Channel 4 bids to retain Lord Burns as chair September 21, 2015 Channel 4 is reported to be in talks with government officials and the media regulator, Ofcom, in a bid to retain Lord Burns as its chairman beyond the end of his second term in January. Discussions are taking place between Ofcom and the department for culture, media and sport (DCMS), according to Sky News, which [...]
Cadbury’s gorilla advert featuring Phil Collins hit crowned UK’s favourite September 20, 2015 The famous Cadbury’s ad featuring a gorilla drumming to Phil Collins’ 80s hit In The Air Tonight has been voted the nation’s favourite TV ad of all time, according to a recent poll. The advert, which first aired in 2007, marked a departure from traditional TV campaigns for the company. Since its release [...]
An enduring bond September 20, 2015 Aston Martin’s Simon Sproule talks balancing growth and exclusivity THE UK has long distinguished itself as a leader in luxury goods. Increasing wealth in the Gulf states and the Far East has opened up opportunities in new markets for high-end brands with a heritage. But when exclusivity is so important to a brand’s appeal, pursuing [...]
News Corp buys London adtech company Unruly Media for up to £114m September 16, 2015 News Corp has bought the video advertising technology company Unruly Media for up to £114m to improve its digital video offering for advertisers. Unruly, one of the most successful startups to emerge from London's Silicon Roundabout, will operate as a separate unit in News Corp's business, under newly returned UK chief Rebekah Brooks. “We have always [...]
FTSE 100 chief executives on Twitter: Why they should be on social media… even Snapchat and Instagram September 15, 2015 FTSE 100 companies are notoriously quiet on social media, and their CEOs even more so. It can be easier sometimes to bury one’s head in the board room than put it on the Twitter parapet. So when I took a look at the new data on how many FTSE 100 bosses are active on social [...]
Rescuing brands from oblivion September 13, 2015 Havas Media’s Paul Frampton talks whisky and consumer apathy IN THE battle for customer loyalty, brands are realising that, to market a product, they must do more than thrust it in front of potential consumers. According to Paul Frampton, chief executive of Havas Media UK, curating interesting, even educational content, and delivering it in ways [...]
Marketers threaten to bring media work in-house September 13, 2015 AS MARKETING departments look for bang in every buck they spend, the relationship with brands and media agencies is set to change. A survey by MediaSense, ISBA and IPSOS Connect has shown that 60 per cent of brands anticipate moving their content development in-house, or going to alternative agencies, before 2020. So why are agencies [...]
Robert De Niro transforms into Bernie Madoff in new HBO show Wizard of Lies – first picture revealed September 11, 2015 The first picture of Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer as Bernie and Ruth Madoff has surfaced online. The two Hollywood heavyweights are starring in the HBO film Wizard of Lies, a dramatisation of how convicted fraudster Bernie Madoff was responsible for building one of the most infamous Ponzi schemes in history. Madoff, who conned investors [...]
BBC charter review: Why Auntie needs local media September 7, 2015 The upcoming charter review provides the ideal opportunity to extend the BBC’s long-established and highly successful outsourcing model to local news gathering. At a time when more power is being devolved to the regions, it is essential that there is a long-term commitment to media coverage of institutions – courts, health trusts, education authorities, [...]
Lord Tony Hall reveals plans for BBC’s “open platform” future: Local news partnerships, North Korea broadcasts, and children’s iPlayer September 7, 2015 Tony Hall, the director general of the BBC, has promised the public broadcaster will be "an open platform for British creativity" in a speech outlining plans for its future ahead of next year's royal charter renewal. Lord Hall said the proposals would "lead to a more creative and distinctive BBC" but warned that it would [...]