Latest Articles

Hotter Comfort Concept is preparing itself for a surge

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:57:23 GMT

Hotter Comfort Concept is preparing itself for a surge in requests for the UK's most comfortable and stylish shoes, following the recent launch of its new TV campaign.

The nationwide TV campaign which is currently on air for a two month period, takes its inspiration from the thousands of customers who have told the company about their own Hotter moment and memories of wearing a Hotter shoe for the first time.

Hotter prides itself on the technology of each and every shoe that it produces and the secret to its success is the hundreds of air bubbles injected into every Hotter shoe sole- creating the feeling of walking on air. Hotter believes that the first time you try on a Hotter shoe you have a Hotter Moment as you experience how comfortable and spacious the shoes are.

Featuring new designs for this season including Etna, Starshine, Charleston,, Paradise and Sunberry, the new TV commercial will be broadcast on Channel 4, GMTV, Gold, Living, Food & Drink and Fiver. The commercial will also be streamed on the Hotter website.

Melanie Killilea, Hotter Comfort Concept PR manager commented: "Once you've had what we call a Hotter Moment, you'll understand the true meaning of a pair of comfy shoes. Every shoe that we make is created with precision and care, we're passionate about feet and even more passionate about ensuring feet are as comfortable and well looked after as possible. We're really excited about the new TV commercial and we're confident that it will resonate with new and existing Hotter fans everywhere."

To keep the nation's feet on the move Hotter has encouraged fans to share different walking routes around the country with others. These can be uploaded on the Facebook and Twitter pages or sent straight though to the Hotter team where they'll be added to Hotter's selection of Great British Walks.

ENDS

Notes to Editor:

About Hotter Comfort Concept:
Hotter Comfort Concept targets the active over fifties market where thousands of shoe shoppers are indulging their feet in the hidden comfort of Hotter shoes - designed, manufactured, packed and shipped from the Lancashire factory.

Hotter manufactures more than 1.3 million pairs of shoes every year - more than any other shoe maker in the country.

Secret comfort features are hidden in every Hotter shoe guaranteeing the utmost comfort. Hotter has a dedicated team of designers working to create a collection of casual, sporty and formal mens shoes and womens shoes, as well as men's and Womens Boots which are perfect for matching with any outfit.

VocaLink scales charity heights

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:31:48 GMT

VocaLink, the specialist provider of transaction services to banks, has launched a scheme to help raise money for Bonita Norris in her attempt to become the youngest British female to reach the summit of Mount Everest, in order to raise money for Global Angels.

VocaLink, as the official sponsor of the challenge, is trying to raise funds for Bonita and the Global Angels charity through its network of almost 50,000 Mobile Phone Top-Up (MPTU) ATMs across the UK.

To raise the money, VocaLink has managed to get together some of the major UK banks* who have agreed to donate 5p to Global Angels every time someone tops-up a mobile phone** during March and April using a LINK ATM.

Bonita will be climbing Mount Everest to raise money for Global Angels, an international foundation which champions the causes of children around the world to help provide sustainable solutions. Every pound received from public donations goes directly to projects working at grass-roots level to empower children and their communities.

Bonita will be looking to climb Mount Everest’s towering 8,848 meters during May 2010 when conditions are at their best. To complete her climb, Bonita will be putting herself at risk from the dangers of frostbite, hypothermia, snow-blindness, alongside the many other perils associated with extreme altitude climbing.

The MPTU service is available through ATMs bearing the green top-up logo which include Barclays, Bank Machine, Cardpoint, Cashzone, Clydesdale Bank, Cooperative Bank, Coventry Building Society, First Trust Bank, Halifax, Hanco, HSBC, Infocash, Lloyds TSB, Nationwide Building Society, Nat West, Note Machine, Royal Bank of Scotland, Sainsbury’s Finance and Yorkshire Bank.

In addition to the Mobile Phone Top-Up service, Bonita is also auctioning 3 flags which will feature the highest bidders name or personal message. Bonita will take the flags up Mount Everest on her record breaking journey. The first flag auction will run from the 8th to the 14th March, the second flag 15th-21st and the third flag 22nd -28th.

ENDS

Notes to editors:
*Participating Banks include: Lloyds TSB, Nationwide, Bank of Scotland, Barclays, RBS, Halifax, HSBC, Natwest, Coventry, Cooperative Bank, Clydesdale, Yorkshire Bank, First Trust, Tescos Finance, Sainsbury’s Finance.

**Participating Mobile Phone Operators include: O2, Orange, Vodafone, T-mobile, Virgin Mobile, Tesco Mobile.

About VocaLink:
VocaLink is a specialist provider of transaction services to banks, their corporate customers and Government departments. The company processes domestic and international automated payments and provide ATM switching solutions. On a peak day, the VocaLink automated payment platform processes over 90 million transactions and over half a billion in a month.

VocaLink processing services offer banks euro payments reach throughout the SEPA and beyond and are complemented by value-added services that leverage industry expertise and technical capabilities. VocaLink's Faster Payments service is leading innovation in the payments industry.

Microsoft seeks to drive Bing query share with new multi million pound advertising campaign

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:54:11 GMT

London, 9 March 2010 – Microsoft this week launches a multi million pound advertising drive in the UK as part of its ongoing investment in search and commitment to drive query share on Bing. The three month campaign, which begins today, will include a mix of TV, rich media and online slots.

The first of three TV ads will air from Wednesday 10 of March across ITV, Channel 4, Five and their portfolio of TV services as well as Sky Media and IDS digital channels including Bravo, Dave, GOLD, Living TV and Good Food.

Using the tagline ‘Bing and Decide’ the ads aim to inform the public of Bing’s role in helping searchers make more informed decisions, and contrasts other search products with the simple, integrated and instantaneous answers that Bing produces. Each ad features someone suffering from ‘information overload’, with Bing offered as the cure.

This major TV campaign will be supported online using Microsoft’s own network, which includes MSN and Windows Live, as well as across social networks, partner sites and online news providers.

Ashley Highfield, MD & VP Consumer & Online Microsoft UK says, “We’re committed to investing in search at a local level to deliver value for our advertisers. The ad campaign brings to life the concept of Bing as a decision engine, a tool that both cuts through the information overload and offers a new search experience. We’re confident that this will help grow our user base, offering advertisers an alternative search solution.”

Bing’s goal is to create a better user experience by challenging the lack of innovation in search engines for over a decade. Consumer behaviour and engagement has changed little due to this innovation gap and as a result Bing offers British searchers a search experience built specifically with them in mind, one more responsive to how they search online by giving them clear and precise results.

The deeper engagement with consumers provides greater opportunities for advertisers as it reduces wasted clicks and is able to provide relevant ads to the right searchers. Ultimately, Bing helps consumers refine their intent and provides advertisers with better, more qualified traffic.

The advertising creative has been developed by JWT and media buying managed by UM.

-ENDS-

Notes to Editor:

About Bing
Bing is built to give consumers a new search experience by understanding the different ways in which UK consumers search online, organising results in a user friendly way and diminishing information overload and internet clutter. Bing is more effective in providing search results that enable users to make informed decisions.

About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential. Microsoft, Windows Live and MSN are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademark of their respected owners.

About 3 Monkeys
3 Monkeys is a leading PR agency based in London. An award winning agency, with recent accolades including CIPR PRide Awards Outstanding PR Consultancy of the Year 2009 and FINALIST PR Week Consultancy of the Year 2009. 3 Monkeys' main focus is across consumer, corporate/B2B, tech, public sector and CSR.

Access Legal calls for more help for Asbestos disease victims

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:31:21 GMT

Access Legal, consumer legal services provider from Shoosmiths, is calling for more to be done to help victims of mesothelioma, as it believes that not enough is being done to help sufferers of fatal asbestos-related diseases.

Access Legal wants to see more done to help victims of mesothelioma, an asbestos-linked cancer common in builders, plumbers, joiners, and teachers.

The call comes in the midst of a Health & Safety Executive awareness-raising campaign aimed at those workers most at risk. Sara Hunt, associate and asbestos specialist at Access legal from Shoosmiths, said: "With some people already hit by this creeping disease, and with many others potentially at risk, not a lot seems to be getting done.

"There are calls for government funding for a national centre for asbestos related diseases, and a 24,000-signature petition was presented to 10 Downing Street last year, but there’s been little positive reaction."

Hunt also believes Alimta - a drug that extends the life expectancy of mesothelioma sufferers - should remain available on the NHS. In 2007 the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) said the drug was not cost effective. However, following successful lobbying that decision was overturned, and Alimta was made available on the NHS. Now, that decision in turn is being challenged.

Hunt said: "If that challenge succeeds, suffers will no longer have NHS access to Alimta.

"Malignant mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer, and sufferers often have a very short life expectancy. Is it right to deny them access to a drug that may extend their life?"

Asbestos was used extensively as a building, insulating and fireproof material, particularly from the 1950s to 1980s. People exposed as long ago as 40 years might only now be developing asbestos-related conditions.

Asbestos remains in around 500,000 UK buildings, with people exposed when asbestos is disturbed and asbestos fibres become airborne. It can also be disturbed by pushing drawing pins into walls, and it is thought a single drawing pin can release 6,000 fibres. Mesothelioma can be caused by exposure to just one fibre.

Teaching unions are campaigning for asbestos to be removed from schools, after figures revealed 228 teachers died from asbestos-related diseases between 1991 and 2005.

Mesothelioma affects the lining of the lungs and is a fatal illness. It is one of the least researched of the UK’s top 20 cancers, despite claiming more than 2,000 lives each year in the UK. It is believed this figure will continue to rise, peaking in 2015.

ENDS

Notes to Editors
Access Legal from Shoosmiths is the new consumer brand of top 30 national law firm Shoosmiths. From offices in Basingstoke, Birmingham, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Northampton, Nottingham, Reading and Southampton, Access Legal from Shoosmiths offers more than 100 legal services services to individuals and their families, whether they are buying a house, claiming compensation for an injury, suffered an accidents at work, making an asbestos claim, or writing a will. Services have been grouped under seven headings: conveyancing; employment law; legal disputes; medical negligence; motoring law; personal injury; and wills, family and wealth. Access Legal from Shoosmiths makes it easier for people to get specialist advice from legal professionals. Shoosmiths has more than 150 years’ experience and advises household name corporate clients.

The Harley Medical Group finds awards season driving demand for eyebrow lifts

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:15:22 GMT

The Harley Medical Group reports that high arches are the must-have look for this year, with Megan Fox, Eva Mendes and Beyonce sporting sculptured brows on the red carpet.

The Harley Medical Group, the UK’s largest cosmetic surgery provider, is reporting increased enquiries into non-surgical eyebrow lifts of around 39%, as women across the UK try to emulate the look of the stars.

A spokesperson at The Harley Medical Group commented: "The non-surgical side of the business has seen real growth over the past year and our non-surgical specialists are seeing an increase in ‘combination treatments’, which offer affordable and effective solutions for lines and wrinkles. The eyebrow lift is a safe, lunchtime treatment, with the striking effect of reducing lines and opening up the area around the eye."

According to staff at The Harley Medical Group clinics across the country, the increase in enquiries has been noticeable, with Angelina Jolie as the star possessing the looks which most women want their eyebrows to imitate. This impact on enquiries has been felt most within the London area, where the greatest increase in enquiries has been experienced.

Dr Nick Milojevic, Cosmetic doctor at The Harley Medical Group, commented, "The eyebrow lift is achieved with a combination of Botox and dermal fillers. The resulting effect gives a smooth, wrinkle free brow and helps make eyes appear larger and more open."

Brows can be non-surgically lifted with a combination of Botox into the brow area, followed by an injection of dermal fillers into the arch of the eyebrow. The treatment is most effective if patients have an injection of Botox initially and then have the fillers treatment two weeks later. The Botox helps even out wrinkles and tighten the skin, while fillers add volume to plump and smooth creases. Results last for six to nine months.

About The Harley Medical Group
The Harley Medical Group is the UK's largest cosmetic surgery provider, performing more procedures and with more clinics than any other cosmetic surgery provider. It has been established for more than 26 years and is one of the most highly-regarded cosmetic surgery groups operating in the UK. It has treated more than 450,000 patients to date including popular procedures such as laser hair removal and liposuction.

The Harley Medical Group works tirelessly to maintain the highest standards in the industry for the benefits all cosmetic surgery and non surgical patients. We are currently at the forefront of the campaign to ensure that the government continues to regulate the use of certain laser types used in cosmetic surgery and non surgical treatments so that patients are protected from rogue practitioners.

Bruntwood welcomes new years lettings

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:52:13 GMT

Bruntwood, the North of England property group, is enjoying a busy start to the year after securing four new lettings at the Cotton Exchange in Liverpool’s commercial district.

Lettings totalling 6,100 sq ft of office space have been agreed with HH Law, iProgress, Medicals Direct and MJP Justice at the Grade II listed building.

Medicals Direct, a health service provider to the insurance sector, has taken a 1,000 sq ft office on the building's fifth floor. The company has also let a 3,000 sq ft suite in Bruntwood's St Christopher House property in Stockport. Personal injury specialist HH Law has signed a three-year lease on a 700 sq ft refurbished office.

Web design company iProgress is moving into a 400 sq ft suite on the sixth floor of the building, upgrading from a 200 sq ft office. Law firm, MJP Justice is also doubling its space in the Cotton Exchange, expanding from 2,000 sq ft to 4,000 sq ft. Both leases are for three- years.

Colin Forshaw, head of sales at Bruntwood, said: "These new lettings mark another great start to the year for Bruntwood and we are pleased to welcome such a wide range of businesses into the Cotton Exchange.

"The building remains one of our most popular properties and we've worked closely with our tenants to ensure they have the type and size of suite that they need. Lettings to companies such as Medicals Direct highlight the flexibility that Bruntwood offers in allowing customers to move seamlessly within our buildings as their business requirements change and they look to up or downsize."

Paul Hampson, director at HH Law, said: "The Cotton Exchange was the perfect location for our business because it's crucial for us to be located at the centre of the commercial district and legal community, close to clients, the courts and partners."

Bruntwood, which owns nine major office buildings in Liverpool city centre, including Oriel Chambers and flagship building, The Plaza, specialises in flexible leases across its property portfolio. Bruntwood offers offices from 200 sq ft upwards with flexible letting lengths and suite specification.

About Bruntwood
Bruntwood is a privately owned commercial property company with over 30 years experience of providing great offices. Bruntwood owns over 90 office buildings in Liverpool, Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham. They provide office space, serviced offices, virtual offices, from one desk for one month, to entire office buildings for 25 years. Bruntwood also offers retail space and meeting rooms to hire within its buildings. The essential elements of the Bruntwood promise are to provide a wide choice of offices, commercial flexibility, world class customer service and long-term value for money.

Each year Bruntwood donates over 10% of its annual profits to arts, civic and charitable causes and takes every opportunity to involve its customers.

ENDS

Emirates Tours lend support to Childline North West Ball

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:35:46 GMT

Emirates Tours will be lending its support to the Childline North West Ball, taking place on 6th March in Manchester.

Emirates Tours will be donating a prize to an auction that will take place at the Ball. The prize consists of a five night stay at Six Senses Zighi Bay in Oman, including return Emirates Economy Class flights from the UK to Dubai plus returns private car resort transfers and is being offered in conjunction with Emirates Tours' luxury hotel partner, Six Senses Resorts & Spas.

The Childline North West Ball is a fundraising event for the Child's Voice Appeal which aims to raise money to ensure that the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) Helpline, and Childline itself, continues to be manned by qualified counsellors who are trained child protection officers and to assist in providing training for its staff and volunteers who answer calls to the hotline.

Emirates Tours' donation to the Childline North West Ball auction follows several years of donating luxury family holidays to children's charities. Previous years have seen Emirates Tours donate to Treehouse, the national charity for autism education, the Teenage Cancer Trust and Great Ormand Street Hospital.

Beth Alcorn, Product & Marketing Manager Emirates Tours UK said: "Emirates Tours is delighted to be involved in fund raising at the ChildLine Ball. All proceeds from the auction on the night will go to the Child's Voice Appeal, which is raising vital funds for ChildLine itself and the NSPCC Helpline for concerned adults. We have combined with our hotel partner Six Senses Resorts & Spas to provide a superb luxury holiday prize - one that we hope will attract big bids on the night, for what is undeniably a very worthy cause."

The Six Senses Hideaway Zighi Bay in Oman is situated on a broad stretch of pristine beach with the Hajar Mountains in the background. On arrival guests choose from one of three extraordinary entrances, via speedboat, four-wheel drive over the mountains or tandem paraglide. The Hideaway retains local cultural influences and was designed to blend with its natural surroundings. The spa features two Arabian-style hammams, and the wide-ranging menu of regional and Six Senses signature treatments focuses on holistic and pampering therapies using natural and environmentally-friendly products.

About Emirates Tours:
Emirates Tours is part of the prestigious Emirates Group, and specialises in offering tailor-made romantic holidays and luxury holidays in Dubai, Oman, the Indian Ocean, Far East, China, India, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, as well as a number of additional luxury holiday deals.

As a subsidiary of award-winning airline Emirates, Emirates Tours benefits from the extensive network, resources and renowned quality associated with one of the world’s top airlines.

Close Invoice Finance selects Line to be digital partner

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:30:55 GMT

Close Invoice Finance has appointed award-winning agency Line as its digital partner.

One of the UK's leading cashflow solutions providers, Close Invoice Finance selected Line to provide technical, creative and strategic support as the company prepares for a major overhaul of its online operations. Chosen following an extensive multi-agency pitch, the agency will be responsible for delivering a multi-phase development strategy designed to radically improve the site's user experience and its integration with the company's back office transactional systems.

"This is a great win for us. As a company Close Invoice Finance feels that their site should be doing more than providing background information and a static point of contact. They want to deliver a digital channel that not only provides a compelling user experience but also plays an integrated role in both the sales process and day-to-day operations," said Ross Laurie, Managing Director at Line.

Close Invoice Finance is part of the Close Brothers Group, one of the City's most enterprising and respected merchant banks and a FTSE top 250 listed company. With over 1000 clients and a client life in excess of the industry average, the firm is the only invoice financing organisation to have gained preferred supplier status with the Chartered Institute of Accountants in England and Wales.

Phase one of the project - due to be completed in May - will involve a complete rebuild and redesign of the company's existing site. Line will then begin work on a number of initiatives aimed at increasing the channel's transactional capabilities.

"As we prepared to approach a critical period in the development of our online activities, we were looking for an experienced and creative partner to both realise our vision and provide long-term strategic guidance. Line delivered a solid pitch with some strong ideas and left us feeling real excitement for the project. It quickly became obvious that Line were the ideal partner to help make our vision for the site a reality," said Luisa Calcinotto, Commercial Finance Head of Marketing, Close Brothers Group plc.

RJW investigates reports of failures at Staffordshire hospitals

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 11:38:44 GMT

RJW is currently investigating cases of negligence after a report by Robert Francis QC revealed a catalogue of failures at Mid Staffordshire hospitals. An obsession with hitting targets led to the neglect and unnecessary death of patients. In response, the Prime Minister said that managers would be held to account for failures by the Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust.

Francis warned that hospitals should understand that their excellence was not guaranteed by their star rating: what matters is the way patients are treated.

"The story of Stafford shows graphically, and sadly, that benchmarks, comparative ratings and foundation trust status do not in themselves bring to light serious and systematic failings," he said.

Relatives of patients at Mid Staffordshire were unhappy that the report failed to support calls by organisations such as AvMA (Action against Medical Accidents) for a public enquiry.

Paul Sankey, specialist clinical negligence solicitor and partner at Russell Jones & Walker (RJW) said: "What is needed is a patient-centred culture in which pursuing targets does not detract from care. Sadly patients are too often been the victims of errors which should have been avoided."

Russell Jones & Walker have a specialist team pursuing claims for people who have suffered serious harm as a result of avoidable medical accidents. They have recently recovered a 7-figure award for a brain injury claim on behalf of a man who suffered the injury after doctors failed to carry out a planned investigation and to prevent a stroke. They have also won compensation for the husband of a woman who died of skin cancer and another who died of lung cancer. Other cases concern people whose fractures were not diagnosed where the wrong tests were done or x-rays misinterpreted. They are currently involved in claims against the Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust.

RJW has a specialist medical negligence claims department with experts accredited by the Law Society and AvMA who handle claims for damages arising from clinical negligence. With its network of offices across the country RJW can assist with claims nationwide.

About Russell Jones & Walker
Russell Jones & Walker is a leading national firm of solicitors dedicated to upholding the legal rights of individuals. From the firms foundation in the 1920s the focus has and continues to be, people and those who represent them.

The firm has grown from its trade union roots into a respected national organisation with nine offices across England and Wales, and an associated office in Scotland. The reputation of Russell Jones & Walker is built on the range of expertise offered by its partners and staff and on the scope of their practical experience.

RJW Solicitors represents clients across a range of areas from personal injury claims work to commercial and criminal litigation, defamation, reputation management, clinical negligence, including cancer claims, as well as providing specialties as employment lawyers and fraud lawyers.

Barclaycard rollercoaster glides to top spot

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:43:28 GMT

Barclaycard's rollercoaster campaign has topped the AdWatch list of current advertising campaigns, with 60% of adults questioned by Marketing Magazine recalling the advert.

Launched on 22 January 2010, the advert tells the story of an adventurous and innovative commute to work - on a rollercoaster. Filmed in New York and Hollywood using the 'Spidercam', the process involved a real rollercoaster cart, 40ft of working track, and complex CGI to create a complete, realistic vision of a rollercoaster weaving in and out of the city's skyscrapers.

This new advert follows on closely from the success of Barclaycard's previous waterslide advert, which also used the Spidercam, which had not been used since Sam Raimi employed it to film sections of the Spiderman movies, in order to highlight the flexibility and ease of use which contactless payments provide for cardholders and retailers.

The TV advert, created by BBH and directed by Nicolai Fuglsig, is part of a wider campaign that will include online adverts and a social media campaign set to reach more than 10 million people using Facebook. Barclaycard also plans to launch a Rollercoaster download game later this year.

The contactless payment technology at the centre of the advert was pioneered by Barclaycard in the UK in 2007; now, over six million contactless enabled cards are in circulation in the UK, and over 20,000 retailers across the country now accept contactless payments.

-Ends-

Notes to editors:

About Barclaycard:
Barclaycard, part of Barclays Global Retail Banking division, is a leading global payment business which helps consumers, retailers and businesses to make and accept credit card payments flexibly, and to access short-term credit when needed.

The company is one of the pioneers of new forms of payments and is at the forefront of developing viable contactless and mobile payment schemes for today and cutting edge forms of payment for the future. It also issues charge and credit cards to corporate customers and the UK Government. Barclaycard partners with a wide range of organisations across the globe to offer their customers or members payment options and credit.

In addition to the UK, Barclaycard operates in the United States, Europe, Africa and the Middle and Far East.

Key facts published in February 2010;
number of UK customers: 10.4m
number of International customers: 10.8m
number of retailer/merchant relationships: 87,000

Bruntwood attract first customer to St Hugh's in Bootle

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:08:14 GMT

Bruntwood, property company based in the North of England, has attracted its first customer to St Hugh's in Bootle. Asset Training and Consultancy have taken 2,515 sq ft of office space on the first floor of the building.

Peter McEvoy, Managing Director of Asset Training and Consultancy said: "We're delighted to be a customer at St Hugh's. We were looking for a higher quality office than our previous accommodation without having to greatly increase our occupational costs and Bruntwood were able to comfortably accommodate our requirements at St Hugh's."

Colin Forshaw, Head of Sales said: "We've purposely developed the building so it can accommodate a diverse range of customers in suites, from 450 to 4,500 sq ft. In doing so, we’re giving small to medium sized businesses access to some of the highest quality office space in Bootle at a highly competitive price, all delivered with a level of service that’s difficult to find outside our portfolio. It also means we’re able to offer our Liverpool customers a greater variety in product and price along with the flexibility to move around our portfolio as they require."

St Hugh’s has recently undergone a £3.6million refurbishment, including a new reception and a selection of Liverpool office space ranging from160 - 48,000 sq ft.

About Bruntwood
Bruntwood is a privately owned commercial property company with over 30 years experience of providing great offices. Bruntwood owns over 90 office buildings in Liverpool, Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham. They provide office space, serviced offices, virtual offices, from one desk for one month, to entire office buildings for 25 years. Bruntwood also offers retail space and meeting rooms to hire within its buildings, including meeting rooms in Liverpool. The essential elements of the Bruntwood promise are to provide a wide choice of offices, commercial flexibility, world class customer service and long-term value for money.

Over 220 people, many from hotel, hospitality and facilities management backgrounds are employed directly in Bruntwood's buildings. The company's service is demonstrated no better than in its customers' willingness to recommend it, which is three times higher than the UK's service industry average.

Each year Bruntwood donates over 10% of its annual profits to arts, civic and charitable causes and takes every opportunity to involve its customers.

ENDS

BT Business connects CAN Media with schools and surgeries across the UK

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:02:30 GMT

BT Business and CAN Media have announced a new deal which means two million viewers in schools and GP surgeries across the UK will have access to a private TV information service. The three-year, £20 million+ contract will see BT take over the delivery, installation and operational management for the Life Channel Service from CAN Media.

The Life Channel Service, the UK's largest private television network with over seven million viewers, is used by local government agencies to showcase and promote health and educational initiatives to the local community. Research* has shown the channel is more than twice as effective as posters and up to three times more than leaflets in communicating health and well-being messages.

Life Channel campaigns help schools improve their Ofsted ratings, and the NHS in achieving the national priorities set out by the Department of Health and measured by the Care Quality Commission. Independent research** has shown that 1 in 2 primary school and 1 in 3 secondary school pupils positively modify their behaviour as a result.

Working with partner Croft Technology plc, BT Business will take over the operational management of the existing Life Channel network. It will also install and manage the service in 5,000 schools and 4,000 GP surgeries, provide broadband, PCs and up to four large panel TV screens at each site.

Mike Darcy, chief operations officer, CAN Media, said: "We needed a supplier that would not only support our hardware, software and helpdesk requirements today but could also support us as we develop the service in the future. BT offered us a wealth of technical experience and expertise at a competitive price."

Humphrey Penney, director custom solutions, BT Business said: "Communicating important information to local communities in this innovative way needs high bandwidth. As the market leader in digital out-of-home television, CAN Media were looking for a reliable supplier when taking the decision to outsource the delivery and management of their Life Channel Service."

The three-year contract will see BT begin installation in March 2010.

-ends-

Notes to editors:

* CAN Media research, 2009 of 200 exit interviews from two surgeries in 2009
** ROI research, 2009 of 700 interviews across 20 schools

About BT
BT is one of the world’s leading providers of communications solutions and services operating in 170 countries. Its principal activities include the provision of networked IT services globally; local, national and international telecommunications services to our customers for use at home, at work and on the move; broadband and internet products and services and converged fixed/mobile products and services. BT consists principally of four lines of business: BT Global Services, Openreach, BT Retail and BT Wholesale.
In the year ended 31 March 2009, BT Group’s revenue was £21,390 million.

British Telecommunications plc (BT) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group plc and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed on stock exchanges in London and New York.

About Croft Technology (TSG)
Following the acquisition of Croft Technology plc by Technology Services Group (TSG) on 29 January 2010, the business is now owned by TSG and has been rebranded TSG Enterprise Solutions.

About CAN Media
The Life Channel is wholly owned and operated by CAN Media, a specialist in media management and organisational development company based in Preston, Lancashire.

Inquiries about this news release should be made to the BT Group Newsroom on its 24-hour number: 020 7356 5369. From outside the UK dial + 44 20 7356 5369

Habitat launches affiliate marketing programme with Bigmouthmedia and Digital Window

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:07:34 GMT

Bigmouthmedia has been announced as having been chosen by Habitat, the international household furnishings retailer, to manage the launch of its exclusive new affiliate marketing programme in conjunction with Digital Window.

In January 2009, Habitat began creating a fully transactional website to penetrate the online shopping market which launched in November 2009. Managed by bigmouthmedia, the multi-award winning digital marketing agency, the Habitat affiliate campaign will reap the benefits of launching on both Affiliate Window and Buy.at platforms simultaneously which will offer access to the programme to a variety of preferred partners.

Andrew Girdwood, Head of Strategy at bigmouthmedia, commented: “This is a truly exciting campaign to be involved in. Not only are we working with one of the most iconic brands in UK retailing, but the involvement of both Digital Window and bigmouthmedia will see two of the digital world’s leading companies working in close partnership. We expect that dynamic to deliver some truly fantastic results.”

Denise Fender, Head of Ecommerce & Digital Marketing at Habitat, added: “Habitat is really excited to be launching their affiliate program with bigmouthmedia and Digital Window. Not only will the new program help showcase the quality and range of Habitat’s online collection, but it will also help raise brand awareness and encourage footfall to our local stores. We picked bigmouthmedia to help manage our affiliate marketing based on their experience and ability to integrate the campaign with our wider digital efforts.”

About bigmouthmedia
Founded in 1997, bigmouthmedia is Europe's largest independent digital marketing agency. With a team of over 200 staff located across 13 offices in 10 countries on 3 continents, the company maximises exposure for major brands online through a variety of fully integrated digital marketing channels: Search engine optimisation, PPC, Online Media Planning, affiliate marketing, Social Networking, Brand Monitoring, Online PR and Web Analytics. Bigmouthmedia also provides up to date daily digital marketing news to ensure clients are fully informed and aware of all industry developments.

Barclaycard Unwind sponsors Heart's fourth Love Music Live

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:18:50 GMT

Barclaycard Unwind has announced that it will be sponsoring Heart's fourth exclusive Love Music Live.

The multi talented singer-songwriter Sharleen Spiteri will perform an exclusive and intimate gig for Heart listeners on Thursday 4th March at Orchid in London's West End. It follows the huge success of Heart's first three 'Love Music Live with Barclaycard Unwind' events which featured the Grammy Award-winning Michael Bublé and the legendary Spandau Ballet in London and Seal in Los Angeles.

Known for fronting iconic pop-rock band Texas and following the success of her UK top 3 debut solo record, Sharleen is back with a brand new album. The Movie Songbook is a collection of her favourite cinematic showstoppers featuring popular songs such as Xanadu, a re-worked version of the 1980 number one hit. Sharleen's version of Xanadu features on the current Heart television advert and the track is fast becoming a huge favourite with listeners.

Love Music Live with Barclaycard Unwind will be promoted across all 33 stations in the current Heart network. Tickets to the exclusive event can be won on-air and online at heart.co.uk. In addition, tickets can be won at barclaycardunwind.com which was launched as part of Barclaycard's on-going music strategy and allows its credit card customers to access more of the music they love, as well as making it easier for customers to get the best music tickets.

Dan Mathieson, Head of Sponsorship at Barclaycard;
"Heart's Love Music Live is the perfect fit with Barclaycard's music strategy as we continue to give our customers access to the music they enjoy and tickets to the best gigs around the world. We are delighted to team up with the entire Heart network as they launch Love Music Live and stage one of the most exciting gigs this year with Sharleen Spiteri."

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About Heart
First launched in the West Midlands in 1994, Heart arrived in London in 1995 and the East Midlands in 2005. In the latest radio industry figures*, Heart celebrated its position as the UK's largest commercial radio network, attracting over 300,000 new listeners during the last 12 months, with over 7.2 million listeners tuning in across the Heart network each week.

* Source: RAJAR / Ipsos-MORI / RSMB, period ending December 2009, all stations and groups results are reported on their specified reporting period and TSA.

About Barclaycard
Barclaycard, part of Barclays Global Retail Banking division, is a leading global payment business which helps consumers, retailers and businesses to make and accept credit card payments flexibly, and to access short-term credit when needed.

In addition to the UK, Barclaycard operates in the United States, Europe, Africa and the Middle and Far East.

Key facts published in February 2010;
number of UK customers: 10.4m
number of International customers: 10.8m
number of retailer/merchant relationships: 87,000

Bruntwood begins 2010 with office lettings in Leeds

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:24:30 GMT

Bruntwood, the commercial property company, has announced six new deals within their Leeds city centre office portfolio totaling 22,598 sq ft.

The most recent deal has been with Skills for Care who have taken 12,215 sq ft of Leeds office space at West Gate, which follows on from two deals at West One to RiskMetrics UK and David Smith Photography, who have taken 1,300 sq ft and 293 sq ft respectively.

Bruntwood's letting success also continues at its recently refurbished 14 King Street, where the company has agreed a further three new lettings with Maples & Calder for 5,307 sq ft, Hitchenor Wakeford for 2,323 sq ft and Healthcare Locums plc for 1,160 sq ft of offices in Leeds.

Craig Burrow, Bruntwood’s head of sales in Leeds, said: "We're delighted with the way we've performed in the first two months of this year. Our letting success is testament to, not only, the quality of product, value for money and flexibility we’re able to offer our customers, but also the level of customer service we’re able to provide at all of our buildings."

Looking forward to the rest of 2010, refurbishment works are now underway at Bruntwood's Hepworth Point property, which Leeds Metropolitan University is in the process of vacating.

Craig Burrow said: "Upon completion in the spring, Hepworth Point will provide ten floors of high specification, air conditioned, offices. Fundamentally, the building will be available on a floor by floor basis from 3,272 sq ft to 4,968 sq ft, but it also provides a rare opportunity for an occupier to acquire a self contained office building of 44,500 sq ft with secure basement car parking."

Each year Bruntwood donates over 10% of its annual profits to arts, civic and charitable causes and takes every opportunity to involve its customers.

ENDS

Henley launches new themed corporate finance MBA

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:31:45 GMT

Henley Business School has announced the launch of its new themed MBAs.

Henley Executive MBA applicants can from this year onwards choose to take advantage of the exceptional scope of expertise offered by Henley through a range of themed MBAs. These themed MBAs are designed for experienced, practising managers who are looking for a world renowned general management MBA but with a particular application to three different industries - corporate finance, construction management and real estate.

The three different themed MBAs are delivered via collaboration between the industry respected schools of Henley - the International Capital Markets Association (ICMA) Centre, the School of Real Estate and Planning and the School of Construction Management from the University of Reading.

Participants will study as part of the executive MBA programme and follow the core curriculum whilst periodically studying tailored modules bespoke to their subject theme at appropriate points in time.

Associate Professor Susan Rose, the Associate Head of the School of Management responsible for The Henley MBA, said: "I am delighted to work in collaboration with colleagues of the Henley Business School and The University of Reading who have such strong industry connections and reputations in their respective fields. This enables us to offer MBA participants something really different. The themed programmes provide the best of both worlds for those who want general managerial development whilst applying it to the very specific challenges of their sector and thereby demonstrating commitment to their organisation."

The Henley Executive MBA is a two year part-time programme aimed at aspiring senior managers who wish to develop their management competency as well as focus on their own personal development, alongside their full-time employment.

Ends

About Henley Business School at the University of Reading
Henley Business School is one of Europe's largest full-service business schools and offers a comprehensive range of management courses, from undergraduate business degrees to executive education. Its portfolio also encompasses the world-ranked Henley MBA, Executive MBA and Flexible Learning MBA, The Henley Doctor of Business Administration, PhD opportunities, and postgraduate Masters courses in business. It is also one of the very few international business schools to hold triple accredited status (AMBA, EQUIS, AACSB).

Henley Business School was formed from the merger of Henley Management College and the Business School at the University of Reading.

VocaLink Take Home Pay Index slumps to lowest level on record

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 00:01:57 GMT

The VocaLink Take Home Pay Index for February has continued January’s downward spiral to hit an all-time low of 1.0%. The combination of the two recent consecutive falls has nearly halved the index during that period, taking it from 1.9% in December to 1.0% in February, signifying the Index’s lowest level since its inception in September 2004.

A slower than expected recovery in manufacturing production has contributed to the significant decrease in the VocaLink manufacturing index which also fell to its lowest level on record by tumbling from 1.1% in January to 0.4% in February. Services sector pay growth followed the downward trend with the index recording a drop of 0.3 percentage points to reach 1.3% in February. Though the reduction is relatively modest, a fall of this size is still significant given the index’s current low level.

The bleak news reflects the fragile state of the labour market which is showing few signs of recovery.
The latest official labour market statistics show that unemployment rose in January offsetting the falls seen in November and December. Specifically, the claimant count measure of unemployment increased by 23,500 in January from December which represents its biggest monthly increase since July 2009. The current doubts around economic recovery are exacerbated by the uncertainty caused by the impending general election with employers waiting to see what fiscal policies are put in place by the new government before making significant decisions regarding employment and compensation.

Marion King, chief executive officer at VocaLink, said: "The fact that the VocaLink Take Home Pay Index Report has reached the lowest level in its history reflects the gravity of the current economic situation. The Index has now fallen below the previous low of 1.1% reached in May of last year when we were still in the depths of the recession. This continued fall in wage growth rates combined with rising inflation means that household finances are still under great pressure. Either the recovery will have to strengthen significantly or it will take a long period of slow growth before upward pressure on wages begins to build and the spending power of households begins to recover."

VocaLink processes more than 90% of UK salaries and the VocaLink Take Home Pay Index, established in 2004, provides the most timely and accurate disposable income data available in the UK. It is based on salary payments made to employees on a three-month moving average compared with the same continuation measure a year earlier. It is affected by changes in tax rates, National Insurance and other employer payments or deductions.

About VocaLink
VocaLink is a specialist payments partner to banks, their corporate customers and government departments. It designs and delivers smarter domestic and international automated payments systems, and smarter ATM switching solutions.

VocaLink's switching platform connects over 60,000 ATMs, the world’s busiest network, while the euro payments platform processes more than 500 million payments per month.

VocaLink's Real-time Payments Platform is the central infrastructure for the UK’s Faster Payments Service, whilst it has partnered with BGC, Sweden’s leading payments provider, who now outsource the majority of Sweden’s domestic payments to VocaLink.

VocaLink platforms operate on never-fail technology to ensure total reliability and availability 24 hours a day allowing the company to meet our customer needs.

VocaLink's smarter payments capabilities offer banks, corporates and government departments reach throughout SEPA and beyond.

Hotels.com UK reveals hotel prices drop by 13%

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:56:57 GMT

Hotels.com UK has announced that hotel prices in the UK fell by 13% last year, taking prices across the country to their lowest levels for six years. The UK, which three years ago boasted of the most expensive hotel rooms of any European country, has now slipped to thirteenth place in the league table of European nations.

According to the Hotels.com Hotel Price Index (HPI), the price of a hotel room in the UK was down by 13% in 2009 compared with 2008. On average, Britons paid £84 for rooms across the country in 2009, down from £97 per night the previous year.

For overseas visitors to the UK, the news was even better as the weakness of the Pound coupled with hoteliers lowering their rates to stimulate business meant that the average prices paid by travellers from Europe or the US was down by up to 32% in some UK cities.

The average price paid was down in almost every major UK destination, the only cities to escape the falls were Newquay (where prices rose 13% in 2009) and Oxford (where prices were up 14%). However, the overall trend was for hoteliers to cut their prices. The falls meant that London became a more affordable destination for those planning a visit to the capital, with prices down 7% on 2008, to £106 per night on average.

Despite prices falling in Bath by 11% year-on-year it remained the UK's most expensive city, with its relatively low number of hotel rooms and predominance in the luxury sector. Experiencing the steepest price falls for UK travellers were Southampton (where prices were down 30% to £61 per room per night), Belfast (down 27% to £67) and Aberdeen (down 26% to £78).

The HPI also showed:

For the UK's cheapest rooms, the Midlands was the place to go as Coventry emerged as the UK's best-value city. Prices in Edinburgh were down by 6% to £95 per night, while prices in Cardiff dropped 11% to £81 per night. Prices on Jersey dropped by 17% to an average price of £93 per night, which helped dispel its image as an expensive destination.

David Roche, President of Hotels.com, said: "Step inside the time machine, turn the dial back to 2003, and compare hotel prices then and now. What's changed? Not much. Our latest HPI, covering all of 2009, shows that prices fell globally by 14% on already weak 2008 figures, bringing consumer prices back to levels not seen since 2003.

"Despite some possible first signs of hotel prices recovering in Europe and the US in the last quarter of 2009, the promotions and great value look set to continue for some time yet. 2010 promises to be another great year for the traveller."

-Ends-

Notes to editors:
The Hotels.com HPI tracks the real prices paid per hotel room (rather than advertised rates) for 94,000 hotels across 16,000 locations around the world. The latest HPI looked at prices during 2009 compared to those in 2008. A full copy of the report, maps and graphics are available upon request from 020 7492 0979.

About Hotels.com
As part of the Expedia group which operates in all major markets, Hotels.com offers more than 110,000 hotels, B&Bs and serviced apartments worldwide, including San Francisco hotels, Vegas hotels, hotels in Chicago and New York City hotels. If a customer can find the same deal for less on a prepaid hotel, Hotels.com will match it. Hotels.com benefits from one of the largest hotel contracting teams in the industry negotiating the best rates for its customers, plus there are 1.3m reviews from users who have actually stayed in the hotels to ensure customers make an informed choice when booking. Hotels.com won the Gold Award for best hotel booking site in Webuser magazine in February 2009.

Russell Jones & Walker wins claim against London's oldest gay pub

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:33:41 GMT

Russell Jones & Walker has won a claim of adopting 'an anti-gay policy' against the new owners of London's oldest gay pub on behalf of Mr Charles Lisboa, 41, who joined the Coleherne Arms as Assistant Manager shortly before it re-opened as the Pembroke Arms in December 2008.

The pub, regarded as London's first 'gay pub', had attracted an exclusively gay clientele until its acquisition by Realpubs in 2008. The new owners stated that they intended to refurbish the pub and re-package it as a gastro-pub, to attract patrons from a wider section of the community.

However, soon after the pub re-opened as the Pembroke Arms, Malcolm Heap, Director at Realpubs, expressed concern to staff that the clientele had not really changed. The Tribunal accepted that Mr Heap, along with Jimmy Sydney, the pub's General Manager, took various steps to 'de-gay' the pub, including putting a sign up outside proclaiming, 'This is not a gay pub'.

Mr Heap also stressed in an email to one of Realpub's investors that he was attempting to ban the pub's 'over the top' customers.

Mr Lisboa was uncomfortable with the stance taken by Realpubs' management regarding their attitude to him and the pub's gay customers. On one occasion, Mr Lisboa was asked by Mr Heap to reprimand a gay couple for their behaviour, referring to them as 'queens'. Mr Heap then went on to say that Mr Lisboa was 'another kind of gay'. On a separate occasion, Mr Heap stated that one of Mr Lisboa's colleague's 'walked too camp'.

Only four weeks after joining the Pembroke Arms Mr Lisboa tendered his resignation due to sexual orientation discrimination.

The London Central Employment Tribunal has upheld Mr Lisboa's claim that he was the victim of discrimination at work and awarded him compensation. However, his claim of constructive dismissal was deemed unsuccessful.

Paul Daniels, partner in the award-winning Employment Law Team at Russell Jones & Walker, who acted for Mr Lisboa, said:

"This landmark decision confirms that an establishment that wishes to change from serving a mainly gay clientele to a mixed clientele, must not do so in a way that discriminates against gay clients. The decision also serves as a stark warning to any employer who tolerates abuse and prejudice against gay staff or customers."

Mr Lisboa stated:
"I am delighted to have won my case and to have exposed the discriminatory and anti-gay actions of RealPubs.

No-one should have to put up with repeated abuse and prejudice in the workplace. That is why I brought my case. However, I do not understand how the tribunal found that I had been the victim of a repeated pattern of discriminatory treatment and yet decided I was not entitled to resign in response."

Mr Daniels concluded:
"In this case, the tribunal accepted that numerous abusive comments were made by Realpubs managers referring to gay customers as 'queens' and accusing someone of being 'too camp' and that this amounted to unlawful sexual orientation discrimination against a gay employee.

It is, however, disappointing and very surprising that the tribunal saw fit to conclude that our client was not constructively dismissed following the discriminatory treatment and abusive remarks the tribunal unanimously found he had been subjected to. We are closely studying an appeal on that point."

- ENDS -

Notes to editors:
Case number: 609803.1

About Russell Jones & Walker:
Russell Jones & Walker employs over 400 staff (with 181 lawyers) and is renowned as the leading national firm of solicitors in protecting the rights and legal interest of individuals and those who represent them, and independantly recognised as one of the leaders in the field of Business Crime and regulation. RJW has a network of regional offices and includes those in the following centres: London, Birmingham, Bristol, Wakefield, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield, Cardiff and an associated office in Edinburgh.

Bourne unveils success of Invitrogen Challenge Lab campaign

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:29:22 GMT

Creative digital agency Bourne has announced the successful completion of its innovative Challenge Lab campaign for the Invitrogen brand.

The strategy, which saw Bourne develop an scalable platform based game designed to encourage customer interaction and increase the time users spent on the site, employed emerging new technologies and applications to drive traffic from social networking sites. Now fully deployed in North America, EMEA and APAC, the Challenge Lab site's success in attracting thousands of new users has convinced Invitrogen to dedicate an in-house team to its continued development.

"Invitrogen approached us last year with the brief to develop a game that would engage the end users of their Gibco product, a solution used in laboratory experiments. Traditional methods of promotion had been met with various levels of success and as they were looking for a fresh and engaging way to meet their objectives, we devised a campaign capable of reaching their target market across the web, social media and mobile," said Adrian James, Client Services Director at Bourne.

"The results have been fantastic, demonstrating that with the right mix of technical expertise and creativity, a properly managed digital campaign can engage potential customers far more effectively than traditional marketing techniques - irrespective of how complex or specialised the market is."

Built using cutting-edge FlashPaper game design techniques, Challenge Lab centres on a geometrically designed platform presenting three separate challenges for the user to tackle. Each game tests a specific skill – logic, memory or knowledge - with participants set the objective of working their way through each game, racking up high scores to compete for Gibco benefits and prizes and also competing against their peers.

The game's three challenges: Lab racer, Culture rush and Brain game all encouraged visitors to create a personalised Avatar, which they can print out and stick to the wall of a lab or office. The platform also contains prize draws and offers allowing end users to send off for T-shirts, 3-D glasses, Ipods and games consoles.

An experiential platform promoted via social media buzz generated through a succesful twitter launch, Facebook fan page and outreach programme designed to reach key bloggers and opinion influencers in the sector, the Challenge Lab campaign has attracted almost 4,000 users to date. Having delivered against all of the key goals set for the project - particularly in significantly increasing the time users spend on Invitrogen.com - further investment will see the game further developed in the months ahead.

"The Invitrogen Challenge Lab has brought a fresh, fun and more intimate dimension to our global marketing strategy. We have connected with our customers in a more relaxed and open setting, collected valuable profile and behavioural data, and used the platform to improve awareness of our products and promotions. It has boosted excitement and engagement within our sales force, making conversations about our brand easier for them to initiate with customers who are interested in the Challenge Lab," said Di Foxx, Senior Market Development Manager, Life Technologies.

About Bourne
Geared to provide creativity that converts, Bourne is a leading digital agency with a difference. Their digital strategy experts operate globally from offices in Glasgow, London and New York, devising high-level creative and strategic campaigns that put their clients' brands in front of the audiences that matter.

Experts in PPC, SEO, CMS deployment, Lead Generation, enterprise technical solutions and cross-channel projects in multiple languages, content tones and styles using their own multilingual e-communication application (BASIS), Bourne's solutions deliver outstanding ROI for a range of leading brands including Ricoh, Dell, Symantec, Canon, McAfee, Royal Caribbean, Invitrogen and Adidas.