In-depth features, interviews and insights into marketing’s biggest issues.
Encapsulating the pop culture of the 1980s, Smash Hits magazine has gasped its last column. But it wasn’t just the victim of changing tastes, like the gallant Pink ‘un and Green ‘un of yore Smash Hits got a good send-off last week, with acres of newspaper and broadcast coverage about its demise. Journalists old enough […]
There is a growing feeling in the sponsorship industry that more brands will shun expensive headline deals in favour of creating their own events (MW last week). An increasing number of companies have turned to event creation in recent years because they do not want to “compromise” on an existing tie-up, according to Brian Greenwood, […]
Reports last week that Lowe London is putting “platinum handcuffs” on creative chief Ed Morris to stop him leaving came as the advertising industry’s trade bodies called for agencies to almost double the profit margin they charge to clients. One leading marketer says that if agencies want to raise their profit margins, they should cut […]
Ryanair took the idea of low-cost flying to a new level when it announced last week that passengers will now have to pay to take bags on flights. The introduction of baggage charges for items over 10kg will, for many passengers, add another layer to the cost of flying, but it should enable Ryanair to […]
Advertising and media experts frequently tell us that the internet will become the dominant communication platform – but not without the advice and knowledge of ‘traditional’ television The internet – not television – is going to be the world’s most important medium. So says Dominic Proctor, chief executive of MindShare Worldwide, one of the world’s […]
John Bartle must have recognised the smell of success when he agreed to join digital media specialist i-level as non-executive chairman in its early days. The former joint chief executive of Bartle Bogle Hegarty has seen the agency grow to 80 people with a turnover of &£50m in six years, with clients including the Central […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 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 […]
Philips isn’t a brand you would instantly associate with the digital age, but its ‘Sense and Simplicity’ global brand campaign could change how it is viewed It’s hard enough being a consumer in this category right now, but spare a thought for those responsible for bringing such wonders to market. You would need the wisdom […]
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 […]
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 […]