Marketing Week articles from December 2005

Marketing Week archives from December 2005

Gov't plans to criminalise 'pester power' advertising.(Department of Trade and Industry)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... DTI response to European Directive suggests that `aggressive practices' should be prosecuted The Government plans to criminalise the advertising industry's attempts to use "pester power" to snare children, at the insistence of the...

Highland Spring in play as Coke pursues water brand.(Coca-Cola Great Britain)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Coca-Cola GB is plotting to buy a bottled water brand, almost two years after the Dasani disaster, in yet another attempt to crack the UK water market. It is thought that Highland Spring, the third-best selling water in the UK after...

Mercedes and Smart face marketing redundancies.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Marketing jobs at Mercedes-Benz and Smart could be at risk after parent company DaimlerChrysler announced it is to make 130 UK staff redundant out of a total slightly above 850. The company has started a 90-day consultation period as part...

Dixons to pull the plug on in-store radio programme.(Dixons Group PLC)(Immedia)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Electrical retailer Dixons will axe its in-store radio next month, when its contract with provider Immedia comes to an end. Immedia provides the Dixons Live station in 200 of the retailer's 220 stores nationwide - but the station will go...

Former Heinz VP of brands to head The Light Agency.(Scott Garrett)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Heinz's former vice-president of brands Scott Garrett has joined mobile marketing company The Light Agency as chief executive. Garrett, who starts this week, has been briefed to grow the 20-strong company behind mobile phone-based...

US cereal cafe chain plans to break into the UK market.(Cereality)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Cereality, the US fast-food chain that serves brand-name breakfast cereals, looks set to open in the UK next year, as part of the company's worldwide expansion plans. Cereality was launched in the US 18 months ago and has only four...

Bacardi-Martini promotes sales chief to global role.(Maurice Doyle )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Bacardi-Martini UK has promoted commercial director Maurice Doyle to managing director for global travel and retail. The move is part of a restructure of the company following the promotion of Stella David to the global chief marketing...

Barclays picks Rees to boost insurance brand.(Rob Rees)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Barclays has appointed consultant Rob Rees as interim marketing director for its Insurance brand, which relaunched on a "price promise" in April. The bank signed a partnership with Aviva to sell products underwritten exclusively through...

Google seeks UK head for Euro push.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Google is recruiting a top marketer for the UK and Ireland as part of its marketing expansion in Europe. Google director of European marketing Lorraine Twohill says that the search giant is conducting "an aggressive push to find marketing...

IN BRIEF: Teddyphone.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Teddyphone Ltd has launched a teddy bear-shaped mobile phone aimed at children as young as four. Earlier this year, the Health Protection Agency discouraged the use of mobile phones by children under eight. The phone's manufacturer says it...

IN BRIEF: Online security tsar.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... The Government has been urged to appoint an online security 'tsar' to tackle hackers and terrorists. Mark Pritchard, MP for The Wrekin, says the dedicated role should be created in response to the rising number of Web viruses, which could...

IN BRIEF: British Gas.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... British Gas faces the prospect of five strikes over the Christmas and New Year period. Thousands of British Gas engineers plan to walk out in a row over pension packages. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

IN BRIEF: Coca-Cola.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Coca-Cola and other major US beverage companies are preparing to face legal action from lawyers who won major settlements against the country's tobacco industry, and are now taking on the soft drinks industry for selling high-calorie drinks in...

IN BRIEF: Vodafone.(appointed Dominic Chambers)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Vodafone has appointed Dominic Chambers as head of brand and marketing communications in the UK following the departure of Martin Tod earlier this year (MW May 19). Chambers, a former marketing director of Uniqlo, has been occupying the role...

IN BRIEF: 3.(Gareth Jones resigned from Hutchison 3G UK Ltd.)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... 3 chief operating officer Gareth Jones is understood to be leaving the mobile company without a job to go to. He is credited with turning around 3's fortunes and his departure is thought to be part of a restructure of the company's UK...

IN BRIEF: Hard Rock Cafe.(appointed Zachary Soreff)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Hard Rock Cafe has appointed Zachary Soreff as regional director of marketing Europe. He is a former head of enterprise and brand development at EMAP Magazines. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

IN BRIEF: Stationery Box.(appointed Chris Boardman )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Stationery Box has appointed Chris Boardman as its first buying and marketing director, amid the chain's UK expansion plans. Boardman is to join the retailer in January from Wilkinson, where he was a buyer. He will report to chief executive...

IN BRIEF: Egg.(appointed Alison Wright)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Egg, the Prudential-owned credit card company, has appointed WCRS business director Alison Wright as its chief marketing officer. She takes over from Andy Deller, who becomes chief executive of Zurich- owned Dunbar Bank. Copyright: Centaur...

Golden Wonder restructures after marketing chief quits.(Rob Morgan resigns )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Golden Wonder marketing director Rob Morgan has left the company after two years in the role. It is understood that he has quit to go into consultancy work. The crisp manufacturer has restructured its marketing team instead of replacing...

InBev UK launches Extra Cold variants: Castlemaine XXXX & Boddingtons.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... InBev UK is to launch two beer variants in the New Year, continuing the market trend for "extra cold" beverages. Chilled versions of Castlemaine XXXX and Boddingtons are to be rolled out from January 1 next year following successful...

Morgan Stanley director warns against chasing 'card tarts'.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Credit-card companies should stop chasing "credit-card tarts" and start building customer loyalty, says Morgan Stanley consumer marketing director Patrick Muir. The call to action comes as the American financial giant launches its...

Whisky body seeks legal protection of definitions.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Terms such as "single malt" and "Speyside" are likely to be given legal protection, under an agreement between the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) and the Scottish Executive announced earlier this week. The SWA also wants legal...

Pizza Hut unveils '50 per cent bigger' pizza.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Pizza Hut is launching a pizza under the Big New Yorker brand that is 50 per cent bigger than its standard products. The fast-food chain says it is its biggest pizza yet. The Big New Yorker, which will launch on December 1, will be a...

Analysis: Travel operators ready to cut out the middle man.
December 1, 2005... The annual Association of British Travel Agents convention, held last week in Marrakech, was dominated by Thomson's announcement that it is lowering the commission it pays to high street travel agents for selling its holidays, from a...

Littlewoods head of marketing takes on mature brands.(marketing strategies of Matt Stead of Littlewoods Organisation PLC)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Littlewoods marketing director Matt Stead has been appointed brand director of mature brands following a restructure at the retailer. Stead joined Littlewoods last year (MW April 1, 2004) from Marks & Spencer, where he was head of...

Foreign Office unveils travel insurance awareness drive.(Foreign and Commonwealth Office)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has launched an awareness campaign warning travellers of the dangers of going on holiday without insurance. The film forms part of the government department's "Know Before You Go" initiative,...

Analysis: A hard case for soft-selling.(Group 4 Securicor PLC)
December 1, 2005... As a basic human need, security should be at the front of everyone's minds. Yet even after the September 11 attacks, the UK seemed to lapse into a false sense of safety - at least until the London bombings on July 7. The Government last...

Carat faces #30m BK media pitch.(Burger King Corp.)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Burger King is consolidating its #30m pan-European media planning and buying business and has invited four undisclosed agencies to pitch for the business against incumbent Carat. The pitches are understood to be taking place next week....

St Luke's wins #70m launch business for BT Openreach.(British Telecommunications PLC)(St. Luke's Communications Ltd.)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... St Luke's has been appointed to handle the #70m launch of BT's new Openreach division, after the agency decided not to repitch for the #17m business-to-business account, which is being reviewed. The agency's design and brand consultancy,...

G4S seeks DM agencies for 'quickfire' security campaigns.(Group 4 Securicor PLC)(direct marketing )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... G4S, the security services company formed by the merger of Group 4 and Securicor, is seeking a roster of agencies to add to its direct marketing capabilities, working with a budget of about #1.5m. G4S marketing director Douglas Greenwell...

IN BRIEF: Karmarama.(English Table Tennis Association)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Karmarama has created a new graphic identity for the English Table Tennis Association, as part of a rebranding exercise. The work includes a new logo and colour scheme. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

IN BRIEF: Geronimo.(Sociedad Espanola de Automoviles de Turismo S.A.)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Geronimo has been appointed to handle Seat's direct marketing business following a protracted review. The car marque initially shortlisted incumbent FCBi London, WWAV Rapp Collins and Kitcatt Nohr Alexander Shaw to pitch for the business but...

IN BRIEF: Marketing Store.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Thomas Cook has appointed the Marketing Store to create a multi-million pound campaign, following a three-way pitch. The agency will develop a series of partnership promotions to drive customer numbers and revenue, and improve marketing...

IN BRIEF: JWT.(JWT Group Inc.)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... JWT is seeking a greater foothold in the former Soviet states by merging with Ravi, the leading advertising agency within Russia's Video International Group. JWT owner WPP Group hopes to take advantage of the burgeoning Russian market. ...

IN BRIEF: Coors.(Coors Brewers Ltd.)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Coors has shortlisted incumbent Leith London, Beattie McGuinness Bungay, Vallance Carruthers Coleman Priest and Euro RSCG for its Carling lager account. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

IN BRIEF: Fallon.(Pot Noodle)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Fallon is the third agency on the shortlist for the #10m Pot Noodle account, alongside Mother and incumbent HHCL United. Fallon is not a Unilever Foods roster agency. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

Superdrug scraps #10m above-the-line advertising.(Superdrug Stores PLC)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Superdrug, the health and beauty retail chain, is axing all of its estimated #10m above-the-line creative work with immediate effect. The company has become the third high-profile brand to axe television advertising this year, following...

New Campaign: Honda.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Wieden & Kennedy's much-anticipated follow-up to the multi-award winning Honda "Grrr" campaign breaks on Friday. "Impossible Dream" features past and present Honda products, including the very first Super Cub C100 bike produced in 1958 and a...

Butcher's hands Infocus dogfood advertising brief.(Butcher's Pet Care)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Butcher's Pet Care has appointed Milton Keynes agency Infocus to handle the #1m ad account for its flagship dogfood brand. The agency won the business without a pitch. Infocus will develop a campaign to raise awareness of the brand and...

InterContinental reviews its #10m Euro ad business.(Intercontinental Hotels Group PLC)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... The InterContinental Hotels Group is understood to be reviewing its pan- European advertising business, while seeking new media and direct marketing agencies. The latest review comes as the hotel chain looks for direct marketing and media...

Fallon yields #2m InBev Leffe UK brief to Burnett.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Leo Burnett has taken the #2m UK brief for InBev speciality beer brand Leffe from Publicis Groupe sister agency Fallon London. Fallon won the account, which is held globally by Leo Burnett, without a pitch in May (MW May 19). Burnett had...

Analysis: 'Safe hands' to pour oil on JWT's troubled waters.(appointment of Toby Hoare at JWT London)
December 1, 2005... JWT London's appointment of former Bates and Young & Rubicam chief executive Toby Hoare as executive chairman of its UK operations (MW last week) follows the agency's attempts to reposition itself as a creative powerhouse, which has been met...

IN BRIEF: CITB-Construction Skills.(Construction Industry Training Board)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... CITB-Construction Skills, the training body for the construction industry, is understood to be holding pitches for its #1m media and direct marketing accounts through COI Communications. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

IN BRIEF: TiVo.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... TiVo, the digital video recorder manufacturer, is to launch an advertising search service from spring 2006. It will provide 'relevant and targeted' advertising to subscribers who want to view specific categories. Copyright: Centaur...

IN BRIEF: Sony Ericsson.(Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Sony Ericsson is to take its first steps into advertiser-funded programming by hosting a live music event called Christmas Calling. The event, which will air on Channel 4 in December, has been created by Freedom Media. Copyright: Centaur...

IN BRIEF: Manchester United Football Club.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Coca-Cola, Google, IBM, LG Electronics, O2 and Nokia are among the brands believed to be in the running to take over from Vodafone as Manchester United's shirt sponsor after the mobile giant ended its #36m deal two years early to sign up as a...

European sponsorship deals 'to double by 2010'.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Sponsorship spending across Europe is set to double by the end of the decade, according to a prediction from the European Sponsorship Association (ESA). ESA chairman Nigel Currie says sponsorship makes up eight per cent of total European...

Tesco builds in-house publishing team.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Tesco is building an in-house publishing team in its marketing department to capitalise on its burgeoning non-food product range. The UK's number one retailer is seeking a head of design, as well as copywriters, photographers and other...

Times Newspapers fills top marketing job.(appointment of Simon Bell)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Times Newspapers Limited (TNL), which publishes The Times and The Sunday Times, as well as Times Online, has appointed Simon Bell as sales and marketing director. Bell joins from Hachette Filipacchi, where he was responsible for Elle and...

Cover price rises inevitable - PPA.(Periodical Publishers Association )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Consumer magazine price rises are "inevitable" if the removal of the cap on Royal Mail's distribution charges goes ahead, warns the Periodical Publishers Association (PPA). The trade body says "time is running out" for it to persuade...

Thomson in interactive window trial.(Thomson Travel Group PLC)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Travel company Thomson is trialling the UK travel industry's first interactive window display at its Leicester store. The move is the latest digital innovation by Thomson, which says that similar units will be installed at branches around...

Analysis: Capital 95.8FM cuts down ad clutter.
December 1, 2005... When 95.8 Capital FM was knocked off its perch as London's biggest commercial radio station for the first time in 32 years in the third- quarter Rajar figures, a dramatic recovery plan was needed. But few predicted Capital owner GCap Media,...

Mail on Sunday prepares spring launch for standalone You mag.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... The Mail on Sunday's You magazine is to go on sale on newsstands on Mondays and Tuesdays, starting in the spring, according to industry insiders. A #15m makeover of the women's supplement will see it adopt "Grazia- quality" silk-finish...

New Campaign: Lastminute.com.(Viacom Outdoor)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Viacom Outdoor is unveiling digital advertising screens on London buses this week, with Lastminute.com as its first client. The online travel company has booked the full-colour, bus-side displays for 12 weeks, with a campaign planned by...

England 'keeper seeks sponsors for golfing event.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... A charity golf tournament organised by England goalkeeper Paul Robinson is looking for a headline sponsor. The sponsorship is likely to cost about #250,000, although it is understood the organisers have not decided whether that will come...

Mazda seeks partners for models' community sites.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Mazda is talking to major hotel chains and other leisure-related brands, with a view to making them marketing partners for its existing MX-5 community website and planned RX-8 site, as part of a major relaunch of its online activities from...

French top Euro Web-use league.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... The French are Europe's most committed Web users, with the British and the Spanish in joint second place, according to new research. French consumers spend, on average, 13 hours a week online. A third use the internet for more than 16 hours...

EMI and Inspired launch listening-posts in record shops.(EMI Music UK)(Inspired Broadcast Networks)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... EMI Music UK has linked up with pay-to-play digital company Inspired Broadcast Networks to put broadband touch-screen listening posts in 30 independent record shops. The devices, called Soundscreens, can be updated remotely by EMI,...

Coin-operated internet terminals in Virgin stores.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Digital services and payphone company Spectrum Interactive has signed a deal with Virgin Retail to put coin-operated internet terminals in bigger Virgin stores. Three stores, including the flagship Oxford Circus Megastore, will be equipped...

IN BRIEF: Google.(pay-per-call service)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Google in the US has announced a pay-per-call service, Google Click-to- Call. Consumers can click on a green phone icon next to an AdWords listing and be connected with the advertiser free of charge. The service will use a Voice over Internet...

IN BRIEF: MSN.(Microsoft Network L.L.C.)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... MSN has signed five leading footballers to provide exclusive content for its news services during next year's World Cup. The five are England's Michael Owen, Brazil's Ronaldinho, Italy's Gianluigi Buffon, Spain's Xabi Alonso and the...

IN BRIEF: Media Masters.(Age Concern's Weekly Lottery)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Media Masters has created a tell-a-friend prize draw for Age Concern's Weekly Lottery. Site visitors provide e-mail addresses for three friends, who are then entered into a lottery. If one wins, the sender also wins. Copyright: Centaur...

IN BRIEF: Drake and Cavendish.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Drake & Cavendish, the luxury travel search engine, has hired digital marketing agency TAMBA to revamp its website and create an online advertising campaign to boost site visitor numbers to 1 million a month. Advertisers will be given...

Letter: Why Diageo is right to hold agencies to account.(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2005... Diageo's strategy to review agencies by performance, best practice and pay (MW November 10) comes as no surprise. The ability of the field marketing industry to demonstrate return on investment (ROI) has been a key factor in its...

Letter: E-mail marketing is the greatest of levellers.(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2005... Tesco should be praised for its pro-active approach to e-mail marketing, but it's not just about who shouts loudest. Effective e-mail marketing is more about relevance than volume. Ultimately, relevance is the critical factor in all...

Letter: Reverse search for online to go forward.(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2005... I was amused reading Guy Phillipson's long-term predictions on the future of search, which included the GoogleFez hat that will solve all our information needs, in his article on paid-for search (MW November 10). However, he made a very...

Letter: Below the line is not beneath ad agencies.(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2005... It's interesting that David Benady's article on advertising agency management (MW last week) seemed to take quite an insulting tone when suggesting that adland might have to recruit bosses from below-the- line. How dreadful! What has the...

Letter: DM must function on more than one level.(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2005... I couldn't agree more with Richard Roche's comments about the importance of taking a multi-channel approach to engage more effectively with customers (MW last week). Clearly traditional media such as catalogues still have an important...

Letter: Internet can keep its own house in order.(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2005... Coming back to Lindley Baptiste's rant regarding my comments on the censorship of viral e-mails (MW November 17), which clearly misses the point. Why do we need some subjective bureaucrat to decide what is right or wrong, moral or immoral?...

Leader: Tough times for the forces of reaction.
December 1, 2005... Two years ago, the ASA roundly condemned British Nuclear Fuels' (BNFL's) last advertising campaign: 'The future of the environment is in safe hands'. It isn't, ruled the ASA; or rather, BNFL could not substantiate the claim. There, in a...

STELLA DAVID: The cat's whiskers.(Biography)
December 1, 2005... Stella David's 'work hard, play hard' ethos has worked wonders for Bacardi in the UK, but can she repeat the trick now that she has been given global responsibility for the brand? By Sonoo Singh Few marketers can truthfully claim to...

NUCLEAR POWER: Nuclear at its core.
December 1, 2005... As the UK Energy Review launches this week, arguments on the future of power generation fly in opposite directions. Can the nuclear industry find a way to shed past safety issues and offer an alternative to supply shortages and reduced...

MEDIA: The public wants a permanent break from ad bombardment.(GCap Media PLC)
December 1, 2005... There is no financial incentive for media owners to reduce advertising - GCap's share price fell after it announced such a strategy for Capital FM, but the alternative offers a bleak future for advertisers Thank you AOL. In my last...

Power surge to keep individual information close and personal.(Personal Information Management Services)
December 1, 2005... MARKETING: ALAN MITCHELL As information and knowledge become more personal assets, management services catering for individual needs will change the marketing equation Back in the 1890s when electricity was a new technology, factory...

TELEGRAPH NEWSPAPERS: A broadsheet bastion.(Daily Telegraph PLC)
December 1, 2005... The Telegraph titles might have changed more slowly than other papers, but they are still big sellers - and they are evolving. By Mark Choueke With national newspaper circulations falling, the Telegraph Group is clinging to its...

INSIGHT - PUBS: A little of the European spirit?
December 1, 2005... The British are losing their enthusiasm for the pub as a pure drinking establishment, with increasing numbers visiting them to eat a meal - perhaps a sign that a cafe society is beginning to take root Last week's introduction of extended...

TV ADVERTISING: TV is changing, but are the broadcasters falling behind.
December 1, 2005... The yearly TV deals are being finalised, and the murmurings of discontent are louder than ever. It is time broadcasters came up with a new model for the digital world. By Charlie Makin Agencies are busily caught up in the annual round of...

SPECIAL REPORT - SPONSORSHIP: Who needs protection?
December 1, 2005... There is no shortage of experts waiting to advise companies on how to exploit their sponsorship deals effectively, but brands must look beyond merely insuring against disaster, says David Benady So confident was Nike in the brand-building...

SPECIAL REPORT - CONFERENCES & EXHIBITION: The little question of size.
December 1, 2005... A big, headline-grabbing show is all very well, but some audiences demand a more personal approach. And smaller events, done properly, can generate sizeable sales. By Pete Roythorne Ask any events professional whether size matters and...

A new breed of cynic is spawned from the spin of Julia Hobsbawm.
December 1, 2005... LAST WORD: IAIN MURRAY Used to a servile media cowed by PR, the queen of spin was shocked by criticism coming from student journalists. Is the press in the process of growing new teeth? In the glittering firmament of public...

DDB London boss poised to join Lowe's new agency.
December 8, 2005... DDB London chairman and chief executive Paul Hammersley is set to take the top job at Sir Frank Lowe's new agency. He could be joined by JWT London managing director Mark Cadman. As Marketing Week went to press, it was confirmed that...

Ex-GCap director made UK Starcom MediaVest chief.(GCap Media PLC)(Brief Article)
December 8, 2005... Starcom MediaVest is poised to appoint former GCap Media commercial director Linda Smith as UK chief executive. It is understood that an announcement is due to be made early next week. Iain Jacob, who was recently promoted from the UK role...

Npower primed for print ad broadside at strike-hit British Gas.(Brief Article)
December 8, 2005... RWE-owned energy company npower is planning a massive media assault on rival British Gas, with a nationwide advertising blitz to coincide with the proposed strike by British Gas engineers next week. Npower will run a series of print ads...

New Campaign: Bayer HealthCare.(Brief Article)
December 8, 2005... Bayer HealthCare has signed up ex-model Jerry Hall to front a global campaign to tackle erectile dysfunction. The former wife of Rolling Stone Mick Jagger will act as an international spokeswoman for the pharmaceutical giant's "strike up...