McCann-Erickson’s newly formed youth division, Magic Hat, has been appointed by Bacardi-Martini to produce bespoke music tracks to promote Martini. The tracks will also be sold commercially worldwide. Magic Hat intends to create a music sound that is immediately associated with Martini and is owned by the drink makers. This contrasts with ads like Peugeot […]
Times are so hard for trade hacks, they have been selling intimate details of their tedious lives to whoever will print them. One such figure, recently promoted to editor of a leading ad fanzine, was apparently so desperate, he sold the story of his wedding to glossy magazine Bride. It turned out to be quite […]
Ad agencies hoping to get to grips with Sunday Express deputy editor Ian Birrell as he and editor Sue Douglas look for a new shop would be well advised to heed a word of advice from The Diary. According to industry sources, many years ago Birrell could be found slaving away as a junior hack […]
Associated Newspapers is continuing its move into standalone magazines with a new women’s title launching in May. Vitality, a beauty and health magazine, will be sold under the Mail on Sunday’s You masthead from May 9. The glossy will have a print run of 150,000 and a cover price of 1.95. It will be promoted […]
The macho doll Action Man, celebrating his 30th birthday this year, is being given his own TV show, starring Gladiator Mark Griffin as the hero. BSkyB is running the part animation, computer graphics and live action series on its Sky One channel from April 7. A spokesman for the Hasbro toy, first launched at a […]
GWR, the big commercial radio group, is expanding abroad. It may be wise to look at how foreign buyers in this country have fared. Torin Douglas is BBC Radio’s media correspondent
Midland Bank is slashing the annual interest rates of its affinity credit cards in an attempt to boost flagging take-up rates. The rate of the three cards it runs – National Trust, Care card and the Arts card – has come down from 23 per cent to 18 per cent per year. An affinity card […]
UK cable and satellite programming group Flextech has launched its sales department as an independent sales house to represent Flextech-managed and independent channels. The move follows Flextech’s acquisition of 61 per cent of The Family Channel, which it will now overhaul to improve performance. Airtime sales for The Family Channel will be handled by Flextech’s […]
Barclaycard will massively upgrade its discount scheme for air travel next week in a move observers say puts it in direct competition with British Airways’ highly successful Air Miles scheme. Barclaycard holders will be able to use the points-based discount scheme Profiles to fly to 250 destinations worldwide, compared with the previous limit of just […]
David Sainsbury is taking a further step back from the running of Sainsbury’s supermarket stores, with the creation of a new structure. Sainsbury, whose family has a 40 per cent stake in the group, relinquished the role of chief executive in a management reshuffle in January, but remained chairman. Now the chain has formed the […]
Procter & Gamble in Britain is expected to instruct all its advertising agencies to use no more than two production companies for its 150m-plus advertising business.
With one successful theme park under its belt, an army of loyal junior enthusiasts and a trusted family brand image, Lego is about to cash in on its latest enterprise – Legoland Windsor, which opens to the public this week.
News round-up gives readers an at-a-glance overview of this month’s customer loyalty news.
Scratchcard operator Scratch ‘n Win is poised to launch the Keno instant on-line lottery game, in a move that could change the face of gambling in Britain. Keno draws are announced every ten to 15 minutes on TV screens in pubs, betting shops and large retail outlets. Players choose up to ten numbers between one […]
To offer vouchers or not to offer vouchers. That is the question. Marketers recognise they must reward customer loyalty in some way but are split on whether to offer incentives, or simply keep prices down as low as they can. Simon Rines reports The popularity of loyalty programmes as a marketing tool has made them […]