In-depth features, interviews and insights into marketing’s biggest issues.
Prudential has stunned the City by selling its Egg direct banking arm to Citigroup for £575m. The move casts doubt on the advertising pitch called by Prudential late last year to consolidate its advertising for the Pru, Egg and its M&G Investments arm. The decision to sell the troubled banking arm is a u-turn by […]
Consumer group Which?’s criticism of the Financial Services Authority (FSA) for failing to “name and shame” misleading advertisers has thrown the FSA’s role as an advertising regulator into the spotlight. Which? spoke out after the FSA issued an ultimatum to insurance companies to stop using misleading savings claims in advertising or face regulatory action (MW […]
The Royal Navy has launched an ad campaign in its ongoing battle to sign up recruits. Launching a recruitment campaign in a time of conflict (MW last week) is not ideal timing for any branch of the armed forces, especially when a freeze on staff levels in some areas sends out a mixed message. One […]
Gyro International has been appointed by Sony Europe to create an integrated umbrella campaign for the consumer electronics company’s high definition (HD) products. It is thought that the business is worth more than £1m. Gyro, which already works with Sony on other areas of its business including its VAIO range and its storage products division, […]
Alfa Romeo has ended months of speculation by appointing the Young & Rubicam (Y&R) network to handle its 50m pan-European advertising account. The move finally ends the Italian car marque’s 18-year relationship with fellow WPP network United.
Starcom claims it will be ramping up its focus on planning this year with the creation of a new strategic intelligence and planning team that, according to the agency, will put the digital consumer at the heart of everything it does. Starcom hopes the arrival of Pru Parkinson as strategic planning director at the start […]
It was another star-studded year for Great Britain at the latest Epica creative advertising awards, with UK-based agencies collecting 15 first prizes. However, it was Dutch and UK agencies Wieden & Kennedy that produced some of the most outstanding work. By Stuart Smith.
Live experiential events are becoming a more focused and established part of the marketing mix in a world where brands want results and consumers want more than a message. By Jo-Anne Flack.
Visa Europe has appointed Jos矓an-Juan as managing director of Visa UK. He replaces Colin Grannell, who took a Europe-wide marketing role two months ago.
The advertising regulator has cleared charity People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) over an ad that claimed that giving meat to children is “child abuse”. The press ad showed a picture of an overweight child eating a burger with the strapline “Feeding kids meat is child abuse”. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received […]
Richard Hayes, international marketing director of whisky company Whyte & Mackay, and international brand director Michelle Audette are understood to have left the company. It is not known if either had another job to go to or if they will be replaced.
At a time when digital is the buzzword in the newspaper industry, former Daily Express editor Richard Addis is going back to basics. In the midst of all the online experimentation, veteran newspaperman Addis, who is also a former deputy editor of the Sunday Telegraph and executive editor of the Daily Mail, is launching a […]
A new licensing partnership between Mattel and Adidas will see a range of co-branded dolls and clothes launched in the first deal of its kind for the sportswear brand (MW last week). But not everyone is convinced the tie-up will be a marriage made in heaven. Licensing deals are common in the children’s market, with […]
While there might be some healthy rivalry in the market, the intermediaries believe there is enough room for them all at this point. However, some are increasingly focusing on areas such as relationship management and training as the number of big domestic above-the-line pitches has declined and clients’ needs have changed.
IPC has drawn first blood in what looks set to be the most competitive battle of 2007 in the consumer magazine market. In a joint venture with Groupe Marie Claire, IPC is ploughing £18m into high street fashion and celebrity title Look, making it the magazine publisher’s biggest launch to date. With women’s weekly magazines […]