WPP, the world’s largest advertising group, has appointed Philip Lader, the outgoing US ambassador to the UK, as its new chairman. He will replace Hamish Maxwell who is retiring from the company. SMG has announced the appointment of a new executive director. George Watt, who has filled the position of group finance director in an… Continue reading Appointments Brief
‘Beauty Parades’ as a method of agency pitching in the modern media world are looking as anachronistic as Miss World does in the age of post-feminism, according to leading industry figures. The question of whether the process was “anachronistic and out of date” was put to the panel of Media Question Time on Monday night… Continue reading Should The Beauty Parade Agency Pitch Be Pensioned Off?
Two media companies released full year results yesterday, to differing reactions from the market. SMG announced the record pre-tax profits that analysts had anticipated, despite a year of heavy investment (see SMG Reports Record Pre-Tax Profits, Looks To Future Opportunities). However, shares ended the day at £2.40, the same as Monday’s closing price.United Business Media… Continue reading Sharewatch
Since the 1998 launch of the first digital TV service, UK growth has exceeded expectations. Last year saw continued penetration and there are now estimated to be more than 6m digital households in the UK. The successful heavy marketing and free hardware approach was boosted by increased channel choice, including the launch of Channel 4’s… Continue reading Insight Analysis: Another Year In The Life Of Digital TV
Forrester forecast that worldwide Net commerce, both B2B and B2C, will hit $6,789.8 million in 2004 according to latest figures, this figure represents 8.6% of total revenue gained through sales. Whilst North America will continue to dominate during this period of growth, other markets such as Western Europe will start to catch up as a… Continue reading Worldwide e-commerce Forecasts From Forrester
‘Will the continued fragmentation of media make it impossible to launch a new mass market brand in 20 years time?’, last night’s Media Question Time panel was asked. After a little rumination between the panel and the audience, Guardian assistant editor Emily Bell piped up with, “Fragmentation, my arse.”Bell then pointed out that online retail… Continue reading ‘The Opportunity For Mass Brands Has Never Been Better,’ Says Billett
When asked whether it matters what time that news is on ITV at Media Question Time last night, a panel of key media industry figures was unanimous in denouncing the Independent Television Commission’s decision to force ITV to move the news back to 10pm.Speaking to the BBC Radio Theatre audience, C5 marketing director Jim Hytner… Continue reading Media Panel Denounces ITC’s Handling Of The News At Ten Affair
The contents of the recent Communications White Paper began the discussion at MediaTel’s Question Time event last night with the panel reacting to culture secretary Chris Smith’s assertion that the media industry has broadly welcomed its proposals. Speaking to MediaTel last week, Smith said: “I think with the broad direction in which we are going… Continue reading Billett Lambasts White Paper As Produced By “A Bunch Of Inept Broadcasting Advisory Cronies”
United Business Media (UBM) has this morning turned in an 11.4% rise in headline profit to £342.4 million for 2000. The market reacted very positively to the results with shares up by 35½p at 765p by midday today.The 11.4% profit growth at UBM is taken before the cost of new media initiatives which ran to… Continue reading UBM Shares Surge On Strong Profit
Channel 5’s marketing and communications director Jim Hytner gave advice to the new owner of the Express newspaper, Richard Desmond, as its war with the Daily Mail came to a head this week. At MediaTel’s Media Question Time event last night, Hytner said the paper should stop worrying about its midmarket rival, the content of… Continue reading ‘Stop Worrying About Midmarket Rivals’ Hytner Advises New Express Owner
