Harari Page has won the ú1m Direct from Framlington financial services advertising account, after a four-way pitch involving GGT, Edwards Martin Thornton and French Hall Walton Wiggins.

Initiative Media, the Lintas Worldwide media operation, is seeking an executive chairman following the promotion of planning director Tony Manwaring, to the position of managing director to replace outgoing chief executive Adam Stanhope. Manwaring, who will control day-to-day running of the company, will report to the new chairman and to Marie-Jos Forissier, chair of Initiative […]

WH Smith is to launch a new format in its high-street stores using a “project-based” approach which, it believes, has bolstered its ailing subsidiary, Do It All. In a new move under the “Project Enliven” review, WH Smith will group products under themed headings such as “Education” and “Home Office.” These could replace traditional sections […]

Mirror Group and ITV are in stalemate over ITV’s refusal to broadcast ads promoting the Mirror’s Big Break game card promotion (MW last week). Mirror Group is understood not to have pushed further its threat of legal action. Carlton UK Sales managing director Martin Bowley says ITV still has no intention of screening the ads […]

Commercial radio consolidated its audience gains of the past two years between October and December, despite a continued decline in all radio (including the BBC) weekly reach, according to Rajar data published this week. All commercial radio’s weekly reach rose year-on-year to 60 per cent of all UK adults (57 per cent), although its 49 […]

Maurice Saatchi’s continuing association with the highest echelons of the Tory party was confirmed yesterday when he was seen visiting 12 Downing Street – the office of the Government chief whip. Speculation has been rife in political circles that the New Saatchi Agency will spirit the Conservative account away from Saatchi & Saatchi. The Conservative […]

Talk Radio, with its line-up of `controversial’ presenters, is causing some concern in the industry. Is it planning a shockjock format for its listeners?

After years of decay in stuffy courtrooms, judges have been let loose on an unsuspecting public. In the supermarket, on the tube, at the football match – is nowhere sacred?

The story on npd, “Boxing clever” (MW January 20), says “Designers are united in a plea for more rigorously defined and executed research.” It quotes Mark Wickens as saying “Most designers hate research because they think it screws up their pack designs.” If designers took a more positive attitude towards research they would realise it […]

Dairy firm St Ivel is relaunching its ú60m Shape yogurt brand and is backing the move with its biggest advertising campaign for three years.

When it comes to running British business, the players in the boardrooms should be accountable to the public, not layers of regulatory bureaucrats.

Golden Wonder has appointed its first marketing director – hot snacks director Tony Hillyer. Hillyer joined Golden Wonder last year from Bass, where he was new product development director (MW June 26) and had been responsible for the relaunch of Tango. His brief at the food firm was to take responsibility for the commercial development […]

The cover story “Vying for Promotion” (MW January 6) resurrected the long fought battle between manufacturers and retailers. I would like to add a new approach to the power war where “manufacturers pay and retailers benefit” – co-operation. Millions of pounds are spent building retail brand images and many retailers now see themselves as brands […]

A Carat Research survey says that 90 per cent of advertisers are against total deregulation of commercial airtime and 70 per cent believe an increase in commercial minutage would increase advertising clutter. The companies surveyed represented 25 per cent of total TV expenditure. Reuters and Fox Television are to develop a TV news service in […]