March 5, 2018

The Drum Newsletter PM

Sim card swapping & radio phone-ins: how Girl Effect navigates Ethiopia's unique media scene

The not-for-profit Girl Effect has plans to expand its Ethiopian girl band Yegna into a truly national multi-product youth brand. But while a TV show is on the cards, its success will continue to lie in a strategy that understands the capabilities and pitfalls of Ethiopia's curious, developing media landscape.

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Ad of the Day: Uncommon's debut blends climate change denial with Slayer for Ovo

Uncommon – the creative studio founded by 'Grexiteers' Lucy Jameson, Natalie Graeme and Nils Leonard – has released its first work for energy supplier Ovo featuring the voices of climate change deniers alongside the music...

VCCP chooses homegrown talent for leadership shake-up

VCCP has looked within its own ranks to restructure its leadership team with the announcement of a new management line-up.

Twitter champions female empowerment in first Oscars TV ad

Twitter has cemented its association with the Academy Awards after running a television ad championing female empowerment during Sunday's (4 March) live broadcast by ABC.

Dear NRA: if your PR plan is to attack traumatized children, you've already lost

If your public relations campaign involves going after children who have survived a mass shooting at their school that killed 17 of their classmates and teachers and injured many more,...

BBC's Tony Hall urges break with US tech giant hegemony

BBC director general Tony Hall will issue a clarion call to action against the hegemony of US technology giants as part of a rearguard action to protect British values.

Trinity Mirror to rebrand as Reach to reflect new-found scale

Trinity Mirror is changing its name to reflect its newly enlarged operations, which now benefit from the publishing assets of both Northern and Shell and Local World, by rebranding as...

St Ives sells £6m marketing activation division

Marketing services group St Ives is curtailing its marketing activation division with the £6m sale of numerous assets to SelmerBridge.

Transparency in branded content: event takeaways from Facebook, New York Times and Bacardi Martini

Branded content can work like magic; however full transparency is crucial for the industry to raise the bar on quality. Not long ago, Guardian Labs' Anna Watkins highlighted that fewer, more premium quality commercial messages were the key to overcoming the 'adblockalypse'.

But, what makes great branded content? And how can damaged brands get back on track? Panelists at The Drum Studios branded content event in London last week, discussed this and more.