Marketing Week articles from May 2007

Marketing Week archives from May 2007

Barbie website under fire for 'sexualisation' of girls.
May 3, 2007... Putting young at risk of bullying and forcing them to grow up too quickly are charges aimed at the site Mattel's Barbie Girls has come under fire for encouraging early sexualisation of girls following the launch of its new social network...

Christine Walker to make a return as media consultant.(www.marketingweek.co.uk)(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... Walker Media chairman Christine Walker will take a consultancy role after leaving the agency she founded with Phil Georgiadis. Walker announced her retirement from the agency yesterday and will hand over leadership to chief executive...

Npower plans ambush of Eon's FA Cup rebranding.(PowerGen PLC)(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... Utility provider Powergen is understood to be rolling out its rebrand to Eon to coincide with the FA Cup Final on May 17. The rebrand, first mooted in 2005, will see the company use the strapline "Eon. Changing energy". Rival npower,...

Masterfoods set to unwrap premium Galaxy selection.(Galaxy Mistletoe Kisses)(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... Masterfoods is understood to be launching a range of premium bite-sized chocolates aimed at the seasonal sharing market. Galaxy Mistletoe Kisses will be launched in the fourth quarter of the year in time for Christmas. The product is...

Electrolux to back its ranges with 'strongest ever' ad support.(Electrolux AB plans to promote its new range of products)
May 3, 2007... Electrolux, the world's biggest appliances company, is increasing its backing of Electrolux-branded products with the launch of a new range with major advertising support. The Global Design (GD) Range is the first Electrolux-branded range...

IDM develops 'integrated' UK diploma.(Institute of Direct Marketing )(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... The Institute of Direct Marketing (IDM) is to launch the UK's first qualification for integrated marketing communications (IMC). The course will target marketers who admit that understanding how IMC works is their number one worry. The...

Aston Villa kicks off rebrand with new logo.(Aston Villa Football Club PLC)(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... Aston Villa FC has unveiled a new crest and visual identity as part of a major rebranding drive. The revamped image is designed to emphasise the Premiership club's values of togetherness, openness, inte-grity and heritage. The drive...

Toblerone to launch fruit and nut variant.(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... By Caroline Parry Kraft is launching a fruit-and-nut variant of its Toblerone brand to reignite interest in the bar. It is understood that a 400g bar will be launched this summer. It is believed the food giant plans to introduce...

Fujitsu Siemens lifts lid on soccer charity tie-up.(Fujitsu Siemens Computers)(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... Fujitsu Siemens Computers kicks off its first charitable tie-up next week in an initiative with Christian charity World Vision supported by Manchester United and England footballer Owen Hargreaves. The campaign sees the technology group...

IN BRIEF: Abercrombie and Fitch blocks UK shoppers.(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... Abercrombie and Fitch, the US clothes retailer, has blocked UK shoppers from accessing its US website to compare prices. The retailer, which launched its first UK store last month, is pricing most items "pound for dollar", doubling the...

IN BRIEF: Paul Allen preparing takeover bid.(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... Microsoft tycoon Paul Allen is believed to be preparing a #50m takeover bid for Southampton Football Club. The club is currently in the Coca- Cola Championship. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

IN BRIEF: Focus DIY on verge of bankruptcy.(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... Focus DIY, the indebted home improvement retailer on the verge of bankruptcy, is understood to be close to being bought by a US DIY giant. It is thought that likely bidders for the 235-store chain include Lowes and Home Depot. Copyright:...

IN BRIEF: Mothercare agrees to pay for CSHL.(Chelsea Stores Holdings Limited)(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... Mothercare has agreed to pay #85m for Chelsea Stores (CSHL), the owner of Early Learning Centre. The deal is expected to make CSHL shareholder Tim Waterstone - of the eponymous bookstore chain - #1m. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd....

IN BRIEF: Lord Browne steps down.(BP PLC)(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... Lord Browne has stepped down as chief executive of BP after he lost his battle to block details of his private life being published by Associated Newspapers. Browne will forfeit a bonus worth more than #3.5m Copyright: Centaur...

IN BRIEF: McDonald's testing smoothies.(McDonald's U.K.)(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... McDonald's, the fast food chain, is testing a variant of Innocent smoothie as an option in its Happy Meal offer in 80 stores across the north of England. It will test the strawberry, blackberry and raspberry variant of the kids smoothie for...

PEOPLE: IPC.(appointment of Neil Robinson)(appointment of Fiona Dent at IPC TX)(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... IPC has appointed media digital director Neil Robinson to the main board. In a separate move Fiona Dent has become managing director of IPC TX, the publisher's television weeklies division, succeeding Philippa Brown. Copyright: Centaur...

PEOPLE: AOL Broadband.(resignation of Jemma Dunn at AOL (UK) Ltd.)(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... AOL Broadband director of business planning and product management Jemma Dunn is to leave the company in June. Dunn, the latest executive to quit the brand, was part of the original AOL UK team and has been with the company for almost 11 years....

PEOPLE: Marks & Spencer.(appointments of Carl Leaver and Steven Esom)(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... Marks & Spencer has appointed Carl Leaver, former chief executive of De Vere Group, as director of international business. Leaver, along with Steven Esom who was poached from Waitrose to become director of food last week, are believed to be...

PEOPLE: Double Fusion.(appointments of Daniel Best and David Miller)(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... Double Fusion, the US-based in-game ad-serving network, has made two more senior European management appointments. Daniel Best, formerly online commercial manager of The Independent, joins as commercial director of sales Europe; and David...

PEOPLE: Haystack Group.(marketingweek.co.uk)(Suki Thompson quits)(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... Suki Thompson has quit the Haystack Group after six years, as exclusively revealed on marketingweek.co.uk. The consultancy will now be headed by Alan Thompson. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

Allianz plans #225m global branding blitz.(Allianz Aktiengesellschaft Holding )
May 3, 2007... German insurance giant Allianz is more than quadrupling its global advertising budget to #225m a year as it prepares a three-year marketing blitz. Allianz, which this week dropped the Cornhill moniker from its UK operations, says it will...

Restructure on cards for Red Bull.(dialogue with Nigel Trood of Red Bull Company Ltd.)(Interview)(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... Red Bull UK's new managing director, Nigel Trood, has billed himself "the hybrid Harry Drnec", after he took over from the high-profile Drnec last week. Speaking exclusively to Marketing Week, Trood says he has acquired the dynamism of...

Ad watchdog throws out protests over Carling birds.(Coors Brewers Ltd.)(Advertising Standards Authority )(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has rejected complaints against Coors Brewers' over a commercial for its Carling lager brand. The ads feature a flock of starlings flying across the sky, with a backing track including the lyrics...

Kipling steps in to fizz up Budweiser.(promotion of Vicki Kipling)
May 3, 2007... By Sonoo Singh Anheuser-Busch has promoted brand controller Vicki Kipling to UK marketing director. She replaces Jim Gorczyca who returns to the US after three years. Kipling will report to UK and Ireland managing director David...

Analysis: Primark's rocketing sales may come down to earth.
May 3, 2007... Budget clothing retailer Primark has grown strongly in recent years with its combination of trendy fashion at bargain prices. But some observers are questioning whether it can keep up the momentum. Last week, Primark's parent company...

Avis UK puts Reuters' info chief behind the wheel.(appointment of Kevin Bradshaw)(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... Avis Europe, the car rental company, has appointed Kevin Bradshaw as managing director of Avis UK. Bradshaw, managing director of Reuters Enterprise information division, will take up the new role in August. He will replace Stuart Gent...

Harrods head of marketing quits after just a year.(resignation of Andrew Morley )(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... Harrods marketing director Andrew Morley has left the Knightsbridge department store 12 months after being appointed by chairman Mohamed Al Fayed. He will be taking up a marketing director's post at a FTSE 20 company later in the year,...

NFU Mutual goes mainstream with Heartbeat sponsorship.(Shop )(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... NFU Mutual, the insurance company founded by the National Farmers Union, is understood to be looking to shed its fusty image and target a more mainstream audience. The insurance, pensions and investments company is sponsoring populist ITV...

Analysis: Unfriendly times for financial challengers.
May 3, 2007... Friendly society Liverpool Victoria's rebrand as LV= raises the question of how small mutual societies can successfully promote their brands in a financial services sector dominated by big banks and insurance giants. LV= is understood to...

IN BRIEF: Lean Mean Fighting Machine appointed.(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... Lean Mean Fighting Machine has been appointed by the Royal Air Force to handle its Web recruitment advertising, following a pitch managed by the COI. The incumbent is Dialogue DLKW. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

IN BRIEF: Cchm:ping wins business for Bristol & West Mortgages.(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... Cchm:ping, the financial services full-service agency, has won the marketing communications business for Bristol & West Mortgages following a six-way pitch against undisclosed agencies. The brand is owned by The Bank of Ireland. Copyright:...

IN BRIEF: Royal Mail hires five agencies.(Cheetah Mail)(Proximity London)(Tullo Marshall Warren)(Reading Room)(Zulu)(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... Royal Mail has hired five agencies to its #20m digital roster following a review. Cheetah Mail, Proximity London, Tullo Marshall Warren, Reading Room and Zulu will handle a range of digital services for Royal Mail, including online ads and...

IN BRIEF: Oxfam looking to appoint ad agency.(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... Oxfam is believed to be looking to appoint an agency for its catalogue business. The appointment is unlikely to affect the charity's main ad account, which is held by DDB London. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

IN BRIEF: Bartle Bogle Hegarty pulls out of Ikea pitch.(Bartle Bogle Hegarty Ltd.)(IKEA AG)(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... Bartle Bogle Hegarty has pulled out of the Ikea advertising pitch, leaving Mother, Wieden & Kennedy and Beattie McGuinness Bungay to fight it out for the #4m advertising business. The incumbent was Danish agency RBLM. The pitch is being...

IN BRIEF: Ebay account shortlist.(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... Abbott Mead Vickers.BBDO, WCRS, Albion and Saatchi & Saatchi are understood to have been shortlisted for the #5.5m Ebay account. Incumbent agency Delaney Lund Knox Warren declined to repitch for the business. Copyright: Centaur...

Fallon's grip on Egg weakens as Publicis nears #12m win.
May 3, 2007... Publicis is understood to be close to securing the #12m Egg advertising account without a pitch. The agency has been tipped to win the business following a global strategic alliance between Publicis Groupe and US financial services giant...

Leith wins Russian choc account.(Leith Agency contracts with SladCo )(chocolate)(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... The Leith Agency has been appointed to develop a multi-million pound rebranding campaign for the high-end chocolate brand SladCo in its native Russia. The Edinburgh-based agency beat four Russian advertising agencies to the account...

New campaign: Florette.(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... Salad brand Florette is launching a new TV campaign in a bid to wrest market share away from own-label brands. The campaign, created by Hooper Galton, reverts to the quirky style of earlier Florette advertising. The ad initially...

Cheethambell wins #2m Lake District ad account.(Cumbria Tourism )(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... Cumbria Tourism has appointed Cheethambell JWT to reposition its flagship brand, The Lake District, as a getaway for "chic seekers". The Manchester-based agency won the #2m advertising business following an eight-way pitch against...

Monster seeks pan-Euro ad agency.(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... By Nathalie Kilby Online recruitment brand Monster is on the hunt for an advertising agency for a pan-European brief. Monster spent about #4.5m in the UK on advertising last year. It is not known whether this will go up with a new...

Analysis: Did Howell jump or was he pushed?(Rupert Howell of McCann Erickson)
May 3, 2007... The sudden exit last week of Rupert Howell from his post as McCann Erickson's European president raises the question of how an entrepreneurial agency boss with a huge ego fares in a corporate environment. Howell is known as a founding "H"...

Walker quits amid mass adulation - but is her leaving permanent?(Christine Walker of Walker Media )
May 3, 2007... The ebullient and outspoken Christine Walker has announced her retirement a decade after founding Walker Media with Phil Georgiadis. The head of the eponymous media agency intends to leave the industry following an announcement to the...

Nintendo and Coke join up in fun and games venture.(Nintendo Company Ltd.)(Coca-Cola Co. (Atlanta, Georgia))(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... Nintendo has teamed up with Coca-Cola to launch a #2m joint promotion. It is the Japanese video games giant's first tie-up with a major packaged goods brand. The initiative kicks off this week, with Nintendo running a joint promotion...

City AM and Kinetic offer cross-media ad package.(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... City AM, the morning business freesheet, has teamed up with outdoor buying agency Kinetic to offer advertisers a one-stop shop marketing platform. The new proposition, called City Inside, offers advertisers the opportunity of taking out...

Evening Standard vendors to stop distributing London Lite.(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... By John Reynolds Associated Newspapers has called time on London Evening Standard vendors distributing editions of London Lite, its sister title. The move has been prompted by declining Standard sales, according to media buyers. The...

New campaign: Orange.(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... Actress Mena Suvari will appear as Joan of Arc dressed in a cheerleading outfit in the latest cinema spot for Orange. The ad is part of the company's four-year long "Film Funding Board" series and will again feature Orange duo Mr Dresden...

IN BRIEF: Conde Nast launching new magazine.(Conde Nast Publications Inc.)(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... Conde Nast is launching a business magazine called Conde Nast Portfolio on May 15. The title will initially be bi-monthly until August when it will go monthly. It will be priced at #3.50. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and...

IN BRIEF: Trinity Mirror's Midlands auction.(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... Chris Bullivant, the local paper tycoon, has emerged as a leading contender in the #200m auction for Trinity Mirror's Midlands titles. Bullivant, who owns the Observer Standard Group in the Midlands, has teamed up with private equity firm...

IN BRIEF: Google rebrands.(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... Google has rebranded the Google Personalised Homepage as iGoogle to allow users to personalise how they search the Web. The software reinvents the design of the Google.com homepage and will offer features such as allowing users to upload their...

IN BRIEF: Yahoo? acquires remaining 80% of Right Media.(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... Yahoo! has acquired the remaining 80% of online advertising exchange Right Media for $680m (#340m). It bought an initial 20% stake in October last year for $40m (#20m). Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

IN BRIEF: GOSHCC shortlist.(Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity)(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... MediaCom and ZenithOptimedia are understood to have been shortlisted by Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity for its #1m media planning and buying account. The charity doesn't have an incumbent agency. Copyright: Centaur...

IN BRIEF: Initiative UK to launch creative division.(Initiative Media London)(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... Initiative UK is launching a creative division this summer in response to the rise of digital advertising. The unit, which has yet to be named, will produce all creative work except broadcast. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and...

Celtic FC creates financial services division for fans.(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... Celtic Football Club has teamed up with Aegon UK to launch a range of financial services products for supporters. Products available through Celtic FC Money will include mortgages, life insurance, investments, annuities and pensions. ...

Analysis: Innocent's Fruitstock a victim of its own success.
May 3, 2007... The decision by smoothie brand Innocent Drinks to axe its annual Fruitstock festival after four years (MW last week) appears on the face of it to be a bizarre - if not foolhardy - decision. Last year's event attracted a record 120,000...

Brooklands beats three to Flybe title contract.(contracts of Brooklands Magazines and Flybe British European)(Brief article)
May 3, 2007... Low-cost airline Flybe has appointed contract publisher Brooklands Group to revamp its in-flight magazine as part of a plan to expand secondary services to customers. Brooklands beat incumbent bmi publications in a four-way pitch. Flybe...

It's the influencers, not the social media, that brands need to target.
May 3, 2007... Social networking sites have the traffic and crucially the desire to make money - but it's the users who wield the control where it most matters When last month Jupiter Research reported that many US brand managers were planning to...

LETTER: For the best results make PR part of the mix.(Letter to the editor)
May 3, 2007... Regarding Rob Isaacs' letter "Do PRs hold all the influential knowledge?", (MW April 19), while this was not the mainstay of his letter, I'm stunned that someone who works in a communications agency should feel comfortable commenting that PR...

LETTER: The personal has just become individual.(Letter to the editor)
May 3, 2007... Clearly personalisation is key to achieving stand-out in a direct marketing campaign ("Personally Speaking..." MW April 26). However, I think it's now a little outdated. Digital printing technology that spearheaded personalisation has...

LETTER: DM should prepare for a star marketing role.(Letter to the editor)
May 3, 2007... Few could deny that Hugh Bishop is spot on when he highlights the growing importance of the three Ds in marketing communications - data, digital, direct marketing ("Fusing the marketing mix", MW April 26). He is also right in his assertion...

LETTER: Is this the way 2B communic8ing?(Letter to the editor)
May 3, 2007... How mNE of U hav rED DIS & undRstD EzalE wot iz RitN? This is the type of language that is being used on many text messages and e-mails to the under-25s. Average 21-year-old graduates have exchanged 250,000 e-mails/instant messages,...

VIEWPOINT: Adland's Iron Lady takes her final bow.(Viewpoint essay)
May 3, 2007... This week, after ten years at the top, a force to be reckoned with has announced she is about to retire. Unlike Tony Blair, whose own announcement is expected imminently, she has wisely contrived to quit while she's ahead. As a matter of...

PROFILE - MARK PRICE: Price is right for Waitrose.(Interview)
May 3, 2007... The one-time John Lewis graduate trainee returns to the supermarket arm as its top executive - fully determined to double sales, uphold quality and open more outlets by Matthew Gorman Early aspirations to be a marine archaeologist could...

HUMAN RESOURSES - SUCCESSION MANAGEMENT: Heir dos and don'ts.
May 3, 2007... When a company loses a charismatic and successful leader, the task of finding a successor is far from simple. Do you groom someone from the inside or bring in new blood? David Benady looks at how some of the country's best-known brands are...

INDUSTRY ROUNDTABLE - SEARCH MARKETING: Search for a way forward.(Matt Brocklehurst, Richard Gregory of Latitude Communications Inc.)(Mark Price of Waitrose Ltd.)(Discussion)
May 3, 2007... Nearly 60% of online spend is invested in search marketing, but do the results justify this, or have brands become victims of hype? Industry experts discuss the medium's true worth Stuart Smith (editor, Marketing Week): Search is an...

It is time to look beyond the 'service with a smile' principle.
May 3, 2007... Happy staff mean happy customers, right? Not necessarily. New research shows the need to broaden horizons on staff motivation They were reflecting the fact that over the past few years the happy staff/happy customers thesis - known as the...

American cousins hail the flair of our British digital maestros.
May 3, 2007... UK digital marketers are in high demand in the US where their talent for getting a grip on strategic focus is helping to nurture rapid expansion Public television channels such as Channel 13 in New York make sure you can catch up with...

SURVEY: Britain's most trusted brands.(Survey)
May 3, 2007... The results of this year's Reader's Digest Trusted Brands survey are in. Which brands provide the best and most consistent results and keep consumers flocking back? Read on: all will be revealed Trust. It's not something that is usually...

Getting answers to the questions of trust.
May 3, 2007... What works for one brand in winning consumer trust won't necessarily work for another, says Victoria Scott Do I trust my deodorant? Do I trust my car to get me to work in the morning and my chosen airline to deliver the safest possible...

PRINTED MATERIAL: Feel the paper quality.
May 3, 2007... With printed marketing communications taking on fresh importance, companies face the difficult challenge of maintaining quality while reducing ever-rising production costs. By Richenda Wilson Using the right paper and print quality for...

SPORTS MARKETING: The green teams.
May 3, 2007... With the London Olympics 2012 and even Formula 1 pushing green strategies to the fore, other sports now need to show their environmental credentials are match fit. By Emily Cubitt With everyone from Tony Blair to Sir Richard Branson aiming...

MARKET RESEARCH: Recapturing the glory days.
May 3, 2007... It's not easy to stop the rot when a brand is in decline, yet there's no shortage of ways to get to grips with the problem - one of the most effective being to ask why no one buys it any more. By Alicia Clegg Creating a product from...

Sheryl's toilet paper declaration is just environmental sheet-stirring.(US singer Sheryl Crow)(Column)
May 3, 2007... US singer Sheryl Crow's call for us to save toilet paper is another example of the effect of global warming - Green campaigners are full of hot air Just as in the dark days of the Blitz, the shadow of global warming shows us humans...

Wrigley to attack rival Trident with UK launch.(The Wrigley Company Ltd.)(Brief article)
May 10, 2007... The Wrigley Company is plotting the launch of a chewing gum brand to spearhead its counterattack against Cadbury-owned rival, Trident. Called 5, the sugar-free stick gum range unveiled in the US in March, will be one of Wrigley's most...

Grey beats Saatchi to scoop Sony marketer.(appointment of David Patton at Grey London)(Brief article)
May 10, 2007... David Patton to take helm at agency's London office, but Saatchi hunt goes on Top Sony marketer David Patton has been appointed to the Grey London chief executive role, following speculation that he was being wooed not only by the...

Virgin swaps Uma for Ruby Wax as subscriber battle with Sky hots up.(Virgin Media )(Uma Thurman )(Brief article)
May 10, 2007... Virgin Media is ditching Hollywood actress Uma Thurman as the face of its advertising in favour of comedienne Ruby Wax in an attempt to revitalise its relaunch. The cable company spent #20m on Thurman-fronted ads to herald its rebranding...

TV diet guru McKeith eyes packaged goods partner.(Gillian McKeith)(Brief article)
May 10, 2007... Gillian McKeith, the controversial TV nutritionist and diet book author, is understood to be in talks with a number of packaged goods companies about launching co-branded organic versions of established products. It is thought McKeith is...

Ad watchdog clears Huggies in row with nappy rival Pampers.
May 10, 2007... A Huggies television campaign that compared its nappies with rival Pampers has escaped censure by the advertising regulator, following a complaint from Procter & Gamble that the comparison was unfair and misleading. The ad for the...

BBH takes new tack with #5m Audi A5 launch ads.
May 10, 2007... Audi is putting more than #5m behind the launch of its A5 model with a new-look advertising campaign from Bartle Bogle Hegarty. The ad breaks on May 13. The #5.2m campaign also includes press, outdoor and online activity. Audi's brand...

Milburn takes role as PepsiCo adviser.(appointment of Alan Milburn)(Brief article)
May 10, 2007... PepsiCo has appointed former health secretary Alan Milburn to its newly established UK board of advisers as the US food and drinks company looks to bolster its health and wellness credentials in the UK. Pepsico has named Milburn, who will...

Waitrose to slash Minute Maid.(Brief article)
May 10, 2007... Waitrose is on the verge of axing half of the Coca-Cola Minute Maid juice brand variants that it stocks due to flagging sales. The supermarket is mulling over whether to delist Minute Maid's orange juice and raspberry with zinc as well as...

IN BRIEF: Ofgem investigating British Gas.(Office of Gas and Electricity Markets)(Brief article)
May 10, 2007... Ofgem is investigating whether British Gas has used 'unfair, uncompetitive or otherwise illegal' sales tactics to prevent small business customers switching provider. A self-regulating industry body has already found BG guilty of bending the...

IN BRIEF: Steve Holliday calls for regulations to be changed.(Brief article)
May 10, 2007... National Grid chief executive Steve Holliday has called for energy market regulations to be changed to encourage energy companies to sell less power, saying that government and Ofgem initiatives do not go far enough... Copyright: Centaur...

IN BRIEF: Warner Music to cut jobs.(Warner Music UK Ltd.)(Brief article)
May 10, 2007... Warner Music has announced plans to cut 400 jobs after announcing a $27m (#13.5m) loss in the second quarter of its financial year compared to $7m (#3.5m) last year. It has attributed the losses to piracy and the increase in music downloading....

IN BRIEF: Latest offer rejected.(Royal Bank of Scotland PLC vying with Barclays PLC to buy ABN AMRO Bank N.V. (Amsterdam, Netherlands))(Brief article)
May 10, 2007... The Royal Bank of Scotland-led consortium vying with Barclays to buy Dutch bank ABN AMRO has had its latest offer rejected. It says ABN will call an extraordinary general meeting 'to enable shareholders to express their views on the...