Talks between publishing groups United Business Media and Informa over a 3bn merger have ended without agreement, while Informa has received a takeover bid from private equity. A group led by Providence Equity is understood to have made the approach with a consortium including private equity company Carlyle.
The BBC was at it again last month when it announced Adventure Rock not a TV or radio programme, but a virtual world computer game aimed at 6- to 12-year-olds.
Inbev is gearing up for a top secret launch of a lower-strength Stella lager in a last-ditch attempt to shed the lager-lout image of Stella Artois and revive its falling sales. The new 4% ABV (alcohol-by-volume) drink is expected to be introduced in the UK later this year.
Sainsbury’s has been forced to pull its online delivery service after a technical error on the site. The problem, first identified yesterday afternoon (June 17), is expected to hit sales. The retailer admits that the glitch has had a knock-on effect on deliveries due to made today, but has called its customers to inform them […]
The Government has been accused of double standards for failing to apply consumer protection legislation to its own advertising. According to Brinsley Dresden, head of advertising law at Lewis Silkin, government campaigns such as its recruitment advertising for the armed forces are “misleading” because they “omit” crucial information. He adds that the Army, Navy and […]
Birds Eye, the frozen food brand, is understood to be ramping up its battle against the chilled sector with a range of “big eat” ready meals, aimed at male consumers. It is thought that the range, due to be launched in September, will have a number of single meals but in slightly larger portion sizes […]
Barclays is to become one of the biggest sponsors of men’s tennis after announcing a five-year £20m deal with the ATP, the governing body for men’s professional tennis. It will be renamed as the Barclays ATP World Tennis Tour Finals. The deal will see the new tournament replace the Tennis Masters Cup, which is currently […]
Woolworths chief executive Trevor Bish-Jones is leaving the troubled retailer after six years at the helm. The news comes as Woolworths posts another set of disappointing results today (July 18). High street sales fell by 2.2% in the 19 weeks ending June 14 this year. The company says margins came under pressure during the period […]
Andrew Rayner, the former marketing director at Thomson, is joining restaurant chain Nando’s as its chief marketer. He will join the company on July 14. He takes over as marketing director from Louise Agram, who left to pursue other interests last October. It is understood Rayner will drive Nando’s marketing at a more strategic level. […]
Virgin Media has enlisted Simply Red singer Mick Hucknall as the face of its latest advertising campaign. Hucknall follows Uma Thurman, Ruby Wax and Samuel L Jackson in fronting campaigns for the cable company. An animated Hucknall appears alongside Virgin founder Richard Branson in a cinema execution to promote Virgin Media’s TV and video-on-demand services. […]
The WPP Group and Publicis are understood to have entered the second and final round of bidding for the search marketing arm of Google-owned DoubleClick Performics. One of the two companies is expected to be chosen as the preferred bidder for Performics in the coming months, although the company may be removed from the market […]
TBWAManchester has won the 10m advertising account for Gocompare.com, the insurance comparison website. The appointment follows against a four undisclosed agencies and EHS Brann Cirencester, which has been working with the site on a project basis.
Energywatch, the consumer watchdog, has criticised E.on for limiting its renewable electricity supply to its customers. According to new figures from the watchdog, just 0.2% of the utility company’s domestic electricity comes from renewable resources. The Energywatch figures, released today (June 17), show that “almost all” electricity generated from renewable resources is supplied to businesses. […]
Microsoft has unveiled plans to open a European Search Technology Centre (STC) next year to accelerate its Live Search offering and to develop new solutions for advertising. The announcement follows the launch of Live Search cashback in the US. The scheme offers US site users the chance to make cashback on purchases with the seach […]
News International is to shut down its three year old News Magazines division. It is understood that negotiations are now underway to sell its weekly title Love it while the contracts for BSkyB’s SkyMag and the Sunday Times Travel may be taken in-house. News Magazines was launched with great fanfare in February 2006 under chief […]