Comag Marketing Group, LLC » UK – Europe

Glossy titles set to suffer severe drop in monthly sales

Brian — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 13:17:17 +0000

In Britain, when the Audit Bureau of Circulation releases their 1st Half 2008 figures, it has been predicted that significant sales reductions will be realized for some celebrity and women’s magazines.

Brand Republic UK

Magazine firms furious at Asda demands

Brian — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:54:52 +0000

The U.K.’s ASDA grocery chain, owned by WALMART USA, is seeking “outrageous” concessions from magazine publishers. An ASDA email memo, sent to British magazine publishers and distributors has outlined a series of proposed conditions with which publishers are requested to comply. These proposals are as follows;

- Asda’s demands include a request for two pages of editorial or advertising space each month in titles of the company’s choosing.

- Another is that shop space given over to a distributor’s titles will be subject to a “space contribution” of £10,000 paid to the supermarket.

- Asda is asking for a space contribution for each new Asda store opened of £2,500 per magazine title to be paid to the supermarket.

- The supermarket company is also demanding that any new title distributed in its stores will be subject to an “item set up” charge of £2,464.

guardian.co.uk

Murdochs make the headlines

Brian — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 13:53:20 +0000

James Murdoch has passed his father Rupert in the MediaGuardian 100. As the chief executive at this father’s News Corporation Europe and Asia, James has firmly established himself amongst Press and Publishings Top 10.

The Guardian

The biggest company you’ve never heard of

Brian — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 12:50:54 +0000

B2B publisher IDG is no small fish. They have over 450 websites, 300 magazines, 13,000 employees and revenues over £3bn. Their strategy to move online appears to be paying dividends.

The Guardian

Downturn? We’re doing fine says publisher launching Wired UK

Brian — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:17:41 +0000

Conde Nast U.K., has announced the launch of a British version of WIRED. Publisher Jamie Jouning perceives the challenging economy as an ‘opportunity not a threat’. ‘We’ve done a lot of research into this launch and genuinely feel there’s not a better time to launch. Technology is playing an increasingly important role in contemporary civilisation and I think people have a genuine desire to engage at the moment. The advertisers that we’ve spoken to, and we’ve spoken to lots, are very excited about the launch, and we see the uncertainty about the economic climate as an opportunity, not a threat.”

Press Gazette

Reed hopes loan offer will kick-start auction

Brian — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:06:44 +0000

Electronic information publishing house Reed Elsevier is offering a £1billion-plus loan to potential suitors of their magazine unit that publishes Farmers Weekly and Flight International. Reed hopes that the offer of the loan will ‘kick – start’ an auction for this division of Reed Business Information.

The Times of London

Tesco accused of selling slave labour clothing

Brian — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:13:18 +0000

War on Want, the charity group, has accused Tesco, the United Kingdom’s largest grocery chain, of retailing clothes that were created under slave labor conditions. It is alleged that Tesco is buying their clothes from a textile factory that, in India, pays it’s employees $17.29 (USD) for a 54 hour week. This equates to $.32 per hour.

The Times Of London

Barack Obama urges Sir Terry Leahy to talk to US unions

Brian — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:20:29 +0000

U.S. Presidential candidate, Barack Obama, is urging TESCO’s Sir Terry Leahy to reconsider their policy of non-engagement with unions. Obama is concerned over the worker’s rights in TESCO’s FRESH & EASY outlets.

The Times of London

Mags giant IPC in jobs freeze due to economic slowdown

Brian — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:11:07 +0000

Due to economics, consumer magazine publisher IPC Media (owned by Time Inc) has enacted a three month hiring freeze. IPC is the first publisher to impose such a freeze in the current economic slowdown.

Press Gazette

Print advertising has most positive impact on consumers

Brian — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 11:56:56 +0000

Newspaper and magazine advertisments have been given top ratings for advertising formats.

PPA UK