Argos has launched its first store card, the Argos Card, offering customers a credit facility provided by parent company Great Universal Stores (GUS), the retail and information services group. Customers will be able to use the card to buy any item from the Argos and Argos Additions catalogues through Argos stores, Argos Direct, the Internet […]
Volkswagen has taken the unusual step of appointing a new advertising chief from outside the car industry. Alan Doyle, currently head of consumer marketing at Yellow Pages, will be joining VW at the end of this month as communications manager. He replaces Bernard Bradley, who left to join Volvo in July (MW July 13). Doyle […]
VW Group’s Autostadt is no German car showroom. It features brands as diverse as Bugatti and Skoda – and a British firm was chosen to present Volkswagen to the German public.
VW Group’s Autostadt is no German car showroom. It features brands as diverse as Bugatti and Skoda – and a British firm was chosen to present Volkswagen to the German public.
BMW has created a separate division for the Mini brand, headed by former Rover executive Trevor Houghton-Berry. Houghton-Berry joined BMW in June from Rover, where he was corporate sales manager. He has also held similar positions at Citroën and Mazda. He will be general manger for the new division, which will have its own marketing […]
Mars has joined forces with UK toy maker Hasbro to launch a range of merchandise bearing its M&M’s and Skittles brands. Hasbro has created peanut and mini M&M’s Candy Hander dispensers featuring the red, yellow and blue chocolate bean brand characters. Electronic M&M’s Power Candy Handers and Mini M&M’s soft toys will be on sale. […]
These days being a standalone car company is almost as frightening as being a standalone global agency network. Both species know their days are numbered; the only issues are when they will surrender their independence, to whom and for how much. Such thoughts must preoccupy the Quandt family, controlling shareholders in BMW. Publicly, they are […]
Volkswagen advertising chief Bernard Bradley, responsible for the car manufacturer’s &£35m UK ad spend, has left to join Volvo. Bradley, who handed in his notice earlier this week, has been VW’s communications manager for more than a year. He will join Volvo next month as regional communications manager for its Benelux region (UK, Ireland, the […]
Fired BMW chief Bernd Pischetsrieder to oversee new division dedicated to growth of luxury cars
Mars has called a review of its combined £12.3m UK outdoor buying media business, handled by outdoor specialist Concord.
NatWest’s head of marketing for card services, Jeremy Nicholds, has left to join Europay International as general manager of MasterCard for the UK and Ireland. He is understood to have left NatWest early last month and takes up his new role next week. NatWest is the largest issuer of MasterCards in Europe, and has more […]
Who is Mars trying to kid? The efficacy of cocoa in reducing heart disease may or may not be proven, but to argue by implication that a confectionery bar, whose other essential ingredients are fats and sugars, is good for you, takes the biscuit. My kids love Galaxy and Mars Bars and I’m quite partial […]
Volkswagen has applied the brakes on plans to launch a banking service in the UK, because of the uncertainty and increased competition in this market. VW was granted a UK banking licence two years ago, and said it would be offering telephone and Internet banking. The car company wanted to extend its customer base beyond […]
Mars uses new logo on packaging to exploit finding that cocoa beans can reduce heart disease
Volkswagen has applied the brakes on plans to launch a banking service in the UK, because of the uncertainty and increased competition in this market. VW was granted a UK banking licence two years ago, and said it would be offering telephone and Internet banking. The car company wanted to extend its customer base beyond […]