Why first-party data is the gift that keeps on giving
For years, digital marketers have paid hand over fist in the digital gold rush for data. Instead of a tangible…
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Why CMOs are putting their faith in digital and data
The chief marketing officer instruction to drive growth shows no sign of letting up, with good reason. No one role…
How marketers can benefit from 5G network roll-out
The fifth generation of mobile technology is on its way. Ericsson predicts that 1.5 billion users – 40% of the…
When push comes to shove, beware a messy break up
We are being encouraged more and more to consider switching – our insurance policies, banks, mobile providers, tea bags, even…
Why it pays brands to be more offensive with their data
Data is the backbone of modern enterprise. It drives, improves and supports business advancement and growth. But despite its progressive…
Why digital advertising needs a human touch to thrive
The dark arts of digital advertising analysis are facing a barrage of criticism for failing to give brands a full…
Spooner on…how to attract young talent to the industry
Polymath, world-renowned chicken-breeder, lacrosse-captain, Gaelic-dancer, Lord McKelvey is many things, but one thing he is not is patient: “Spooner, you…
Getting in shape is crucial for changing agency culture
Nowadays, tight deadlines, constant requests and 24/7 communication mean it’s increasingly hard to stay on top of everything whether it’s…
SMEs must be more agile in their marketing strategies
With over 5 million SMEs in the UK – accounting for 99.3% of all UK businesses – it is fair…
Get under the skin of your customers to boost loyalty
In today’s fickle consumer landscape, creating effective marketing and rewards programmes is no longer about simply driving transactions, but about…
Age-old marketing solutions no longer cut it for CMOs
Chief marketing officers of the global consumer brands that have long dominated the industry, face a constant challenge to find…
Why the future is bright for those with marketing skills
Back in May we saw the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) skillfully rebrand as the Data & Marketing Association to better…
How to ensure data-driven tech is not a flash in the pan
With Dmexco 2019 just around the corner, there is an air of expectation of what will be the most hotly…
Why marketing is in need of an augmented reality check
Today’s brands face a significant dilemma: in an increasingly ‘always on’ digital world where it’s never been easier to reach…
Why memberships are key to winning consumer trust
Membership is about providing a feeling of belonging, identification and a stronger connection and it follows that trust is of…
What’s best, zero party, first party or third party data?
Earlier this summer, Google announced it would be updating Chrome to provide users with more transparency about how sites are…
Don’t let video management give you a major headache
For many businesses, video is now an integral part of their marketing strategy, with 87% of marketers using video as…
Do you have the propensity to make better decisions?
Propensity is a word we use a lot in marketing, and not much anywhere else. Marketers and brands want to…
Why clients need agencies now more than ever before
Since I entered the industry in the mid-Nineties, the “agencies are dead” trope has periodically done the rounds. Various extinction…
Three steps to ensure location data puts you on the map
There is growing recognition that the application of sophisticated behavioural insights, derived from location-based data, has the potential to unlock significant…
Rewarding loyalty? Most schemes are running on empty
Hardly a week seems to go by these days without a new loyalty scheme launching or an established one having…
Bellwether gloom: Reasons to be cheerful parts 1 to 6
With the latest IPA Bellwether Report showing direct marketing budgets being revised down by the lowest level (-9%) for more…
How to unlock the power of first-party customer data
It is widely recognised that the ever-increasing digitisation of media is generating a wealth of data, which, if harnessed correctly,…
How local data-driven activity can save the high street
There has been a grim inevitability to the recent closure of physical stores from long-standing retail brands. To many, it…
Why diversity is the secret ingredient in effective AI
Artificial intelligence and machine learning are often touted as the way to automate a wide range of tasks, from predicting…
How brands and retailers can tie the knot with data
Brands versus retailers – it’s a battle that has rumbled on throughout the ages. The contest is more magnified now…
Don’t be blinkered to the data issues of ‘see, snap, buy’
It has long been recognised that a picture is worth a thousand words – a view reinforced by MIT research…
Spooner on…the harrowing demise of direct marketing
“Bangtails! BANGTAILS! The Johnson Box! THE JOHNSON BOX!!! Self-mailers! Call-to-action! CTA! CTA! Coupon! Coupon! Coupon! It’s the ******* cash-register! Make…
Outer space: how to give your mailings plenty of welly
Believe everything you read and you might be forgiven for thinking that print marketing is suffering a long and painful…
Isn’t it time to make precision marketing great again?
The term precision marketing has become something of a catch-all. It’s been dragged through the mud, misused and misunderstood so…
Digital experience platforms: the CMS to rule them all
As the digitisation of the world continues apace there’s an increasing number of digital channels for marketers to manage, from…
Data-driven decisions are better than a hunch, right?
On Saturday evening, with two other statisticians and my wife, I played a great new board game. Don’t worry, there…
Forget digital transformation, data transformation is key
Digital transformation has commanded thousands of column inches over the past few years and millions of hours of time, meetings…
Spooner on…how to bring back trust in advertising
“Hither cur!” The familiar words bring me instantly to heel, quivering with anticipation, at the side of Lord Charlie McKelvey,…
Customer data value: five questions investors must ask
Customer understanding is critical to ensuring a business remains profitable. While new customer acquisition also plays an important part in…
How you can protect your brand from influencer fraud
With Kylie Jenner named as the youngest billionaire in the world by Forbes, the millennial dream of becoming a full-time…
How to choose the right partner for second-party data
Companies struggle to know their customers. This is the harsh reality for all marketers. Achieving a full view of their…
Why consumer advocacy is marketing’s sharpest tool
Brand managers and their bosses have often been accused of obsessing about trivia at the expense of effectiveness. Hardly surprising…
Three steps to boosting customer experiences with AI
Today’s consumers want value both from what they buy, and from the purchasing process, regardless of whether they’re purchasing a…
Have companies done enough to comply with GDPR?
You visit a newspaper website. A window pops-up. You agree to share your data with every adtech partner present on…
Digital ad duopoly has stifled the industry for too long
So, at last the UK Government is going to investigate the digital advertising sector, with Chancellor Philip Hammond announcing this…
Why brands are streaming to advanced TV advertising
The rise of on-demand streaming services has completely disrupted the television industry and the way in which content is consumed….
Has the traditional marketing model had its day?
Transparency, greater control over creative, and a better return on investment, are just some of the reasons why brands are…
How brands can make the subscriptions model work
The subscription economy is booming. Netflix recently added 7 million new subscribers globally in just three months (Forbes) and Spotify…
Why workforce analytics can boost staff engagement
Employee engagement is an item high on every business leader’s agenda, with most companies currently trying to do everything they…
Why artificial intelligence will not be taking your job
Artificial intelligence. Automation. Machine learning. Despite their origin in the discipline of pattern recognition, these technologies are redefining not just…
Proof that direct mail and email work better together
In today’s digital age, email is the channel of choice for many marketers because it is more cost- and time-efficient…
The top five issues that marketers must challenge today
The pace of change has never been quicker. Accelerating technological developments mean it’s expected that in in five years our…
Year Ahead: Why the data industry has world at its feet
Despite the hysteria and confusion, I am pleased to say that the threatened “GDPR data apocalypse” has not materialised and,…
Spooner on…what’s in store for us in the year ahead?
Scurvy. That’s what 2019 probably has in store for us. SCURVY. Given that most of the UK’s fresh fruit and…