Weve, the mobile marketing and wallet joint venture between EE, O2 and Vodafone, has reported GBP13m in revenue for its first year, with an overall loss of GBP25m. The revenue comes from geotargeted SMS-based marketing to the joint venture's 22 million opted-in customers. Weve CEO David Sear claims first-year losses were expected due to the complexity of combining the partners' separate systems onto a unified platform. A mobile display beta is expected to launch in June.

WPP's Chief Executive, Sir Martin Sorrell, is hoping to rub salt in the wounds of Publicis following its failed bid to merge with Omnicom by poaching Samsung. Sorrell has announced the Korean electronics manufacturer has put is multibillion-pound advertising account under review. Several key accounts -- including Vodafone and M&S -- have left Publicis or Omnicom in recent months, claiming to be unsettled by the potential merger that has now been called off.

The collapse of the proposed merger between Omnicom and Publicis has been welcomed by ISBA, the body that represents the interests of British advertisers. Ian Twinn, ISBA's director of public affairs, said: "When news of the potential mega-merger surfaced last year it raised client concerns about market dominance. We also raised concerns that the merger would inevitably lead to some significant rival client conflicts, a concern which at the time seemed to be unavoidable."

Coinciding with the announcement of a GBP360m refinancing deal to cut its debt, Johnston Press has announced it will be selling local businesses' television advertising via Sky's AdSmart solution. In addition to a rights issue and launching new bonds to cover debt, the local newspaper group will use the Sky system to offer small businesses the opportunity to advertise locally. AdSmart stores television adverts in Sky HD+ boxes and then decides which to play during an ad break according to location and viewer data.

Plans to form the world's largest advertising company have been scrapped as the "merger of equals" between Publicis and Omnicom was called off last night. The move was always dogged by questions over who would buy whom, tax issues and decisions over top positions in the newly created giant. Although the companies claimed they would save $500m together, they have instead spent millions on lawyers and accountants to draw up plans that will now be dropped. Neither party will be asking the other for compensation.

Publicis and Omnicom rivals WPP and Dentsu Aegis Network have reacted to merger plans being dropped with quips about how much they were enjoying the saga. WPP's Sir Martin Sorrell joked that "the best thing for us would be if it had carried on forever." Nick Waters, chief executive of Dentsu Aegis Network Asia-Pacific, said, "I'd rather hoped it would drag on till a merger in 2015, after which they would spend the next two years fighting each other. We were quite looking forward to it."

Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO is to be handed the creative brief, and pitching partner PHD the media buying and planning brief, for the Smart Meter Central Delivery Body. The GBP85m campaign will run over five years to promote wider user of smart energy meters and will involve AMC BBDO creating a brand identity.

Billy Elliot the Musical is trialling a geotargeting mobile advertising planning tool called Zone Digital, which is being launched by Joule and Kinetic. Based on their profile and behaviour, commuters who are likely to be interested in the show will be served banners and expandable ads while the surf on their mobile. Zone Digital creators claim this is far less intrusive than using geo-fenced locations for SMS and pop-up messages.

Trust in British brands is increasing, even for supermarkets and food companies implicated in last year's horse meat scandal. The annual Global RepTrack 100 UK study by the Reputation Institute found that 43 per cent of companies now have an above-average ranking, compared to less than a third (32 per cent) a year ago. John Lewis has climbed to top spot, from fourth place last year. Sainsbury's and Rolls Royce are in second and third place. M&S has slipped from top spot last year to fifteenth place.

Havas Media Group has launched Magnet, a division dedicated to crafting brand partnerships that leverage paid, owned, earned and shared media opportunities for consumers and brands. The unit will draw on the skills of the group's companies, including Arena, Havas Media, AIS London, SCB Partners, Branded, Havas Sports & Entertainment, Arnold KLP, Simbiotik and Cake.