The new director general of the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising, Hamish Pringle, certainly can’t be faulted on the “vision thing”. A single trade body, representing the interests of all marketing services disciplines, could indeed provide formidable leverage in the corridors of power, which echo at present to the myriad patter of tinier feet, promoting […]
Channel 5 has struck a deal with the RAC for the breakdown service to sponsor its 9pm movie slot next year. It has been reported that Channel 5 was seeking up to &£2.5m for the sponsorship. The deal, which is the biggest in Channel 5’s history, will give the RAC sponsorship credits at the beginning […]
Hasbro has appointed a former marketing chief of rival toy manufacturer Mattel to head its UK marketing. Melanie Stubbing joins Hasbro UK in January as business head for toys and games, with responsibility for marketing in the UK. She replaces Mike McCulloch, who left the company last month ahead of a restructuring of the UK […]
Despite losing an estimated £10m last year, the Observer is attracting readers and advertisers at an enviable rate. How does it do it?
Consumer postal services watchdog Postwatch is planning to run a consumer brand awareness campaign and is looking for an ad agency to handle the business. Postwatch held initial talks with Consignia about running a brand awareness campaign in post offices, but the plan was aborted. The body, which launched in March, aims to protect, promote […]
Lego has signed a deal with entertainment software company Electronic Arts (EA) for the marketing and publishing of software titles for next-generation games consoles. The toy company’s Lego Media division already publishes games such as Lego Creator Harry Potter available on PC CD-Rom and Gameboy formats, but the agreement will enable Lego software to be […]
BT has teamed up with a writer and a director of Goodness Gracious Me to produce an ad campaign in Hindi aimed at the Asian community. The move is part of a strategy to target different community groups. It is also part of a concerted attempt by BT to move away from a perception that […]
More Austrian shop assistants are complaining about having to listen to festive music for long periods in the run-up to Christmas, according to trade union Gewerkschaft der Privatangestellte in Ãâsterreich (GPO). Austria’s chamber of commerce maintains that the use of such music is ‘essential’ to put shoppers and shop assistants ‘in the mood’.
The Billett Consultancy’s annual survey of clients’ advertising spend has revealed that total media budgets are set to rise by 1.4 per cent next year, indicating that the current downturn will flatten out. But Billett Consultancy managing director Andy Pearch warns: “As yet there is no evidence of renewed buoyancy.” Billett’s clients together spend &£1.8bn […]
Following intervention from the Government on their behalf, Internet service providers (ISPs) have escaped being defined as publishers of advertising in the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill. The decision is an important victory for ISPs, which argue that they are conduits to websites run by third parties. Under the Bill, it will be illegal for […]
The Demise Of Swissair And Its Belgian Sister Company Sabena Means More Than Just Disruption For European Business Travellers, It Spells The End Of Two Nations’ Flag Carriers, Says John Shannon
Coca-Cola Great Britain & Ireland’s much-vaunted Harry Potter promotional deal has failed to boost the company’s share of the cola category in the UK, despite its US parent paying out a massive £95m to AOL Time Warner to be the film’s sole glo
After criticisms of public alienation, the Government is trying a new tack to jolt people into changing their health and safety habits. By Åse Hedberg
What was the point of Sean Brierley’s piece on advertising in a recession (MW December 6)? If it was to point out the inadequacy of advertising on its own to pull inadequate brands through a recession, then I agree wholeheartedly. Advertising is one tool to help brands compete – it is not a panacea. Advertising […]
Contrary to popular opinion, the decision makers of the IT world aren’t Blofeld-style megalomaniacs bent on world domination, but real people, says George Pitcher