1. Government launches qualifications to meet UK digital marketing needs
The UK Government has now acknowledged the need for digital marketing qualifications in order to fill the growing hole covering a range of jobs such as app developing, multimedia programming and web developing.

In the BIS Small Business Survey from 2012, it was found that only 61% of SMEs had a website, while over half were selling their goods online. It’s predicted that if the remaining businesses had an online presence, annual turnover could reach £18.8 billion per year.

What do you think of this new push to go digital?

To read more, click here.

2. Oreo raises questions on the relationship between brands and vloggers after ASA announcement

Recently, the popularity of vloggers and the benefits they can bring brands has surged, with more and more leaving celebrity endorsement campaigns behind, in favour of vloggers. Vloggers have a special relationship with their sometimes millions of viewers or subscribers, and therefore they make great candidates to promote a product or brand.

But now the ASA are coming forward after Oreo’s ‘lick race’ promotion breached the code, suggesting that it has now become unclear what videos are editorial content and what are advertising communications. A ruling has now stated that advertising must be ‘obviously identifiable’. Will this discourage the relationship between vloggers and brands? Only time will tell.

To see more about the new rules, click here.

3. Macmillan Cancer Support scoops Brand of the Year Award

One of the UK’s most admired cancer charities has picked up the Brand of the Year award at the Marketing Societies annual dinner, fighting off competition from the likes of Baileys, O2 and easyJet.

Macmillian Cancer Support has seen a surge in awareness over the last few years with campaigns like the ‘World’s Biggest Coffee Morning’, which helped revenue jump to £20 million, up from £15 million the previous year. They have now joined the list of Brands of the Year, which contains the likes of Sainsbury’s and Procter and Gamble.

Find out more about Macmillian’s award, by clicking here.