Nearly two-thirds (64%) of Britons who’ll watch the Olympics on TV will use an internet-connected device at the same time

Nearly two-thirds (64%) of Britons who’ll watch the Olympics on TV will use an internet-connected device at the same time – according to research from marketing technology experts RadiumOne.

Among the 64% of second-screeners, online activity unrelated to the Olympics will be the most popular activity (53% of second-screeners doing this), followed by online chat/Instant Messaging about the event they’re watching (31%), searching online for event-related information or chatting on the phone about what’s on (both 30%). 
 

Second-screen activities while watching Olympics on TV


Nearly all (97%) of Olympic TV viewers will watch it at home, much higher than the Euro 2016 football championships (58%). Only 20% plan to watch the Olympics at a pub, half that for the Euros (39%). 

TV Watching Locations - Olympics vs Euros

“The Olympics is much less of a social viewing experience than the Euros, which is good news for advertisers as attention is much more likely to be on the TV or a connected device than other people or surroundings,” says Craig Tuck, RadiumOne’s UK managing director. “Further good news is the large amount of second-screening enables sponsors and other advertisers looking to get in on the act to target viewers with a similar profile to the TV audience online during broadcasts, which they can’t do on TV as it’s on the BBC.”

Tuck points out the moments that matter most for connecting online and TV activity are the most popular Olympic broadcasts – the opening (watched by 71% of Olympic TV viewers) and closing (60%) ceremonies and the BBC highlights shows (56%). 

“In addition to these “moments”, individual events are also a great opportunity to tie online ads to the athletes taking part,” he says. “For example, Santander and Vitality Insurance can coordinate online ads with broadcasts of Jessica Ennis-Hill’s heptathlon events, who they sponsor, as could Puma and Virgin Media during Usain Bolt’s events.”

Are Men’s Feet Growing? ... Fiona Wyatt, Talking Men's Shoes

Walktall, a leading UK supplier of shoes for men with size 12+ feet, has released market intelligence that suggests men’s feet may be growing!

The company has monitored sales of large size footwear over the last decade. In 2006 the most popular shoe size for Walktall customers was 14, but in recent years sales of size 15 shoes have caught up. Now for the first time, sales of size 15 shoes have taken the lead, outselling size 14 footwear.

For more information and to sign up for news and offers by email visit www.walktall.co.uk

Trailers account for less than a quarter of films’ viral activity / RadiumOne

Trailers account for less than one quarter of content shared from film-related websites according to new research from marketing technology experts RadiumOne.

An analysis of over 262,000 instances of content shared from film-related sites revealed trailers account for just 23% of shares, behind film reviews (27%) but ahead of information about the cast (13%). Together, these three topics account for nearly two-thirds (63%) of film content shared.

BABYBJÖRN has launched a completely new website which includes, “This is LIFE” ezine.

Introducing BabyBjörn’s brand new website which includes an e-zine for parents, with contributions from bloggers and experts around the world.

Swedish, family-owned company, BabyBjörn has launched a new  website exclusively to the UK, with a unique design and many new functions. It contains a brand new editorial section  called “This is LIFE”  – a magazine for parents who have babies or toddlers, or are expecting a baby  containing useful, inspirational and informative content.. 

There is a mix of in-house produced features  and articles by specifically  invited guest writers, including bloggers and parents.

Women for Women : "A bra is the one thing you wear every day and how it makes you feel absolutely matters" / Avril Breen, Pragma Consulting

The UK lingerie market is up for grabs.  During the 1980s the market was dominated by Marks & Spencer, which held approximately 50% market share. However, this share has fallen to just 26% as the market place has become more fragmented and consumers’ preferences have changed.

Avril Breen, Pragma Consulting writes ...

Recently, we had the privilege of speaking to Janie Schaffer, former Chief Creative Officer at Victoria’s Secret, founder of Knickerbox and renowned 'Knicker Queen' about how she thinks the market has changed and what retailers could do to gain share in this increasingly saturated space.

Janie commented on the influx of fast fashion players into this category. Topshop, H&M and others have flooded the market in recent years by launching their own intimates ranges in a bid to tempt consumers to switch from necessity-driven lingerie purchases to building outfits with a lingerie base in mind.  Janie outlined how there appears to be a significant lack of conviction and dedication on behalf of fast fashion retailers to add an extra layer of expertise in this area, noting that, “no one retailer is giving a clear defined product offering.”  Indeed, without a clear focus or specialism, the full potential of this category has not yet been fully realised.


Since the 80s and 90s, average bra size has increased from a 34B to a bustier 36D. A changing shape brings about modified preferences. Women want to maximise their assets and as Janie highlighted, women “are becoming more sophisticated in the understanding of what technology can bring to the fitting of garments”. But sometimes the technology is lost and wasted in a sea of mass market cheap multi packs that are no strangers to small top drawers across the country. Such treatment can be contrasted sharply with the role it plays for the consumer: a bra is of course the one thing you wear every day and how it makes you feel absolutely matters. 

However, despite a clear need in the market, Janie told us that no retailer has been able to “match the communication of technology with the emotional purchase of a lingerie garment”. This has resulted in retailers losing out on upselling their quality products to lower-end providers like Primark.

Retailers could instead learn from specialist lingerie brands, like Ultimo and Wonderbra, who made their name through specific hero products that effectively communicated the benefits of the technology. Tapping into this emotional intimate form of self-expression is a tricky space, particularly for apparel brands.  They lack credibility as specialists and are essentially apparel-first retailers with lingerie as an afterthought.

The retailer which adopts a focused, no frills, specialist approach and focuses on expertly curating the right product will have a significant opportunity to gain share in this £2.5 billion market - and really get into the pants and drawers of consumers.