Marketing Week articles from October 2006

Marketing Week archives from October 2006

Tesco under fire for leaving shoppers open to card fraud.(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... Consumer group Which? is accusing Tesco of allowing a "security loophole" at some of the retailer's self-service checkouts to leave shoppers vulnerable to fraud. The organisation claims it has been contacted by "several angry people"...

Branson faces fines over no show of Megastores accounts.(Richard Branson is facing fines after two of his companies)(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... Billionaire Sir Richard Branson is facing fines after two of his companies, Virgin Entertainment Asia and Virgin Retail, which control the Virgin Megastores chain of entertainment shops, failed to present their accounts to Companies House. ...

Coca-Cola may ditch water plans after sourcing fiasco.(introduction of Bottled drinking water)
October 5, 2006... Coca-Cola may be forced to delay its all-important launch into the bottled water market or, even worse, scrap it altogether. Coca-Cola is scheduled to launch a bottled water in the UK - filling a gaping hole in its portfolio - in the first...

Camelot plans skills-based games on back of new law.(Gambling Act 2005)(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... National Lottery operator Camelot is planning to launch games requiring an element of skill using a little-known change in the legal status of lotteries set out in the Gambling Act 2005. Some observers have speculated that this could lead...

Mobile brand BenQ's UK future in doubt after insolvency claim.(advertising and contracts of BenQ Mobile brand and McCann Erickson)(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... A question mark is hanging over the future of the BenQ Mobile brand in the UK after the company pulled the plug on its German operation and filed for insolvency. Taiwan's BenQ took over Siemens' struggling mobile division last year but...

Fox's Biscuits launches ad push to back rebranding.(Fox's Biscuits advertising)(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... Fox's Biscuits is taking on rival McVitie's with the launch of a new #1.3m advertising push to promote its product range, following an extensive brand overhaul. The campaign, consisting of TV and trade press ads, breaks next week...

T-Mobile plugs rivals in best signal pledge.(T-Mobile )(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... T-Mobile will recommend consumers choose a rival operator in areas where it has poor network coverage as part of a new customer retention drive being launched today (Wednesday). The Deutsche Telekom-owned brand will check its coverage in...

New campaign: Renault Scenic.
October 5, 2006... TX text intro Just textRenault is introducing its latest people carrier, the Grand Scenic 5 Seat, with a campaign featuring a child's passing fancies. Created by Publicis and breaking on October 6, the TV execution shows the young...

IN BRIEF: Carbon offset.(marketing)(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... The Co-operative Group's Travelcare business has become the first high- street retailer to offer 'carbon offset' tariffs for airline passengers wishing to counteract the effects of global warming. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd....

IN BRIEF: T-Mobile launching new campaign.(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... T-Mobile is understood to be axing Catherine Zeta-Jones as the face of its advertising in the US after three years. It is thought the mobile giant, owned by Deutsche Telekom, is launching a new campaign featuring anonymous 'men on the...

IN BRIEF: L'Oreal boss outlines plans.(planning of L'Oreal S.A.)(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... L'Oreal boss Jean-Paul Agon has outlined plans to more than double the number of Body Shop outlets around the world after the cosmetics giant bought the retailer for $1.2bn (#640m) in March. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and...

IN BRIEF: Tesco results.(sales and earnings)(Financial report)(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... Tesco has unveiled six-month profits of #1.1bn, a rise of 10.3%, in the period ended August 26. The figures were significantly boosted by profits at the retailer's overseas business, which increased by 21%. Copyright: Centaur...

IN BRIEF: Nestle and Channel 4 break rules.(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... The Advertising Standards Authority has ruled that Nestle and Channel 4's 'Golden Ticket' Big Brother promotion technically broke its rules by not including all the conditions of entry - notably a closing date or the fact that entrants had...

PEOPLE: Travelsphere Holdings.(Travelsphere Holdings)(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... Scottish Widows interim director of customer and brand Rob Rees has been handed the role of sales and marketing director at Travelsphere Holdings. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

PEOPLE: Draft FCB.(new appointments at Draft London)(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... Draft FCB has appointed Nigel Jones and John Minnec as co-presidents of the newly merged agency in the UK. Minnec was managing director of Draft London, and Jones chief executive of FCB London. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and...

PEOPLE: Bell Pottinger Sport & Sponsorship.(Bell Pottinger Sport & Sponsorship )(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... Bell Pottinger Sport & Sponsorship has appointed Marc Harris as associate director of the company to head up its global Emirates' sponsorship portfolio. Harris joins from IMG. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

PEOPLE: EMAP Consumer Media.(Carrie Barker appointed at EMAP Consumer Media )(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... EMAP Consumer Media has appointed Carrie Barker as managing director of EMAP Australia. Barker was director of sales for magazines at EMAP Advertising. She will move to Australia at the beginning of the new year. Copyright: Centaur...

Gala Coral puts money on table in major bid for Tote.(Letter to the editor)
October 5, 2006... The future of the Tote brand and its marketing department could be in peril if it is sold to a rival such as Gala Coral, a leading betting analyst claims. The Government last week turned down a bid believed to be in the region of #320m...

New campaign: Barnardo's.(advertising)(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... Barnardo's is highlighting the difficulties faced by children who look after sick or disabled family members in a direct response TV, radio and online campaign breaking this week. The work is the first for the children's charity through...

Brandpool retains Southern account.(advertising)(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... Train operator Southern has reinstated Brandpool, the agency behind the launch of the rail brand, to handle its #1m advertising and marketing account after a competitive four way pitch. It is not clear which other agencies were competing...

Henkel moves Limelite into multi-purpose cleaner area.(marketing of Henkel )(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... Henkel is pushing its limescale removal detergent brand Limelite into the multi-purpose cleaning market with the launch of a new range of products. The household product manufacturer, which last year generated global sales of nearly...

Analysis: Furniture giants come unstuck as smaller players thrive.(growth of MFI furniture group)
October 5, 2006... MFI's sale of its retail arm for #1 to Merchant Equity Partners last week was a telling sign of just how threadbare some furniture specialists have become. Even Swedish flat-pack giant Ikea has taken a pounding, with recently announced...

All change at Innocent as European expansion starts.(Jamie Mitchell appointed at Innocent Drinks)(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... Innocent Drinks, the maker of Innocent Smoothies, is recruiting a UK marketing director following the decision to promote Jamie Mitchell to the role of UK managing director. The move is part of a reshuffle that will see the three founders...

Dutch bank signs Renault F1 sponsor deal.
October 5, 2006... ABN Amro, the Dutch financial services giant, is poised to sign a sponsorship deal with the Renault Formula 1 (F1) team. The Netherlands' largest global bank will replace cigarette brand and title sponsor Mild Seven. Anti-tobacco...

RFU revamps England fans' club branding.(Rugby Football Union )(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is overhauling its England Rugby Supporters Club (ERSC) brand as it moves to strengthen its ties with the national team's official fan base. The club has unveiled a logo developed by Agency Inc, which was...

Analysis: Revlon needs more than cosmetic cuts.
October 5, 2006... Revlon has overhauled its executive team as part of a massive cost- cutting drive designed to stem losses, with brand marketing among the hardest hit areas at the company. Chief marketing officer Stephanie Klein Peponis and chief creative...

IN BRIEF: Multiyork denies switch.(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... Multiyork, the furniture retailer, has denied it is seeking to switch its #2.5m creative business out of incumbent agency Ware Anthony Rust (MW last week). Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

IN BRIEF: WPP appointment.(Robin O'Neill appointed at WPP investment arm Group M)(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... WPP investment arm Group M has appointed Media.com media director Robin O'Neill as head of online trading. The new role is designed to create a central point for the negotiation on of the online media spend for the group's three online media...

IN BRIEF: Maternity Worldwide appoints new agency.(Spirit Advertising contracts)(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... Spirit Advertising has been appointed to handle advertising for Maternity Worldwide. The charity was set up in the UK four years ago to improve maternity care and reduce maternal morality rates in developing countries. Copyright: Centaur...

IN BRIEF: Butlins appoints direct marketing agency.(contracts)(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... Fox Kalomaski has won the direct marketing account for Butlins. The business was previously held by Clark McKay & Walpole, which also created DRTV ads for the brand. CMW declined to repitch. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and...

IN BRIEF: New direct marketing for Waitrose.(contracts)(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... Kitcatt Nohr Alexander Shaw has been handed the direct marketing account for Waitrose following a pitch against Partners Andrews Aldridge and Archibald Ingall Stretton, as first revealed on marketingweek.co.uk. The pitch was overseen by The...

IN BRIEF: Whole Foods Market to open store in London.(Liquid Communications Ltd contracts with Whole Foods Market Inc)(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... Whole Foods Market, the US organic food retail chain due to open its first store in London later this year, has appointed Liquid Communications to create its UK launch advertising following a pitch. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd....

COI asks three to pitch for #12m voters' register task.(Electoral Commission )(Farm, Glue and Experience; Harrison Troughton Wonderman, Wheel and Manning Gottlieb OMD; and DFGW, Red Nomad and MindShare)(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... The Electoral Commission has invited three teams of agencies to pitch for a new campaign to get people to register to vote, in a switch away from its previous attempts to get consumers to go to the polls and vote. The change is likely to...

Yell pitch drags on as VCCP loses out.(Vallance Carruthers Coleman Priest contracts)(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... Vallance Carruthers Coleman Priest (VCCP) looks to be out of the running for Yell's #20m advertising account, leaving Mother in pole position to scoop the business. However, mystery still surrounds the final outcome of the protracted...

Thistle Hotels calls creative review following restructure.(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... Thistle Hotels, one of the UK's leading hotel chains, is reviewing its creative agency arrangements. The pitch is being led by sales and marketing director Stuart Leven, alongside marketing director Iain Richards, who reports to him....

Young's beer holds pitch for #2.5m account.(Farm)(Team Saatchi )(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... Farm, Team Saatchi and an as-yet undecided third agency are being invited to pitch for the #2.5m advertising account for Young's beer. Farm currently holds the account, while Team Saatchi does creative work for sister brand Bombardier....

NFU Mutual in rethink of #2m business.(NFU Mutual and Avon Group)(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... NFU Mutual, the insurance company founded by the National Farmers Union, is reviewing its #2m advertising account. The pitch is being overseen by Agency Insight. Nitro is the company's agency of record. It is not known if the agency will...

Analysis: WPP gets to play with the world's biggest jukebox.(joint venture between GroupM and Universal Music)
October 5, 2006... WPP Group, the marketing services powerhouse, announced a deal last week between its consolidated media arm GroupM and Universal Music to push music even further into the mainstream of the advertising world, through a new joint venture called...

Online ad spend to exceed #2bn as figures jump 40%.(online advertising expenditure)(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... Online advertising should break the #2bn barrier in 2006, according to Guy Phillipson, chief executive of the Internet Advertising Bureau UK, taking it well ahead of national press and closing the gap on TV. Phillipson says: "We can see...

GM creates fictitious pop band to promote relaunched Corsa model.
October 5, 2006... General Motors(GM) Europe has created a "fake" band to promote its relaunched Vauxhall Corsa model. The band, The C.M.O.N.S, has already built a cult following online and on music network MTV, with two international record labels vying to...

PHD North wins brief for menopause test launch.(menopause test kit )(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... PHD North has been handed the task of launching health company Novogen's Menopause Test Kit. The media agency won a pitch to provide planning and buying services, with the brand due to be backed by an initial burst of activity this...

IN BRIEF: London Underground seeking sponsor.(London Underground contracts with online directory Yell.com )(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... London Underground is seeking a #2.7m sponsor to replace online directory Yell.com on its iconic Harry Beck-designed map. Yell.com has had the slot for four years. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

IN BRIEF: Contract Rights Renewal referred to OFT.( Office of Fair Trading)(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... ITV has referred its Contract Rights Renewal television trading safeguard to the Office of Fair Trading as it seeks to have the mechanism scrapped. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

IN BRIEF: Five sparks complaints.(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... Five has sparked 70 complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority about teaser ads it is running ahead of the launch of digital channel Five US, as revealed on marketingweek.co.uk. The campaign's reveal phase launches this week. ...

IN BRIEF: Premier Foods draws up shortlist.(contracts)(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... Premier Foods has drawn up a shortlist of five agencies for its #15m media planning and buying account, shared by Walker Media and ZenithOptimedia. Both incumbents will contest the pitch, being handled by Agency Insight, as will Carat, Starcom...

IN BRIEF: Carat sets up dedicated team.(contracts)(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... Carat is setting up a dedicated team to handle the #85m UK General Motors business, which its parent company Aegis won from Interpublic Group last week, in order to avoid conflict with Renault, a pan- European Carat client. Copyright:...

IN BRIEF: Carat wins pan-European account.(Carat has won European media planning and buying account )(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... Carat has won the #30m pan-European media planning and buying account for Indesit, the white goods manufacturer. The account is worth #1.5m in the UK, where Aegis-owned Carat was incumbent. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and...

ITV fails to slow down PVR speeds and halt 'skipping'.(personal video recorders)(ITV PLC)(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... ITV has failed to have restrictions put on playback speeds offered by the forthcoming Freeview-branded personal video recorders (PVRs). The Freeview Playback equipment was announced in May and will compete with BSkyB's Sky+ service, which...

Tennent's sponsors Scottish teams.(Tennents Lager)(Scottish Football Association )(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... Tennent's Lager is taking to the skies, with the first UK use of a revolutionary technology that will see ad images projected onto clouds. The system will be used this week to promote Tennent's new #8m four- year sponsorship deal with the...

Npower invites consumers to 'punch' BG in viral skirmish.(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... Npower is inviting consumers to "beat up" British Gas' blue flame character in a tongue-in-cheek viral game. The online game, called Gasbag Smackdown, has been created by Glasgow- based agency Dog Digital. It puts players in charge of a...

City AM launches headlines service for mobile users.(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... City AM, London's daily business freesheet, is entering the capital's free afternoon news war with the launch of a service delivering headlines directly to mobile phones. The City M Mobizine will fight it out in the capital with the two...

Ubisoft aims for young men with FX Channel Clancy deal.(Ubisoft contracts with FX)(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... Ubisoft, the computer games publisher, has signed a sponsorship deal with satellite channel FX to promote its range of Tom Clancy games. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent will sponsor the ten-part thriller Sleeper Cell from this...

Analysis: Agency unrest over e-auctions and hidden agendas.
October 5, 2006... Marketing experts fear a rise in the use of "e-auctions" during new business pitches will lead to the commoditisation of the industry. The Marketing Communication Consultants Association's (MCCA) procurement consultant Rosie Doggett warns...

The digital future is fuzzy not clear thanks to TV technology.
October 5, 2006... Buying a new TV has never been so problematic, and the industry is as confused as shoppers - a worrying start for the post-analogue era Have you tried to buy a new television set recently? My faithful cathode-ray set still has a great...

LETTER: Stars will shine if the brand strategy is right.(Letter to the editor)
October 5, 2006... Jumping on the celebrity brand wagon is a risky business - stars have a nasty habit of imploding as soon as you sign them up - but their marketing value is undeniable as long as the branding strategy is right. Charles Vallance's warning...

LETTER: Nothing free about an 0845 number.(Letter to the editor)
October 5, 2006... Your special report on Telemarketing (MW September 21) states "a free 0845 line". Nothing could be further from the truth. Telephone numbers beginning with 0845 are charged at non-geographic rates and now defined by Ofcom as part of a...

LETTER: Should be the callers biting back.(Letter to the editor)
October 5, 2006... I read with interest your special report on Telemarketing and in particular Paul Gardner's comments about the DMA's involvement in establishing new outbound call regulations when he said "agents and employers will be keen to see if the...

LETTER: Don't just inform staff - show them the way.(Letter to the editor)
October 5, 2006... I read with interest your article in Trends Insight on employee engagement (MW September 14). In service businesses (consumer and business) the attitude of frontline staff is always one of the top three factors in repeat purchase. Your...

LETTER: Promotions should be watching Big Brother.(Letter to the editor)
October 5, 2006... The recent media coverage of the Kit Kat Big Brother promotion should have heightened the industry's focus towards improved compliance. Last week programme makers were told off by the Advertising Standards Authority for not have proper...

LETTER: Motivation is about asking right questions.(Letter to the editor)
October 5, 2006... Further to your special report regarding motivation and just what it is that your employees want (MW September 14), I'd just like to add one simple point. We, as one of the leading recruitment consultancies specialising in the marketing...

VIEWPOINT: Punter's friend could fall in sell-off gamble.
October 5, 2006... Now that the #320m racing consortium bid for the Tote has run out of puff, the rival Gala Coral contender is beginning to look a racing certainty at the finishing post. Can anything stop it? And, if not pipped, what will happen to the Tote as...

THE TOTE: Worth a gamble?
October 5, 2006... The Tote faces an uncertain future after the Government, which has pledged to off-load the state-owned betting firm, rejected a bid from within the industry. Now it could be sold to a private company, putting jobs at risk and alienating the...

THE TOTE: Peter Jones: From adland to Aintree.(services of Peter Jones)
October 5, 2006... Tote chairman Peter Jones started his career in advertising in 1964. Within five years, he had helped found one of the country's most famous agencies, Boase Massimi Pollitt (BMP), and was part of the team that created the Smash Martians...

MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT: The new pitch perfect.
October 5, 2006... No longer willing to tolerate the supermarkets' undercutting, music and entertainment retailers HMV and Virgin have each devised plans to reconnect with consumers on a personal level. But will shoppers be convinced that there's more to...

KFC: No appetite for change.(KFC Group)
October 5, 2006... Environmental concerns can no longer be ignored, and marketers should be at the forefront of a greener economy, says Rita Clifton When KFC brand manager Matthew Critchley left the fast-food company (MW last week) there were fears of a...

SUSTAINABILITY: We can all do our bit.(Column)
October 5, 2006... Environmental concerns can no longer be ignored, and marketers should be at the forefront of a greener economy, says Rita Clifton When Tory leader David Cameron was just coming out of nappies, I was having a pre-pubescent crush on David...

KFC: Timeline.(KFC Corp.)(Brief article)
October 5, 2006... * 1890: Harland Sanders is born in Indiana, US. * 1930: Sanders opens his first restaurant in a gas station in Kentucky. * 1937: The Sanders Court & Cafe adds a motel and expands the restaurant to 142 seats. * 1953: Sanders begins...

RUSSIA: The rising star of the east.
October 5, 2006... Russia has a growing consumer market that has so far been beyond the reach of most Western brands. But that is changing, at least for those that are willing to learn and respect local sensibilities Russia. A country with a bad reputation...

RUSSIA: The Russian consumer revolution.
October 5, 2006... Corruption has always been a problem, yet the level of corruption in Russia is not significantly higher than in Brazil, India or any other emerging market. Moreover, the impact of corruption and administrative barriers on companies working...

CONFERENCES & EXHIBITIONS: Making your (power) point.
October 5, 2006... Experts are split over the value of tools like PowerPoint when making presentations, but whatever benefits they offer, it is still down to the speaker to get the message across. By Richenda Wilson Anew disease emerged in the West towards...

VOUCHERS: A paperless future?
October 5, 2006... Giftcards were predicted to storm the market a few years ago, but consumers and the business-to-business sector are both reluctant to let go of the humble paper voucher, says Richard West It is a widely held view that popular culture and...

RECRUITMENT: A far, far better thing.
October 5, 2006... While the skillsets are the same in the public and private sectors, marketers crossing over between them must be aware of differences in approach and measures of accountability. By Victoria Furness The stereotypical view that marketing in...

Silly buzzword that stupefied the liberal left is far from new.
October 5, 2006... We don't need Bill Clinton to help us tap into the spirit of the times when Aristotle did it 2,000 years ago and the Grocer is more prescient Good news for marketers in search of the zeitgeist, those desperate men and women with one ear...

Health lobby accuses Ofcom of 'bias' in junk-food debate.(Sustain)
October 12, 2006... Sustain, the health lobby group, has slammed broadcast regulator Ofcom for being biased towards the food and advertising industry in the debate about advertising "junk food" to children. The group hit out after Ofcom published research...

Supermarkets poised to axe Pepsi coffee-flavoured cola.(Pepsi Max Cino to be axed by retailers)(Brief article)
October 12, 2006... PepsiCo's coffee flavoured cola Pepsi Max Cino is being axed by retailers less than a year after it was launched. Asda, Somerfield and The Co-op are all planning to take the product off their shelves following poor sales. The drink was...

Honda chief leaves to take branding role at Vodafone.(Matthew Coombe appointed at Vodafone)(Brief article)
October 12, 2006... Honda's brand chief Matthew Coombe, one of the key figures behind the marque's award-winning advertising devised by Wieden & Kennedy, is leaving the car manufacturer after nine years to join Vodafone. Coombe, Honda's marketing...

Sony Ericsson hands global product role to UK marketer.(Ben Padley promoted at Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB)(Brief article)
October 12, 2006... Sony Ericsson has promoted UK marketing chief Ben Padley to director of global product marketing. Padley, who has been with the company since it was formed as a joint venture between Japan's Sony and Swedish company Ericsson five years...

Rank ditches group marketing role after director's departure.(contracts)(Brief article)
October 12, 2006... Pat Mitchinson, group marketing director for Rank Group's gaming division, has left the company after less than a year in the job. Her departure follows a restructure of the marketing department. It is not known if she has a job to go to....

Old Speckled Hen launches ads to back new ABV level.(alcohol by volume)(Brief article)
October 12, 2006... Greene King is launching an advertising campaign to promote the change in alcohol by volume (ABV) for its Old Speckled Hen beer brand. The brewer is cutting the strength of the ale sold in pubs from 5.2% to 4.5%. It has also rebranded the...

Dixons chief nets post at PC World.(Bryan Magrath appointed at PC World Stores Group)(Brief article)
October 12, 2006... Former Dixons marketing director Bryan Magrath has been handed the role of commercial director for sister brand PC World Stores Group, with a brief to develop the brand internationally. Magrath's future at parent company DSG International...

Ribena unveils new flavour to boost 'superfruits' drive.(Brief article)
October 12, 2006... GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is launching a new Ribena flavour, Raspberry and Pomegranate Really Light, as part of an #8.5m marketing campaign to focus on its provision of "superfruits". The new variant will not hit the shelves until next summer,...

IN BRIEF: Renault-Nissan.(partnerships)(Brief article)
October 12, 2006... Renault-Nissan has turned its attention to Ford after the breakdown of talks with General Motors about an alliance, saying a North American partner remains one of its highest priorities. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors...

IN BRIEF: Tom Alexander.(Brief article)
October 12, 2006... Virgin Mobile founder Tom Alexander is understood to be starting his own mobile phone company in the US in competition with former boss Sir Richard Branson. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

IN BRIEF: Nestle Rowntree.(planning of Nestle Rowntree )(Brief article)
October 12, 2006... Nestle Rowntree bosses are in talks with Amicus union officials over saving hundreds of jobs at the food giant's York headquarters. Plans for 645 UK redundancies were announced last month. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and...