Just 1% of UK food ad spend may be affected by HFSS restrictions
New UK restrictions on advertising foods high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) may end up covering only a small fraction of the market, according to analysis from Nesta. It suggests as little as 1% of total food and drink ad spend could ultimately fall within the scope of the regulations once brands shift budgets into unregulated channels.
The research finds UK food and drink advertising spend reached around £2.4bn in 2024, with only 8% (£190m) currently covered by the rules banning paid online ads and pre-9pm TV advertising for certain HFSS products. However, once companies adapt their strategies, the share of spend affected could drop to around £20m, or roughly 1% of total ad investment.
Loopholes in the policy are likely to drive these shifts, it says. Over a third (36%) of food and drink ad spend (£824m) is already brand-focused and exempt from the restrictions, while the rules also exclude owned media such as brand social accounts and direct marketing, as well as channels like outdoor advertising.
Source: Nesta
One in four gamers expect to prioritise gaming over social media
Gaming is increasingly competing with social media for people’s attention. According to Dentsu’s Ready Player Brand report, more than two thirds (70%) of UK adults now engage with gaming, with over half playing daily, highlighting just how mainstream gaming has become.
The report also signals a potential long-term shift in attention. One in four gamers say they expect to spend less time on social media over the next five years to make more time for gaming, suggesting the channel could increasingly compete with traditional social platforms for engagement.
Gaming is also beginning to rival other entertainment formats. One in five players say they will prioritise gaming over streaming TV and movies, underlining its growing role not just as a pastime but as a central environment for media consumption, community and culture.
Source: Dentsu
Two thirds of UK consumers to use AI for purchase decisions
AI is rapidly becoming part of the shopping journey, particularly in the research and discovery phase. A majority (64%) of UK consumers expect to use AI to help inform purchase decisions in the coming year.
Many shoppers are already using AI tools while browsing. Over half (57%) of UK shoppers use AI for research, while 42% use it for product discovery and 40% for finding prices and deals, suggesting AI assistants are increasingly influencing early-stage consideration.
Trust appears strongest when AI compares options across retailers. Some 55% of UK shoppers say side-by-side price and availability comparisons across multiple retailers would increase trust in an AI assistant, while just over half (51%) say they would trust an AI tool to find the best price on a multi-retailer comparison platform, compared with over a third (37%) on a single retailer site.
Source: Criteo
Marks & Spencer leads February surge in brand conversations
Marks & Spencer generated the biggest rise in consumer conversations in February, according to YouGov BrandIndex data tracking word of mouth.
The retailer saw conversation levels increase by 5.91 percentage points, rising from 25.77% on 4 February to 31.68% by 28 February.
Amazon (+5.20 points) and Nescafé (+3.94 points) also recorded notable increases in discussion over the month, making them the brands driving the second and third biggest shifts in real-world consumer conversations.
Source: YouGov
Nearly three quarters of SMEs say rising marketing costs hit profits
Around three quarters (72%) of small and medium-sized businesses in the US say rising marketing and advertising costs negatively impacted their profits in January, according to a survey by content platform Website Builder Expert
Some businesses are responding by cutting marketing activity altogether. Just over one in 10 (11%) of SMEs say reducing marketing and advertising spend is a priority, with 49% of those making cuts of 11% or more, including 17% reducing budgets by over 20%.
The pressure is also influencing wider business decisions. A third (34%) of SMEs reviewing software spend are focusing specifically on marketing tools, while over a fifth (22%) of hiring freezes affect sales and marketing teams, suggesting tightening budgets are reshaping both marketing investment and staffing.
Source: Website Builder Expert