Marketing News: Betley Whitehorne : The first Guernsey Photography Festival will be held in St Peter Port

Betley Whitehorne are pleased to be design partner for the newly launched Guernsey Photography Festival. Responsible for the identity, graphics and digital requirements the agency is looking forward to this exciting new cultural festival in May 2010. The first Guernsey Photography Festival will be held in St Peter Port featuring exhibitions by renowned international photographers Simon Norfolk, Josef Koudelka and Judah Passow. The festival will also feature community activities, with competitions and exhibitions featuring work by local photographers, both amateur and professional.

Marketing News: Twitter Makes Its Red Carpet Debut For Celebrities And Criminals

Barracuda Labs Launches New Security Information Portal, Reveals Only 21 Percent of Twitter Users are 'True Twitter Users'

Marketing News: AIM Solutions partners with Telefónica O2 Ireland for b2c 'Treats' initiative

Customer loyalty specialist, AIM Solutions, has partnered with Telefónica O2 Ireland to devise and implement its new b2c 'Treats' initiative.

Marketing News: TSL joins forces with Adstream for high-volume TV re-versioning

SL, a leading multi-platform campaign delivery specialist, today announces its partnership with Adstream, the world leader in advertising workflow, to release unprecedented capacity and expertise for high-volume TV re-versioning customers.

Marketing News: Confirmit Extends its Horizons with the Latest Release of its Multi-channel Feedback Platform

Confirmit has announced the launch of Confirmit Horizons Version 15, the new release of its on-demand, multi-channel platform for customer feedback, employee feedback, and Market Research applications.

Marketing News: IT Distributor Teams Up With Charity to Bring Customers a More Cost Effective, Rewarding and Unique Incentive

British owned IT Distributor Westcoast Limited have partnered with Microsoft to bring customers a unique World Cup incentive campaign that will be supporting local African charity Kick4Life. Westcoast and Microsoft have used their marketing funds to make a donation to African Children's charity, Kick4Life in exchange for a World Cup 2010 package and a unique experience where winning customers will be able to engage with the deprived children of Lesotho and see the charity in action. Westcoast Marketing Director, Alex Tatham said 'Kick4Life are providing us with a package greater than those on offer from the events specialists and all the profits are going back to the charity to support their excellent work. The Passion campaign is a great vehicle to communicate our core company values".

Marketing News: It's a Wrap! Playfish Announce Winners of Pet Society Movie Awards

The BAFTAs are behind us, the Oscars are in front of us, and in the middle, filling the film season void, is the Pet Society Movie Awards. Playfish, the organisers of this glittering new entry onto the awards circuit, are pleased to today unveil the lucky award winners.

Marketing News: GALA 2010 Focuses on the Future of Global Content Delivery

GALA 2010, the Globalization and Localization Association's second Language of Business conference, will bring developers of content together with translation and localisation sellers to discuss and debate the future of global content delivery.

Marketing News: MCCA celebrates the industry's Best work at annual awards

Top names from the marketing industry gathered last night to celebrate the most impressive work of last year at the MCCA's annual Best awards. Touch DDB celebrated the most awards of the night with a total of six Best Awards for their work with the Financial Times, the IPA and Remember a Charity. It was Saatchi and Saatchi X however who walked away with the coveted Agency of the Year, along with four other Best Awards including Best Development of Agency Talent and Best Communication Campaign featuring Sales Promotion.

Marketing News: Flake dumps Saatchis after axing TV ad

The move comes after the company was forced to axe a big-budget TV ad, directed by Jonathan Glazer and created by Saatchis, which had been due to air this month. Based around the theme of temptation, the spot saw a woman being seduced by a devil-like character. Cadbury canned the ad after quantitative research revealed polarising results. Phil Rumbol, Cadbury's marketing director, said: "Having researched it, we felt it wasn't working for our core target audience. You try things but don't always pull it off, and that's what happened here."

Marketing News: Arnold Launches "The Naughty Volvo Films"

Global communications agency Arnold Worldwide has partnered with EuroRSCG 4D and SapientNitro to develop an integrated campaign to promote the introduction of the new Volvo S60 at the Geneva Auto Show. The theme, "The Naughty Volvo", aims to build on the brand's responsible reputation by showing it has a fun and adventurous side, too. The campaign objective is to spark conversation about the new model among driving enthusiasts by demonstrating the S60's driving dynamics, design and innovative technology. The campaign launches with a digital experience in March and will expand throughout the year to include TV, social marketing, press ads, experiential activity, outdoor. The campaign also includes on and offline CRM elements, produced by EHS 4D.

Marketing News: Sports World parent firm Sports Direct International said it was considering a bid to buy struggling outdoor retailer Blacks Leisure

Sports World parent firm Sports Direct International said it was considering a bid to buy struggling outdoor retailer Blacks Leisure. Confirmation of its takeover interest comes a week after Sports Direct - controlled by Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley - scuppered fundraising plans being put forward by Blacks. Sports Direct had earlier snapped up 28.5 per cent of Blacks shares and its aggressive moves sparked speculation it was planning a bid for its high street rival. In light of the Sports Direct takeover interest, Blacks said it would now look to secure an alternative fundraising to support its recovery efforts, which would only require 50 per cent shareholder approval. Blacks, which operates its own brand shops as well as the Millets chain, was last week forced to adjourn a shareholder ballot on a £20m fundraising amid tense negotiations with Sports Direct.

Marketing News: Social media is becoming a core part of customer service, says Yomego

Customer service is becoming social, according to a new guide - How to use social media to revolutionise your customer service – from specialist social media agency, Yomego. The guide is free to download from Yomego's website: www.yomego.com/insight.

Marketing News: Arnold Launches "The Naughty Volvo Films"

Arnold joins forces with Euro RSCG 4D and Sapient Nitro for new Volvo integrated campaign

Marketing News: Findababysitter.com Launches £1,300 Mothers Day Competition

Online child care experts Findababysitter.com today announced the first winners of its Mothers Day Little Monsters competition to find the funniest, cutest and most embarrassing things that kids say to their mum's. The competition invites UK parents to share the priceless little gems that kids say to mum to win £1,300 of prizes.

Marketing News: IBC leads the way in Digital Signage

The market for Digital Signage is set to grow rapidly over the next few years. A recent report by iSuppli predicts that global shipments of digital retail signs are set to rise to 2.5 million units by 2013. This figure represents a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 26.8% since 2008. The technologies, solutions and content that are driving this revolution in communication will form the focus for the Digital Signage Zone at IBC2010.

Marketing News: bwin launches online and offline AC Milan activation campaign

Consumers can win a day as a professional AC Milan player at the Milanello bwin is launching an extensive online and offline activation campaign which will offer its users the opportunity to experience a day in the life of an AC Milan player. The activation campaign consists of two phases, beginning with a viral video where users will experience the special moments before and during an official UEFA Champions League game. By providing their name and uploading a picture, the user literally becomes part of the AC Milan team and appears in different locations and situations, such as the locker room and the team line-up right before the game. The viral video closes with the user scoring the decisive goal and the camera zooming in on their face. Their name also features on the back of their jersey.

Marketing News: Brand Learning leaps to Top 3 in The Sunday Times Top 100 Best Small Companies

Brand Learning, the leading international specialist consultancy in building marketing capabilities, today announced that it has achieved the coveted third place in The Sunday Times Top 100 Best Companies to Work For list for 2010.

Marketing News: Pioneering consultancy Brand Learning announces five new director appointments

Underlining its sustained growth despite the recession Brand Learning today announced the arrival of five high profile new hires to its marketing consultancy team.

Marketing News: : frank the agency comes to an end

Integrated marketing specialist agency, frank the agency, today announces that it has ceased to trade with immediate effect. The Director's are now working to complete the Company's affairs, including assisting their clients with ongoing work to ensure a smooth transition. Frank the agency was founded in 2000 and was a specialist in the travel, tourism and destination marketing sector. In its early years it carried out significant campaigns for British Airways and First Group but more recently has been working for some of the UK's leading visitor attractions including the Merlin Entertainments London Eye, Madame Tussauds and SEA LIFE London Aquarium. Other notable clients included the COI, Territorial Army, Army Cadet Force, Persimmon Homes, Pochin Homes and CN Group.

Marketing News: Jellyfish : By exploiting the long tail when tracking phone calls we are confident that we can increase productivity by up to 40%

Jellyfish, the UK's leading agency dedicated to paid search, today unveiled Infinity™, the first-ever call tracking service linking an infinite number of search keywords directly to phone-related sales or enquiries, allowing businesses to maximise their PPC campaigns and ultimately boost their bottom line. Unlike traditional call-tracking technology, Infinity™ will allow Jellyfish to track all of the keywords within a search marketing campaign, not just a select few. This innovative technology creates a unique Call Tracking Tag using a sophisticated keyword and visitor algorithm that allows Infinity™ to track an infinite number of keywords and visitors with a relatively small phone number pool.

Marketing News: Delivering the right message to the right people is only half the story

How well is your message being received when you send them a promotional email? SMART Market intelligence

Marketing News: Email Marketing: Is Trust Based On Text?

How do you get recipients to open your email marketing campaigns? Are they adding you to their 'safe' senders list? Andy Thorpe, one of Pure360's email experts, provides his insight and gives us a quick guide to using 'Trust Earning Text'.

Marketing News: Networked blogs and Marketing Clout

Networked blogs and Marketing Clout

Marketing News: Save Energy and Win a Citroën C2 with Current Cost

To celebrate the fact that it will soon have hit the one million sales mark with its market-leading energy saving real time displays (RTDs), Current Cost is giving away a brand new low CO2-emitting Citroën C2 car. The simple, inexpensive RTDs highlight the amount of energy being wasted around the home, allowing householders to take immediate steps to cut back on unnecessary usage and cut the cost of their electricity bill.

Marketing News: Pure360, Email Design Made Easy

Great email design is key to a successful email marketing campaign. Andy Thorpe, email expert at Pure360, outlines his top design tips for an effective email campaign.

Marketing News: Lyris to Exhibit at the Technology for Marketing and Advertising Event, 2010

Lyris, the online marketing expert, today announced it is exhibiting at Technology for Marketing & Advertising, 2010 (TFM&A 2010), one of the U.K.'s premier integrated marketing and advertising events.

Marketing News: SAPIENT INTERACTIVE AND SAPIENTNITRO TAKE DECISIVE MOVES TO ACCELERATE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE STRATEGY

LONDON – 19 February 2010 – Sapient (NASDAQ: SAPE) today announced that its Sapient Interactive and SapientNitro divisions will go to market as a single brand, effective immediately. The strategy is designed to capture increased demand for the company's comprehensive multi-channel marketing and commerce services. The unified SapientNitro offering will be co-led by Gaston Legorburu, former head of Sapient Interactive group, and Chris Clarke, founder and former head of Nitro Group (now SapientNitro). More details about SapientNitro are available at the new www.sapientnitro.com.

Marketing News: Royal Mail : Neuromarketing is evolving as an increasingly important tool in marketers armoury

Marketers are frequently employing neuroscience techniques to assist in the planning of campaigns by understanding the influences and behaviour that lead consumers to make a purchase. Scanning the blood flow and electrical surges in various regions of the brain via Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (FMRI) can help brands plan effective campaign communication strategies. Academics at Bangor University were recently commissioned by Royal Mail and research specialist Millward Brown to carry out an innovative study to determine if the brain reacts differently to marketing messages delivered through direct mail in comparison to information shown on screen. The aim of the investigation was to support the hypothesis that people would engage more with real physical objects than they would while watching a screen.

Marketing News: Telefónica Mexico And Myriad Group Named As Finalist For GSMA Global Mobile Award

Largest Health Survey Ever Conducted via Mobile Phones Nominated for Top Honour for 'Best Use of Mobile for Social and Economic Development'

Marketing News: UKTV Good Food announces five tasty programme acquisitions

Britain's leading food TV channel, Good Food has announced that it has acquired the exclusive UK multi-channel rights to four hugely successful series including Man v. Food, The Best In Australia, Catherine's Italian Kitchen and Fresh from the Sea. It has also licensed the exclusive basic rights in the UK for the second series of Top Chef Masters. Good Food has acquired Man v. Food in a deal between UKTV's Acquisition Executive, Nicki McDermott and Justin Hatfield, SVP Sales, UK, Eire, Scandinavia, Benelux, FremantleMedia Enterprises. Ordered by Good Food's Channel Head, Richard Kingsbury and UKTV's Director of Lifestyle & Factual, Jane Mote; the series will form a key part of the channel's March schedule. The 18 x 30" follows presenter Adam Richman as he travels across the United States in search of the best places to indulge in food whilst facing extraordinary challenges along the way, including devouring the Atomic Hot Wings platter in Pittsburgh through to a 13lb pizza in

Marketing News: DTV adds media buying and call centre consultancy to strategic offering

DTV Group, the DRTV specialists with a stronghold in the not-for-profit sector, has developed a new division to optimise call centre and media services for clients. The work is headed up by Lex Cook, one of the agency's directors. The new division assists charities with three crucial stages of working with suppliers from the call centre and media buying sectors: tendering and appointment, management during campaigns, and post-campaign data analysis and campaign evaluation. Cook says: "It goes without saying that if a DRTV campaign, no matter how compelling the creative, is not seen by the right people or the responses are not handled appropriately, it will not realise its full potential. And, through working with our many charity clients, we have found an increasing need for a more streamlined blend of creative proposition, media selection and call centre follow up."

Marketing News: Trebor appoints CMW to minty task

Cadbury has appointed CMW to develop and execute the Trebor digital strategy across its portfolio of gums and mints. The agency will work alongside Fallon and PHD to extend and flex the story of the Mint People that began last year.

Marketing News: Emailvision : Email marketing and social media will feed off one another

Mobile marketing, social media integration and strategic campaign planning will encourage increased investment in email and online marketing during the next twelve months, according to Emailvision, Europe's largest email service provider. Figures published by MarketingSherpa in 2009 showed that more than a third of companies increased spending on email. 2009 was also another year of strong growth for retention-based email marketing despite the onset of a global recession, which forced businesses to aggressively cut spending on marketing activity.

Marketing News: REFUGE VALENTINE'S CAMPAIGN URGES WOMEN TO QUESTION IF THEIR PARTNER'S BEHAVIOUR IS CARING OR CONTROLLING

G2 United Kingdom, one of the UK's leading integrated marketing agencies, has teamed up with national domestic violence charity Refuge to create a new campaign aimed at increasing awareness of domestic violence.

Marketing News: Unilever chief marketing officer Simon Clift is to leave the consumer goods company

Unilever chief marketing officer Simon Clift is to leave the consumer goods company within the next few months. Clift has been with Unilever since 1982 and was Unilever's first chief marketing officer. He is not thought to have a job to go to. He has held marketing positions with the company in the UK, Portugal, Austria and Mexico. A Unilever spokesperson says: "After almost 30 years with Unilever, chief marketing officer Simon Clift, has decided it's time to move on, and intends to retire from the company in a few months' time. It's a completely amicable parting, prompted by his desire to spend more time with his family in Brazil and to pursue other creative opportunities." In his role as CMO, Clift was responsible for developing Unilever's marketing strategy across all categories for brands such as Dove and Lynx.

Marketing News: Advertising Matters : Omid and the Meercat ... Daz Valladares

Motor insurance premiums have apparently risen by 18%. Is this a fact or merely the industry's wishful thinking? It's easy to see why they need a rise in premiums. Although this is a massive business worth £13 billion, it remains only marginally profitable. Claims, some fraudulent have increased and there are now a large number of uninsured drivers. However intense competition, particularly in the shape of advertising, £109 million's worth last year, has surely put a dampener on price rises.

Marketing News: Holiday Extras has moved its entire marketing and transactional email platform to StrongMail

Holiday Extras, the award-winning online provider of UK airport parking and airport hotel packages, has moved its entire marketing and transactional email platform to StrongMail. By integrating StrongMail into its existing database infrastructure, Holiday Extras is able to intelligently leverage valuable customer behavioural data in its email marketing campaigns for the first time. In addition, by bringing the email marketing function in-house, the company expects to save up to £30,000 annually by avoiding external email marketing agency fees.

Marketing News: YEAR END FIGURES SEE YORKSHIRE DIGITAL AGENCY TRIUMPH

Leeds based digital agency Coolpink shows aggressive growth with its announcement this week of 2009 year-end figures showing turnover up by over 50%.

Marketing News: One Young World Global Youth Study Reveals The Real-Time Generation

YouGovStone and www.oneyoungworld.com Study Shows 10 Key Trends Among Young People Worldwide That Will Define the Future

Marketing News: Creativity rewarded as MCCA announces Best Awards shortlist

The Marketing Communication Consultants Association has announced the shortlist for its annual Best Awards, recognising creativity, innovation and execution across all marketing disciplines. The awards promise to celebrate only 'The Best' creative work, focusing on the message: "Creativity uninhibited delivers results."

Marketing News: Tourism Ireland has launched a new test initiative

Tourism Ireland has launched a new test initiative that enables would be travellers to build their own Ireland brochure online. http://www.discoverirelandbrochure.com/ The test initiative has been built by the design agency Burrows, who won the project following a tender process in summer 2009. The brief was to develop an online initiative where consumers could 'Create their own brochure' and to assess potential provision of information on a more customised basis via innovative usage of digital technologies. The microsite, launched this month, takes each prospective tourist through a number of options. As they select their preferences, a bespoke content management system optimises content pages to include relevant points of interest that relate to the season and region they're visiting. Once complete, a customised online brochure is delivered for download. It highlights the best and most relevant choices Ireland can offer to match the reader's ideal holiday.

Marketing News: Hard-hitting year ahead for print media and radio

Increasing investment in social media, mobile marketing, email marketing and search will fuel a 17 per cent surge in digital marketing spending this year, as marketers migrate budgets from television, print and radio. ExactTarget, the on-demand email and one-to-one marketing specialist worked in conjunction with Econsultancy, the digital publishing and training group, to conduct a survey of over 1000 company and agency marketers around the globe. The outlook for offline channels is much less favourable than its digital competitors, where 28 per cent of marketers will shift their overall marketing budgets towards digital in 2010. In contrast, the research depicts a healthier outlook for the burgeoning digital marketing industry, with 66 per cent of companies increasing their online marketing spend, and a further 30 per cent stating that they will maintain the same levels of spend in this area. On average, digital marketing currently accounts for 24% of overall marketing spe

Marketing News: How you can save over £1000

It's a new year; time to brush down your business and get excited about new beginnings! But there's a giant hole in your pocket; and thanks to the Christmas break, you're not going to get much new money coming in for a while. January is a tough month for businesses. Well, don't panic – with a little bit of effort (truth be told, hardly effort of Herculean proportions), we're going to suggest how you can save over £1000. Right now.

Marketing News: CMW appointed to social media launch for new Kellogg's brand

Krave represents two new directions for Kellogg's. Firstly, it's the first time the company has created a cereal exclusively aimed specifically at the youth market (16-25 year olds) and secondly, it's the first time that Kellogg's has embarked on a heavyweight social media campaign to support a brand in the UK. Details of the social media strategy are yet to be revealed however it's expected to build upon the above-the-line brand idea that has been developed by Leo Burnett. CMW's role will be to bring this brand property to life through social media platforms and deliver a deep level of engagement with the core audience of young adults. In addition, the agency has been tasked with expanding the brand's appeal through online advertising and the creation of the Krave microsite.

Marketing News: eircom puts social media at the heart of its customer service strategy

Designed by social media agency Yomego, eircom connect is serviced by dedicated specialised customer service representatives. At the heart of the site is the social support forum. The site also boasts an array of extra features including a "service announcement" section that brings the latest service updates to customers and an informative 'topic of the month' section inviting customers to ask questions to eircom senior management on a variety of topics. Commenting on the official launch of the online forum Dervilla Mullan, Director of Online, eircom said "eircom connect enables improved customer engagement and is a dedicated online platform for customer service and support." "The eircom connect site has been well received to date with a wide variety of topics being discussed and a real sense of community developing where customers are sharing experiences and helping each other, " she continued.

Marketing News: Facebook and The Nielsen Company : launch of a new tool called Nielsen BrandLift

Facebook and The Nielsen Company have announced the UK launch of a new tool called Nielsen BrandLift, which will use the Facebook platform to measure the effectiveness of online brand advertising.

Marketing News: Communicate magazine has announced the shortlist of the inaugural Transform Awards, the UK's only awards for rebranding and brand transformation

The winners will be announced at a special dinner on the 2 March

Marketing News: ExactTarget Partners with World Leaders – SAP, Oracle and ATG

Providing marketers with a single source for all their one-to-one marketing technology needs integrating more than 50 technology firms via 'Extensions Network'

Marketing News: Global Technology Company Cuts Costs, Gains Branding Control Using Integrated Email Platform

ExactTarget announced today that Hitachi Data Systems continues to reduce its global email marketing costs while boosting brand governance and accountability following the implementation of its Online Marketing Campaign Management platform. Seamless integrations between technology providers ExactTarget and Webtrends, made possible by ExactTarget's Extensions Network, allowed the California-based corporation to create an online marketing platform to support its global network of field marketing offices and sales representatives who had previously managed their own digital marketing campaigns. "In the economic downtown, we have greater pressure to demonstrate marketing accountability and deliver ROI," said Sean Mattson, Hitachi Data Systems' director of global web marketing. "Our integrated system allows us to track results for each business unit while also regulating the design and implementation of each unit's marketing efforts to create one comprehensive global campaign."

Marketing News: SDL : Company strengthens brand with consolidated naming of divisions

Maidenhead, UK – 25 January 2010 – SDL, the leading provider of Global Information Management solutions, announced today consolidated branding to signal the growing recognition of the company's technology leadership in managing global content. Through a series of strategic acquisitions and research and development investment, SDL has expanded its technology footprint from Language Technology into Structured Content Technologies, Web Content Management and most recently eCommerce Technologies. To signal SDL's end-to-end platform for managing the content lifecycle, the company is launching a new consolidated brand. As of today, all business units in SDL, including SDL Tridion, SDL XySoft and SDL TRADOS Technologies, SDL Enterprise Technologies and SDL Language Services, will be referred to as divisions of SDL in a move to unify the SDL brand.

Marketing News: A Unique Leadership Programme designed for Marketers Offered by The Marketing Society in association with Brand Learning

Senior marketers need to focus more on context and less on content, according to information released today. Marketing managers need to handle the day-to-day job but more senior marketers need also to be able to rise above it, providing the vision and context within which effective decisions are made. They must also engage people and build their capabilities to manage the operational demands of the business. Only then will they be equipped to sit at the top table in their organisations.

Marketing News: Free Help for UK Companies with US Opportunities

It can be daunting for a UK SME to establish, develop and manage a US sales operation. They may have a great opportunity, but limited team and financial resources. In response to this challenge, ExportAction Ltd, is publishing a series of ten free "help sheets" aimed at assisting small businesses with big ambitions.

Marketing News: RAC To Sponsor Caddy TDI In 2010 Volkswagen Racing Cup

The Caddy TDI racing van will be competing in the Volkswagen Racing Cup in 2010 sporting bright orange livery thanks to a new sponsorship deal with the RAC, and it will also have a new driver with Simon Elliott, Director of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles taking his seat behind the wheel to try to make Volkswagen vans just as popular and successful on the track as they are on the road.

Marketing News: APA ANNOUNCES INDEPENDENT STATUS

From 1st January 2010, APA, the membership organisation representing the editorialised branded content industry, previously a subsidiary of the PPA, becomes an independent association. The customer publishing industry continues to grow and latest Mintel figures estimate that by 2012 the industry will be worth £1 billion. The move follows APA's need to develop initiatives specifically tailored to its burgeoning membership in order to add even more value to its relationship with its member companies. In addition to traditional customer publishing agencies that produce both print and digital branded content for clients; digital agencies, creative agencies and international agencies are increasingly developing editorial content initiatives for their clients and are expressing interest in joining the APA, as proven by the high level of non-member entries to the International Customer Publishing Awards in November 2009.

Marketing News: Greggs plans to open 130 new stores

High Street bakers Greggs plans to open 130 new stores over the next two years creating more than 1,500 jobs. Boss Ken McMeikan told Your Money he planned to speed up the group's expansion after reporting tasty Christmas sales. McMeikan believes that the group can grow from around 1,400 shops today to more than 2,000 within six to seven years. He said: "It is some positive news at a time when a lot of people are losing their jobs" Greggs was a clear Christmas winner with sales up 1.1% on strong figures the previous year. The chain served an extra 250,000 customers in Christmas week, despite the bad weather, thanks to what McMeikan called the "heroic" efforts of staff.

Marketing News: Hatch Creations : Seeking Marketing decision makers who are looking for / to review their creative service providers.

Hatch Creations Ltd is a London based creative agency committed to tackle any project no matter how big or small. Offering affordable, dynamic and most importantly effective design solutions.

Marketing News: Ferrero have walked away from talks with Hershey over a joint bid for Cadbury

Ferrero have walked away from talks with Hershey over a joint bid for Cadbury, leaving Kraft as the main food giant looking to take over the UK's leading chocolate brand. The Italian giant pulled out of conversations with Hershey because its management decided joint ownership of Cadbury would not fit in with its long-term strategy. It follows months of speculation that a joint bid would be made by the Italian and US confectioners. Kraft's planned revised bid for a £10.2bn takeover is now the only known bid for Cadbury. It was initially made in December and has been ongoing since September. Yesterday, Cadbury dismissed the bid as derisory and fundamentally unattractive However, Kraft Foods chief executive and chairman Irene Rosenfeld, has strongly rebuffed this argument. She says: "As we complete our turn-around, we're delivering high-quality earnings growth, despite the difficult economic environment. As a result, we're well positioned to deliver sustainable top-tier p

Marketing News: DCM Promotes Cinema With Help Of National Film & Television School

Digital Cinema Media (DCM) is to run a national ad campaign promoting cinema using 60-second ads created by competition winning students from the National Film and Television School (NFTS). The first instalment is set to launch on the 22ndJanuary, and run for two months on all DCM screens. It promotes cinema as a unique experience you can't replicate elsewhere, and the power of cinema as an advertising medium. The ads are part of a long term plan to build stronger ties with the film industry while supporting the country's emerging talent through the NFTS - the internationally recognised school, whose alumni include Harry Potter director David Yates and Nick Park, creator of Wallace and Gromit.

Marketing News: Microsoft, News Corp, Bing and the battle for paid-content: what's all the fuss about?

Over the past few months the future survival of the newspaper and magazine publishing industry has been a topic of hot debate. Media baron Rupert Murdoch turned up the volume on the debate recently with his outspoken comments at a symposium on the future of journalism in the Internet age – referring to the likes of the Huffington Post and other 'aggregators' like it as mere 'freeloaders'. There's no denying the Internet has changed the way people consume content. As a result, publishers are uncertain about how to approach the future. And so they should be – they have watched the erosion of traditional revenue streams over the past few years and know they need to address it. Charging for online content is at the heart of the Murdoch accusations, and although a lot has been written about the implications for publishers and consumers, not much has been said about the effects on advertisers. Understanding the concept of 'paid' versus 'free content'

Marketing News: Top Tips for Marketers in 2010 from ExactTarget

ExactTarget Launches its Five Resolutions Every Marketer Must Make in 2010 Whitepaper Via Multiple Marketing Channels and Live Twitter Interviews.

Marketing News: Achieving Top 10 Rankings the easy way with any website, and in Google

www.servicewrap.net, online for more than 7 years, are now ready to deliver your website Top 10 search engine rankings to all major search engines including Google, the easy way.

Marketing News: UKFast : Marketing Focus Takes Entrepreneurs Through Recession

With the Office for National Statistics confirming a sixth successive quarter of recession, UKFast invited a panel of Manchester's business elite to share their thoughts on the economic downturn and how it had affected them.

Marketing News: RSA : severe snow could cost Britains economy as much as £690m

RSA predicts that a day of severe snow could cost Britains economy as much as £690m and as much as £14bn over three weeks. During the snowstorm in February 2009, experts predicted that 20% of the UKs workforce, 6.4 million people, failed to turn up to work. The current bad weather is worse, meaning the UKs economic output will be hit to the tune of at least £14bn over the next three weeks. Not only will business productivity fall, but local vendors will also suffer reduced turnover and may even be forced to close for the day due to the lack of trade and staff.

Marketing News: Toy recalls rise at Christmas

Blueview study shows majority of toy recalls are reported around the festive season New research shows that, with Christmas just around the corner, brand managers, marketers and CRM specialists need to be prepared to deal effectively with product recalls and guard against lasting damage to their brand. A new study by customer management agency Blueview Group, reveals that over a third (38%) of non-food consumer products recalled are toys and children's equipment, and there is a significant peak in recalls for products in this category during the December/January months. The report, Recall – the Rising Risk, looks at product recall trends over the last four years and highlights a product risk pre- and post-Christmas.

Marketing News: UK shoppers move downmarket for their groceries

GI Insight survey shows consumers are reluctant to return to pre-recession spending habits after moving to 'value' retailers The latest research from GI Insight has found that 36% of UK consumers have gone downmarket with their grocery shopping and switched to value supermarkets for a significant portion of their food purchases, in an effort to economise as the recession has dragged on.

Marketing News: CN Group has joined the consortium aiming to run an Independently Funded News Consortium pilot for the Tyne Tees and Border areas of England

Regional publisher CN Group has joined the consortium aiming to run an Independently Funded News Consortium pilot for the Tyne Tees and Border areas of England. The independently-run CN Group, which publishes newspapers in Cumbria, Northumberland and Scotland, joins a partnership established by Trinity Mirror, the Press Association and internet TV specialists Ten Alps. The consortium has already tabled a bid for funding from the government to run a pilot scheme replacing ITVs news operation in that region of England – other organisations are expected to be added as partners in the coming weeks. Robin Burgess, chief executive of CN Group, said: "We have been serving the people of Cumbria with local news, information and entertainment for over 194 years and we look forward to continuing this by contributing to a revitalised local news programme.

Marketing News: The 7stanes Working Group, are looking to commission a research consultancy

Scottish Enterprise and Forestry Commission Scotland on behalf of mountain bike project the 7stanes Working Group, are looking to commission a research consultancy. The consultancy chosen will undertake robust research into three distinct areas of work related to the future development of the 7stances - Market segmentation of the 7stanes, Value of the 7stanes Brand and Assess the attitude of users / potential users and stakeholders regarding income generating initiatives such as Branded goods, Friends of scheme, donation schemes and more. The 7stanes is a brand used to describe a series of mountain bike centres owned and managed by FCS across Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders. In addition to developing the physical trails, the first two phases of the project also involved marketing, PR, business development and related infrastructure developments that have built on the awareness and reputation of the 7stanes. The appointed consultancy will have access to a r

Marketing News: YOC have announced that monthly page impressions on its UK media network have increased by 41% since June 2009

Mobile marketing agency YOC today announced that monthly page impressions on its UK media network have increased by 41% since June 2009, resulting in more than 240 million page impressions being served each month. The company's significant growth in the UK means that the YOC UK media network now represents almost half of YOC's overall European media network which receives over 500 million monthly page impressions. The latest addition to the UK media network is innerActive, an audience-publisher, aggregating mobile in-applications and in-games inventory across many developers and publishers, and directing it to premium ad sales partners. YOC will work with innerActive to provide brands and advertisers with in-game and in application adverts in over 50 ad-ready games available from various store fronts including Nokia Ovi, Fox Mobile, MTN, Vivid Games, Herocraft and C4M. Since its launch in July 2008, YOC UK has signed a range of leading publishing houses, media companies and on

Marketing News: Widget boosts performance with Maginus

Widget, a fast-growing on line mobile communications retailer and distributor, has seen its business grow by 2000% in the three years that it has managed its business using IT solutions from Maginus, expert providers of integrated software solutions for multi channel retail & distribution companies.

Marketing News: Evander Glazing & Locks has appointed Balloon Dog to handle its integrated marketing communications programme

Evander Glazing & Locks, the UK's leading provider of emergency lock and glass repair services, previously known as Homeserve Emergency Services, has appointed Balloon Dog to handle its integrated marketing communications programme following a MBO in September 2009. Evander Glazing & Locks has an annual turnover of nearly £60 million. Balloon Dog will be responsible for launching the new brand 'Evander Glazing & Locks' through a fully integrated marketing communications programme, which will include advertising, online marketing, internal communications, corporate literature, public relations and national roadshows for its staff.

Marketing News: More than a third of UK creative professionals illegally use Internet images without remorse

More than a third of UK marketing, PR and publishing professionals (37 per cent) admit to using images illegally from the Internet. A survey of UK creative professionals* by Deutsche Telekom's online photo agency, Polylooks.co.uk, found that not only do a great many creative professionals use images from the Web without paying for the rights, but additionally, most do not understand the meaning of the terms 'royalty free' and 'rights managed'.

Marketing News: Travelex Chooses New Communicator For Email Marketing

Travelex, one of the world's foreign exchange and business payment specialists, has chosen the new version of the Communicator® Enterprise Email Management platform from Communicator Corp (www.communicatorcorp.com), to manage email marketing communications in support of its prepaid Cash Passport™ product.

Marketing News: eCircle strengthens stance in Europe with new offices opened in Spain and The Netherlands

eCircle, Europe's biggest digital direct marketing company, is set to launch offices in Spain and The Netherlands. This follows the hugely successful expansion of the London team by 12%, in response to continued client growth.

Marketing News: Chancellors Co2 Reduction Blow For Manufacturers

Responding to the Pre Budget Report, Andrew Kuyk, Food and Drink Federation's Sustainability Director, says: "We are surprised at the changes announced today to the Climate Change Agreements that the Chancellor himself acknowledges are an effective way of reducing carbon emissions in industries which are high users of energy, including the food and drink manufacturing sector. "It would appear that he plans to cut the discount available under these Agreements from 80% to 65% for all fuels from 2011. If that is indeed the case, this decision would be very unwelcome. It would mean that companies would have less money to invest in reducing their carbon emissions, which would seem to be at odds with the Government's claim to be supporting low-carbon economic growth with this Pre-Budget Report.

Marketing News: More leading brands seek safety net for coupon promotions

More leading brands seek safety net for coupon promotions Coupon promotions have overtaken Instant Wins offers for the first time as the promotional mechanic for which major brands are most likely to seek fixed fee cover. Research carried out by leading fixed fee analysts Fotorama, which dates back to 2005, found that whilst coupon promotions are one of the fastest growing sectors, major brands still wanted to source fixed fee cover for Instant Win offers rather than coupon promotions until 2009. Fotorama researches, analyses and predicts trends for redemption rates for thousands of promotions each year. For the first six months of 2009, Instant Win promotions equated to 30 per cent of the tenders received by Fotorama. 'Cash back' promotions resulted in 16 per cent of quotes whilst 'Collector Packs', 'Free Mail Ins' and Self Liquidating Promotions collectively made up 8 per cent.

Marketing News: MCCA Best Awards defy downturn, as record number of entries are submitted

The Marketing Communications Consultants Association (MCCA) has revealed that the number of agencies entering its annual Best Awards has increased by 16%. The record tally follows a high profile launch campaign that saw agency chiefs pose nude in celebration of 'Uninhibited Creativity'.

Marketing News: Fotorama offers solution to brands to allow consumers to buy with confidence

Fotorama offers solution to brands to allow consumers to buy with confidence Fotorama, the leading fixed fee promotions company, has launched the 'Recession Protection Guarantee', a new fixed fee product ideal for promoting sales of high value products.

Marketing News: RSA WINS 'TRAINING PROGRAMME OF THE YEAR' FOR WORK WITH BRAND LEARNING TO DEVELOP MARKETING ACADEMY

RSA (previously Royal Sun Alliance) one of the world's leading multinational insurance groups, together with Brand Learning, the leading international specialist in marketing capability development, triumphed at the Insurance Times Awards held in Birmingham on Friday 4th December. RSA won top honours in the 'Training Programme of the Year' category, for its transformational Marketing Academy, a world-class marketing capability development programme.

Marketing News: Improve Digital : Ad network optimisation is not a dark art : Joëlle Frijters

Free white paper provides insight into the essentials of a growing trend in online advertising Online advertising revenue specialist, Improve Digital (www.improvedigital.com), continues its drive to increase the markets understanding of its growing sector with the launch of a new white paper. 'The essentials of ad network optimisation' provides a step-by-step guide into how ad network optimisation can improve efficiencies and revenues, and clarifies its relationship with ad networks and exchanges. It is available to download for free from: http://www.improvedigital.com/new-whitepaper-essentials-of-ad-network-optimisation Advertising networks now account for 44 percent of total online display expenditure in the UK (IAB, April 2009). In other research, Econsultancy estimates that the market for online advertising networks in the UK was worth between £300m and £350m in 2008, and predicts that it will have grown by around 10 percent during 2009.

Marketing News: Cadbury appoints CMW for Wispa digital task

Cadbury has appointed CMW to work alongside existing agency partners Fallon, PHD and Clusta to develop the new Wispa website. The brief to CMW is to provide Wispa fans with a digital playground that brings them together and provides a platform for participation that reflects the values of the brand.

Marketing News: A compelling quiz that really tests how well you know your Facebook friends

Nudge Social Media has just developed a game for Facebook - called: Buzz! The Friend Quiz.

Marketing News: Crayon is launching a new campaign for Honda

Digital agency Crayon is launching a new campaign for Honda to promote its highly-anticipated latest bike, the VFR1200F. The pan-European digital campaign to launch Honda's ultimate road sports motorcycle can be seen at www.feelvfr.com and will be supported by email activity, affiliate marketing and social media. The site has been designed to support the launch in 13 different countries Honda has entered a new chapter for the legendary V4 motorcycle engine with the launch of the VFR1200F - a breathtaking mix of real-world usability and rider-friendly performance. The launch site marks a new way of launching a bike purely online. The campaign will target experienced and affluent motorcyclists and will run across Europe. A pre-launch multi-language microsite with countdown timer combined with an email and CRM campaign was used in the run up to the launch of the main site and included a free prize draw data capture mechanism. Within its first week the pre-launch site was 27% ahea

Marketing News: Saatchi & Saatchi X and Leo Burnett Marketing Services Group add their weight to the MCCA Board

The MCCA (Marketing Communication Consultants Association) has announced the appointment of two senior marketing professionals to their board. Anthony Hopper, Managing Director at Saatchi & Saatchi X joins as supporting representative for group agencies with a turnover of less than £10 million. Diana Cawley, Managing Director at Leo Burnett Marketing Services Group, which includes Arc, Leo Burnett Sport and Lime, will also join the board as representative to group agencies with a turnover in excess of £10 Million, filling the spot left vacant by Mike Spicer's appointment to chairman of the board earlier in the year.

Marketing News: Theatre Tokens launches its biggest ever Christmas campaign

Theatre Tokens, the national theatre gift voucher, is launching its biggest multimedia Christmas campaign since the company started 25 years ago. Using TV and national radio for the first time, the advertising campaign positions Theatre Tokens as "the larger than life Christmas gift" and uses giant characters, performers and dancers in real life settings on its outdoor and national press adverts. The campaign will cross all sections of the media including national press, women's, theatre and arts press, London Underground and online activity as well as TV and radio and kicks off mid November. Theatre Tokens will be using ITV3 for its TV campaign which airs between 4th and 20th December and Classic FM for its radio campaign. ITV3's positioning as showing the best of UK drama (Inspector Morse, Rebus and Poirot) and the channel's upmarket 35+ audience closely matches Theatre Tokens' own customer profile.

Marketing News: Protravel Auction Rewards helps Saracens fan hit the jackpot

There was celebration on the pitch at last night's Saracens versus Springboks game as 24 year old rugby fan Stuart Tinner won £250,000 in the Saracens Crossbar Challenge. The promotion was devised by Protravel Auction Rewards, a service that enables events organisers, fundraisers and charities to offer big headline travel and leisure prizes at no risk to themselves. To be in with a chance of winning, fans at the game simply had to text their details to a specific number prior to the game or during the first half of the match. Three spectators were then selected at random to take part during the half time interval. In order to win a share of the £250k jackpot they had to take a kick from the hand from 30 metres out and hit the crossbar. Stuart was the only successful contestant and won the prize.

Marketing News: Sir Terry Leahy, Tesco, wins Greatest 'Brand Builder' at Marketing Society 50th Anniversary Awards

Supermarket chief bags gong sponsored by Brand Learning. At Monday night's Marketing Society 50th Anniversary Gala Dinner, hosted by Piers Morgan, Sir Terry Leahy, CEO, Tesco was voted unanimously as the greatest 'Brand Builder' hero of the last 50 years. This award, sponsored by Brand Learning, the leading international experts in marketing capability development, was voted for online by Marketing Society Members. Michele McGrath, Partner Brand Learning, comments: "Sir Terry Leahy was a highly deserving winner in this category and we congratulate him on his success." During the evening, the top five Golden Brands from the last 50 years and the top five Marketing Heroes as voted for by Marketing Society members were also revealed. Speaking about Sir Terry, Hugh Burkitt, chief executive of the Marketing Society said "By the brilliance of his understanding of customers and knowing how to make every bit of the marketing mix work a little bit harder, he has made his brand not j

Marketing News: Confirmit Announces Creation of 'Confirmit Flex' to Extend Platform Functionality

…New development platform enables fast creation of new applications.. Confirmit, the leading global vendor of software for Customer Feedback, Employee Feedback and Market Research, has announced the creation of Confirmit Flex, an innovative new framework that will enable Confirmit, its customers and partners to quickly create new applications for the platform. The framework opens up the Confirmit platform to new developments that take advantage of the latest data collection methods, design technologies and reporting requirements. Pat Molloy, Chief Strategy Officer at Confirmit explains: "Confirmit Flex is a huge new step for the platform. Our standard development cycle ensures the consistently high performance, security and scalability of the platform, but until now didn't allow for the speed of change that customers sometimes demand. With Confirmit Flex, we've created a way of building fast, agile 'speedboats' to run alongside the 'super tanker' that is the Confirmit platform."

Marketing News: Live & Breathe creates new look this Christmas for Early Learning Centre

Creative retail marketing agency Live & Breathe is bringing a unique look to Early Learning Centre windows and POP this Christmas with a campaign that launches in early November nationwide.

Marketing News: London based homeless charity uses centrally-controlled email software to raise profile and brand awareness

London-based homeless charity Thames Reach, has selected the rules-based Mail Utilities software from Exclaimer to centrally manage and control all email communication throughout the organisation. Thames Reach specialises in helping homeless and vulnerable people to find homes, build supportive relationships and lead fulfilling lives. As part of its marketing strategy Thames Reach is using the Exclaimer software to raise brand awareness through consistently branded email signatures containing timely fundraising campaigns on all out-going email, in a bid to increase donations.

Marketing News: LinkShare Launches #tweetshop Twitter Tool

LinkShare, a leading affiliate network, today announced the LinkShare TweetShop Tool that enables anyone with a Twitter following to monetise their Twitter feeds, and easily turn customised tweets into an effective shopping tool. Generally available to publishers in its network, this innovation further demonstrates the company's commitment to creating applications that are Easy, Fast and Open – easy-to-use, fast-to-market, and open across channels – and is the latest feature in LinkShare's Bento Box, a showcase of new tools and applications.

Marketing News: Retailer Spar is claiming today that 64% of shoppers are intimidated by the labels on the back of wine bottles

Bewildered by talk of blackcurrant top notes? Baffled by bouquets? Unsure if long legs are a good thing in a glass of wine? Retailer Spar is claiming today that 64% of shoppers are intimidated by the labels on the back of wine bottles. So what is it doing to help confused consumers get the perfect wine to complement Sunday's roast dinner? Relabelling the bottles with plain English versions? Offering definitions of common terms to buyers? Umm, no. It is slapping on labels written in local dialects – and yes they are as bad as they sound. Fortunately, just one of its wines – a £4.99 Merlot – is getting the treatment. The descriptions have been translated into eight different local dialects, including geordie, Brummie and scouse.

Marketing News: Global Mobile Organizations Support Mobile Advertising Ecosystem Ebook

MSearchGroove, the source of analysis and commentary on mobile advertising, mobile search and social media, today announced the launch of MobileAd World Focus, a global roundup of the trends, technologies and campaigns impacting the emerging mobile advertising business ecosystem at all levels created in partnership with Convergence World.

Marketing News: Welcome to Yorkshire has appointed The R&B Group as their AV and production partner

The official tourism agency, Welcome to Yorkshire has appointed leading UK event production specialist The R&B Group as their AV and production partner for the prestigious White Rose Awards due to take place in Leeds later this month. This win signifies the continuing expansion of The R&B Group in Yorkshire, adding to their growing portfolio of prestigious Yorkshire based clients which include, Science City York, The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and Yorkshire Forward.

Marketing News: UK Marketers Lead the World in Multi-Channel Marketing

Yet only one third (29%) understand how their customers actually behave across multiple channels. A recent survey, commissioned by email and marketing solutions provider Exact Target, found that almost 70% of UK marketers demonstrate a significantly higher understanding of multi-channel marketing than any other country. But despite higher levels of awareness than their counterparts overseas, they are still struggling to address customers via the most effective channels. "UK marketers are harnessing the power of multi-channel messaging more frequently than marketers in any other country," said Peter McCormick, general manager and co-founder of ExactTarget. "However, much like their contemporaries in the United States, UK marketers often mistake consumers' personal communication preferences with their marketing communication preferences."

Marketing News: M&S improves UK sales over second quarter

Marks and Spencer has seen a steady increase in UK sales over the second quarter of its financial year, climbing by 1.9% over the 13 weeks to 26 September 2009. Total sales at a Group level grew by 2.7%, with international sales driving much of the performance with a 9.6% boost. Within the UK, the retailer's General Merchandise sales climbed by 2.2%, driven entirely by a solid increase in clothing; whilst food sales grew by 1.7%. Total UK like-for-like sales came in at -0.5% for the period, with food comparatives level on the previous year. Sir Stuart Rose, Chairman, said: We are pleased to report continuing improvement in our performance. This demonstrates that the actions we are taking are working.

Marketing News: TextMagic Email to SMS Gateway Now Reaches 220 Countries

TextMagic Gives Companies Fast, Reliable Access to Global Consumer Bases and Staffs with Premium Email to SMS Gateway. TextMagic announced today the expansion of its premium Email to SMS gateway. The service now offers global SMS coverage, enabling both companies and consumers to send Email to SMS messages in 220 countries. The service, which boasts a 95 percent delivery rate, is available on more than 700 mobile networks, and ideal for texting large groups, sending and receiving SMS alerts, and seamless integration with existing email providers and servers. "TextMagic's Email to SMS gateway gives companies across the globe a convenient, user-friendly solution to managing their internal and external communications," said Priit Vaikmaa, marketing manager of TextMagic Ltd. "The Email to SMS service provides an effective medium for sending important text messages to contacts based all over the world in seconds. The service also offers unparalleled flexibility and can be

Marketing News: UKTV, has acquired MasterChef Australia

Award winning broadcaster, UKTV, has acquired MasterChef Australia, this summer's surprise ratings smash Down Under, from Shine International to premiere on its new entertainment pay TV channel, Watch, as well as Good Food. Originally produced by FremantleMedia Australia for Network 10, MasterChef Australia defied the odds to not only win its timeslot when it premiered in April, but continued to build audience throughout its 72 episode run to shatter all previous ratings records. MasterChef Australia: The Winner Announced is officially the highest rating non-sports programme in Australian history (beating Australian Idol's 2004 finale, which averaged in 3.35 million) peaking at 4.11million viewers and securing Network 10 41.3% share on 19th July 2009, almost 20% ahead of its nearest rival.

Marketing News: OFT fines recruiters £39.27m for price fixing

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) announced today that it has imposed fines totalling £39.27m on six recruiters for price-fixing and the collective boycott of another company in supplying candidates to the construction industry. Two other firms, Beresford Blake Thomas and Hill McGlynn & Associates, were granted immunity from fines in return for exposing the cartel. The OFT ruled that A Warwick Associates, Beresford Blake Thomas, CDI AndersElite, Eden Brown, Fusion People, Hays Specialist Recruitment, Henry Recruitment and Hill McGlynn & Associates all breached the Competition Act 1998. The firms were found to have engaged in the following anti-competitive conduct:

Marketing News: EMPLOYERS MISSING OUT ON BUSINESS BENEFITS OF WORK EXPERIENCE

Employers are missing out on the business benefits of taking on a school leaver or graduate for work experience, according to new research published today. The Populus survey of 500 UK business leaders for the Backing Young Britain campaign reveals that although almost nine in 10 employers (87%) view work experience as good practice, over half (55%) feel it only benefits the individual and not their organisation.[1] Two in five businesses (41%) offer no placements at all despite the majority (69%) saying they are more likely to hire someone who has spent time in their organisation. Even work experience completed elsewhere is seen as an asset for 43% of employers. To help employers make the most of work experience, Backing Young Britain has teamed up with the Institute of Directors to produce a factsheet for employers, giving advice and tips on how to ensure placements deliver genuine benefits to their business. The guide is part of Backing Young Britain's campaign to show h

Marketing News: £6-a-year 'broadband tax'

A £6-a-year 'broadband tax' on every family with a telephone line could be introduced before the general election. Stephen Timms, the Minister for Digital Britain, yesterday said he was aiming to bring in the levy in a forthcoming finance bill. It means a tax of 50p a month on all land lines to fund 'superfast broadband' could be made law by the end of the year. The Government announced the plans to fund quicker broadband services as part of its Digital Britain report in June. Mr Timms yesterday told a debate hosted by The British Computer Society: 'We want to make high-speed networks nationally available. 'The next generation fund will help that and we plan to legislate for it this side of a General Election.'

Marketing News: "No-Win-No-Fee", Lord Justice Jackson and the Claims Management Perspective

Many law professionals speak about Lord Justice Jackson's preliminary report into the Review of Civil Litigation Costs, particularly in relation to driving down the cost of civil litigation by introducing fixed fees for all fast track personal injury claims. Little attention has been given to the effect which this proposed change will have on the marketing by law firms and the impact which this will have on access to justice and the quality of advice provided by law firms.

Marketing News: Charity shops face crisis as recession hits stock levels

Declining levels of clothes donations and shortages of volunteers have led to the biggest crisis for charity shops of the past 20 years, according to senior trading managers. The recession has increased the number of charity shoppers while reducing the volume of donations, and some shops now sell clothes they would previously have classed as rag. Amie Ibrahimi-Brown, senior marketing manager at Cancer Research UK Trading, said the past 12 months had been the most difficult period the charitys shops had experienced. The recession has created new problems for us, she told Third Sector. Footfall is up, but we have great concerns about donated stock. We have launched our biggest-ever stock-generation campaign, and we are running a volunteer recruitment campaign in our shops. This is the toughest period we've seen.

Marketing News: Coca-Cola aims to get the UK recycling more

The 'Keep it Going. Recycle' campaign supports Coca-Cola's investment in a scheme to create branded 'Recycle Zones' across the UK. The zones are already operating in destinations including Thorpe Park and Manchester Airport with a new zone opening 22 September in Southampton's City Centre. The campaign was created as a result of research undertaken by Coca-Cola in partnership with the Carbon Trust which showed that packaging accounts for the largest proportion of a drinks carbon footprint. Activity also supports the soft-drinks giant's efforts in making packaging from more recycled material and less material overall. Its aluminium cans now contain around 50% recycled content, weigh 5% less. Sanjay Guha, president of Coca-Cola GB, said: 'We believe that increasing recycling levels is one of the most effective steps we can take in achieving our overall goal of operating in a responsible way.

Marketing News: 80% of sales occur after the 5th contact but most business owners only reach out to new leads 2 or 3 times

Our experience of working with many other companies over the last 6 years has shown there is an additive effect in prospecting & profiling success from running a series of stories in both Marketing CLOUT and theMarketingblog 80% of sales occur after the 5th contact with your prospect…but most small business owners only reach out to new leads 2 or 3 times. Average websites only convert 1-2% Most small businesses waste over 75% of their marketing & advertising budgets because they dont follow up well You should seriously consider a 'Marketing CLOUT Guaranteed Position' package where you get one week's exposure per month in the form of a story in both www.themarketingblog.co.uk (33,000) and www.marketinguk.co.uk (100,000 per month) This is for five months, yes five months (say September through January 2010). You could run a series of articles that follow on so change of copy is included. It's great constant exposure over a five month period.

Marketing News: Top Agency Chiefs champion Uninhibited Creativity as MCCA launches 2010 Best Awards

The Marketing Communication Consultants Association (MCCA) is looking for this year's most creatively uninhibited work with the call for entry to the annual 'Best Awards'. With the industry feeling the economic pressure, the awards are aiming to encourage marketers not be afraid of breaking free of traditional constraints and to find superior, engaging and sometimes very different ways to communicate with consumers. The message: Creativity uninhibited delivers results. The theme "Creativity Uninhibited" has been illustrated with a number of nude photos of agency senior management who have previously won a Best Award, all shot by one the UK's top photographers Isaac. The idea of using the nude photos is designed to be both an eye catching and engaging way to convey the "creatively uninhibited" message. The creative concept behind this year's awards was devised by EHS Brann.

Marketing News: Was the Lynx Bullet bodyspray sexist?

The advertising watchdog has dismissed complaints that a recent campaign for Lynx Bullet bodyspray was sexist. The campaign included TV and cinema advertising, and outdoor and online activity. The TV ad shows a man meeting fully-clothed women who, on a second look, appear unclothed. When the man sprays himself with the Lynx Bullet he appears only in his underpants to a woman looking back at him. The voiceover says: "Never miss an opportunity with the new Lynx Bullet. Pocket pulling power." The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received 41 complaints with several saying the TV ad was offensive and demeaning to women. Some also complained that it was not appropriate to be broadcast when children might be watching. The TV ad had been cleared by Clearcast with a restriction on being shown during children's programming.

Marketing News: Marks & Spencer voted Brits' 'most trusted' high street retailer

Trust helps M&S become the store we'd all hate to lose, as the retailer celebrates its 125th birthday. Marks & Spencer's presence on our high streets is the most valued by shoppers as one in five (22%) of Brits vote the iconic retailer as the business they'd least like to see disappear from the High Street go bust, while a further 22% claim it's the most trusted high street retailer, according to a new survey commissioned by specialist marketing agency Baber Smith. The survey, conducted by YouGov, aimed at uncovering consumer shopping habits during the economic downturn, reveals that the majority (22%) of Brits would be upset if M&S, which this week celebrates 125 years in business, became a victim of the credit crunch and was forced to close its doors. M&S is joined by Boots (13%) and Tesco (13%) as the top three retailers Brits would hate to see leaving the high street.

Marketing News: AFFILIATE WINDOW LAUNCHES SHOPPING COMPARISION SERVICE FOR THE MOBILE INDUSTRY

Marketing News: InBev has finally sold its Tennents lager brand to Magners cider maker C&C Group

Following months of speculation, drinks giant AB InBev has finally sold its Tennents lager brand to Magners cider maker C&C Group for £180m. According to a statement issued by ABInBev, included in the sale are the Glasgow Wellpark brewery, where Tennent's is brewed, rights to the Tennent's lager brand itself, Tennent's Ales and assets located in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland which currently belong to AB InBev. "The remainder of Anheuser-Busch InBev's UK business located in England and Wales is not part of this transaction and will remain part of InBev UK Limited," it added. As part of the agreement, ABInBev is to appoint C&C as distributor of certain unspecified AB InBev brands in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, while C&C is to grant ABInBev the right to use the Tennent's Super and Tennent's Pilsner brands "in certain worldwide geographies".

Marketing News: The biggest ever burst of advertising for Budweiser

The first ad campaign for Budweiser since owner Anheuser Busch was bought by InBev has been launched. ABInBev, the company resulting from the deal, has promised it will be the biggest ever burst of advertising for the brand. Advertising will appear on around 2,000 billboards, and in newspapers and magazines, over the next nine weeks. The billboard advertising involves animated digital projections that show a time-lapsed busy cityscape changing from day to night. ABInBev claims the advertising will be seen by more than 3.6 million of its target 18 to 24 year-old consumers.

Marketing News: EXCLAIMER LAUNCHES SIGNATURE MANAGER TO LIMIT BRAND DAMAGE

Users' email signature consistency enforced by automated marketing and corporate central control. Exclaimer, the mail utilities software developer, has announced the launch of Signature Manager to provide automated branding, campaign and email disclaimer signature functionality to all corporate email as it is sent. Working with Outlook's built-in signature feature, Signature Manager delivers consistent, up-to-date approved corporate email signatures onto every company email from a centrally managed location, negating the need for manual set up of often inconsistent, or even nonexistent, Outlook email signatures. With email remaining the natural choice for quick, easy and auditable corporate communications with clients and prospects, Signature Manager provides the facility to consistently carry the company's brand or current marketing message within all outbound email correspondence. This creates reliable brand, campaign and disclaimer messaging throughout the entire comp

Marketing News: Promote your way out of the recession

Highly targeted promotions are the best form of marketing to keep people spending through the recession, according to research released today. Almost half (46%) of respondents said that aiming promotions specifically at them as individuals would be the most effective way of buying brands during the recession.

Marketing News: Ciao launches exclusive Buying Guide series

Ciao launches exclusive shopping section on its site to assist consumer purchasing decisions online. Buying any electronic kit is a nerve-racking experience. The sheer range of products, prices and features available today makes it harder than ever to know what product is going to be most suitable. To solve this problem Ciao, Europe's leading online shopping community*, today launches a range of exclusive Buying Guides to give shoppers all the information they need to make the right choice for them. Based on the millions of reviews and international knowledge within the Ciao community, the new range of guides offer a quick and comprehensive overview of five of the most popular products that visitors search for on the Ciao site: coffee machines, printers, digital cameras, flat screen TVs and laptops.

Marketing News: One answer - A tailored solution newsletter which positions your company as the guru in your sector

According to a study by the Direct Marketing Association, email marketing delivers the highest return on investment of all media available to marketers. The study also projects that email driven sales in the United States will show a compound annual growth rate of 14.9% between 2006 and 2011. But statistics like that only bring about real value when email marketing can show it impacts long-term customer-relationship-based revenue streams. The best ROI approach to email marketing is to promote to inactive prospects and sleeping customers in your data base with the purpose to get them active - to turn them into (entice them to be) regular, loyal customers for your company.

Marketing News: Tech Concierge Offers London-based Marketers Free IT Review To Capitalise On Growth Of Digital

For those digital agencies in London which are defying the recession and winning too much business to worry about solving their IT and technology problems, leading technical support and services company Tech Concierge has the answer. The Trafalgar Square based business is offering London based agencies a 100% free, no obligation free IT review. Aimed at business owners of marketing firms who are tired of helpdesk IT people speaking a different language or fed up with dealing with many suppliers rather than just one, the free IT review guarantees to provide guidance on: • Technical support needs • Email, broadband, telephone and mobile requirements • Computer data back-up solutions • Network and file sharing options

Marketing News: PizzaExpress encourages people to 'eat out at home' with Valassis voucher campaign

PizzaExpress broadens appeal with £1 and £2 money-off vouchers for new range of 'At Home' pizzas Valassis Ltd, the UK's leading coupon and voucher services provider, today announces that new client PizzaExpress, a leading British restaurant chain, has launched a voucher campaign to promote its new range of 'At Home' pizzas. PizzaExpress is issuing £1 and £2 money-off vouchers to restaurant customers to redeem on the four new pizzas. The vouchers are designed to encourage trial and repeat purchase, and to reward customers for their loyalty to the brand. Peter Joubert, Grocery Development Manager at Pizza Express, says, "For the first time PizzaExpress has created pizzas exclusively for its grocery range. We saw vouchers as an effective means of telling people about the new range, and encouraging them to trial the four new pizzas.

Marketing News: Industry-wide campaign aims to spark debate over traditional agency model

Creative community, Nude, launches 'Escape the Agency Rat Race' campaign questioning the effectiveness of the traditional agency model 'Escape The Agency Rat Race' aims to gather industry opinion on whether the traditional agency model, typified by long, inflexible hours; late night, caffeine fuelled struggles to meet deadlines, and laborious London commutes, is inherently flawed in providing the best output for clients. Through a dedicated website (www.escapetheagencyratrace.co.uk), Nude is inviting agency professionals of all levels, as well as clients and the media, to contribute their thoughts and opinions on whether the working culture of agencies is really conducive to creativity and efficiency.

Marketing News: Baber Smith is seeking to acquire another marketing agency

Recession drives expansion opportunities for the UK's fastest growing marketing agency. Specialist marketing agency Baber Smith is seeking to acquire another marketing agency, cementing its commitment to aggressively grow the agency in 2009. Following a year of record growth, Baber Smith is looking to acquire a small independent with specialist offerings that can add to and complement the business.

Marketing News: Reader's Digest (US) to file for bankruptcy

The publisher of Reader's Digest in the US, the country's most popular general interest magazine, said this week it will file for Chapter 11 protection with a plan to swap a portion of its debt for ownership of the company. Reader's Digest Association Inc., which also markets books and publishes dozens of other magazines and Web sites, said it has reached an agreement in principle with a majority of lenders to erase a portion of $1.6 billion in senior secured notes. The lenders will get ownership in return. Already, this year's advertising declines have prompted the shuttering of several high-profile magazines, including Conde Nast's Portfolio, Domino and Blender. Reader's Digest CEO Mary Berner insisted, though, that the company's U.S. magazines remain strong, with the number of ad pages down less than 6 percent through the September editions.

Marketing News: Businessmen planning to visit China in the early–mid autumn period are advised that visas may be difficult to obtain

Businessmen planning to visit China in the early–mid autumn period are advised that visas may be difficult to obtain for dates after September 15 due to the government's 60th founding anniversary on October 1. The restrictions are likely to be in force for about four to six weeks. Foreigners residing in China without work permits whose visas expire before this date may also face difficulties. China has employed strict visa control measures this year in light of several anniversaries falling during the year and perceptions of anti-Chinese sentiments still run high following the global problems with the Olympic torch run last year.

Marketing News: Viagra ice cream to go on sale at Selfridges

An excellent example of how well-worded headlines attract attention. Pop-up boutique The Icecreamists will serve The Sex Pistol - an ice cream cocktail packed with libido-boosting ingredients and served with La Fee Absinthe. Forget traditional vanilla. Londoners will be able to treat themselves to a new "vice cream" in autumn when pop-up ice cream boutique, The Icreamists opens in Selfridges . Entitled The Sex Pistol, this bespoke creation is served as an ice cream cocktail and is packed with libido-boosting ingredients such as ginkgo, biloba, arginine and guarana. Via Simon Lewis at UK Marketing Network.

Marketing News: Whole Foods sells 'a bunch of junk.'

The boss of Whole Foods, the US based, health oriented grocery chain, is reported to have told customers that it sells 'a bunch of junk.' In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Whole Foods chief executive John Mackay aimed to set out the chain's plan to focus more heavily on promoting a healthy diet and lifestyle, but ended up admitting that the chain has strayed from its roots and its stores currently sell a range of unhealthy foods.

Marketing News: Only 1 in 5 employees believe marketing can help companies beat the recession, reveals ELP survey

Less than 28% of employees believe sales and marketing are important skills for CEOs Financial aptitude is recognised as the key to success by 32% of employees Just 33% of employees trust their CEO to guide their company out of the economic downturn in one piece Only one fifth (21%) of employees believe marketing will be crucial in helping CEOs bring their organisations out of the recession unscathed, according to a new survey from the European Leadership Programme (ELP). In addition, only 28 per cent believe that sales and marketing skills are critical for the role of CEO.

Marketing News: Faith Carthy is leaving I-level group

I-level group MD Faith Carthy is leaving the company after nine years, with no job to go to. The media agency said Carthy, who has been MD since 2003, is leaving to pursue other opportunities, adding that the position will not be refilled. Carthy started her career in publishing at Haymarket before co-founding Zenith Media, working for IPC Soloutions and then joining i-level in 2000. She said, "I'm enormously proud of what we've achieved over the years and would like to thank all the people who have contributed to that success." Stephen Rust, i-level Group CEO, said, "Now that the successful buyout of the business backed by ECI has bedded in, Faith has decided to move on and we wish her well in whatever path she chooses to follow, after taking a well deserved rest over the summer."

Marketing News: The London 'Link-up' - Only Marketing Jobs

This event marks the inaugural social networking 'Link-up' for members of the www.onlymarketingjobs.com LinkedIn Group and is designed to engage marketing & communications professionals with key figures within the recruitment, media and business services industry. If you are connected in any way with the recruitment and hiring process, this is an event for you. LinkedIn is fast developing as the social media recruitment channel and making the most of group membership is key to your career development. How you interact with your peers, jobseekers, potential employers, recruiters and service providers will determine who notices you and how you are perceived.

Marketing News: WorkCast provides businesses with broadcast, live or pre-recorded audio, video or desktop content over the Internet

Leading European enterprise email-management company Communicator Corp (www.communicatorcorp.com) has announced the integration of its acclaimed Communicator® platform with leading webcast and webinar specialist WorkCast (www.workcast.co.uk). WorkCast provides businesses with broadcast, live or pre-recorded audio, video or desktop content over the Internet; in much the same way as online TV services like BBC iPlayer. The company's Webcast Manager product delivers a reliable and cost effective solution that enables businesses to communicate information via a web event or through pre-recorded content.

Marketing News: Carlsberg has indicated that its 17-year sponsorship of Premier League club Liverpool may not be extended

Danish brewer Carlsberg has indicated that its 17-year sponsorship of Premier League club Liverpool may not be extended. According to Forbes, the current deal between the two parties ends in mid-2010, and the brewer held an exclusivity agreement which prevented the club from exploring other options until July this year. We will have a conclusion of a deal or not this year. But, like in every discussion, everything has a price, and we need to assess the alternatives, Carlsberg chief executive Jorgen Buhl Rasmussen told the magazine. Stefan Szymanski, sports economist at the Cass Business School at City University in London, added: If I were a brand, I wouldn't want to be associated with a football team for so long, as you end up alienating supporters of rival teams.

Marketing News: Tesco accused of spinning plastic bag figures so it looked like stores had cut use by half

Tesco misleadingly claimed to have more than halved the number of plastic bags it hands out to shoppers. The supermarket said last month that its customers were 'using more than 50 per cent fewer carrier bags than they did before'. The figures were a huge victory for the Daily Mail's Banish The Bags campaign. Its statement came on the same day that supermarkets collectively announced they had managed to reduce the number of bags given to shoppers by 48 per cent.

Marketing News: Brad Burton 4Networking : There are no short cuts. Guess what - it's going to be hard

Sitting there on your stool, bloodied, you've just had a seriously bad round. Knocked down, you have barely got to your feet on the 9 of a count to 10. Dejected, no heart to go on and then "DING DING!" No option, you have to go on. You are now standing up, the stool that provided solace and respite between rounds is no longer there, having been taken away by the very same corner team that supported you over the last minute. It's time to bite on your gum shield and come out swinging for one more round.

Marketing News: Interview questions : over a third of employers are at risk of being sued for discrimination

Research by RecruitSure.com, the online interview skills training service for employers, has shockingly revealed that 80 per cent of managers do not receive formal interview training before carrying out their first interview. Furthermore, 34 per cent of interviewees have been asked an illegal question at an interview in the last 12 months indicating that over a third of employers are at risk of being sued for discrimination. Joe McDermott, CEO of RecruitSure.com believes that the findings demonstrate how employers' interview skills are being neglected:

Marketing News: Marie Claire - a glossier, smarter and sexier magazine

A new vision for Marie Claire will be revealed in its September issue. Editorial changes are said to include a complete redesign and deliver a glossier, smarter and sexier magazine. The developments are the first under new editor-in-chief Trish Halpin and follow the biggest and most in-depth research and development programme ever undertaken by Marie Claire.

Marketing News: Rough Trader : The most devastating story of a businessman ever written

When the press baron Richard Desmond lost his libel battle with the author Tom Bower on Thursday, he did not just land himself with a legal bill for an estimated £1.25m. His defeat also meant that Rough Trader, Bower's tell-all biography of the Express newspapers chief - a book that Bower today described as the most devastating story of a businessman I have ever written - is likely to be in the shops before Christmas.

Marketing News: Case studies showing how companies are using Twitter to build customer bases

Beyond the basics covered in the guide Twitter released last night, the most interesting part involves case studies showing how companies are using the microblogging network to build customer bases. As internal company documents released by a hacker last week show, the company is very much improvising its business model, but the case studies give an idea of where Twitter thinks its adds value. Kill direct mail: NAKEDPizza wanted to find a way around direct mail, which can cost $2,000 to $3,000 for a database of names. The company decided to build a community of followers on Twitter, sending them direct promotions which brought in 15 percent of a day's business in a test run.

Marketing News: Strongmail Systems : most UK firms expect to increase or maintain their marketing budgets in the second half of 2009

A survey released by Strongmail Systems has revealed that most UK firms expect to increase or maintain their marketing budgets in the second half of 2009. The June '2009 Marketing Trends Survey' found that despite the recession, 42 per cent of nearly 1,000 global business leaders polled plan to increase marketing budgets in 2009, and an additional 43 per cent plan to maintain current levels.

Marketing News: Roo Tube, a seemingly good idea to stream live bouncy kangaroos to the UK - but - 8 hours ahead of the UK

Last month, South Australian tourism promoters launched Roo Tube, a seemingly good idea to stream live bouncy kangaroos to the UK. However, when British users went to check out this new footage – they drastically tried to turn up their screen contrast as it just showed darkness. The Aussies had forgotten that they were 8 hours ahead of the UK – so during the day, when most want to view this webcam, it's their night time! However, the Aussie website has given us some assuring advice,.... Via Outside Line's blog