: "People are taking the War on Spam seriously.


If you are like most US e-mail users, you're pretty experienced at it. You fight spam with purpose and multiple tactics, according to a new survey by the E-Mail Sender & Provider Coalition conducted by Ipsos.
Almost three-fourths of respondents said that they have used e-mail for six or more years. Over 80% read their e-mail daily.
E-mail users are also willing to expose spam at the drop of a hat. Over 80% of respondents said that they report spam or unsubscribe from e-mail lists. So where does that leave you, the e-mail marketer, when dealing with you, the e-mail user? If you are transparent in your marketing, it leaves you in good shape. If not, you become the enemy.
Most respondents (80%) didn't even open e-mails before reporting them as spam. The from, to and subject lines are therefore crucial in conveying e-mail intent.
The good news for e-mail marketers is that over half of respondents said that they would be more likely to open and read e-mail from a sender who displayed a certified icon in their e-mail program.

Most e-mail users are now experienced at determining if something is unwanted. Well over half of e-mail newsletters, many of which are opt-in, are merely skimmed in the first place, according to Nielsen Norman Group.

eMarketer Senior Analyst David Hallerman notes that clarity of intent can overcome some of these well-honed defenses, especially when sending newsletters.
"Making e-mail value clear can persuade some skimmers to read more," says Mr. Hallerman, who also advised "creating a newsletter whose quality gives it an inbox shelf life beyond the delete button, and putting the most important elements 'above the fold' (at the top of the message)." "

Alpha to consider bolt-ons in bid to grow overseas | Consumer Products & Retail | Reuters

Alpha to consider bolt-ons in bid to grow overseas Consumer Products & Retail Reuters: "LONDON, March 27 (Reuters) - British airline services firm Alpha Airports Group (AAP.L: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Tuesday it would consider bolt-on acquisitions as it bids to expand its operations into higher margin, overseas markets. Finance Director Mark Adams told Reuters the company was keeping an eye out for deals -- although he added it would also be putting a lot of effort into winning big contracts.
'There are opportunities for bolt-on acquisitions -- although we are not looking to grow massively that way,' he said in a telephone interview. 'We can also grow organically ... focus on our strengths.'
Reuters Pictures

Editors Choice: Best pictures
from the last 24 hours.
View SlideshowHe revealed that the firm -- which provides airline catering as well as airport retail across the globe -- generated 81 percent of turnover from the UK in 2005/06, but only 31 percent of profit.
'There are too many players chasing too little business (in the UK),' Adams said. 'Compare that to, for example, Jordan -- where we are the only player, or Australia -- where we are the number two.'
Adams said he was happy with analyst forecasts that the group would improve profitability in 2007/08 following a slide in the year to Jan. 31 2007. "

Bloomberg.com: Worldwide

Bloomberg.com: Worldwide: "BAA Airport Assets Face Increased Threat of Breakup (Update4)

By Tracy Alloway
March 30 (Bloomberg) -- BAA, the owner of London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports, will be investigated by the U.K.'s top antitrust regulator after airlines complained about the company's dominance, increasing the chances of a breakup.
BAA, owned by Spain's Grupo Ferrovial SA, was referred to the Competition Commission after a three-month probe by the Office of Fair Trading, which received more than 60 responses from airlines, consumers and organizations. BAA's seven U.K. airports handle 63 percent of flights to and from Britain.
A breakup of BAA could see U.K. airports, including Heathrow, Europe's busiest, transferred to new owners. BAA's airports generate 2 billion pounds ($3.92 billion) of revenue every year and handle 90 percent of passengers in southeast England.
``The ownership of Stansted might become different from the ownership of Heathrow and Gatwick,'' said Gert Zonneveld, an airline analyst at Panmure Gordon in London. ``If there is more competition, rates could come down.''
Shares of Ferrovial rose as much as 30 cents, or 0.4 percent, to 75.4 euros and were up 0.2 percent as of 9:27 a.m. in Madrid. Mark Mann, a spokesman for BAA, said the company will make a comment on the referral later today.
Airlines including British Airways Plc, Europe's third- biggest, and Ryanair Holdings Plc, the region's largest discount carrier, have criticized BAA's monopoly on U.K. airports, citing rising fees and expansion costs.
Heathrow Airport
London's Heathrow handled 67.7 million passengers in 2005, and its biggest customer is British Airways. Stansted is the largest base for Ryanair, which has its headquarters in Dublin
``We support the OFT decision to refer the BAA U.K. market to the commission,'' Richard Goodfellow, a spokesman for British Airways, said today in an interview.
In December the OFT said there was evidence of ``poor customer satisfaction,'' at BAA's airports and that a lack of competition could lead to ``inefficient'' investment. Heathrow has almost completed a 4.3 billion-pound fifth terminal, and BAA last year proposed a 2.7 billion-pound second runway at Stansted.
``There needs to be more competition in the airport ownership market as BAA's dominance provides little incentive for better customer service,'' said Paul Charles, a Virgin Atlantic spokesman. ``We welcome this referral and hope to see major changes in future in the way our airports are owned and maintained.''
Today the U.K.'s Civil Aviation Authority stuck with its airline fee recommendations for Heathrow and Gatwick airports. The charges should increase in line with the regulator's December proposal to help BAA invest in new terminals and facilities, the London-based authority said in a statement.
Airport Charges
Charges at Heathrow should increase by the inflation rate, measured by the retail price index, plus 4 percent to 8 percent each year between 2008 and 2013, the CAA said. Charges at Gatwick should shift by inflation plus or minus 2 percent.
Heathrow's fees between 2003 and 2008 have been allowed to increase by inflation plus 6.5 percent annually. At Gatwick and Stansted airport, fees could rise only by the inflation rate. The authority recommended in December that the price cap on Stansted fees be removed in the next period.
``The CAA considers that it has struck an appropriate balance in challenging BAA to continue to improve its operating efficiency and service quality, and providing adequate rewards for timely investment at Heathrow and Gatwick,'' Harry Bush, the authority's group director of economics regulation, said in the statement.
The U.K. Transportation Department's 30-year national air- traffic plan, published in December 2003, called for a new runway and terminal at Heathrow by 2020, following construction of the runway at Stansted.
Ferrovial Investment
Madrid-based Ferrovial plans to spend about 1 billion pounds annually through 2016 on upgrading terminals at the three BAA airports serving the U.K. capital, Chief Executive Officer Joaquin Ayuso said July 3.
Heathrow's Terminal 5 project is 90 percent complete, and is scheduled to open March 30, 2008. Consultation and budgeting for a separate project, a third runway at Heathrow, will take place this year. "

eMarketer.com - Retention Main E-Mail Marketing Goal

eMarketer.com - Retention Main E-Mail Marketing Goal: "Retention Main E-Mail Marketing Goal

MARCH 29, 2007



Three out of four e-mail campaigns focus on customer retention, while the remaining quarter are for new customer acquisition, according to the latest version of an annual Direct Marketing Association (DMA) study.
Company announcements are a popular customer acquisition method, with 68% of respondents saying they used this method. Nearly two-thirds of respondents said they send out company newsletters, and 63% use special discounts and one-time offers.
Two-thirds of marketers use special offer codes when sending e-mail as part of an integrated campaign.
The DMA categorized responding firms as advanced, intermediate or beginner; as marketers or service providers; as business-to-consumer or business-to-business (or both); and by company size.
B2C firms use e-mail marketing more than B2B firms. B2C marketers estimated that they would allocate 11% of their total marketing budgets for e-mail marketing in 2007. B2B firms said that they would allocate only 6.5%.
The frequency with which marketers send e-mails has grown since 2005. "

eMarketer.com - UK Stodgy? Not Online!

eMarketer.com - UK Stodgy? Not Online!: "UK Stodgy? Not Online!

MARCH 28, 2007

By many measures, Britain has become Europe's leading Internet economy.

The UK Internet benefits from a virtuous cycle of strong consumer purchasing power and cheap connectivity.
According to the just-published UK Online report from eMarketer, as telecom competition drives down prices, ever-growing numbers of Brits are upgrading to broadband speeds.
The UK now boasts the fifth-largest broadband population in the world. With 12 million broadband households in 2006, the UK ranks just ahead of Germany (11.8 million) and France (11.2 million).
Faster Internet connections mean that UK broadband users now spend up to six hours more online each week.
In March 2007, 47.1% of UK households had a broadband connection. eMarketer estimates that by 2011, Britain's broadband penetration will increase to nearly 76.8%, or 20 million households.
A generation is growing up in Britain that takes "always on" connectivity for granted. For British youths, the Internet is a virtual playground, a place to meet friends and an extension of the classroom.
For their parents, the Internet is a place to do business, evidenced by the fact that a third of all UK consumers have made a purchase online.
Point Topic research shows that a high percentage of UK broadband customers used the Internet for business-oriented tasks, including shopping or price comparison and reading financial, weather, news, health, yellow page and legal information. Larger numbers of broadband users also engaged in entertainment activities, including reading blogs, reading celebrity news and gossip and playing online games.

No generation is left behind, however. Nearly one in four British Internet users are over the age of 50. In fact, a recent poll found that among UK pensioners the Internet is even more popular than gardening.
The UK is the most digital country in Western Europe, according to Informa's May 2006 Converging Media (CM) Index. The CM Index measures advanced-digital-content consumption using broadband, digital TV and mobile data.
"

eMarketer.com - Online Travel Path May Get Bumpy

eMarketer.com - Online Travel Path May Get Bumpy: "Online Travel Path May Get Bumpy

MARCH 29, 2007

Flight delayed due to foul economic conditions?

By any measure, the online travel market has been a huge success, a bellwether sector of the Internet industry.
eMarketer estimates that in the US market, online consumer travel sales were $79 billion last year and will grow at a 17% annual rate to reach $146 billion in 2010.



Growth is slowing, however. While 17% is respectable growth, it falls short of the 28% annual growth rate posted from 2002 to 2006.
eMarketer is not alone in its estimation. PhoCusWright, Forrester Research and comScore Networks all agree that online travel sales growth is declining.

And slowing growth is not the only problem.
"The travel industry is undergoing a revolution that is redefining the rules of engagement between travel firms and consumers," says Jeffrey Grau, Senior Analyst and the author of the new US Online Travel: The Threat of Commoditization report. "In addition, a tighter market will exacerbate the fierce competition between online travel agencies and travel suppliers in an already commoditized market."
In other words, tighten your seat belts.
"Lower industry entry barriers are paving the way for new online travel business models," says Mr. Grau. "In this dynamic environment, current industry players must stay alert or risk being blindsided by new competitors that fall under their radar screens."
The online travel market is a hotbed for experimentation, with new travel sites seemingly popping up weekly.
"Recent offerings from Farecast and FareCompare help consumers determine when the best time is to book airline tickets," says Mr. Grau, "and travel social networking sites, where visitors share itineraries and information, are proliferating faster than conventioneers at a free buffet table."
These new sites chip away at some of the expertise that drive people to online travel agencies (OTAs), which are already pressured by travel supplier sites run by airlines and hotels.
Data from comScore show that branded travel supplier Web sites (eg, American Airlines, Marriott and Avis) have been steadily taking market share away from OTAs (eg, Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz).

The way vacationers plan travel is also changing. They are now meeting like-minded people in mainstream social networks like MySpace — or in one of hundreds of niche online communities that are sprouting up, some of which are dedicated to travel — to get destination information and make travel arrangements.
"Internet-savvy consumers are exploiting powerful online resources to find information about travel products and pricing," says Mr. Grau. "To succeed in the brave new world of online travel — no matter how fast it is growing — industry players must be willing to reinvent themselves to keep up with consumer, technology and competitive forces." "

Daytrading, Eminis, Forex trading, Swing Trading BREAKING NEWS - 519073

Daytrading, Eminis, Forex trading, Swing Trading BREAKING NEWS - 519073: "Alpha Airports FY06 Profit Falls, Revenue Rises - Quick Facts
Tuesday, March 27, 2007; Posted: 03:03 AM


(RTTNews) - Tuesday, Alpha Airports Group PLC (AAP.L charts news PowerRating) reported that profit for the full year decreased to GBP 3.6 million from GBP 13.8 million in the prior year. The company's loss attributable to equity shareholders was GBP 0.3 million or 0.17 pence per share, compared to profit of GBP 10.0 million or 5.66 pence per share in the prior year.
Before exceptional items, the company's profit for the year was GBP 12.3 million.
The company's underlying earnings per share for the full year was 4.84 pence, compared to 5.80 pence last year.
For the full year, the company's revenue grew to GBP 561.5 million from GBP 550.9 million last year. Further, the board is recommending a final dividend of 1.25 pence, which together with the interim dividend of 1.0 penny, makes 2.25 pence for the year. If approved by shareholders at the AGM, the dividend will be paid on 29 June 2007 to shareholders on the register as at the close of business on 1 June 2007. "

MTV signs Intel and Pepsi as mobile advertisers - Brand Republic News - Brand Republic

MTV signs Intel and Pepsi as mobile advertisers - Brand Republic News - Brand Republic: "MTV signs Intel and Pepsi as mobile advertisers
by Staff Brand Republic 29-Mar-07, 09:00
NEW YORK - MTV Networks has completed the first advertising deals for its mobile phone programming, with Intel and Pepsi North America signing up to a new service that is expected to roll out on a global scale.
The two companies' brands will feature prominently on the MTV and Comedy Central mobile TV channels, which feature shows such as 'The Real World', 'South Park' and 'The Daily Show with Jon Stewart'."

Admiral reviews £7m media account - Brand Republic News - Brand Republic

Admiral reviews £7m media account - Brand Republic News - Brand Republic: "Admiral reviews £7m media account
Ian Darby Campaign 29-Mar-07, 08:30
LONDON - Admiral Insurance, the parent of the Elephant.co.uk, Diamond, Confused.com and Admiral insurance brands, is reviewing its £7 million media planning and buying account.
The business is currently with Starcom, but the financial services company has opened talks with other agencies ahead of a pitch.Paula Jones, the media manager at Admiral, said: 'We are conducting a review later this year and the incumbent agency will be part of that review.'

Admiral, which targets an audience of young drivers, focuses its spend on TV, while Diamond, a car insurance product for female drivers, has a significant press spend. Elephant promotes its range of cut-price insurance products with TV advertising featuring an actor wearing a fake elephant head.
The agency review follows a strong 2006 for Admiral, which saw it increase its first-half profits by 24 per cent on the back of a strong performance by Elephant. Profits from its Confused.com website also surged.
Admiral last reviewed its media account in late 2002, when it consolidated its business into Starcom. It previously used agencies including the independent TCS North.
Creative for the Admiral brands is handled in-house"

RBS hires M&C Saatchi, Play for integrated campaign - Brand Republic News - Brand Republic

RBS hires M&C Saatchi, Play for integrated campaign - Brand Republic News - Brand Republic: "RBS hires M&C Saatchi, Play for integrated campaign
by Gareth Jones Marketing 27-Mar-07, 17:00
LONDON - The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has appointed M&C Saatchi and its digital arm Play to create an integrated campaign aimed at building its position as the brand that can ‘Make it happen'.
The new campaign is intended to differentiate RBS from its rivals by dramatizing the qualities that underpin the brand values the bank is claiming, which include clarity, resourcefulness, ingenuity and creativity.
The initiative comprises press and online activity, as well as a 60-second TV ad, which will run throughout the year. M&C and Play shot several of the ads on location in JFK Airport and Soho, New York.
Play has also created a series of mastheads to feature on rbs.com in rotation throughout the year. These will link to a microsite populated with supplied by The Wall Street Journal.
Each month The Wall Street Journal will post a different interview with a modern business leader, all of whom have used either ingenuity, clarity of thought, resourcefulness or creativity to make it happen for their business."

Coke targets teens with web currency scheme - Brand Republic News - Brand Republic

Coke targets teens with web currency scheme - Brand Republic News - Brand Republic: "Coke targets teens with web currency scheme
by Ed Kemp Marketing 27-Mar-07, 08:30
LONDON - Soft-drinks giant Coca-Cola is gearing up for the launch of a high-profile loyalty scheme aimed at the teenage market in Europe.
The company will target teens primarily online, with the strategy involving the creation of a special currency collected from its cans and bottles. Consumers will be able to use the currency to make purchases with affiliated firms via a special website.

Coca-Cola has hired loyalty specialist Carlson Marketing to handle the brief following a competitive pitch against undisclosed direct agencies.
One of the company's highest-profile UK loyalty schemes is its annual 'Win a player' promotion. Created by BD-NTWK, the activity offers consumers the chance to win sums from 50p to £100,000 for their chosen Coca-Cola Championship football club to use for transfers. This season it has renamed the scheme 'Buy a player' and allocated a transfer fund of £10m.
The teen web strategy is a similar concept to that used by lager brand Budweiser, which has put virtual currency at the heart of its marketing this year. Consumers can spend their 'Bud Bucks' in eBay-style auctions on a campaign microsite.
Calls to Coca-Cola were not returned; Carlson Marketing declined to comment on the appointment."

BBC NEWS | England | London | One year deadline for Terminal 5

BBC NEWS England London One year deadline for Terminal 5: "One year deadline for Terminal 5

The new terminal will serve about 30 million passengers a year
The new £4.3bn terminal at Heathrow Airport will be ready in exactly one year, the scheme's planners have said.
Terminal 5 will undergo six months of tests involving 16,000 volunteers before it opens on 27 March 2008.
The tests will check facilities from car parking to flight journeys at the airport, the UK's biggest.
Work on the terminal began in 2002 after a record-breaking four-year public inquiry prompted by local residents and green groups.
The terminal will serve an extra 30 million passengers and the first flight to be served by it will be a BA service from Hong Kong. "

Finance Markets » RBS employees warned on accounts

Finance Markets » RBS employees warned on accounts: "Employees of the Royal Bank of Scotland (LSE: RBS; NYSE: RBS PRM) have been warned that if they do not open an account with the bank or one of its subsidiaries, at the very least they will not be paid. That means that employees must have an account with RBS, NatWest, One Account, Coutts, or Adam & Co. The warning admonishes staffers to act immediately, as it takes up to five weeks to switch accounts.
The bank says that it is a common industry practice for banks to pay salaries directly into a current account held with the bank the employee works for. It further claims that it is made clear to prospective employees that they must open an account with the bank upon employment and that otherwise employees are free to bank with whomever they wish.
Finance union Amicus says that it has been contacted by a number of RBS employees who are unhappy with the requirement and has said that they are in process of seeking legal advice and are willing to fight the bank on the issue, which apparently affects around 14,000 of the bank’s 135,000 employees. Many of the employees receiving the notices that they must open an account with RBS work for bank subsidiaries Direct Line and Churchill Insurance and have since before they were taken over by the bank. They have questioned why this issue has arisen now, rather than when RBS took over the companies they work for. "

Latest News | News | Hemscott

Latest News News Hemscott: "Alpha Airports Group PLC's domestic UK markets remain very competitive and continue to operate on low margins. The UK security issues in August 2006 and the resultant restrictions to hand baggage allowances continued to be a factor in Alpha's UK retail outlets throughout the remainder of the year.
Air-side trading has gradually returned to pre-incident levels, but the impact on land-side outlets, with passengers having to proceed to security more quickly, remains and is expected to continue to be a factor in the future.
Performance at Alpha's international businesses remains strong despite ongoing security issues in certain markets. Meanwhile, the group has recently expanded its international reach into India and the United Arab Emirates and strengthened its position in Australia and Italy."

Duty-free, ad sales set to take off in Delhi airport

Duty-free, ad sales set to take off in Delhi airport: "NEW DELHI, MAR 25: The GMR-led consortium that bagged the Delhi airport modernisation project hopes to generate Rs 470 crore from non-aeronautical sources of business, including duty-free shops, advertisements, foods & beverages, car rentals, ground-handling and cargo in the first full year of operations, 2007-08. This is a 56% jump from what Airports Authority of India (AAI) collected from such sources in 2005-06.
Delhi International Airport Ltd, the company that is executing the project, hopes to extract maximum value duty-free shopping, car park and advertising. These three businesses are expected to grow 250%, 90% and 215%, respectively in 2007-08.


DIAL had awarded the duty free shopping contract to a consortium of US-based Alpha Airports Group Plc and Pantaloon Retail (India) Ltd, a Future Group venture. The venture is projected to generate sales of Rs 500 crore for DIAL in the next three years.
In 2005-06, AAI recorded sales of a meager Rs 26 crore from duty-free shops. At present, ITDC runs these outlets at the international airports in the four metros. Analysts said Asia accounts for over a third or 35% of the global duty free sales. "

eMarketer.com - Mobile Web Not Very Sticky

eMarketer.com - Mobile Web Not Very Sticky: "Mobile Web Not Very Sticky

MARCH 23, 2007

Remember the mobile Web?

We were all going to use our mobile phones to access the Internet, freeing us from that horror of horrors, the desktop PC.
Didn't happen.


Only 5% of US broadband users use the mobile Internet, according to Media-Screen. It's not for lack of access, either, since over 60% of users currently own Internet-enabled mobile devices.

Limiting the sample to broadband users only may sound like an overly narrow way to view mobile Internet usage, but these are historically the early adopters who are most likely to do things like use their phones to go online. Also, over half of all US Internet users have broadband these days, so the sample isn't as small as it used to be.
Mobile users break out into three groups: those who currently access the Internet from mobile devices (5%), those who have Internet-enabled mobile devices but don't use them to go online (58%) and those who don't have Internet-enabled mobile devices (36%).
The problem is that the mobile Web usually comes with extra fees, and it can be a hassle to establish and maintain an Internet connection.
That means that people do less on the mobile Web. Users perform an average of 3.3 online activities on their mobile devices vs. 13.4 activities on their laptops or desktops.
"The mobile Internet is still in its infancy due to technological and pricing hurdles," said Jean Durall of Media-Screen.
The picture is a little less grim when looking at all US mobile users, according to comScore Networks. The firm found that 29% of 25-to-34-year-olds used the mobile Internet from October to November 2006. "

eMarketer.com - Broadband Zooms Around the World

eMarketer.com - Broadband Zooms Around the World: "Global broadband expansion is moving millions into the fast lane.

With the United States and China the two largest broadband markets in the world — with 54.6 million and 46.6 million broadband households, respectively — there were approximately 250 million broadband households worldwide at the end of 2006. "

Norwich Union dismisses India call centre criticism - Brand Republic News - Brand Republic

Norwich Union dismisses India call centre criticism - Brand Republic News - Brand Republic: "Norwich Union dismisses India call centre criticism
by Alex Donohue Brand Republic 26-Mar-07, 14:15
LONDON - Norwich Union has rubbished claims made in the UK press that it has experienced a major downturn in performance levels at its Indian call centres and that it is being investigated by the Financial Services Authority about the safety of customer data abroad.
According to weekend reports, Norwich Union is set to lose £10m from 'poor service levels' at its Indian operations, and could receive a hefty fine from the FSA for 'breaching obligations'.
A Norwich Union report on call centre standards was leaked to the press, sparking criticism over the firm's management of customer service levels and data security.
Norwich Union has reacted strongly to the claims and dismissed reports it is being investigated by the FSA, over breaking regulations, as "nonsense".
A spokesman for Norwich Union said the India report was "one of hundreds that are produced every year. The Financial Mail has chosen to focus on operations in India, if this report was about Manchester or Liverpool it would have been ignored.
"We have had no problems with fraud at our Indian call centres and we are not anticipating any issues with the FSA."
The criticism of Norwich Union coincides with a report that was recently issued by the FSA into performance levels at insurance call centres.
Norwich Union recently transferred around 150 jobs from its Indian operations back to the UK."

Banks named and shamed for dumping customer data - Brand Republic News - Brand Republic

Banks named and shamed for dumping customer data - Brand Republic News - Brand Republic: "Banks named and shamed for dumping customer data
by Joe Lepper Brand Republic 14-Mar-07, 14:45
LONDON - The Information Commissioner has named and shamed 13 banks, financial firms and organisations for 'carelessly' dumping customer information in outside bins and putting them at risk of identity fraud.
Those named by the information watchdog include HBOS, Alliance & Leicester, Royal Bank of Scotland and Barclays Bank, all of which were found to have discarded personal data in outside bins.They have now been ordered to adhere to information disposal requirements under the Data Protection Act and warned that failure to comply could result in prosecution.ADVERTISEMENT

Others named by the watchdog for disposing of personal data in outside bins are the Immigration Advisory Service, Scarborough Building Society, NatWest, Clydesdale Bank, United National Bank, Co-operative Bank, HFC Bank, Nationwide Building Society and the Post Office.David Smith, deputy information commissioner, said: 'It is unacceptable for banks and other organisations to carelessly discard their customers' information.'It is vital that banks and other organisations take security seriously. If they do not, they not only risk further action from the Information Commissioner but also risk losing the trust of their customers.'"

Banks named and shamed for dumping customer data - Brand Republic News - Brand Republic

Banks named and shamed for dumping customer data - Brand Republic News - Brand Republic: "Banks named and shamed for dumping customer data
by Joe Lepper Brand Republic 14-Mar-07, 14:45
LONDON - The Information Commissioner has named and shamed 13 banks, financial firms and organisations for 'carelessly' dumping customer information in outside bins and putting them at risk of identity fraud.
Those named by the information watchdog include HBOS, Alliance & Leicester, Royal Bank of Scotland and Barclays Bank, all of which were found to have discarded personal data in outside bins.They have now been ordered to adhere to information disposal requirements under the Data Protection Act and warned that failure to comply could result in prosecution.ADVERTISEMENT

Others named by the watchdog for disposing of personal data in outside bins are the Immigration Advisory Service, Scarborough Building Society, NatWest, Clydesdale Bank, United National Bank, Co-operative Bank, HFC Bank, Nationwide Building Society and the Post Office.David Smith, deputy information commissioner, said: 'It is unacceptable for banks and other organisations to carelessly discard their customers' information.'It is vital that banks and other organisations take security seriously. If they do not, they not only risk further action from the Information Commissioner but also risk losing the trust of their customers.'"

Companies & Industry

Companies & Industry: "Alpha Airports under lens for security lapses

Nayantara Rai & Siddharth Zarabi / New Delhi March 14, 2007



The Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) has forwarded complaints against duty-free operator Alpha Airports group to the home ministry and the Directorate General of Export Promotion.

The FIPB’s missives, on March 5 and 6, have sought comments and appropriate action on the alleged security and immigration lapses committed by Alpha.

FIPB has also written to the UK-based Alpha asking how the company, which only has approval to set up a wholly-owned subsidiary in India, formed a joint venture and applied for a private bonded warehouse licence.

In January 2007, Alpha moved the FIPB seeking an amendment to its existing approval to become a “100 per cent owned operating and holding company for duty-free shops, flight kitchens and food and beverage outlets at Indian airports”.

The FIPB has acted on the basis of complaints from Member of Parliament and former Union minister Jagdish Tytler, who in mid-February wrote to Finance Secretary Ashok Jha, alleging that Alpha and its Indian joint venture, Alpha Future Airport Retail, have committed “serious violations of norms in policy and practices”.

The United Kingdom-based Alpha has a joint venture with Kishore Biyani’s Future group for duty-free shops at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. Tytler said Alpha ignored Press Note 1 in its FIPB application by not declaring its joint venture in Cochin Airport International (CIAL). The policy requires JVs to disclose any other pacts in the same sector or products and submit a no-objection certificate from existing partners.
"

Bd-Ntwk wins Norwich Union's UK athletics account - Brand Republic News - Brand Republic

Bd-Ntwk wins Norwich Union's UK athletics account - Brand Republic News - Brand Republic: "account
by Charlie McCathie Brand Republic 02-Mar-07, 12:30
LONDON - Norwich Union has hired the communications agency BD-NTWK to develop a range of activities that will support its sponsorship of UK athletics.
BD-NTWK will develop online activities and a below-the-line campaign to drive sales and generate awareness of the insurer's association with the sport.Norwich Union has been sponsoring UK Athletics, the sport's national governing body, since 1999 and announced last year that it would continue to do so until the end of 2012.The deal represents the biggest UK sports sponsorship outside football, worth nearly £50m to UK Athletics over the next six years.Norwich Union has set the target of giving 10m UK school children and 100,000 teachers the chance to participate in athletics by 2012. The first BD-NTWK activity is scheduled to go live in June.Tanya Veingard, head of sponsorship at Norwich Union said: 'BD-NTWK's evident passion and creative approach to our brief were winning factors and they will be tasked to work closely with our other agencies to ensure a breakthrough and integrated communications campaign.'Allan McLaughlin, BD-NTWK associate director, said: 'Norwich Union's support of UK Athletics at all levels from the grassroots to elite is truly groundbreaking in the breadth of its delivery and impact.'BD-NTWK developed the Orange Wednesday initiative, Coca-Cola's Win a Player and music download site Mycokemusic.com."

RBSI profits stagnate as COR creeps up

RBSI profits stagnate as COR creeps up
Royal Bank of Scotland Insurance's operating profits rose by just £22m in 2006, hitting £750m, with a deterioration in its loss ratio affecting the result.
RBS Insurance increased total income by 3% to £5,679 million, with contribution also rising by 3% to £964 million and operating profit by the same percentage to £750 million.
The company achieved policy growth of 3% in its core businesses and claimed to have made progress in Europe. "Our joint venture in Spain grew policy numbers by 14% to 1.34 million. In the UK we have grown our core motor book by 1% whilst focusing on more profitable customers acquired through our direct brands, with good results achieved through the internet channel, which accounted for half of all new own-brand motor policies last year," the company said in an RNS statement today.
"We implemented price rises in motor insurance in the second half of the year, and average motor premium rates across the market increased in the fourth quarter. Higher premium rates will, however, take time to feed through into income, and competition on prices remains strong. Our core non-motor personal lines policies grew by 3%, with particularly good progress in Tesco Personal Finance. SME has also performed well with policies sold through our intermediary business growing by 10%.
"However, some of our partnership books continue to age and we did not renew a number of other partnerships. As a result, the number of partnership policies in force fell by 8% in motor and by 9% in home. Insurance premium income was up 2% to £5,501 million, reflecting a modest overall increase in the total number of in-force policies. Net fees and commissions payable increased by 8% to £486 million, whilst other income rose by 22% to £664 million, reflecting increased investment income.
"Total expenses rose by 3% to £959 million. Good cost discipline held direct expenses to £745 million, up 2%. Staff costs rose by 1%, reflecting improved efficiency despite continued investment in service standards. A 4% rise in non-staff costs included increased marketing expenditure to support growth in continental Europe. Net claims rose by 4% to £3,970 million. The environment for home claims remained benign, whilst underlying increases in average motor claims costs were partially offset by purchasing efficiencies and improvements in risk management.
COR RISES TO 94.6%
The UK combined operating ratio for 2006, including Manufacturing costs, was 94.6%, compared with 93.4% in 2005, reflecting a higher loss ratio and the discontinuation of some partnerships.

NU profits break £1000m profit barrier despite drop in UK GI premiums

Norwich Union Insurance this morning reported record profits of £1,075 million (2005: £970 million) and a COR of 95%, despite a small reduction in general insurance net written premiums to £5,583 million (2005: £5,832 million).
The insurer admitted the result had been achieved against a “”backdrop of increasingly tough market conditions” and includes a benefit of £75 million from better than expected weather (2005: neutral), together with savings on prior year claims that have arisen as a result of “management action to control claims costs and improve processes”.
In commercial lines NU said this “intense competition” had led to a reduction in rates of around 3% (2005: 1% decrease) in commercial property. In commercial motor the reduction of rates was 2% (2005: 1% decrease), although the insurer added: “We are seeing the first indications that the sector is hardening”.
In contrast NU said personal lines homeowner rates have increased by 3% (2005: 6%). In personal motor market NU’s full year COR of 104%, was 1% lower than at the half year while rates have increased by 5% on average throughout the year (2005: 4%).
In its full year statement NU added: “We are satisfied with the extent of the corrective action taken and are seeing encouraging signs that others in the market are following our lead. Following the opening of a dedicated retention centre in November, personal motor retention rates are improving.
“Distribution costs have risen in 2006, with our expense ratio increasing to 13.9% (2005: 10.9%), as we have invested to secure future profitability. As flagged at the half year, the investments have been in brand presence and technology to provide better service to our brokers and to enable personal lines transactions to be performed on-line and in one place.
“The expense ratio has also been impacted by a full year of expenses associated with RAC Rescue, whose model includes higher costs of acquiring and administering business. In September, we announced details of our UK Cost & Efficiency programme which will deliver cost savings and enhanced cost flexibility. Following the successful completion of the integration, RAC has made an overall contribution of £160 million to Group operating profit. Of this, £115 million is recognised within general insurance and the remainder in the results of our non-insurance operations. Specifically, we have delivered cost savings of £100 million and we remain on track to meet the target profit of £220 million in 2008.”
Speaking about the group GI result worldwide Richard Harvey, group chief executive, added: “Our general insurance businesses delivered a strong performance, with a combined operating ratio of 94%, comfortably ahead of our target to meet or beat a COR of 98%. Operating profit has increased to £1.7 billion, 8% ahead of last year.
“This was achieved through a combination of improved underwriting disciplines and lower than average weatherrelated claims of £91 million. The result includes exceptional releases in the UK of approximately £200 million. In the UK, we have taken the lead in tackling reduced profitability in the motor insurance market and we have already seen an improvement in our motor COR as a result. We continue to increase our distribution reach in our international businesses in order to capture profitable growth.
“The RAC business delivered a good performance growing operating profit to £160million in 2006. We expect to deliver cost savings of £130 million and operating profits of £220 million per annum by 2008, giving a run rate return on capital of 18.8%. We remain on track to meet our target of increasing the customer base by 1.4 million customers by the end of 2008.”

RBS announces £9.19bn profits

RBS announces £9.19bn profits
Press Association Thursday March 1, 2007 8:18 AM
Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), which owns NatWest and Churchill Insurance, has unveiled sharply higher annual profits of £9.19 billion.
The surplus from the UK's second largest banking group compared with a figure of £7.94 billion from a year earlier. The performance was also ahead of market expectations.
RBS pointed out it was one of only five FTSE 100 Index companies to have grown profits in each of the last 10 years, adding that less than £1 in £33 of profit growth came from retail banking.
RBS generates about 60% of its profits in the UK, with operations overseas including Charter One banking group in the United States, which the company bought for £5.8 billion in 2004. It recently bought a stake in Bank of China.
While much of the group's recent growth has come from acquisitions, RBS stressed that organic growth had also been healthy. One of the strongest performances came in corporate banking, with profits up 20% to £5.55 billion.
In the retail division, which includes the NatWest and RBS high street brands, profits increased 2% to £2.29 billion.
That was after bad debt charges increased 15% to £1.34 billion, although RBS said the figure had been lower in the second half than in the first.
Credit card arrears stabilised, while the rate of increase in arrears on unsecured personal loans continued to slow. The situation with mortgages remained very low, it added.
In RBS Insurance, which also operates as Direct Line and Privilege, profits were up 3% to £750 million after implementing price increases in motor insurance in the second half of the year.
RBS said the move, which in part reflected higher claims costs, would take time to feed through and added that competition on prices had been strong.