IPC Southbank has appointed Alicen Stenner, group digital marketing director and publisher at Hearst Digital’s handbag.com, as its digital director.Stenner, who takes up her new role in mid-February, was brand director of handbag.com for seven years and before that was marketing manager for BBC Radio.Jackie Newcombe, managing director of IPC Southbank, said: “Southbank has delivered… Continue reading IPC Southbank Appoints Digital Director

The UK online retail sector attracted 29 million unique visitors in October 2007, which amounts to 89% of the country’s total online user base in that month, according to the latest figures from comScore. The most popular online property was eBay, which attracted 22.2 million unique visitors or 68% of the UK’s total internet audience.… Continue reading UK Online Retail Sector Attracts 29 Million Unique Users In October

A new forecast from GroupM predicts that advertising spending in US measured media will show an almost 4% year on year increase in 2008. Worldwide spending is expected to rise 7% to $479 billion in 2008 following an anticipated 6% increase in 2007. US advertising spending, meanwhile, is expected to show a 3.7% increase to… Continue reading Worldwide Adspend Expected To Rise 7% to $479 billion In 2008

The private equity firm Apax is understood to be favourite to buy Emap’s business-to-business publishing business as bidding moves to the second round. Guardian Media Group is involved with the Apax bid, with the second round also seeing bids from private equity houses Cinven and Candover, joint owners of German publishing group Springer. According to… Continue reading Apax Now Emap Favourite

All-star period drama, Cranford, was a winner once again for BBC One last night with an average adult audience of more than 7.1 million.The programme, which stars big names like Judi Dench and Imelda Staunton, gave the channel a 28.1% viewing share between 9pm and 10pm, whilst BBC Two screened the final episode in Charlie… Continue reading More Than 7m Tune In To Cranford

Jay Hunt, Five’s director of programmes, has been appointed controller of BBC One.She replaces Peter Fincham, who resigned following the Wyatt Report into the ‘Crowngate’ affair (see Fincham Quits Following Queen Doco Shocker).Hunt, who only took up her job at Five in September (see Five Announces New Director Of Programmes) was previously BBC controller daytime… Continue reading Jay Hunt Appointed BBC One Controller

The Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) and the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP) have drawn up a new set of guidelines for advertisers who use celebrities to endorse products.The two watchdogs said firm evidence was needed to back up any claims, even if the celebrity is an expert on the subject.Earlier this year, an… Continue reading Ad Practice Committees Draw Up Celeb Endorsement Rules

Ofcom’s Consumer Panel has raised “urgent, practical issues” about how digital switchover is being publicised, saying that a better promotional campaign is needed to inform consumers about the help they can get to go digital.The report says that Britain’s most vulnerable TV viewers are not getting the information they need to make a smooth switch… Continue reading More Publicity Needed Around Switchover To Help Consumers

ITV has reportedly suffered a 50% fall in phone votes for its hit programme The X Factor following the premium-rate phone-in scandal.A report in the Daily Record claimed that voting levels had fallen by half since last year, with a resulting loss in revenue of around £10 million.A Deloitte report published last month found that… Continue reading The X-Factor Suffers 50% Fall In Phone Votes

ZenithOptimedia has predicted that global ad expenditure will grow 6.7% in 2008, up from 5.3% this year, thanks to the Olympic Games, elections in the US and European football. Developing markets have taken over as the main contributors to global advertising expenditure growth, said Zenith, compensating for slow growth in developed markets. The media planning… Continue reading Global Ad Market To Grow In 2008