Happy's marketing news - 01.09.17
It’s been a busy week in the marketing world, here’s what has caught our eye!
Instagram has revealed a flaw in its systems revealed “a number of” stars’ phone numbers and email addresses to cyber-attackers. The Facebook-owned social network has emailed verified members, usually prominent figures, to let them know. It said it believed “one or more” attackers had targeted high-profile stars to get their contact information. Instagram said passwords had not been stolen but warned users to watch for suspicious activity on their accounts. However, it did not say which accounts had been affected.
Channel 4 says its opening episode of the Great British Bake Off drew an average audience of 6.5 million, making it the broadcaster’s biggest overnight performance since the the Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony in August 2012 and suggesting it will be a commercial success for the broadcaster. The show grabbed an average 30.4% share of TV viewers and peaked at 7.7 million viewers with a 34.6% share. The series eight debut was also the most popular programme in the 8pm to 9.15pm slot for all viewers, as well as Channel 4’s key demographics of 16- to 34-year-olds and ABC1s. It also easily beat its usual ratings for this time, which normally average at about 1 million.
Marketers from New England will be travelling to Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle next month to build international relations. The event is being led by the British American Business Council of New England (BABCNE), alongside the British Government’s consul general, Harriet Cross. “The relationship between the UK and USA has never been more important for businesses on both sides of the Atlantic, and this is a chance for media agencies in Manchester and Leeds to meet potential partners in the USA,” added Paul Snape of Appeal PR and Great British Marketing.
McDonald’s is in the midst of overhauling its business, and that overhaul has technology at its heart. Every one of its analyst calls is packed with updates on what digital changes the fast food chain has been implementing, from mobile ordering apps and in-store touchscreen kiosks to home delivery. The company unveiled the next round of changes earlier this week by appointing global consultancies Capgemini and Publicis.Sapient to look after its digital overhaul. The aim, it says, is to accelerate the rate of “digital technology innovation” and transform the restaurant experience for customers.
A malware researcher has discovered a spamming operation that has been drawing on a list of 711.5 million email addresses. The scale of the scheme appears to make it the biggest find of its kind. The addresses – and in some cases associated passwords – have apparently been gathered to help spread banking malware. Members of the public can check if their accounts have been affected via the Have I Been Pwned service. Its operator, Troy Hunt, acknowledged that some of the listed addresses corresponded to non-existent accounts.
