Twenty years ago it was the first independent mobile phone shop but now Carphone Warehouse is facing tough competition. Rufus Jay reports on how it is diversifying its services to stay ahead
The property ladder is becoming increasingly hard for young people to get a footing on, and many more are being forced to rent or live with their parents as property prices soar beyond their reach
Argos owner Home Retail Group has reported an unexpected pick-up in sales in the last eight weeks of the year, due to buoyant video game sales and the earlier timing of Mother’s Day. However, the group, which also owns Homebase, says a weakening outlook for consumer spending would limit growth in the year ahead. Home […]
Media Planning Group has scooped the 20m Nationwide media account from incumbent Mediaedge:cia, which had held the business for 12 years. Head of brand strategy Peter Gandolfi says MPG’s digital credentials were “key” to the appointment.
Dailymotion, the video sharing website, has appointed former Google managing director Kate Burns (pictured) to the same role. It is the first time that the site, a competitor to YouTube, has had a managing director. She will be charged with improving brand awareness of the site and driving visitors to it. Burns will report to […]
The loss of Wonderbra, a string of different owners in quick succession and a changed market has stripped Gossard of any personality, but plans are afoot for a major comeback. By Caroline Parry
If the level of public interest in reducing plastic bag usage is anything to go by, brands are going to have to get used to demonstrating their environmentally responsible credentials to consumers
Ryanair and the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) are locked in a bitter row over airline ticket pricing. The travel trade organisation has accused the airline of “fobbing off” the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) with its 1p flight promotions. The OFT ordered all airlines to make sure the ticket prices displayed on websites […]
The major social networking sites are suffering a slowdown in user numbers, with niche sites taking up the slack. But MySpace’s strong link to music may be enough to keep it on top, says Rufus Jay
A study reveals that marketers are beginning to realise the need for a variety of media channels, and that this requires better communication, teamwork and an awareness of the bigger picture
LoveFilm combines usable design with clever recommendations – a near perfect online service. Its DVD rental website contains lots of examples of usable design which other sites could learn from. When introducing a totally new concept, as LoveFilm…
YouTube has again become the UK’s most popular social media site, overtaking rival Wikipedia. MySpace has dropped from third to fifth place, recording a 9% dip in users, according to Nielsen Online. The research company recorded 10.4 million users of Google-owned YouTube in January, an increase of 56% from the same period last year. Wikipedia […]
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled in favour of Ryanair after it complained about rival airline Jet2.com’s “misleading” advertising. The Irish airline has itself frequently been in hot water with the watchdog over its controversial ad strategy. The watchdog has upheld complaints about two Jet2.com national press ads, which claim the airline offers the […]
The Business is to undergo its fourth major transformation since it launched a mere 12 years ago, this time under the auspices of its flourishing sister title, The Spectator. Camille Alarcon reports
The medicines and beauty market is thriving, but price-cutting and tougher competition from own-labels is forcing manufacturers to increase the number of premium launches in order to stave off margin erosion