Below are insider details and predictions for three companies that landed on our list of 48 UK Brands Planning in Q1 of next year. Keep scrolling to download the complete list:
1. Aldi concludes media review, boosts digital display plus brand media
Grocery chain Aldi, tapped Starcom to oversee its £66m media account, starting work in January 2023. The Pulicis agency replaces Universal McCann, who held the role for 17 years.
As a discount grocer, Aldi wants to capitalize on the cost-of-living crunch. Over the last 12 months digital display spend reached £904.4k, more than double its investment in this channel from the previous 12 months of £412k. Ads were placed via direct buy (99%), Google AdX + AdSense (<1%), and unknown (<1%) onto sites such as youtube.com (91%), dailymail.co.uk (8%), theguardian.com/uk (1%), thesun.co.uk (<1%), and gumtree.com (<1%). The company is likely to increase spend while it pivots strategy changes.
- Sellers: Aldi tends to spend the most during the holiday season, which couples as the buying period. Planning happens from January to March. Spending shifts will almost certainly occur when Starcom starts in Q1. In the meantime, ask about any remaining budget from the upcoming Christmas campaign.
- Agency and martech readers: Agency reviews tend to follow one another, get in touch about work along other accounts. Other notable grocers include Lidl, Tesco, and Asda.
2. B&Q: fills DM vacancy, partners with The Woodland Trust and dips spend
B&Q, a home improvement DIY retailer, welcomed Tom Hampson as its new marketing director, replacing incumbent Mike Emery. Hampson previously worked as the interim loyalty & insight director at Morrisons, and before that, he served as the marketing director of Mamas & Papas.
B&Q just recently formed a partnership with The Woodland Trust. The deal will focus on the restoration, protection, and creation of native woodland at the company’s newly-acquired site in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales.
- Sellers: The demographic is a wide range of Gen-Z and millennials. Digital display spend is already increasing; Facebook in-app advertising and brand media have declined.
- Sponsorship readers: More partnerships in this vein are likely since the company is focused on preserving and developing nature. Get in touch soon as planning conversations take place from January to March!
- Agency and martech readers: Agency changes are very likely to occur under the new marketing leader. Other DIY retailers include Wickes, Homebase, and Wilko.
3. ScS: furniture retailer focuses on digital, omnichannel, & ROI, hires digital agency
Following the preliminary results for the year ended 30 July: SEO, analytics, personalisation, and social media, particularly influencers, are channels of high focus being led by the company’s newly-appointed digital agency. The company plans on bolstering its omnichannel offering by integrating its retail and digital teams.
- Sellers: Spend is increasing with the company’s growth ambitions. The person responsible for leading these spending shifts – Kyle Rowe, Chief Marketing and Digital Officer, only started his role in August.
- Agency and martech readers: Agency reviews tend to follow one another, your pitches should take into account the digital, ROI, and omnichannel focuses. ScS’s competitors include DFS Furniture, Sofology, and Furniture Village.
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