In-depth features, interviews and insights into marketing’s biggest issues.
Cable giant NTL has confirmed it has “no present intention” of making an offer for ITV. The announcement comes three weeks after BSkyB bought a 17.9% stake in ITV for 960m in an apparent move to block any NTL bid…
News Magazines has won the contract to publish BSkyB’s Sky Magazine from incumbent John Brown. News Magazines was set up as a division of News International last year to develop consumer publications. Both News International and Sky are controlled by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation. The magazine division is run by chief executive Camilla Rhodes and […]
Jessops, the UK’s biggest specialist photographic retailer, has poached Ian Linnington from Boots.com to be its new marketing director. Linnington, who starts at Jessops in January, has held a number of positions at Boots both in the UK and overseas. Most recently, he was commercial director for Boots.com and New Channels. Jessops is repositioning itself […]
Omnicom Group has bought a majority stake in independent hotshop 180 Amsterdam. 180 has shared its biggest account, Adidas, with Omnicom owned TBWA/Worldwide since 2002, and earlier this month Sony Electronics America split its $56m (28.6m) advertising business between 180 and another Omnicom network, BBDO.
Gay rights campaigners are urging the Advertising Standards Authority to investigate a “discriminatory” and “inflammatory” ad from a Christian group. More than 15 complaints have been lodged with the advertising watchdog since the advert from Coherent and Cohesive Voice ran this week in The Times newspaper. The advert urges people to write to communities secretary […]
FremantleMedia has poached Channel 4 new media executive Robert Marsh to head its interactive and telephony business in the UK. Marsh, previously new media head of commissioning and producer relations at the broadcaster, joins as FremantleMedia Licensing Worldwide (FLW) vice-president of interactive and telephony. He will be responsible for managing FremantleMedia’s mobile content, on-screen telephony […]
Toyota Motor Europe senior vice-president Graham Smith has been named as the next president of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Smith, who was managing director of Toyota GB for 10 years until he was handed the new European role earlier this year (MW July 6), succeeds Roger Putnam on January 1. Putnam, […]
Sony Ericsson is planning to open at least 10 more own-branded retail stores around the world after launching its first in London this week. The mobile giant, which has just celebrated its fifth anniversary, has signed a deal with Carphone Warehouse to operate and manage the store in Kensington, as first revealed by marketingweek.co.uk last […]
Mller Dairy UK is launching a range of desserts that aims to offer consumers indulgence without guilt. Simply Desserts will be launched in January.
Eat Natural, the cereal bar brand, has appointed Harriet Gregory to oversee all new product development. She joins the company from Marks & Spencer, where she also worked in product development. Gregory, who has already taken over the role, takes the title head of “taste matters”. Praveen Vijh, co-founder and director of Eat Natural, says […]
US car icons struggle to cross Atlantic
After seeing the fate that has befallen tobacco and fast food marketing, the alcohol industry is anxious to show it can regulate itself, and many firms now run responsible drinking campaigns. But they must convince the cynics they really do want the public to drink less. By Martin Croft
In pursuit of hosting an event that has the ‘wow’ factor, it is easy to overlook the basic rules of corporate entertaining – and forget that your guests simply want to have fun. Sometimes, as with many of life’s questions, the answer comes from the mouths of babes. Working on this principle, I decided to […]
When Setanta broke BSkyB’s monopoly on showing live Premiership football earlier this year, the majority of English football fans had not even heard of the Irish pay-TV firm. But after winning the rights to show 46 matches a season from next year, the company is having to raise its profile and has appointed integrated agency […]
The shock news that TV grandee Michael Grade is to lead ITV has left the BBC reeling and the commerical broadcaster rubbing its hands with glee. But it’s early days to be celebrating, warns David Benady.