The Mail Online is continuing to make ground on market leader Guardian.co.uk, according to the latest ABCe figures. Telegraph.co.uk also recorded its biggest monthly increase, while the Mirror Group attracted 4.4 million unique users to its recently relaunched website – its first recorded monthly figure. While Guardian.co.uk was down 4.18% to 18.7 million unique users […]
Retail sales showed a bigger fall than expected in March, according to the Office of National Statistics. Figures show that sales dipped by 0.4% over the month as concerns about the economy continued to grow. Despite the drop for March, the figures also show that sales were 2% higher over the first three months of […]
Alcohol producers and retailers across Europe are planning to launch a marketing campaign to encourage responsible consumption of alcohol. It will be the first time a Europe-wide campaign has run highlighting the dangers of alcohol. The decision follows a meeting last week in Brussels by the European Alcohol and Health Forum, formed last year to […]
I-Level is thought to be close to selling a stake in the agency to private equity group ECI. The independent digital media specialist has been in talks with potential suitors since launching a strategic review of the business in October last year. It is not clear how much ECI will pay but it is likely […]
The Co-operative has signed rugby league stars Jon Wilkin and Robbie Paul as brand ambassadors. The two will appear in marketing activity focusing on the Co-op’s sponsorship of rugby league. Wilkin and Paul will be integrated into campaigns designed to reinforce the Co-op’s “Good for Everyone” positioning. Wilkin is a current Great Britain international and […]
Consumer watchdog Energywatch and a coalition of charities and trade unions have slammed Ofgem’s fuel poverty summit for “ducking big issues”. The campaigners say yesterday’s (April 23) summit lacked focus on achieving the Government’s fuel poverty targets. The coalition says the Ofgem summit “failed to commit” to effective actions to reduce fuel poverty and omitted […]
Vodafone has pledged to cut its carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 50% by 2020. The mobile giant will introduce solar-powered phone charges and overhaul its network technologies as part of the move. Vodafone already offers solar-powered charges in the Netherlands and is now planning to bring them to other markets, although no UK launch date […]
Former Boots marketer Andrew Brent has been drafted in by the Department of Health (DoH) to run its £75m anti-obesity advertising pitch. His appointment as director of obesity campaigns marks the first time the DoH has sought help from a high-profile marketer. Brent, who has already taken over the role, will meet agencies next week. […]
Online word of mouth has become a much more widely used source of information, but marketers should pay attention to what is being said about their brands offline as well as on the internet Marketers are keen to leverage word of mouth (WOM) in their campaigns but they need to bear in mind that there […]
Amid concerns about asset stripping following a multi-million pound takeover last year
Can Sex And The City or the US marines remove advertising to women from hackneyed appeals to vanity and cynical exploitation of insecurity? Back in the Fifties, marketing in the US was a simple, unsophisticated affair. There were three major national television networks alongside clearly defined regional newspapers and local radio stations. In that world […]
Aviva has confirmed that it will axe the historic Norwich Union insurance brand 10 months after incoming group chief executive Andrew Moss first mooted the plan. The move marks the final phase of its strategy to use the Aviva name as its global consumer brand. The insurance company’s Commercial Union Poland and Hibernian brands will […]
Public sector bodies that use gift vouchers as incentives for employees and service users say the tactic creates a stronger link between the reward and activity than cash payments. By David Benady Voucher mania is hitting the UK’s public services. Schools, hospitals and other public bodies are taking a lead from the private sector and […]
As economic storm clouds gather, Vincent Bollor禳 group looks as if it has no choice but to dig in for the long term in its siege of Aegis, says Bob Willott
What happens when the celebratory added-value theme permeating your brand positioning suddenly turns sour? Answer: you kick your ad agency in the teeth by calling a review after eight successful years. Gratitude, of course, has little place in business. Candour does, sometimes. The mealy-mouthed lack of it coming out of the Halifax marketing department about […]