Channel 4, Facebook, LinkedIn: Everything that matters this morning

Good morning and welcome to Marketing Week’s round-up of the news that matters in the marketing world today.

Channel4BlackProudCampaign

Channel 4 and ad partners mark the end of Black History Month

Broadcaster Channel 4 is joining up with seven advertising partners for its ‘Black and Proud’ campaign that will air across multiple prime-time ad breaks today as Black History Month comes to a close.

The collaboration with Virgin Media, Uber, NHS, British Gas, Teaching, HSBC UK and Nationwide Building Society features a black employee from each brand reflecting on what Black History Month means to them and their hopes for the future.

The 130-minute spot will take up an entire ad break during tonight’s Channel 4 News and again during Gogglebox and the Last Leg, as well as featuring on the channel’s social media platforms.

The idea was developed by 4Sales’ creative arm PL4Y together with The Collective, Channel 4’s employee representative group for black and minority ethnic staff.

The film encourages viewers to keep the conversation going beyond October using the hashtag #BlackandProud, also the title of Channel 4’s month-long season of programmes celebrating Black lives and Black culture.

“We’re really proud of this unique campaign that provides our brand partners’ employees with a national platform to share their views and deliver an important message,” says Channel 4’s branded entertainment and creative leader Sophie Lloyd.

“At Channel 4 we’re committed to reflecting the cultural diversity of Britain on-screen in commercial airtime, as well as within editorial content so we’re thrilled by the strong appetite from brands and agencies to work with us to achieve truly inclusive, engaging and creative content.”

Facebook reports strong third quarter

Facebook’s stats for the third quarter of 2020 show an average of 1.82 billion daily active users, an increase of 12% year on year, and 2.74 billion monthly active users, again up by 12%.

Figures for ‘family daily active people’ was an average 2.54 billion, up 15% year on year, with the monthly number 3.21 billion, an increase of 14%. These user figures overall show a slight decrease on the second quarter, which was skewed slightly by the effects of the pandemic lockdown

Total ad revenue was up 22% to $21.4m (£16.5) and the social network is confident that the figures will continue to grow as ecommerce becomes an increasingly central part of our daily lives.

“We had a strong quarter as people and businesses continue to rely on our services to stay connected and create economic opportunity during these tough times,” says founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg. “We continue to make significant investments in our products and hiring in order to deliver new and meaningful experiences for our community around the world.”

LinkedIn campaign aims to help users get most out of platform

Professional networking service LinkedIn has launched a campaign to show users how the platform can help in navigating day-to-day working lives.

A series of five shorts running across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter, as well as on LinkedIn itself, ‘Make LinkedIn Work For You’ looks at work challenges and how to overcome them, from prepping for an important presentation, to looking for support and advice, to finding a new job.

At the same time, LinkedIn has announced the launch of ‘Career Explorer’, an interactive tool to help people find jobs that match their skills. Job seekers can see how their skills can lead them to career opportunities, what additional skills they may need, along with LinkedIn Learning courses that can help fill those gaps.

“Whether it’s dealing with the daunting task of finding a new job in the midst of a global pandemic, knowing where to turn for support and advice, or simply finding a quiet corner to work from home, we’ve all faced professional challenges this year,” says LinkedIn’s director of brand marketing, EMEA and LATAM, Darain Faraz.

“While there’s rarely a single solution to any problem, there is always a moment where you take the first small step towards solving it. Our new campaign is designed to show people just how easy it is to take that step on LinkedIn and make your working life or job-seeking that little bit easier.”

Revived test card encourages viewers to get some sleep

The ‘Test Card F’, remembered with nostalgic fondness by viewers of a certain age, is returning to television screens this weekend as part of Eve Sleep’s bid to encourage the nation to switch-off and start winding down for sleep.

The test card will air on Channel 4 just before 11pm on Sunday and features a young girl surrounded by the test card colour bar and accompanied by a sloth toy in the place of the original clown rag doll.

The sleep wellness brand’s campaign will also feature on Channel 4’s streaming service and social channels in an attempt to prompt users to switch off their devices and get some shut-eye. The ad will run on every Sunday night until 25 April 2021.

Outdoor advertising and digital billboards will go into sleep mode in 18 key city-centre locations every Sunday night between 10pm and 11pm, from now until April.

“The inability to switch off from never-ending content and news, along with the complete upheaval in our daily routines, is having an ever-greater impact on our sleep,” says Eve Sleep creative director Caroline Smith.

“Sleep is a key pillar of health and wellness and our intention is that through resurrecting this historic British bedtime symbol, we can encourage the nation to turn off their devices to unwind, helping everybody get the sleep they need to rise and shine.”

The original Test Card F was first aired on BBC2 in 1967, making its last appearance in October 1997, when television programming moved to 24 hours.

Kraft Heinz enjoys upswing in sales

American food brand Kraft Heinz’s third quarter results for this year show an increase of 6% in net sales and 6.3% in organic net sales, with gross profits up by 20.4%.

With a consumer base still largely home-based due to ongoing social distancing restrictions, the company has seen strong growth in its ecommerce offerings. A big marketing push with the US is also seen as one of the factors behind the strong showing.

“The continuation of our strong growth into the third quarter is a reflection of the agility we are creating as an organization and because of that, we are raising our outlook for the full year,” says Kraft Heinz CEO Miguel Patricio.

“And, although there are multiple future scenarios we must plan for and manage against, we are in a strong position to both accelerate and exceed the strategic plan we finalised earlier this year.”

Thursday, 29 October

AmazonAmazon launches ‘eco-friendly’ platform in sustainability push

Amazon is launching an “eco-friendly” shopping platform to help consumers find more sustainable products.

From plastic-free shampoo bars to natural kids’ clothes, more than 40,000 products will carry certificates from schemes, including Fairtrade International and the Carbon Trust, to help shoppers assess the environmental credits of the products they are buying.

There are up to 18 impartial certification schemes and all products will be a featured in a dedicated section of the website as well as in searches. Amazon has also created a Compact by Design certificate to encourage manufacturers to design merchandise that includes as little packaging as possible with the aim to scale back carbon emissions. Among these already licensed is the Cif eco-refill, a concentrated cleansing spray refill that helps individuals reuse their spray bottles.

The platform was launched within the US in September and is being rolled out this week to the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

READ MORE: Amazon launches ‘eco-friendly’ shopping platform

Comic Relief to ‘modernise’ international films after criticism

Comic Relief is updating and “modernising” its international films with new guidelines that include hiring local filmmakers and photographers for appeals in Africa for a “more authentic perspective”.

The charity is finalising new guidelines that will also include a stronger focus on “grassroots” initiatives in appeal films.

It is promising to work with media organisations across Africa to raise “awareness of wider narratives across the continent” and to make “every aspect” of production “more diverse and inclusive”.

Chief executive of Comic Relief, Ruth Davison, says: “Over the last 30 years, our international appeals have helped us raise over £1.4bn and we are immensely grateful. We know times are changing rapidly now and we need to modernise our approaches internationally to give local communities the opportunity to lead their stories.

“We’ve listened to communities, our peers, critics and supporters and I’m proud to be leading the charity at this exciting time as we develop our approaches and shift the power.”

Last year, Labour MP David Lammy accused Strictly Come Dancing star Stacey Dooley of perpetuating “tired and unhelpful stereotypes” after she travelled to Uganda for Comic Relief.

“The world does not need any more white saviours,” Lammy said.

AB InBev sees surprise uptick in beer sales thanks to premiumisation

Anheuser-Busch InBev reported a surprise increase in beer sales in the third quarter despite a profits dip.

The maker of Budweiser, Stella Artois and Corona lagers saw its overall beer and soft drink volumes rise by 1.9% to drive revenues up 4.0%, against expectations of a 4% decline.

Core profit (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) dipped 0.8% but its global brand portfolio revenue increased by 8.1% (outside of the brands’ home markets).

Its premium division also did well with revenue up by 6.5%. The company also improved its performance in its core portfolio, as consumers gravitated toward established brands including Brahma Duplo Malte in Brazil and Bud Light Seltzer in the US.

Covid-19 slashes company valuations but brands can help recovery

Covid-19 has slashed £16.7 trillion ($22 trillion) off company valuations worldwide in the first quarter of 2020, according to new data.

The research from Brand Finance, published in partnership with the International Advertising Association (IAA), found that brand value fell $116.6 to $94.8 trillion between January and April. However, since the outbreak of Covid-19, the total value of intangible assets of publicly listed companies globally hit an all-time high of $65.7 trillion in September, up 69% from April.

The new report says  that brands have the power to fuel an economic recovery and should be treated like “gold or fine art”. While the global economy as a whole is forecast to contract by 4.4% this year, according to the IMF, branded companies that convey trust to consumers, such as Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Tesla and Visa, have already bounced back from the decline caused by the Covid-19 crisis to record growth of 3.8%.

Brands are among the most valuable assets in a company, accounting for around 20% of total business value on average, according to Brand Finance.

CEO of Brand Finance, David Haigh, says: “In times of crisis, brands – especially those most valuable and strongest in their categories and markets – become a safe-haven for capital. Like gold or fine art during past economic downturns, nowadays well-managed, innovative, and reputable brands are what the global economy turns to in the hour of need.

“There can be no better evidence for why brands matter than the role they have already played and will continue to play in the post-COVID recovery.”

The report surveyed 55,000 publicly listed branded companies across the world with new data coinciding with a global campaign from the IAA to highlight the importance of brands in helping fuel an economic recovery.

Heineken to cut staff costs by 20%

Heineken will reduce its staff costs by 20% in its head and regional offices and is reviewing all its local operations as it looks to streamline.

The Dutch brewing company has reported a significant drop in beer sales and profits as a result of Covid-19, with its net profits for the first nine months of the year plunged by over 75% to €396m from the same period last year while beer volumes fell by 8.3%.

Heineken said the cost cutting process would help streamline its regional and head offices, which employ about 1,700 people.

The UK is not affected by the personnel cost cuts as it lacks a regional or head office. Its market has held up relatively well compared to other countries, and sales of Heineken, Sol and Birra Moretti grew by double-digit figures in the third quarter of 2020.

READ MORE: Heineken to cut head and regional office jobs by a fifth on profits hit

Wednesday, 28 October

TikTok

TikTok makes first move into ecommerce

TikTok has made its first foray into ecommerce thanks to a deal with Shopfiy that enables consumers to purchase direct from merchants on the platform.

Launching first in the US and then in Europe and Southeast Asia early next year, the ecommerce offering is geared up to help more than 1 million merchants create and run campaigns via TikTok.

The Shopify merchants are being encouraged to create native, shareable ads that resonate with the community and then the social network’s creative tools will help turn their products into “high-quality TikToks”. The merchants will also be able to create campaigns, target audiences and track performance in one place, and are eligible for $300 (£230) in free ad credit to get started.

As part of the partnership, TikTok also plans to test new ecommerce features to make it easier to discover Shopify merchants and shop their products within the app.

“As social commerce proliferates, retailers are recognising that TikTok’s creative and highly engaged community sets it apart from other platforms,” says vice-president of global business solutions, Blake Chandlee.

“We’re constantly exploring new and innovative ways to connect brands with our users, and Shopify is the perfect partner to help us grow and expand our commerce capabilities globally.”

READ MORE: Tiktok moves into ecommerce with Shopify advertising deal

Next bounces back with ‘better than anticipated’ third quarter sales

NextNext enjoyed “better than anticipated” full price sales during the three months to 24 October, up 2.8% compared to last year. Total sales including markdown products were up 1.4% during the period.

The growth is being driven by online sales, which rose 23.1% during the third quarter, while retail sales fell by 17.9%. Looking at the year to 24 October, Next’s online sales were up 1%, whereas sales in physical retail were down 47.2%.

During the third quarter Next chose to prioritise full price sales over its clearance operation, causing sales of discounted products to fall by 12.3% compared to 2019. The retailer now estimates its full year profit before tax will reach £365m, £65m higher than expected in September.

Home and childrenswear sales continue to “over-perform”, while demand for men’s and women’s formal and occasion clothing remains weak. Likewise, out of town retail parks continue to perform better than high streets and shopping centres.

Looking ahead to the Christmas period, if there are no further lockdowns and busy stores do not put consumers off visiting retail sites, fourth quarter full price sales should remain steady. However, the retailer expects sales during the fourth quarter will fall by 8% if further local lockdowns are introduced, and by 20% if a two-week national lockdown is imposed.

Next believes the “biggest single unknown” is whether England, Scotland and Northern Ireland will follow Wales’ decision to shut non-essential retail. If a two-week lockdown did occur in November, Next anticipates its retail full price sales would be cut by around £57m. The retailer says it has found “no evidence” of the virus being transmitted in its stores.

When it comes to Brexit, while a ‘no-deal’ is not its preferred outcome, Next is confident it has the systems in place to cope and therefore does not believe a no-deal Brexit poses “a material threat to the ongoing operations or profitability of the group”.

Coca-Cola poised to enter UK alcohol market

Coca-Cola hard seltzerCoca-Cola is entering the UK alcohol with its hard seltzer brand Topo Chico, fuelling its ambition to become a ‘total beverage company’.

Topo Chico will hit UK shelves in November in three flavours – Tangy Lemon Lime, Tropical Mango and Cherry Acai, according to The Grocer. The drinks are said to be 4.7% abv, gluten-free and contain 2g of sugar. This move into the alcohol market appears to be part of a wider strategy from Coca-Cola, which in June applied to register a trademark for the name ‘EH Canning’ related to beer and other alcoholic drinks.

Back in July, Coke announced it was exploring products in “dynamic beverage categories” such as hard seltzers and announced the development of Topo Chico, described as an “experimental drink” inspired by Topo Chico sparkling mineral water. The product was first rolled out to South America.

Coke has used the pandemic as a chance to refocus. Just last week CEO James Quincey said that the decision to cut ‘zombie brands’ during the summer has helped the company double its revenue per innovation in 2020, compared to last year.

READ MORE: Coca-Cola enters UK booze market with Topo Chico hard seltzer

Sainsbury’s and Arsenal FC ramp up their loyalty propositions

Sainsbury’s is hoping to attract early bird Christmas shoppers to stores by doubling the value of Nectar points in November ahead of Black Friday (27 November).

Consumers will receive double the value of their Nectar points by exchanging them for a Sainsbury’s ‘double up’ voucher worth up to £100, to be spent in store between 11 and 17 November. Redeemable across 10 categories including Tu clothing, toys and electricals, the points can be swapped for a voucher online from today or via the Nectar app from 11 November.

“The double up event has proved to be immensely popular in the past and we know that this year more than ever our customers are looking to make their money go further and find little ways to help with the cost of Christmas,” says Sainsbury’s loyalty marketing manager, Jimmy Galloway.

“We are delighted to announce that it is returning again this year and are glad to help out those customers who are looking to get a head start on their shopping.”

Elsewhere, Premier League side Arsenal is rolling out ‘My Arsenal Rewards’ to complement its long-running membership programme and offer fans meaningful rewards for their loyalty to the club.

Ahead of the 2021/2022 season, all members will receive an upgraded My Arsenal Rewards membership card that will also work as an electronic matchday ticket, a rewards card and a payment card.

Working with Barclays, payment technology will be embedded within the card enabling it to be used for online and offline purchases at the Emirates Stadium, all club shops and anywhere that accepts Visa as a payment method. The payment service will also be accessed via the Arsenal app.

Fans will earn loyalty points based on specific interactions with the club, which they can redeem for rewards or experiences. Members will also be able to earn rewards by spending at several affiliated high street and online brands, including Arsenal’s club partners, with names to be announced in the coming months.

Channel 4 and Google join forces to celebrate the UK high street

Jimmy Doherty Channel 4 GoogleChannel 4 has teamed up with Google to celebrate the British high street and encourage consumers to show some love to local businesses.

The campaign, which went live during last night’s episode of The Great British Bake Off, comprises three 30-second ads. They feature comedian Mo Gilligan having a trim at his favourite barber, TV personality Katie Piper visiting her local garden centre and broadcaster Jimmy Doherty getting culinary tips from his local fishmonger.

Each ad encourages consumers to help their local businesses by leaving a Google review because “the more reviews, the more people are encouraged to go”. The partnership between Google and Channel 4 will run until December.

“We are delighted to partner with Channel 4, to show how we can all help local business by leaving a Google review,” says Google director of brand, reputation and ads marketing, Nishma Robb. “Massive thanks to Katie, Mo and Jimmy for giving us a window into the communities and businesses that mean so much to them.”

This partnership builds on Google’s wider ‘Dear Local’ campaign supporting local businesses, developed by Redwood BBDO. Conceived in partnership with Hill & Knowlton, the ads see heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua and Bafta-winning actor Sheridan Smith exploring small businesses in their respective hometowns of Golders Green in London and Epworth in Lincolnshire.

The campaign feeds into Google’s commitment to help 1 million small British businesses stay open by the end of 2021.

Fierce competition sees shop prices fall by 1.2%

Prices in UK shops fell by 1.2% in October as the retail industry started to see sales bounce back, while non-food prices fell to their shallowest decline since the start of the pandemic at 2.7%. By comparison, last month UK prices for non-food products decreased by 3.2%.

Food inflation remained steady at 1.2% in October, while prices for fresh food increased by 0.4% this month. Inflation on ambient food slowed to 2.3% in October, down from 2.5% in September.

Given the tightening of restrictions and a likely rise in unemployment, British Retail Consortium chief executive, Helen Dickinson, expects to see discounts on non-food products for “months to come”, while prices on food have been kept low due to the fierce competition between supermarkets.

However, unless a free trade agreement is struck with the EU, Dickinson sees “bad news on the horizon for consumers”.

“Unless such an agreement can be signed in sealed in the next few weeks, retailers will be unable to provide the same value to their customers after 1 January. The government must do all in their power to secure a zero-tariff deal or else it will be the public who suffer the consequences of higher prices,” she adds.

Tuesday, 27 October

m&s mobile

M&S ramps up ecommerce offering for online Christmas

Marks & Spencer is increasing its distribution team by 30%, or more than 1,000 staff, in the run-up to Christmas in preparation for a shift online over the festive period.

The retailer is hiring 500 staff on short-term contracts for Christmas, in addition to the 400 permanent staff it has recruited since July. That means its distribution centre will employ more than 4,000 staff over the festive period.

M&S says there are already signs shopping are heading online in larger numbers, with Christmas-related searches up 80% on last year. During the second quarter, its online sales were up 39.2% year on year.

M&S has also increased the number of click-and-collect locations it offers, as well as investing in new equipment and logistics space.

M&S clothing and home head of logistics, Paul Burns, says, “We’re set up to ensure our colleagues can safely help our customers shop online with confidence this Christmas – from great new team members to investing in our tech.”

Diageo buys Chase distillery in focus on premium

Diageo is buying gin and vodka producer Chase Distillery as part of its focus on more premium brands.

The deal, for an undisclosed sum, will see Chase join brands including Tanqueray, Gordon’s and Gilbey’s. This is the latest acquisition for Diageo, which over the summer bought Aviation Gin – the US gin brand backed by actor Ryan Reynolds.

Gin accounts for around 4% of Diageo’s portfolio but is growing rapidly, with sales up 22% in 2019 and its biggest brands delivering double-digit growth. Globally, the retail gin market is estimated at £1.6bn, according to drinks data provider IWSR, while gin sales in the UK were up 17.4% annually between 2014 and 2019, with premium sales up 40%.

Diageo Great Britain managing director Dayalan Nayager says: “We are thrilled to be bringing such a quintessentially British portfolio of high quality, crafted brands into our family. We are excited about the growth opportunity within the premium plus segment and are very much looking forward to working with the Chase team to build on the portfolio’s considerable potential.”

Public Health England and NHS England target flu vaccine uptake in new campaign

Public Health England and NHS England are launching a major marketing campaign to encourage uptake of the flu vaccine amid the ongoing Covid-19 crisis.

The campaign warns of the potential dangers of flu and aims to encourage everyone eligible to get a free flue vaccine. It will appear across TV, radio, outdoor and digital channels, reminding people not to dismiss the virus as “just the flu”.

Created with agency M&C Saatchi, the campaign is part of PHE’s ‘Help us, help you’ campaign brand. It will highlight that the flu kills 11,000 people in England every year and hospitalises thousands more to show the benefit of getting the vaccine. It will target specific groups or regions where uptake is low, flexing to ensure target audiences are reached.

PHE’s marketing director Alexia Clifford says: “With the simultaneous risk of catching flu and Covid-19 this winter, this major national campaign has a more important job than ever to encourage those who are eligible to get vaccinated to protect themselves and their loved ones. The campaign has been designed to support the ambitious national flu vaccination programme, and to reach a newly expanded set of audiences, some of whom we haven’t communicated with through marketing activities before.”

Former Wagamama CMO joins mochi brand Little Moons

Former Wagamama CMO Ross Farquhar is joining mochi brand Little Moons as marketing director as it looks to supercharge its growth.

Founded 10 years ago, Little Moons is the market leader for mochi in Europe, selling more than 25 million in 2019. Mochi ice cream is ice cream covered in Japanese rice.

“Little Moons is enjoying phenomenal growth, so this is such an exciting time to join the team. Everyone that tries mochi ice cream bites falls in love with them, so I’m thrilled to be tasked with letting millions more people in on the secret and embedding the brand into culture,” says Farquhar.

Farquhar was previously CMO at Wagamama but made redundant during Covid-19. He has previously worked at Cadbury and Diageo, as well as agency side at 101 and Grey London. At Little Moons he is tasked with accelerating growth, cementing its position as the leading mochi brand in Europe and supporting its innovation strategy, which includes a focus on gluten free and vegan.

“The business is in great shape and we are ambitious for growth and deeper consumer engagement for Little Moons. Ross’s credentials are impeccable, and he has the experience to help us elevate the brand, accelerate growth and take the business to the next level,” says founder Howard Wong.

Monday, 26 October

Facebook

Facebook poised to ‘alter algorithms’ if US election descends into chaos

Facebook is braced to introduce tools previously only used to deal with civil unrest and prevent violence in “at-risk” countries if next week’s US presidential election (3 November) descends into chaos, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The tools, previously used in countries like Sri Lanka and Myanmar, are said to include measures to slow the spread of posts as they go viral, altering the news feed algorithm to change the kind of content users see and potentially updating the rules on what content is considered dangerous or warrants removal.

The Verge reports that the tools would only be used in the event of election-related violence or other serious circumstances, although there are concerns such measures could inadvertently hinder legitimate political discussions.

From tomorrow (27 October), Facebook will ban any new political ads from appearing on the site until US election day on 3 November. Mark Zuckerberg said last month he was worried the US was “so divided” and, with election results potentially taking days or even weeks to be finalised due to postal votes and the disruption of Covid-19, he feared there could be an “increased risk of civil unrest”.

“This election is not going to be business as usual. We all have a responsibility to protect our democracy,” he said in the September blogpost. “That means helping people register and vote, clearing up confusion about how this election will work, and taking steps to reduce the chances of violence and unrest.”

READ MORE: Facebook reportedly bracing for US election chaos with tools designed for ‘at-risk’ countries

Nike supports final voting push in US election

Nike has unveiled a new film designed to minimise barriers to voting and encourage Americans to get out to the polls in the upcoming US election (3 November).

The ‘You Can’t Stop Our Voice’ film is intended to show that while stars like NBA legend LeBron James, tennis champion Naomi Osaka and NFL player Odell Beckham Jr use sport as a platform to express themselves, you don’t need to be a global superstar to have a voice.

To increase voter participation, Nike has teamed up with ride hailing firm Lyft to support early voting and offer discounted rides in communities who have historically had a harder time getting to the polls.

In the summer, the sportswear giant made commitments to groups seeking to increase US voter participation, including Time to Vote and When We All Vote. Nike also joined forces with Rock the Vote to create a platform for people to register to vote, check registration statuses and find state-by-state voting information.

McDonald’s looks to give consumers a ‘lift’ with week of free events

McDonald’s is staging a week of free events aimed at giving consumers “a little lift” following the ongoing cancellation of sporting and entertainment venues due to Covid-19.

Starting today (26 October) to coincide with the half term school holidays, the fast food chain is hosting football sessions with Peter Crouch and Lioness Lucy Bronze, as well as a holiday reading club with children’s author and McFly star Tom Fletcher.

Then on Friday (30 October), McDonald’s is kicking off a weekend of free live performances featuring Jess Glynne, Craig David, Lewis Capaldi and Stormzy. While the family sessions will be available via the McDonald’s website, the I’m Lovin’ It Live music festival will be free to view on the My McDonald’s App.

“2020 has been a really challenging year, so many of the things we enjoy have been negatively impacted and we’ve heard from our employees and our customers, we are all in need of a little lift,” says vice president, marketing and menu, McDonald’s UK and Ireland, Michelle Graham-Clare.

The fast food giant has also teamed up with food poverty charity FareShare to fund 1 million meals for UK families. McDonald’s will work with the charity to redistribute food to families most in need over the coming weeks.

“We were pleased that we were able to donate surplus food through FareShare and other organisations earlier this year, and we admire the fantastic work that FareShare continues to do to support families facing very tough situations,” says McDonald’s UK CEO, Paul Pomroy.

“I am pleased to support the distribution of one million meals to the families most in need this autumn, and I wish to thank and congratulate FareShare for everything they’re doing.”

Instagram forced to update policies amid accusations of discrimination

Instagram and parent company Facebook have agreed to update their policies on nudity in a bid to end the alleged discrimination of plus-size black women and ensure all body types are treated fairly.

The decision from the social media companies follows accusations in August that Instagram had censored plus-size model Nyome Nicholas-Williams after photographs from a “confidence shoot” were repeatedly deleted by Instagram and she was warned her account could be closed. In response, fans posted pictures in support of the model under the hashtag #IWantToSeeNyome.

The Observer reports that, after the Nicholas-Williams story broke, a number of other users claimed Instagram was “repeatedly discriminating against black people, plus-size users and other marginalised communities” by deleting their photos or failing to promote them in the same way it typically would white users.

A spokesperson for Instagram admitted that its policies on nudity had not been “correctly applied” and Nicholas-Williams’ feedback had helped the company understand where the policy was “falling short” and how to refine it. The new policies come into effect on Facebook and Instagram this week.

READ MORE: Instagram row over plus-size model forces change to nudity policy

Aunt Bessie’s celebrates the joy of a Sunday roast

Aunt Bessies Aunt Bessie’s is rolling out a new campaign celebrating the different ways people prepare a Sunday roast, as the brand looks to build on the recent launch of its ‘Caring is the hardest thing we do’ platform.

The ‘Time to Roast’ campaign, the first developed by creative agency Elvis since being appointed in May, features actress Angela Griffin, First Dates star and NHS paramedic Laura Tott, and TV and radio presenter Vick Hope, all preparing their own Sunday roast. Each woman reveals what makes their roast different and explains how Aunt Bessie’s products enable them to make it special.

The campaign is running across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest, supported by a PR campaign featuring content produced with the three brand ambassadors Griffin, Tot and Hope across national and consumer media.

“The joy of a Sunday roast is that everyone does it that little bit differently,” says brand comms manager at Aunt Bessie’s, Jonathan Wright. “Enjoying time together is something we all have in common, but it’s our differences that make that time (and our roasts!) special. This campaign highlights how the delicious simplicity and reliable quality of Aunt Bessie’s gives people the extra time they need to make their regular roast a real moment of care.”

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