Mars, Mondelez and Kellogg’s hit with advert bans over inappropriate targeting March 6, 2019 Food brands Mars, Mondelez and Kellogg’s have all been handed down advert bans after the watchdog ruled they had inappropriately targeted children and exaggerated health claims. Mars was censured over an advert for its Wrigley’s Extra chewing gum, which featured on Channel 4’s on-demand service. Read more: Sky Incredibles advert banned over superfast Wi-Fi claims [...]
Sky Incredibles Wi-Fi advert banned after BT and Virgin lodge complaints March 6, 2019 An advert for Sky broadband has been banned after rivals BT and Virgin argued it made misleading claims about the company’s ability to boost home Wi-Fi networks. The advert, which featured characters from the hit animated film The Incredibles 2, depicted a Sky employee boosting Wi-Fi throughout the house using just a tablet. Read more: [...]
Domestic M&A deal value reaches decade high in 2018 despite Brexit uncertainty March 5, 2019 Domestic merger and acquisition (M&A) value hit a ten-year high in 2018 despite Brexit uncertainty, according to the latest data. Acquisitions of UK companies by other UK firms rose from £18.8bn in 2017 to £26.5bn last year, the highest value since deals reached £36.5bn in 2008, research from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) found. [...]
Customers can walk out of slow broadband contracts, Ofcom’s new rules say February 28, 2019 Broadband firms will have to be more honest about connection speeds before customers sign new contracts under new rules coming into force tomorrow. Read more: Ranked: The phone and broadband providers with the most complaints Regulator Ofcom's new protections will mean broadband providers have to give customers a minimum guaranteed speed at the point of sale. [...]
Labour suspend Corbyn-ally caught in antisemitism row after pressure from MPs February 27, 2019 A Labour MP who claimed the party had been “too apologetic” about antisemitism has been suspended after a stand-off between leading figures. Chris Williamson. MP for Derby North, made the comments at a meeting of a branch of the pro-Jeremy Corbyn group Momentum in the wake of nine Labour MPs quitting the party last week. After [...]
This time with Alan Partridge: Lessons from the great man February 25, 2019 I'm fairly certain that whatever the creators of Alan Partridge intended for him, it wasn’t to provide guidance for businesses. He has, however, become an unlikely icon, and when he eventually passes to the tiny studio in the sky, he’ll be granted a period of national re-runs. Many brands also aspire to becoming “iconic”, so [...]
US airline Mesa leads last-minute Flybe rescue offer in blow to Virgin February 19, 2019 Arizona-based airline Mesa has tabled a £65m rescue deal for struggling airline Flybe in a dramatic move that could derail a takeover bid led by Virgin Atlantic. City A.M. understands Mesa is leading a consortium of investors that offered an injection of new equity at a Flybe board meeting today in a bid to save [...]
LK Bennett founder weighs up future options February 15, 2019 Upmarket women’s footwear retailer LK Bennett has reportedly hired advisers to conduct a strategic review of the business, in a move that could potentially lead to the firm being sold. Founder Linda Bennett, who bought back the business in 2017, has drafted in consultancy firm AlixPartners to weigh up the firm’s future options, according to [...]
Mark Kleinman: Aviva’s missed deadline ensures brickbats February 15, 2019 Viva Aviva? For such a stalwart of blue-chip boardrooms, Sir Adrian Montague suddenly can’t put a foot right. Four years after taking over the chairmanship of Aviva when John McFarlane scuttled off to Barclays, he’s ended up in a rather large pickle of his own making. Sacking Mark Wilson as the insurer’s chief executive last [...]
Premier League plots streaming service for live football matches February 10, 2019 The Premier League is planning to launch its own streaming service for live football matches in a bid to bypass broadcasters and boost revenues. The Netflix-style streaming service was due to be tested in Singapore, but the Premier League backed out of the project. Instead, the league sold rights to the next three seasons to Singapore [...]