Latest Marketing News RSS 22 November 2008

Lively

Google is scrapping Lively, its virtual reality rival to Second Life, just four months after launching the service. The company plans to shut down Lively at the end of the year.

Levi Strauss promotes German manager to European vice president

Levi Strauss has promoted Michael Strehler, general manager of its German division, to vice president of commercial operations across Europe. Strehler will replaces Kenny Wilson, who is leaving in January after nineteen years in the role.

No Xmas advertising for Next

Clothing retailer Next has decided against launching a Christmas TV campaign this year. The move comes after the retailer's chief executive, Simon Wolfson, recently predicted that sales will slide further in the new year.

Mothercare profits boosted by international expansion

Mothercare, the baby and maternity retailer, has reported a 94% rise in its pre-tax profits at £9.6m for the six months to October. The group says that international expansion and online sales helped to drive profits.

Mango launches lingerie range

Mango, the Spanish fashion brand, is launching its first collection of lingerie. It will be rolled out across its 257 stores from next February.

Booktrust launches radio campaign

Booktrust, the charity that promotes reading to young children, is launching a radio campaign to support its national, free book-gifting programme. It breaks later this month.

Eat, drink and be merry

Life’s daily luxuries were once purchased with little thought to the future. A cappuccino here, a smoothie there. A pricey cereal bar or a slab of super-premium organic chocolate (70% cocoa content, of course) were, until recently, all part of a day’s spending for a large swathe of British consumers. Some ground-breaking and wallet-emptying new brands grew out of this Arcadian era as people became blasé about looking after the pennies. After all, the pounds were taking care of themselves in grand style, multiplying like the ten times table as house prices rocketed.

Highfield faces Microsoft challenge

Microsoft surprised many with its appointment of Ashley Highfield as UK managing director and vice-president of consumer and online (MW.co.uk November 10). Anxious to reinvent its search offering, Microsoft has turned to the man who launched the iPlayer, but, while content may be his forte, Highfield’s knowledge of sales and marketing remains questionable, according to experts.

Media agencies’ power shackles innovative talent

After my article last month (“Are media agencies heading in the right direction?” MW October 16), one or two media chiefs told me I was being much too gloomy. They gave me several reasons why. That media agencies are now overwhelmingly the most significant profit generators of their parent agency groups – and the key media people have the salaries and significant incentives to illustrate this.