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The communications briefing: Google and Facebook face antitrust probes in the US

Industry

Former Havas UK CEO takes new role at digital start-up
Paul Frampton, the former chief executive of Havas Media Group UK, returned to the industry as President of Europe at Control v. Exposed, a US-based digital media start-up that is launching in the UK. The company launched last year as a spin-off from marketing services company The Goodway Group; its clients to date have included Nike, and interiors retailer Crate & Barrel. Mr Frampton called his new firm “a refreshing antithesis to top-heavy, P&L-driven agency groups… The traditional agency model is under threat, all growth in the industry is coming from digital, we are post-GDPR, facing the demise of the 3rd party cookie and Europe is crying out for innovation to counter all of this. The timing is also ripe for addressable TV and programmatic OOH.”
More About Advertising  

Engine wins Eurostar brief
Engine, still busy with the £100m Brexit campaign, won a new brief from Eurostar. The carrier's advertising credentials were established by St Luke’s and TBWA, as well as Mother’s “Somers Town” film directed by Shane Meadows, though the marketer’s last work of note bypassed agencies and went straight to production company Somesuch. Richard Sherwood, Eurostar’s customer engagement director, said: “We have a new tone of voice that reflects the challenger brand approach that’s part of our company DNA, and look forward to working with Engine to achieve this in a bold, refreshing and stylish way.”
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OPRG names new innovation guru
Omnicom Public Relations Group appointed Erin Lanuti as Chief Innovation Officer. Responsible for digital innovation and product development across social media, content marketing, creative, influencer marketing, media relations, SEO and ecommerce, she joined OPRG from Publicis, having spent nine years driving integrated marketing and digital transformation across MSLGROUP and Performics.
Yahoo Finance

Laffan to join Prosek Partners in London
Most recently Group Corporate Communications Director at Lloyds Banking Group, Laffan previously ran corporate communications for Goldman Sachs in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and previously served as a partner at Brunswick Group.
Yahoo Finance

Campaigns

Cadbury's tearjerker supports loneliness campaign
Cadbury is continuing its supportive campaign to highlight loneliness among the elderly with a new television commercial by creative agency VCCP. The confectioner removed all of the words from its Dairy Milk wrappers to support the initiative - apart from the famous glass and a half of milk – to draw attention to the fact that some 255,000 elderly Brits can go a whole week without speaking to anyone. Cadbury is also donating 55 cents for every bar sold to Age UK.
Bandt

Deliveroo's space ad banned
The Advertising Standards Authority banned the Deliveroo advert portraying an astronaut receiving a food order in space - for implying that the firm delivers anywhere. The advertising watchdog received 22 complaints from people who knew that Deliveroo did not deliver to their area and said the advert was misleading.
City AM   BBC News

Reputational Risk

Google and Facebook face US antitrust probes
Last week, US state attorneys general, led by Texas and New York, announced investigations into Google and Facebook for possible antitrust violations, accusing them of using their control of the flow of information to monopolize advertising revenue, eliminating potential competitors and putting newspapers across the world out of business. There are also important investigations, hearings or cases by enforcers in Germany, France, the European Union, Israel, India, Singapore, Russia, Mexico and Australia, among others. Matt Stoller, a fellow at the Open Markets Institute, wrote in the Guardian that such actions, if successful, could restore the strength of democratic institutions – with the side-effect of restoring the flow of advertising to the people who do the work to earn it. 
The Guardian

Duke and Duchess of Sussex labelled ‘PR disaster’ for Royal Family
Lady Colin Campbell, author of several books about the Royal Family, said that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are “a public relations disaster” for Buckingham Palace. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle came under fire this summer when they took a private jet to travel to Ibiza, then onto Nice, despite the flight's carbon impact on the planet. “Their message should be, ‘Look how fortunate we are to embody the hopes and aspirations of the nation,’ ” Campbell complained. “Instead, they are acting like the emperor and empress of America, saying they are far too grand to travel commercial.”
Fox News

Technology

World’s Biggest Coffee Morning relying on AI
Macmillan Cancer Support is leveraging artificial intelligence technology (AI) across social media channels to boost supporter recruitment for this year’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning fundraising event. This is the second consecutive year that Macmillan has worked with Automated Creative, founded in 2018 by Tom Ollerton, former innovation director at social media agency We Are Social.
Fundraising

Ogilvy to lead Mikimoto's digital transformation
Japanese luxury jeweller Mikimoto engaged Ogilvy to run its digital transformation drive. Ogilvy, which has 132 offices in 83 countries internationally, will transform the brand’s global web and e-commerce experiences, and a team will assist the luxury retailer to simplify its digital strategy, technology and design to enhance the customer experience.
Retail Insight

And finally… 

Paper lampoons 'apocalypse survival' police PR campaign
The Dundee Evening Telegraph lampooned a police PR campaign by offering readers the chance to win a bag which would help them survive in a “post-apocalyptic wasteland.” Police Scotland ran a social media campaign highlighting September being “preparedness month”, urging people to have a “grab bag” at hand containing essential items, which met with widespread bemusement from the public. The Evening Telegraph ran a piece in response reading: "You’ll be the envy of the post-apocalyptic wastelands as you enjoy a variety of basic human requirements such as clean socks, toiletries and a bottle of water. As an added luxury, we’ve even thrown in some batteries and a special Evening Telegraph portable phone charger.”
Hold The Front Page

This briefing has been prepared by Early Morning Media.  If you are interested in a customised bespoke news briefing for you or your client across any vertical, please contact Charles.Webster@earlymorningmedia.co.uk

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