AND news - February 2008
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New interactive video website from Jobsite offers jobseekers practise with UK’s leading bosses
Visitor numbers to This is Money top the million mark
Motors.co.uk birthday survey shows 'The Three C's' are the biggest concern for UK car buyers
DMGT expands online job division with the acquisition of Oilcareers.com
Northcliffe Media enjoys record January online
FindaProperty.com launches television campaign
ThisisMoney partners with aap to offer exclusive endowment deal
New interactive video website from Jobsite offers jobseekers practise with UK’s leading bosses
13th February 2008
A new interactive video based website offering interview practise with real business bosses from some of the UK’s leading companies launches today.
Set up by www.jobsite.co.uk, one of the UK’s leading online recruiters, BeMyInterviewer.co.uk will help jobseekers better prepare for job interviews with insights and introductions to some of the UK’s leading bosses and business sectors.
BeMyInterviewer.co.uk lets users select from over 100 streamed videos of job interview questions from the likes of Duncan Bannatyne, CEO of the Bannatyne Group and star of Dragons’ Den, Ruth Badger, businesswoman, consultant and runner up on The Apprentice and Jacqueline Gold, CEO of Ann Summers and Knickerbox.
BeMyInterviewer.co.uk offers users a unique insight into the minds of actual interviewers, whilst helping candidates gain a better understanding of certain organisations and sectors. The Q&A video format offers clear insights into why certain interview questions are asked and what would make a good answer. The site’s functionality allows users to access particular questions or sit through an entire interview so whether users have minutes or hours to prepare, the site aims to help boost confidence, helping to end interview jitters.
Keith Potts, CEO of Jobsite explains: “Our candidates tell us that it’s one thing to find a job that matches your skills and experience, but quite another to be able to sell yourself in an interview chair. With 13.4 million people looking to change jobs in 2008(1), we have created BeMyInterviewer.co.uk for everyone that wants to be successful at interviews.”
“BeMyInterviewer is a completely new way to prepare for interviews. As well as giving users a chance to get a feel for the interview situation and what they can expect, candidates gain genuine insights from real business leaders into how they interview and what kind of answers they look for. Like it or not, interviews are a fact of life and unless we get better at them we’ll continue to miss out on pay rises and promotion.”
Duncan Bannatyne, Serial Entrepreneur, Dragons’ Den and one of the interviewers on BeMyInterviewer says “I’m a serial entrepreneur. I’ve built up a number of successful businesses and have interviewed hundreds of candidates. When I’m looking for people to run my companies, I want someone who knows the industry, knows my business, has looked at it, understands it, and knows what I want to do and where they are going.”
“Candidates must do their research on the company and the industry, and make sure they are ready to discuss their experiences. A great resource for interview-hopefuls is BeMyInterviewer.co.uk – it’s a sensible tool to help candidates practise their skills prior to an interview.”
According to the Jobsite research, one in three jobseekers failed to receive a single job offer in the past year – 10 per cent of the UK population. Poor interview technique was the single biggest reason for failure (11 per cent), with falling victim to nerves (11 per cent) or being out of interview practice (nine per cent) other major factors.
The launch of the site is supported by a fully integrated digital, PR and print advertising campaign. To find out how your company can benefit from BeMyInterviewer.co.uk please contact 0844 5619066.
For more information, please contact:
Cheryl Morgan, Jobsite UK (Worldwide) Ltd, Tel: 0844 561 9066
Michael Sheen, Band & Brown Communications, Tel: 020 7419 8616 / 7000
(1) Research was carried out online by independent market research agency 72point who interviewed a sample of 5,000 British adults between December 2007 and January 2008.
Visitor numbers to ThisisMoney top the million mark
13th February 2008
The number of monthly visitors to the UK's leading financial website, This is Money, has exceeded one million for the first time. Helped by the uncertainty in stock markets following the credit crisis and Nothern Rock fiasco, the site attracted a total of 1,083,838 unique users during January, a 42% increase from 762,346 a year ago and double 514,784 visitors in January 2006.
The readers looked at 9,468,110 page impressions. More than 80% of the visitors were from the UK and nearly 90% of the pages were viewed from this country, an exceptionally high rate for a UK national news website.
This is Money strives to deliver news that investors and consumers can use, and advice and analysis to help them make the right decisions on personal finance, investment and consumer choices. It covers everything from City news - for the benefit of small shareholders - to property, broadband, and advice on setting up a business. The site has 90,000 registered investment portfolios and attracts tens of thousands of reader comments and forum posts every month.
The site also campaigns for readers' rights and intervenes in personal cases, winning back thousands of pounds. Together with the site's charge reclaiming guides and related content, the figure is likely to run into the millions: http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/bank-charge-success-stories
Editor Andrew Oxlade said: “This is Money has been growing at a tremendous rate in recent years. We have focused on what our readers want - fast and accurate news with analysis to explain what it means. Our campaigns for consumer justice and dogged pursuit of rip-offs and sharp practices by the financial services industry has also helped us connect with readers in a way that other websites haven't.”
Oxlade concluded: “Trust in financial services had hit its lowest ebb for some time. To stem the tide, financial services providers must recognise that the role of the ‘trusted adviser’ has changed dramatically over recent years and consumers are now taking matters into their own hands with the help of the internet. They have a thirst for truly independent information that empowers them to make informed decisions for themselves, and continued drama within the sector will only fuel this trend.”
For further information, please contact:
Amie Pascoe
T: 0113 287 8933 (Direct)
F: 0113 287 0111
M: 07917 351 187
E: amie.pascoe@propaganda.co.uk
Motors.co.uk birthday survey shows ‘The Three C’s’ are the biggest concern for UK car buyers
13th February 2008
The three C’s – cost, congestion and CO2 emissions - are the biggest issues concerning UK car buyers today, new research has revealed.
Motors.co.uk, one of the UK’s leading used car websites, has surveyed the opinions of 1,013 car buyers to find the definitive list of issues UK drivers feel will affect their car buying – and owning – habits over the coming year.
The research, commissioned by the website to mark its first year helping car buyers get a better deal, revealed the escalating cost of fuel was by far the largest concern for drivers. Over 63 per cent of motorists cited this as their single biggest motoring worry, with a third of these (34 per cent) saying fuel costs will now influence their choice of car for a smaller or more efficient model.
Next in the motoring misery league was the impact of congestion, with one in five (21 per cent) of drivers saying the impact of road works and jams were their biggest concern for the coming year, whilst an ‘eco-ficient’ 14 per cent said that their main focus would be reducing their carbon tyre print.
Katie Armitage, Marketing Manager for motors.co.uk said: “Motors.co.uk was launched a year ago to help give motorists everything they need to get a better deal and during this time we’ve seen a raft of factors – from rocketing fuel costs to green factors influencing their concerns.
“Over 2.3 million drivers now use our sites every month for car buying advice and our research has shown that fuel costs are a real worry for most of them. According to industry experts, the rise in the price of North Sea oil will generate an extra £3 billion for the Treasury – apparently enough to fund a 6p cut in fuel duty, yet they continue to squeeze motorists for more.
“Scrapping the April tax hike on fuel is one way the Government can help motorists and so we’re launching an online petition for those people wanting to lobbying the Government on this.”
The Issues Index: The Motors.co.uk guide to the biggest concerns affecting UK motorists today:
1. Fuel: A number of professional bodies including The British Chamber of Commerce is urging the Government to scrap the planned, 2p per litre increase in fuel duty in April –the past 12 months has seen record increases with unleaded petrol currently hitting up to 114.9p a litre in some parts of the country and averaging at 104.4p. Fuel tax was increased by 2p in October and a further increase of 1.84p is due in April 2009.
2. Congestion: One of the biggest banes for motorists, the Department of Transport has said that without action, UK road congestion will worsen by 25% over the next 10 years and we’ll be charged extra for sitting in jams!
3. CO2 Emissions: The overall CO2 emission level of cars sold in 2007 reduced by 1.16 per cent to 164.39 g/km however the Government now aims to reduce this further to 130g/km by 2012 and tax incentives and cheaper green fuels for motorists have been suggested as one way of helping meet this.
4. Road Tolls: The Government is moving ahead with ‘pay as you drive’ road pricing trials in 10 cities across the UK, with a possible introduction nationally in the next four to five years, despite 2 million people signing a Downing Street petition against the move.
5. Inflation: Deteriorating economic conditions may have resulted in an interest rate cut, but with car buyers disposable incomes constricting it may only a matter of time before new car sales are caught up in the general slowdown.
To add your name to the motors.co.uk fuel tax increase petition go to www.motors.co.uk.
For more information contact:
Louise Vaughan (Tel : 07940 591593), Claire Davis or Simon Baylis at Acceleris Marketing Communications on 0845 4567 251 or email louisev@acceleris-mc.com
It's a tale of two markets as prime London asking prices rise again, while the prime country and mainstream markets continue to struggle
12th February 2008
The rather gloomy picture of the prime London property market in November and December 2007, illustrated by the Primelocation.com House Price Index, reflected a mood of caution from buyers alongside a glut of potential sellers attempting to achieve a sale before prices declined even further. This difficult combination led to a fall in prices and a reduction in transaction levels. However, the start of 2008 has already witnessed a significant change in the stand-off between buyers and sellers.
The volume of property for sale across prime London has plummeted, down 10.7% in just one month, as potential sellers decide to wait for more favourable selling conditions. This double-digit fall in the number of properties for sale is the largest single monthly drop since the Index began and the impact has led to a temporary recovery in asking prices. Average asking prices have increased by 3.4% since December. However, it is too early to tell whether the price recovery will be sustained.
Commenting on the performance of the prime London property market, Ian Springett, Chief Executive of Primelocation.com, states, “The resilience of the prime and super-prime property sectors in London has shielded the capital from much of the uncertainty surrounding the mainstream market, where affordability issues and the tightening of lending criteria have led to a stalling market. Many potential vendors have adopted a wait and see approach, perhaps feeling that the current climate is not conducive to a quick sale at the best possible price. Indeed, many have withdrawn their properties from the market in the hope that conditions will improve. This has culminated in a double-digit drop in the volume of properties on the market compared with December. But with fewer properties to choose from and sustained demand from the City investors and international money, asking prices have been pushed upwards”.
Keep up to speed with changes in UK property values with the Primelocation.com House Price Index. Our unique property market indicator shows trends in house prices and rental prices in different regions across the UK. Click here to read more.
DMGT expands online job division with the acquisition of Oilcareers.com
8th February 2008
From today OilCareers.com, a niche job board for the oil and gas industry, joins AND’s recruitment division, under the guidance of Jobsite.
Oilcareers.com is a key player in the oil and gas industry attracting an impressive 285,000 unique visitors each month with a database of approximately 220,000 searchable candidate CVs. Oilcareers.com works with the leading recruitment agencies and employers in the oil and gas industry who post almost 6,000 vacancies per month.
Oilcareers.com becomes the eighth company to join AND’s growing portfolio of recruitment sites and is a continuation of the strategy led by Jobsite to extend audience reach, group capabilities and footprint across both generalist and niche industry verticals. Under the deal terms, Oilcareers.com will retain its brand name and continue to be managed and based in Aberdeen. Through the acquisition, Oilcareers.com will be able to draw on Jobsite’s thirteen year’s of experience as one of the leading online recruitment sites.
Commenting on the launch, Graeme Munro, MD of Oilcareers.com said: “Oilcareers.com is a leading job board catering for a growing and global industry sector. It is a key tool for those in the oil and gas industry to both find and fill vacancies. Our acquisition by AND will enable us to utilise Jobsite’s knowledge, expertise and resources to deliver an even better service to all our users.”
Keith Potts, CEO of Jobsite, leading the acquisition on behalf of AND, comments, “We are delighted to bring Oilcareers.com into the portfolio as it complements our existing network and capabilities in online recruitment, covering the key verticals that are important to our clients. By combining the existing team at Oilcareers.com with the Jobsite infrastructure and resources, the company has the opportunity to accelerate its rapid growth and we look forward to supporting them with these plans."
Prior to the purchase of Oilcareers.com, Jobsite and AND have previously acquired seven niche online recruitment businesses, comprising Cityjobs.com, Top-Consultant.com, OfficeRecruit.com, InRetail.co.uk , ProductionBase.co.uk, Conkers.net and JobsGroup.net. In addition Jobsite has launched 15 niche sites, ranging from accountancy to sales.
For further press information please contact:
Cheryl Morgan, Jobsite UK (Worldwide) Ltd
Tel: 08707 748566
Email: cheryl.morgan@jobsite.co.uk
Northcliffe Media enjoys record January online
8th February 2008
Northcliffe Media is celebrating record levels of traffic to its 50 local newspaper websites that operate under the ‘this is’ brand.
The network which includes thisishull, thisisnottingham, thisisleicestershire and thisisbristol has experienced 56% growth in unique visitors year-on-year to 2,740,000 for January, with visits also up 56% to 7,670,000 and page views up 43% to 51,000,000 – the first time the 50m barrier has ever been broken in a single month by Northcliffe.
The strongest growth was seen in jobs and news/sport, with more than 8,400,000 pages of properties being viewed and more than 34,700,000 of editorial content.
Michael Pelosi, managing director of Northcliffe Media, said: “We believe the substantial and sustained increases in traffic to our network are the result of two factors - empowering our local centres to own and be responsible for internet publishing, just as they are with their print titles and a marked increase in marketing activity via our newspapers, local outdoor advertising and of course online.’
“Integrating digital publishing fully into the local centres has allowed our staff to turn their enthusiasm for the internet into reality and to allow them to publish both editorially and commercially to the most appropriate platform at the most appropriate time”
For more details please contact:
Sean Mahon, Director of Marketing, 07909 926071, sean.mahon@northcliffemedia.co.uk
Mike Rowley, Digital Director, 020 7400 1414, mike.rowley@northcliffemedia.co.uk
Robert Hardie, Content Strategy Director, 07734 743613, robert.hardie@northcliffemedia.co.uk
FindaProperty.com launches television campaign
7th February 2008
Leading UK property search portal FindaProperty.com announces the launch of its television advertising campaign, scheduled to run from 11th February to the 16th March.The first commercial will air on Monday, 11th February, at 19.45 during the Coronation Street break.
The first TV burst will reach some 8 million viewers and will be followed by a further burst in April/May which is expected to reach over 13 million viewers.
FindaProperty.com has worked with its media planners to include within its schedule the programmes typically watched by ABC1 adults looking to move home in the next 12 months. The multi-million pound television campaign is part of FindaProperty.com’s increased marketing activity, a three-fold boost on 2007’s investment.
As part of the national campaign and the company’s ongoing expansion into key regions across the UK, FindaProperty.com will continue to focus on targeted local marketing across search engines, radio, press and outdoor advertising.
FindaProperty.com prides itself on being a strong resource for local agents and the TV campaign is another way the property portal is supporting and promoting the activities of estate agents.
The advertisement brings to life the flying ducks seen in the FindaProperty.com’s logo, and highlights the company’s new strap line, “Where the properties come flying in.”
To create the ad campaign, FindaProperty.com carried out extensive consumer research to find out what was most important when searching for property, and spoke to house-hunters from different age groups and socio-demographic groups across the country.
Jon Notley, Sales Director of FindaProperty.com comments: “We are thrilled to bring FindaProperty.com into the homes of our users. The ducks have always been a distinctive part of our brand conveying the qualities we stand by: resourcefulness, experience and approachability, innovation and enthusiasm.”
Click here to see the FindaProperty.com advert.
ThisisMoney partners with aap to offer exclusive endowment deal
7th February 2008
Personal finance site, This is Money has joined forces with aap, the UK’s largest endowment policy buyer, to offer an exclusive endowment service to visitors to the site. A dedicated endowment section has been created, which is sponsored by aap and contains information that informs visitors of all the options available to them should they want to dispense with their endowment policy.
By 1993 endowments had become so popular that 64% of all mortgage holders had taken one out. However according to a new Money Management survey, over a period of 25 years the average policy has only achieved an 8% return, compared with a return of 9.6% from the UK All Companies sector, and around eight in 10 endowment policies are unlikely to pay off the full mortgage they were taken out to cover. With approximately eight million mortgage endowment policies in the UK, that equates to around 6.4 million policies falling short*.
All of this has resulted in many people deciding to surrender their endowment back to the life company, instead of looking at selling it for more money.
Andy Mossack, marketing director, aap explained: “Many people are unaware of the alternative options to surrendering their endowment, including selling it through a market maker like aap who specialises in buying endowment policies and selling them on to institutional investors. If we make an offer to buy the endowment it will always be more than the surrender value - sometimes up to 35% more, and we offer customers a free valuation of their policy. Life Companies are now obligated to let their customers know that selling it on is an alternative to surrender and should be investigated.”
The partnership with This is Money is designed to raise awareness of the options to those people wanting to cash in their endowment, and endowment policy shortfall is not the only catalyst. aap’s recent study revealed that the top five reasons behind why people do not hold onto their policy until maturity are:
1. Re-structuring finances or mortgages
2. Concern about value not covering future mortgage payments
3. Moving house
4. The endowment policy is part of a divorce settlement
5. Cash worries.
Chris Gill, marketing manager, This is Money commented: “Circumstances change, and people should be made aware of all the options open to them, which at the moment simply isn’t happening. aap’s service fits perfectly with what This is Money is all about - providing people with the information that enables them to make informed decisions and ultimately make the most of their money.”
This is Money users will be able to access aap’s valuation form directly through the site and aap will also be the first port of call for editorial comment, as well as being This is Money’s ‘agony aunt’ for readers’ endowment related questions.
Mossack explained: “We chose to partner with This is Money because the audience profile and site content fits so well. Very few finance sites focus on objectively supplying information on personal money, and we feel that This is Money offers the ideal environment to communicate with aap’s key target audience.”
Gill concluded: “We are hoping that this will be the start of a very long relationship with aap. We are always looking for reputable organisations that can help our visitors to better manage their finances, and would encourage other financial services providers to explore similar opportunities that the This is Money site can offer.”