The Diary has noted with interest the dual strategies of many building societies which are preventing new customers joining by hiking the minimum deposits while at the same time trying to attract white knights to come to their rescue and buy them. Abbey National does not have to do either now that it is a […]
First Direct, Midland Bank’s telephone banking subsidiary, is reviewing its 5m account out of Chiat/Day. The bank has shortlisted WCRS, Duckworth Finn Grubb Waters and Simons Palmer Denton Clemmow & Johnson. Chiat/Day has not been asked to repitch but its grip on the 13.3m (Register-MEAL) Midland Bank account is thought to be secure. Recent industry […]
Unilever has confirmed plans to invest in TV programme development in an attempt to protect programme quality, according to its broadcast consultant MGA Broadcasting. The company will shortly announce details of an ITV programme, which it has co-funded, and which is scheduled to go on air this autumn. It is the first initiative from Unilever’s […]
WPP Group, the world’s largest marketing services organisation, is expected to turn in pre-tax profits of over 48m – an increase of more than a third – when it announces its interim results tomorrow (Thursday). The figure is towards the upper end of City expectations and compares with 36.2m during the previous six months to […]
Veteran creative director Gerry Moira is close to rejoining Publicis, the agency he quit to create Woollams Moira Gaskin O’Malley in 1987. WMGO went into receivership last Friday with debts of almost 900,000. Ten of the WMGO staff have joined the Osprey Group, taking several clients, including Wolverhampton & Dudley Brewery and Sainsbury SavaCentre, with […]
English Heritage marketing director Bob Ager has resigned, claiming the role has changed substantially since he joined 18 months ago. At the same time English Heritage has awarded Leagas Delaney its 800,000 account from a shortlist understood to have included J Walter Thompson, Saatchi & Saatchi and GGT. Ager, who does not have a new […]
As the recession took hold, international aid agency World Vision was hit by a sudden fall in donations and decided to test DRTV, after years of using press and inserts. As Jo-Anne Walker reports, the charity has not looked back since
Ad revenue was skated over in BSkyB’s results, despite bringing in 93m. Paul McCann evaluates its sales tack
Giuliano Gnagnatti, the man behind the Ariston washing machine advertisements featuring a bonking couple, is busy working on other ways of getting the most out of your white goods. His company, Merloni Domestic Appliances, has come up with a series of recipes ranging from Oriental Sea Bass to pasta dishes. The vital ingredient every time […]
Teletext will launch an interactive service, Teletext Live, within the next six weeks and has signed up P&O as its first interactive service provider. Teletext Live marks an expansion of Teletext’s recently launched interactive small ads and quiz services, Live Ads and Live Quiz. Each allows the viewer to select and input information via their […]
Will it be Marie Claire or Cosmo, Glenda Bailey or Mandi Norwood sitting pretty when the next set of ABCs are published? The question of performance, in every sense of the word, is one that has the nation’s media columns in thrall where women’s magazines are concerned. Behind the glitzy headlines and the Amazonian power […]
Remy UK has moved non-executive chairman Sir Jeremy Black to managing director. He is the third person to fill the post since April. Black replaces Paul Mills, who left the drinks company’s head office in Paris three weeks ago (MW August 11). Remy has also confirmed the appointment of former sales director Peter Raycraft as […]
Scottish Courage, the division formed by Scottish & Newcastle after its takeover of Courage, has split its operations into north and south, and appointed trading directors for each division.
Not everyone, it seems, is away with the bucket and spades. There has been sufficient activity in the media sector this past week to fill market-makers’ screens with more than increasingly desperate foreign holiday offers from the tour operators. Pearson led the activity by confirming that it is seeking shareholder approval for most or all […]
The Observer is launching a 48-page listings and entertainments magazine called Preview. A national TV and poster campaign to promote the launch breaks through Leagas Delaney next month. News International’s pre-tax profits have increased by more than 100 per cent to 778.7m (360.9m last year) thanks to a windfall gain through selling a 20 per […]