With VAT set to rise to 20% in 2011, the retail sector will welcome the news that online sales jumped by 22% in May, compared to 2009 levels.

The online market has become a key sector for businesses, in part due to the financial limitations imposed by the recession. Companies have found marketing and selling their products online to be a very cost effective way of generating revenue and attracting customers, with the latest figures showing that shoppers spent £4.5bn online during May alone.

The research, conducted by the International Media Retail Group (IMRG) found that companies who utilised a range of sales channels had the most success. For example, retailers with both physical stores and online facilities saw year-on-year sales rise by 28%, compared with a rise of just 1% for online-only retailers. (more…)

Brands have been queuing up to align themselves to the World Cup, as spending on marketing campaigns looks set to top over £1bn by the end of the tournament.

But is this money well spent? While promotional tie-ins have long since provided a golden opportunity for advertisers to tap into the public’s interest, it seems companies are ignoring basic marketing principles in their haste to capitalise on the tournament.

With this in mind, The Rocket Marketing Group present three examples of common ‘Own Goals’ to avoid when promoting your product during the World Cup. (more…)