Most read: Competition watchdog clamps down on marketing firm writing 800 fake reviews
The UK's competition watchdog has cracked down an between 2014 and 2015.
The company, Total SEO & Marketing, has agreed to stop writing fake reviews and will take steps to remove those already posted.
It published the fake positive reviews for 86 small businesses across 26 different websites.
In addition, the CMA has written to Total SEO’s clients to warn them that third parties writing false reviews on their behalf might lead to them breaking the law.
The small businesses concerned include car dealers, mechanics and landscape gardeners.
Social: Has Lionel Messi taken snack brand Walkers into the premier league?
It's hard to mention Walkers without thinking of Gary Lineker, the ex-footballer and sports presenter who became the face of the crisp brand way back in 1995.
There has long been speculation about the end of the tie-up, yet, 21 years down the line, it’s still going strong. And in a surprising, probably very expensive, twist, Walkers even enlisted Argentina and Barcelona football superstar Lionel Messi to feature in its latest ad, alongside Lineker.
On social media, Walkers has focused heavily on sports-related promotional campaigns.
As a result of Lineker’s cast-iron association with the brand and brand-owner PepsiCo’s recent sponsorship deal with the Uefa Champions League football competition, social tracker contributor Psona has found that the sport’s fans are more likely to engage with the content being published by Walkers, as they are able to relate to and interact with its campaigns.
Read more,
Also in the news
Advertising: Top 5 global brand videos
It looks like may just have the magic touch.
The spot has attracted attention on social media, with fans praising the campaign for its approach. In the words of the brand themselves, "as masculinity evolves, so are we."
The "find your magic" campaign takes the lead in the latest Top 5 global brand videos chart, compiled by Be On. You can watch the ad below.
Retail: Asda finds 59% uplift in store visits after cross-device ad tests
to understand how likely it is to drive people into its stores, and found that it produced a 59% uplift in store visits.
Cross-device advertising, which targets people with ads through the various devices they own, was used in conjunction with location-based data to see if those people walked through Asda’s doors.
The results showed that people exposed to one ad were 248% more likely to visit a store than those who did not see any ads.
But those who saw an ad across three devices were 59% more likely to visit a store than those who only saw an ad on one device.
Also in the news
Business: TfL pledges fresh approach after 'realising' it is an advertising company
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John Pizzamiglio, the lead for advertising strategy at TfL, has said that the coming months will see a step-change in the way the London transport provider will deliver marketing communications.
Writing in The OutLook, the first report on the outdoor ad industry by trade body Outsmart, Pizzamiglio said TfL would bring a "bold new approach" to how it does business in London.
He said: "There has been a quantum leap in TfL’s thinking. Obviously the smooth operating of the transport network is always the priority, but it has been realised that in this new more commercial world, whether by design or by good luck, TfL is also an advertising company."
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