerce security

People are increasingly using their mobile devices to access the web, shop online, conduct research and find entertainment. This has led to a sharp rise in our expectations as customers, writes strategy consultant Jasper Bell in an article for Econsultancy. Brands, he says, have to keep up with these rising expectations; here are four ways […]

How Can Businesses Benefit From Marketing Automation?

.Net Magazine brand launch

Marketing automation is a great tool for improving a company’s e-mail marketing, as well as optimising landing pages and lead management, according to Deskgod Inc’s CEO Daniel Hristov. In an article for the Business2Community website, Hristov provides analysis on the benefits and challenges associated with marketing automation.

How Charities Are Increasingly Using Mobile Technology

Grey market tech mobile app old people

Blackbaud’s recent report into the state of the not-for-profit industry shows that alongside charities’ growing use of social media, mobile is also among the mediums they increasingly resort to for marketing purposes.

How Deadpool’s marketing is breaking the fourth wall

The latest Marvel Superhero movie is set for release this week and after a marketing campaign like no other, we can’t wait to see the sarcastic anti-hero in action. The marketing for the film has been described as innovative and unique; ScreenRant even called it the “best marketing campaign in the history of cinema”. So, […]

How Digital Media Transforms Britons Living Room

Multichannel Integrated Advertising

The latest report from telecoms regulator Ofcom is full of surprising facts and figures pointing to the gradual transformation of the traditional living room of our parents and grandparents into a digital media hub. Think that seeing a tweet from your grandpa and grandma after a popular TV show is hardly possible? Well, think again […]

How Fever Tree showed up Dry Martini at Goodwood Festival of Speed

I visited Goodwood Festival of Speed last week and it was fascinating to observe a number of premium automotive and drinks brands in action. It’s an event that has always celebrated fast cars and luxury lifestyles with bubbles. Martini Racing and Moët & Chandon have been at the heart of the high end action for […]

How Has Big Data Really Influenced Marketing?

Retail mobile digital app

If you haven’t heard of big data before, we are – quite frankly – shocked. Where have you been? Big data is the buzz-phrase of the moment (in fact it’s been an important concept for quite some time now), for businesses large and small and across every industry imaginable. Big data is now an entire […]

How Networks Control Financial Advisers Social Media Use

Global Advertising Financial Service FS Advertising Media

Social media allows financial advisory firms to reach large audiences, but also poses certain challenges due to rules imposed by the financial watchdog in relation to financial promotions.

How Social Data Can Benefit Marketing Campaigns

Social Retail eCommerce Digital Shopper

The Internet has brought vast changes to the consumer landscape, triggering the emergence of digital shoppers who now have more power at their fingertips. Today’s consumer expects to receive more personalised experiences with brands, more choices and more ways to interact with them. For businesses looking to recognise and engage with these users, it’s imperative […]

How The Role Of The Marketer Has Become More Complicated

Marketing executive team

According to Keith Weed, chief marketing officer at Unilever, the life of a marketing professional has changed more in the last five years than it has in the last 25, Marketing Week reports. One of the biggest changes marketers have had to adapt to is the need to understand and analyse a lot of figures […]

How to avoid social media campaign fails

Facebook social media content

by Laura Farrington, Social & PR Executive at AgencyUK For many, social media seemed to appear overnight, and therefore somehow gained a reputation of being a fad or unprofitable marketing tool. But the huge potential of social media marketing is now becoming more recognised and social media is shifting from novelty to purpose. With 72% […]

How To Become An Agile Marketing Organisation

Marketer Branding Agency AUK Strategy

At a recent roundtable event hosted by Econsultancy, the focus of which was on Digital Transformation, a number of strategies were put forward for how to turn an agency into a more agile business, the online market research site reported.

How To Increase & Improve On Instagram Engagement

Social Instagram channel content

As one of the most popular social media sites around, Instagram is a hub for online engagement – it is therefore a site businesses need to begin taking notice of. According to a recent infographic from HubSpot, as published on Ragan.com, there are a number of scientific formulas to follow which will encourage more engagement […]

How To Interact With Customers On Social Media Channels

Social media marketing provides brands with many opportunities and has become a medium businesses can no longer afford to neglect. Forbes has put together a few tips on how to make use of social channels, how to interact with users and boost business growth.

How to keep commercially focused in an agency/client relationship

Digital Media Agency User Experience

by Amy Stobie, Commercial Director at AgencyUK Organisations invest in marketing because it has the power to create value for their brands. And the work agencies are commissioned to undertake for these brands is becoming more measurable by the day. When marketing communications works it’s the most powerful way to quickly build a base of […]

How To Plan A Content/Editorial Calendar

Apprentice creative agency

Whilst the idea of having to plan anything may put a lot of people off – the organisation and forward thinking required can give even the most experienced professional a headache – the fact remains that creating a fully-formed and detailed content/editorial calendar is pretty much an essential part of the marketing mix nowadays. As […]

How To Revolutionise Your Content Marketing Strategy

Blogger blog writing content social strategy

It is common practice for a number of companies to develop a content marketing strategy and then leave it, Business2Community notes. However, failing to review and alter an old strategy is not recommended, and businesses are encouraged to always revisit and tweak a strategy in order to maximise their results.

How To Segment The Social Media Sphere

Social Media Marketing

As a platform for engagement, social media sites are due to stick around, IAB UK reports. As more and more consumers engage with the sites, the more marketers and businesses as a whole need to research and analyse the data provided in a bid to understand how customers – either existing or potential – use […]

How To Use Pinterest To Engage Mums

Pinterest Social Media Advertising

Many mums in the UK now spend part of their free time on Pinterest every day. This is great news for marketers given the fact that users, not brands, contribute to 70% of brand engagement on the platform. But it seems that interacting with mothers on Pinterest is not an easy task, as the risk […]

How To Use Social Media To Grow Your Brand’s Reach

Social Media groups

Social media can be an absolute godsend for marketers looking to maximise the online reach of a company or business. Of course, social media can also be a complete pain in the neck for some marketers, too, as maintaining constant output on the channels, keeping on top of interactions with customers and staying in-tune with […]

How Well Do You Know Your Social Media Followers?

Social Media channel advertising users

Social media has been with us for more than ten years (has it been that long already?) and it has become the first stop for marketers seeking to make more people aware of their brands and attract loyal customers. People have different behaviours and communicate differently online than they do in real life; by understanding […]

How will Gen Z transform the workplace?

Gen Z Drum Emillie Hawes AgencyUK

Featured in The Drum Gen Z already make up over 20% of the world’s population; they’ll be more than a quarter of the workforce in three years (and Generation Alpha is hot on their heels). They bring with them native knowledge of digital and social, developed understandings of community and identity and deep ethical commitments. How is their […]

How Your Business Can Benefit From Pinterest

Pinterest Social Media Advertising

Pinterest may be a relatively new social network, but it is quickly increasing in popularity. Many brands are currently revisiting their online marketing strategies to add this social channel – which now has over 70 million accounts – and make use of it as a valuable tool to help spread content virally and even contribute […]

Humans and Robots

BBC iPlayer mobile app

You’ve heard of robots.txt – how about humans.txt? We look at the growing trend for websites to offer a non-intrusive way of showcasing the real people behind the development of the site – and also to shout out to the various technologies and languages underpinning the site’s functionality.

I sold out to Big Data | Brand Republic Feature by Ian Young

Data Marketing CRM

There’s a lot of talk about ‘Big Data’, it’s certainly the 2013 buzz with firms EMC2, IBM, Oracle even Adobe speaking louder than most. But what does it actually mean? When you get past the spin, hype and bluster, Big Data is actually a simple proposition. It’s about accessing and consolidating data from multiple data […]

I Thought Leaders had a Clue? | Marketing Week

AUK Appoint Creative Director

I’ve met a number of very senior thought leaders recently. Many of which have modelled the current social landscape in their minds, speculated on how human behaviour and interaction with brands will evolve over the coming decades.
They’ve even pred…

i-Kube looks to expand following appointment of AgencyUK

i-kube motor insurance appoint AUK

i-kube, the specialist motor insurer for young people between the ages of 17-25, has appointed AgencyUK to conduct a rebrand and marketing initiative following a successful 3-way pitch.

IAB Calls for #ad tags before advertising Tweets

Digital Media Agency User Experience

The Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) has decided to facilitate social media marketing by issuing a set of useful hints for businesses on how to comply with the requirements for payment of editorial content, which promotes products or services without breaching the law for consumer protection.

iBet appoints AgencyUK ahead of Euro2020

ibet is the new online gambling platform developed by the tech whizzkids of Silicon Valley. It’s rumoured to become the standard by which all future online gambling platforms are measured. By marrying together emerging technology, ibet will provide more immersive user experiences that brings players closer to the live sports they love. The rapid scale […]

ICO Urges Google To Amend Privacy Policy Until 20 September

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has asked search giant Google to bring its privacy policy in line with the Data Protection Act until 20 September 2013, otherwise it risks facing legal action and fines. According to an article published by Computer World, ICO has joined hands with the other 27 data protection bodies in Europe […]

Images Extremely Important In Consumers Shopping Journeys

Web analytics tracking gender

I recently read results from a study conducted by visual content specialist WeSEE, revealing that young online users no longer favour traditional text-based queries to find products on the Internet; they are increasingly relying on imagery to better-inform their decisions.

Improving Customer Experience Key To Boosting CLV

ecommerce website consumer spending

The best way to achieve customer lifetime value (CLV) is by improving user experiences – at least according to the majority of the marketers polled for Econsultancy’s new research paper, carried out in partnership with Sitecore.

In-App Ad Spending To Reach USD7.1bn By 2015

AUK Advertising

Smartphones are versatile gadgets and it is no wonder they have taken the market by storm. The same thing is now happening with tablets, which have their own irresistible attractions. But can you imagine either of those devices without apps?

Increased Footfall In UK High Street Stores

Social Retail eCommerce Digital Shopper

The latest report from British Retail Consortium (BRC) shows that high street footfall was 0.1% higher in June compared with the previous month. Although a modest increase, it was still better than the figure recorded the previous month, when footfall slipped 0.7%.

Influences For Search Engine Rankings

Mobile Advertising Influencer

A recent report from SearchMetrics identifies the factors having the greatest impact on organic ranking. It looks at search engine results and the measures marketers adopt to push their websites higher on search engines.

Insider Magazine: Ask the Expert: Big data and mobile

Big data analytics agency

Firstly, what does “Big Data” actually mean? Big Data is, unsurprisingly, a big subject, but in its broadest term it refers to the increasingly huge amount of information that is available to us today. This is primarily driven by the way consumers are embracing the internet as part of their everyday lives. Financial services have […]

Insider Magazine’s Owner-Managed Business Round Table Featuring Sammy from AgencyUK

AgencyUK Insider Magazine

Successful owner-managed businesses don’t get to the top on their own; they seek and use external advice. Insider brought together a group of ambitious business owners to discuss the main issues affecting them and who they turn to for help.

Instagram 58 Times Better Than Facebook For User Engagement

Social Instagram channel content

Instagram stands out from the other social networks available as it produces more user engagement, a new study by Forrester reveals. In fact, it delivers 58 times more engagement than Facebook.

Instagram Begins Gradual Roll Out Of Sponsored Ads In UK

After being trialled in the US at the end of last year, seven UK advertisers have become the first to take advantage of Instagram’s new “Sponsored” paid-for ad unit.

Instagram Leads Social Media Sites For User Engagement

In the world of social media, size appears to have nothing to do with engagement – at least according to research from L2 Think Tank, which revealed that posts on Instagram could be generating the highest levels of communication amongst users.

Instagram Reaches 300 Million Users – But Brands Want More

Instagram social media channel

It was reported on Marketing Week earlier this week that the Facebook-owned app Instagram has reached a total of 300 million users – around 100 million extra users in just nine months. With this record user base, Instagram has surpassed that of Twitter and Tumblr, which have 284 million and 230 million respectively. Facebook still […]

Integrating Search With Other Media Proves Results

Digital Media Agency User Experience

Integration (mixing various channels) is a must for successful marketing, as most marketers are now well aware. And it’s continuing to prove results, according to a new study from the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB).

Integration? It’s all in your head | Brand Republic Feature

Digital Media Agency User Experience

Integration is a big buzzword. Everyone wants to be integrated. But in many cases it involves digital and gaming agencies/departments taking the above the line campaign and pretty much sticking it on the web. Then the DM agency/department take the ATL campaign and stick it on a pack. Don’t even get me started on social media.

InterCasino Launch Playtime for Grown Ups with AgencyUK

Poker images

InterCasino, one of the very first online casino gaming sites, has launched their new global brand campaigns. The “Play-time for Grown-ups” campaign demonstrates that InterCasino means serious entertainment, providing customers with moments of exhilaration and the chance of life changing wins in an authentic casino environment online.

Internet Majors Band Together To Fight Online Ad Scams

Mobile ecommerce security

Some of the biggest names in the Internet business have joined the crusade against malware-infected and fraudulent online advertisements, becoming part of the Ads Integrity Alliance, which was launched last week through the StopBadware project.

Internet Use To Surge By 300% Over Next Five Years

Multichannel Integrated Advertising

Recently, I read an article in the International Business Times which stated that Ofcom, the UK telecom regulator, projects that Internet use in the country will increase by between 80 and 300 times within the next five years, boosting the demand for faster and wider-ranging coverage.

Internet Users Prefer To Stay Invisible To Advertisers Survey Finds

Multichannel Advertising eCommerce

It was quite surprising to read today that advertisers across the globe may start to encounter difficulties in gathering consumer data on the web, as people seem to no longer be willing to share personal details online and are beginning to seek tools that can make them invisible in the digital world.

iPad Responsible For 48% Of US M-Commerce Sales

Research from the Adobe Digital Index has found that three-quarters of US mobile sales made over the holiday season were completed via iOS devices, contributing to significant growth in the m-commerce market, eMarketer reports.

Is ‘Creativity for Good’, good for creativity?

In 2013, D&AD introduced the White Pencil to honour ‘sustainable and ethical advertising and design that makes a real difference.’ It was originally intended to mark the organisation’s 50th anniversary by ‘putting D&AD’s global community to work in the service of a cause.’ That cause was Peace Day. There is now an annual category that […]

Is it time to let consumers “Play the Brand” | Brand Republic Feature

AgencyUK consumer brand

I remember having a telephone interview with a journalist from The Times a few years back, where I naively and rather over excitedly ranted on about mobile marketing, and a day when all Outdoor, Mobile and In-Store channels would be intrinsically linked, both creatively and promotionally. The idea was that the data held on individuals […]

Is Nike stealing its R&D? | Brand Republic Feature

Nike branding swoosh

I recently watched a fascinating presentation on Open Data, by Nike VP of Sustainability, Hannah Jones. For those who don’t know Open Data is the concepts of making intellectual property and patents freely available to gen public.
How does it work?
A…

Is Social Media forcing us to be better marketers? | Brand Republic Feature

AUK on Social Media Marketing

I read an interesting article on Mashable recently about which department “owns” social media. My hope was that if we answered that question, we might have a better idea which agency is best set to deal with it.

Is the British Brand broken? | The Drum

Union Jack Crumpled

As a nation Britain has suffered from brand decay, largely around football, holiday makers abroad, even the Iraq war. But recent riots, televised and sensationalised around the world have even had the head of Visit Britain and British Tourism on television defending the nation.

Is the Internet KILLING Creativity? | Brand Republic Feature

AgencyUK Killing Creativity

I recently watched a great ad that launched a well-known brand back into our consciousness. It was brilliant, capturing the brand and the verve of the previous campaigns. Then I realised that a few months previously I’d seen a whole series of films on YouTube that were pretty much identical.

Is this “IT” for Google? Say hello to Wolframalpha.

Google offices

Following a recent demo of what could be the biggest revolution in search, and biggest threat to Google, in recent years. A man called Stephen Wolfram has developed a new type of search engine titled Wolfram Alpha. It is described as a “computational knowledge engine.” We’d say it’s a “find” engine rather than a “search” engine. […]

IT Departments Can Help Marketers Make The Most Of Social Media

Social Media Marketing

The process of successfully integrating social media into marketing strategies is traditionally assigned to agencies that use their own techniques to make such platforms generate real returns to businesses. But there can also be an important role played by the IT department, Kane Fulton writes for the Information Age website.

It Takes Two to Tango | Brand Republic Feature

Social Media Channel Content

With the predicted onset of Social Commerce, aptly named sCommerce by the principals at IBM, we are about to witness the next technological revolution. Goodbye CRM, goodbye traditional direct marketing and hello social commerce.

It’s a Smaller World | Brand Republic Feature

Branding globally small planet

Whilst chatting with my cousin in India via Facebook, it struck me how social media sites are helping to merge cultural boundaries. At the expense of sounding like someone who never switches off, this got me thinking about its effects on marketing and creativity.

It’s Time For Marketers To Start Preparing For Christmas

Christmas retail advertising

I came across the results of a new study from eBay, showing that consumers start looking for Christmas gifts as early as May. Marketers therefore need to monitor consumers’ searches for such purchases as early as possible to better tailor their messages.

Japanese Brands Prove Most Reliable Among Used Cars

UK Car Brands

Reliability is a key factor for UK consumers when they decide what car they will spend their money on. According to a new study from What Car?, reported by the BBC, Japanese cars lead the reliability charts for used cars.

Jeepers Creepers, D&AD!

The English cleric Charles Colton coined the phrase: ‘Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.’  And certainly in the advertising industry, creatives are encouraged to assimilate from and be inspired by great exponents of comedy, writing, art, films, music and culture. But there is a clear line between being inspired by creative culture and shamelessly […]

Just 16% of Marketers have a Mobile Strategy

Mobile Commerce ecommerce app

Given the explosive growth of mobile technology and the positive impact it has on the way brands interact with consumers, it was quite surprising to read recently that just 16% of marketers have a mobile strategy in place, a report prepared by the CMO Council said.

Just 8% Of UK Top Retailers Have Tablet-Optimised Website

It seems that whilst UK retailers are rushing to optimise their websites for mobile phones, many are forgetting to consider consumers with other devices, such as tablets.

Just Tweeting around | Brand Republic Feature

AUK Chat app software

I’ve just been through a whirlwind of social media lately. Conferences, projects, discussions, it’s left me feeling quite anti-social about the whole thing. But stay your burning pitchforks. Do not assault my door as you Tweet that you’ve found a non-believer.

Keeping your brand safe on the Google Display Network and YouTube

AUK Advertising

One of the great things about the internet is that it is the ultimate expression of free speech; anyone can publish their experiences, views and opinions for others to read, comment on and share. One of the worst things about the internet is that anyone can publish anything they like, no matter how untrue, defamatory […]

Key Takeaways From The CMO Compensation Report

Professional services marketing online digital strategy

The chief marketing officers (CMO’s) who receive the highest pay are those who have managed to advance and transform the performance of a company’s digital marketing strategies, Marketing Week reports.

Key Trends That Will Shape E-Commerce Industry Next Year

eBay Shopping Retail Consumer eCommerce Web

E-commerce continues to enjoy strong momentum to the detriment of high-street retailers, which will unfortunately list 2012 as one of their unsuccessful years and one that forced many of them to cease operations, with those that survived finding it extremely hard to attract customers and trigger sales. This is not the case with online retail, […]

Kitchenware brand Tala appoints AgencyUK

Kitchenware brand Tala has appointed AgencyUK to oversee its marketing and communication channels for its online retail business. In response to an integrated marketing communications brief, AgencyUK will provide services including brand strategy, creative development, public relations and social media support for Tala. The first phase of the 12-month communications plan is designed to inject a refined approach to […]

Last-Minute Ideas For Valentine Themed Contests On Facebook

Facebook Love Campaign

Valentine’s Day is approaching, presenting a marketers with a good opportunity to take advantage of the special occasion. With 57% of active Facebook users listed as married, engaged or in a relationship, here are some ideas for last-minute contests from Facebook application expert Shortstack that might help rekindle a spark with loved-up fans.

Less David vs Goliath, more Goliath vs Goliath

Digital TV Advertising Media Channel

The latest round of the ongoing battle between the might of NewsCorp and the power of Google is not merely about a clash of two heavyweights in the media landscape. It stems from a much wider question – Does Google favour its own listings in the search rankings?

Less Than 10% of UK Small Firms Have A Mobile Version Of Their Website

ecommerce shopper retail marketiong mobile app

Nearly half of small businesses in the UK are already using different forms of mobile marketing for their campaigns, but only 8% of them have optimised their website for mobile devices. This is according to the results of a study from software and hardware maker Pitney Bowes published recently in Mobile Entertainment.

Lessons to be learned from BrewDog’s latest PR nightmare

AgencyUK BrewDog Feature

It’s hard to think of a brand subject to as much controversy as BrewDog lately. A recent BBC documentary brought a fresh raft of accusations against the company – off the back of which, it has emerged, boss James Watt hired private investigators to scrutinize former employees. Here, AgencyUK’s Sammy Mansourpour digs into what brands can learn – good […]

Londoners Spend More Time & Cash Online Than Rest Of UK

UK Advertising Tech Market

Fresh figures from website customer tracker Qubit highlight Londoners’ love of shopping, not only on the high street but in virtual retailers as well. According to the findings, people living in the capital spend more than twice the amount on every online purchase made compared to the rest of the UK.

Lost in translation? BBC Three makes the move online

Last week BBC Three downed tools and officially made the switch to digital only channels – but will the audiences follow? This month has heralded a shift in medium as both the The Independent and BBC Three made the permanent move into the virtual world. We have already debated whether this new platform will spell […]

Low-Fat Products A Bargain In UK Supermarkets

AgencyUK consumer brand

Consumers and marketers alike might find the following piece of news equally intriguing: three of the biggest supermarket chains, Asda, Aldi and Co-operative Food, are going to offer healthy products on discount, as a part of the government initiative Change 4 Life, which looks to promote healthy eating among the Brits.

Luxury Brands Hike Investments in Digital Advertising

Web analytics tracking gender

Digital advertising is becoming more and more attractive to luxury brands, with a great number of businesses planning to boost investments in this type of media in 2012, a new study shows.

M-Commerce – Strong Driver Of Online Sales In October

Mobile ecommerce security

M-commerce staged an impressive annual growth of 261% last month, highlighting once again the critical importance of mobile devices to the UK retail industry, I read in a report prepared by e-retail specialist IMRG and consulting firm Capgemini.

M-Commerce Apps Most Popular With UK Smartphone Users

Blogger blog writing content social strategy

I read this week a report from media and marketing researcher Arbitron, which suggested that in the UK smartphone owners use m-commerce apps more often than Americans or other European consumers.

M-commerce Continues To Grow Thanks To Tablet Users

Data marketing Kindle and Amazon

A recent study publishing UK figures in m-commerce shows its significant growth is down to tablet use.

M-commerce Continues To Grow Thanks To Tablet Users

Twitter social commerce

A new report claims that m-commerce in the UK owes its significant growth in 2011 to tablet use.

M-Commerce Gains Popularity In The UK

Wifi Mobile digital user experience

New research published by Cheil Worldwide reveals that m-commerce is making significant developments in the UK shopping world, with around 40% of smartphone owners in the UK in 2013 using their device to make a purchase, spending an average of £199 each.

M-Commerce Predicted To Reach New Highs Before Christmas

Mobile ecommerce security

M-commerce in the UK is likely to stage strong growth by Christmas this year as one in five online purchases are expected to be completed through mobile devices during the holiday season, new research I came across recently reveals.

M-Commerce Sales Being Driven By Email

Email marketing

A new piece of research conducted by Custora has found that marketing emails opened on smartphones or tablets are actually outperforming e-mails read on desktops and PCs in terms of m-commerce figures, the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) reports.

M-Retail Zooms 5,000% In Just Three Years

ecommerce shopper retail marketiong mobile app

According to new research published this week, m-commerce sales have ballooned 5,000% in just three years and now accounts for one in every five purchases made online.

M&A Activity Increases In Advertising & Marketing Technology Sectors

Mergers and acquisition (M&A) activity in the global advertising and marketing technology sectors has almost doubled in the past year, The Drum reports. The number of deals in place but not yet completed has increased dramatically compared to the number recorded in 2013, the article notes.

Major Brands Zoom In On Instagram

Social Instagram channel content

In case the name Instagram doesn’t ring a bell, here is a brief introduction: it is photo-sharing mobile platform that joined the social media club in October 2010 and was recently snatched up by Facebook for the tidy sum of $1 billion. More pertinent to us marketers are the findings of a study showing that […]

Majority Of Employees Want A Digital Engagement Programme

.Net Magazine brand launch

A recent survey by TechnologyAdvice has shown that more than 70% of the 398 office-based workers asked said they would perform better if provided with engagement software at work, Ragan reports. This comes after news from Gallup that American businesses lose between $450 billion and $550 billion every year due to disengaged employees.

Making sense of popular statistical terms

Social Media Channels

Guest blog from Iridium Insights, specialists in data integration, analytics and insights for the consumer goods industry At Iridium Insights we are all about making sense out of data, and as we recognise that a lot of the technical stats terms can be confusing, we’ve created this quick look-up glossary of statistical definitions. Bayesian modelling […]

Mamas & Papas Devotes New Ad Campaign To Modern Family

Teachers Assurance appoint AgencyUK marketing

Mamas & Papas, the UK-based retailer and manufacturer of prams, pushchairs, baby products and maternity wear, is launching an advertising campaign to promote its new Urbo pram by stressing the different forms a family can take and celebrating the new “normal”.

Mansourpour listed in top 42 under forty two entrepreneurs | Insider Magazine

Insider Magazine AgencyUK

Not many marketing agencies are founded with a five-year plan in place that includes making acquisitions in that period, but Saman Mansourpour isn’t your typical creative who’s partly headed West from London for the lifestyle.

Marketers Must Utilise User’s Emotions On Twitter

Twitter social commerce

As was discussed at the Web Summit 2014 this month, marketers hoping the make the most of the new ecommerce service on Twitter need to be sure to generate an emotional connection with users, according to the social site’s head of global revenue, Marketing Week reports.

Marketers Need A Fresh Perspective On The Over 55s

Baby boomer consumer generation

Marketing departments sometimes fail to target consumers over the age of 55 effectively, Rebekah Yock, director at research agency Firefish, notes, drawing on insights gained at the recent Marketing magazine’s conference, “Older, Richer, Wiser.”

Marketers See Slight Uptick In 2013 Budgets

UK Advertising Tech Market

According to a recent study, marketers in the UK are a little more upbeat about the new year, as they anticipate an overall growth in advertising budgets and a brighter financial future for their companies when compared to 2012. Their hopes, however, could eventually crash as the country’s economy is still unstable and consumer confidence […]

Marketers To Focus On Site Search, SEO And M-Commerce Next Year

Mobile Search engine optimisation

Site search improvement, search engine optimisation (SEO) and m-commerce will be the three main aspects of retailers’ marketing strategies next year, published this week in a study conducted by SLI Systems.

Marketers To Invest More In Programmatic Ad Spending

AUK Advertising

Spending on programmatic ads is expected to increase dramatically in the near future, the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) UK states in a recent article, with the sector due to become a strong focus for marketers.

Marketers To Rely On Big Data To Better Understand Consumers In 2013

A recent report jointly prepared by Yesmail Interactive and Infogroup Targeting Solutions suggesting that marketers are extremely willing to find out more about their customers, but they feel there are big discrepancies between what they know and what they should and want to know about them.

Marketers To Spend More On Programmatic Media In 2018

Digital TV Advertising Media Channel

A survey by AdExchanger Research has revealed that programmatic ad buying is becoming increasingly popular among marketing professionals, and is due to skyrocket in 2014, with two-thirds of those surveyed saying they will be spending 40% of their budgets on programmatic buying tools over the next 12 months.

Marketing Attribution Key To Digital Marketing Success

UK Advertising Tech Market

Marketing attribution is a key phrase used by many professionals in the industry – however, according to an article on Econsultancy, very few actually know what it really means. In simple terminology, marketing attribution is the art of defining the role that a specific digital channel will play in terms of how it impacts and […]

Marketing Emails Including Discounts Influence Consumer Purchase Decisions

Email marketing

Marketing emails that include some form of discount for consumers can heavily influence their purchasing behaviour, new information from BlueHornet and published on the Marketing Charts website reveals. Such emails influence consumers more than opt-in text message alerts, Facebook posts and direct mail.

Marketing Expertise Key Attribute Of Successful Public Sector CIOs

Public Sector health worker audience wellness consumer

Experience in marketing and technology skills are the two most crucial attributes of public CIOs of the future, Ricoh UK says in their latest report, highlighting the key role marketing is going to play in the industry.

Marketing Professionals Still Finding Difficulties In Adopting Mobile Said IAB

Mobile App for learner drivers

This morning I came across the latest study from the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) which gauges the current condition of the mobile industry among media agencies. It has established that as a whole, marketers are gradually raising their understanding of m-commerce, but still there are barriers they are yet to overcome in order to afford […]

Marketing To The Purse-String Holders (Aka: The Bank Of Mum & Dad)

Millennial target audience

We all have them – parents, that is – and some of us are a parent, too. In this respect, everyone has some understanding of the trials and tribulations involved in parenting; so why do marketers often find it so hard to market to this demographic, specifically to mothers?

Marketing To Youths Can Turn Them From Consumers Into Brand Advocates

Research Group

Youth marketing is harder than it looks, as simply adapting a general campaign to focus on the youth market is rarely successful, president of Canadian youth marketing agency Intercept Group, Andrew Au, says in an interview for Voxburner.

Marketing Trends Tipped For 2014

Global Advertising Financial Service FS Advertising Media

Each year is a new beginning that brings new challenges and experiences to all aspects of business, and it’s natural to see various reports from various experts on the trends to evolve over the next 12 months. The Guardian has made a list of its own predictions for the 2014 marketing landscape, in an article […]

Marketing trends to look out for in 2016

Marketing executive team

AgencyUK Managing Director, Sammy Mansourpour, looks to 2016 and discusses what trends he thinks will be big over the next year. There are 3 big marketing trends currently underway and I think we’re likely to see significant momentum in the coming year, so it’s worth getting up to speed with them. 1. Marketing Automation or […]

Measuring The Effectiveness Of Social Media Marketing

Millennial mobile social app

by Laura Farrington, Social Media Executive at The Agency Social media: love it or hate it’s here to stay. Even if you’re still trying to avoid it in your everyday life, the likelihood is that your company’s marketing team have felt the need to share, tweet or like something – and they’d be right to. The […]

Meat Promotion Wales Appoint AgencyUK to £3m Roster And Exclusive Welsh Lamb

Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC), the organisation responsible for the development, promotion and marketing of Welsh red meat, have appointed Bath based integrated communications firm AgencyUK to a twelve month contract to help promote Welsh Lamb across the UK. The appointment follows a three-way strategic and creative pitch that saw AgencyUK ward […]

Meat Promotion Wales Appoint AgencyUK to Welsh Beef Campaign Following £3m Agency Roster Selection

Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC), the organisation responsible for the development, promotion and marketing of Welsh red meat, have appointed Bath based integrated communications firm AgencyUK to promote Welsh Beef nationally in 2014. The news comes just 3-months after AgencyUK were selected to the £3m HCC roster and appointed as lead agency […]

Meat the enemy: continuing as a meat trader during an environmental revolution

Livestock farmers have a real challenge on their hands. Those trading in meat are facing an environmental revolution that has grown so strong, it’s spilling out into almost every industry across the world, and a data driven health movement that is so easily accessible it’s changing consumers eating behaviour more quickly than ration stamps. Climate […]

Mechanics and Drivers | Brand Republic Feature

Men working in office

They’ve got a great idea, it involves email, a microsite, twitter, facebook and press” said the suit excitedly. “They’re not ideas” I said in a rather disappointed fashion.

Microsoft Lines Up Gandalf And Bilbo For Windows Phone 8 Ad Campaign

MicroSoft Campaign Advertising

Fans of J R R Tolkien’s novels ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings’ across the globe will be happy to see their favourite characters Gandalf and Bilbo in the latest advertising campaign from Microsoft, which will promote Windows Phone 8, the second generation of the Windows Phone mobile operating system.

Microsoft’s Kinect Could Usher In Emotion-Based Advertising

Microsoft Technology Channel Digital Applications

A couple of months ago, Google obtained a patent that would allow it to target smartphone users with advertisements based on weather conditions. It does not mean that the idea will lead to a fully-fledged product or service – but if that were to happen, the Internet search giant would be able to present smartphone […]

Millennials Most Open To Marketing Influence Via Mobile Channels

Millennial mobile social app

The Millennial generation now constitutes almost a quarter of the UK population but despite its significant number, this is also the demographic facing the biggest financial challenges. Although many of them run on limited budgets, mobile devices have broadly become indispensable tools in their daily lives, and they now use them for a number of […]

Mixed Bag Of Ups And Downs For UK Marketing Budgets

Global Advertising Financial Service FS Advertising Media

According to a new survey I came across today, UK marketers seem to be diverging in their opinion on advertising spending, with roughly the same proportion of businesses hiking and reducing their marketing budgets in the second quarter of the year.

Mobile Accounts For 38% Of Paid Search Clicks In UK

Mobile Commerce ecommerce app

Mobile continues to grow in importance for advertisers and in the second quarter of 2014, mobile accounted for 38% of paid search clicks in the UK, as well as for 26% of all paid search spend in the country.

Mobile Ad Spend Nearly Doubles In 2013, Surpassing £1bn Mark

Mobile Commerce ecommerce app

Last year, mobile ad spend in the United Kingdom rose by 93%, reaching £1.03 billion, and made up 16% of the total digital ad market, the annual report by the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) showed. In 2012, mobile ad spend accounted for 10% of the total digital ad spend.

Mobile Ad Spend Set To Triple By 2018

QR Codes Mobile App Promotions Retail

A new report has suggested that global mobile ad spend will reach more than $39 billion (£18.6 billion) annually by 2018, which is triple the amount expected for this year.

Mobile Ad Spending in UK Skyrockets

Pinterest Social Media Advertising

There is hardly any doubt about the importance of mobile marketing today. Its prominence is highlighted by data published this week by the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) which shows that the UK’s mobile advertising spend climbed 157% in 2011, reaching over £203m.

Mobile Ads Have Higher CTRs In Mobile Ads Than On Desktop

Mobile Commerce ecommerce app

Recent data shows that the click-through rates (CTRs) for ads found on mobile apps are much higher than those for desktop web ads, Warc reports. The information is sourced from 300 billion data points gathered from mobile ad campaigns leading to June of this year.

Mobile Advertising Still Attractive Despite Increasing Price

AUK on smartphone brand consumers

Marketers are nowadays looking to reap the benefits of mobile technologies, given their widespread use and consumers’ permanent drive to stay connected on the go, John Aspinell, service delivery manager at Ashdown Group, says. Marketing experts now tend to slate larger budgets for mobile advertising campaigns to catch consumers’ attention on their smartphones and tablets […]

Mobile Advertising To Be Made More Attractive To Brands

Mobile ecommerce security

Google is looking to launch four new display ad formats specifically for mobile devices in a bid to make mobile advertising more attractive to brands, Marketing Week reports. The formats are expected to be launched on a global scale over the next couple of months.

Mobile Banking Grows In EU, UK Slow To Adapt

Global Advertising Financial Service FS Advertising Media

Mobile banking is slowly but surely gathering pace in most European countries, according to a new report from research firm Forrester that is published today.

Mobile Banking Grows In EU, UK Slow To Adapt

ecommerce website consumer spending

Mobile banking is slowly but surely gathering pace in most European countries, according to a new report from research firm Forrester published today.

Mobile Can Help Tame The Risk Of Showrooming

ecommerce shopper retail marketiong mobile app

Retailers may have already noticed customers visiting their stores, trying out items and leaving without a purchase and then buying the same product online at a lower price via a mobile device. The UK is one of the worst countries in the world for ‘showrooming’, but while retailers try to deal with the pressures it […]

Mobile Devices Generated 31% of Paid Search Clicks at Christmas

Christmas Online Consumer Retail

According to the new survey from digital marketing technology expert Kenshoo, tablets and mobile devices played a crucial role in Christmas shopping last year, accounting for 31% of the paid search clicks and contributing 24% to retailers’ combined revenues.

Mobile Devices Most Discussed Topic On Social Media

AUK on Social Media Marketing

It is a well-known fact that users of social media sites regularly share their opinions on a number of topics. A recent infographic from GlobalWebIndex (GWI) revealed that mobile phones are the most widely discussed topic on social media sites.

Mobile Evolution Encouraging An “Always-On” Culture

Mobile App for learner drivers

In the past two years mobile use has seen a huge increase, affecting a number of everyday activities for consumers and radically changing the way they shop, watch videos and read content. This is according to findings from a new Global Mobile Survey carried out by IDG Global Solutions.

Mobile Fuels eBay’s Performance In Q3 2012

eBay Shopping Retail Consumer eCommerce Web

Mobile technology was the major driver of third-quarter revenue and user growth for online auction and shopping major eBay. The website enjoyed a 15% annual uptick in sales to $3.4 billion in the three months to 30 September, while its bottom line staged a 14% year-on-year rise to $718 million.

Mobile Gaming A Great Market To Tap

Millennial mobile social app

The mobile gaming market is offering some great opportunities for companies aiming to enhance their impact on social media platforms.

Mobile Helps Health Marketers Engage With Patients

Mobile Search engine optimisation

Nowadays, mobile devices play a huge part in our everyday lives, especially when it comes to our health. They are our companions, and our advisers, and its pure human communication that suffers the most from our shift to the digital space. But, according to results from a recent study, smart devices actually help us to […]

Mobile More Attractive Than TV For UK Kids

kids mobile channel advertising content

Remember when your mum was telling you to turn that TV off? Apparently, TV seems to be losing its appeal to kids these days. An interesting article today that talks about UK children gradually losing interest in TV and switching to mobile Internet devices.

Mobile Proximity Marketing Introduced In Liverpool

Millennial mobile social app

A recent marketing ploy by the city of Liverpool has seen Bluetooth Beacons, geo-fencing and NFC technology be introduced in the area in a bid to expand upon visitors’ experiences of events across the city, Mobile Marketing Magazine reports.

Mobile Shopping To Stage Double Growth By 2014

Integrated online retail channels ecommerce

I came across the results from a mobile retail study by retail researcher Conlumino, which suggested that the amount of money UK consumers spend on purchases made via their smart devices will more than double next year, maintaining the strong momentum seen in recent years.

Mobile To Grab 15% Share Of Agencies 2014 Digital Budgets

Retail mobile digital app

Media agencies have high hopes for mobile technology, a trend that will be well reflected in their 2014 digital budgets in the form of higher investment in the medium, as reported by the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) UK.

Mobile Transactions Forecast To Reach $730bn By 2017

eBay Shopping Retail Consumer eCommerce Web

Not that long ago, TV was the major source of domestic entertainment and the centre of the universe for couch potatoes. Nowadays, computers and mobile devices have greatly reduced the importance of the telly as a news and entertainment source but the couch has lost none of its clout.

Mobile Users Deem Ads Irritating

AUK Advertising

A new study from market researcher Forrester which revealed that most mobile users deem ads popping up on their devices extremely irritating, even more than those seen on TV.

Mobile-Video Combo Opens New Doors To Marketers

Online Video Streaming YouTube

With 75% of consumers using their mobile phones to watch video and 15% of all video hours viewed on smartphones and tablets across the world, the time is right for marketers to take advantage of the benefits video content and mobile tech offer, says Coull chief executive officer Irfon Watkins in an article for IAB […]

Mobilegeddon – How Google’s Shake Up Of Mobile Search Has Impacted The Web

Mobile Search engine optimisation

It has been exactly three weeks since the so-called ‘mobilegeddon’ calamity struck online businesses the world over – with apocalyptic images littering webpages and marketers crying in fear at what may come… Well, sort of. Whilst the somewhat terrifying title of mobilegeddon was obviously coined to strike fear into the hearts of those involved, it […]

Mobility Top Priority For 35% Of Global CIOs

Mobile ecommerce security

One-third of chief information officers (CIOs) across the globe have made incorporating mobility within their companies their top priority this year in the hope that it is the right path to follow in order to expand their revenue stream, according to Accenture’s latest report.

Modern Women Shopping-Savvy, Buy For The Whole Family

TV Advertising Spend

How would you describe the typical modern woman in the UK? See if you’ve guessed correctly. British women in 2012 are financially-conscious, technology savvy and still love their shopping.

Money Talks? | Brand Republic Feature

AUK Chat app software

Whilst reading a recent white paper on trends within Social Commerce, I came across a quote from Douglas Rushkoff that basically said the goal of social media isn’t sales. Social media should be about building the culture of your company.

More Brits Become Bored Of Social Platforms

AgencyUK on Social Trending

According to a new poll from YouGov, more and more Brits are becoming bored of social media.

More Consumers Engage With Brands On Social Media

Social Media Channels

Brand owners and marketers are not the only ones that realise the impact of social media on brand reputation. Consumers are also well aware of the effect their interaction with a company might have on other Internet users, as customer service has become a lot more transparent on social networking sites.

More Consumers Migrate From Brand Sites To Social

Social Media Marketing

This morning I came across an interesting article on how consumers’ perception of brand websites has changed. According to new international research, consumers these days tend to visit brand websites less often than they used to, because such sites are often seen as “one dimensional”, while many consider social media sites more multi-layered and objective.

More Holiday Makers Booking Hotels On The Go

Travel tourism holiday

Online hotel deals provider Hotels.com recently revealed that 22% of Britons decide to take a vacation without making a reservation in advance, relying on their smartphone device to book a hotel room on the move.

More Men To Shop In-Store This Black Friday

eCommerce AgencyUK launch

It is predicted that this coming Black Friday shopping extravaganza will see more men take to the stores than women, The Drum reports. Black Friday – aka November 28th – is an American shopping day with huge discounts on a number of products that has made its way across the Atlantic in recent years.

More Than $2 Billion In Desktop Sales Completed On Cyber Monday

ecommerce website consumer spending

Around $2 billion of sales were completed this Cyber Monday in the US, The Huffington Post reports. According to figures this is the largest ever online spending day in history – and marked an increase of 17% compared to the same day in 2013.

More Than 90% Of Britons Don’t Trust Adverts Seen Online

AUK Advertising

A recent survey carried out by Adblock Plus, intended to sound out consumers’ attitude towards advertisements has shown at least 95% of people don’t trust commercials seen online, a trend that should spark serious concerns for brands counting on online ads as a means to boost profitability.

Most Britons Prefer To Get Assistance When Shopping Online

ecommerce website consumer spending

According to a recent report from cloud-based chat specialist LivePerson, consumers across the globe would prefer not to make a purchase online if they don’t receive assistance on the website within an accepted timeframe.

Most Brits Take Twitter With Them On Holiday

Twitter social commerce

I read recently that around 20% of UK consumers log on to Twitter when on holiday to search for flight updates, while more than 60% rely on the network to stay in touch with friends and family.

Most Marketers Still Ground Strategies On Hunches And Experience – IBM

Data Marketing CRM

Just 23% of businesses believe that they manage big data successfully enough to discover meaningful insights which can bring extra value to their business, according to the results of a survey from service provider IBM.

Motaquote and TomTom unveil radical new insurance brand developed by AgencyUK

motor insurance brand

Motaquote and TomTom have launched the latest and most radical Motor Insurance product on the market called Fair Pay Insurance.

MTV teens targeted to “Pimp Your Scoot”

AUK Public Sector Campaign

AgencyUK pimps London’s scoots in a test road safety campaign that could see a national roll out. The rising popularity of scooter riding by 16+ teenagers in the UK, has brought about a significant rise in the number of road traffic accidents involving scooters. This has placed significant pressure on London Borough Council to raise […]

Multi-Channel Integration as ASDA Launches Android App

Food brands creative

Multi-channel integration is not a new idea and most marketers are well aware of the benefit it can bring to business. It seems that more and more retailers in the UK are willing to make the most of consumers’ interest in new technology and provide them with an all-around shopping experience.

Multi-Screening Doesn’t Always Involve The TV

Multichannel Integrated Advertising

Watching TV is an activity largely associated with multi-screening – dividing attention between a number of different screens, such as a laptop or mobile device – but new research from the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) UK reveals that roughly a third of UK smartphone users who multi-screen do not include the TV at all.

Multi-sensory campaign allows UK commuters to smell baked potatoes

brand experience smell campaigns

Advertising may be changed forever, as consumers are now able to feel and smell the advertised product in a groundbreaking campaign promoting McCain Foods’ baked potatoes, called Ready Made Jackets.

Multiple Screens Limit Consumers’ Attention Span For Marketing Messages

Multichannel Integrated Advertising

The other day I came across new research conducted by YouGov on behalf of on-demand software provider Responsys. The survey revealed that Britons, who use multiple devices at the same time, are more difficult to entice through online marketing initiatives, as they dedicate just half a minute of their time to engage with brands’ messages.

Mums Are The New Target Of Digital Marketers

Mums Consumer

New mothers are becoming the new type of consumer that digital marketers are now seeking to engage as they tend to use the Internet and new technology more frequently than the average Briton, according to a survey from parenting club Bounty.

Mums Dominate Facebook Shopper Contingent

Facebook social media mum consumer

Facebook may be many things but a cyber-venue buzzing with shopping activity it certainly isn’t. Online purchases through the social media network are still a rarity and in case you are wondering who does the shopping, it is mostly women, stay-at-home mums in particular.

Mums Look For Info On Twitter, Not Jokes

Twitter Brand Advertising

Two-thirds of mothers find it useful to be able to connect with brands on Twitter and receive useful nuggets of information, rather than jokes, a study by the microblogging social network reveals.

Mums More Addicted To Facebook Than Average Online Users

I came across a report revealing some quite interesting facts: mothers in the UK are more obsessed with Facebook than the general population, spending 9.7 hours on the social media platform a month.

Mums Want To Reduce Anxiety When Shopping

Mum Shop Online Consumers

New research examining the habits of mums when it comes to shopping, carried out jointly by Retail Week and research agency Discovery Research has detailed what mothers look for when approaching a retailer, with the purpose of helping brands better tailor their offers to this major consumer group.

My Apprenticeship Experience at AgencyUK

Laura apprentice agencyuk

by Laura Farrington, Social Media Executive at AgencyUK As this week was National Apprenticeship week, I looked back over the last 12 months I have spent as an apprentice. In February 2014, I successfully applied for an apprenticeship at The Agency, and a year later I have a full time job that I love, and I […]

My Dad Killed Facebook | Brand Republic Feature

AgencyUK on parent trends to Facebook ads

I’m a Facebook fan. I use it daily, and keep it at a safe distance from anything work related. However, I’ve recently started vetting my status posts, censoring my wall comments, and removing any material that could potentially be viewed with disgust.

Natwest: You are a bank. That’s all you are.

Natwest banking brand

by Zane Radcliffe, Creative Director, AgencyUK It was Oscar Wilde who said that there is only one thing in life worse than being talked about and that is not being talked about. In the twentieth century, an increasingly PR driven ad industry updated Wilde’s maxim to the popular adage: there’s no such thing as bad […]

Nearly 25% Of Employees Banned From Using Social Media At Work

Social Media channel advertising users

I was surprised to read recently that, despite the exploding interest in social media, some businesses still balk at using social platforms in the office. This is according to social media management system HootSuite, which conducted an informal survey amongst its five million followers to find out whether they are allowed to use social media whilst […]

Nearly 50% of 18-34 Year Olds Buy Via Mobile

Multichannel Integrated Advertising

The proportion of UK shoppers using a mobile device to make a purchase has doubled to 25% this year, from 13% in 2011, with young consumers leading the uptrend in the segment as the most active mobile shoppers, according to a survey I came across this morning.

Nearly 75% Of UK Firms To Hike Investments In Digital Marketing Technology In 2013

eCommerce AUK Web

According to a new study published this week, the share of UK companies which are planning to spend more on digital marketing technology in 2013 has slipped to 71% from 74% the previous year. Despite the slight decline, the significant number of organisations willing to invest in digital implies that they continue to focus on […]

Nearly Two-Thirds Of Shoppers Influenced By Direct Email

Email marketing

Nearly two-thirds of shoppers (64%) are likely to stop whatever they are doing and open an email received by a retailer, a report from price comparison website Give as you Live has found. Direct email marketing has therefore been found to be the most popular prompt for online shopping.

Negative Reviews Boost Brand Credibility

Trustpilot Social Media Sentiment

Many brand owners and marketers are terrified by negative reviews and criticism posted on their sites, but a recent study from social commerce solutions provider Reevoo suggests that they should not be.

Nestle Brings In Tech-Savvy Experts To Monitor Reputation In Social Media

Social Media Marketing

Food giant Nestle has brought on board a team of observers of online comments, who will track what people say about the company’s products on social media channels, in yet another move to tackle reputation issues emerging in the digital space in a more serious manner.

Netregs appoint AgencyUK

Environment Agency Netregs Appoint AUK

The Environment Agency has appointed a leading brand and response marketing agency, AgencyUK, to work on its new digital strategy following a three-way pitch.

New advertising platform launches – I wear your shirt?

AUK Advertising shirt platform

Here’s a unique way to advertise, I Wear Your Shirt. There’s no doubt that the world of social media throws up interesting ways to promote brands and this has to be one of the strangest. Since January Jason Sadler has been selling chest space – his own chest. Bizarre? Yes but totally true.

New Approach To Consumer Service May Boost Engagement

Trustpilot Social Media Sentiment

As consumers become less tolerant towards brands which fail to deliver the best customer service, businesses need to constantly come up with fresh ideas to keep customers loyal. However, according to new research from Experian, just over a quarter of UK businesses intend to design and implement a single customer view (SCV) strategy, which aims […]

New Car Sales On The Rise In The UK

Automotive carshop car sales

At a time when we are bombarded with doom and gloom about the double-dip recession and consumers being unwilling to spend unless they really have to, the following piece of news might sound a bit out of tune due to its optimism.

New digital strategy helps Mango make fast fashion faster

In 2016, it sounds a bit late in the day to say that a brand is now putting digital at the forefront of its business model. From initial PR in December 2015 to the latest big-name-celebrity-model announcement of Kendall Jenner, all avenues of what high street fashion giant Mango are calling a “revolutionary” communications strategy […]

New EE TV Service To Be Launched In The UK

Multichannel Advertising eCommerce

The giant telecoms company EE recently announced plans to launch a TV service in the UK that will allow three phones or tablets to watch different live shows in the home simultaneously, whilst a traditional TV set plays a fourth, the BBC reports.

New Facebook App Aims To Attract Teens To The Site

Facebook social user

Facebook has been experiencing a decrease in users from the younger demographic over the past few months, but the social network has come up with a new way to bring them back – they have released a photo and video-sharing app, where users need to send a photo in order to unlock a photo sent […]

New Facebook Tool To Show Advertisers What Devices Consumers Use Before Purchase

A new service due to be launched by Facebook will help advertisers track what devices customers use before they complete a purchase, Marketing Week reports. Businesses will now be able to find out on what devices consumers complete certain actions, such as disclosing information in order to receive newsletters, or completing a purchase.

New iProspect Survey

Search Marketing Survey

Search Marketing and Display Advertising share close ties. We’ve always known this to be the case, but to date it has been very difficult to quantify the collective uplift that the two have on response and ultimately sales. Nearly half of Internet users who respond to display advertising eventually conduct a search related to the […]

New Media Age votes BSM website 76%

Signing up for driving lessons can be as daunting for many people as it is exciting for others. The British School of Motoring (BSM) – to celebrate its 100th birthday – has given its site a refresh to ease people into learning to drive. It’s a vibrant site that reaches out to learners, potential instructors […]

New Mums Are A Valuable Target Group For Brands

Mum Shop Online Consumers

In the UK, 82% of mums with children aged under five go online more than once a day; this not only suggests that new mothers are among the most digitally-savvy consumers on the market, but also indicates that brands who target this particular demographic are likely to see an impressive online reaction.

New Online Tool Deciphers Tweets To Reveal Age And Gender

Baby boomer consumer generation

A recent article gives details about an online program developed by a team of researchers at the Twente University in Enschede, Netherlands, that can detect a Twitter user’s age and gender. The tool can guess how old a user is and tell men from women by simply tracking the content they post on Twitter, without […]

New Report Shows Advertisers Are To Increase Budgets

Outdoor Out of Home Advertising

A new report from IPA Bellwether has shown that advertisers are looking to increase their quarterly marketing budgets, in a turnaround from the economic uncertainties many had at the end of 2014. The increase to budgets is due to be the largest amount in the last eight years. The report questioned 300 marketers from some […]

New research reveals Half of all UK ad spend now on Digital Media

Digital TV Advertising Media Channel

By Ian Young, Media Manager at The Agency Recent research from eMarketer revealed that of the projected £16.2bn advertising spend in the UK this year, half will be on digital media. This is not just a first for the UK, but for any country in the world.

New Retail Era Begins As Shoppers Move Online

eCommerce AUK Web

The rapid uptake of mobile and the increasing influence of social networks are driving a major change in the behaviour of today’s shoppers, facilitating the arrival of a new retail era, where consumers are using technology and expecting even more innovation from retailers. In an attempt to find out more about this transformation, the IBM […]

New Rooms App On Facebook Acts As Anonymous Forum

Facebook social user

According to a recent news report on Brand Republic, the social media site Facebook has plans to introduce a new app called ‘Rooms’ which enables users to join a messaging board or multiple boards based around their interests. There are, however, no current plans to introduce ads to this app, the article notes, as the […]

New Study Analyses Users’ Emotional Responses To Content Shared On Different Social Sites

A recent study from Fractl and Buzzsumo has found that users’ emotional responses to shared items differ across the various social platforms, Marketing Charts reports. There are a number of different content categories that are shared on the different sites, with the new study analysing the million most-shared articles from the first six months of […]

New technology alters human brain

Branding Human Brain Consumer

A recent article on the Marketing Week website today claims that the development of modern technology and the tendency of consuming multiple media simultaneously have changed the human brain, increasing people’s multi-tasking abilities but limiting their attention span.

New Twitter Tool Helps Marketers Generate Real-Time Content

Twitter social commerce

In a bid to help companies and marketing departments make the most of “everyday moments” Twitter has developed a new tool, due to be launched next week, The Drum reports.

New Wave Of Technology Could Boost UK Retail Sales By 2014

UK Consumer Brands

If you had a time machine and could leap forward to 2014, what do you think the world of retail would look like? Would it be very different from what it is now? A new study from eBay tries to answer these questions by looking into the future.

New Year, New You: which January health campaign is working out for you?

Beach Body Marketing Trends

It’s the start of a New Year, and the launch of a new you. Time to start digging out your long-forgotten lycra whilst you contemplate braving a gym packed full of new recruits. As ever, brands have been courting controversy with attention grabbing images as they urge us to reinvent ourselves in the New Year. […]

Newspapers And Digital News As Popular As Each Other, Ofcom Finds

Multichannel Integrated Advertising

Accessing mobile apps and news on the web has, for the first time, caught up with the popularity of physical newspapers, new research by the UK’s Office of Communications (Ofcom) has found. Furthermore, about 41% of people say they now access news on websites and apps, compared to 32% in 2013.

Next Step To Smart Technology Could Be Implants

The rise of smart technology has exploded in recent years, with the smart watch now well and truly making its mark on the market – but the next stage for smart technology, the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) states, could well be implants.

Nielsen Study Explains Why UK Consumers Follow Brands On Twitter

Many UK users of micro-blogging and networking site Twitter choose to follow brands not only to make use of the freebies they offer but because they simply have a love for the brand.

Nine Feet Tall Set Their Sites On AgencyUK

Esther-McMorris-Nine-Feet-Tall

Bath-based business consultancy firm Nine Feet Tall, have appointed AgencyUK as their lead agency to help them develop their online communications strategy. With a refreshing approach to working with clients, Nine Feet Tall will be looking to AgencyUK to assess and improve online activity from their website, right through to their social media footprint and […]

No Complaints Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Happy Customers

Facebook social media content

A recent survey by Youstice.com involving 3,000 people has revealed that shoppers in the UK are willing to lose up to £20 before they complain about a product or service, The Drum reports. This could help brands become more aware of their customers’ feelings, even when they don’t express them via a formal complaint.

No More Bombarding New Mothers With Marketing Material

mum marketing audience

Health regulators in the UK are planning to tighten control over firms’ practices to target new mums with marketing material, just hours after they have given birth.

No more cash transactions for UK by 2016

Contactless Payments, eCommerce, Online Shopping, Consumer

A survey from Forrester and Pay Pal has indicated that UK shoppers will be able to make all types of financial transactions via their mobile devices by 2016, thus eliminating the need to carry cash, credit cards and cheques on them.

Node.js – Powering The Real-Time Web

Branded Websites

The Agency’s tech team is constantly looking for new ways to leverage web technologies in our work. For the past year we’ve been keeping a close eye on Node.js.

Not so FunForLouis: how influential is an influencer?

AgencyUK on Social Trending

Image credit: Reuters/KCNA The YouTube community is never short of controversy and this week is no exception. One of its top creators has been shrouded in negativity, as headlines such as “YouTube Stars Are Now Being Used for North Korean Propaganda” have circulated worldwide. The headlines have come after popular British Youtuber Louis Cole, or […]

Now who’s going to fire the PR department?

AUK Launch RK brand globally

As in-house marketers and agency mad men we spend the majority of our time assessing different ways our brands get noticed, become relevant, engage an audience and trigger a sale, all whilst protecting them from negativity along the way. Fairly standar…

Number Of Gambling TV Ads Soars Sixfold Since 2007

Casino Gaming Slots Brand Online

A new report from media watchdog Ofcom which examines the state of the country’s TV gambling advertising market. According to the research, which is based on viewing data from the Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board (BARB), the number of gambling adverts on the television hit 1.39 million last year, with 30.9 billion impacts.

Ok Perfume Ads, You Have My Attention

Perfume brand luxury branding agency

Something seismic is happening in these key months leading up to Christmas, as ads are building their predicted annual assault on the senses. Perfume ads are changing, from gorgeous but dull spectacles of untouchable beauty – think Ms Theron dressed up in Gold and Keira Knightly in beige leather – to a raw and much […]

Olympics Fail To Drive Sales On High Street – CBI Report

Sport marketing olumpics advertising

Many retailers, especially those on London’s high streets, were hoping that the Olympics might bring about a significant boost in sales and help them see much-needed growth. Apparently, this is not exactly what happened, according to a new survey from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).

Olympics Is Boosting UK Ad Industry

Sport marketing olumpics advertising

With the Jubilee now behind us, many marketing folk still have high expectations for the London Olympics and their impact on business as a whole. Weeks before the big event, agencies and brands have finished planning their advertising strategies, in a bid to make the best of the opportunities provided.

One Fifth Of Installed Apps Are Forgotten About

Social Instagram channel content

A recent study from the search engine giant Google has revealed that Britain’s app users tend to install and then swiftly forget about 20% of their apps, The Drum reports. Around 1,200 app users from the UK were questioned on their use of apps and app behaviours in the shopping, dining and travel categories.

Online Confectionery Shopping Potential Yet To Be Tapped

eCommerce confectionary fmcg sweets consumer behaviour

More than nine in ten adults in the UK purchase confectionery, but just 12% of the country’s online grocery shoppers visit confectionery-related pages. In fact, only 6% of online shoppers make a purchase of confectionery via the web, which points to opportunities for confectionery producers that could help them foster their online presence and sales […]

Online Consumer Spending Is Growing At 11% Annually

eCommerce AUK Web

Online spending accounts for 20% of all customer purchases with credit and debit cards and is growing at 11% every year, a Barclaycard study has revealed. Moreover, Britons are expected to spend £107 billion on online purchases in 2014 – around £4,000 per household, said UK’s e-retail association IMRG.

Online Media Gaining Strong Traction In Europe

Social Media Channels

According to a recent report, consumers living on the old continent have quite similar attitudes towards online and offline media, but giving a slightly higher priority to digital content both in terms of usage and value.

Online Performance Marketing Adds £14Bn To Advertiser Revenue In 2013

Online Video Streaming YouTube

Last year, affiliate marketing and lead generation added £14 billion to the revenues of UK advertisers after they spent just £1 billion on those channels, the latest research from the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) shows.

Online Performance Marketing Contributes £9Bn To Brands’ Revenues In 2012

Online Video Streaming YouTube

A report carried out by PwC on behalf of the Internet Advertising Bureau (UK), which claimed that UK businesses generated £9 billion in sales from online performance marketing (OPM) activities such as affiliate marketing and leading generation in 2012.

Online Pharma Marketing Keeps Delivering Strong Results

Pharmaceutical marketing team

An analysis of 1.3 billion pharmaceutical ad impressions from more than 15 brands reveals that online pharma marketing continues to produce strong results, resulting in increased brand awareness and a notable impact from branded website visits.

Online Retail Brands Must Provide Fast Shopping Experience, Poll Finds

Supermarket Brands Integrated Advertising

Online retailers have a lot to mull over on how to attract consumers, while facing fierce competition. As it turns out, one of the first things to consider is the speed of the shopping experience they are offering.

Online Retail Sales Crossing $1trn Mark By 2013

Integrated online retail channels ecommerce

Come 2013, global revenues from online retail sales will cross the $1trn (£813bn) barrier, getting an extra push from the expected jump in Internet user numbers. This is what the Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG) believes and has put down in its Global e-Commerce Overview 2012, where the UK-based industry association also gives its […]

Online Retail Sales Grow 16% In January

ecommerce website consumer spending

The e-commerce industry exited January with flying colours, recording a 16% growth in sales compared with the same period of 2012, according to a report published by IMRG last week.

Online Retail Sales To Reach £4.6bn In First Two Weeks Of December

ecommerce website consumer spending

UK online retailers are on track to see strong sales in the run-up to Christmas as consumers are preparing to dig deep into their pockets at the start of December, the latest e-Retail Sales Index from IMRG and Capgemini suggests.

Online Retail Sales Up By 16%

Integrated online retail channels ecommerce

Yesterday I came across the latest IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index report, which showed that in May, UK online retail sales scored an “impressive” year-on-year growth of 16%; up 5% on April 2013.

Online Retailers Prepare For Holiday Season Shopping Peak

Consumer Branding

E-commerce keeps enjoying strong momentum, with sales of all types of products staging an impressive rise over the past 12 months. Online shopping is predicted to top $963 billion by 2013 on a global scale, which gives retail brands that are present online a golden opportunity to boost income, Independent Retailer reports.

Online Sales Growth Slows In April

AgencyUK Yahoo App Branding

We know sales can be hit by a whole load of factors, some of which could be prevented by our marketing moves, while others are just impossible to foresee. Apparently, what influenced brick-and-mortar retail sales and online shopping in April was… the weather.

Online Shopping Figures Boosted By Superfast Broadband

Male Shopper Consumers eCommerce

Recent data published by both The Telegraph and The Drum suggest that the wider availability of superfast broadband is responsible for the recorded boost in the amount spent on online shopping. Superfast broadband is currently estimated to contribute around £225 million extra spent online each year, with this figure due to increase to £740 million […]

Online Shopping To Become More Personalised Thanks To ‘Swipe-To-Like’ Features

Male Shopper Consumers eCommerce

The future of online shopping looks set to become even more personalised thanks to new ‘swipe-to-like’ features from retailers, Marketing Week reports. Argos is leading the charge with this service, launching a Christmas Gift Finder app allowing users to view a number of products and chose – either by swiping right or left – if […]

Online Spending Hits £10bn in November

ecommerce website consumer spending

Christmas shopping fever seems to have struck British consumers earlier this year according to the e-Retail sales index from retail group IMRG and professional services firm Capgemini, which revealed that shoppers splashed out a record £10 billion on online purchases in November.

Online TV Revenue In UK Grew 41% In 2013, Subscriptions By 71%

Digital TV Advertising Media Channel

Online TV revenue in the UK increased by 41% and reached £364 million last year, with subscriptions being the fastest growing revenue channel — increasing by 71% to £112 million, The Drum reports, quoting the most recent Communications Market Report by Ofcom.

Online video ads can boost purchase by 25%

AUK Advertising

Brands should invest in online video advertising, as new research shows that consumers believe it helps them engage with a brand.

Online, Brick And Mortar Equally Important For Consumers

Integrated online retail channels ecommerce

Understanding how consumers think is among the key factors for successful marketing. A new study from specialist research firm Shoppercentric provides more insight into the matter. Although UK consumers are equally attracted to online shopping and high street shopping, they perceive them as two totally different shopping experiences, the study shows.

Only 13% of UK Consumers So-called Brand Champions

Consumer Branding

Just 24% of UK consumers agree that brands listen to what they say on social media and only 29% believe that they are valued as an individual, according to a new research. The study, conducted among 1,000 people by Ipsos MORI on behalf of Verint, also found that many users are not confident in social […]

Only 29% Of People Likely To Opt In For Marketing Messages

Email marketing

New EU data protection laws that come into effect next year will require consumers to opt in to marketing messages, rather than opt out – which is the current norm. A recent report by fast MAP, in partnership with Tangible and Opt-4, found that only 29% of people would choose to opt in to marketing […]

Only 7% of adults influenced by Social Media advertising

AUK on Social Media Marketing

UK families are influenced by social media points out that a UK adult spends about 14 hours per week online and nearly half of that time is devoted to social networks like Facebook and Twitter, according to recent research by 1000heads.

Only 8% of young consumers voice a bad retail experience | Marketing Week

AUK Teen Audience

I just received the latest research from Oracle that shows that price is the major factor that determines young consumers’ shopping choices. Obvious perhaps, but interesting when correlating price against choice.

ONS May Report Confirms Uptick In UK Retails Sales

UK Consumer Shopping

Earlier this month the KPMG-BRC Retail Sales Monitor delivered good news, announcing a return to double-digit growth in online sales for May and a long-awaited recovery in total UK retail sales, including in like-for-like terms.

ONS Reveals Online Sales Are Up On Last Year

Global Advertising Financial Service FS Advertising Media

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) recently released figures showing that online shoppers in the UK have spent up to 13.4% more in June 2014 than they did in the same month last year, Internet Retailing reveals.

Open Data, Data Democracy and Bath:Hacked

Laura apprentice agencyuk

The Agency attended Bath:Hacked event in March, chaired by Richard Speigal and run by Bath and North East Somerset (BANES) Council, who have an open data initiative headed by Jon Poole, B&NES Research Manager, and with the aim:

Our Future Health appoint AgencyUK to drive largest ever health research programme

OFH logo image

Set to be the UK’s largest ever health research programme, Our Future Health will help support the discovery and testing of more effective approaches to prevention, earlier detection and treatment of diseases. Research that will help people live healthier lives for longer. Millions of people across the UK will be invited to take part – […]

Our Top Valentine’s Day Campaigns For 2014

To celebrate the day of St. Valentine’s here at The Agency we’ve ditched the cards and decided to take a look at some great Valentine’s marketing campaigns that were launched this year. #ILoveYouLike Evian encouraged drinkers of their water to ‘feel the love’. They did this by getting follows to complete the phrase ‘I love […]

Outdoor Ad Spend Grows In Q4 2011

Outdoor Out of Home Advertising

According to figures from the Outdoor Media Centre (OMC) published this week, UK outdoor advertising revenue increased by 1.4% in the final quarter of 2011, compared to the same period last year, and has seen growth in seven of the last eight quarters.

Outdoor Ads Stimulate Responses In Europe

Outdoor Out of Home Advertising

Out-of-home commercials are increasingly driving European consumers to go online to shop, ‘like’ a brand on Facebook or download an app. This implies that relationships between technology, consumer behaviour and marketers’ willingness to tap new communication channels to build brand loyalty need thorough reconsideration.

Outdoor Advertising Breaks Revenue Record In Q3

Outdoor Out of Home Advertising

Outdoor advertising seems to have been the undisputed winner in the marketing race during the London Olympics and Paralympics, registering 25% growth in the third quarter of 2012, according to data from the Outdoor Media Centre.

Outlay On Mobile Ads Expected Reach $7.4bn

AUK Advertising

The more relevant an ad, the more likely it is to do its job (which is to hook the consumer and lead to a transaction). Location-based SMS ads have come to be regarded as an effective way of achieving the sought-after relevancy and a spike in their use will drive spending on mobile messaging, which […]

Over 30% of mums buy a Smartphone after they give birth

AUK on smartphone brand consumers

I saw an interesting report today claiming that British mums have less time for media but spend more time and money online than they did before the birth.

Over 50% Of Britons Unhappy With M-Commerce Experience

Mobile Search engine optimisation

It was interesting to read recently that nearly 50% of Britons using their mobile phones to shop with retailers were not satisfied with their experience and it failed to live up to their expectations, according to new research.

Over 50% of Companies Online Show Double-digit Growth

Retail mobile digital app

Online businesses in the UK are making steady progress despite the unstable economic environment, enjoying growth that is 57 times faster than the economy. According to a report from Barclays, more than 50% of companies operating online have recorded double-digit growth over the past three years.

Over 50% Of Marketing Emails Opened Via Smartphone

AUK on smartphone brand consumers

More than 50% of businesses in Britain report that their email marketing campaigns are predominately opened on smartphones, indicating that consumers are increasingly shifting to mobile devices, according to the 8th annual Email Marketing Industry Census survey, conducted by Econcultancy and Adestra.

Over 50% Of Online Display Ads Go Unseen By Consumers

AUK Advertising

A recent study from the search engine giant Google has found that 56.1% of all online display ad impressions go unseen by internet users, The Drum reports. The ad-viewability study is the first global study into the area, as Google aims to “take a lead” in becoming experts in understanding viewability-based trading.

Over 50%of E-retailers Record Higher Sales In 2012

Integrated online retail channels ecommerce

This morning The Drum have published a the results of a recent survey, which showed that more than 50% of small- and medium-sized online retailers exited 2012 with a surge in revenue.

Over 60% Of UK Online Shoppers Abandon Baskets Before Checkout

ecommerce shopper retail marketiong mobile app

I recently came across some findings from a survey commissioned by multi-channel marketing app provider Cloud IQ, which has found that around 70% of UK online users abandon their virtual shopping baskets before completing their purchases.

Over 75% Of Europeans Satisfied With Online Shopping Experience

Supermarket Brands Integrated Advertising

As many as 76% of European consumers are happy with the experience they get when shopping online, however many would prefer more control over shipping and delivery options.

Over 90% Of Marketers To Invest Heavily In Facebook This Christmas

According to a recent infographic from Offerpop, 92% of surveyed marketers are planning to invest heavily in Facebook this coming Christmas, with a number looking to spend the majority of their marketing budget on the site, The Drum reports.

Over Four-Fifths Of Transactions Now Cashless

Research from the bank Halifax has revealed that 83.4% of all current account transactions are cashless, The Drum reports. This comes after cash payments declined by 8.3% compared to 2014 and now only account for 16.6% of all current account transactions. Payments made by cheque also declined by a huge 20%, meaning they now only […]

Over service at your peril | Brand Republic Feature

AUK Service Agency

I’ve heard that in the light of cutbacks and freezes, governmental bodies are pressurising agencies to do free work on campaigns. How ridiculous. There’s austerity and there’s downright blackmail. You can see how the conversations take place:

Over Three-Quarters Of Top Tech Firms Have Mobile Optimised Site

Mobile Search engine optimisation

The Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) UK recently published information on its mobile technology and telecoms audit that was carried out in July,which revealed that 76% of the top tech and telecom firms in the UK have a mobile optimised site.

Over Two-Thirds Of 18-24 Year Olds Don’t Mind Sharing Data

Millennial mobile social app

According to recent data pulled from a study conducted by Webtrends, over two-thirds of 18-24 year olds (68%) claim they are “not bothered” by how much personal information they share with brands, The Drum reports.

Performance Marketing Sites – Top Assistant To Travellers

Traveller brand travel tourism

I read an interesting article recently which revealed that performance marketing sites and apps are gaining huge popularity amongst holidaymakers. These people rely on such tools to tailor their holidays to their own preferences and to buy them at the most affordable price possible. These are findings from a study conducted by the Trade Insight Unit, which points to the […]

Pernod Ricard Goes Mobile To Drive Higher Sales

Women Consumer Drink Food FMCG

French beverage company Pernod Ricard is turning to mobile technology to promote its point of purchase campaign among consumers in a bunch of markets across Europe and Asia. According to a recent article in Marketing Week, the company is launching the project this year and could introduce the scheme in other markets in 2013.

Personalisation Key To Customer Loyalty

Personalisation is now believed to be essential for more than nine out of ten businesses in the UK, but less than 50% of them use the technique to refine their website experience. Companies’ failure to provide personalised content is chiefly due to their unawareness of how exactly the technique works; however, given consumers’ increasing expectations […]

Photonic Technology leaders Gooch & Housego declares partnership with AgencyUK

Gooch Housego appoint AgencyUK

Leading photonic technology manufacturer Gooch & Housego have appointed AgencyUK as their lead Planning, Creative and Digital agency following a number of high profile acquisitions across Europe and North America. The manufacturer, now a $100m global organisation, operates in more than twenty industry sectors and continues to have a high profile role in the supply […]

Physical Retail This Christmas Less About Discounts More About Variety

Christmas Online Retail eCommerce Consumer

New research from mobile advertising network BuzzCity shows that this Christmas many people who shop online won’t be forgetting to visit physical stores. This suggests that it would be imperative for retailers to ensure that customers are provided with the experience they expect from in-store visits, which includes providing staff with tools and technology that […]

Pinterest – The New Fad?

Pinterest Social Media Advertising

When you hear social media, you typically think of Facebook and Twitter. However, Pinterest is emerging behind the big players and is gaining popularity away from the spotlight. Until now.

Pinterest Ads Not To Be Introduced To The UK Just Yet

Pinterest Social Media Advertising

It was recently announced that social media picture-sharing site Pinterest is due to introduce ads to the site in the near future. However, there is still “work to do”, according to Joanne Bradford – global head of partnerships at Pinterest – before ads are extended to the UK, Marketing Week reports.

Pinterest Better For Online Sales Than Facebook

Pinterest Social Media Advertising

Although still lagging behind Facebook and Twitter in terms of global user adoption, two of the relatively unknown players, Pinterest and Tumblr, have significant potential to influence and change social media advertising.

Pinterest is the platform for inspiration, aesthetically pleasing content and discovery

Pintrest Logo

Do you want to get the most out of Pinterest but are not quite sure where to start?    First things first, let’s cover why Pinterest is such a valuable social media platform… With 431 million monthly active users* Pinterest is not a platform to be ignored. It is a hub of inspirational content that […]

Pinterest Proving To Be Beneficial For Brands

Pinterest Social Media Advertising

Pinboard-style social photo sharing website Pinterest is enjoying strong momentum, with users in the UK having nearly doubled to 1.288 million after opening to everyone, without request or invitation requirements, in August. The platform offers an excellent chance for brands to push traffic back to online retail websites, but in order to ensure they are […]

Please, please, please, stop calling me a millennial

Millennial target audience

An open letter to brands, agencies, political pundits and anyone else who’s let that word pass their lips. Dear Mr/Ms marketing director/agency head/journalist (delete as appropriate). Stop it. Please, stop it. Stop calling me a “millennial”. The very word make me cringe. Not that its synonyms are any better — “Generation Y”, “Generation Me”, “Echo […]

Political Marketing Needs To Step Up To Engage A Younger Demographic

kids mobile channel advertising content

Considering the imminent general election, there has been a lot of research conducted recently on the effectiveness of political marketing for the various parties. According to one such survey, which questioned over 1,000 16-24 year olds, 86% disagreed with the statement “Politicians understand my world”, Marketing Week reports.

Poll Reveals Mixed Marketing Spend For Brands

Teen brand retail eCommerce

The results from a new survey, carried out by the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) and Markit among 300 big UK companies, revealed that one in five polled companies increased their marketing spend during the last quarter of 2011, whereas 19% lowered their investments in the area.

Practically perfect appointment for AgencyUK

Award-winning communications firm AgencyUK has been appointed by fellow Bath brand Norland College to look after future PR campaigns. Norland College has trained Nannies and Childcare professionals for over 120 years and appointed AgencyUK’s Social and PR team to handle the media launch of the college’s latest initiative, a training programme to help children stay […]

Pre-Holiday Experience With Retailers Key To Consumers’ Buying Decisions

Rex Resorts Tourism Brand AUK

With Christmas approaching, brands should do their best to charm consumers both in-store and on the Internet in the run-up to the festive season, as shoppers’ pre-holiday experience will be crucial to their choice of brand and a key driver of their shopping decisions.

Predicted Global Media Advertising To Change Dramatically By 2017

Recent data gathered by ZenithOptimedia shows that the global media advertising landscape is due to change dramatically by the year 2017, Marketing Charts notes. It is predicted that global ad spend will increase by 4.9% next year, 5.6% in 2016 and 5.2% in 2017. In 2015 this will equate to approximately $545 billion.

Pretending to be deaf isn’t going to work | Brand Republic Feature

AUK on Gaming Brands

We’ve recently run a number of campaigns in the gaming sector. The guys in the office often hook up online to play various games. So I thought it was high time that I dived in and tried it myself.

Prezola put AgencyUK on their Wish List

Prezola Wedding Gifts

Prezola.com, the new online Wish List and Gifting site has appointed strategic and creative marketing firm AgencyUK to handle its pre-Christmas launch. Prezola “The Gift Wish List Company” already boasts more than 250,000 products from 250 high street e-tailor including household favourites such as John Lewis, Amazon, French Connection and Toys R Us. Designed to […]

Price And Location Key To UK Mobile Auto Searchers

Mobile Commerce ecommerce app

According to research I came across the other day, mobile auto search is really picking up steam in the UK. However, results also revealed that in comparison to the US, UK consumers take more time to make purchase decisions, as well paying more attention to price.

Price And Product Range Top Consumers Retail Website Complaints

Christmas Online Consumer Retail

Advances in technology and economic uncertainty are reshaping the world of retail at a rate that many industry players fail to keep up with, and such changes are driving different expectations from consumers in regard to product, service and value. A new study from web analytics expert Qubit reveals the most common user complaints when […]

Price, Trust And Choice Key Drivers Of Consumers’ Online Buying Decisions

eCommerce AgencyUK launch

It’s no surprise to find out that most global consumers consider price as the key factor when choosing to buy retail products online, as established in a study carried out by e-commerce website Rakuten.

Principality appoint AgencyUK for new ISA launch

AgencyUK Principality Campaign

TheAgency has been appointed by Principality Building Society to launch their new ISA (Individual Savings Account) campaign. The first campaign to break introduces the Society’s new Promise ISA product and is running in press, outdoor, radio, online …

Print is dead. Long live print

Newspapers on a counter

  By Ian Young, Media Manager at AgencyUK A week after The Independent became the first national newspaper to move to a purely digital platform, the Trinity Mirror Group announced the launch of a new daily tabloid paper, the New Day. Very strange indeed. There’s no doubt that newspaper readership has been on a downward […]

Programmatic On The Rise With A Market Share Of 28%

Natwest banking brand

Programmatic ad buying accounted for 28% of the display advertising market in the UK last year, according to a study by the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB). The IAB also predicted that this trend will continue, with programmatic due to account for almost half of all display ad sales by the end of this year. This […]

Project Oscar Gets EU Go-Ahead

European Consumer Advertising

The mobile wallet application, one of the most anticipated projects in the world of UK marketing in 2012, is set to become reality very soon. The joint venture between the UK’s three biggest mobile operators O2, Vodafone and Everything Everywhere – also known as Project Oscar – was given the go-ahead by the European antitrust […]

Proper Attention To S-Commerce Could Add £9bn To UK E-Tail Revenues

Christmas Online Consumer Retail

Britain has earned itself a reputation as a country of passionate e-shoppers and its retailers have applied themselves diligently to the task of providing a seamless, enjoyable online shopping experience.

Public Sectors Shift To Digital Could Be Easier Than You Think

Experimental Marketing

Public sector bodies are rushing to “go digital” by starting to offer a flurry of digital services, creating new websites and enabling online transactions. But sometimes the result of their efforts fails to justify the cost of their development, a problem which probably stems from organisations’ wrong interpretation of the term “Channel Shift.”

Push Notifications Only Used By 20% Of Marketers

Mobile App for learner drivers

The recent Cross Channel Marketing Report by Econsultancy revealed that only 20% of marketers use mobile push notifications as part of their marketing strategy, the market research site reported. Despite push notifications being a relatively easy way to communicate and engage with consumers – data shows that they can increase engagement by 40% and retention […]

Putting the digital consumer at the heart of your brand

All brands must evolve to survive and thrive, so in the marketing communications industry we naturally see the push for innovation taking place in the digital space. Most marketing directors, if pushed, would probably admit to briefing their teams at some time on a new mobile app or a campaign that utilises augmented reality, just […]

Putting the Digital Consumer at the Heart of your Business

Today every consumer is a digital consumer, whether they’re tagging their tweets during live TV or reviewing retail apps before beginning the journey to an in-store transaction. The combination of vast levels of information and connectivity has empowered consumers like never before. No media channel is working in isolation. To gain positive brand sentiment, you […]

QR Codes Are Dead, What’s Next?

QR Codes Mobile App Promotions Retail

Econsultancy author Christopher Ratcliff believes there are many reasons why QR codes have fallen from grace: dangerous placement, codes leading to sites that aren’t optimised, or codes leading to pages different from those that were initially promised – to name but a few. So, if QR codes are dead – what’s next?

Questions Every Health And Science Marketer Must Ask Themselves

AUK Iridium Insights Brand

Today’s digital world offers health and science organisations plenty of channels they could take advantage of in order to reach their target audiences. And while it’s good for health and science marketers to have profiles on social media and apps, it’s also important to take care of their websites with the same diligence.

Rapidly Spreading Optimism Boosting Construction Marketing Budgets

Construction marketing

Judging by the latest ‘State of the Industry’ report from management consultancy Leading Edge, optimism for the year ahead is widespread among construction industry operators.

Raz Razdan appointed Creative Director

AUK Appoint Creative Director

Leading brand and response company AgencyUK has appointed Rajnish Razdan as creative director. Raz was previously working for Target Direct and Inbox where he was Executive Creative Director and also for The Response Team where he was Creative Director overseeing accounts for Nokia, Carphone Warehouse and Bristol and West.

Real-Time Marketing No Longer Just A Social Media Strategy

Social Retail eCommerce Digital Shopper

In the past, real-time marketing strategies were considered to be part of wider social media strategies, but this is no longer the case as the approach is being increasingly adopted by other marketing sectors.

Real-Time Performance Ad Data Now Offered By Instagram

Social Instagram channel content

In a bid to expand upon its advertising offerings, Instagram is looking to offer experts instant access to performance data related to their latest posts, Marketing Week reports. New analytics tools will allow professionals to see how branded and paid content is shared on the photo-sharing network.

Reasons Why Your Facebook Posts May Go Unnoticed

Facebook social media mum consumer

Data from Social@Ogilvy recently revealed that the average reach of organic brand posts on Facebook slipped to 6.2% in February, from 12.1% in October. This is most likely directly linked to the social network’s aim of keeping users active whilst restricting brand messages that fail to deliver value or resonate with its community. Much of […]

Regulator Tightens Control Over Online Behavioural Advertising

AgencyUK on Social Trending

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is implementing a raft of new rules concerning online behavioural advertising (OBA) in an attempt to tighten control over the segment and to protect consumer interests, according to a report by the regulator’s website.

Regulatory Changes Marketers Need To Know About In 2014

Mobile App Data Security

With the new year now upon us, it’s a good idea for marketers to check what type of regulatory changes they will be facing in the next twelve months. Here are some of the legislation adjustments that will leave their mark on the industry and have a direct impact on the work of marketing professionals, […]

Reinvigorated CVG continues to grow audience

AUK Brand CVG Magazine

Future, the special-interest media group, today reports continued growth for its CVG Network of websites (www.cvg.co.uk) and a successful launch for its latest marketing campaign, reaching more gamers than ever before.

Remember, Remember Your Millions Of Members, Insider Magazine

AUK Appoint Creative Director

I’m going to start this article with a confession… I am a Yahoo! email user and have been for 15 years. There, I’ve said it. Now I know it’s not big, or clever but it is reliable, easy to use and hasn’t really changed much since its beginnings in 1995. Until now that is. Yahoo! […]

Respect your elders: It might just be your best online strategy

Baby boomer consumer generation

Quick! Grab your doomsday supplies and get to the bunker – the pensioners are coming! New research from the ONS shows the proportion of 65+ year olds who shop online tripled over the last decade. TRIPLED. From 16% to nearly half of that age group now buy things like the rest of us. It’s incredibly exciting […]

Response to Youth Marketing: Four trends in reaching CyberGens

AgencyUK on Social Trending

Social media portals need a tailored approach Your feature on youth marketing (Marketing, 23rd September), high-lighted some exciting online trends, but may have overlooked some other key points when targeting youth audiences through social media portals.

Restaurant Brands Most Mentioned Industry Sector On Social Media

Food and drink social media channel instagram

New research shows that in just six months, the largest 100 global brands were mentioned a staggering 56.7 million times on social media, with restaurant, beverage and technology firms being those dominating conversations in the social space.

Retail Fraud On The Increase By 10%

Mobile Search engine optimisation

While UK consumers enjoy the convenience and simplicity of shopping online and increasingly prefer to turn to the Internet for their orders, new figures from the Retail Fraud Study 2012 reveal that online fraud is also on the rise, Internet Retailing website reports.

Retail Sales Pick Up In June

Teen brand retail eCommerce

UK retailers, especially those trading with clothes and footwear, should be happy with their performance last month. At least, this is what new figures released by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG suggest. According to the latest report, retail sales in June saw a 1.4% like-for-like rise compared to the same period last year, […]

Retailers Should Focus More On Older Shoppers

A recent report from research agency Shoppercentric, published by the Retail Times has revealed that 50% of older shoppers believe that retailers do not find their age group to be important. Additionally, only 20% feel like valued customers to retailers as they have more money and time.

Retailers To Deliver Richer And More Personalised Shopping Experiences In 2014

Men working in office

In an attempt to help e-retailers better prepare their campaigns for 2014, Rakuten has released a global retail forecast on trends that will shape the e-commerce landscape over the next 12 months.

Rise Of Social Networks Triggers Gender Differences In Internet Use

Social Media channel advertising users

A decade ago psychologists from the University of Bath conducted a study into British online habits, finding no differences along gender lines in the use of the Internet for communication purposes.

RK Accountancy Brand Launch

AUK Launch RK brand globally

RK Accountancy has today officially unveiled their new brand refresh. The 6-month project has been integrated with the renewal of their vision and values and underlines the growing strength of the brand in a section of the industry that has been hit heavily by the recent economic turmoil.

RK SupplyChain appoint AgencyUK

RK Supply Chain (RKSC), one of the leading global supply chain recruiters have appointed TheAgency to reposition their brand in the market, and help them develop heavily sales focussed communications. The company has been extremely successful over the past 12 years, but a strategy for growth, coupled with tougher competition and aggressive market conditions have […]

RUHX launches new website with AgencyUK

Person looking at mobile

RUHX, the official charity of the Royal United Hospitals (RUH) NHS Trust, recently changed their name and rebranded from The Forever Friends Appeal to capture the extraordinary commitment and exceptional generosity of its fundraisers and donors.   RUHX is dedicated to putting the ‘extra’ in extraordinary care for everyone who needs it – whether that […]

Sales Influenced By Social Media To Reach £3.3bn Within 5 Years

AUK on Social Media Marketing

Social networks have not been around for long but have managed to become an obsession of global proportions. With the meteoric rise of Facebook and Twitter, companies are still busy exploring ways of capitalising on that mania.

Sammy on News Int. Bing search charge | Brand Republic Feature

Bing Advertising

The subject of our daily news digest, its ownership in the public domain and its value has long been up for debate. It’s no secret that news corporations from the BBC to News International have all struggled in the last decade to maintain control of their content, and effectively charge for it.

Schools to teach pre-teens image retouching in advertising

Apprentice creative agency

Flicking through the news this morning I read that the government are planning to introduce a new lesson plan which exposes and explains airbrushing into UK schools. The idea is to help primary schoolchildren realise that most ads display unrealistic images and set standards that are impossible to achieve.

Search Advertising To Attract Over 50% Of Digital Ad Investment By 2016

Mobile Search engine optimisation

Marketing magazine has revealed that by 2016, search advertising will attract more than 50% of total digital ad investments in the UK, including online and mobile, according to research company eMarketer.

Search Market Grows By 18%

Search Marketing Survey

At a time when high search engine rankings are considered essential for business and search engine optimisation (SEO) is seen as a core part of marketing, a new study has revealed that the UK SEO industry brings over half a billion a year to the economy.

Seasonal Marketing & Tackling Consumer Behavioural Changes

Supermarket FMCG Consumer

With Christmas fast approaching, it is now more important than ever for marketers to take the seasonal shift into account and adjust their marketing strategy accordingly, Luke Griffiths – head of marketing solutions at EMEA – notes in an article for the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) UK.

Service is key say 50% of UK shoppers

UK Shoppers Consumer trends

Numerous reports in the media are leading on the assumption that, considering the unfavourable economic situation, consumers are driven by low prices while shopping. However, a recent survey I read from software company Sage UK reveals that quality service is just as important.

Services Firms See Most Substantial Growth In Global Ad Spend

Professional services marketing online digital strategy

Global brands’ spending on advertising has seen humble growth so far this year, but certain industries are performing far better than others in terms of marketing investment. Recent results from Nielsen’s quarterly Global AdView Pulse report. It revealed that industry and services displayed the biggest growth in ad spending in the first quarter of the […]

Sex sells, but for how much longer?

Sex sells marketing advertising

In a society where career aspirations are driven by glamour modelling and an Only in Essex lifestyle, it looks like the UK Advertising Standard Agency (ASA) has finally climbed off the fence and announced new rules for outdoor advertising, which will restrict or even ban the display of sexual, or sexually provocative images.

Share Of Purchases Via Tablets Doubles In 2012

Twitter social commerce

A new study today reports that brands and fellow marketers might find useful, so I thought I would share some of its findings with you.

Share Of UK Kids With Mobile Phones Higher Than Global Average

kids mobile channel advertising content

Mobile technologies are becoming increasingly popular among children in the UK, with the share of 10-year-olds having a personal mobile phone significantly outpacing the global average, according to a report that I came across today.

Shared Shopping Habits Of Millennials And Baby Boomers

Baby boomer consumer generation

Despite the many differences between younger and older generations, it appears they actually have many things in common when it comes to shopping. This is at least according to a new study from Radius Global Research, which shows that both Millennials and Baby Boomers have a strong bias towards online research and social media when […]

Shop Online, freedom on rails | Marketing Magazine

eCommerce AUK Web

Before the rise of the digital aisle, we’d thumb through records or books in a store and MIGHT get a bit of advice from a shop assistant or another shopper.Outside of our own peer groups or reviews, we weren’t inundated with advice on our purchasing decisions.

Shoppers Return To The High Street In February

UK Shoppers Consumer trends

Consumers returned to the high street in February to find a wider variety of retailers’ new collections and to take advantage of the last of the winter promotions published by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) today.

Shoppers Turn To Tech, Even In-Store

Social Retail eCommerce Digital Shopper

A study by Euromonitor International, showing that a growing number of in-store shoppers are searching for product information on the brand’s mobile website rather than asking sales staff, which indicates the rise of “showrooming”.

Should my brand go Social?

Social Media channel advertising users

Is your business embracing social media? AgencyUK managing director Sammy Mansourpour shares his top tips on how to create a successful social media strategy. Most brands by now will have dabbled in the social media space to some degree, particularly those which are consumer facing. But surprisingly very few still manage to get it right, […]

Showrooming Presents New Opportunities For Retailers

Christmas retail advertising

Showrooming is the practice of examining merchandise in a traditional store, and then buying it online at a lower price. The rise in popularity of showrooming has to some extent made retailers anxious, however businesses should be keen to embrace it and not fear it, says Andreas Andreou, the commercial director of cashback rewards platform Quldco, in […]

Siemens Gigaset appoints AgencyUK for global brand proposition

AUK brand proposition

Siemens Gigaset, the European market leader in cordless phones, has appointed AgencyUK, a leading brand and response marketing consultancy, to help define its global brand proposition, re-affirming its focus on attracting high end users and brand conscious consumers to its innovative products.

Silver Surfers In Europe Now Spend More Time Online

Grey market tech mobile app old people

Europeans in the 55-plus age group are emerging as a generation who are staying on the web longer than they did a couple of years ago, I read in IAB Europe’s latest report.

Six Tips For Successful Integrated Campaign Planning

Food and drink social media channel instagram

by Sammy Mansourpour, Managing Director at AgencyUK Integrated campaign planning is more in-depth than just coordinating different media channels, and we are now seeing brand marketers apply integrated methodologies to their everyday campaigns as a matter of course. In the most part, digital interaction is at the centre of marketing campaigns and this is stark […]

Size Matters Study Results For Online Display Advertising

AUK Advertising

According to a new international study from the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB), brands are again benefiting from bigger online display formats.

Skippable ads are 50% of YouTube sponsored content

AUK Advertising

According to an announcement made by YouTube, users will be able to skip ads if they find them not interesting or relevant. However, only about half of all ads on the video platform will be skippable.

Sky Invests £4.3 Million In YouTube To Attract Millennials

Millennial target audience

The international, multi-media company BSkyB recently invested £4.3 million in a sports network on YouTube – Whistle Sports, Marketing Magazine reports. The American network is focused on millennials and will work with BSkyB in a bid to create and market sport content targeted at youths.

Smaller Businesses Still Shy Away From Advertising

Augmented reality advertising media

Despite evidence that advertisements from smaller firms deliver better results than those from their larger counterparts, smaller organisations tend to underinvest in promoting their business through advertising, curbing their growth potential as a result.

Smart Ad Can Tell Men From Women

Web analytics tracking gender

Fans of sci-fi films might be delighted to hear that the future is closer than ever, with a brand new advertising campaign that will allow only women to see the full ad, thanks to advanced technology such as face recognition.

Smart Devices Become Mums’s Indispensable Companions

Mum Shop Online Consumers

I wasn’t surprised to read recently that smartphones are becoming a true companion to the modern UK mum. Smart devices are now the last thing mums interact with before they go to bed, and the first thing they reach for in the morning.

Smartphones And Tablets Help TV Ads Deliver Astonishing Results

Mobile Commerce ecommerce app

Is it true that TV ads are still influencing the consumers’ appetite for shopping and have the power to navigate their buying decisions? The right answer is “yes”, especially when they are sitting in front of the TV set armed with their smartphones or tablets, confirms the latest study I came across from eDigitalResearch and […]

Smartphones Most-Used Device For Product Info By 16-34 Year Olds

Millennial mobile social app

A recent piece of research conducted by the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) UK has found that mobile devices are the preferred technology of choice amongst 16 to 34 year olds when searching for product information, the company announced on its website.

SMBs Invest More On Social Media Than Other Channels

mobile video Social Media Influencer

Small and medium businesses (SMBs) are investing more on social media marketing than any other form of traditional advertising, Ragan reports. According to a survey conducted by BIA/Kelsey, other forms of advertising – such as billboards and printed adverts – have decreased in popularity in recent times.

Smirnoff Retains Top Spot Among 50 Biggest Spirits Brands

Drink Smirnoff Vodka brand

Smirnoff, the vodka brand owned by UK alcoholic drinks producer Diageo, obviously has a loyal fan base and is steadily adding to it, judging by IWSR’s 2011 list of the Top 50 International Spirits Brands. Not only has Smirnoff retained its leading position in the rankings, but it has widened the gap with competitors, figures […]

Snapchat To Feature Ads In The Near Future

Snapchat app social user experience

The co-founder and chief executive of photo-sharing app Snapchat has announced that ads will be coming to the app in the near future, the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) UK reports. Evan Spiegel stated that the ads will appear as part of the Snapchat Stories feature but will not be targeted to specific users based on […]

Social Media Ad Spend In The UK To Increase By 50% In 2020

Outdoor Out of Home Advertising

According to a recent piece of industry research from eMarketer, social media ad spending in the UK is due to increase by almost half by the end of the year, The Drum reports. This means that social media will account for 10.5% of the country’s total digital ad funding.

Social media at work a must for 50% of UK youngsters

Research Group

Nearly half of under-24-year-olds in the UK would refuse to work for a company whose policy forbids using Facebook in the office, a new survey from recruitment provider Hyphen points out.

Social Media Becomes Top Pastime For Young Brits

Social Media channel advertising users

Today’s 16-year-olds are tomorrow’s most active consumers, so us, marketing folk, had better listen to this one – according to a new survey, published in the Telegraph, UK youngsters prefer social media to TV.

Social Media Channels Record Highest Ever Engagement Levels During World Cup Final

Cup final sport fan engagement marketing

Social media sites Twitter and Facebook recorded huge levels of engagement during the FIFA World Cup final last week, the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) UK reports – with new records being set for the number of tweets sent per minute, and the number of interactions taking place on the sites at any one time. The […]

Social media competitions: What’s your #SliceOfHeaven?

Welsh Beef Competition

What’s your little Slice of Heaven? AUK is running a social media competition on behalf of our client, Welsh Beef, giving people the chance to win their dream prize. To enter, tell us your idea of heaven and use #SliceOfHeaven on Facebook or Twitter to get the chance to win your heavenly prize. The bespoke […]

Social Media Customer Service Trends: What To Look Out For

Food and drink social media channel instagram

Social customer services are changing alongside the social networks themselves. Winning tactics range from pro-active or reactive techniques for user engagement, to mapping the journey of a customer and automating customer services, according to Econsultancy contributor Christopher Ratcliff.

Social Media Engagement Peaks On Sundays

AUK on Social Media Marketing

If you are a brand owner intent on making the most of social media, you might want to consider having a team ready for marketing action on Sundays, especially if your business involves FMCG or telecommunications. Why? Because it seems that consumers are at their most active on Sundays in terms of engagement with brands […]

Social Media Engagement To Become Basic Level Of Response By 2014

Social Media Beauty Products Retail

If you are a business owner, you will be well aware of how important it is to respond to customer e-mails and telephone calls. But prompt engagement through those channels will no longer be enough within a couple of years, Gartner warns. By 2014 customers will be expecting to have their inquiries on social media […]

Social media is just a mad trolley dash? | Brand Republic Feature

AgencyUK consumer brand

The recession hit everyone hard. Yet amidst the downturn we saw the rise of social media. Big brands embraced it with both hands, trying new creative ideas gaining interest and generating momentum.
Things have been extremely exciting on the social medi…

Social Media Is Key To Consumers’ Buying Decisions

AUK Chat app software

A new survey conducted by management consulting, technology services and outsourcing firm Accenture, has highlighted once again the growing significance of social media for the retail industry and the increasing impact of mobile technology on consumers’ shopping habits.

Social media is only relevant for some brands | New Media Age

AUK on Digital Brand Media Channels

I read with interest the figures from LinkShare suggesting that ad revenues and returns on social media sites were far lower than their experience had shown (NMA 8 July 2010), as well as the numerous defensive comments from media executives.

Social Media Now Used By Over 80% Of UK Charities

Facebook social media content

According to a recent report from fundraising software provider Blackbaud I read recently, social media is now used by over 80% of charities to market their brand, engage with supporters, and to find new people to support their causes.

Social Media Provides Strong Engagement Opportunities For Credit Card Holders

Issuers of credit cards have been forced to search for alternative channels to build stronger loyalty among cardholders, as they are facing severe competition from debit card providers and new payment tools such as mobile apps and wallets, which undermine their market share.

Social Media Reaches 64% with UK Adults

AUK on Social Media Marketing

The number of UK adults having a social media profile was higher in 2012 compared to the previous year, but trust in networking platforms fell, as published in Ofcom’s latest report.

Social Media ROI Still A Mystery To UK Businesses

Social Media Content Channels

Social media outlets have been gaining prominence in the world of marketing and most of marketers would agree that it is a key factor for boosting consumer loyalty and brand credibility. However, it appears that the majority of UK businesses are still baffled by what social media brings to them.

Social Media Set To Shape The Future Of The Retail Industry

Social Retail eCommerce Digital Shopper

Consumers are increasingly embracing online shopping and currently 85% of Britons are regular visitors of e-commerce websites. This has a dramatic impact on high street retailers and is also rapidly changing the way people shop. As a result, the high street is expected to lose 31% of its tenants by 2020.

Social Media Users Happy To Share Funny Content

AUK on Social Media Marketing

Marketers betting on interesting and funny content are the most likely to see their posts shared by users on social media platforms. According to findings from an Ipsos report I read recently, 61% of consumers across the globe shared content over the last month purely driven by their desire to “post interesting stuff”.

Social Media Users Not Fans Of Direct Messaging From Brands

Social Instagram channel content

When you ask Internet users in the UK what their opinion of brands’ advertising push on social media channels is, most of them will say that they don’t like the idea of having them as conduits for commercial messages. Users’ behaviour in the social space, however, suggests just the opposite, as most of them prove […]

Social Media Users Take Advantage Of Promotions More Often

Social Media Content Channels

About one in eight people active on social networking sites take advantage of coupons, vouchers and discounts on a regular basis whilst shopping; an interesting point from the Retail Times, which outlined the results of a new survey.

Social Network Ask.fm To Increase Site Safety

Social Media Channels

The social network site Ask.fm is delivering on a promise to increase security on the site, giving users more control of their accounts and allowing them to block users who bully them with questions and online abuse, The Drum reports. The site is infamously known to be particularly bad for this type of cyber-bullying.

Social Network Twitter Expands Its Character Limit

Twitter social commerce

The social media giant Twitter – famed for the limited number of characters users are provided with when generating a message – has recently announced that it is due to expand this limit, but only for direct messages, IGN reports.

Social Platforms Gain On Facebook Dominance

Around 10% of the world’s online users are yet to enter the world of social media, data from the Global Web Index shows. According to the quarterly report, Facebook is still the number one social media network, despite losing some ground last year to give room to other networks.

Social Sites Will Increasingly Boost Consumer Loyalty, Survey Predicts

Social Media Marketing

How is social media going to change next year? Will it be as important as it is today? Or will it be replaced by another channel of interaction? A new survey from consulting firm The Logic Group has tried to find the answers to these questions and here is what it established.

Some Mobile Marketing Features Consumers Appreciate

Retail mobile digital app

Today’s consumer is ready to engage with retailers on the go as more and more consumers shop online via their mobile devices. Mobile marketing, however, continues to raise eyebrows and most retail businesses are yet to tap its full potential. I noticed an interesting report from Siteworx identifying some of the right measures to capitalise […]

Some Trends That Will Shape The 2013 Digital Marketing World

Global Advertising Financial Service FS Advertising Media

2013 will delight brands and advertisers with the chance to finally start making money from social media, thus reaping the full benefits of their presence on platforms like Facebook, according to a report from Millward Brown.

Some Words About Social Gifting And Its Huge Growth Potential

Social Media Marketing

Marketers are broadly cognizant of the various tactics they could deploy to attract and engage consumers, but it seems that a new channel, with strong potential, is emerging that is worth keeping an eye on.

South West Marketing Firm AgencyUK Bring Home UK’s Top Industry Accolade With RAR Awards Grand Prix Win

People getting rewards

Last week saw the 2014 Recommended Agency Register (RAR) Awards celebrate their fifth birthday, with a black tie event held at London’s Marriott Grosvenor Square. Famed for being an “award like no other” they are intended to give recognition to UK agencies that excel at delivering the highest levels of service, and are judged by […]

Start-Up Loans Supports Young Entrepreneurs, Now Using Intelligence Powered by AgencyUK

James Caan Startup Loans AgencyUK

Start-Up Loans, the £112m initiative chaired by former Dragon James Caan that helps thousands of young people gain access to vital funding for their start-up have partnered with AgencyUK to advance and re-launch their CRM (customer relationship management) platform.

Store Ambience More Important Than Location And Service, Study Shows

Supermarket branding

The ambience of a store is more important for UK shoppers than the location, a study by design consultancy Dalziel & Pow revealed. The study also showed that staff friendliness and customer service are important elements.

Strong Travel Brands will beat the crunch by bringing together brand and response

Traveller brand travel tourism

Travel and tourism companies are faced with tight budgets and tough decisions at the moment. However, strategic thinking, innovation and a strong marketing effort can ensure that your business will both survive and thrive. Travel brands need better, cheaper and more effective ways to sell, and yet at the same time they need to build […]

Students Concerned Over Online Privacy But Few Take Preventive Action

Mobile App Data Security

Online privacy appears to be a huge concern among students across the UK and US. However, the number of those taking precautions to protect themselves from outside malicious forces does not reflect this.

Students Currently Have Little Brand Affection

Millennial mobile social app

According to a recent piece of research from The Student Room, as reported on by Marketing Week, current students tend to have little brand loyalty, meaning that marketers have the opportunity to tap into this highly resourceful demographic if they manage and target their campaigns effectively.

Students Want Entertainment From Online Brands

Student audience youth millennial consumer

James Eder from StudentBeans.com has good advice for marketers when it comes to engaging with students. The founder of the student discounts and free stuff hub shared some valuable insights with Marketing magazine from the organisation’s Freshers’ Marketing Report. The results were based on a survey among 1,515 university students in the UK. 

Study Reveals Growing Customer Satisfaction With UK Banks

Global Advertising Financial Service FS Advertising Media

UK consumers seem uncertain in their attitude towards banks and the services they provide, according to a new survey from consultancy firm Accenture.

Study: UK Attitudes to meat and animal welfare

AgencyUK are conducting real time primary research. How will Brexit and Covid 19 affect our attitudes to and methods of buying meat?  It’s part of our series highlighting Britain’s changing attitudes to meat consumption. November 2019 Survey – Key results:  Over ⅓ of respondents describe themselves as ‘flexitarian’. 48.9% identify as ‘meat eaters’. The most important […]

Sunshine Coaxes Britons Back To The High Street In July

UK Consumer Shopping

July was a very successful month for UK retailers, bringing days of unbroken sunshine that coaxed Britons back to the high street, helping them deliver their fastest growth since July 2006. I read this week the retail sales monitor report of BRC and KPMG. Results pointed to a 3.9% increase in total sales in July, […]

Super Bowl 2016: The Ads

2016 marks the 50th anniversary of the Super Bowl so the pressure was on for this year’s ads to deliver. With a record price tag of £3.5 million per 30 second slot, the stakes were high and companies pulled in the big names to bolster up their brand. The days of a Super Bowl short […]

Supermarket customers polarise, as premium and budget spending soars

Supermarket branding

Following the recent stats around FMCG being the biggest advertising spender past quarter, Kantar Worldpanel has shown supermarket share figures, and that the economic instability is causing customers to become more thrifty and look the lowest prices possible. These are explain why Sainsbury’s recently changed their advertising strap line to stay abreast of market trends […]

Survey Explores Impact Of Motherhood On Media Habits

Mum Shop Online Consumers

Giving birth marks a turning point in a woman’s life: priorities undergo a massive overhaul, certain habits are dropped and new ones are formed. Of particular interest to our marketing fraternity is the way motherhood affects women’s shopping habits, their interaction with brands and their media consumption. The key findings of a survey conducted among […]

Survey Finds 80% Of Respondents Unhappy With Demand Generation Campaigns

eBay Shopping Retail Consumer eCommerce Web

If you happen to be a salesperson, marketer or ad agency with serious misgivings about the effectiveness of your company’s demand generation campaign, rest assured you are not alone.

Survey Reveals Top UK Brands

UK Consumer Brands

According to a new report from YouGov, Google and Amazon are the best-rated companies among UK consumers.

Sustainable Products Enjoy More Customer Trust

Sustainable brands top consumer choice

Most people would think that in times of a crisis, consumers would only look for low prices, but a new report shows that this is not quite the case.

Sustainably yours: the need for brands to stay true to their green credentials

Many established brands don’t have positive credentials when it comes to their green status. They have knowingly made mistakes in the past or were naïve to the consequences of their actions. It may be unfair to blame the past negative behaviours of the global corporations – what’s done is done. People long gone made those […]

Tablet Ad Spend To Outpace Mobile Phone Marketing Volumes Around Christmas

Data marketing Kindle and Amazon

Mobile marketing firm M&C Saatchi Mobile projects that this Christmas will see brands’ advertising spend on tablet-based campaigns exceeding the traditionally higher investments in mobile handset marketing for the first time.

Tablet Owners Spend More Online Than Other Device Users

Data marketing Kindle and Amazon

Tablet owners have the potential to reshape the online retail landscape and make a difference in brands’ results as they tend to spend more on online shopping than users of other devices, according to a report prepared by digital marketing technology specialist Kenshoo.

Tablet Owners To Give A Boost To Online Shopping Around Christmas

Online Video Streaming YouTube

Owners of tablets in the UK seem to be strongly engaged with e-commerce as many of them will use their devices to do Christmas shopping online this year, the latest eCustomerServiceIndex report from eDigitalResearch and IMRG reveals.

Tablets Drive Growth In Retail Search Volumes

Data marketing Kindle and Amazon

The UK online retail industry is receiving a huge boost from tablet devices as their increasing popularity is turning them into true assistants to consumers’ path to purchase, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).

Tablets Foster TV Consumption According To BBC Study

Mobile ecommerce security

People use tablets chiefly to view published content or browse the Internet and check e-mails, but according to new research this week, these devices also make people watch more TV.

Tablets Shaping Consumer Behaviour

Data marketing Kindle and Amazon

Tablets have already turned into a major factor for marketing in the UK and their significance has been confirmed by a new study, commissioned by Total Media.

Tales Of The Riverbank: Feature By Insider Magazine | Annesley Reports

Insider Magazine AgencyUK

Bath is being re-imagined as a city that embraces the river at its heart, while nurturing its creative roots. Christian Annesley asks whether it can fulfil the vision in time to satisfy they city’s growth businesses.

Tap on Teens | Brand Republic Feature

AUK Teen Audience

In a week when record numbers of teenagers are biting their nails anticipating their A Level results and pundits are predicting that students will leave university with an average debt of £17,500, leading brand and marketing response agency, AgencyUK has been conducting research into effective sales and marketing to teenagers.

Targeted Upselling & Persuasion Key To Personalisation

Millennial mobile social app

Digital technology has spurred a number of radical trends that have changed the face of marketing and retail. It has now advanced so far that e-commerce marketers have a wide array of tactics at their disposal to provide the personalised experience users are increasingly demanding – and targeted “upsell” and “persuasion” are two tactics that […]

Tea Brands Market To Younger Drinkers

Young people millennial tea drinker consumer

Traditional tea remains a popular beverage amongst Brits, yet it has seen a decline of sales in recent years. A combination of factors has contributed to this slide: the spread of coffee chains, the rise of healthier soft drinks and the growing popularity of herbal and fruit tea blends. But tea is making a comeback […]

Teachers Assurance move Direct Strategy and Digital Account into AgencyUK

Teachers Assurance appoint AgencyUK marketing

Teachers Assurance, the 5th largest friendly Society in the UK and the only endorsed provider of financial services to the National Union of Teachers have appointed Bath based communications specialists TheAgency to plan and launch their direct sales channel online.

Tech Presents: Burger Menu by @TheAgencyTech

The Agency Tech team recently started a regular “Tech Presents…” programme, in which the team share upcoming trends and improvements to our working practices with the rest of The Agency.

Technology Trends For 2012

Silicon Tech Valley Brands

As the year draws to a close, hopes and expectations for 2012 start to arise all over the place, so we thought we’d share some of the most plausible trends in the field of technology for next year.

Teenagers Spend 17 Hours A Week Online, Ofcom Report Shows

AUK on Gaming Brands

Ofcom’s annual Children and Parents: Media Use and Attitudes Report, which shows that the Internet is becoming a more natural part of young people’s everyday lives. The report revealed that teenagers in the UK spend an average of 17 hours surfing the Internet on a weekly basis, which equals their time in front of the […]

Tesco Rolls Out Online Service In Slovakia

AgencyUK consumer brand

Retail giant Tesco is continuing its foray into the e-commerce market outside the UK with the launch of an online shopping platform in Slovakia, as part of a broader push to become a global multichannel retailer, I read this morning on the company’s website.

Texting Preferred To Talking, Ofcom Finds

Mobile Commerce ecommerce app

Most marketing people would certainly find the following figures intriguing, as they are a clear indication of just how willing to embrace digital devices British consumers are. The latest report from communications regulator Ofcom finds that an average UK household owns three Internet-connectable devices, while 15% of families have six or more.

The “Digital Breadcrumbs” Lawyers Must Leave For Customers

Multichannel Advertising eCommerce

In the legal industry, taking steps to capture the attention of potential customers is imperative. The chief goal of lawyers is to find people that might need their services and help customers to find them more easily. In this sense, they are leaving “digital breadcrumbs” for people to follow when they need lawyers, or at […]

The Bath Future Talent Programme launches

12 rising stars from Bath companies started their leadership development journeys this Tuesday (June 30, 2015) on a special, world-class programme to make more of the corporate talent in the city.

The Business of Social Gaming | Marketing Geekly

AUK on Gaming Brands

As featured in Marketing Geekly
According to industry experts, social gaming is poised to become a billion dollar industry this year. Revenue streams in the form of virtual goods for games in 2011 rose from £510 million to £653 million. Of the 62 mil…

The Creative Director is Dead, Long Live the Technical Director?

AUK Appoint Creative Director

For many this is how the past four years have felt, with agencies seeing their creative revenues squeezed because the justification for spending on a subjective and less measured resource was deemed unnecessary, possibly even negligent.

The Cult Apps Used By Youths

Mobile Advertising Influencer

Recently released statistics from app analytics firm Flurry have revealed the top apps currently being used by the 18-24 age bracket, with over 85% of mobile web usage being attributed to apps rather than internet surfing so far in 2014, Voxburner reports.

The Drum Magazine South West Agency Feature

AUK Drum Interview

From St Ives to Swindon and Bournemouth to Bristol, The Drum recently spoke to some of the South West’s top creative marketing agencies. Here we find out the current state of the industry in the region, what big changes have taken place, and what sectors are in decline or growth. Read more at TheDrum here […]

The Future Of Social Shopping

Augmented reality advertising media

The original theory behind online shopping and social e-commerce was that consumers would be able to share their shopping journeys online and almost mirror the kind of interactions they would usually have in physical, brick-and-mortar stores, Econsultancy reports. This reality, however, has not come to pass, with social shopping failing to gain the traction professionals […]

The Future Of The Internet Of Things

AUK Iridium Insights Brand

Marketers and industry professionals alike are starting to take advantage of the advent of smart technology with the creation of a number of new pieces of smart technology. Although the market for smart technology is there, it is not yet mature enough to be clearly defined. An article on Econsultancy notes that despite this, a […]

The golden age of content – does yours match up?

It seems that we’re living in a ‘golden age’ of most things at the moment – the golden age of technology, the golden age of innovation, the golden age of medical advancements… But, more specifically in terms of businesses and marketing, we are most definitely living in the golden age of content. Advancements in technology […]

The Independent Agency Awards 2022

People at Awards event

Last week, AgencyUK attended MAD//fest, the UK’s boldest and most distinctive marketing event in the heart of London’s tech and culture scene. The space where top brands, agencies and publishers come to connect, form new relationships, fix industry issues, pitch visionary ideas and celebrate all things Marketing, Advertising and disruption! We #gotourwings2022 and won two […]

The marketing industry has overfunded technology and underfunded creativity

keyboard with create key

The marketing industry has invested heavily in tech, data and ‘performance marketing’ over the last couple of decades. But does all this focus on definable return-on-investment prevent the creative leaps that can truly set a brand apart? For The Drum’s Creativity in Focus Deep Dive, Nix Boulton and Dan Srokosz of AgencyUK investigate. With over a […]

The power of small – why global brands should be sweating the small stuff

Global conglomerates are losing their connection with consumers. It’s no secret. Their endless struggle to be more real, genuine and authentic is just positioning them as the opposite in people’s minds. It leads consumers to question, why now? Are they just jumping on a sustainability bandwagon? We need to think about how consumers are connecting […]

The rising cost of B2B marketing

Many CMOs tell me that they expect their marketing to get cheaper. The logic is that online advertising is cheaper, programmatic ads are cheaper, building websites is cheaper, many digital platforms are free! Marketing automation provides efficiency, and the availability of rich data informs better targeting and better product development. So why do their annual […]

The Rising Importance Of Effective User Experiences

by Sammy Mansourpour, Managing Director at The Agency When someone discusses re-designing their website or modifying their eCommerce user journey, the likelihood is that rather than it being the aesthetics and maneuverability of the site that pops to the front of everyone’s mind, it’s the technicalities behind re-creating that digital space. While it obviously takes […]

The Star Wars #Brandwagon: 10 of the best, worst and just plain weird Star Wars merchandise

Star Wars Super Fans the world over are rejoicing; The Force Awakens has finally landed after 10 years of anticipation. Indeed, the global cinema phenomenon is back and set to break records with an estimated $625 million domestic gross opening. With The Force Awakens even being screened in the International Space Station, there’s no escaping […]

The Top 5 Christmas TV Campaigns for 2015

A brand’s Christmas marketing campaign is often the crucial event in a marketer’s calendar. And this year was no exception;  the competition for king of Christmas advertising is well underway, with John Lewis and Sainsbury’s leading the race to be crowned the best of the best. There have been some real crackers (pun intended) this […]

The Wearables Market: Why Data Teams Must Embrace It

Wearable technology and the data gathered from it is becoming more and more popular, with new devices appearing on the market everyday – meaning businesses and organisations need to begin embracing the trend in order to stay ahead of competitors, Marketing Week reports. Whilst few marketers could foresee the monumental impact smartphones and tablets would […]

Things To Know About The World’s Top Social Media Networks In 2014

Social Media Beauty Products Retail

In an aim to help marketers better prepare their strategies this year, Business 2 Community has revealed the latest facts on the top four social media hubs. Facebook is no doubt the first platform that comes to mind when talking about social media, but companies targeting very young or fashion-savvy individuals better look for them […]

Three Billion People Will Have Web Access By 2018

Branded Websites

A staggering three billion people will have access to the Internet by 2018, according to figures from eMarketer. This figure roughly equates to just under half of the world’s population, with 2018 predicted to be the year when the web really does become “worldwide,” The Drum reports.

Three Overestimated Mobile Marketing Fads

AUK Chat app software

Mobile marketing is a rapidly developing segment of the industry, so it is only natural that there are a number of trends and fads surrounding the sector. Some turn into legitimate marketing channels, says Econsultancy’s David Moth, such as texts or mobile apps, but others turn out to be significantly overestimated. Three of these are […]

Three things we learnt from #OiConf Cardiff

AUK Oi Conference

Being the desk-bound creatives that we are it’s a good idea to sometimes get outside (god forbid) and challenge our preconceptions. Last week’s #OiConf Cardiff proved just the catalyst needed. A hugely insightful day, it would be easy to churn out a lengthy piece on the state of digital, the future of mobile or the […]

Three tools for generating winning content topics

People sitting down at event

After attending Danny Richmond’s talk at the brightonSEO Conference 2022, AUK’s Cat Roberts breaks down some of the best tools for generating topic ideas for SEO content. One of the most important areas of SEO and content marketing is ensuring the topics you’re covering are relevant to your target audiences’ interests. And coming up with […]

Time Spent Viewing Online Video Soars by 42%

TV Advertising Spend

With traffic to video sharing websites constantly growing, it’s obvious that the channel is gradually turning into a key area of interest for consumers. In fact, over four in five UK Internet users watch video online and more people are now exposed to video ads, according to recent data from the comScore Video Metrix service.

Tips For Making The Most Out Of Twitter

Twitter Brand Advertising

The element of Twitter marketers like the most is that it gives them the opportunity to react in real time to events and provide rapid response to customers. Yet agility needs to go hand in hand with creativity and planning from marketers if they want to set the right tone for their brand. UK director […]

Tips On Making Multichannel Social Media Marketing A Success

Multichannel Integrated Advertising

Marketers are nowadays looking to engage with consumers by promoting brands on as many social media utilities as possible. Appearing on a great number of platforms positively results in a wider audience, but could also disperse attention, pushing brands away from their goals. In order to avoid fragmentation, marketing departments should have a rounded approach […]

Tips To Boost Facebook Page Visibility With Graph Search

Facebook social media mum consumer

Facebook recently introduced its new tool, Graph Search, which gives users a new way to find people, places and things. The tool can be helpful for brands as it gives them the chance to extend their page, foster engagement and dominate users’ news feeds. A recent article from the Social Media Examiner outlines several steps […]

To Win Millennials Hearts, You Need To Get Personal

Millennial target audience

Millennials are the most desired demographic to engage with for many marketers and advertisers, but in order to win their hearts and loyalty you need the right tactic. While trying to capture their attention through the latest channels, remember that Millennials typically look for a meaningful relationship with a brand.

Today’s Super Shopper: A Profile

Augmented reality food and drink fmcg

Smartphones and tablets are reshaping the shopping experiences of customers, creating a new breed of consumers called the Super Shoppers, Deloitte names it in a new study commissioned by eBay.

Too Much Information Impedes Consumers’ Buying Decisions

Twitter Brand Advertising

An interesting report describing a new feature of consumers’ behaviour across the globe was published this morning. According to research by advisory company CEB, consumers in the UK, US and the Asia-Pacific region tend to become extremely entangled when facing a choice overload, making them hesitate to buy because there are too many options to […]

Top 5 Easter Marketing Campaigns: A cracking selection

As we count down the days to the extra long weekend, different brands are capitalizing on us eating our weight in chocolate over the holiday. We started Easter early with our hunt for the brands who did the best job of encouraging us to indulge – not that we needed much convincing… Here is our […]

Top 5 Halloween Marketing Campaigns for 2015

Halloween Marketing Campaigns

Halloween weekend is nearly upon us and its impending arrival has led to some frightfully good marketing campaigns from brands. This week we have unearthed some of the best that have caught our eye. 1. Target – The House on Hallow Hill Target have launched this year’s Halloween campaign by getting creative with technology and […]

Top Brands Invest In Virtual Reality Software

Virtual Reality Digital Channel

A number of top global brands have been investing time and money into virtual reality (VR) software and its use for marketing in the future, Warc.com reports. The technology – which is currently very costly and bulky – is expected to become more consumer-friendly in the near future, which is why brands such as Coca […]

Top Christmas Campaigns From Around The World

Christmas retail advertising

In a spontaneous celebration of creativity we’ve trawled books, magazine’s and mostly just the Internet to compile and share some of the Top examples of Christmas Campaigns from around the world. You should recognise some oldies in there too. References here: Guardian | Webneel | Creative Criminals | Time | CreaAds | Campaign | Hative

Top Gear & social TV: how much say does the Twitter critic have?

Bank holiday Monday saw the hotly anticipated reboot of BBC’s Top Gear. The reviews are out and social media critics have branded the show “Flop Gear”. But how important is the social TV critic? 4.4 million tuned in to watch hosts Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc present the wildly popular show on Monday night. From […]

Top Marketing Strategies For Improving Email Reach & Engagement

Email marketing

Over 260 members of the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) were questioned recently on their use of email in overall marketing strategies, and asked what strategies they believe have the most impact on their email marketing efforts, Marketing Charts reports.

Top Tips For Charities Wishing To Build Strong Digital Infrastructure

Charity fundraising marketing

Charities, like most organisations, are being constantly persuaded to go online and capitalise on the potential of social media to engage the public. While it’s great to see so many voluntary sector organisations jumping on the digital bandwagon, it’s also essential for charities to adopt a more consistent approach to digital; this includes not only […]

Top Tips To A High Search Result Ranking

Search Marketing Survey

An interesting article from Thomas Vollrath, CEO of 123-reg’s parent company Host Europe Group, outlining some of the steps that brands and marketers need to follow if they want their website to rank high in search results.

Total UK radio audience falls, digital rises

Radio Media Channel Advertising

The latest changes in UK radio trends, according to the official Rajar figures for the third quarter of 2011, see’s the total number of people listening to radio weekly has dropped slightly but digital radio has registered a growth in audience.

Trends That Will Shape Social Media Marketing In 2015

Social Media Marketing

The social media world has experienced a number of changes throughout its history, and 2014 will be no exception, seeing yet another wave of emerging trends that will immediately impact the way marketers build their social media strategies. Business2Community has taken a peek into the future of social media, in an attempt to identify the major trends that will guide […]

TV Ads 36% More Effective When Combined With Twitter

TV Advertising Spend

Brands advertising via both TV ads and Twitter enjoy a greater message association, and also see a 58% stronger purchase intent, Twitter claims in a recent blog post advocating integration of media channels.

TV Still Attracts The Bulk Of Global Ad Spend

TV channel consumer media

Nielsen’s Global Adview Pulse survey looked at the volume of investments channelled in the first quarter of the year. The results found that TV was, once again, the most preferred media channel used by global brands for spreading their marketing message.

TV Still Britain’s Go-To Device For Programme Viewing

TV Advertising Spend

The latest UK viewing figures from Thinkbox, the marketing body for commercial TV in the UK, showed that the TV set remains the primary device for watching programmes despite the growing share of consumers using various mobile devices for TV viewing.

TV Still Britons Most Preferred Advertising Platform

Digital TV Advertising Media Channel

It didn’t come as a surprise to find that TV is still the advertising medium with the largest influence on consumers and their buying decisions, at least according to a study carried out by Deloitte.

TV Viewers Log Into Social Media Sites To Discuss Shows

Social Media Marketing

The relationship between TV and social media is continuously evolving as more and more consumers flock to social channels to discuss their favourite TV shows. This trend was highlighted in recent research carried out by Pulsar, together with Tumblr, presenting marketers with a sound opportunity to connect with audiences before and after a show.

Twitter & Facebook’s Terms & Conditions Are Too Complex, Say MPs

Facebook social media mum consumer

The Science and Technology Committee has deemed terms and conditions on social media sites as often “totally impenetrable” and “more complex than Shakespeare,” Brand Republic reports. The committee has called on the Government to work alongside the Information Commissioner to come up with a set of information standards that websites and apps could sign up […]

Twitter Introduces New Tool With Language Targeting

Twitter Brand Advertising

Twitter has made it possible for advertisers to improve targeting by communicating with users in their native language, the social network announced in an official blog post.

Twitter Is The Fastest Growing Social Platform Globally

Twitter Brand Advertising

On a global scale, Twitter was the fastest-growing social networking site between Q2 2012 and Q1 2013, with the number of its account holders surging 42%.

Twitter To Focus On Video Use In 2015

Twitter Brand Advertising

The social media platform Twitter is due to increase its focus on the use of video services on the site in a move described as “making video the natural platform” for the channel, The Drum reports. It is believed that as part of the new focus, Twitter will expand upon its existing video products and […]

Twitter To Launch Brand Pages

Twitter Brand Advertising

Twitter is preparing the biggest change in design since its launch. Fly Twitter which will include new brand pages among other things, is going to be introduced over the next few weeks, however, brand new applications for Android, iPhone and TweetDeck were already presented last week.

Twitter User Base Grows While Profits Drop

Twitter Brand Advertising

In its recent report on its financial results, Twitter revealed that it made an £86 million loss but had in fact gained users, The Drum reports. The results covered the period of March until June 2014.

Twitter, Facebook & Instagram Launch Analytics Tools

AUK on Social Media Marketing

Three major social media sites have recently launched analytics tools, allowing marketers to receive real-time insights into activity on the sites, Marketing Week reports. Instagram was the most recent site to introduce such a tool, granting marketers the power to look further into the performance of branded and organic content on the site. Twitter’s tool […]

Twitter’s Mobile Users More Active And Follow More Brands

Twitter Brand Advertising

Twitter’s ‘primary mobile users’ are 157% more likely to log on to the platform when they wake up in the morning than the average Twitter user and 129% more likely to use it when they go to bed. This is what I read in a blog post from the micro-blogging and social-networking service, which cites […]

Two-Thirds Of Global Firms Distrust Their Own Digital Strategy

Social Retail eCommerce Digital Shopper

Digitally-inspired marketing strategies are now being increasingly adopted by companies, but many question their ability to achieve meaningful results, Forester Research says in a new report titled “The Future of Business is Digital.”

Two-Thirds Of UK Internet Users Now On Facebook

AgencyUK on parent trends to Facebook ads

It was interesting to read that Internet users in the UK have become ardent addicts of Facebook, as two-thirds of people regularly going online visit the social platform as well, Silicon Republic reported.

UK Ad Spend Predictions Revised To 3.3% To Reflect Strong Growth

Outdoor Out of Home Advertising

There has been a revised forecast for UK advertising spend in 2013 and 2014. The study, conducted by Advertising Association/Warc Expenditure, is reflective of the more positive outlook for search and TV advertising in the country, along with the better economic prospects for the UK next year.

UK Ad Spend To Grow 4.4% A Year By 2017

London Recruitment Brand AUK

By 2017 the UK advertising industry is tipped to become the country’s fastest growing segment of the entertainment and media industry, growing at an average rate of 4.4% each year. Predicted by PwC’s Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2013-2017 report, which predicts that the UK ad spend will hit £17 billion in four years time.

UK Ad Spend To Grow 5% in 2014

Outdoor Out of Home Advertising

The advertising sector in the United Kingdom will see a 5% increase next year, while global ad spend is expected to increase by 4.5%, according to a recent report by market research company Ipsos.

UK Adspend Set To Increase By 6% In 2018

UK Advertising Tech Market

Overall advertising spend in the UK has been estimated to increase by 6% this year, according to research from Warc and the Advertising Association. In 2015, the increase will be still higher, at 6.7%, the Expenditure Report also predicted.

UK Advertising Maintains Healthy Growth

Outdoor Out of Home Advertising

The UK advertising market has maintained adequate growth in the first quarter of the year, after returning to levels seen before the financial crisis hit the country in late 2012. In a report prepared by the Advertising Association and Warc, that advertising spend hit £4.14 billion at the end of March 2013, going up by […]

UK Advertising Spend Grows 5.3% In Q3

Outdoor Out of Home Advertising

The latest quarterly Expenditure report from the Advertising Association and marketing information service Warc points to a 5.5% rise in UK advertising spend in the third quarter of 2013, which is the strongest growth rate seen since the fourth quarter of 2010.

UK Average monthly eCommerce spend is £116

Marketing executive team

Despite ample research that we have all been exposed to recently on the fondness of British consumers for online shopping, today I read an article about a new poll which shows that high street sales still outweigh e-commerce transactions.

UK Biz leaders call for creativity in marketing

UK Creative Industry

Brand owners and executives at The Times panel debate on the UK economy have called for more creative business and marketing strategies that can help consumers stretch their limited budgets and lead the national economy on the way to recovery.

UK Brands Do Not Communicate Effectively Through Twitter

Twitter social commerce

Despite organisations’ continuing to flock to social media in order to communicate directly with their consumers, many UK companies are still finding it hard to communicate effectively and provide adequate customer service through such social channels.

UK Brands Get One Chance Only To Impress Consumers

Multichannel Advertising eCommerce

Hardly ever has competition between brands been more intense than it is now, as consumers have become savvy and careful about spending their money. According to a new survey out today, UK consumers rarely hesitate to switch to another brand if they are unhappy with the service they have received.

UK Brands Ignore Negative Comments On Social Media

Social Media Marketing

Many businesses are terrified by negative comments about their products and services online and feel at a loss to react. However, brands seem to misinterpret consumers’ intentions behind posting comments on social media, a new survey from YouGov suggests.

UK Brands Lag Behind Consumers In M-commerce

Mobile Commerce ecommerce app

We’ve all been hearing lately about the surge in m-commerce across the UK but a new survey published this morning suggests that while UK consumers have shown signs of embracing the technology wholeheartedly, brands may not be reacting fast enough to keep up.

UK brands see Social Media as more cost effective

Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing has become a necessary tool for businesses from various sectors of industry to attract new clients, according to most experts. This opinion seems to be backed by a recent survey from law firm DLA Piper, which suggests that two-thirds of the brands encourage their employees to use social media for work.

UK Brands Still Have Work To Do On Mobile

Social Media Beauty Products Retail

Some would consider it encouraging that almost 40% of Britain’s top 100 brands have done well on the mobile front, making fully mobile-optimised websites available to their customers. But given the constantly growing importance of the channel, I dare say most would zoom in on the fact that more than 60% have failed to do […]

UK Car Manufacturing Grows 5.8% In 2011

UK Car Brands

2012 starts with good news for the British production industry. According to the BBC, the UK car manufacturing sector saw 5.8% growth in 2011.

UK Christmas m-Commerce Rises 186.5% since 2010

AUK on smartphone brand consumers

According to the IBM Benchmark Christmas Season report, the use of mobile devices for shopping increased by 186.5% in the UK at Christmas, compared to the same period in 2010.

UK Christmas Shoppers To Be Cautious With Money This Season

It seems that this Christmas shoppers in the UK are predicted to keep a tight grasp of their finances and not go overboard with spending, in light of the recent few years of economic unsteadiness, Warc reports. Shoppercentric surveyed over 1,000 individuals and found that 44% of UK consumers claimed they needed to stick to […]

UK Companies Neglect Mobile Data

Augmented reality food and drink fmcg

We constantly come across articles and surveys suggesting that nothing is currently as important to companies as getting their mobile strategies right. Considering the explosive rate of the adoption of mobile devices and the impact on consumer shopping habits, failure to address the issue would amount to grievous corporate oversight.

UK Consumers Champions In Internet Consumption

Social Media Channels

Chances are you won’t find the next piece of news in the least bit surprising, if you have been following our regular updates on Britons’ online behaviour. According to a new European poll from the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB), British consumers top the chart when it comes to Internet adoption and the amount of time […]

UK Consumers Champions In Online Shopping

Christmas Online Consumer Retail

UK consumers have emerged as the biggest e-commerce fans globally, in a report prepared by The Economic Intelligence Unit, with online purchase seen to contribute 13.2% to total retail sales this year. e-commerce is set to grow further, capturing one third, or even more, of the country’s retail market in 10 years.

UK Consumers Do More Online Shopping Than Other Europeans

European Consumer Advertising

A recent survey from Hermes, called the ‘Parcel Deliveries Usage and Attitude Survey’, has found that UK consumers are twice as likely to shop online than their French equivalents, and nearly three times more likely to shop online than those in Germany, Warc reports. The survey questioned 4,000 consumers from the three largest EU economies.

UK Consumers Getting Ready For A Multichannel Christmas

Mum Shop Online Consumers

Retailers consider the period leading up to Christmas to be of critical importance to their overall performance as they believe that this is the time when consumers spend the most money. Although this is largely true, each year is influenced by the current economic landscape, consumers’ finances and technology innovations.

UK Consumers Lack Knowledge Of Contactless Payment

Contactless Payments, eCommerce, Online Shopping, Consumer

A new study suggests that banks and retailers in the UK need to encourage the use of contactless bank cards, after new research from YouGov revealed lack of awareness of the technology among consumers.

UK Consumers Lose £5bn On Mobile Phone Tariffs

Social Media Channels

With mobile phones becoming an absolute must for modern consumers, many people tend to take them for granted and never think twice about buying one. What they are mostly interested in when choosing a new mobile phone are features like Internet connectivity, but it turns out that UK consumers are losing a massive amount of […]

UK Consumers More Willing To Pay To Access Content

Social Media Marketing

The number of Britons willing to pay to get high-quality content online is increasing, although they are spending less time on browsing social media, watching TV and reading books than previously, published in a report from KPMG today.

UK Consumers Still Wary Of Contactless Payment

Contactless Payments, eCommerce, Online Shopping, Consumer

While many marketing industry representatives predict that mobile wallets are likely to become the next obsession among UK consumers, with news about contactless payment systems being launched here and there, Britons seem to be more wary of the new technology than providers might be happy to find out.

UK Consumers Trust Ads With Stats Over Celeb Endorsements

mobile video Social Media Influencer

UK consumers trust ads containing statistics and supporting evidence more than ads that feature celebrities. This suggests that a brand using a celebrity to endorse its products or services may not be as successful as it hopes. Contentious?

UK E-Commerce Sales To Grow By 16% In 2015

eCommerce AgencyUK launch

The UK e-commerce market is poised for growth of 16% this year, which will push the volume of sales generated in this sector up to £45 billion. The growth will come as a result of an increase in the online spend of local consumers, expected to break the £1,000 barrier per average shopper for the […]

UK E-Commerce Sector Can Expect Strong Christmas Performance

Christmas Retail advertising consumers ecommerce

The latest IMRG MetaPack Delivery Index has shown that the UK e-commerce sector can expect a particularly impressive performance this Christmas period, with companies predicted to receive around 120 million orders in December alone, the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) reports.

UK Fairtrade Market Grows 12%

Sustainable brands top consumer choice

Despite the economic difficulties, UK consumers are not willing to compromise quality and remain conscious of what they are spending their money on. This is evident from the latest figures released by the UK Fairtrade Foundation, which point to a 12% increase in the sales of Fairtrade products last year.

UK Firms To Boost Digital Ad Spend To £13.9Bn This Year

Augmented reality advertising media

According to the latest report from GroupM released this week, UK companies will spend £13.9 billion on advertising this year against £13 billion in 2012, exceeding the previous record of £13.1 billion in 2007. This will translate into year-on-year growth of 7%, which is more than twice the rate the marketing expert predicted half a […]

UK Firms To Spend 3.1% More On Advertising In 2013 Said Warc/AA

Multichannel Integrated Advertising

UK businesses are forecast to raise their advertising spend by 3.1% to £17.2 billion this year, a level seen previously before the onset of the financial crisis, highlighted in a report jointly prepared by Warc and the Advertising Association (AA). Marketers remain broadly cautious due to the challenging environment and, although predictions have been curtailed […]

UK High-Street Retailers Offer Downbeat 2013 View

Teen brand retail eCommerce

UK high-street retailers are becoming extremely downbeat on their future growth prospects and currently 43% of retailers project that this year will not bring much joy to them against 36% a year earlier.

UK Leads Mobile Gaming With Over 50% Now Playing

AUK Brand CVG Magazine

According to a new poll published today, close to half of all smartphone owners in Europe use their devices to play games and this number has seen a 55% rise from last year.

UK Leads World’s E-Commerce Market

eCommerce AgencyUK launch

Many people have tried to explain what makes online shopping so attractive to UK consumers. Whatever their explanations may be, one thing remains for sure – Britons are mad about e-commerce and this fact has now found its proof.

UK Marketers Need To Change Their Attitude Toward Mums

Mums Consumer

Brands need to change their attitudes towards UK mums, because they often consider them a stand-alone demographic in their marketing campaigns. This is what Saatchi & Saatchi suggests in research conducted on behalf of Mumsnet, which found that 19% of UK mums do not recognise themselves in adverts.

UK Marketers Remain Uncertain About RTA

Professional services marketing online digital strategy

A recent survey by UK advertising industry body ISBA has revealed that the majority of advertisers in the UK are still unclear about real-time advertising (RTA). However, there is also a strong desire to learn: 96% of respondents told ISBA they planned to fill their RTA knowledge gaps.

UK Marketers Spend 27% Of Budgets On Content Marketing

Blogger blog writing content social strategy

A new report revealing that, on average, companies across the UK designate 27% of their marketing budgets for content marketing and deploy 13 content marketing tactics when devising their strategies.

UK Mobile Search Spending Grows 250%

Mobile Search engine optimisation

It might seem obvious but mobile is turning into a major driving force for growth, so getting some statistics on how the sector is faring might be useful.

UK Mothers Are Top Users Of Social Networks

Mum Consumer Shopping

Women spend more time on social networks than men, but especially those with children. In July, the average mother stayed online for 443.3 minutes, or 17 minutes more than the average British woman.

UK Mums Focus On Internet Deals To Save Money

Mums Consumer

The latest Mumdex report from Asda has found that women of all ages across the UK are turning to the Internet and online retail services in order to save money. The study suggests that digital technology is no longer an area reserved exclusively for the younger consumer, and also reveals a growing optimism among mums […]

UK Mums Top Shoppers Online

Mum Shop Online Consumers

According to a survey from comScore, UK mums are among the most enthusiastic online shoppers in Europe, while British consumers in general spend the most time online, compared to those elsewhere on the continent.

UK Named European Leader In E-commerce

eBay Shopping Retail Consumer eCommerce Web

New research might restore confidence for UK online retail brands – UK consumers spent more money on online purchases in 2011 than those in any other European county, with e-commerce now accounting for 17% of all retail, according to a new report from IMRG and Capgemini.

UK Online grocery sales to double by 2016

AgencyUK consumer brand

I read an interesting article today citing that the value of grocery sales online is expected to double over the next five years and reach £11.2bn, according to industry body IGD. This means that the share of sales made online is predicted to become 6% of all grocery sales. That compares to the 3.8%, estimated […]

UK Online Retailers Lose £1bn In Abandoned Transactions

Digital Media Agency User Experience

Most of us know that developing user-friendly websites and providing convenient and simple online shopping experiences are two of the key factors for success in Internet-based commerce. A new survey that I noticed today comes as proof of this statement.

UK Online Shoppers Seek Convenience And Flexibility

ecommerce website consumer spending

According to new research I came across the other day, 47% of shoppers in the UK would feel encouraged to purchase from retailers that allow them to shop online and then collect in-store. Many also want to be notified about delivery options and costs early in the buying process. These statistics highlight the importance for […]

UK Ranked Second Top Hub For Small Businesses On LinkedIn

Branded Websites

This morning I came across the results of a LinkedIn analysis that identifies the top global spots where the professional platform is most widely used by small businesses. The report shows there are 1.06 million LinkedIn users in the UK, ranking it second among the countries where it is most popular, eMarketer reports.

UK Ranks 27th In Global Social Media Activity Poll

UK Advertising Tech Market

The Social Engagement Benchmark of GlobalWebIndex, a measure of attitudes and engagement of Internet users across the globe, has placed the UK 27th in terms of consumers’ activity on platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, published in a report from the authors of the study this morning.

UK Retail Brands Find It Hard To Implement New Ideas

Food brands creative

With today’s consumers being more savvy than ever and the market competition being as fierce as it can get, brands have to face a range of challenges not just to be successful but to survive. However, a new report has revealed that many retailers are either unwilling, or incapable, of embracing change to meet consumer […]

UK Retail Industry Off To A Good Start In 2013

Supermarket Brands Integrated Advertising

Retail sales in the UK achieved their biggest growth on a total basis since September 2012, going up by 3% in January compared with the same period a year earlier.

UK Retail Sales Perk Up Under May Sunshine

Teen brand retail eCommerce

In contrast to rain-soaked April, May arrived in Britain with sunshine in tow and brought a much-needed respite to the retail sector. Not only did online sales growth gather pace again but total UK retail sales returned to positive territory, including on a like-for-like basis, the May edition of the KPMG-BRC Retail Sales Monitor shows.

UK Retail Sales Show Zero Growth In November

UK Consumer Brands

UK retail sales failed to impress in November, remaining unchanged when compared with the previous month and fuelling worries that consumers are tightening their budgets in the run-up to Christmas.

UK Retail Sales Suffer The Lowest Growth For Almost A Year

UK Consumer Shopping

UK retail sales saw their smallest increase in October for nearly a year, with online non-food suffering the biggest decline, according to the report I read from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG.

UK Retailer Experience Poll Sees IKEA No 1.

IKEA Retail experience agency brand

What customers want has always been a major concern for both brands and marketers. As market conditions change, it is only natural that consumer preferences are changing too.

UK Retailers Record Zero Sales Growth In March

Supermarket FMCG Consumer

UK retailers recorded flat sales volumes in the year to March, ending six consecutive months of decelerating growth. Despite this, retailers remain broadly upbeat about sales growth in April, expecting it to start to gradually improve, results from the latest poll of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) showed.

UK Retailers To See Online Sales Abroad Surge Seven Times In 2020

Social Retail eCommerce Digital Shopper

In 2020, UK retailers will record online sales abroad seven times higher than in 2012, reaching a combined £28 billion. The strong improvement highlights the opportunities that local brands could make use of on a global scale, thanks to the increasing interest in British retailers outside the country.

UK Retailers To Start Reaping The Benefits Of Facebook In 2013

Venda, the SaaS provider of on-demand e-commerce has reported that UK retailers will eventually start to capitalise on their Facebook presence this year as they are now better positioned to make use of the immense volume of data this social media channel delivers.

UK Shoppers Getting Ready For A Mobile Christmas

Christmas Retail advertising consumers ecommerce

With Christmas not that far away, market researchers are already rushing to gauge consumers’ shopping plans for the holiday season to give brands a hint of what to expect this winter and help them better devise their seasonal campaigns.

UK Shoppers Spend £91Bn Online In 2013

Christmas Online Retail eCommerce Consumer

The final month of 2013 saw UK shoppers spend £11 billion online, which is a rise of 18% in comparison to the same period of 2012. The figure brought the full-year total to £91 billion, with online sales accounting for roughly 21% of the entire retail market and translating into annual growth of 16%, the […]

UK Small Businesses Choose Facebook Over Yellow Pages

Facebook social media mum consumer

When one thinks of social media and business, what comes to mind is typically a large company with its own brand page on Facebook. In comparison, small businesses are rarely associated with social networks but this may be about to change.

UK Small Firms Cut Back On Traditional Marketing To Enhance Digital Presence

Apprentice creative agency

I came across the results of recent research from deal-of-the-day website Groupon, which suggested that more and more small businesses are looking to jump on the digital bandwagon in order to keep in line with their customers’ changing behaviour.

UK Smartphone Owners Most Active On Social Media Globally

The UK is the place where smartphone owners are staying the longest on social networking sites via their devices, even when compared to countries like China, Japan and the US.

UK Smartphone Uptake Slows Down

Mobile App for learner drivers

The UK may well be among the world’s biggest smartphone markets, as various surveys have claimed, but it seems that the hype is starting to slow down. This is the main finding from a new poll by YouGov.

UK Smartphone Users Broadly Resistant To Mobile Ads

AUK Advertising

Despite the growing popularity of mobile advertising, over half of UK smartphone users have never seen commercials displayed on their devices, Econsultancy said, citing findings from Nielsen’s Mobile Consumer Report. This means that this particular channel is yet to be explored by marketers or that users find no difficulties in ignoring such messages.

UK Smartphone Users Spend Two Years Online

Digital Media Agency User Experience

Imagine having to spend two years on the Internet. Do you find the idea attractive? Well, according to a new survey from Recombu published this morning, this is exactly what smartphone users in the UK do.

UK Supermarkets Need To Find Ways To Engage With Upcoming Generations

Augmented reality food and drink fmcg

Many marketers would agree that in order to keep earning high revenues in the future, supermarkets need to find a way to engage with upcoming generations so they can earn their trust and add them to their list of loyal customers.

UK To See Unparalled Interest In Online Shopping This Christmas

Christmas Online Consumer Retail

UK retailers are expected to register 115 million visits to their websites on 3 December, the so-called ‘Cyber Monday’, which suggests that this year’s Christmas season will see its highest levels of online trade in history, according to Experian Hitwise data.

UK Top In Virtual Grocery Shopping Among European Countries

European Consumer Advertising

With online grocery shopping the UK is the undisputed leader among major European countries. Last year, Brits forked out EUR7.1 billion on buying food and consumer goods online, with the figure predicted to nearly double to EUR13.7 billion by 2016.

UK TV Watchers Unlikely To Discuss Shows On Social Media

TV Advertising Spend

Nowadays, nobody questions the strong impact of social media on communication behaviour and the fundamental way in which Facebook, Twitter and the like transform human relations. This was evident with social media’s increasing use as a place where people can connect with each other, with brands and information. It turns out, however, that TV is […]

UK Workers Spend One Working Day Every Week On Social Media

Twitter Brand Advertising

Social media may have become synonymous with modern lifestyles but the latest findings from a survey that I saw this morning might be a bit alarming to UK employers.

UK’s most visited websites

Branded Websites

Given it’s Cyber Monday, the biggest online shopping day of the year, we thought we’d share some research from Experian Hitwise. Apple.com has advanced six places in the latest quarterly Hot Shops List and has now moved into the runner-up position. The list presents online retail websites that have registered the most intense traffic over […]

UK’s Kings Court Trust Launch Consumer Channel

Kings Court Trust AgencyUK

Kings Court Trust, one of the UK’s long established estate and probate administrators have launched a new brand, website and advertising with the focus on developing a new direct to consumer channel.

Universities Boost Marketing Budgets By 25% Over Three Years

One rarely comes across marketing data related to universities, so the information I stumbled upon recently proved an interesting read. According to an article in the Drum, universities increased their marketing expenditure by 25% between 2009 and 2012.

Universities Faster In Mobile Technology Uptake Than Retailers

Student mobile app millennial social media

It might sound quite strange, but the facts speak for themselves: traditional institutions such as universities are those getting on the mobile technology bandwagon faster than other organisations generally perceived to be in greater need of such tools. Mobile marketing technology delivers benefits that are more than obvious when it comes to tracking and targeting […]

US Companies Ahead Of UK In Terms Of Social Engagement

Social Media Content Channels

Recent research from Ivestis has found that UK companies are falling behind their US counterparts in terms of social media engagement and making the most of the platform for corporate purposes, Warc reports. American companies tend to use social media more effectively for communications purposes, with UK businesses needing to catch up.

Use Nostalgia To Target Young Consumers

Millennial mobile social app

It may seem strange to think that young consumers are affected by nostalgia, but a recent initiative by Reddit demonstrated that nostalgia is in fact very relevant for younger generations. The initiative consisted of posting a topic named “What Thing Just Ain’t The Same Anymore” and it attracted a veritable deluge of nostalgic throwbacks.

Use Of Shopping Apps Increases 174% Year-On-Year

ecommerce shopper retail marketiong mobile app

A new piece of research from Flurry Analytics has found that the use of apps in 2014 grew by 76% year-over-year, with the use of specific shopping and lifestyle apps growing by 174%, Warc reports. In fact, shopping apps experienced growth of 220% on Android devices alone. Utilities and messaging apps also experienced triple-figure growth […]

Valentine’s ads: Have you found the one?

With the imminent arrival of Valentine’s day comes the onslaught of marketing mush as we are encouraged to splurge on our loved ones this year. But with research from Durex finding that 40% of Brits find Valentines a cliché, brands are stepping away from the soppy campaigns and going after the loved up crowd with […]

Verm-X natural animal health unveil new global brand and direct to consumer strategy with AgencyUK

AUK VermX Brand

Founded in 2000, Verm-X are one of the world’s pioneering natural animal health and wellbeing companies. Passionate about taking a holistic approach, they explore the alternatives to artificial chemical treatments and pharmaceutical products by conducting research into herbs and naturally active ingredients that promote complete health for generations to come. Company founder Philip Ghazala has […]

Versace Looks To E-Commerce To Foster Brand Recognition and Sales

Versace Retail Brand

Italian fashion company Versace has chosen its own way to address consumers’ increasing demand and is making its products available for online purchase in Europe.

Video Ads Shared Twice As Fast As Last Year

mobile video Social Media Influencer

The speed at which brand videos are shared online has doubled over the past year, research from Unruly Media has found, with 42% of video shares taking place over the first three days after a video is launched. This finding is crucial for marketers focusing on viral videos to promote a brand.

WARC Predict 5.2% Global Increase In Ad Spend For 2015

Advertising AgencyUK Global Launch

The latest quarterly Global Adview Pulse report from researcher Nielsen revealed a 3.8% drop in European advertising spend over the first three quarters of 2013, despite the small decline of 0.4% in the third quarter, which might mean that the market is finally bottoming out.

Warmer Weather Spurs Online Retail Sales In April

Teen brand retail eCommerce

Last months e-commerce received a huge boost from the higher temperatures that tempted Britons to dip into their pockets, fuelling a 16% uptick in sales compared with April 2012.

WAVE goodbye to web speak

AUK Chat app software

Ever wondered what email might be like iFit was invented today? Google have spent two years pondering just that.

We’re Hiring At AgencyUK!

We have two new roles available here at The Agency. We are one of the fastest growing integrated marketing agencies in the UK, putting the digital consumer at the heart of our business. The potential here is bound only by your ambition and the opportunity to build a recognised and respected agency brand is only just being realised. We […]

We’re Hiring!

We have two roles available here at AgencyUK. We are one of the fastest-growing integrated marketing agencies in the UK, putting the digital consumer at the heart of our business. The potential here is bound only by your ambition and the opportunity to build a recognised and respected agency brand is only just being realised. […]

We’re Hiring!

We have two roles available here at AgencyUK. We are one of the fastest-growing integrated marketing agencies in the UK, putting the digital consumer at the heart of our business. The potential here is bound only by your ambition and the opportunity to build a recognised and respected agency brand is only just being realised. […]

We’re Hiring!

We have three roles available here at The Agency. We are one of the fastest growing integrated marketing agencies in the UK, putting the digital consumer at the heart of our business. The potential here is bound only by your ambition and the opportunity to build a recognised and respected agency brand is only just being realised. We thrive on […]

WE’RE HIRING!

We have two new roles available here at The Agency. We are one of the fastest growing integrated marketing agencies in the UK, putting the digital consumer at the heart of our business. The potential here is bound only by your ambition and the opportunity to build a recognised and respected agency brand is only just being realised. We […]

Wealthy Consumers Like Shopping Online

ecommerce website consumer spending

It’s a common belief that wealthy people are not big fans of online shopping, but it seems that this is not the case at all, at least according to the Shullman Research Centre. Surprisingly, online shopping is actually the most favoured way of shopping for high income earners, its latest study revealed.

Welsh Lamb reach soars after AgencyUK’s Prince William Royal Burger PR stunt

On 21st July 2015, Gareth Matheson, a former RAF Valley Chef revealed the top-secret recipe for Prince William’s favourite burger: The Royal Welsh Lamb burger. The stunt was orchestrated by Bath-based The Agency, the UK’s no.1 small independent marketing agency, who manage all consumer communications for Welsh Lamb. 

Wentworth Puzzles appoint new 10-year-old Junior Minister for Jigsaws

Wentworth Wooden Puzzles has announced its first ever Minister for Jigsaws – 10-year-old Amelia O’Neill from Wolverhampton – after conducting a nationwide search which was launched by AgencyUK on the inaugural National Jigsaw Day, November 3rd 2015. Wentworth Wooden Puzzles, the world-leading British wooden jigsaw maker, produces over 150,000 puzzles every year, and needed the […]

Wentworth Wooden Puzzles appoints AgencyUK to handle Christmas campaign

Wentworth Wooden Puzzles, the world’s leading wooden jigsaw puzzle company founded in 1994, has appointed AgencyUK to help develop its consumer acquisition strategy and launch its Christmas advertising campaign. The appointment follows a 3-way pitch that included a high level strategic approach for scaling the company’s domestic and overseas sales. Wentworth developed the technology for […]

What Constitutes A Bad Mobile Experience For Travellers?

Traveller brand travel tourism

Today’s traveller looks for information on-the-go. While some tend to plan their trips at home on their PC, many make actual travel arrangements when already on the road. This poses huge challenges for marketers specialising in the travel industry; if they want to see a customer return to their website, they must provide them with […]

What Digital Marketing Will Look Like In 2013

Social Media Content Channels

With 2013 firmly under the desk, businesses are eager to understand more about the developments that will leave their mark on digital marketing this year. Here’s what Lara O’Reilly suggests marketers will see shaping the industry in 2013, as outlined an in article published by Marketing Week.

What Does The Future Hold For Game Marketing?

AUK on Gaming Brands

In the ever-evolving marketing landscape, gaming is among the mediums attracting more and more industry professionals as a tool for reaching a particular target audience. With the release of numerous next-generation gaming platforms promising bright days ahead for the industry. Here are some thoughts on the matter, shared in a recent post from Marketing Magazine.

What is Google Analytics 4 and Why is it Important?

Women working on laptop

What is GA4? In October 2022, Google made a big announcement – the newest version of Google Analytics, GA4, would become the default platform for analysing website data. GA4 combines analytical data from both apps and websites. With the ever-growing concerns over data protection, Google has decided to make some considerable changes to its analytics […]

What Marketers Can Learn From The FIFA World Cup

World Cup FIFA Advertising Marketing

As one of the largest marketing opportunities in the world, the FIFA World Cup 2014 obviously drew a lot of attention from professionals and fans alike. Marketers had to quickly learn what the fans were looking for and interacting with; helpfully, Marketing Week has listed the top four lessons marketers had to learn in order […]

What to consider on Pinterest for 2023

person looking at mobile

  AgencyUK recently joined the Pinterest Predicts webinar to see what their predictions are for 2023. In the world of social media, trends change on a daily basis so keeping a close eye on what’s trending now—and what’s trending next is always a top priority for us so we can advise clients on the best […]

What to consider when developing a B2B paid social strategy

Person at work

After attending Diana Mereoiu’s talk at the brightonSEO Conference 2022, AUK’s Em Deaville breaks down the best way of getting to the point when planning the social strategy of B2B products.  The buying process for a B2B product usually takes longer than that of a B2C product, as there can be up-to 7 different stages […]

What to consider when looking for a new marketing agency

It may not be something you want to consider, or it may be something that has been a long time coming, but seeking a new marketing agency – particularly in today’s saturated industry – can be a long and strenuous process. The industry is undergoing a constant transformation and this can make it particularly hard […]

What We Need To Do To Stimulate Growth In The UK Creative Sector (Part 1 of 3)

Sammy PodCast AgencyUK

[video_youtube video_id=”XImmZs_HxFc”] The creative industry sector is one of the largest wealth generators for Bristol, Bath and the surrounding area, with both cities having been recognised by NESTA as having established networks, and being ranked 2 of the 9 top creative cities outside London. Given the international success and reputation of some of the creative […]

What We Need To Do To Stimulate Growth In The UK Creative Sector (Part 2 of 3)

Sammy PodCast AgencyUK

[video_youtube video_id=”qGCgqgxexX0″] Access to Talent: 1. Emerging From a Company Many of the creative start-ups in the region have been set up by experienced individuals in search of autonomy. Some start with close partners – even married couples – with synergistic talents.

What We Need To Do To Stimulate Growth In The UK Creative Sector (Part 3 of 3)

Sammy PodCast AgencyUK

[youtube_sc url=”dSMVqzFDS20″] What Makes a Creative Start-Up Successful? Small creative businesses are intensely inter-personal, so authenticity, and understanding how your business might be perceived is the key to success.

What’s new in Social Media this month: August

Facebook social media mum consumer

From the latest Twitter trends to what’s on WhatsApp, here’s our monthly look at the biggest updates and changes in the social media world. Pinterest launches promoted video pins Pinterest has just got serious about video content with its latest launch of promoted video pins. With a 60% surge in the amount of video content […]

What’s new in social media this month: July

Social Media channel advertising users

From the latest Twitter trends to what’s on WhatsApp, here’s our monthly look at the biggest updates and changes in the social media world. Facebook messenger hits the one billion user mark Following Instagram’s record breaking month in June, Facebook messenger has followed suit with an even bigger win as it hit the one billion […]

What’s new in social media this month: June

Social Media Beauty Products Retail

From the latest Twitter trends to what’s on WhatsApp, here’s our monthly look at the biggest updates and changes in the social media world. Instagram hits 500 million users in explosive growth Instagram reached a milestone this month, with the image based social network announcing it has surpassed the 500 million monthly user mark. In […]

What’s new in social media this month: September

Social Media Trend Jacking

From the latest Twitter trends to what’s on WhatsApp, here’s our monthly look at the biggest updates and changes in the social media world. Snapchat rebrands as Snap Inc. Snapchat has ventured into new territory this week with a new product launch and a total rebrand. Snapchat will now be known as Snap Inc., a […]

What’s the best way to build an integrated agency team? | Brand Republic Feature

Men working in office

I was sat in a board meeting yesterday, where we were reviewing upcoming job roles within our business. And I found myself pondering the question, “just what is the best way to build our integrated team?”

What’s new in social media this month?: May

From the latest Twitter trends to what’s on WhatsApp here’s our monthly look at the biggest updates and changes in the social media world.   Twitter relaxes 140 character count Marketers everywhere rejoice as Twitter announced its plans to relax the 140 character count limit. Whilst uproar surrounded the previous suggested idea of 10,000 characters […]

What’s Your Story?

Authentic farm agriculture brand

THE IMPORTANCE OF AUTHENTIC PROVENANCE FOR FOOD AND DRINK BRANDS  by Zane Radcliffe, Creative Director at AgencyUK One of the first things we like to know about people when we first meet them is where they’re from and what’s their story. The same is true for brands. We refer to this as brand ‘provenance’; a […]

When Is The Best Time To Post On Social Media?

Blogger blog writing content social strategy

Posting regularly on social media is crucial for brands wishing to keep followers engaged, but knowing when to post is also key to success. The best time to post on each platform varies and also depends on the type of business and audience engagement patterns. Marketing departments that are yet to come up with individual […]

When should you rebrand?

AUK Iridium Insights Brand

By Sammy Mansourpour, Managing Director at AgencyUK In a constantly-evolving commercial landscape, there appears to be a continuous stream of high-profile organisations undertaking rebrand initiatives in a bid to stay relevant, appear modern and stand out from the up-and-coming competitors. As a result, a number of business leaders are asking themselves whether they need to consider […]

Which Is The Best Day For Brand Engagement On Facebook?

Facebook user experience app mobile social media

I came across an interesting report from social media monitoring expert SocialBakers. They revealed that posts published on a Monday have the highest potential to engage consumers.

Who killed Kraft?

Independent food and drink producers, that’s who. As featured in The Drum By now, you’ll probably have seen the news surrounding Kraft Heinz, their 27% drop in stock, and the fact they’re writing down their Kraft and Oscar Mayer brands by £11.8bn. Albeit a balance sheet number, it’s pretty significant when you consider the investment they […]

Why “UX” is a Waste of Time and Brand Storytelling is the Future

Men working in office

Okay, so that headline is largely for click bait, but only because UX as an industry continues to swell, it’s certainly forming a bigger part of our agency offering, so isn’t it right that we recognise how it has evolved and the value it’s adding for businesses today? UX (User Experience) is the process of […]

Why do customer experience plans fail?

Gen Z Consumer Audience

Comment from Sammy Mansourpour, Managing Director, AgencyUK To paraphrase JFK, ‘ask not what your customer can do for you, but what you can do for your customer’. That’s the philosophy any successful customer experience program should stem from. I most often see businesses having issues with customer experience when they’ve built their business around their […]

Why have some agencies fared well in the pandemic?

AgencyUK on how agencies can thrive in a post-pandemic world.

No-one would say that the pandemic has been, overall, a good thing. But, like any crisis, it hit us all in different ways, and businesses are no different. As the dust starts to clear, AgencyUK’s Sammy Mansourpour plumbs his own experiences as an agency boss to understand why some agencies not only survived, but grew. […]

Why Social Media Can Be A Vital Customer Channel For Automotive Dealerships

Automotive carshop car sales

The key for automotive retail companies to perform successfully on social media boils down to one area: customer service. The way they distinguish themselves from their competition has a lot to do with excelling in terms of convenience and location.

Why Social Media Presence Is Vital For Charity Leaders

Social Media Marketing

Eight in ten consumers feel they would be more willing to engage with a charity organisation if they knew that the CEO can be found on social media, according to recent research carried out by Master of Business Administration online. To me, and probably to many of us, this means that having social media presence […]

Why tweeting is far from all there is to Twitter

Twitter has just announced a new VP of product. It’s a job role not unlike being the drummer in Spinal Tap, somewhat of a revolving door (I’m fairly sure Twitter’s product VPs just have difficulty with the job and move on rather than explode though). The latest appointment, Keith Coleman, is causing a bit of […]

Why UGC is the future of social media in travel and tourism marketing

Relying on user generated content (UGC) in social media marketing can be a gamble. It can work if you have a great creative idea, a sizeable existing audience and a brand that people want to engage with. But if you’re lacking any one of these elements, you could find it’s a steep hill to climb. […]

Why unifying brand purpose will help your organisation

Professional services marketing online digital strategy

Brand purpose is a hot topic, and not a day goes by without seeing some brand marketer or agency rep in the media announce the virtues of having a unifying brand purpose for your organisation. Brand purpose is the reason your brand exists. It’s not to make money – that’ll be a by product of […]

Women Buy Products Online More Often Than Men

Social Media Beauty Products Retail

A recent report from VoucherCodes.co.uk revealing that women are bigger fans of online shopping than men, particularly when it comes to clothing items.

Women Increasingly Turn To Digital Media After Giving Birth

Mum Shop Online Consumers

I read recently an article in the Marketing Magazine suggesting that mothers generally spend 35% more time on the web than other groups in the UK.

Women trust consumer reviews more than men

Consumer reviews

Given we spend so much of our time optimising the customer journey to effectively increase our clients sales, I was very interested to find new research from e-commerce optimisation specialist Postcode Anywhere; that stated women are more likely to respond to consumers’ reviews than men.

Word-Of-Mouth Recommendations Still Most Trusted Form Of Advertising Globally

mobile video Social Media Influencer

I recently came across a report from Nielsen establishing that word-of-mouth recommendations from friends and family remain the most trustworthy source of information for people planning to make a purchase. Meanwhile, online advertising has enjoyed strong improvement in terms of influence, with trust in commercials on TV, radio and movie screens also showing growth. Nielsen […]

WordPress: an enterprise-grade CMS?

Bath Digital Festival AgencyUK Sponsor Events

This is the first in a series of posts on how AgencyUK will be developing a new Core theme and suite of plugins to use on our projects. This first post is an overview on why we use WordPress, and a discussion on the need to enhance the platform in order for it to stand […]

Worldwide Mobile Adspend Reaches USD5.3bn In 2011

Integrated online retail channels ecommerce

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has made its first attempt to gauge the size of the global mobile ad market and has come up with $5.3bn. This is the amount spent on mobile advertising in 2011, with the study covering expenditure on search, display and text messaging.

Yahoo! ‘New / Open’ Social Approach

AgencyUK Yahoo App Branding

Yahoo! tries to reposition itself against the likes of Google and Facebook by following a ‘new open’ social approach.

You Can Go Your Own Way: Insider Magazine Neil Tague Reports

Insider Magazine AgencyUK

It’s one thing for a funky digital design agency int he Paintworks to have guys “touching down” in the office with their Macbook Pro, or loading a presentation onto their iPad to take to a client. It’s quite another for a larger company, grown used to the sound of humming hardware, to do that.

You need more traction before you can freewheel | Brand Republic Feature

Data Marketing CRM

Today so many companies are in the midst of a social media frenzy. They’re desperately trying to play catch-up with the latest technologies. And at the same time they’re terrified about losing control over their brand. I wonder how many could actually claim to have control of their communications at all? Shouldn’t that be put […]

YOU’RE HIRED! Two Apprentices Offered Full-Time Jobs with AgencyUK

AUK Apprenticeship

As National Apprenticeship Week gets underway, we are thrilled to announce that our two apprentices have been offered full-time jobs with The Agency.

YouGov Survey shows online increases importance for older people

Old Consumer Online Baby boomer

Online access continues to play an increasingly vital role in the life of older people. Latest survey results conducted by YouGov on behalf of Age UK, which showed that the web is becoming an essential ingredient in older people’s well-being, a trend that can make marketers reshuffle their strategies to address silver surfers’ needs and […]

Young Female Consumers Higher Risk Credit Card Fraud

Christmas Online Consumer Retail

Apparently UK women face higher risks of credit card fraud than men, while shopping online. Research from the National Fraud Authority (NFA) revealed that only 8% of 26-to-35-year-old female consumers have up-to-date anti-virus software installed on their computers.

Young Men Like Shopping Online, Research Finds

Male Shopper Consumers eCommerce

Although shopaholic is a title usually reserved solely for women, men also seem to be quite addicted to shopping, however, not on the high street but online.

Young People Still Engaged By Mobile

Mobile Search engine optimisation

Mobile is still the channel most popular amongst young consumers, a new report from Voxburner suggests, highlighting the important role that mobile devices continue to play for marketers who consider young people their target audience.

Younger Consumers Easier To Reach With Online Ad Campaigns

kids mobile channel advertising content

Although online advertising has progressed in recent years, it still seems that some consumers are difficult to reach, regardless of how efficient and engaging a campaign is.

Younger Generation Shun Traditional TV

Digital TV Advertising Media Channel

Young people are increasingly watching television content online, shunning live broadcasts and resulting in the BBC and Channel 4 suffering huge ratings blows, writes the Independent. The newspaper cites figures from the Broadcasting Audience Research Board. ITV, on the other hand, has remained relatively unscathed.

YouTube To Incorporate Ecommerce On Site

Multichannel Integrated Advertising

It has been reported recently by various marketing news agencies, including Warc and Marketing Week that the video sharing site YouTube is to change its current advertising format to make ecommerce even easier on the site. The new format will allow advertisers to include product visuals and information – including pricing – within the video […]

YouTube, WhatsApp & Skype The Most “Loved” Online Brands By UK Youth

YouTube Desktop Social Channel

YouTube, WhatsApp and Skype are the most loved social media brands by UK youths according to youth insights consultancy Voxburner’s “YouthTech Report 2014.”