Hails & Fails – July 22nd 2022
This week, it wasn’t just the weather that was hotting up, but news stories had a little spice, too. Showcase Cinemas offered redheads some much needed time away from the sunshine, Google announced a major, and slightly boggling, update to its search results, and M&S announced a partnership with one of the UK’s favourite Michelin starred chefs. It wasn’t all good news however, as Tesco faced serious backlash after hiking up prices as the cost of living crisis continues to rage.
HAILS
Showcase Cinemas offers free film tickets for redheads
With UK temperatures hitting an all-time high at the beginning of the week, Brazen client, Showcase Cinemas, offered much-needed shade for those who can find it pretty tough to withstand the heat: redheads. On Monday and Tuesday this week, those with red hair were able to claim a complementary cinema ticket to shelter from the sun. Touted SPF (Sun Protecting Flicks), gingers were able to find solace in Showcase Cinema’s air conditioned theatres and claim one free movie ticket a day.
The timely reactive stunt secured Showcase over 300 hits, with coverage right across the globe from the Daily Mail and LadBible to Fox News and the Washington Post.
Google highlights TikTok videos in search
Online search giant Google has quietly been making changes to its Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs). Alphabet-owned Google is one of the largest search engines, used by billions worldwide every single day. The company’s aim is to provide the user with the most useful results for their search. In recent days, users have noticed TikTok videos being shown in SERPs when using mobile. An interesting move for Google, given its parent company also owns YouTube, another video-first social media platform. YouTube launched its Shorts feature at the end of 2020, a potential rival for TikTok’s short form video.
We’ll keep an eye out for updates, but as a social media agency we can’t wait to see what’s next for Google results.
Marks & Spencer teams up with Michelin-starred chef
British retailer Marks & Spencer announced an extension of its “Remarksable” value offering across food, by teaming up with Tom Kerridge.
The popular chef is regularly seen on TV on shows such as Saturday Morning Kitchen and Sunday Brunch, and is also lauded by critics with two of his restaurants receiving Michelin stars. M&S has engaged Kerridge to create a weekly food planner, focusing on the concept “all taste, less waste”. The plan is designed to help customers enjoy delicious, quality meals at pocket-friendly prices and at under £2 per person, per meal, it’s bang on the money when value is front of mind for families.
FAILS
Tesco ups the price of its plastic bag
Tesco recently increased the price of its plastic bags by 50%, taking the price from 20p to 30p. The supermarket chain was widely criticised by people on social media, citing the Cost of Living Crisis as “unacceptable.” Tesco told the Mirror that “we encourage customers to remember their bags to cut down on plastic and avoid paying for bags all-together – making it better for the planet and their pocket.”
Although it’s important to reduce plastic consumption, the timing of this price increase couldn’t have been worse.
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