Lloyds TSB has launched an integrated telephone, electricity and gas account under the sub-brand Ideal. The high street bank becomes the first in the UK to offer such an account. It has teamed up with Scottish Power and Cable & Wireless to provide the services, but the offering will be branded as a Lloyds TSB […]
Sponsorship can get a bit monotonous. Sport, buildings, people. And it’s not like being at school: companies can’t just pledge 50p and then pretend not to be in when it’s time to cough up the money. So you’d think that companies would jump at the chance to sponsor an interplanetary spaceship. Not so, it seems. […]
First the bad news: Dave Brunswick’s article opposite shows the sordid reality behind spam. His dogged determination to make supposedly blue-chip, legitimate marketing companies see the error of their ways is to be congratulated. Brunswick’s sleuthing has revealed the complete lack of control that even the biggest companies have over spam. By handing responsibility for […]
L’Oréal’s dermatological skincare range Vichy has been delisted by major retailer Boots following a disagreement concerning its distribution through the chain.
Omnicom has reported a two per cent increase in its net income for the second quarter of 2003 to £117m, up from £115m in the same period last year. Over the first six months of the year, net income increased by one per cent.
Media entrepreneur Chris Ingram has bought media planning agency Unity to become part of a new branding and communications consultancy called The Ingram Partnership. WWP Group-owned J Walter Thompson was in negotiations to acquire Unity until last month but talks collapsed (MW June 26). Ingram is investing £10m in the new venture, part of which […]
Book Tokens is rebranding for the first time in 72 years and being relaunched as National Book Tokens.The scheme took £30m last year.
The Food Commission has warned that the marketing of ‘junk food’ puts children at risk. It made the claims in a submission to the World Health Organisation as part of a consultation on a global strategy for diet and health.
Domestic appliances giant Electrolux Group is launching its vacuum cleaner range The Boss as a standalone floorcare brand. The value-for-money brand will be launched in stores in September. The Boss, which aims to be an entry-level range, will have six upright and six canister cleaners and prices will range from £29 to £89. The range […]
Companies considering sponsoring a sporting venue are playing a risky game, as they may not get all that they bargain for, says Daniel Thomas
The Financial Times posted a £15m operating loss for the first half of 2003, with income from ads down 18 per cent, pushing publisher Pearson into an operating loss of £1m. The FT is at the start of a month-long consultation period that will result in redundancies among its commercial staff.
Manufacturers will have to work hard to ensure that the exclusivity of luxury car brands is not diluted by their mass-market offering, says John Stones
Last month’s e-volve (MW June 26) reported that MPs have launched an all-party “spam summit” in an attempt to combat the problem of unsolicited e-mail. But where does this leave the multi-million pound e-mail marketing industry? Legitimate e-mail marketing and spam are worlds apart. But the unfortunate fact is that they are repeatedly thrown into […]
Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBoS) is launching a current account called “Extras” to challenge its larger rivals. As part of a package of benefits, customers who open an account will be given free Green Flag roadside assistance and European travel insurance, as well as discounts on other insurance products for as long as the account […]
Manchester United is said to be in talks with US gaming group MGM Mirage about the creation of a themed casino following the proposed deregulation of the gambling industry.