Digital Britain report: Broadband for all by 2012 January 29, 2009
Posted by Mark Blei in : Uncategorized , add a commentLONDON – In its Digital Britain report issued today the Government has set out its aim to develop a universal broadband service by 2012, which it called vital for Britain, one that offers nationwide broadband speeds of up to 2mb per second and includes wireless coverage.
In the Digital Britain interim report, the Government stressed the importance of ensuring “that being digital is within the grasp of everyone”
Subject to further analysis, the government believes that a speed of 2mb per second is the most realistic option for a universal service, when factoring in costs, capability and the connection of the absolute number of homes.
The Government intends to develop detailed proposals for the design and operation of a new, more broadly-based scheme to fund the Universal Service Commitment, including who should contribute and its governance and accountability structures.
It plans to encourage the development of public service champions of universal take up and intends to appoint a digital inclusion champion and expert taskforce to drive the Government’s work on digital inclusion.
It is intended that the champion “will provide a clear channel of communication between central and local government, industry, third and public sectors, and the client group, to ensure all available expertise and resource is harnessed in pursuit of a shared understanding of digital inclusion”.
Read The Rest——> Digital Britain report: Broadbarend for all by 2012
Brand Republic's top stories of 2008 December 26, 2008
Posted by Mark Blei in : Uncategorized , add a commentLONDON – As Brand Republic takes a break for Christmas and the New Year, we leave you with a round-up of the big stories from 2008.
Are you dreading 2009 or feeling optimistic? **Vote** and have your say in our poll.
We’re sure you can’t face another list so here’s a wander through this year in the shape of some of the most-read stories from Brand Republic, Campaign, Marketing, Media Week and Revolution.
Carat snatches €400m EMEA Kellogg account from Mindshare December 19, 2008
Posted by Mark Blei in : Uncategorized , add a commentLONDON – Aegis Media’s Carat has rounded off the year in style by snatching the consolidated €400m EMEA Kellogg media account from Mindshare, following a review of its roster.
According to figures from Nielsen Media Research, the UK part of the account was worth £72m in 2007 alone.
WPP’s Mindshare has held the business for eight years, although Carat did take part in a pitch for the business three years ago which Mindshare retained.
Read The Rest—>Carat snatches €400m EMEA Kellogg account from Mindshare
Campaign unveils top ad agencies of 2008 December 12, 2008
Posted by Mark Blei in : Uncategorized , add a commentLONDON – Mother was today named Campaign’s creative agency of the year for 2008.
The agency was chosen for the range of its work, which extended far beyond traditional advertising, into feature films and musicals.
It won new accounts from Stella Artois, Coca-Cola, Diet Coke and Louis Vuitton’s Chandon, Thornton’s, Stella Artois 4%, Abbey Well and Energy Saving Trust.
Read The Rest—> Campaign unveils top ad agencies of 2008
Facebook falls victim to account hijacking scam – Brand Republic News – Brand Republic November 11, 2008
Posted by Mark Blei in : Uncategorized , add a commentLONDON – Nigerian scammers have infiltrated Facebook and are hijacking users’ accounts to request money by posing as friends in need.
In the latest scam, Australian Karina Wells received a Facebook message last Friday from one of her friends, Adrian, saying he was stranded in Nigeria and needed her to lend him $500 (£213) for a ticket home.
WPP to quit UK for Ireland for tax reasons September 29, 2008
Posted by Mark Blei in : Uncategorized , add a commentLONDON – In another blow for Gordon Brown and his business taxation policies, Sir Martin Sorrell’s WPP Group is to leave the UK and shift its British headquarters to Ireland because of changes to the tax regime, which could cost the marketing group tens of millions of pounds.
WPP is expected to announce this week it is moving its tax domicile from the UK because of the threat of a markedly higher corporation tax bill.
READ THE REST HERE
WPP-TNS deal cleared by European Commission September 24, 2008
Posted by Mark Blei in : Uncategorized , add a commentLONDON – Sir Martin Sorrell’s WPP Group has won European Commission clearance for its proposed £1.1bn acquisition of market research firm TNS, subject to commitments already offered by the marketing services giant to dispose of some businesses.
The commission said yesterday that any merger of WPP and TNS raises competition concerns about market influence in the European television audience measurement services market and in the Irish market research services market.
But it said its concerns were allayed by WPP’s promise to sell TNS’ market research business in Ireland and to either sell its own stake in its television audience measurement joint venture with AGB Nielsen or the Television Audience Measurement services businesses of TNS.
WPP took out an option in August to sell the TAM business to French market research group for up to £92m.
However, it is still uncertain whether WPP will seal the deal amid opposition from the TNS board, which yesterday after the commission’s verdict continued to recommend its shareholders ignored WPP’s offer.
At the last count 11% of TNS shareholders had accepted the offer, when a previous deadline for acceptances lapsed on September 12.
WPP extended its deadline to this Friday, September 26, without raising its offer of 175p in cash and 0.1889 of a new WPP share for each TNS share.
TNS shares are currently trading at 252.5p, up 2.3% on yesterday’s close, while WPP shares are at 481p, down 1.1%.
JPMorgan lowers online display advertising forecast September 5, 2008
Posted by Mark Blei in : Uncategorized , add a commentNew York—Citing the worsening economy, JPMorgan Chase lowered its forecast for online display advertising in the U.S. to $8.2 billion this year, down from an earlier projection of $8.6 billion.
JPMorgan projects online display advertising will total $9.4 billion in 2009, down from an earlier forecast of $10.0 billion.
It also lowered its forecast for search advertising. Search is now expected to grow 27% this year, down from an earlier projection of 32%. Next year, search is forecast to grow by 26%.
—Kate Maddox
Ogilvy New York scoops Stolichnaya global ad account September 5, 2008
Posted by Mark Blei in : Uncategorized , add a commentNEW YORK – SPI Group has appointed Ogilvy New York to handle the global ad account for its Stolichnaya vodka brand following a final shoot-out against McCann Erickson.
Nick Lawson set to take WPP chief executive role August 28, 2008
Posted by Mark Blei in : Uncategorized , add a commentLONDON – Nick Lawson, MediaCom UK’s chief executive, is set to be made the WPP agency’s chief executive across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
David Kyffin, Group M’s managing director of direct/digital, is also in discussions to take on a newly created – but as yet untitled – role as global direct and digital chief for MediaCom.
It is thought that Jane Ratcliffe, the managing director of Mediacom UK, is likely to replace Nick Lawson in the UK chief executive role.
The move follows the official confirmation last week of Nick Theakstone as the chief executive of Group M UK.
Theakstone, previously the chief operating officer, replaced Steve Allan, who moved in April to become the chairman and chief executive of MediaCom Worldwide.
It is understood that Lawson will focus on developing and strengthening MediaCom’s presence in European markets, beyond its sizeable UK and German operations.
The network does employ regional chiefs for its Asia-Pacific, US and Latin American operations, but there is no incumbent in the EMEA role.
Alexander Schmidt-Vogel moved to the newly-created role of global chief executive of Group M’s worldwide operations in May.
He previously occupied the role of chairman and was chief executive of MediaCom Europe from 1996 to 2002.
