In-depth features, interviews and insights into marketing’s biggest issues.
With Bill Gates announcing that he is to leave his job at Microsoft, there will soon be an opening for the title of the world’s leading technology entrepreneur. One person who isn’t expecting any Briton to gain that honour, however, is shadow chancellor George Osborne. During a tour of Silicon Valley last week, Osborne (pictured) asked: […]
Mike Soutar, who left his post as IPC group editorial director last week, would prefer to be remembered as the stuff that legends are made of, say his friends and critics. After savouring the huge success of driving through high-profile launch
Advertising must do more to attract employees from ethnic backgrounds to the business, according to senior industry executives. Their comments follow the release last week of Business in the Community’s sixth “Race for Opportunity” benchmarking report. Ethnic minorities make up 8% of the UK population. But despite a “mushrooming” of ethnic faces fronting advertising campaigns, […]
Disney Consumer Products (DCP) chairman Andy Mooney was in London last week to outline forays into new product areas. Like Mickey Mouse in The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, the company is waving its magic wand in a bid to appeal to a wider section of the kids’ market. Its recent launch of “better for you” products for […]
Chevrolet UK has promoted sales director Rory Harvey to managing director following the departure of Andy Carroll (MW last week). But it is likely to be a tough nut for any managing director to crack.
Five this week announced the much-anticipated launch of two digital free-to-air channels, signalling its intent to be a multi-channel player and staving off a potential post-analogue death knell. Chief executive Jane Lighting says the announcement marks the “most important development in Five’s history” since its switch-on nine years ago. The broadcaster has been derided by […]
The World Cup is unlikely to trigger an uplift in overall TV advertising revenues, says Channel 4 sales director Andy Barnes, despite the premium usually created by the football fever. He adds that June will be the fifth cheapest month to buy television advertising space in the past five years. His comments add to the […]
Satellite broadcaster Eurosport has recently announced plans to market the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) as the “next big thing” in motorsport, and believes it can offer sponsorship packages that are better value for money than its mor
The first year since Gary Leih’s arrival from South Africa as Ogilvy Group UK chairman has ended, but only just, on a triumphant note. The agency celebrated by winning the coveted £50m, pan-European easyJet business (MW last week). The agency
Changing consumer demand – influenced by health trends – has led to the rise of two significant trends in the snacking market – “better-for-you products” and indulgence ranges. United Biscuits UK’s (UB) next major launch, McVitie’s Fruitsters,
Radio audience measurement body Rajar has finally shown its hand over what research methods it plans to use in the future, and its steady approach to change has received a broadly positive response from advertisers and the industry. The group’s decision to pilot the Arbitron Portable People Meter in conjunction with BARB effectively delays the […]
An increasing number of marketing directors are turning their backs on exclusive, long-term relationships with advertising agencies in favour of holding regular pitches between roster shops. Mother won a place on Motorola’s roster earlier this month after working with the manufacturer on the launch of its Red charity phone (MW last week). Although Motorola appointed […]
Television is in the middle of an identity crisis. It does not know how to define itself, is grappling with archaic measurement systems and risks alienating an entire generation of viewers by reacting too slowly to change in a fast-paced digital world. Yet television – or more broadly audio/visual services, as the industry moves increasingly […]
Brand owners, it seems, will do anything to revive interest in a flagging category. Gillette’s five-bladed Fusion razor will be in the UK this autumn, promising a better shave than rival Wilkinson Sword’s recently launched four-bladed Titanium, while it emerged last week that BT was developing a line of handsets that resemble jelly baby sweets […]
Who is the new minister for broadcasting, the press and other media and creative issues? I only ask because I keep bumping into people who know him but haven’t yet heard about his new job.