The text messaging craze reached new heights during 2002 with almost 17 billion person to person text messages sent across the four UK GSM networks, according to the latest figures from the Mobile Data Association (MDA). The data also shows that 1.6 billion SMS messages were sent during December, taking the daily average for the… Continue reading Text Messaging Hits A New High In 2002

There will be a substantial recovery in advertising in 2004, even if there is a war in Iraq, says WPP chief executive Sir Martin Sorrell. Speaking at a conference in Seoul in South Korea, Sorrell is reported as saying that he is sticking with his previous forecasts of a real recovery in 2004 and little… Continue reading Sorrell Sticks To 2004 Ad Recovery Forecast

The popularity of broadband is based on the fact that subscribers tend to be wealthy, web savvy consumers who use the internet on a regular basis. However as high-speed access increasingly becomes the norm, there is uncertainty as to how the demographic will evolve. According to analysis by eMarketer, there were approximately 17 million broadband… Continue reading Broadband Set To Enter The Mainstream, Says eMarketer

New technologies and processes offer publishers unprecedented opportunities to transmit information, increase sales and cultivate new sources of revenue, says a new study from the World Association of Newspapers (WAN). The latest “Shaping the Future of the Newspaper” report concerns itself with the development of distribution methods which enable publishers to reach a wider audience… Continue reading WAN Hails The Distribution Revolution

Broadband set-top boxes are becoming more and more feature-laden, as cable and satellite companies turn to the high-speed delivery platform to increase average revenues per subscriber and reduced customer churn. According to a new report from Allied Business Intelligence (ABI), set-top box (STB) equipment is increasingly equipped with advanced features, such as PVR (personal video… Continue reading Multi-Feature Broadband Boxes Coming To The Living Room

Capital Radio’s advertising revenues fell by 6% in the quarter ending 31 December 2002. October was down by 14% and November and December were broadly flat. Capital says that this reflects the continuing tough advertising market. The group anticipates that January revenues will be modestly up year on year. However, the outlook for February and… Continue reading Capital Radio Ad Revenue Falls 6% In Q4 2002

The fortunes of Interpublic, the world’s second-largest advertising network, hit a new low yesterday as a prominent ratings agency issued a warning about the group’s debt. Interpublic endured a torrid 2002, punctuated by poor results, accounting revisions and ruminations on the state of the advertising economy. Just recently, IPG’s chief executive CEO John Dooner said… Continue reading Interpublic On The Brink Of Junk Status

The Barclay brothers have reportedly drawn up a plan to sell their national weekly newspaper, The Business. According to confidential documents obtained by the Financial Times, a possible management buy-out of The Business has been under consideration for some time. It is understood that lawyers acting for the Barclays have exchanged letters with City advisers… Continue reading Barclay Brothers Set To Sell The Business

Despite the ongoing advertising downturn, the majority of UK agencies managed to increase or sustain their investment in marketing and new business during 2002. A survey of over 150 agencies across advertising, PR, direct marketing, digital and media disciplines shows that advertising agencies had the largest number of staff dedicated to new business and marketing,… Continue reading Agencies Maintain New Business Spend During 2002

After suffering a 12.5% decline in 2002, US online advertising is set to return to growth this year, with eMarketer forecasting a 6.3% rise in revenues. The online ad sector has undergone two years of decline following the burst of the dotcom ‘bubble’ and has not been helped by the downturn in the broader advertising… Continue reading US Online Advertising Forecasts From eMarketer