Politics

This year, only one in five shoppers are leaving their Christmas shopping until December, write Neil Valentine and Jennifer Fisher of Ipsos Marketing in Brand Republic.

When it comes to customer loyalty schemes, marketers are starting from a position of strength, writes Simon Atkinson in Brand Republic.

Tara Beard-Knowland writing in Campaign Magazine analyses how the frequency of John Lewis Christmas ad appearing on our TV screens could lead to too much of a good thing.

The November Reuters/Ipsos Political Monitor shows Labour increase their lead in the polls and just 15% believe the economy will improve in the next 12 months.

Concern about unemployment rises to highest level this century, and concern about Europe/EU is now highest in over six years (though mentioned by fewer than one in ten)

Mothercare has suffered a tough 2011 with profit warnings and falling sales. It needs to do more to get parents back on side, says Laura Furniss, development manager, Ipsos.

Economic optimism is at a three year low but Londoners are less pessimistic about the nation's future than those living elsewhere in Great Britain.

Bobby Duffy in the Sunday Times writes that given our national concern about immigration, the government has reason to be concerned following the UK Border Agency row.

Louise Brice of Ipsos ASI writes in Media Week on Steve Jobs as a brand guardian at Apple and how a single minded vision, delivered across platforms, is the key to successful advertising.