New research from Merkle has revealed that UK consumers are actively seeking opportunities to engage with brands through connected technologies such as QR codes, visual search, augmented reality, and NFC tags. According to the 2025 Connected Experiences Research Report, 84% of the population have engaged with at least one of these technologies in the past month, with nearly a third (32%) having engaged with them four or more times during the same period. Over a third of consumers (37%) more likely to purchase a product if it is tied to one. Moreover, the data reveals that almost one in three (29%) consumers are willing to pay more for products that offer connected experiences. In the last 30 days, one in three consumers have engaged with connected technologies whilst shopping in-person, both in supermarkets (36%) and in other retail shops (35%). Over half (56%) of those surveyed have engaged with connected experiences when purchasing food and beverage products. Other items that consumers regularly associate with connected experiences include electronics and video games (36%) and clothing (29%). A third (34%) of respondents perceive brands that embrace connected technologies as more innovative and modern. Similarly, a quarter (26%) believe that those that utilise them are more customer focused than those that do not.
Digital advertising platform Azerion UK has entered a strategic partnership with cross-media measurement provider AudienceProject to bolster its omnichannel evaluation capabilities with independent audience measurement. The agreement covers connected TV (CTV) and online video (OLV) advertising, including campaigns on YouTube, Prime Video, and Netflix. Azerion will leverage AudienceProject’s technology, which uses direct integrations to advertising platforms, advanced deep learning and probabilistic modelling, and large panels to handle the fragmentation resulting from audiences consuming content across numerous devices and channels.
Cannes Lions has released the fifth edition of its ‘The State of Creativity’ report. The research shows that risk aversion is holding businesses back. Only 13% of the over 1,000 marketers and creative surveyed view their companies as risk-friendly, whilst 29% of brands admit to being highly risk-averse. The State of Creativity survey shows that companies with stronger insight development capabilities are far more open to taking creative risks. However, half (51%) of the companies surveyed rate their ability to develop high-quality insights as poor or very poor. Only 13% rate their ability to develop high-quality insights as very good or excellent. A lack of insights is slowing brands down when it comes to reacting to cultural moments, costing them creative confidence. The report survey showed a positive correlation between brands’ perceived ability to react to cultural shifts and their appetite for risk. Yet 57% of brands struggle to react quickly to cultural moments, with only 12% rating their ability to do so as ‘excellent.’
As part of its new eight-year advertising contract with Transport for London (TfL), Global will install 1,000 new digital screens, roll out immersive formats, and launch ‘Access All Audiences’ – an audience planning and measurement tool. The tool fuses depersonalised TfL data with data from sources including TGI, IPA, TouchPoint, and YouGov, in a bid to shift outdoor advertising toward audience-based planning. Global is also enhancing its digital and print assets on the TfL estate. This will include developing four 10-metre-long digital tunnel wraps for full-motion campaigns on Elizabeth Line tunnels. The 160-metre-long travelator at Waterloo tube station is also getting eight digital screens which combine sound, 3D visuals, scent, and motion.
Four UK start-ups – Bantu Chocolate, Composty, Grace & Green, and KWERKY have joined Amazon’s Sustainability Accelerator, a Europe-wide programme that helps new businesses with ideas to create a more sustainable future. The other four start-ups from across Europe are: AuraSkin (Greece), Horée (France), Hygge (Italy), and Omuu Pet (Ireland). As part of this 10-week programme, the selected start-ups will benefit from an equity-free grant, workshops, mentorship from Amazon, and access to computing resources through Amazon Web Services.
AppsFlyer has released the 2025 edition of its State of Creative Optimization report, an analysis of creative performance trends and emotional drivers across mobile advertising. Drawing on 1.1 million ad creatives across 1,300 Gaming and Non-Gaming apps, the report reveals that overall creative winners still matter, but marketers are starting to diversify creative investment. In Gaming, the top 2% of creatives still drive a dominant 53% of total ad spend, while in Non-Gaming, that figure drops to 43%. High-spending Non-Gaming apps grew their creative output by 18% year-over-year, now averaging 2,365 variations per quarter and outpacing Gaming’s growth by 80%. Still, top Gaming apps lead in raw volume with 2,743 creatives per quarter, though mid-tier Gaming advertisers are producing less than they were a year ago.
