Whilst September has seen major events in the UK such as a change in Prime Minister and the death of Queen Elizabeth II, and a new King, there has also been major activity in the world of digital across various sectors. These include a podcast addition to a major social media platform, ecommerce integration to a household streaming service and a new digital trading platform. 

So, what’s been making the rounds in the headlines throughout September? Let’s take a look: 

A NEW digital trading platform

Nectar360, which manages the Sainsbury’s group retail media portfolio and owns the Nectar coalition loyalty programme, has launched a new self-service offering to support its digital trading platform (DTP) aspirations.

Nectar360 says that brands and agencies can launch digital media campaigns quickly and effectively, providing real-time optimisation and performance reporting, closing the loop on in-store and online sales. 

A press release stated: ““Nectar360’s DTP provides a one stop shop solution for clients and agencies looking to win at targeted digital marketing, whilst providing strong returns on advertising spend (ROAS).

Through this targeting, brands can use the wealth of permissioned data collected as part of Nectar’s loyalty programme. Nectar customer audiences can be easily and efficiently activated against in the self-service platform, complemented with performance insights delivered in real-time.”

TikTok is at the heart of Ecommerce strategies

There’s no doubt TikTok is one of the leading social media platforms since it’s launch in 2016; gaining rapid popularity in the last two years. As a result, brands are taking advantage of the rise of social commerce by placing TikTok at the heart of their Ecommerce strategies. 

According to the platform’s newly launched ‘Marketer’s Guide to TikTok’, one in four TikTok users globally say they have either researched a product or made a purchase after watching related content on the platform. 

“Make TikToks, not ads.” Is the advice from Nic Taylor, founder of skincare brand 47 Skin. 

“Tell them a story that’s relevant to their lives or what they’re going through – that’s what makes the platform thrive, it shouldn’t matter whether that content is coming from a brand or an organic user.”

Disney+ to launch in-app commerce by end of 2022

Since it’s launch in 2020, Disney+ has been the most successful at growing it’s number of subscribers in the UK, reaching 7.5 million subscribers in 2021, which is up 21% from 2020. In 2022, the platform currently has 152.1 million subscribers globally. 

According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, the platform is looking at ways for viewers to buy themed merchandise and accessories by scanning a QR code in the Disney+ app. The report indicates that Disney is looking to introduce these in-app commerce features later this year. Subscribers will be able to purchase merchandise from their favourite Disney+ titles and characters; such as exclusive subscriber-only items such as a Darksaber toy from the first Star Wars live-action series “The Mandalorian.”

Boots Plans Online Market for Beauty Brands in Digital Overhaul

Boots  are planning to start a new online marketplace for health and beauty products to upgrade the UK drugstore chain’s web offering amid increasing competition.

Boots currently has a website that sells some brands, which it says is the most-visited health and beauty website in the UK. The new marketplace would be much broader, offering more products spanning health, beauty, baby and wellness.

Podcasts are now on Twitter! 

Twitter announced that as part of its newly designed spaces tab, they will be adding podcasts to their platform. The new-look Spaces tab and the addition of podcasts is now available to a group of global English-speaking audience on iOS and Android starting today.

In a blog post, Twitter said the following: “Integrating podcasts into Spaces, where audio conversations happen on Twitter, is another way we’re continuing to invest in audio creators. To do this in a simple and intuitive way that allows listeners to simply hit play and go, we started with a redesigned audio experience in the Spaces Tab.”

97% of B2B buyers experience frustration in eCommerce purchasing process: Avionos study

A report by Aviono has suggested that B2B buyer expectations have elevated regarding basic capabilities like delivery and fulfilment. Other key findings in the report include:  
 

• 85% of B2B buyers would turn to a competitor if their supplier’s digital channel can’t keep up with their requirements.
• 97% of online buyers experience some sort of pain point during the eCommerce purchasing process because of suppliers’ tech solutions.

Unilever chief Alan Jope to retire next year

Unilever today announced that CEO Alan Jope has informed the Board of his intention to retire from the company at the end of 2023, after five years in the role. The Board will now proceed with a formal search for a successor and will consider both internal and external candidates.

Unilever Chairman Nils Andersen said: “Unilever has seen improved performance, enabled by its clear strategic choices and a significant company transformation. The Board will now conduct an orderly succession process and support Alan and the management team in further driving the performance of Unilever.

Meta is shutting down Facebook gaming app 

It looks like it’s the end of Facebook’s standalone gaming app. 

The gaming app will be shutting down on 28th October – two years after it’s initial launch. As a result, when users open the app, they will find a banner displayed notifying them of the app’s deactivation on the 28th. Consequently, it will not be available on Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.

“Despite this news, our mission to connect players, fans and creators with the games they love hasn’t changed, and you’ll still be able to find your games, streamers and groups when you visit Gaming in the Facebook app,” the notice read.