Argos Black Friday frenzy
Argos's website went down on its first day of Black Friday sales as it launched deals a week before the sales event.
Argos's 12 days of deals started with a 3 for 2 on toys for three days between November 20 and 22. Argos has launched discounts across 2,000 products including toys, technology, TVs, video games, health and beauty and more.
Online stores face increasing pressure from sales events such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Traditionally an in-store activity, Black Friday has now also become an online shopping phenomenon with the likes of Asda backpedalling on the prominence of deals.
Source: Independent
Yahoo launches anti ad-blocking drive
Yahoo has begun experimenting with blocking users from the site unless they disable ad-blocking.
The site joins other publishers and brands that are slowly doing the same of locking out users from accessing their content, Digiday reports. City AM also started a trial this week barring ad-block users from reading it unless they disable it and The Washington Post is also experimenting with a similar tactic.
The move comes as Yahoo’s advertising revenue is dwindling. Its third-quarter earnings painted another disappointing picture for the struggling company under Marissa Mayer’s leadership, the report says.
Source: Digiday
Cinemas 'ban' Christian Christmas ad
The Church of England is up in arms after Digital Cinema Media ruled cinemas could not screen an ad that features the Lord’s Prayer.
It was cleared by the Cinema Advertising Authority and the British Board of Film Classification, but the Odeon, Cineworld and Vue chains – which control 80% of screens around the country – have refused to show the advert because they believe it "carries the risk of upsetting, or offending, audiences".
The church warned that the move could have a "chilling effect on free speech" but Digital Cinema Media said it has "a policy not to run advertising connected to personal beliefs, specifically those related to politics or religion."
Source: the Guardian
In case you missed it...two longer reads
Read the key features from our November 2015 issue on postcapitalism
This month we looked at new economic models and how marketing fits into a future of potential postcapitalism. Read all our insights and news from the theme in one place.
Lidl's Arnd Pickhardt voted Marketers' Marketer of the Year as he scoops German role
Lidl's marketing and advertising director, Arnd Pickhardt, scooped the Marketers' Marketer of the Year award after being voted in overwhelmingly by elite industry players in Marketing's Power 100.
If you watch one video today...
Rather than a video, this week we're pointing you towards our new podcast. Listen to the third episode below and find out more here.
