In-depth features, interviews and insights into marketing’s biggest issues.
The Local Radio Company is seeking new acquisitions after a positive year, which has seen it decrease its losses. The group, led by former Jazz Fm chief executive Richard Wheatly, has decreased its losses from £18.5m last year to £8.5m for the year to September 30. It reports a 5% dip in group turnover from […]
The Government will come under more pressure to introduce a total ban on advertising “junk” food on TV before 9pm today (December 4) with the introduction of a new private members bill. The bill, tabled by Labour MP Nigel Griffiths, proposes an outright ban on TV advertising before 9pm and further restrictions on non-broadcast advertising. […]
Channel 4 has poached Bob Shennan, the controller of BBC Radio Five, to head the launch of its three new digital stations. He will take over the director of radio job from Nathalie Schwarz, who has been promoted to the Channel 4 board as new business and corporate development director. Shennan will be responsible for […]
LMG, the owner of the Nectar and Airmiles loyalty schemes, has been bought by Canadian loyalty marketing company Aeroplan for £350m. LMG chairman Sir Keith Mills will step down from the company when the acquisition is complete. Rupert Duchesne, Aeroplan president and chief executive, says the move forms part of an acquisition strategy that will […]
Easy Living, the Cond矎ast-owned women’s monthly magazine, is launching a compact “eco edition” in response to reader demand for a convenient but green product. It claims it is the first glossy womens magazine to offer a environmentally friendlier paper option.
RKCR/Y&R has resigned the 20m Virgin Money account after nine years because of conflict fears over the brand’s ambitions to take over beleaguered bank Northern Rock. The WPP Group-owned agency also handles the 32m Lloyds TSB account.
Peter Erskine, the chairman and chief executive of mobile operator O2, announced he is leaving the company next year. Matthew Key, currently chief executive of 02 UK, has been named as his replacement. Erskine will step down from his role from 31 January 2008, but will retain a position on the board of Telefonica as […]
Dell has appointed WPP Group to its 2.2bn advertising business after a final shoot out against Interpublic Group. The three-year deal will see WPP create a new agency to service the business.
Creston, the marketing services group that owns Delaney Lund Knox Warren, is shifting its short-term focus from acquisition to organic growth due to the global economic uncertainty. Creston says it “remains committed to building the group both organically and acquisitively over the long-term” but that it is “mindful” of the current situation. It revealed the […]
Sony Computer Entertainment is understood to have appointed Interpublic Group-owned Deutsch to handle the £72m ($150m) advertising business for Playstation. It ends a 13-year relationship with incumbent TBWA/Chiat/Day. It is understood to have been in the final shoot-out between Deutsch and Seattle-based Publicis in the West. Venables Bell & Partner, which is based in San […]
O2 is looking to ramp up its offering in areas such as mobile advertising and internet protocol television (IPTV) by investing in entrepreneurial companies as part of a new venture capital programme. The initiative will see O2 parent company Telefonica make “strategic investments” in small, specialist businesses in three different sectors: mobile, fixed line (including […]
Sony Ericsson is thought to be close to sealing a sponsorship deal with the UEFA Champions League, marking its first move into football. The handset manufacturer is understood to have been in talks with TEAM, UEFA’s rights-selling agency, about becoming the official mobile partner of the Champions League. Insiders say that this would only be […]
Pritt, the Henkel-owned glue brand, is targeting mums and children with a new range of coloured glue sticks ahead of a brand revamp early next year. Rainbow Pritt Sticks launch early next month, and will be sold in multi-coloured packs of four, containing yellow, blue, red and green glue sticks. Henkel is planning a major […]
Glue London has won this month’s Interactive Advertising Bureau’s Creative Showcase Award, in association with MDAS, for its latest work for Virgin Trains. The campaign was in response to a “greener travel” brief and also based on statistics that show how environmentally friendly train travel is compared to planes and cars. Glue based its campaign […]
Pizza Hut director of retail marketing Simon Wallis has left the company to join rival pizza chain, Papa John’s. It is not known what role he will take. Wallis has already left Pizza Hut and is on gardening leave. It is not clear if Pizza Hut plans to replace him or if his responsibilities will […]