In-depth features, interviews and insights into marketing’s biggest issues.
Home improvement chain Focus (DIY) could not have said it better itself. The beleaguered retailer, whose strapline is “Famous for low prices”, has been sold this week for just £1. Retail experts and analysts say the chain faces an uphill struggle to recover, having lost its “focus” and fallen victim to the downturn in DIY […]
Cheap holiday operator Flightcentre is being revamped in the UK as part of a global relaunch of the brand to focus more on consumer service and experience as well as its low prices. The overhaul will be supported by press ads and a rebranding of its website and shops. The strategy was first implemented in […]
The Government is gearing up for its biggest single advertising push with a 10m campaign aimed at tackling problem drinking. It is the first time that spending on an anti-alcohol campaign has matched that for anti-smoking or drugs.
Al Gore, the former US vice-president, will address this year’s Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival on climate change issues in the build-up to the Live Earth concert on July 7,Gore’s trip to Cannes has been arranged by advertising agency Young & Rubicam (Y&R), and comes at a time when advertisers are increasingly keen to tout […]
Tiger Beer is looking for its first retained UK agency. It is understood to have already shortlisted three undisclosed agencies for the business. The review, which is being lead by UK marketing manager Steven Greaves, comes just months after the brand ramped up its marketing spend to £5m. There is no incumbent agency on the […]
The London Kitchen, part of Omnicom-owned Zulu Network, has been appointed to Inbev’s roster following a pitch against roster agencies BD-NTWK and The Marketing Store. The agency will work with a number of the company’s brands as part of a £1m initiative to promote them in the take-home market. Kitchen’s appointment is the latest in […]
When it comes to pitching, the one point that the advertising and media industries agree on is the importance of debating the issue. There could be a better way of doing things, they say, and there are certainly aspects of the process that could be improved. But when it comes down to the nitty-gritty of […]
TBWA/Stream, the brand entertainment agency, has appointed Macky Drese, MTV international vice-president of events and marketing, to the new role of managing partner. Drese, who will join the agency at the end of this month, will be responsible for overseeing strategy and implementation of all experiential projects, trade marketing and the creative development of marketing […]
Kia has signed a 1m deal with Five to sponsor all of its US crime drama series. The move is part of new managing director Paul Philpott’s strategy to build the Korean marque’s brand awareness in the UK.
Pretty Polly is launching an outdoor campaign to emphasise the power of its range of Silver Fresh sports socks. The ad shows a pair of toned legs kicking through the top of the billboard including on the 20 metre-high Chiswick Tower site. The campaign, which is the first work developed for the brand by agency […]
Sport England, the sports development agency, is seeking a commercial director as part of a move to ramp up its marketing activity. It is also planning to raise £50m through corporate sponsorship deals over the next five years. It is the first time that the body has created a role dedicated to marketing and it […]
The video games industry has been dealt a severe blow after the decision to ban Manhunt 2 for being too violent. It is the first game to be banned by the BBFC certification board since 1997. Manhunt 2 is from the duo behind notorious titles Grand Theft Auto and Bully, developer Rockstar Games and publisher […]
CBS Outdoor is offering one advertiser the opportunity to target revellers heading to four major UK festivals this summer by offering the exclusive rights to advertise at local train stations. The Festivals Pack deal will offer one advertiser the chance to take out all of the advertising sites at stations close to T in the […]
The exodus of senior management from Titan Outdoor, which continued last week with the news that joint-managing director Alison Reay is leaving after just 14 months, has been blamed by many on the problems inherited from Maiden, the loss-making rival Titan bought in a £50m deal last year. Reay, a former Yahoo! UK commercial director, […]
Guardian Media Group Radio has appointed Susan Brown as the first dedicated marketer for its flagship London station, Smooth Radio. She will take over the role next week. Brown will be Smooth marketing manager, responsible for developing the brand and building new commercial partnerships. Having recent-ly been on maternity leave, she joins the GMG from […]