Month: January 2009

DMGT sells Evening Standard to Lebedev for 1

Marketing Week

The Daily Mail & General Trust has agreed to sell a majority stake in Evening Standard to Lebedev Holdings, a company formed Russian billionaire Alexander Lebedev and his son, Evgeny, for 1. The deal was announced this morning (January 21).

easyJet loses commercial chief to private equity firm

Marketing Week

EasyJet chief commercial officer Saad Hammad is leaving the budget airline after just over three years to become European managing director at private equity firm Gores Group. The airline says that it is seeking a replacement. Hammad, who has previously held senior brand, sales and marketing roles at Procter & Gamble, Thorn EMI and Vision […]

Coke GB promotes two heads of brand

Marketing Week

Coca-Cola Great Britain has promoted two key brand directors, Paul Woodward and Bobby Brittain. The pair will move to senior roles at international divisions of the company. Woodward, brand director for adult and performance beverages, has been promoted to general manager of Coca-Cola Sweden. He has been with Coke GB for two and half years […]

Riley is handed top Pernod Ricard post

Marketing Week

Pernod Ricard has appointed Chivas Brothers international marketing director Martin Riley as its top global marketer. Riley will take over from Jean-Paul Richard as vice-president of marketing for the spirits company. Richard is retiring after 35 years with Pernod Ricard. It is thought to be the first time that French-owned Pernod Ricard has appointed a […]

The Independent considers Life supplement axe

Marketing Week

The Independent is considering axing its Independent Life supplement just four months after it was introduced. The supplement replaced the Extra section, which includes its features on weekdays, and was launched to complement the paper’s switch to a full colour newspaper in September last year. Independent Life has specific daily focuses – on Mondays, style […]

Fiat signs tie-up with Chrysler

Marketing Week

Fiat has agreed a deal with Chrysler to form a strategic partnership with the struggling Detroit automaker. The deal would see Fiat take a stake of up to 35% in US-owned Chrysler and help it launch a series of smaller electric models over the next five years. The deal would enable Chrysler to proceed with […]

IPC names Boyle as Innovator ad head

Marketing Week

IPC has appointed Declan Boyle as ad director of its insert and direct sales division, Innovator. He joins from direct mail agency Lloyd James Group. Boyle has been appointed to “reposition” the division’s creative offering to clients and will report to IPC Advertising central sales group advertisement director, Ali Deas. He replaces Dan Handscomb, who […]

OFT warns against misleading gym marketing

Marketing Week

The Office of Fair Trading is warning consumers to beware of misleading marketing tactics by gyms. The regulator is urging people to check carefully before signing any contracts. The OFT warning comes during the peak season for gyms with many consumers looking to stick to New Year’s resolutions to get fit. The regulatory body says […]

Comet reports “strong post Christmas sales performance”

Marketing Week

Electricals retail group Kesa, owner of high street chain Comet in the UK, posted a smaller than expected drop in sales for the period between November 1 to January 8. Like-for-like sales at Comet dropped by 2.5%. Despite the fall, chief executive Jean-Noel Labroue says Comet delivered a “particularly strong post-Christmas sales performance” despite “very […]

Wetherspoon’s cuts pub openings to repay loan

Marketing Week

JD Wetherspoon has scrapped plans for new pub openings and axed its dividend. The move comes amid fears the pub chain will not be able to re-arrange a loan of £100m that is due in September. In a trading statement, chief executive and founder, Tim Martin, says the company, which runs more than 700 pubs […]

Lonely Planet signs first TV sponsorship

Marketing Week

Lonely Planet, the global travel information provider, will sponsor a strand on rebranded factual channel Eden, owned by UKTV. The deal marks Lonely Planet’s first UK TV sponsorship. The sponsorship, which covers the channel’s Adventure & Exploration strand, will mark Eden’s rebrand from UKTV Documentary on January 26. The Adventure & Exploration strand will run […]

Microsoft to appeal EC objection

Marketing Week

Microsoft is planning to appeal against a European Commission objection against Internet Explorer being included in its Windows package. The EC is investigating whether the software company is breaching competition laws by including the browser on PCs †as standard. The EC issued a statement of objection on January 17 following a complaint in 2007 from […]