After weeks of talks, British advertising giant WPP has today confirmed its takeover of US rival Young & Rubicam. The $4.7bn deal will create the world’s largest advertising group. Chief executive of WPP, Martin Sorrell, said of the deal: “This transaction creates a new world leader. The two organisations are highly compatible. We share a… Continue reading WPP Buys Young & Rubicam For $4.7bn

As Excite launches the latest unmetered internet service into the UK market, analyst Lars Godell of Forrester Research has predicted the death of flat-rate internet usage within two years. In an article for Forrester’s UK arm Fletcher Research, Godell says that while the competing offers of unmetered access from the likes of AltaVista and Telewest… Continue reading Research Claims Subscription-free Internet Is Unsustainable

After a slump during the first six months of 1999, outdoor advertising is back on track with the latest estimates for revenue growth in 2000 showing a mini-boom in the industry. Optimedia’s latest report predicts a growth of 8% during 2000, double the growth rate in 1999, and 3% higher than that predicted for total… Continue reading Insight Analysis: Mini-boom Predicted For Outdoor Advertising

Interactive digital television (iDTV) will reach 80 million European homes by 2005, according to a recent report by Forrester Research. The “walled garden” system currently available on interactive platforms will fall, allowing full internet access through TV screens. There are currently 7 million subscribers to interactive television systems throughout Europe. This will double to 14… Continue reading Online Services Will Be Driven By TV, Says Forrester

Cable group Telewest and pay-TV company Flextech, which are in the midst of a £2.3 billion merger, both reported poor year-end financial results today. The merger, which will create a vertically integrated company worth more than £12 billion, was cleared by the Department of Trade & Industry earlier this month. Telewest saw a rise in… Continue reading Telewest And Flextech Report Losses Ahead Of Merger

The rapid growth in online advertising is to set to start chipping away at the revenues of traditional marketing tactics, with direct mail first in line. These are the findings of Online Advertising Grows Up: Exploiting A New Marketing Medium, a new book-length report by Fletcher Research. Fletcher predicts that online advertising, which is set… Continue reading Online Advertising Will Bite Into Traditional Media

Total advertising revenue will grow by 5% in 2000 to just under £9900 million, according to the latest estimates from Optimedia. The internet will continue to generate record increases in revenue and significant growth can also be expected in the outdoor and radio industries. During 1999 total ad revenue grew by an estimated 7% to… Continue reading Net Ad Revenue to Overtake Cinema In 2000

The UK will be the most advanced digital television market in Europe by 2004, with almost 10 million digital homes, a new report has shown. According to technology research company Datamonitor, the UK and France will lead digital developments in Europe and by 2004 the UK will have 9.9 million digital TV homes, representing 27%… Continue reading UK Will Lead European Digital TV Development, Says Datamonitor

Online advertising is set to continue its boom, with revenues reaching £620 million by 2004, according to Fletcher. In 1999 online adspend stood at £50 million, drawn from a mixture of dotcom start-ups and traditional media companies moving to the Net. By 2004, 50% of all online ads will come from dotcoms, says Fletcher. Dotcom… Continue reading Online Advertising To Hit £620m By 2004, Says Fletcher

Mobile data will have a U.S. population penetration rate of nearly 60% by 2007, up from its current 2%, according to a new report released by The Strategis Group. This better-than-expected growth is attributed to aggressive deployment of high-speed services in the U.S. In the study, US Mobile Data Marketplace, The Strategis Group examined wireless… Continue reading Forecasts by The Strategis Group say Mobile Data Penetration to Be Nearly 60% By 2007