Research has shown that consumers are well-aware of giants McDonald's and Coca-Cola as chief sponsors of the London 2012 Olympics.

Social network Foursquare, where users "check-in" to their physical location, has announced a partnership with credit card American Express to offer unique deals and discounts to shoppers in the UK.

Online marketplace Gumtree has announced a version of their app is coming to Android OS after reaching over one million downloads on the iPhone.

They might be on the verge of signing Japanese star Shinji Kagawa, but Manchester United have working on another deal with another big global name.

If any more evidence was needed that social networks take marketing very seriously, Twitter's UK headquarters has announced they intend to hire a PR Agency.

British marketing strategy is still confident in the powers of SEO and social media, the UK Search Engine Marketing Survey has revealed.

Sports giant Nike are facing repercussions after a brand ambassador of theirs, Manchester United footballer Wayne Rooney posted something on his Twitter page that could be deemed as advertising.

Innocent, the food and drinks company behind Innocent Smoothies, have been named as the best brand on social media according to the 2012 Social Brands 100 list compiled by social agency Headstream.

Fashion label Burberry has pushed its innovative campaign to new platforms ahead of its latest marketing drive, including releasing unique content on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram and Pinterest.

Norton Internet Security, the antivirus software company, is expanding from the traditional desktop and laptop to the world of mobile.

Two delicious stories from The Drum and Marketing Magazine/NFRN for any sweet-toothed readers...

After a new job? Recruiters are constantly on the look-out for candidates wanting new roles, so make yourself as easy-to-find as possible with these tips...

Luxury car manufacturer Jaguar has outsourced its social media strategy for the first time to a hired agency.

HP, the world's largest computer manufacturer, has revealed it will cut about 8% of its global workforce in order to cut costs and drive efficiency - equating to approximately 27,000 jobs.

Just days after announcing their withdrawal from advertising on Facebook (and putting a rather sour note on the social networking giant's forthcoming IPO) General Motors have shocked the marketing world again by announcing that they will not advertise during the 2013 NFL Super Bowl.

Drinks brands are making waves in the social media world just as the summer gets into gear.

Pernod Ricard is rolling out a Facebook app for its Malibu brand, as part of its 'Malibutique' shopping and fashion summer activity.

Google has at last completed the £7.9bn ($12.5bn) puchase of Motorola Mobility, after Google's Chinese and European regulators gave their approval to finalise the merger.

Nike has launched its latest campaign aimed at targeting the next generation of footballers as part of a global talent hunt, with the high-profile TV spot featuring a raft of stars including Cristiano Ronaldo, Franck Ribery, Andres Iniesta, Neymar and Javier Hernandez - and those are just a few!

Here are the top ten MVBs (most valuable brands) in the world, according to Millward Brown’s annual BrandZ report:

Here are the top-ten MVBs (most valuable brands) in the UK, according to Millward Brown’s annual BrandZ report:

In the battle of the internet web browser giants, the incumbent champion, Microsoft's Internet Explorer has now been ousted as 2008 upstart Google Chrome has become the most popular in the world.

Social media is widely used when people are shopping online, research published by Revoo has shown.

Courtesy of HighTable.com and Econsultancy

As the Huffington Post alluded to yesterday, British retailer Marks and Spencer has announced a fall in profits, the first of its kind for three years. This annual loss bucks the trend of what was Britain's most profitable retailer, when it was the first to make £1bn in a year.

According to Marketing Week:

"Kraft Foods is preparing to launch its biggest ever marketing push for its Green & Black’s organic chocolate brand as it looks to exploit the growing popularity of premium chocolate.

Businesses are still not quite grapsing the nettle when it comes to the acute contact social media provides with its customer base, The Drum and PCR are reporting.

Despite the threat of Conservative cuts amid the economic austerity measures, the public sector's National Health Service has plans to release its very own app for smartphones and tablet devices.

DIY retailer Wickes has has made a milestone move in social media by launching its very own Facebook app.

Steve Coogan's pseudo-fictional character Alan Partidge is making a comeback, according to reports.

A couple of industry stories from Media Week and Campaign Live:

From the desk of Account Manager Harriet Sanders (harriet.sanders@chrysalisrecruitment.com)

In an effort to increase the global presence of the social network innovator Pinterest, the Japanese internet colossus Rakuten has invested around $100m USD towards the picture-sharing board.

Tangerine PR have been enlisted by paint brand Dulux for a "colorful" new campaign, per The Drum.

Manchester City have made their first signing of the summer, according this article at The Drum:

• Stella Artois' parent AB InBev is adding a pear variant to its "Cidre" brand

Here's our daily catch-up with the latest marketing buzz...

Account Manager Required

This is a great opportunity to work in one of the most exciting areas of recruitment. Digital Marketing is booming and we are looking for bright, energetic personalities to help us find top talent for our clients.

Despite the "double-dip" recession and impending Eurozone doom, unemployment in Britain has actually fallen, according to the Office for National Statistics.

OnRec, the recruitment resource website, has published the employment results of JM Digital; providing insight into the current struggle to source quality digital IT workers that many companies face.

According to a report at The Drum, social netwoking behemoth Facebook has raised its flotation price to $34-$38 a share for when it begins trading on the NASDAQ stock exchange on Friday which values the social network at $104.2 billion - the most expensive US company to go public.

Per that font of marketing nirvana The Drum:

Häagen-Dazs is set to roll out an ad campaign to promote the launch of its new ice cream range, Häagen-Dazs Secret Sensations.

As reported in full by Marketing Week:

Suzi Watford, marketing director of The Times and Sunday Times, says the titles are so focused on driving subscriptions that above the line advertising is not always necessarily the right way to attract potential long-term customers.

Our friends at Brand Republic broke new ground this afternoon with an fully interactive in-depth interview with Twitter's UK Director Bruce Daisley. This question-and-answer session was live on Twitter from 12.30 BST under the hastag #brchat.

According to @gordonmacmillan on the Wall Blog, Rupert and James Murdoch have some good news at last.

Here's a quick round-up of the big industry stories today...

The social media giant Twitter has marked its first anniversary since opening its London offices by giving an update on the number of active users and says there are now more than 10 million in the UK, placing Britain as the fourth biggest user of Twitter globally after the US, Japan and Brazil.

Channel 4 have released some dismal financial results for last year, and according to the Guardian newspaper:

Hovis are set to begin their biggest launch of their year with a brand-new product hitting supermarket shelves.

"The Premier Foods brand is investing £3.5m in an integrated marketing campaign to back a new premium product called British Farmers Loaf.

The £1.40 loaf, which comes in wholemeal and white variants, is made from 100% British wheat and is backed with a strong ad-campaign on television for the next four weeks with a second circulation in August.

The campaign, created by Dare, starts this weekend with a TV ad showing a father and son overcoming the daily challenges of working on a farm and portraying the hard work that goes into making each loaf."

The rustic British farmyard approach is popular with consumers and consolidates Hovis' classic brand and the British flag and colours are particularly prevalent with retail strategy in the Queen's Jubilee year.

Premier Foods, the company behind Hovis, Mr Kipling and Ambrosia, has already committed to doubling its annual marketing spend across its eight key brands throughout 2012.

Courtesy of Net Imperative http://www.digitalstrategyconsulting.com/netimperative/news/2012/05/facebook_could_face_yearlong_a.php

According to a report by Reuters, the US Federal Trade Commission has started an investigation into the purchase of mobile photo-sharing app Instagram by social networking colossus Facebook.

The antitrust probe could take between six months and a year to complete, disrupting plans to have the deal closed within the next few months.

According to a report from the Financial Times, the competition procedure is routine for any deal worth over $68.2 million in the US.




Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg made it clear that the company plans to build on Instagram's strengths rather than simply integrating it with Facebook.

'That's why we're committed to building and growing Instagram independently. Millions of people around the world love the Instagram app and the brand associated with it, and our goal is to help spread this app and brand to even more people,' he stated.

The FTC's review of the deal comes as Facebook is preparing to raise as much as $12 billion in a record-breaking initial public offering that could occur as soon as next week.

Marks & Spencer has launched its own "basics" range in an effort to retain a large demographic of its consumers.

With Britain's economic gloom seemingly-unabating, supermarkets and other retailers have consistently adjusted to provide a wider variety of household necessesities, bringing M&S's move in line with Tesco's Value range, Sainsbury’s Basics and Waitrose Essentials. Morrisons is already revamping (as we reported here) and Asda's Chosen by You range is proving a savvy marketing move.

"Simply M&S" will bring together more than 800 new and existing M&S food products, including eggs, milk and fresh meat, under the Simply M&S brand, all in newly designed packaging...hundreds of prices have also been reduced and M&S prices will also be checked each week by BrandView to ensure that its prices are competitive with rival supermarkets.

John Dixon, executive director of food at M&S, says: “M&S customers come to us for great quality food they can trust - whether shopping for special occasions or for every day eating. We will continue to focus on delivering this through innovation and newness and also offering great value.

“Simply M&S helps us to achieve just this - and increases choice for our customers across everyday food products. It complements our existing ranges and highlights the superb quality and value of M&S Food under one clear brand.”

Let’s catch up with a hectic weekend of digital marketing news filling desks this Monday morning…


Chief executive of internet giant Yahoo! Scott Thompson has stepped down from his role after just four months at the helm after it was revealed that he had faked a qualification on his CV before he took the position.

As reported last week, Thompsons' degree in computer science was proved to be fabricated after an internal memo, seen by Reuters, seemed to confirm the speculation.

At Chrysalis, our ultimate aim is to place exciting people into great digital media roles. Your CV and credentials will no doubt be very impressive, but the face-to-face interview is where the position is won and lost.




























Remember: it is not enough to be well-qualified and brimming with confidence. You have to impress upon the interviewer that you really want to be a part of their company, emphasising your interest in the company and role. If you can display commitment, passion and drive with your body language, verbal answers and personality then you will give yourself a great chance.

Interestingly, the size of the company also affects the quality of social consumer service provided.

• Around 40% of the companies with over 1,000 employees started a social media customer service at least two years ago
• while 53% of smaller companies have had a similar programme in place over the past two years.

Information courtesy of UK Marketing Service

• Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), the global IT and business services firm, has launched a pitch process for its public affairs account
  

  "TCS is India's top software services exporter and reported a 22.6% rise in consolidated net profit for the quarter, becoming the first Indian IT company to cross the $10bn (£6.2bn) revenue mark. Previously, TCS has used Saffron Chase to deliver PR and public affairs for its UK public sector division." - Courtesy of PRWeek Daily News and Brand Republic

•  Supermarket chain Morrisons has brought in two consumer agencies as part of a major rebrand of its in-house goods

"3 Monkeys and Pegasus PR are lined up to rebrand more than 10,000 of its goods over the next two years.

•  Adidas has appointed TBWA\Worldwide to handle its global ad campaign for the 2014 Fifa World Cup

With the advent of social media, it has become easier, faster and more streamlined to find prospective new clients via the extensive mediums of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

According to a 2011 study by online recruiting research lab Potentialpark
(Potentialpark surveyed more than 30,000 job seekers worldwide and more than 350 top employers in the U.S., Europe and Asia)

• They found that 19% of jobseekers use their mobile devices for career-related purposes
  (and more than 50% of could imagine doing so)
• Yet only 7% of employers have a mobile version of their career website
• Only 3% have a mobile job app.
• The survey estimates that up to 70% of jobseekers would like to use their phone for career-related purposes.

 With over 50% of British' mobile phone owners using smartphones, it can surely only be a matter of time until businesses adjust to our growing online culture and, like social media, begin to try to tap into the mobile app. market.

Google's purchase of Android to go in direct competition with Apple has created a huge market with hundreds of apps for any business imagineable.

Isn't it time recruiters got in on the act, too?

Tweet

Business networking giant LinkedIn has purchased the online presentation utility SlideShare, further enhancing its dominance as the definitive site for corporate and business use.

SlideShare lets users upload presentations, documents, PDFs, videos and webinars publicly or privately, which can be embedded on blogs, websites, company intranets and shared across Twitter, Facebook and now LinkedIn. Users have uploaded more than 9 million presentations to date. according to data from market research company ComScore, SlideShare had nearly 29 million unique visitors in the month of March.

LinkedIn also released its financial result for the first quarter, with incredible success. Revenue was £117 million, representing an increase of 101 % compared to the first quarter of 2011. Net income grew from £1.3 million to £3 million during the same period.

Chrysalis are available on LinkedIn here: http://uk.linkedin.com/company/2403977

According to our friends at The Drum, over HALF of Britain's young people are using Twitter!

"According to the latest YAP (Young Adult Power) Media Index, the quarterly survey of 540 young  people across the UK has found that 53 per cent used Twitter in April, compared with 42 per cent at the end of 2011.The Index showed that a third of 18-24 year-olds are now using the social media platform at least once a day. "

If you are seeking professional, helpful and friendly consultancy from a recruiter with superb digital media links and a great staff, why not tweet us @ChrysalisJobs ?

We have hundreds of exciting industry jobs to suit a range of potential media professionals!

Despite the mired economic turmoil and the private sector in a state of flux, Chrysalis unique brand of digital marketing/media recruitment continues to go from strength to strength.

The digital recruiter continues to improve its financial standings on a monthly basis - but this doesn't come as a surprise to staff.

Chrysalis Recruitment sees its brand going from strength-to-strength, with last month a 15% increase on the company’s best-ever month – in the pre-recession heyday of 2007.

Despite the struggles of other recruiters across the U.K., Chrysalis’ commitment and dedication to sourcing and helping candidates find first-rate digital media positions with blue-chip companies is a reaffirmed success with the release of these new figures.

“It is always sad to see fellow recruiters going out of businesses,” said Senior Consultant Harriet Sanders.

Data from the Office for National Statistics showed that job vacancies were down 3.9 per cent on an annual basis in the three months through to March, a slightly slower decline than the 4.1 per cent fall in the three months before February.
A recent report by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) containing information from 400 employment consultancies showed that permanent staff placements in April did increase, but the rate of growth was the slowest since January. The investigation also highlighted that salaries for permanent jobs are generally frozen – with 83 per cent unchanged since the previous month.

Chief executive of REC, Kevin Green, said: “This month’s figures show growth in permanent jobs but at the slowest level since January.”
However, it’s not all bad news.
“Employer and consumer confidence are increasing and we anticipate more private sector jobs being created in the second half of the year.”
Job board Reed.co.uk’s figures for the month of April show a fall in job opportunities during compared to March, though demand remains seven per cent up on the same month in 2011.