Large US companies are dashing to join the Web and develop online marketing strategies. But in the UK we still seem unsure that online information is really for us. A recent survey conducted on behalf of law firm Eversheds (MW October 30) reinforced suggestions that a toe-in-the-water approach is being adopted by most British businesses […]
Cost and time savings are driving growth in business conducted over the phone, with DRTV ads at the forefront. But there are still an alarming number of calls going unanswered.
Things have never been the same for diminutive comedian Ronnie Corbett since that famous duo The Two Ronnies split up. Without his big partner Ronnie Barker to turn to, the little funnyman has had to find gainful employment where he can – such as on annoying teatime quiz shows. But now the Diary can exclusively […]
Bacofoil, the brand leader in the foil market, is reviewing its 600,000 through-the-line account in preparation for a major brand push. Incumbent agency Willox Holmes Law will pitch against Butler Lutos Sutton Wilkinson, Marshalls Communication Group and Anthony Dumbreck & Partners. The initial brief will be to raise the brand profile for Bacofoil but it […]
Dalgety-owned Spillers Petfoods has centralised its 10m-plus media planning and buying account into BMP Optimum, following a four-way pitch. The win brings catfood and dogfood brands Felix, Arthur’s and Winalot, under one roof. BMP Optimum was the incumbent agency for dogfood, while the Network held the catfood business. Leo Burnett Media and TMD Carat also […]
Hamilton Direct Bank has appointed The Media Shop to handle the media account for its “affinity” unsecured loans, which are endorsed by a range of trade unions and employers. The appointment follows Hamilton’s switch of its annual 2.3m media spend on the Direct Bank’s “centralised” or standalone loans service to TMS in July. The account […]
Poster recognition was lower in this month’s survey than in any of the previous studies, with the leading executions – Amex and Palmolive – recognised by less than half the sample. O&M’s Patrick Collister (below, right) stresses the importance
Talk Radio has become the first UK commercial radio station to win the rights to broadcast live commentary of the 1998 World Cup. The winning of the licence breaks the exclusive hold that the BBC had on the competition. Talk Radio has targeted football over the past year. It has secured live coverage of the […]
With home use of PCs on the rise, manufacturers are in a position to clean up – if they make the effort to advertise in layman’s terms.
Ad campaigns by animal welfare groups can have a huge impact – but how far should they be allowed to go?
We imagine that radio station Kiss FM was flooded with calls from distraught teenagers last weekend. During a news bulletin on early Saturday morning, the sombre newsreader announced that the Spice Girls were officially splitting up, with Posh Spice embarking on a solo career in the new year. The Diary could not hide its relief. […]
Peter Roach, the managing director at loss-making DIY chains Homestyle and Fads, has quit to become director of marketing and international development at Boots. Roach will head marketing for the team, which is taking Boots health and beauty products outside the British Isles. It has already set up three stores in Holland and five in […]
Diageo – It’s ALL Greek to us. (Speaking for GrandMet and Guinness shareholders and stakeholders, everywhere). This is the name proposed for the GrandMet/Guinness merger. (The “vitality” of the name apparently echoes the pleasure which the brands give everyday to consumers everywhere. Hence Dia (Latin for “day”) and Geo (Greek for “world”).) At a purported […]
Yates’s Wine Lodges, the retail division of independent pub and drinks group Yates’s plc, is appointing a new marketing director in a drive to become a more retail-led operation. Julie Brook, former head of brands marketing for the Greenalls pub and restaurant division, has been ap-pointed to the new role. She will have a seat […]
Kim Deshayes, the chief executive of the English Rugby Partnership (ERP) – the body set up by leading clubs to give them a greater say in the sport – has resigned after only 18 months. Deshayes, along with his opposite number at the Rugby Football Union (RFU), the sport’s governing body, was responsible for bringing […]