Most read: Apple opens secret lab
Apple is giving its partner brands access to a secret lab, , allowing them to refine their Apple Watch apps ahead of its launch on Monday.
BMW and Facebook are among the brands that have been given access to a private lab within Apple's headquarters.
A claims that security is tight. It says the test lab has no internet access, and no external materials, such as papers or phones, can be brought into the room.
How very Bond-esque.
Most shared: Six marketing tips for International Women’s Day
Feminism is firmly in focus right now – both in marketing campaigns and general business, writes Marketing’s .
But as International Women’s Day approaches this Sunday, many consumers are tiring of brands jumping on the feminism bandwagon for the sake of it.
Kemp details , and the reputational harm they can self-inflict if their feminist messaging is disingenuous.
Opinion of the week: To retain talented women, the industry must drop its 9-5 obsession
Whatever your gender and parental status, I hope when you read this you’ll be nodding along as fiercely as I was.
Lisa Unwin, founder of She's Back, asks .
"[Women] will absolutely deliver but need a level of autonomy as to where and when. Organisations seem unwilling to embrace all the tools and technologies that make this possible," she writes. "The huge influence women can have in this industry and how they can connect with consumers is lost when so many don't come back after having children."
Unwin set up She’s Back in partnership with DLKW Lowe to help experienced women return to professional life.
What the others are saying: On the Salvation Army using #TheDress in domestic violence campaign
This time last week it had divided the internet. But no longer.
The Salvation Army in South Africa has used .
It has released a campaign poster featuring a bruised woman wearing the now world-famous dress. The strapline reads: ‘Why is it so hard to see black and blue?’ and underneath: ‘the only illusion is if you think it was her choice.’
the charity has turned the silliness of this viral into a powerful message.
The Washington Post says it paints #TheDress debate . The reporter writes: "Brands don't always make the best decisions about how to make use of viral content. But this time, it appears the Salvation Army stuck the right tone."
BR says: If some say the charity is jumping on a viral bandwagon then I say this is how you do it. Considering also that Roman Originals has produced a white and gold version of the dress, which it is currently auctioning off for Comic Relief, it’s heartening to see so much social good come from what many (myself included) initially deemed to be a pointless meme.
BR recommends: A daily poke
No, not in the eye – or any other orifice for that matter, ahem. On The Wall blog.
Greg Taylor’s Daily Poke blog is now part of The Wall – and we are loving it.
In it, Taylor - a director at brand design consultancy Elmwood - shares a daily digital marketing titbit. Recent subjects range from an internet hack , that allows consumers to connect pretty much anything to the world wide web, to . These are apparently designed to take the stress out of telling your flatmate to do some bloody cleaning – yes really.
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