Company results

Groupon reins in marketing spend as it reports loss of $42.7m

Groupon has cut its marketing spend by nearly $50m in the three months to 31 December 2011 and reports a net loss of $42.7m (£27m) in its first set of financial figures since it floated last year.

News Corp hit by $87m NotW costs

News Corp has reported a 43% hit on its publishing arm, which includes its UK national newspapers, reducing the unit's operating income to $218m (£138m) as it was hit by multimillion-pound costs relating to the phone-hacking scandal at the News of th...

Virgin Media's TiVo customer base surges to 435,000

Virgin Media finished 2011 with 435,000 customers for TiVo, the "Sky+ on steroids" personalised television service it launched at the end of 2010.

Coca-Cola to boost brand spend by up to $400m

Coca-Cola has outlined a plan to re-invest up to $400m (£253m) of operational cost savings into brand-building initiatives over a period of four years.

BT broadband customer base reaches 6.1 million

BT has reported a pre-tax profit lift of 18% to £628m in the third quarter of 2011 and said it had added 262,000 customers over its broadband network in the period, boosting its overall broadband customer base to 6.1million.

Rajar Q4 2011: Media agencies upbeat on Capital and TalkSport

Radio buyers give their verdicts on the latest Rajar figures, describing a "solid but unspectacular" quarter for commercial radio, while Capital and TalkSport are among those singled out for praise.

Unilever ups ad and promotional spend by £124m

Unilever, the owner of brands including Ben & Jerry's and Flora, said it spent an extra €150m (£124m) on advertising and promotions in 2011, to make a total of €6.2bn (£5.13bn)

Rajar Q4 2011: Capital's Johnny Vaughan bows out as London's no 1

Johnny Vaughan bowed out of his flagship breakfast show as the undisputed king of London's commercial radio, having helped Global Radio's 95.8 Capital FM extend its lead over rivals.

Sky profits up 18% despite ad revenue drop

Sky added 40,000 TV customers in the final quarter of 2011 while pre-tax profits for the second half of the year rose 18% to £564m despite a 6% drop in ad revenues.

JCDecaux UK revenues rise 0.1% in 2011

JCDecaux, the outdoor media owner, reported global revenues of €715.9m (£596.9m) in the fourth quarter of 2011, up 3.6% year on year, while in the UK, full-year revenues were €272.1m (£226.9m), up 0.1% year on year.

McDonald's trials concept restaurants with enhanced children's facilities

McDonalds is piloting a new style of "family friendly" restaurant, which boasts a new design and the latest technology facilities, as the fast-food chain looks to better cater for children and for the increased use of tablets and smartphones.

Ebiquity reports small pre-tax profit

Marketing effectiveness consultant Ebiquity has recorded a pre-tax profit of £199,000 for the six months ended 31 October 2011.

Apple doubles profits as iPad and iPhone sales explode

Apple has doubled its profits for the fourth quarter of 2011 as record sales of iPads, iPhones and Macs boosted net sales by 73% to $46.3bn (£27.8bn), while its margins grew fatter.

Yahoo hit by search and display ad revenue drops

Yahoo's revenue and profits both slipped in the fourth quarter of 2011, as the digital media company was hit by falls in display and search advertising, prior to the arrival of new chief executive Scott Thompson.

Sony Ericsson slips into the red ahead of rebrand

Sony Ericsson has announced losses of €207m (£173m) for the fourth quarter of 2011, well below analysts expectations, shortly before it finalises the acquisition by Sony of Ericsson's stake in the business.

Retail industry averages 1.8% Christmas lift, boosted by online

Retailers have bucked the climate of gloom surrounding the industry by posting an average like-for-like sales growth of 1.8% during Christmas, according to figures compiled by Kantar Retail.

Primark sales surge as Peacocks enters administration

Discount clothing retailer Primark has reported a 16% boost in sales for the Christmas quarter, the day after rival Peacocks announced it was going into administration despite a similar rise.

Morrisons ramps up convenience push with frozen range

Morrisons is extending its push into the convenience market with the launch of its frozen ready-meal range and the opening of its third convenience store.

Tesco hit by Christmas sales dip despite Big Price Drop

Tesco's Big Price Drop has failed to boost sales across the festive period and has led the supermarket giant to admit it was "disappointed" with its performance, while Argos fared worse.

Sainsbury's attributes record Christmas to Live Well for Less push

Sainsbury's is attributing its record-breaking Christmas performance to its new 'Live Well for Less' positioning and 'Brand Match' price promise.

Latest jobs Jobs web feed

Marketing Manager - 12 months Jarlett de Grouchy £60000 per annum + 10k car allowance, Surrey
Senior Search Manager Norton Leigh Up to 35k + excellent benefits, Central London
EXPERIENTIAL agency account handlers - All levels - £20K-£70K Judi Patton £20K-£70K, London - all areas
Copywriter - B2B David Thatcher Recruitment £30-40k dep experience, London
Art Director / Conceptual Designer David Thatcher Recruitment £30-40k dep experience, London
Group Account Director David Thatcher Recruitment £60-65k + bonus, South Buckinghamshire