We may be a little too old to be enjoying a school holiday break, but that doesn’t mean we don’t deserve some downtime. Why not put your feet up for five and catch up on all of the latest news from the digital world this week?
Zuckerberg Is Questioned And UK Lords Demand Digital Advertising Action
This week Mark Zuckerberg has been questioned by the US Senate regarding the Cambridge Analytica scandal and revealed that his own personal data was exposed in the breach. The results of this testimony and hearing are yet to be heard, however, one thing is for certain – across the pond here in the UK, the House of Lords is calling for action on the digital advertising industry.
According to a newly released report from the House of Lords Communications Committee, the UK advertising industry has been seen as a great success in recent years but should take greater steps to self-regulate in future. The report claims that the industry is in a state of flux and that the high number of technology entering the marketplace is confusing things further.
The report claims that ‘even individuals within the industry do not have a comprehensive understanding of how business models such as these work’ and therefore there is a lack of transparency. It therefore calls for self-regulation with help from independent bodies such as the Joint Industry Committee for Web Standards.
Commenting on the report, chairman of the Committee, Lord Gilbert of Panteg, said:
“Advertising contributes to culture, society and fuels the economy by helping businesses to grow and compete against one another. It is therefore essential that UK advertising continues to thrive and maintain its international reputation. But the industry is facing immense changes which threaten to undermine its success.
Digital advertising has quickly become the most significant form of advertising by spending. But the market for delivering digital advertising to consumers is notoriously ‘murky’ […]
To restore the public’s trust in advertising as a whole, the industry must commit to adhering to proper standards.”
UK Marketing Companies Fare Better Than Average In Pay Gap Report
The Drum looked into the data of more than 10,000 UK employers and found that UK marketing businesses have a median hourly pay gap of 16.2 per cent – just below the UK-wide median of 18.4 per cent. Media companies did slightly better again, with an average median of 13.5 per cent.
The biggest mean gender pay gap among UK agencies was seen at WPP 2005 Ltd at 42.2 per cent. Whereas the highest gender pay gap among media organisations was at Wilmington, a trade publisher, which has a 49.6 per cent difference.
Could Coupon Codes Be the Secret To Marketing Success?
According to a study by Vouchercloud, 65 per cent of consumers would be swayed when making a purchasing design if they were offered online voucher codes. Whereas 91 per cent of those who have redeemed coupons said they would purchase from a retailer again if offered an additional follow-up discount coupon.
As a result, utilising a promotional code could help a business hit sales targets, acquire new customers without losing money, and move surplus inventory.
For more news updates, guides and opinion pieces, take a look at a few more of our articles.