Analysis

In-depth features, interviews and insights into marketing’s biggest issues.

What can Kelly and Campbell do for United?

Marketing Week

The announcement last week that agency boss Jim Kelly and creative director Robert Campbell, co-founders of WPP-owned agency Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R in 1993, have joined forces again to take over WPP Group’s struggling London agency United caused some surprise in advertising circles. The successful executives have taken charge of an agency that has few […]

Murdoch wunderkind picks up the online pieces

Marketing Week

Few had heard of Jeremy Philips, a 33-year-old News Corporation employee, until a week ago. Now, all the company’s eyes are on him after he was handed the keys to a $1bn (&£565.5m) online media by Rupert Murdoch. Philips, a former management consultant, has been promoted to executive vice-president, reporting directly to Murdoch, and becomes […]

Celebrity scandals can be gold dust for brands

Marketing Week

After being pictured allegedly taking cocaine on the front page of a national tabloid newspaper, Kate Moss has seemingly emerged from rehab with added attraction for advertisers. But the Metropolitan Police has now asked the model to help with its enquiries, raising the question of how much negative publicity advertisers associated with her – and […]

Will legislation kill off mobile TV before it gains an audience?

Marketing Week

The online industry is bracing itself for European legislation that threatens to squeeze the life out of the emerging mobile television industry. New media experts are concerned about proposals to extend the Television Without Frontiers Directive to cover content distributed via the Web or to handheld devices, including mobile phones. The European Commission’s amendments to […]

A new year with added resolution

Marketing Week

Last year was hardly a vintage one for television advertising, with Heineken, Heinz and Superdrug abandoning the small screen and few memorable campaigns emerging. However, with a glut of accounts awarded late in 2005, the industry eagerly awaits the next wave of work to emulate the success of Honda’s “The Power of Dreams” (Wieden & […]

Carrying the can

Marketing Week

Carrying the responsibility for a marketing disaster needn’t be the end of a marketer’s career, indeed experience of a crisis can help when looking for another job. All the same, struggling companies are quick to blame marketing when something goes wrong, says David Benady Marketers have an amazing ability to rise phoenix-like from the ashes […]

The end of the world?

Marketing Week

The unravelling of part of WPP Group’s global arrangement with Samsung, and the recent successes of BBH in securing strategic tie-ups with big brands, have cast doubt over the future of holding company mega-deals. David Benady asks what has made clients restive Two of the world’s top marketing directors last week vowed to radically shake […]

Sampson must find the strength to make thinkbox’s voice heard

Marketing Week

The ‘virtual’ marketing body for commercial TV has often seemed rather ethereal. Now, with a heavyweight chairman, an office and the prospect of some staff, Thinkbox needs to get moving So Thinkbox, the marketing body for commercial television, is finally to get its own premises and permanent staff. No one could accuse the TV industry […]

Newcastle Brown Ale’s ‘Brown humour’ ads await ASA ruling

Marketing Week

Newcastle Brown Ale’s “Brown humour” press and poster campaign has triggered a flurry of complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) on the grounds of indecency and inappropriateness. The TBWA/London- created campaign, which uses the tagline “Brown humour. Not to everyone’s taste”, broke last month. The ASA has yet to adjudicate on the ads that […]