The latest Bellwether report for the first quarter of 2007 has just been released, recording the strongest upward revision of UK marketing spend for three years. The report, from the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising, says that one in four companies is now reporting an upward revision to total current marketing budgets. In Q1 2007,… Continue reading Q1 2007 Bellwether: Marketing Budgets Show Strong Growth

WPP announces that it has acquired a minority stake in VideoEgg, a company specialising in video solutions and video advertising for online communities. Founded in 2005, VideoEgg is based in San Francisco and employs 53 people. Clients include Unilever, Dell, NBC, Nestle and Universal. In a statement released today, Aegis said: “This investment further strengthens… Continue reading WPP Acquires Stake In Online Advertising Company

JCDecaux has signed a five-year worldwide alliance with Unilever. The agreement follows the success of the existing pan-European alliance signed between the two companies in 2002. The five-year alliance will involve the utilisation of JCDecaux’s outdoor networks and a commitment to a strategic partnership in developing and emerging markets. The immediate focus of the deal… Continue reading JCDecaux Signs Worldwide Alliance With Unilever

Google has acquired Doubleclick, an ad-serving company, for £3.1 billion, more than the £1.76 billion it paid for YouTube last year. Google says that the acquisition will “combine DoubleClick’s expertise in ad management technology for media buyers and sellers with Google’s leading advertising platform and publisher monetisation services”. Sergey Brin, Google’s co-founder and president, Technology,… Continue reading Google Acquires Doubleclick For £3.1 Billion

The Audit Bureau of Circulations has announced that it has begun a review of the various rule sets for regional newspapers.At the moment there are two rule sets through which regional newspapers can report; Regional Newspapers Paid, and Verified Free Distribution (VFD).Both of these rule sets detail how copies must be counted and reported; and… Continue reading ABC Begins Review Of Regional Newspaper Rule Sets

The Scotsman will this weekend launch a £250,000 advertising campaign promoting record audience figures.Although the newspaper’s year on year print sales dropped by almost 10% in the February ABCs, to 59,092, the title is celebrating its audience beating the four million mark for the first time in its illustrious history.The four million mark was bettered… Continue reading Scotsman To Launch Major Ad Campaign

Thomas Geitner has joined the BBC Worldwide board as a non-executive director. Geitner joined Vodafone in 2000 as an Executive Director with responsibility for global Business Integration. He left the company at the end of last year.Geitner will advise on new media developments, investments and international growth as BBC Worldwide gears up for major digital… Continue reading BBC Worldwide Appoints Non-Executive Director

Jay Hunt, controller, BBC daytime and early peak, has commissioned two new entertainment shows intended to bring some “springtime sparkle” to daytime on BBC One and BBC Two.Pop icon Donny Osmond will host Identity, billed as the ultimate mind-game from Reveille for BBC Two.Already a hit in the US, this intense game of impulse and… Continue reading Two New BBC Entertainment Shows

New research from NAdbase shows that 36% of all US internet users visited a newspaper website in November 2006, and page views for newspaper websites increased 27% year on year during the second half of 2006. The report also shows that during the second half of the year, unique visitors to newspaper websites averaged 57.3… Continue reading 36% Of US Internet Users Visit Newspaper Websites

Sir Richard Branson is thought to be the favourite to buy Virgin Radio following yesterday’s decision by its owner SMG to float it on the stock market. According to reports in the trade press, a brand rights ownership clause included in the deal which saw the station originally sold off from the Virgin Group could… Continue reading Branson Could Bid For Virgin Radio