Scandinavian homewares retailer JYSK has appointed MediaVest Manchester to handle its media planning and buying business ahead of its launch in the UK this spring. The first shops are due to open in Mansfield and Lincoln. JYSK is the second Scandinavian retailer to come to the UK after rival homewares chain Ilva, which launched in […]
Microsoft may turn its attention to Facebook after Yahoo! rejected its $44.6bn (£22.4bn) takeover bid. Microsoft bought a 1.6% stake in the social networking site for $240m (£120m) at the end of last year, valuing Facebook at $15bn (£7.6bn). Microsoft is thought to be considering its options after being rebuffed by Yahoo!, which said its […]
The Government is introducing emergency legislation to temporarily nationalise stricken high street bank Northern Rock. Trading in shares of the Newcastle-based bank has been also suspended. Chancellor Alistair Darling says he has made the decision because two private takeover offers did not offer the taxpayer “sufficient value for money”. Virgin Money, the financial services brand […]
Behavioural targeting could be a goldmine for online marketers, however issues of privacy are providing significant hurdles. By Catherine Turner
An advert showing Kerry Katona tied to her husband in a straightjacket has come under fire for ridiculing mental illness. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has received three complaints about the poster ad for her new reality show Crazy in Love and is considering whether to investigate. Crazy in Love, which will be shown on […]
Gold Radio, the GCap Media classic hits network, has scrapped its marketing team, including chief marketer Grant Brookes. The move follows the announcement earlier this week that the radio group is planning to scale back the network as part of a dramatic cost-cutting plan. Brookes, head of marketing and partnerships for the group, will leave […]
Bauer Radio has promoted Sarah Hyatt-Williams to head of marketing for Magic 105.4. She replaces Nicola Thomson, who is joining Global Radio, as the station’s top marketer. Hyatt-Williams joined Magic in June 2006 as marketing manager, having previously been an account manager at the now defunct HHCL & Partners. Magic was bought by Bauer as […]
GMG Radio is planning to extend its Rock Radio brands with the launch of two new stations later this year. A digital-only station in the north-east will launch in April and will be followed by an FM station in Manchester in May. The news of the digital-only station comes in the same week as GCap […]
Clear Channel Communications, the US media group, has reported a 52% increase in earnings for the fourth quarter of last year, which it puts down to strong growth in its international outdoor sales. The company says revenues for its outdoor division, for the year to December 31, were up 13% to $3.3bn (£1.67bn). Overall revenues […]
Snack brand Fruitus is relaunching with revamped packaging and new product variants. The relaunch is being supported by an ad campaign that will break next month. The Lyme Regis Fine Foods-owned brand has introduced a “Fruitus tree” brand icon and now uses recycled packaging as part of a push to underline its organic credentials. The […]
BT, Virgin Media and TalkTalk have signed up to a new service that allows them to provide users with targeted adverts. The three companies will use a new online advertising platform called the Open Internet Exchange (OIX), which monitors every website that a user visits in order to serve customers with more relevant advertising. The […]
Seat Sport UK, the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) team, has appointed Dave Ward (pictured) as race team manager. Ward, who worked with the 1996 championship winning Audi team, returns to the BTCC after a ten-year absence. Ward has spent the past two years in the Australian V8 Supercar, where he was team manager at […]
The number of people reading broadsheets is down while the number of tabloid and freesheet readers has increased, according to the latest National Readership Survey (NRS) figures. The Guardian’s readership dropped by 10% in the 12 months to December, although The Sun and Daily Star figures increased by 3%. The Independent’s readership is down 2% […]
The celebrity weeklies market is showing signs of strain with EMAP’s Closer and Heat taking a beating from the mid-market OK! Magazine. OK! has overtaken the two titles with a whopping 22.7% increase in circulation in the July to December 2007 ABCs. The title has gone up 9.5% year-on-year to a circulation of 683,451 copies […]
Packaged goods giant Mars will become the first advertiser to sell actual products on Facebook, a move aimed at building the commercial credentials of the social network. The deal follows the recent backlash around the launch of Facebook’s Beacon, an advertising platform that allowed brands to pump ads without user consent. Facebook was forced to […]