Channel 4 chief exec warns privatisation move would stop emergence of programmes like Gogglebox June 8, 2016 The chief executive of Channel 4 has warned that programmes like Gogglebox would struggle to emerge if the government introduced any form of privatisation. David Abraham is appearing alongside Channel 4’s chair, Charles Gurassa, before the Culture, Media and Sport Committee this afternoon. Read more: Channel 4 takes stake in content firm behind Bear Grylls' [...]
Netflix has revealed its “binge scale” – how do you watch these top shows? June 8, 2016 Are you a House of Cards fanatic, watching it all in one go? Or do you like to build up the anticipation with a weekly watch? Most people watch the Netflix hit show by savouring it over time, but when it comes to something like tense drama The Fall or Dexter, we just can't help [...]
Brexit would not affect UK advertising industry spending… not immediately, anyway June 8, 2016 A UK vote to leave the European Union would have no immediate effect on advertising industry spending, new research suggests. But media agency Zenith has claimed that a Brexit could cost the UK £70m in adspend growth a year, totalling around £1bn by 2030. This figure is based on controversial Treasury research claiming that the UK’s [...]
Best in-house: Three quarters of UK marketers are thinking of ditching advertising agencies in the near future June 7, 2016 A whopping three quarters of UK brand-side marketers are considering bringing their marketing in-house in 2016-17, according to a new survey by visual presentation platform Prezi. While the majority of marketers surveyed (83 per cent) said that there was real value in having an agency, they didn't want to be tied down by onerous and expensive contracts. Fully [...]
Probe finds non-transparent practices are pervasive within the US advertising industry June 7, 2016 Media agencies in the US have been given cash rebates by media companies for spending a certain amount of their clients' budgets with them, a probe by an American industry trade body has found. Agencies are expected to act in the best interests of their clients, and such rebates are banned in the States. A "pervasive" [...]
How UK media companies are surviving digital disruption June 7, 2016 The UK’s media and entertainment sector is in “rude health”, with revenues up 21 per cent since 2011, despite digital disruption. Deloitte’s Media Metrics 2016 report looked at the 100 largest UK companies in the area, finding a total turnover of £87bn in the firms’ latest accounts. Deloitte predicts this number, based on 2014 or [...]
More pressure on Martin Sorrell over £70.4m pay package ahead of WPP’s AGM June 7, 2016 A public sector pension investment body has urged the 70 funds it advises to reject Sir Martin Sorrell’s £70.4m pay package at WPP’s AGM tomorrow. The Local Authority Pension Fund Forum (LAPFF) joins shareholder advisory firms Pirc and ShareSoc in recommending the package be voted against. Kieran Quinn, chairman of LAPFF, said: “Most shareholders will, [...]
Picking up the Slack: CMO Bill Macaitis on why word-of-mouth is central to the unicorn’s success June 6, 2016 "We're selling organisational transformation," says Bill Macaitis, chief marketing officer of Slack – Silicon Valley darling and contender for the fastest growing B2B software-as-a-service company in history. Slack is more than a workplace messenger. It is a communication and collaboration tool which facilitates meetings, provides access to shared documents, and breaks down silos between apps by integrating Twitter, [...]
As social media platforms get better at monetising, what should marketers expect? June 6, 2016 Monetising is a top priority for the world’s leading social platforms like Twitter and Periscope, and recent figures suggest they’re getting better at it. According to the Internet Advertising Bureau, the UK’s social media ad spend rose 51 per cent last year to £574m, so what developments should marketers expect from these firms over the coming [...]
Roland Garros 2016: Watching Andy Murray at French Open as a TV executive provides conflicting emotions, says Eurosport boss Peter Hutton June 2, 2016 Andy Murray's torturous run to the semi-finals of this year's French Open has put fans through the ringer but provided conflicted emotions for TV executives. The world No2's passage to a third successive semi-final has not been completly smooth sailing, with the Scot playing 20 sets in his last five games and twice coming within a set of [...]