Mastercard’s attempts to secure top-up financing from UK banks for a 4m to 5m pre-Christmas advertising push are understood to have collapsed. The new campaign through Publicis is believed to have been approved and scripts agreed for a new ad burst in the autumn. Mastercard’s first round of generic ads – worth 3.5m – began […]
NEWS Personal leasing plans created by car companies to boost retail sales have been slammed for being confusing, misleading and short-term by industry sources.
Swedish home-furnishings chain Ikea has lost its head of marketing as it launches its first national brand-building TV campaign. Ikea is seeking a new head of UK marketing to replace marketing manager Herman Gewert who leaves the chain this month for “family reasons”. Gewert quits the post after ten months. He will take up the […]
NEWS Personal leasing plans created by car companies to boost retail sales have been slammed for being confusing, misleading and short-term by industry sources.
Despite denials from Access and a resounding “no comment” from the more involved parties, there is no longer any doubt that the four UK clearing banks are in talks in New York to sell the brand to Mastercard for more than 100m. Lloyds, Midland and NatWest all own a 30 per cent stake in Access. […]
Visa International is planning a stand alone advertising campaign for its UK credit card business if global rival Mastercard buys the Access brand from the banks. Sources say it plans separate ads for Barclaycard – which has combined the two brands as Barclaycard Visa for a number of years . “Visa is worried that it […]
Arsenal striker Ian Wright and upmarket publisher the Magazine Collection have formed a joint venture to publish a football and lifestyle magazine. The Player, to be launched in April, will be a glossy upmarket bi-monthly aimed at men aged 20 to 44 and is the latest entrant to the burgeoning men’s magazine market. Dennis Publishing’s […]
While many sympathise with those protesting against live animal exports, it should be noted that meat consumption is actually on the increase. By George Pitcher
How many people feel at odds with the current practice of marketing and the closely related business of marketing communications? Battered by the recession and controlled by accountants, perhaps despair is just around the corner? Examples of the damage wrought by the combined attentions of recession, and subsequently the bean counters, are numerous. High-street retailers […]
One of last year’s most public identity changes was the metamorphosis of holiday company Owners Abroad into First Choice. Following a troubled 1992/93 season, during which the company had been subject to a hostile takeover bid, lost market share and its share price fell, Owners Abroad commissioned research into its market position, with disappointing results. […]
Sony is shortlisting agencies to handle a ú20m advertising campaign across Europe in the build up to the launch of its Playstation video game system.
The Government has chosen not to act on C4’s controversial funding formula. Channel 4 chief executive Michael Grade must have realised that the chances of swift Government action on the channel’s controversial funding formula were faint after
Grey is angrily denying rumours surrounding its new Slim-Fast campaign. The agency is under attack from TV viewers and the ITC, who accuse it of artificially blowing up the “before” photograph held up by Cheryl Baker, who is endorsing the product. Baker, Grey and Slim-Fast are standing by the ads’ claim that she lost “18lb […]
Mergers and acquisitions activity may be making a return, but it is to the domestic US market that most companies are turning their attention. By George Pitcher Oh, deep joy. Mergers and acquisitions activity is returning to the market – and we didn’t even have to wait for the spring. Bliss it is in this […]
Outdoor advertising is enjoying a strong first quarter and, if demand continues, is on course to increase by 13 per cent in 1995, according to Concord’s first Outdoor Rates Monitor of the year. Panel prices are up an average of 16.8 per cent year-on-year for January to March, Concord estimates. This compares favourably with actual […]