Brand Republic today

Editor's comment: Facebook ad embrace is logical but is a gamble for brands and the platform itself

If Facebook's desire for ads were ever in doubt, its inaugural marketing conference last week put paid to that as it unveiled its most brand-centric set of tools to date. But now the initial excitement is abating, marketers are taking a more critical look at Facebook's vision for brand engagement with its 850m users.

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How can I get the most out of online video advertising?

Last year, John Wanamaker's 'half the money I spend on advertising is wasted' adage applied to online video. In 2011, 47% of all video ads were abandoned, according to data from DoubleClick.

Adwatch (Mar 7) top 20 recall: McDonalds

McDonalds ad plays on the emotional appeal of fast food without being too schmaltzy.

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Mulberry

The brand, which was founded on the back of a £500 loan, is now a billion-pound designer fashion company.

Rising to the NHS challenge

Private providers must show they are delivering improvements to win hearts and minds.

Health Bill bloodied but alive

A poor comms strategy has allowed the media to overplay the 'privatisation' of the NHS.

Hit the target to get ahead

It is easier to connect with target markets if campaigns go in the right direction from the start.

Door open to private sector

Private providers need to demonstrate their worth to GPs, patients and commissioners.

Doing more, with less

Healthcare comms will require the ability to place the challenge ahead of the channel.

A time of constant change

Healthcare providers in all sectors need a long-term response to the current environment.

Welcome to the Triple A era

Why healthcare's hour of need demands a change in focus for health communications.

Risks of cosmetic surgery

Compulsion looms in response to health crises arising from voluntary surgical procedures.

The politics of the NHS

Will the Government's message on the NHS change before the next general election?

Client view: The new private healthcare generation

Amid the furore over the Health and Social Care Bill, Nuffield Health is playing up its non-profit credentials and unique mix of services. Jane Bainbridge talked to its head of external relations, Dr Josephine Perry.

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Public Relations Society of America definition of PR rejected

A long-awaited definition of PR from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) has failed to win over UK comms leaders.

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Car rental firm Hertz searches for global agency

Car rental firm Hertz is understood to be on the hunt for a global agency to handle the brand's corporate reputation around the world.

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Rolls-Royce ends public affairs account with Bell Pottinger

Rolls-Royce is taking its flagship public affairs work in-house from Bell Pottinger as speculation over the future of the agency mounts.

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Charity chief Sir Stuart Etherington attacks lobbying consultation

A leading figure from the charity sector has launched a scathing attack on the Government's lobbying consultation, labelling it a 'sop'.

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Brunswick grabs financial brief for Daily Mail owner

The publisher of the Daily Mail has handed its financial PR account to Brunswick.

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Retail revival 'illusory' after disappointing February, says BRC/KPMG

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) believes a retail revival remains "illusory" after sales dropped in February compared to last year, according to the BRC/KPMG Retail Sales Monitor.

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Sunday's Sun boosts national newspaper sales by 1.5m copies

Rupert Murdoch's launch of a Sunday edition of The Sun has lifted national newspaper sales by more than 1.5 million copies, according to unofficial figures from publishers.

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Guinness 'St Patrick's Day' by AMV BBDO

Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO has launched an online campaign to encourage consumers to "round up their mates" to celebrate St Patrick's Day on 17 March.

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Coca-Cola 'Coke sitelets' by Wieden & Kennedy Amsterdam

Coca-Cola went live with Facebook Timeline last week with a series of riddles.

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Samsung hires Jamie Oliver as Olympic brand ambassador

Olympic sponsor Samsung has signed up celebrity chef and former Sainsbury's brand ambassador as one of its ambassadors for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

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Cesar '4 TV sponsorship idents' by AMV BBDO

Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO has created a series of 15 idents to support Cesar's sponsorship of Channel 4 Network Films.

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Krispy Kreme UK 'think inside the box' by Addiction

Addiction has created a print, outdoor and social media campaign for Krispy Kreme UK.

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UTV Media buys Simply Zesty social media agency

UTV Media, the channel three licensee in Northern Ireland and owner of UK radio station TalkSport, has bought Irish social media agency Simply Zesty in a deal that could be worth up to £5m.

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Cartier creates epic ad to celebrate 165-year heritage

Luxury jewellery and watch brand Cartier has released a three-minute-long ad, two years in the making, that illustrates its heritage with a panther moving through a collage of scenes.

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Chevrolet 'under the blue arch' by Goodby, Silverstein & Partners

Goodby, Silverstein & Partners' new work for Chevrolet was inspired by the company's desire to "break ranks" with mundane car ads.

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Anti-NHS reforms ads run after £300,000 funding drive

An anti-NHS reforms campaign has been launched in outdoor media across the UK this week, after campaign group 38 Degrees secured £300,000 from its members to create and run the ads.

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Audi 'pacesetter' by Kempertrautmann GmbH

Audi A4 has launched a spot by Kempertrautmann in Hamburg.

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Daily Diary - Race to the top

Preparing to race up 1,037 steps of one of London's tallest buildings is no mean feet, as a team from MRM Meteorite recently found out.

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Octagon buys creative and music agency FRUKT

Interpublic Group (IPG)-owned sports and entertainment agency Octagon is building its presence in the music-marketing business with the purchase of UK-based FRUKT, which counts Coca-Cola and Southern Comfort among its clients.

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Sky Media promotes Jamie West to AdSmart role

Sky Media, BSkyB's ad sales arm, has promoted head of futures Jamie West to the new role of director of Sky AdSmart and commercial development ahead of next year's expansion of the targeted ad service to set-top boxes.

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Mediaforce retains Northcliffe's digital sales despite Trinity tie-up

Northcliffe Digital Media, the online division of the regional newspaper publisher, has appointed Mediaforce Digital to handle its sales requirements, despite securing a recent deal with Trinity Mirror for its print sales.

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Google partners TalkTalk in largest UK deal since £244m Admeld

Google has struck a deal with TalkTalk to sell its remnant premium display inventory, in the largest deal of this kind by the digital giant since it purchased the publishing platform Admeld for a reported $400m (£244).

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McDonald's 'come as you are' BETC Paris

BETC Paris has created the next phase in McDonald's "come as you are" campaign.

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Jessica Gibson appointed as managing director of Seven

Seven, the content marketing agency, has appointed Jessica Gibson to the newly created role of managing director.

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Revolution: Special Report - Battle of the brands

For retailers such as Marks & Spencer and Next, whose customers lap up the fashion advice dished out online, affiliate marketing can be particularly effective. Kim Benjamin compares their programmes.

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Procter & Gamble, Heineken and Diageo: who wins and who loses in direct brand deals with Facebook?

Last year Diageo and Heineken inked large-scale direct deals with Facebook. Adam Woods investigates who gets what out of these deals and highlights the winners and losers from direct relationships with Facebook.

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Adap.tv automates upfront online video ad buying

Adap.tv, the video ad exchange, has introduced the ability to use automated buying to secure future UK video ad inventory with new offering Upfront Marketplace.

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National Lottery 'hero's return' by AMV BBDO

In its latest campaign for the National Lottery, called "life changing", Camelot is promoting the Heroes Return Big Lottery Fund initiative through which more than 50,000 World War Two veterans have returned to the scenes of their wartime battles to pay their respects to fallen comrades.

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Revolution: Special Report - Third parties make the most of mobile

More consumers than ever are shopping online via their smartphones and tablets - and brands are cashing in with a little help from mobile affiliate activity.

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Revolution: Mobile World Congress: A delegate's view

Why marketers should take note of audio codes, by Eric Bader, president of G14 and chief strategy officer, worldwide, at Initiative.

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Revolution: Mobile World Congress: The trends taking mobile by storm

The globe's biggest mobile trade event always throws a fascinating light on the next big things. George Nimeh reports this year's key emerging trends from Barcelona.

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Krispy Kreme reignites UK push with new outdoor ads

Krispy Kreme, the American doughnut brand, has launched an outdoor campaign targeting office workers, which carries on its 'Think inside the box' messaging.

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Guinness launches St Patrick's Day sheep dog viral

Guinness is encouraging men to "round up their mates" for St Patrick's Day with an online campaign that features friends herding together like sheep.

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Tesco debuts 'Delivery Dash' Facebook game

Tesco is seeking to build brand engagement with customers through the launch of its first Facebook game.

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'I'm our marketing director', says Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary

Michael O'Leary, chief executive of Ryanair, has dismissed the possibility of changing the airline's approach to advertising, claiming it will continue to focus its efforts on lowering passenger fares.

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LG readies £11m investment to revive mobile proposition

LG Electronics is to invest £11m in campaigns intended to create a 'rebirth' of its mobile proposition and give a boost to its TV division ahead of Euro 2012 and the London Olympics.

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GiffGaff hires former Procter & Gamble marketer Jenkins

Giffgaff, O2's community-led mobile operator, has hired Emma Jenkins, former top digital marketer at Procter & Gamble, as chief marketing officer.

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O2 plans radical revamp of 'confusing' brand website

O2 is to overhaul its customer service and rebuild its 'confusing and frustrating' site as part of a new brand strategy, 'Fresh thinking - new possibilities'.

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Ipsos Mori survey shows comms preferred way to tackle behaviour

New research has revealed that communication remains the most popular method of behaviour change used by governments, for publics across the world.

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