Traditional media budgets have been cut for the sixth successive quarter, with the IPA revealing the weakest rise in marketing spending in four years. According to the latest Bellwether report from the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA), the overall trend in marketing budgets shows the continuing trend of moving adspend away from traditional media… Continue reading IPA Bellwether: Traditional Media Budgets Continue To Drop

US online advertising expenditure in the first quarter of 2006 rose by 9.3% compared to the last quarter of 2005, with pricing also enjoying a strong performance. According to a new study from Deutsche Bank in conjunction with MediaPost, the cost of premium inventory increased by 3.8%, with run of network inventory up by 2.7%… Continue reading US Online Adspend Up By 9.3% In Q1 2006

Britain’s marketers are more confident about the future of the economy, the prospects for their own business, and the growth of sales than they were six months ago, according to the latest Chartered Institute of Marketing trends survey. Completed for the Institute by Ipsos MORI the survey revealed that nearly half (48%) of those questioned… Continue reading Marketers More Confident Than Six Months Ago

Hispanic internet users in the US look set to increase to nearly 21 million by 2010, up from just 15.7 million in 2005, according to new research from eMarketer. By the end of 2006, eMarketer projects the number to be up by 25% on 2005’s figure, reaching 16.7 million. In addition, the Hispanic population is… Continue reading US Hispanic Online Users To Reach 21 Million By 2010

Iceland has the highest concentration of broadband users, with the technology increasing its presence globally, particularly in South Korea, the Netherlands and Denmark. Despite this strong growth, the US still has the most broadband users, with new research from the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development finding it has more than 49 million users. Overall… Continue reading Iceland Leads With Broadband Penetration

ITV’s double bill of drama saw off competition from BBC One’s Match Of The Day last night, with the FA Cup quarter final replay between Middlesbrough and Charlton Athletic drawing just under 4.3 million.Meanwhile, ITV’s The Bill and Murder City attracted average adult audiences of 5.8 million and 4.7 million respectively.BBC Two’s The Apprentice performed… Continue reading ITV Drama Sees Off Football Competition

FHM has pulled the plug on its bi-annual fashion title, FHM Collections, ending the title’s ten year tenure on the newsstand just over six months after an editorial revamp.Announcing the decision, Rimi Atwal, business director for FHM UK, said: “The last issue will be the current issue on sale, Spring/Summer 2006.“Despite the superb leadership of… Continue reading FHM Collections Hangs Up Its Hat

Television delivered via mobile phones will take a further two years to develop into a heavyweight consumer product claims the head of mobile manufacturer Sony Ericsson.Speaking to the Reuters news agency, Sony Ericsson president Miles Flint said that uncertainty over technological standards could hold back development of the service, stating: “I don’t think that it… Continue reading Mobile TV To Be Big In Next Two Years

Supermarket heavyweight Sainsbury’s has begun shielding shoppers form the front covers of men’s magazines sold in its stores, employing “modesty covers” usually reserved for adult titles to preserve customers’ sensitivities.The cover-up is effective in all of the retailer’s 760 stores nation-wide, affecting several publisher’s flagship titles, including FHM, Maxim, Loaded, Nuts and Zoo.The supermarket’s shelves… Continue reading Lads Mags Face Cover Up By Supermarket Giant

Search engine giant, Google, has changed its name in China hoping to increase its presence in the country’s rapidly growing economy. Google will now be known as Gu Ge, which means “harvesting song”, with the internet body saying the name conveyed “the sense of a fruitful and productive search experience in a Chinese way.” Commenting… Continue reading Google Changes Name To Fit In Chinese Market