In-depth features, interviews and insights into marketing’s biggest issues.
Google has snapped up YouTube for $1.65bn (884m), just 19 months after the video-sharing website launched. The deal brought a swift conclusion to talks that began only last week and has pre-empted a bidding war for the site, which Wall Street analysts believed would have involved Yahoo! and Disney, among other media companies. Chad Hurley, […]
MFI’s sale of its retail arm for 1 to Merchant Equity Partners last week was a telling sign of just how threadbare some furniture specialists have become. Even Swedish flat-pack giant Ikea has taken a pounding, with recently announced pre-tax profits to August 2005 diving to 104m from more than 150m the previous year. With […]
Revlon has overhauled its executive team as part of a massive cost-cutting drive designed to stem losses, with brand marketing among the hardest hit areas at the company. Chief marketing officer Stephanie Klein Peponis and chief creative officer Rochell Udell are among the casualties, leaving the remaining team in the hands of new chief executive […]
WPP Group, the marketing services powerhouse, announced a deal last week between its consolidated media arm GroupM and Universal Music to push music even further into the mainstream of the advertising world, through a new joint venture called BrandAmp. It will work across international markets and could also deal with music from rival record labels. […]
Marketing experts fear a rise in the use of “e-auctions” during new business pitches will lead to the commoditisation of the industry.
Experts are split over the value of tools like PowerPoint when making presentations, but whatever benefits they offer, it is still down to the speaker to get the message across. By Richenda Wilson
Giftcards were predicted to storm the market a few years ago, but consumers and the business-to-business sector are both reluctant to let go of the humble paper voucher, says Richard West
While the skillsets are the same in the public and private sectors, marketers crossing over between them must be aware of the differences in approach and measures of accountability. By Victoria Furness.
The BBC has made two senior appointments to its marketing, communications and audiences division, headed by Tim Davie (pictured). Helen Kellie, currently head of brand and planning will become head of marketing, communications and audiences at BBC Vision. She replaces Vanda Rumney, who has decided not to return to a full-time role following adoption leave. […]
Bacardi-Martini has appointed former InBev and Nestl矒owntree senior marketer Liam Newton as director of marketing for the Bacardi rum portfolio and Martini vermouth, with immediate effect.
Barclaycard has signed two actors from cult comedy Green Wing to front its upcoming advertising campaign and replace previous face Jennifer Saunders. Marketing Week exclusively revealed comic Saunders was being dropped by the brand, a year after replacing Friends actress Jennifer Aniston(MW September 28). Julian Rhind-Tutt and Stephen Mangan, best known for their roles as […]
Travelcare, The Co-operative Group’s travel agent business, has become the first high-street retailer to offer consumers carbon offsetting at the checkout. Eco-conscious travellers will be able to counteract the environmental effects of their holiday flights by purchasing the packages, paying a charge in one of eight bands based on distance travelled. The fee will effectively […]
Tesco has unveiled half-year profits of 1.1bn – an increase of 10.3% – after a steep rise in international sales. Profits at the overseas business rose by 21.1% in the six months to August 26. Tesco now has 949 outlets abroad. Meanwhile, second-quarter UK sales grew 6.6% compared with 4.5% in the first quarter. This […]
Microsoft is launching a new UK shopping comparison site, MSN Shopping Channel, to compete head to head with the likes of Google’s Froogle and Yahoo!’s Kelkoo. The new site is being launched in partnership with shopping comparison sites PriceRunner and Shopping.com. According to predictions from Forrester Research, the amount spent by consumers on online shopping […]
Waitrose has handed its direct marketing business to Kitcatt Nohr Alexander Shaw. The decision follows a final contest against Archibald Ingall Stretton and Partners Andrews Aldridge. The pitch was conducted by The Haystack Group. Miles Calcraft Briginshaw Duffy handles Waitrose’s advertising, while Manning Gottlieb OMD won the brand’s media planning and buying account earlier in […]