Press Gazette
Guardian News and Media, publisher of "The Guardian," "Observer" and TheGuardian.com, reduced its underlying losses from GBP19.4m to GBP19.1m in the 2014/15 financial year, according to its results. GNM, part of Guardian Media Group, claimed a digital revenue growth of 20%, from GBP68.3m in 2013/14 to GBP82.1m in the year to 29 March. GMG's overall group revenue was GBP214.6m, up from GBP209m. The group recorded a pre-tax loss of GBP17.6m for the 2014/15 year.
Marketing Week
The new marketing director at Simon Cowell's Syco Music, Michelle Marks, says the label is committed to finding the next One Direction and that there's now a "greater desire" among brands and musicians to be aligned "than ever before." She told "Marketing Week:" "While the brand has been very successful already, I think it's time to think differently about marketing our artists. We want to focus on finding brand partners that are inherently entertaining and on mobile, as that's where the bulk of our audience sits."
Marketing Week
Messenger now has 700 million users while WhatsApp has 300 million, but Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says that while the plan is to monetise those services, any meaningful revenue is still some way off. He said the company will run the "a similar playbook" to how it built a business out of Facebook. That involved allowing companies to build free pages on the site and offering analytics on how use of those pages boosted their businesses before offering ads.
The Telegraph
Google is refusing to bow to an order from the French privacy watchdog to delete search results worldwide when users invoke their "right to be forgotten" online, exposing itself to possible fines. The French data protection authority, the CNIL, ordered the search engine to de-list search results appearing under a person's name from all its Web sites, including Google.com, when asked. Google has complied with 41% of requests "to be forgotten" -- but only from its European sites.
The Guardian
Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May are to make a new motoring show for Amazon's on-demand TV service that will go head to head with BBC2's new-look Top Gear when it begins next year. It will be made by Clarkson's long-time friend and collaborator, former Top Gear executive producer Andy Wilman and is the result of a three-year deal with Amazon, which emerged victorious in a three-way battle to sign the presenting trio with ITV and rival on-demand service Netflix.
The Mirror UK
New figures released by Facebook have revealed that the average user of the site is online for 46 minutes every day. The research, conducted by the tech giant, brings together every second spent having a little check or sending a sneaky message throughout the day to reveal that members of the social network are really hooked. The new numbers have been released by Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg as part of the July 2015 second-quarter results, and include Instagram and Messenger under the Facebook umbrella.
Campaign
The holiday company, which was recently sold for GBP2.4 billion, is speaking to agencies about its CRM requirements. The Database Group works with Center Parcs on data management. The holiday company, which runs five sites in the UK, uses Brothers and Sisters as its retained creative agency. Last month, Canadian investment firm Brookfield Property Partners bought Center Parcs from private equity company Blackstone, for GBP2.4 billion.
Marketing
The in-store spa, branded &Beauty, will launch in September when the new Birmingham shop opens its doors. Though branded John Lewis, &Beauty is operated by hairdresser and salon firm Regis UK, a spokeswoman told Marketing. The &Beauty concept spa follows the successful trial of smaller 'Beauty Retreats' across four John Lewis shops in Cheadle, Newcastle, Reading and Milton Keynes. These offered dedicated treatment rooms, each connected to a particular beauty brand.
Campaign
WPP and Providence Equity Partners have agreed to buy Chime Communications for GBP374 million. Chime, the communications group that owns VCCP, accepted a cash offer for its entire issued share capital at 365 pence per share, as well as an interim dividend for the current year of 2.53 pence per share. Sir Martin Sorrell's WPP had already held an 18% share in Chime, while Providence -- a US private equity firm -- identified Chime as an attractive acquisition due to its sports marketing and advertising credentials.
The Drum
The move by Tesco is part of a much larger drive to show it is engaged in the debate over rising obesity levels and other health implications as the nation's appetite for food that is high in sugar and fat rages. As well as a commitment to remove the sugar content of its own brand of soft drinks by five percent each year, the grocer was also the first to remove all sweets from its checkouts in bid to curb unhealthy impulse buys. 'Ribena-gate' as it has been dubbed, could mark the beginning of a wider industry removal of high-sugar …