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: [...]
Biffa shares jump as it remains on track for full-year growth March 6, 2019 Shares in waste management firm Biffa jumped more than five per cent this morning after the company said it is on track to post underlying revenue growth in its full-year results. In a trading update the firm said trading for the second half of the year is expected to be in line with the board’s [...]
Hello Fresh delivers healthy growth as it draws up recipe to break even March 6, 2019 Meal kit firm Hello Fresh today posted a surge in its full-year and fourth quarter sales as it eyes plans to break even in 2019. The figures Revenues for the full year soared 41.4 per cent to €1.2bn (£1.03bn). Losses before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation narrowed from €70.1m to €54.5m. Total number of orders [...]
Shepherd Neame’s exceptional costs take fizz out of profits March 6, 2019 Brewer and pub group Shepherd Neame posted a modest rise in profit before tax for the six months to the end of December, despite being hit by refinancing and contract losses. The figures Underlying profit before tax rose 1.4 per cent to £5.9m in the 26 weeks to 29 December 2018. Like-for-like sales in the group’s [...]
Bugatti unveils €11m supercar to mark 110th anniversary March 5, 2019 Luxury car brand Bugatti has unveiled a €11m (£9.5m) supercar, but will not name the wealthy mystery buyer. La Voiture Noire, which was created for the French firm’s 110th anniversary, was snapped up by an unnamed Bugatti fan and is thought to be the most expensive new car of all time. The one-off supercar, unveiled [...]
Bauer Media acquires ten regional radio stations amid competition probe March 5, 2019 Bauer Media has snapped up a further ten regional radio stations as it faces a competition probe into its spate of acquisitions earlier in the year. The media giant today said it has bought UKRD Group, which owns stations across Yorkshire, East Anglia, the south and the south west of England. Read more: Bauer Media [...]
Harrods launches new luxury podcast amid editorial expansion March 5, 2019 Harrods has launched a new podcast about the meaning of luxury as it looks to win over high-end shoppers with its renewed focus on editorial formats. The six-episode series, hosted by journalist and broadcaster Mariella Frostrup, will host guests from the creative industries to discuss the “true meaning of modern luxury”. Read more: Harrods eyes online [...]
Financial Times buys majority stake in tech media firm The Next Web March 5, 2019 The Financial Times (FT) has bought a controlling stake in tech media firm The Next Web (TNW) in a bid to expand its events offering. The FT said the move will boost its presence in the European tech market and will create synergies with its existing events division FT Live. Read more: German prosecutors probe [...]
WPP needs to revamp culture to attract the best people, says boss March 5, 2019 WPP must create a more open culture if it is to attract the best people in the industry, chief executive Mark Read said today. “WPP is really just about people at the end of the day,” he said at the Incorporated Society of British Advertisers (ISBA) conference this morning. Read more: Brands have ‘Netflix envy’, [...]
Brands have ‘Netflix envy’ and need expertise of advertising agencies, says WPP boss March 5, 2019 Brands are guilty of ‘Netflix envy’ and need the expertise of traditional advertising agencies, WPP chief executive Mark Read said today. Speaking at the Incorporated Society of British Advertisers (ISBA) conference, Read played down fears brands are increasingly moving their advertising in-house and defended the role of conventional ad shops. Read more: Profits plunge at advertising [...]