In-depth features, interviews and insights into marketing’s biggest issues.
The7stars has won the offline media planning and buying for insureyourmotor.com. It will launch the first offline advertising campaign for the site next month. The website has also appointed Odd, the creative agency backed by Naked, to handle its advertising acc-ount. The site will launch its first national radio campaign in May, with a view […]
The appointment of Douglas McArthur to review the Audit Bureau of Circulation’s (ABC) reporting frequencies across newspapers and magazines (MW last week) has got the publishing industry talking. McArthur, the former chief executive of the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB), is a high-profile figure in the media. He helped transform the fortunes of commercial radio during […]
Until recently, measuring online performance lacked the sort of sophisticated metrics used by traditional media. Martin Croft reports on the steps being taken towards an integrated approach
Fast-food brand McDonald’s is launching Europe’s first retail “wave and pay” system with Mastercard. The “contactless” PayPass system will allow customers to pay for their goods without the need to swipe a card or sign a receipt, in a way similar to the Oyster card system operated by Transport for London (TfL).
Almost one in 12 alcohol ads shown in the UK last year infringed guidelines, according to industry body the European Forum for Responsible Drinking (EFRD). The body reveals that 7.4% of the 1,483 alcohol ads shown in the UK in 2006 were “non-compliant”, a figure broadly in line with a year earlier. EFRD, however, believes […]
O2 is launching a 4m brand advertising campaign focusing on customer experience that it says will set the tone of its marketing for the rest of the year. The campaign, which breaks next week, introduces colour into the telecoms operators’ familiar blue advertising. The famous O2 bubbles and the “See what you can do” strapline remain but marketing director Sally Cowdry says the new work “evolves” the O2 brand.
The future of the Green Flag marketing department is in doubt following a wider restructure at RBS Group. The news follows the departure of the brand’s managing director Andy Watson at the start of the year (MW January 11) It is not clear whether Green Flag’s marketing director Hilary Williams will be affected by the […]
COI Communications is hunting for a non-executive director to sit on its management board to advise Whitehall on delivering effective communications. The role, which will pay £15,000 to £20,000, will involve adding value to government publicity programmes. The COI is one of the highest spenders on advertising in the UK, and last year spent more […]
Nissan is taking on Toyota-owned Lexus with the launch of its luxury marque Infiniti across Europe next year. The brand is hugely popular in the US, where it was established in 1989, but the UK car industry seems unconvinced that it can replicate that success on this side of the Atlantic. Nissan Europe is moving […]
Littlewoods Direct, the online and catalogue shopping company, is screening its first television ads featuring fashion gurus’ Trinny and Susannah on Friday. The ads have been created by WCRS and will be screened on terrestrial and satellite channels and form part of a £12m media campaign fronted by the pair who recently signed a three-year […]
In-game advertising network Double Fusion has poached Electronic Arts’ vice-president Frank Sagnier to head its European operations. Sagnier’s appointment as European managing director follows Double Fusion’s announcement earlier this year that it will open a European headquarters (MW February 8). The network says in-game advertising is growing now that brands such as Adidas are becoming […]
The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) has appointed Profero as its retained digital agency to create a campaign to promote the importance of skills training in the UK. It will work with Leo Burnett which was last month appointed by COI Communications to lead the project. Leo Burnett beat DDB London in a contest, which […]
Cobra marketing director Simon Edwards has left the company after nine years. He has emigrated to Thailand with his family. The beer brand is currently seeking a replacement for Edwards, and in the interim his responsibilities have been taken on by marketing manager Zoe Smith. The company has been ramping up its bid to break […]
Publishing company The John Brown Group has acquired integrated creative communications agency Fingal, as a standalone business. Fingal managing director Francis Jago will continue to head the agency, and will also assume the lead role in developing the John Brown digital offering on a group basis. Jago says: “We’ve been courted many times but valued […]
Food has become an increasingly important part of Marks & Spencer’s offer and the retailer is looking at ways to repeat its catering success in other formats.