Marketing Week
8 May 2008

  • 3 chief marketer leaves amid reshuffle

    Mon, 12 May 2008

    John Penberthy-Smith, the chief marketer at mobile operator 3, is leaving the company following a restructure of its sales and marketing teams. It is not known if he has a job to go to.

  • A new dawn for Airey as well as Five?

    Thu, 8 May 2008

    Dawn Airey, many people's choice for the most powerful woman in television, carved out her reputation at Five, and now, five years after leaving, she is poised to return.

  • A tiger on TNS' tail prepares to pounce

    Thu, 8 May 2008

    Sir Martin Sorrell, WPP chief executive, is so incensed at his subsidiary AGBNielsen losing the lucrative BARB UK TV measurement contract that he has decided to get his own back by buying the company that stole it from him.

  • Aegis Media loses global chief

    Fri, 9 May 2008

    Aegis Media global chief executive Mainardo de Nardis is leaving after two years. He will be succeeded by Jerry Buhlmann, currently chief executive of Aegis Media EMEA.

  • BBC apologises for keeping charity cash

    Fri, 9 May 2008

    The BBC is to make an onscreen apology after admitting it kept 106,000 from premium rate phone-ins that should have gone to charity. The revelation comes a day after ITV was fined a record 5.675m by regulator Ofcom for its failures over premium-rate services.

  • Beckham becomes face of health food range

    Fri, 9 May 2008

    David Beckham has been signed as the face of a range of family focused health supplements and foods, GO3, launching in the US this week. The brand has been created by branding agency Smith & Milton and is expected to launch in the UK "soon".

  • BLM Red wins Swiss watch brief

    Thu, 8 May 2008

    BLM Red, the luxury brands division of Arena BLM, has won the media planning and buying account for Swiss watchmaker Time Products.

  • British Gas to give customers 52 million energy-saving light bulbs

    Thu, 8 May 2008

    British Gas is launching the worlds largest energy-saving light bulb giveaway today (May 7), supported by a major advertising campaign.

  • Cauldron overhauls its meat-free product range

    Thu, 8 May 2008

    Cauldron, the vegetarian and organic foods brand, is relaunching its range of meat-free products with an overhaul of its logo and packaging.

  • Centrica issues profits warning

    Mon, 12 May 2008

    Centrica, the owner of British Gas, has warned that its first half group operating profits will be “materially below” last year due to the rising cost of gas and electricity.

  • Channel 4 reviews 20m media account

    Tue, 13 May 2008

    Channel 4 is reviewing its 20m media planning and buying account for the first time in the broadcasters 25 year history. It is understood to be looking to consolidate the business into one agency.

  • Chief marketer quits enlarged Macmillan

    Thu, 8 May 2008

    Macmillan Cancer Support chief marketer Kate Shanley has resigned after just two months with the charity. It is not known if she has a job to go to.

  • Chris Ingram: Why authenticity must be genuine

    Wed, 14 May 2008

    A year ago, I wrote about authenticity. I was concerned not only with how important it is in communications, but the fact that the marketing community rarely gets it.

  • Comestic brands show encouraging compliance with ASA codes

    Thu, 8 May 2008

    Cosmetic brands achieved an "encouraging" rate of compliance with advertising codes last year, according to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The authority's Cosmetic Advertising Survey 2007 has reported just 7% of cosmetic ads were in breach of codes between July and September 2007.

  • Digitas wins 2m Game Group digital work

    Thu, 8 May 2008

    Digitas has won the 2m digital account for computer games retailer Game. It follows a pitch against three undisclosed agencies and incumbent Twentysix London.

  • DSG brings in customer services chief

    Mon, 12 May 2008

    DSG International, the troubled electrical retail group, has brought in former Tesco operations director Roy Perticucci to focus on customer services, as it desperately fights potential threat from the launch of American retail giant BestBuy in Europe.

  • DSG International set to announce fight back plan

    Mon, 12 May 2008

    DSG International, the owner of PC World and Currys, is expected to announce its turn-around strategy this week. The move aims to fight the potential threat from the Best Buy deal with Carphone Warehouse announced last week.

  • EasyJet fares may rise with fuel prices

    Thu, 8 May 2008

    EasyJet says it will raise ticket prices if the cost of oil does not fall, after posting that first-half pre-tax losses have trebled to £57m, compared with £17.1m a year earlier. Chief executive Andy Harrison says the soaring price of fuel spells the end for some low cost carriers.

  • Euro RSCG wins global Chivas Regal business

    Mon, 12 May 2008

    Chivas Regal, the Scotch whisky brand, has appointed Euro RSCG to handle its global advertising business, bringing an end to its 14-year relationship with TBWA.

  • F1 boss on how he will turn QPR into super-brand

    Wed, 14 May 2008

    F1 boss, international playboy and snakeskin aficionado Flavio Briatore rescued Queens Park Rangers from the brink of bankruptcy. He talks exclusively to Marketing Week about plans to turn the unfashionable football club into ...

  • Facebook users warned about credit ads

    Mon, 12 May 2008

    Credit companies are using Facebook to target young people, according to debt charity Credit Action. It says adverts for cheap loans on the social networking site are breaking UK credit regulations.

  • Financial services companies flout ad rules

    Fri, 9 May 2008

    The Financial Services Consumer Panel says that financial services companies are still flouting industry advertising rules. The panel says that almost half of all adverts for investment products still do not comply with Financial Services Authority rules, a figure unchanged from two years ago.

  • Friends Reunited plans multimillion-pound ad push

    Thu, 8 May 2008

    Friends Reunited is planning a multimillion-pound advertising campaign over the summer, as the ITV-owned social networking site looks to regain ground ceded to its newer rivals. It is understood to have appointed Hurrell Dawson Moseley Grimmer to create the campaign without a pitch.

  • FSA issues warning to insurance comparison websites

    Thu, 8 May 2008

    The Financial Services Authority has warned insurance comparison websites against "misleading" consumers and to provide clear and fair information. It follows a review of 17 insurance comparison sites by the financial services regulator.

  • Getting the best from your assets

    Thu, 8 May 2008

    The threat of recession has most companies hunting for ways to cut costs, and top of the list are staff training and flexible working practices. But this could be false economy, warns Daney Parker

  • Google ponders Yahoo! ties

    Fri, 9 May 2008

    Google has signalled its interest in discussing advertising partnership opportunities with Yahoo!. Google co-founder Sergey Brin made the comment before the company’s annual general meeting in the US yesterday (May 8).

  • Gov't under fire over poor Child Trust Fund awareness

    Thu, 8 May 2008

    The Treasury and Revenue & Customs will be grilled next week over the dismal public awareness of Child Trust Funds (CTFs), one of the Government's flagship anti-poverty policies.

  • Grace Blue loses Grant Duncan

    Fri, 9 May 2008

    Grant Duncan, the former Publicis London chief executive, is leaving Gay Haines' recruitment agency Grace Blue after a year for personal reasons. He joined the consultancy last April as its fifth partner to focus on advising private equity companies on potential acquisitions and mergers in the industry.

  • Health warnings will not alter Booze Britain culture

    Fri, 9 May 2008

    Government plans to put health warnings and unit labelling on alcoholic drinks will get a "lukewarm reception" from men, according to research from Mintel. The research body has reported today (May 9) that the labels will only make around a third of men think about the amount of alcohol they consume.

  • Heathrow chief leaves airport operator following T5 turmoil

    Wed, 14 May 2008

    Heathrow managing director Mark Bullock has been ousted following the debacle surrounding the opening of Terminal 5. He is leaving in the wake of a management restructuring instigated last month by Heathrow owner BAA's new chief executive, Colin Matthews.

  • HMV reports sales hike

    Fri, 9 May 2008

    Retailer HMV has turned around its fortunes to report a group-wide overhaul with like-for-like sales up by 7.3%.

  • IPM gains Golley Slater work

    Thu, 8 May 2008

    IPM, the poster company, has won the 2m out-of-home planning and buying contract for integrated agency Golley Slater. It pitched against Posterscope and incumbent Kinetic to win the business.

  • Iris picks up 2m brief to launch Government welfare programme

    Thu, 8 May 2008

    Iris is understood to have won the 2m integrated brief to launch the Employment and Support Allowance for the Department for Work and Pensions. It follows a competitive pitch against un-disclosed agencies handled by COI

  • ITV Sales "bullish" despite CRR

    Wed, 14 May 2008

    ITV continues to play a "hard game" when negotiating its sales contracts, despite being hindered by the contract rights renewal (CRR) mechanism, according to the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA).

  • ITV warned over celeb endorsement

    Mon, 12 May 2008

    ITV has pledged to review its celebrity interviewing guidelines on flagship breakfast show This Morning, after viewers complained that an interview with Cilla Black endorsed her new psychic phone line service.

  • Joshua G2 wins Allianz Insurance brief

    Fri, 9 May 2008

    Allianz Insurance has awarded Joshua G2 its direct marketing business following a four-way competitive pitch. The agency's initial task will be to develop the company's car insurance business, Cornhill Direct.

  • Kitchen nightmares leave our dream of everlasting wealth up in smoke

    Thu, 8 May 2008

    The army of TV chefs who appear on our mega-sized plasma screens have brought the Spend-it-like-Beckham generation down to earth with a bump

  • Leader of the populist fronts

    Thu, 8 May 2008

    Scandal and controversy is no stranger to a tabloid title like The Sun. But beyond the brash headlines, whether launching a limited edition underwear collection, or more recently, deliberating a move into the drinks market with a branded beer (MW last week), ...

  • LOreal aims for children with Ambre Solaire sun protection awareness campaign

    Thu, 8 May 2008

    L'Oreal Garnier is launching a TV campaign for suncare brand Ambre Solaire that aims to teach children to protect themselves from the sun. It is based on the "Wrap, Splat and Hat" primary school campaign that ran last year.

  • Marylebone Cricket Club launches magazine

    Thu, 8 May 2008

    Marylebone County Cricket Club (MCC) is launching a magazine focusing on Lord's cricket ground. The annual title will feature famous cricketer's memories of the ground.

  • Media Smart initiative comes under scrutiny

    Wed, 14 May 2008

    The future of Media Smart, the Government-backed media literacy initiative, is set to come under review as part of the Children’s Plan, which is being drawn up by Ed Balls (pictured), the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families.

  • Microsoft launches Messenger TV

    Mon, 12 May 2008

    Microsoft has launched Messenger TV, an application which allows users to share and watch premium MSN video content via Windows Live Messenger. It says the new service, launched today (May 12), will offer a range of new opportunities for advertisers.

  • Misery continues on the high street

    Tue, 13 May 2008

    The high street suffered its worst performance for three years as retail sales fell for a second consecutive month in April, suggesting that the softening economy is forcing consumers to spend less on clothes and shoes.

  • MySpace takes down garden walls with profile sharing initiative

    Fri, 9 May 2008

    MySpace will for the first time allow its users' profiles to appear on websites including Yahoo! and eBay. The data availability initiative will be rolled out over the next few weeks.

  • New Balance ad campaign heralds the companys evolution

    Thu, 8 May 2008

    When New Balance launches its new advertising campaign in the UK later this month, it will mark a relaunch of the athletics brand’s marketing in Europe and the first outward signs that it is evolving.

  • NHS Careers appoints VCCP Digital for youth campaign

    Mon, 12 May 2008

    NHS Careers has appointed VCCP Digital to create an online campaign targeting teenagers. It launches at the end of this week and will highlight the career opportunities available within the NHS.

  • Ofcom hits ITV with record fine over phone-in scandal

    Fri, 9 May 2008

    Media regulator Ofcom has fined ITV a record 5,675,000 fine for institutionalised failings in the premium phone rate service scandal that engulfed the broadcasting industry last year. The amount is almost 2m more than ITV was expecting and almost treble the previous biggest fine.

  • On the long road to sustainability

    Thu, 8 May 2008

    As big business reduces its waste, the long-term goal is to encourage our consumers to do likewise

  • PepsiCo promotes Albanell to Euro beverage marketing vice-president

    Thu, 8 May 2008

    PepsiCo has appointed Juan Albanell as vice-president of beverages marketing in Europe, following the promotion of key marketers in the UK and US.

  • Post Office appoints former Barclays marketing chief

    Wed, 14 May 2008

    The Post Office has drafted former Barclays marketer Andrew Gillespie to drive its focus on customer services as part of its “People’s Post Office” strategy, which was introduced last year.

  • Publicis London review could lead to redundancies

    Wed, 14 May 2008

    Publicis is reviewing the London agency as its starts a consultation with the staff that could lead to redundancies. It is expected to lead to at least ten redundancies.

  • Publicis retains 100m HP below-the-line account

    Thu, 8 May 2008

    Publicis has retained computer giant HP's $200m (100m) below-the-line account across Europe and the Middle East, after a six-way pitch. The account includes HP's below-the-line advertising in over 70 countries.

  • Publicis set for redundancies

    Tue, 13 May 2008

    Publicis is reviewing the London agency as its starts a consultation with the staff that could lead to redundancies. It is expected to lead to at least ten redundancies.

  • QPR FC seeks Euro sponsors in brand repositioning move

    Thu, 8 May 2008

    Queens Park Rangers Football Club is seeking large, European backers as part of a restructure of its sponsorship strategy. The move is part of a wider repositioning by new owners Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone.

  • S&N marketing boss tipped for top role after takeover

    Wed, 14 May 2008

    Heineken NV, the brewer taking over Scottish & Newcastle, is tipped to appoint S&N UK marketing director Sarah Warby to the same role at the enlarged group.

  • Sainsbury announces new online venture as results improve

    Wed, 14 May 2008

    Supermarket chain Sainsbury's has reported a strong 28% rise in pre-tax profit to £488m, in the year to March 22. The supermarket chain also plans to launch an online non-food service which rivals Asda and Tesco already offer.

  • Sky "value" offer suffers new delay

    Tue, 13 May 2008

    BSkyB's proposed "value" channel package, Picnic, has suffered another knockback after Ofcom decided to examine the launch as part of its ongoing investigation into the the wider pay-TV market. Picnic was due to launch on digital terrestrial TV this summer.

  • Skype rolls out 'longest ever' live ad on the internet

    Thu, 8 May 2008

    Skype, the internet phone company, is launching what it claims is the longest-ever ad. The campaign will map the progress of Australian writer Rebecca Campbell over a 33-day journeythat will be recorded on the internet.

  • Sony Ericsson signs Usher as face of Walkman

    Wed, 14 May 2008

    Sony Ericsson has signed US R&B singer Usher as its new brand ambassador. He will feature in the mobile company's marketing from next month and will spearhead the launch of the latest Walkman phone.

  • Sponsors set for olympic glory

    Thu, 8 May 2008

    Despite the controversy surrounding the Beijing Olympics, sponsors are set to get value for money from their investment because the Chinese have a welcoming attitude to corporate sponsorship

  • Sportingbet chief loses job as it slims London office

    Mon, 12 May 2008

    Sportingbet is making number of redundancies at its London headquarters after transferring operations to Guernsey and Dublin. The first casualty is chief operating officer, Dave Hobday.

  • St Tropez tanning ads will target men for the first time

    Thu, 8 May 2008

    St Tropez is targeting men for the first time with a new campaign, which will break in June issues of glossy fashion and style titles.

  • TDA seeks DM agency to drive teacher recruitment

    Wed, 14 May 2008

    The Training and Development Agency for Schools is seeking a direct marketing agency to support drive to recruitment new teachers. It has already shortlisted four undisclosed agencies to pitch. 

  • Telegraph creates digital supremo role

    Fri, 9 May 2008

    Telegraph Media Group is bringing all its digital operations under the control of Mike Moore, who is promoted to the new post of digital general manager. The move is part of the newspaper group's continuing operational restructure, to capitalise on digital growth.

  • TfL trials online sponsorship strategy

    Tue, 13 May 2008

    Transport for London is trialing limited sponsorship on its website for the first time. It is also believed to be the first time a public sector organisation has used sponsorship online.

  • Unilever announces job cuts despite Q1 profit rise

    Thu, 8 May 2008

    Food and detergent giant Unilever has reported a 33% leap in first quarter profits after selling its Boursin cheese unit, and has announced it will cut 350 UK jobs this year to further boost sales. The maker of Magnum ice cream reported net income grew to 1.34bn euros (£1.05bn) from 131bn euros (£1.03bn) ...

  • Virgin Media Q1 results pave way for growth

    Thu, 8 May 2008

    Cable operator Virgin Media has posted an optimistic set of first quarter results, adding a net 204,900 new customers for its services. It says better customer retention and stablising revenue per customer left it positioned "for growth".

  • Virgin to launch dedicated Moto radio stream

    Thu, 8 May 2008

    Virgin Radio, the national commercial station, is launching a dedicated radio stream for motorway services chain Moto.

  • Whitbread rebrands Frescato Costa range

    Thu, 8 May 2008

    Whitbread's Costa brand is relaunching and expanding its Frescato range of products this summer.

  • Why cutting ad budgets will come back to bite Boris

    Wed, 14 May 2008

    Newly-elected London mayor Boris Johnsons pledge to slash his predecessors advertising budget to pay for more community police on public transport focuses attention once more on advertising effectiveness.

  • Will Brand Boris stand the test of time?

    Fri, 9 May 2008

    Crikey! Whatever next? With the new incumbent settled into City Hall, now seems an appropriate moment to appraise Brand Boris. And what better way than the tried and tested SWOT analysis?

  • William Hills to hold pitches for below-the-line accounts

    Thu, 8 May 2008

    William Hill is reviewing its below-the-line activity including retail, sales promotion and customer relationship management. The bookmaker is holding three separate pitches for the accounts and is understood to have already drawn up shortlists.

  • Woman&Home appoints marketing head

    Fri, 9 May 2008

    IPC Media title Woman&Home, the monthly glossy for women aged 40-plus, has appointed Zoe Levey as head of marketing. She will be responsible for developing the marketing of the brand incorporating print, digital and events.

  • WPP and GfK chiefs swap claims of immoral tactics

    Wed, 14 May 2008

    The war of words over the future ownership of research company Taylor Nelson Sofres has hotted up, with the chief executives of rival suitors WPP Group and GfK accusing each other of adopting “morally reprehensible” tactics.

  • WPP head calls on G8 to work with businesses over water scarcity

    Thu, 8 May 2008

    WPP chief executive Sir Martin Sorrell (pictured) has called on the G8 to step up efforts on water scarcity. He says, in an open letter also signed by the chief executives of 18 other global companies that a water crisis is a threat to business as well as the environment.

  • WPP, Omnicom under review as Mercedes rethinks media

    Wed, 14 May 2008

    Mercedes-Benz is carrying out a major shake-up of its media planning and buying, and it is understood the business “may change hands” in some countries as a result.

Job of the Week

Latest Jobs

Top Jobs

social+media Facebook Twitter LinkedIn
knowledge+bank