The EU plans to stub out smoking by forcing tobacco companies to be more candid about their products. Warnings will take up more pack space and the terms ‘light’ and ‘ultra’ will be banned. But, given the strong brands in the sector, the indus
The Tobacco Manufacturers’ Association (TMA) is considering taking legal action following the European Union’s (EU) new Directive on Tobacco Control. The directive, which was finalised during conciliation talks last week, will ban terms such as “light” and “ultra” from being used in tobacco branding. It will also require bold health warnings taking up to 40 […]
Digital TV operators are seeking to boost their revenues through interactive services, but viewers are more interested in channel choice and picture quality.
Negative political advertising is more likely to drive voters into the arms of the opposition than win votes, according to a survey by the Chartered Institute of Marketing. For every person who said that ads criticising other political parties persuaded them to vote for the party responsible for the advertising, another five found such ads […]
Richard Desmond, owner of Express Newspapers, launches a mailing campaign this week which he hopes will win back tens of thousands of readers in the latest round of a bitter circulation war with The Daily Mail. The promotion, which will target 1 million homes across the UK, asks: “Why have a second-class mail when you […]
British meat has gone from one crisis to another. First BSE ran rampant, devastating stocks of British Beef, then, just as the industry began to recover, came foot-and-mouth. Once the present meat crisis is over, how can consumers be persuaded
Some people never learn from their mistakes, do they? Take the arrogance of Boo.com. The fashion website which went bust last May, is holding a glitzy New York dance night to mark its resurgence, with new backers, as “the only Internet company to successfully rise from the ashes of dot-com death”. The company, resurrected by […]
The BBC has appointed Christine Madden to head up marketing at BBC1, with a brief to create a marketing strategy for the station to compete effectively with ITV. Madden, who will join the BBC at the end of April, is marketing manager of Granada Sky Broadcasting, where she is responsible for Granada Plus, Granada Breeze […]
Just when I thought I was the only bemused NTL customer I e-consumer (e-volve February 22). I think it’s fair to say that most of us were reeled in by NTL’s brand-busting promise of unmetered Internet access when it broke into the market as a key ISP and telecommunications player last year. Writing as a […]
Hollinger Telegraph New Media has appointed Clare Bolton as the first marketing chief of its online network, Telegraph.co.uk. Bolton’s appointment follows the launch of Telegraph.co.uk’s new sports and travel sites(MW February 15), which marked the first phase of the online newspaper’s redevelopment. Specialist channels for money, motoring, jobs and news will be launched over the […]
Haircare giant Wella has awarded its global advertising business to Koblenz-based Select Communications. The account is understood to be worth $100m (&£68m). Wella’s UK incumbent was Abbott Mead Vickers.BBDO. It is not clear whether the &£6.8m UK business will be transferred to Select. In markets where Select has no offices the campaign will be adapted […]
A survey of fingers offers the enticing prospect of spotting potential sports stars from the womb. Iain Murray wonders if some things are best left as mysteries.
Scottish Power has pulled out of schemes to supply financial services and telecoms to its customers, and is to concentrate on selling electricity and gas. Sonoo Singh discovers that not all companies share its pessimism.
Mankind, a male grooming mail-order company, will be launched in the UK later this month. Claiming to be the first company of its kind in the UK, Mankind will offer a choice of premium male grooming products, supported by a website at mankindonline.co.uk. Mankind will target affluent, professional men aged 25 to 55, with an […]
The Times has teamed up with trendy Soho bar Lab to launch an interactive CD-Rom guide to making cocktails. The CD-Rom was the brainchild of Lab owner Douglas Ankrah and will enable users to visit some of London’s most exclusive cocktail bars and pick up tips from the most popular “mixologists” or bartenders. It will […]