All articles by Rob Brown – Page 31
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NewsRetailers overtake fmcg in advertising firepower
A huge increase in supermarket advertising saw retailers outspend fmcg brands for the first time last year. Research conducted by Ebiquity for The Grocer revealed retailers increased spend on TV, press, cinema, radio and outdoor...
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ProfilesNew kids on the block: the next generation of celebrity chefs
In the 1980s, Keith Floyd reinvented the TV chef. Today, his successors aren’t just on the box, they’re earning big bucks through endorsements – and a new generation of stars are waiting in the wings. Rob Brown reports
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NewsNational roll-out mooted for People’s Supermarket
Co-operative retailing scheme The People's Supermarket could be rolled out across the UK. Founder Arthur Potts Dawson claimed he had been swamped with calls for advice on how to set up similar schemes since 6 February, when the first...
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NewsMajor cities lack hot c-store sites, reveals survey
The relentless march of the supermarkets into the convenience sector has left many of the UK's biggest cities with a dearth of hot retail space, a new survey by The Grocer has found. On the eve of the National Convenience Show, analysis...
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Analysis & FeaturesTesco loses fizz as its dotcom queen quits for M&S board
Why did Tesco.com’s leading lady walk from Tesco just two weeks after her elevation to the retailer’s UK executive committee? Rob Brown reports
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NewsCustomer Satisfaction Index: Good service isn’t dead
It is looking positively perky, despite the scepticism of Mary Portas. A new survey reveals increased satisfaction levels, with supermarkets coming out on top. Rob Brown reports
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NewsRowse’s homemade TV ads to be chosen online
They won't win any Oscars for their performances, but the Rowse staff taking part in a novel advertising campaign for the brand will be hoping that they can at least win a few customers. In what it claims is a marketing first, Rowse is...
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ProfilesSalary Survey 2011: The big thaw
Things are starting to look up in the fmcg jobs market – salary freezes are thawing, average pay packages are climbing and competition for the top talent is hotting up. But, with more emphasis on bonuses than salaries, people had better be prepared to work for their money, says Rob ...
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News
Diageo in talks with the makers of Zacapa Centenario rum
Global drinks giant Diageo is set to add a super premium Guatemalan rum to its drinks cabinet.
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NewsBrands take out celebrity disgrace insurance cover
Brands are taking out new 'disgrace insurance' policies to cover themselves if their celebrity brand ambassadors get caught with their pants down. High-profile celebrity sex scandals are fuelling an insurance industry boom, say sector...
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NewsBrand ambassadors: sinners and saints
Sleaze doesn’t sell – which is why some brand owners are rethinking their current roster of sporting ambassadors. But, as Rob Brown and Charlie Wright discover, it doesn’t always pay to switch from sinners to saints
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Profiles
Spotlight: Interview with Eazy Cuizine founcer, James Cook
Frozen has struggled to shake its ‘cheap as chips’ tag, but Eazy Cuizine is winning sales by pushing posh frozen ready meals to c-stores. Rob Brown speaks to its founder, James Cook. It's never been easy in frozen food. Heavily discounted and hidden away at the back of stores, the ...
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News
In rude health: Holland & Barrett's Peter Aldis
Health food isn’t an easy place to be, thanks to rampant inflation, stiffening competition and the coming VAT hike. But Peter Aldis, CEO of Britain’s biggest health food player Holland & Barrett, is up for the fight. Rob Brown reports.
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NewsCash: There's an app for that
Cash, plastic and even our wallets could soon be binned as cutting edge smart phone technology gets set to transform the way we shop. It’s already happened in Japan, so when is it going to hit Britain? Rob Brown reports
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NewsHas Yeo got the X Factor?
Tonight the organic sector is launching all-out assault on the mainstream as dairy supplier Yeo Valley unveils its first-ever primetime TV campaign. CEO Tim Mead tells Rob Brown how organic has reached critical mass and is on the verge of cracking the mainstream
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NewsYeo Valley blames government for organic sector’s woes
The organic sector has been let down by 30 years of government neglect, the CEO of one of the country's largest organic dairy suppliers has claimed. A lack of governance had jeopardised the sustainability of British food supply by...
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NewsAre you ready for a future without water?
Drought is casting a deep shadow over the business world. But a unified voice remains out of reach, writes Rob Brown
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NewsPepsi Raw: can a cola ever be premium?
Pepsi Raw is no more. Is this just another premium concept falling foul of the recession or is poor execution also to blame? Rob Brown reports
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News
The genie in the bottle
It would take a miracle to dethrone the kings of the bottled water business. But the US company behind Bobble has a magic trick up its sleeve, writes Rob Brown
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NewsBee crisis: The buzz is back
Alarming media coverage has spurred efforts to keep up Britain's bee population. So what will the results be? Rob Brown & Cedric Porter weigh up the efforts to return the hum to our hedgerows