By John Glenday The head of High Street bookmakers Ladbrokes has dismissed fears surrounding the imposition of tough new rules governing the broadcast of TV gambling adverts, in the belief that online-only rivals will be disproportionately affected by the curbs. Riding high on the back of £160m in cost savings following a £4bn mega-merger between Ladbrokes Coral and GVC, £30m higher than first thought, the betting giant believes it is well placed to ride out any regulatory storms. Adopting a glass half full stance Kenny Alexander, chief executive of Ladbrokes Coral owner GVC, stated: “If there were any clampdowns on advertising Read full story › Source: The Drum...
Read MoreBy Jennifer Faull Mike Colling, the founder and chief executive of independent media agency MC&C, has stepped down. He has been replaced by managing director Robin Trust, who’s been with the agency since 2013. Colling founded MC&C in 2001. He will remain within the business in a non-management role, working with the agency’s roster of clients. “The industry has changed almost beyond all recognition since I set up MC&C,” he said of his departure. “I am delighted to be handing the reins over to Robin who has grown to become an exceptional leader over the last five years. He has a depth of craft skills, Read full story › Source: The Drum...
Read MoreBy John Glenday A YouGov survey of public sentiment toward British media has exposed a significant new faultline with half of those quizzed expressing concern at a rising tide of US takeovers in the sector. Commissioned by Matrix Solutions, a custom global ad sales platform for the media, the survey found 48% were dubious over American companies’ ability to properly cater for UK audiences, fearing a rising tide of generic and US-centric media. A further 43% fret about a potential increase in the volume of adverts carried, despite Ofcom imposing strict upper limits on the volume of advertising allowable, highlighting the Read full story › Source: The Drum...
Read MoreCobra Beer founder Lord Karan Bilimoria: It took us eight years to afford above-the-line advertising
By Taruka Srivastav Cobra Beer recently launched its gluten-free beer, which will be sold online through Ocado and across Asda stores in the UK, and Cobra Beer founder Lord Karan Bilimoria says he wants everyone to be able to experience the taste of beer. The beer brand’s gluten-free beer product has been approved and accredited by Coeliac UK and for now is focused on off-trade customers. The Drum spoke with Lord Karan Bilimoria to find out the idea behind the gluten beer. He says: “I wanted everybody to be able to experience the great Cobra taste and its unbeatable smooth texture – including Read full story › Source: The Drum...
Read MoreBy Sam Bradley Former Manchester United footballers Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes have been busy in the worlds of business and media since retirement. Their latest venture is a university in Manchester – could it be the first step in the creation of a champion brand? Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes are names better associated with matchdays than marcomms. The five former players have been busy in their years since leaving the game, launching a range of business ventures alongside burgeoning media careers. But while their latest project – a new university Read full story › Source: The Drum...
Read More
Industry News