Marketing Week articles from January 2004

Marketing Week archives from January 2004

Pass the towel, bath-time's over.(This Week)
January 8, 2004... Is 2004, to extend a well-worn metaphor, the year of the bathmat? Certainly, there are already encouraging signs of recovery. Aegis, for one, has signalled optimism with a new year message proclaiming an upswing in advertising revenue. As...

Harrison leaves Nestle for Muller: in a surprise move, high-profile marketer Harrison quits confectionery giant to head Muller UK.(News)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... Nestle Rowntree marketing chief Andrew Harrison has quit the confectionery company to rake up a position as head of Muller Dairy's UK operations. Harrison, who is one of the most high-profile marketers in the UK, will start as Muller...

Fisk in trouble as former CIM chief calls 'no confidence' vote at AGM.(News)(Chartered Institute of Marketing)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) has been rocked by another round of infighting, threatening Peter Fisk's position as chief executive after just a year in the role. At the organization's annual general meeting, held before...

RAB's Sampson takes ITV Sales CRM post.(News)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... Radio Advertising Bureau managing director Justin Sampson has been appointed by ITV Sales--the sales house for the merged Carlton and Granada. He takes up a new position designed to make the organisation more customer focused. Sampson, who...

Nivea severs 'sun' link with cancer charity.(News)(Cancer Research UK )(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... Nivea has axed its controversial partnership with Cancer Research UK after the charity approached rival suncare manufacturer Boots to replace Nivea as sponsor of its annual SunSmart campaign. Cancer Research will no longer endorse Nivea's...

WH Smith promotions under Swann scrutiny.(News)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... WH Smith is re-assessing its promotions strategy as part of an internal business review being carried out by new chief executive Kate Swann. The review could incorporate the structure of the marketing department and its agency arrangements. ...

Holmes Place appoints sales director.(News)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... Holmes Place health club chain has appointed a sales and marketing director and is launching a 2m [pounds sterling] membership recruitment campaign. Nick Burrows takes the sales and marketing position made vacant by the resignation of...

SABMiller picks global brand chief to boost Pilsner Urquell presence.(News)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... SABMiller has appointed Tim Dewey to the new role of international brands director, with a remit to increase awareness of its Pilsner Urquell brand. Dewey fills a gap lea following SABMiller's decision to make Pilsner Urquell international...

Bic and Gillette spearhead raft of launches in ladies' sector as brands battle for share.(News)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... The women's shaving market is set to be flooded by a raft of products in the next few months as the leading razor companies fight for dominance of the sector. One of the first launches will be Bic Soleil, a range of three-bladed disposable...

S&N picks group marketing chief.(News)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... Scottish & Newcastle has appointed Gary Guthrie to the new position of group marketing director as part of a wider management restructure. The brewing company says Guthrie will co-ordinate marketing and product development across the more...

P&G to launch Olay facial cleansing wipes.(News)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... Procter & Gamble (P&G) is to enter the facial cleansing wet wipes market for the first time with the launch of a range under its global Olay toiletries brand. The company will support the launch with an advertising spend close to 23m...

The Co-operative Group, Somerfield and Bestway.(Digests)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... The Co-operative Group, Somerfield and Bestway have entered the race to acquire Londis, together with The Big Food Group and Musgrave, the Irish group that owns Budgens.

Safeway.(Digests)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... Safeway is launching a children's food range called Safeway Kids Food, aimed at children aged between three and eight years old.

Next.(Digests)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... Next has reported a 2.8 per cent increase in like-for-like sales, for the 304 stores that have been trading for at least one year, in the period August 4 to December 24, 2003.

MyTravelLite.(Digests)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... MyTravelLite sales and marketing director Sarah McKee has been made redundant in a streamlining exercise. The marketing team for the low-cost airline now reports to MyTravel group marketing director Tim Marsden.

MangaJo.(Digests)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... MangaJo, the drinks company, has added a Kombucha variant to its ready-to-drink chilled tea range. Kombucha Tea is positioned as a vitality drink and contains a yeast and bacteria formulation.

Waitrose.(Digests)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... Waitrose is claiming that one of Woolworths' Christmas ads features some 'very noticable similarities' to its own seasonal 2002 campaign, created by Banks Hoggins O'Shea. The Woolworths ad was created by Battle Bogle Hegarty and both campaigns...

Marks & Spencer's.(Digests)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... Marks & Spencer's new director of food, Maurice Helfgott, plans to review the division's marketing strategy as part of his overall business plan.

Sofa Workshop.(Digests)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... Sofa Workshop has signed a deal with Warner Music UK to offer a free 'chill out' music CD as part of a welcome pack for new customers. The Sounds of Comfort CD contains ten tracks from artists such as Groove Armada.

The Advertising Standards Authority.(Digests)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... The Advertising Standards Authority has not upheld complaints against lastminute.com, which alleged that the company's 'keep weekends sacred' poster campaign mocked the Christian faith.

RBS Advanta.(Digests)(MINT)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... RBS Advanta, the credit card company owned by Royal Bank of Scotland, has rebranded as MINT. The rebrand and multimillion pound television campaign accompanying the launch were created by Clemmow Hornby Inge.

The Financial Services Authority.(Digests)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... The Financial Services Authority has fined financial advisory company Chase de Vere 156,000 [pounds sterling] for a misleading promotion that appeared in 2 million national newspapers and was mailed to 236,000 consumers. The regulator believes...

New Debenhams boss to review 12m [pounds sterling] spend and Nectar scheme.(Agencies)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... Debenhams is to review its 12m [pounds sterling] advertising and media accounts following the department store's change in ownership. New chief executive Rob Templeman has reportedly confirmed that he will be reviewing all supplier...

Delaney Lund Knox Warren & Partners has created Its first advertising for Batchelors Cup a Soup.(Agencies)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... Delaney Lund Knox Warren & Partners has created Its first advertising for Batchelors Cup a Soup. The agency won the Batchelors business at the end of last year. The 8m [pounds sterling] television campaign launches today (Wednesday) and runs...

Miles Calcraft scoops 2m [pounds sterling] Met account.(Metropolitan Police)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... The Metropolitan Police has handed its 2m [pounds sterling] public affairs advertising business to Miles Calcraft Briginshaw Duffy following a three-way pitch. The appointment concludes a six-month agency search following a statutory...

AMV.BBDO wins 8m [pounds sterling] IPC launch.(Abbott Mead Vickers)
January 8, 2004... IPC Media has appointed Abbott Mead Vickers.BBDO to handle the 8m [pounds sterling] launch advertising campaign for its new men's weekly magazine. Nuts. The campaign involves television, press and retail support. Nuts will be launched on...

Spirit wins GLA plinth brief.(Greater London Authority)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... Spirit Advertising has been chosen by the Greater London Authority (GLA) to create a public consultation advertising campaign to help decide which of six proposed sculptures should be placed on the empty fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square. ...

WCRS.(Digests)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... WCRS chairman Robin Wight is understood to be working with third-generation mobile phone company 3 as a consultant. The company has just reappointed TBWA/London to handle its advertising.

Farm.(ad campaign)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... Farm has created a 1m [pounds sterling] satellite television campaign for Smile, the internet bank owned by Co-operative Financial Services. The campaign is designed to persuade consumers to switch accounts.

TBWA/London.(creates television campaign )(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... TBWA/London has created its first television campaign for Cahoot, the internet bank owned by Abbey. The ads, promoting Cahoot's new personal loans, feature customers who are good with money but incompetent in everyday life.

Interpublic.(Digests)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... Interpublic has sold the four racetracks that formerly comprised its loss-making Octagon Motorsports division to MotorSport Vision, in a deal thought to be worth up to 70m [pounds sterling]. Interpublic blamed the tracks--Brands HatCh, Oulton...

Watson Phillips Norman.(creates television campaign)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... Watson Phillips Norman has Created charity WaterAid's first direct-response television campaign. The campaign highlights the fact that a child dies of a water-related illness every 15 seconds in Africa and Asia.

Hooper Galton.(Digests)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... Hooper Galton has created an outdoor campaign for Virgin Radio, to promote its Pete and Geoff breakfast show. The agency was appointed at the end of last year.

Blockbuster.(recruiting marketing agency)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... Blockbuster, the home entertainment chain, is recruiting a specialist online marketing agency in a pitch managed by the AAR.

Leith Advertising.(Digests)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... Leith Advertising has created the Launch television campaign for Coors Fine Light Beer. The campaign breaks on Friday, with the strapline 'Epic refreshment'. The ad uses imagery from the brand's Rocky Mountain homeland.

TDA.(develops advertising campaign for bank)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... TDA has developed a campaign for Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank, which rebranded from Girobank last year. It promotes the bank as 'A+Lternative' and is being run as a pilot in the Midlands.

Senior King Communications.(campaign for Yorkshire Tourist Board)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... Senior King Communications has developed a 250,000 [pounds sterling] marketing campaign for the Yorkshire Tourist Board in support of the Yorkshire Visitor Guide 2004.

SportingOdds.(appoints direct marketing agency)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... SportingOdds, the online betting company has appointed direct marketing agency FFwd to create a campaign to promote its site and revamp its brand.

MediaCom wrests 12m [pounds sterling] Churchill Insurance business from Carat ...(Media)
January 8, 2004... Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS)-owned Churchill Insurance has moved its 12m [pounds sterling] media buying and planning business from Carat to MediaCom. Since buying the insurer, RBS has initiated a wide-ranging restructure, which has seen...

... And beats Carat to 3m [pounds sterling] Rustlers account.(MediaCom wins Rustlers' account)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... MediaCom has won the 3m [pounds sterling] planning and buying account for food brand Rustlers following a two-way pitch against Carat. Incumbent MindShare was not asked to repitch for the business. MediaCom's first task will be to plan and...

Edinburgh seeks banner ad deal for council buildings.(Media)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... The City of-Edinburgh Council is looking for an outdoor contracting company to submit proposals for the right to run large-format banner advertising on its buildings. The contract, which will be for three years, is the first of its kind...

Nivea.(signs Martin Johnson)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... Nivea has signed England Rugby captain Martin Johnson as the face of its Elastoplast Sport brand in a one-year, six-figure deal. This is Johnson's first tie-up since winning the Rugby World Cup, and includes both England and club matches.

The Official UK Charts Company.(Digests)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... The Official UK Charts Company is set to meet the BBC after the broadcaster decided to drop plugs for chart sponsor Coca-Cola on its chart show. Coca-Cola is threatening to pull out of its deal with The Official UK Charts Company.

IPC Media.(relaunches magazine)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... IPC Media is relaunching its digital TV listings magazine TV & Satellite Week this week. It will have more pages and an advertising campaign will support the relaunch.

COI Communications.(Digests)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... COI Communications is reviewing its outdoor advertising buying and planning account with Portland Outdoor. The business is worth 5m [pounds sterling].

The Times.(Digests)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... The Times is extending distribution of its compact version from next week. It will now be available in the Carlton, Anglia, Meridian, Central and Granada regions...

Independent Newspapers.(Digests)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... ... Independent Newspapers has extended distribution of its compact edition to East Anglia, Yorkshire and the North-east this week.

Carat.(Digests)(Regency Mortgage Corporation)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... Carat has won the 3m [pound sterling] media account for Regency Mortgage Corporation. The company mainly advertises on satellite TV.

Cinema attendance.(Digests)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... Cinema attendance dropped in 2003 for the first time in a decade by about 10 million to 166 million. The hot summer weather and a release schedule dominated by sequels are being blamed for the fall.

News Group Newspapers.(Digests)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... News Group Newspapers, publisher of The Sun and News of the World, has promoted David Roddick to the newly created position of digital sales director. He was previously head of strategic sales and new media.

Granada Enterprises Commercial Ventures.(Digests)(Granada Enterprises Commercial Ventures )(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... Granada Enterprises Commercial Ventures has signed up cheese brand Leerdammer, part of Bel UK, to sponsor an ITV mystery drama package that includes a new series of Midsommer Murders and Taggart. The deal is worth 1.5 m [pounds sterling].

Fox International Channels.(Digests)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... Fox International Channels is launching an advertising campaign worth more than 1m [pounds sterling] to promote new Sky Digital channel FX, aimed at men aged 25 to 44. The channel launches on January 12 and the campaign has been created by The...

The Daily Telegraph.(Digests)(Schroders London International Boat Show)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... The Daily Telegraph is supporting its sponsorship of the Schroders London International Boat Show with a 16-page tabloid guide to the show, a national radio campaign and promotions in the newspaper.

The Guardian and Observer.(Digests)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... The Guardian and Observer are running a two-for-one flight promotion with American Airlines, which starts on Saturday (January 10).

Lads' mags hoping for weekly salvation: the lads' mags invasion of the early Nineties has floundered in recent years, but could be reinvigorated by two weekly launches.(Media Analysis)
January 8, 2004... A whole new beast is about to stalk the jungle of "lads' mags" in the form of EMAP Consumer Media's Zoo Weekly. Publishing rival IPC Media is also about to launch a magazine targeting the same audience, with its title Nuts. In the early...

The art of noise: keep it down and tills will ring: as technology in outdoor advertising evolves, sound is increasingly prevalent. But media owners must remember not to disturb the peace.(Media Analysis)
January 8, 2004... Responsible marketers and advertisers have long exploited the selling power of sound and/or music, but all need to be aware of sensitivity to commercial noise pollution. Picture this: you're in a popular bar or restaurant, enjoying a good...

Trish the dish shows that she is more than a pretty face.(diary)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... Here's a riddle for you--how can you lose your shirt and still win a business award? The answer is: by being Trish Henderson, sales and marketing director of Goldcrest Homes. On at least two occasions last year, Ms Henderson made the nudes...

Natural look for the Material Girl.(diary)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... Madonna has a lot to answer for. Apart from those Gap ads, it would seem that, by marrying Guy Fake Cockney north of the border, the pop star has caused Scotland to be recognised as one of the most romantic destinations on the planet. ...

And, now if you'll excuse the Diary, it's time to tuck into a succulent roast Frenchman, courtesy of Ofcom.(diary)(Brief Article)
January 8, 2004... And, now if you'll excuse the Diary, it's time to tuck into a succulent roast Frenchman, courtesy of Ofcom. The UK's new super-regulator, you see, has proudly proclaimed that it is 'Serving citizen-consumers in the digital age'. The Diary...

Are the flood-waters beginning to recede? European football, the Olympic Games and--hopefully--some decent economic growth should make 2004 a good year for marketers. The industry has been all at sea for rather more than 40 days, so it's about time there was some good news. David Benady looks forward to an interesting 12 months.(The Year Ahead)
January 8, 2004... After a cataclysmic start to the millennium, optimism is on the rise again. Ad spending in 2004 is set for its biggest bike in nearly four years and Chancellor Gordon Brown predicts strong UK economic growth of three to 3.5 per cent. With...

From pig's ear to perfection: it is all very well accentuating the positive, but for marketers there are valuable lessons to be learned from past mistakes. The following top marketers recount their worst marketing blunders and tell how recognising them helped pave the way to future successes.(Cover Story)
January 8, 2004... Failure is a word that rarely trips off a marketer's tongue. Few want to dwell on their mistakes or oversights, preferring instead to trumpet their successes. But some brave marketers are prepared to admit that everyone makes mistakes,...

Fall of Parmalat is a saga of Baroque proportions: it would be easy to blame Mob culture on Parmalat's ability to hide a 9bn [pounds sterling] financial hole for so long, but the foundations of corruption lie deeper.(Business)
January 8, 2004... If you truly want to understand the collapse of Italian daily and foods leviathan Parmalat, there are two books that provide a cultural explanation. More of those in a moment. First of all, one has to ask why this must earthy of accounting...

Brand owners' caution seems more like inertia: only truly innovative new products survive, yet most launches are 'me-toos'. Brands must throw caution to the wind and get creative.(Marketing)
January 8, 2004... Readers who have been around for a while may remember a quote that, for a time, was endlessly repeated in articles, conference speeches and the like. It was from then Unilever chief executive Sir Michael Perry and went: "Our cop three...

Doorstepping: will charity end at home?(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
January 8, 2004... The charity sector is increasingly coming under fire for its prospecting techniques as documented in John Srones' Cynical tactics or a necessary evil? (MW December 4, 2003). It is true that it sometimes feels as if you can hardly walk down the...

ITV2--it's got no head 4 figures.(Letters)(Brief Article)(Letter to the Editor)
January 8, 2004... No one seems to have noticed that ITV2 has had a decent year, so I can understand wily they might have wanted to take out those full-page trade press ads (MW December 4, 2003). The only trouble is, the company didn't say what the figures were...

Mind the crap, Mr Brierley.(Letters)(London Underground)(Letter to the Editor)
January 8, 2004... While we at London Underground (LU) welcome fair criticism of our service, and constructive feedback about where we need to improve, I don't think Sean Brierley's piece (MW December 11, 2003) is either of these things. It is disappointing that...

Rugby wins in brand scrum ...(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
January 8, 2004... It was disappointing to see Marketing Week so anti-rugby (MW December 11, 2003). Both Nick Higham and George Pitcher took a negative stance towards the game in the long term. Both made the point that England's World Cup victory shouldn't be...

... Its ruckers are alluring ...(Letters)(Brief Article)(Letter to the Editor)
January 8, 2004... George Pitcher's comments regarding the surge in rugby's popularity were interesting, but ill-informed. While he rightly stares that rugby will not overtake soccer as our nation's favourite game, his claim that rugby is "boring" and played only...

... So why hide TV coverage away?(Letters)(Brief Article)(Letter to the Editor)
January 8, 2004... In your cover story (MW November 27, 2003), you contrast Jonny Wilkinson's fame with the relative anonymity of his club (Newcastle Falcons) and identify the RFU's need to "support club rugby to ensure the long-term future of the sport". ...

A modern metropolitan mix: our urban centres may be home to an increasingly identikit range of shops, but the major cities' populations have retained their individual characters.(Factfile)
January 8, 2004... Marketers targeting city-dwellers can no longer rely on well-documented national differences such as the North South divide. New research on urban lifestyles shows that each city has to be targeted in its own way. The Urban Behaviours...

Under the influence: the core techniques of advertising, unchanged for decades, are tired. Agencies are having to turn to sophisticated psychological methods in order to find out what makes consumers tick--and, more importantly, buy.(Special Report: Direct Marketing)
January 8, 2004... Disneyland is a wonderful place. If you have visited with a young family, you will know the pleasure that your children get from being there. From the Magic Kingdom to Pirates of the Caribbean, it is like living inside a cartoon fantasy. ...

Direct marketing buyers guide.(Directory)
January 8, 2004... COMPANY SERVICES PROVIDED FIELD CONSUMER BUSINESS TELEMAR- MARKETING LISTS LISTS KETING 1 STOP DATA LTD--020 0947 ...

Politicians ought to leave marketing to the marketers: Ealing council's Director for Consumer Engagement and Innovation is the latest public figure to upset lain Murray. But what did they expect with a job title like that?(Iain Murray)
January 8, 2004... I suppose it's a backhanded compliment to marketing that its terminology has become part of a wider vocabulary. So all manner of people and organisations, many of whom would not know a market if you served it up on a plate with watercress,...

Is failure on the cards for Nectar?(This Week)
January 15, 2004... To outward appearances, Nectar has been an exemplary success. In less than 18 months, and starting with a blank sheet, it has acquired nearly 13 million customers, which puts it at least on a par with such successful loyalty schemes as Tesco...

RBS poaches top Argos marketer; Argos director takes senior management role as Argos loses second senior figure in a year.(News)(Brief Article)
January 15, 2004... Argos marketing director Paul Geddes has been poached by the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) to oversee marketing for the RBS and National Westminster Bank brands. Geddes will be marketing strategy managing director for retail banking at the...

WH Smith management cull brings down marketing chief.(News)(Brief Article)
January 15, 2004... WH Smith's chief marketer, Muriel Stirling, has been ousted in a management restructure instigated by the struggling retailer's new chief executive, Kate Swann. The move follows poor Christmas trading figures and the axing of UK retail...

Royal Mail to slash half of marketing team.(News)(Brief Article)
January 15, 2004... The Royal Mail has revealed that it is to axe up to half the jobs in its marketing department, as part of a group wide shake-up. The company's marketing department employs about 360 people, but Royal Mail announced this week that it plans...

Gillette drives forward M3 Power launch.(News)(Brief Article)
January 15, 2004... Gillette has brought forward plans for the launch of the first battery-operated system razor, in a reaction to the threat of Wilkinson Sword's recently launched Quattro razor. The product is being fast-tracked to market under the codename...

British Gas picks head of online service House.(News)(House.co.uk)(Brief Article)
January 15, 2004... British Gas has promoted marketing boss Andrew Mann to head of its online home management service, House.co.uk. Mann, who was responsible for advertising, campaign planning and affinity marketing at British Gas, becomes head of emerging...

Reebok appoints marketing chief.(News)(Michael Price )(Brief Article)
January 15, 2004... Reebok has promoted its consumer marketing manager Michael Price to marketing director, replacing former sales and marketing director David Neale, who quit last July (MW July 24, 2003). Price has been overseeing Neale's marketing...

Tesco moots online music downloads service.(News)(tesco.com )(Brief Article)
January 15, 2004... Tesco could soon offer shoppers the chance to download their favourite music tracks from its website tesco.com for a fee. No other UK supermarket offers their customers this service, although in the US Wal-Mart is test-marketing a branded...

Baker's job axe makes deeper cuts at Boots.(News)(Brief Article)
January 15, 2004... Boots' marketing team is braced for up to 30 redundancies at its head office, to be made as part of a cost-cutting drive by new chief executive Richard Baker. The job cuts will come on top of widespread redundancies made last year within...

Duo appoints former Orange boss as sales and marketing director.(News)(Brief Article)
January 15, 2004... New airline Duo has appointed former Orange marketer Rob Rees as its sales and marketing director. Rees, who has held interim marketing appointments at both Orange and Campbell's Soups, will oversee commercial strategy at the airline. Duo was...

Boots unveils revamp for Shapers food range.(News)(Brief Article)
January 15, 2004... Boots is relaunching its second-biggest brand, the Shapers food range, in an effort to reposition it as a healthy-eating range, rather than simply a diet brand. The new product, which carries the line "Great taste, good intentions", is being...