Global Marketing News – 18th July 2016
Google Yet Again Gets Anti-Trust Charges
Google has been accused yet again of using its online power to muscle out rival companies.
The EU’s competition enforcer, Margarethe Vestager, has issued two new sets of charges against Google in relation to the way the company allegedly abuses its position in online shopping, and how it restricts competition.
After anti-trust complaints were made against Google by Android back in April for stifling competition, these new claims are expected to increase the likelihood that punishments such as fines could come into play.
The search engine has responded to the new charges by saying that it believes its “innovations and product improvements have increased choice for European consumers and promote competition”.
However, it also acknowledged the charges and has promised to “examine the Commission’s renewed cases and provide a detailed response in the coming weeks.”
Website Blocking In Quebec Faces Potential Legal Action
A new regulation set up in Quebec to block websites on the internet, has been threatened by the Canadian federal government.
Whilst Canadian federal law prohibits the blocking of the internet, Quebec’s new ‘bill 74’ took effect in May in order to block access to a list of online gambling sites.
However, this will likely result in court cases between the federal and Quebec governments over Canada’s first government-mandated website blocking law.
Whilst the bill is currently categorised as ‘consumer protection’, it will also mean increased revenue for the officially sanctioned gambling sit Espace-Jeux.
The site blocking plans are currently run by Loto-Quebec, which is asking all internet providers to comply with disabling access to any gambling site it deems unsuitable, or pay a fine of 100,000 Canadian dollars.
ASOS Sees Brexit Benefit
Online fashion retailer Asos, has said that it expects to profit from the recent Brexit vote in the United Kingdom.
After the vote to leave the EU last month, the strong decline in the strength of the pound has meant that it sits at a 31-year low against the dollar.
However, due to over half of sales coming from outside the UK, the lessening demand for items in its home country will have minimal effect on the business.
Asos CEO Nick Beighton said that benefits would be seen due to the fact that prices on the site are denominated off sterling, so “now look cheaper to the American and European customer”.
Pinterest Used To Plan Purchases
Around 93% of visitors to social website Pinterest, use the platform to plan purchases, according to Millward Brown Digital.
The study also showed that 87% of visitors made a purchase after seeing an item they liked on the website.
After Pinterest recently begun using Oracle Data Cloud, a platform that organises customer and audience data, it was also found that users that engaged with brands ‘promoted pins’ were 12% more likely than others to buy from them online.
Katrina Gosek, director of product strategy for commerce at Oracle said that businesses are now looking to offer “complete digital experiences” that work with consumers shortening attention spans.
With over 2 billion US dollars expected to be spent through online shopping exclusively using mobile assistants like Siri or Google Now, Gosek stressed the importance of presenting consumers with a “unified vision of a brand across all touchpoints”.
Amazon To Introduce Personal Ads
Amazon has announced that it is looking at the implementation of personalised video adverts.
Whilst Amazon’s personalised static adverts are common on third-party sites, Graeme Smith, Managing Director at Amazon Development Centre, said that the customised videos had already been on the internet.
He added that Amazon was working hard to make sure that the technology did not seem too personal and that it was looking to incorporate it into any platform where video could be viewed.
Whilst this is a new step for Amazon, personalised video ads have been used in the past by Cadbury, or Nike who targeted runners of a Paris race last year with videos that displayed their finishing times.
Webcertain’s global marketing news bulletins are daily 5-minute videos, providing marketers with the latest international digital marketing news in an easy-to-digest format.
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