The Retail Week Awards, which have been celebrating excellence in the UK’s retail industry for nearly 30 years, have revealed the 2024 shortlist. Sponsored by Salesforce, the awards recognise and reward the extraordinary efforts of retail colleagues working on the front line – shopworkers, delivery drivers and headquarters staff – and the retailers themselves. The winners will be announced at a black tie ceremony on 5 March 2024 as it returns to the prestigious Grosvenor House, London. Retailers including Marks & Spencer to Sephora are in line to win categories like Grocer of the Year, Best Fashion Retailer and recognise Store and Community Heroes who make a significant impact on their customers and local areas. Two new categories are also being introduced this year reflecting the evolving priorities for retailers. These include the ‘Green Initiative of the Year’ and ‘International Retailer of the Year’. An impressive line-up of 18 industry leaders comprises the Retail Week Awards judging panel this year, including the following newcomers – Carl Cowling – chief executive of WHSmith, Sam Perkins – chief executive of Loaf, Gill Smith – managing director of The Perfume Shop, Jo Whitfield – chief executive of Matalan, Leanne Rothwell – chief executive of Not on the High Street, Eve Williams – vice president and general manager of eBay and Peter Wood – chief executive of AllSaints & John Varvatos. The Retail Week Awards ceremony precedes the UK’s leading retail gathering LIVE: Retail Week x The Grocer which is taking place from 12 – 13 March at the Park Plaza, Westminster Bridge, London.
The Trade Desk, Inc., a provider of a global technology platform for buyers of advertising, has announced financial results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2023. “Q3 was a strong quarter for The Trade Desk as we delivered revenue of $493 million, accelerating growth to 25%. This performance underlines the premium that advertisers are placing on precision, agility and transparency as they seek to maximize returns from their campaigns,” said Jeff Green, Co-founder and CEO of The Trade Desk. “As we enter our busiest time of year and look ahead to 2024, we have never been in a better position to capture greater share of the $1 trillion advertising TAM. With the generational shift to CTV, the growing opportunity in shopper marketing, our leadership in identity, and our most important product release ever with Kokai, we are better positioned than ever to help advertisers leverage data to drive growth and differentiate their brands.”
GroupM, WPP’s media investment group, has announced the launch of its new, bespoke, partnership to provide clients with a holistic approach to ESG (environmental, social, corporate governance): everything from education, execution, measurement and improvement. The partnership combines the power of Legacy’s ESG data solutions together with Right Thing Media’s ESG insights to create one tailored solution for GroupM’s clients that is compatible with the group’s fundamental sustainability efforts. The solution represents the start of a long-term plan, whose first step is for an organisation-wide education programme to empower internal teams and clients on how to understand, action, and measure those insights. The aim for this partnership is to leverage the data for GroupM to incorporate ESG ratings and insights into its future media planning and buying processes.
Figma, the collaborative design platform, is continuing its mission to build a better way for teams to work together. Figma’s first suite of native AI features are now available in open beta for FigJam, the collaborative space to meet, brainstorm, and get work done. FigJam AI will help people bring ideas to their full potential, eliminate busy work and increase efficiency so teams can stay focused on the strategic work that will make an impact. New AI features include: Generate: Create FigJam meeting templates and diagrams through a text prompt in seconds. This AI-powered template generator is unique to FigJam, and can help people go from a blank canvas to a personalised file.
Summarise: Produce a quick summary from a sea of sticky notes to get clarity on the key takeaways and next steps. Sort: Automatically sort stickies by themes so meeting participants spend less time organising and more time uncovering big ideas.
Creative agency, Live & Breathe, has partnered with global technology company Epson for its latest campaign refresh. The campaign features Epson’s European brand ambassador, Usain Bolt – the fastest man in the world, in a series of in-store Point of Sale and digital assets for Epson’s website and social platforms. The new assets aim to energise Epson’s EcoTank cartridge-free printers and ReadyPrint ink subscription services across Europe and form part of an integrated campaign that also includes PR, TV and social media. The Live & Breathe team was briefed with refreshing the EcoTank campaign, focusing on its USP as a cost-savvy option when compared to other printing products.
Shutterstock, Inc., a global creative platform connecting brands and businesses to quality content, has announced TRUST, an official guiding framework that embodies Shutterstock’s long-standing values and commitment to using AI responsibly in its products and workflows. TRUST, an acronym for Training, Royalties, Uplift, Safeguards and Transparency, reflects the core commitments that Shutterstock has actively upheld over the last two decades. In an unregulated and rapidly evolving industry, this framework can also serve as an action-driven checklist for companies experimenting with AI technologies and reiterates Shutterstock’s lifelong, contributor-centric operating principles.
