Facebook explores issues of online content regulation in new whitepaper

Facebook has published a whitepaper which explores the potential need and pitfalls of online content regulation – at the same time CEO Mark Zuckerberg admits his company, and big tech firms in general, need greater scrutiny.

In a paper written by VP content policy Monika Bickert, Facebook notes four primary challenges in regulating internet-based communications: the variance in legal environments and speech norms; the ever-changing development of technology and speech;...

18 February 2020 | Attribution

Kroger launches offering focusing on more precise attribution for brands and suppliers

Retail giant Kroger has announced the launch of a new product which aims to provide brands and suppliers with more transparent sales attribution.

The new feature, from Kroger Precision Marketing (KPM), the company’s media advertising business, will mean brands can view in-store and online sales results attributed to campaigns across Kroger properties, with Kroger applying only 100% verified transactions from in-store and online customers.

For marketers hoping to...

14 February 2020 | Advertising Technology

Do we need to kiss goodbye to social media likes? Exploring visibility and health

Facebook and Instagram users in the UK can expect to see major changes following the latest controversial change from everyone’s favourite social media platforms.

Instagram was bought by Facebook back in 2012 for $1 billion and since then, both platforms have begun testing out hiding likes. The trial started by hiding likes from selected users in Canada in 2019 and was then expanded to more countries, including Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. So it was only inevitable...

28 January 2020 | Attribution

How advanced data analytics will continue to streamline digital marketing strategy in 2020

It’s not controversial to suggest that talk of data analytics, over the last two decades, has far exceeded the examples of its successful implementation. We aren’t talking here about basic Google Analytics, but of programmes of activity and technology that really delves deep into improving insights and targeting, and dramatically impacts commercial decision making.

Perhaps the best example is the billions of pounds historically flushed down the toilet by big businesses...

17 January 2020 | Advertising

The rise of ‘algorithm hacking’ – and how it may be leading marketers astray

Even though Robert Burns wrote the line “the best-laid schemes o’ mice a’ men/gang aft agley” more than 200 years ago, it still resonates. In the age of artificial intelligence (AI), many brands are learning this the hard way as a new generation of algorithm hackers subvert their use of cognitive technologies.

AI is increasingly central to driving timely, personalised marketing communications. But by undermining the code they are built on, algorithm hackers...

9 January 2020 | Attribution

How to deliver the experiences the CMO craves – through the systems the CIO needs

The collaborative relationship between a CMO and a CIO is crucial and has increasingly become a hot topic. Forrester recently stated that a CMO’s collaboration with a CIO is one of the four essential steps for a CMO planning their marketing evolution, while according to IDG’s State of the CIO research, 55% of CIOs are spending more time learning about customer needs as a way to foster the creation of revenue-generation initiatives – prime marketing territory.

When...

8 January 2020 | Advertising Technology

Like for like? Why the traditional tool of social media affirmation needed to shift

The ‘like’ was unassuming. Few anticipated that a miniature, good-willed icon of a thumbs-up could dictate corporate and cognitive wellbeing. At its best, the like has been massively generative to individual and industry alike. It’s turned people into brands, spawning influencer culture, and has reshaped global marketing.

But the like isn’t always at its best. People have died chasing them (think selfies on railroad tracks) and taken their lives for not...

26 November 2019 | Attribution

Instagram confirms it is hiding likes in the US: The agency and analyst perspective

Instagram has been dabbling in the waters of hiding likes, but with the news last week that the US was being tested the company jumped right in – and certainly made a splash in the process.

Speaking at the Wired 25 event in San Francisco, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri confirmed the rollout. The system, which has seen test initiatives take place in seven countries this year including Australia, Canada and Ireland, will mean some users, while being able to still personally see how...

18 November 2019 | Attribution

Why security is the key to CMO survival in the C-suite

A decade ago, the job of a CMO was easy. Or at least easier, in that the role had tightly defined limits. 

Today, things have changed. One of the largest driving forces behind the development of CMO strategy has been the emergence of several cross-cutting concerns that affect the work of all of the C-suite. One of the most important has been security.

This means that cybersecurity is no longer just a 'technical' risk. Instead, it is a business risk that affects...

25 October 2019 | Attribution

How AI-enabled marketing can lower website bounce rates and improve accessibility

Marketers always strive hard to boost website traffic. A significant metric which quantifies the performance of websites is the bounce rate, indicating the percentage of users who leave without delving any further than the initial page.

In this context, it is important to understand web accessibility. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law in 1990. It prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities and provides equal opportunities for accessing the web to all...

15 October 2019 | Attribution