Marketing Week articles from June 2008

Marketing Week archives from June 2008

Government puts brakes on 24-hour drinking report.(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... Home Office holds back the release of report which reveals the new law has fuelled drinking problems The Government is delaying the launch of a controversial report into the effects of introducing a 24-hour drinking law because it...

Egg marketer returns to the brand under Citi's ownership.(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... Citi has appointed Egg launch marketer Patrick Muir as head of marketing for its UK consumer business. He will be reunited with the Egg brand, which Citi acquired from Prudential last year. Muir replaces Alison Wright, who left the business...

Virgin assembles launch team for urban hotel chain.(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... Virgin Group has started building the launch team for its new "urban" hotel brand. The company says it has a development team within its management division that is overseeing the plans. Virgin's latest venture was revealed in Marketing...

Heineken plots Euro launch for Strongbow.(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... Heineken is planning to launch Strongbow in Europe under a new name later this year. The move comes as the Dutch brewer begins to integrate the Scottish & Newcastle brands it acquired earlier this year into its portfolio. It is not known...

New campaign: Kronenbourg unveils widget ad.(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... Scottish & Newcastle UK is launching a TV and cinema campaign to back its new Kronenbourg 1664 Dynamo Systeme, which launched last month. The ad has been created by M&C Saatchi and will promote Kronenbourg's new Dynamo Systeme in-can...

Hong Kong tourism lures VisitBritain marketer.
June 5, 2008... VisitBritain marketer Simon Mills has joined the Hong Kong Tourist Board (HKTB) as director of Northern Europe. In his new role, based at the HKTB offices in London, he will be responsible for promoting Hong Kong in the African and Middle...

ASA head of marketing to look at green claims in ads.(Advertising Standards Authority )(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... The Advertising Standards Authority's (ASA) new marketing chief has pledged to help tackle the issue of regulation of green claims in ads. Esra Erkal-Paler will take over the role of director of communications and marketing next week....

Cadbury launches fruit variant Dairy Milk bars.(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... Cadbury is aiming to move the Dairy Milk brand more upmarket with the launch of two fruit variants. It also aims to tighten its focus on female consumers. The two variants, apricot crumble and cranberry and granola, contain tiny pieces...

Virgin Trains unveils weekend leisure-break marketing focus.(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... Virgin Trains will refocus on the leisure market when the long awaited West Coast Main Line rail upgrade is finally completed. Marketing director Sarah Copely says that the completion of the works early next year will lead to a...

IN BRIEF: Microsoft Online Services promotion.(Jim Cruickshank promoted as general manager)(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... Microsoft Online Services has promoted Jim Cruickshank as Europe, Middle East and Africa director of mapping, local and shopping. Cruickshank joined Multimap in August as general manager of business to consumer worldwide. Prior to joining...

IN BRIEF: Netto restricting sales of rice.(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... Netto, the Danish-owned discount supermarket, is restricting sales of rice to one bag per person in all stores across the UK. The rationing, which will go on 'indefinitely', is a result of a global shortage of rice. Copyright: Centaur...

IN BRIEF: Ryanair increase in profits.(Financial report)(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... Ryanair has announced a 20% increase in profits to E481m (#382.6m) but says that if oil prices remain at their current price it will only break even in 2009. It carried 51 million people in the 12 months to the end of March, during which time...

IN BRIEF: Vodafone bid.(Vodacom of South Africa acquired)(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... Vodafone has made a #1.2bn bid to take control of South Africa's largest mobile phone operator, Vodacom. Vodafone already has a 50% stake in the company and is looking to increase its share of the mobile phone market across the whole...

IN BRIEF: General Motors closing production plants.(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... General Motors is closing four production plants and is considering offloading the Hummer SUV after the car manufacturer acknowledged that higher fuel prices are likely to be permanent. Chief executive Rick Wagoner also told shareholders GM...

Elizabeth Arden splits marketing operation after exit of director.(Tom Dean and Rachael Greeves appointed)(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... Elizabeth Arden UK has split its marketing operation following the abrupt departure of marketing director Scott Harvey-Nicholls in February. The company is realigning its marketing division and has appointed Tom Dean as head of Prestige...

Analysis: The approaching rebirth of Virgin-free Virgin Radio.
June 5, 2008... Virgin Radio has had a turbulent 18 years with the high-profile sacking of Chris Evans, its then breakfast show host; his equally high-profile unfair dismissal trial; the constant rumours about its future ownership; and the recent defections...

Jeyes launches bleach blocks that stay in toilets for a week.(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... Jeyes is extending its Parazone brand with the launch of Weekly Shots, bleach blocks designed to last for one week. It is Parazone's first product that is specifically targeted at destroying germs in the toilet cistern and bowl. The...

Camper lures D&G marketer to spearhead 'lifestyling' strategy.(Elisabetta Manzi appointed as global brand director)(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... Camper has appointed Dolce & Gabbana marketer Elisabetta Manzi as global brand director. She replaces Phil McAveety, who has left the footwear brand after two years. Manzi will join later this month from D&G, where she was heading the...

Analysis: Will Government burn fingers with proposed tobacco curb?
June 5, 2008... First, tobacco brands were banned from advertising on TV before being forced from the nation's billboards, our newspapers and sponsorship properties. Last year, smoking bans in public places came into effect and now, under government...

Diabetes UK picks interim successor to chief marketer.(Catherine Chin appointed as marketing director)(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... Charity Diabetes UK has appointed Catherine Chin as interim marketing director after the departure of its top marketer last month. Chin took over the role this week. She replaces Mike Hales, director of marketing and individual...

CORRECTION: John Ayling & Associates.(Correction notice)
June 5, 2008... Marketing Week has been asked to point out that John Ayling & Associates handles the media planning and buying for Sekonda, not BLM Red as suggested on May 8. Arena BLM Red has been appointed to work on luxury brands, such as Frank Muller, by...

IN BRIEF: Honda customer service index website.(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... Generator Consulting, the digital consultancy arm of ilG Digital, has been appointed to overhaul Honda's customer service index website. The site contains information from Honda call centres that allows the company to measure how effectively...

IN BRIEF: Burtons Foods ad campaign.(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... Adam & Eve has created a #2m advertising campaign for Burton Foods to promote the Maryland Cookies range, including the launch of its Maryland Munch Bars. The campaign, which stars a cheerful chocolate chip cookie, has the strapline "Aren't...

IN BRIEF: Goldfish credit card.(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... EHS Brann will handle DM for Barclaycard's Goldfish credit card. The appointment comes three months after Barclays acquired the brand. The agency is already on the Barclays roster and it is unclear if it pitched against other roster agencies...

IN BRIEF: Twinings shortlist.(Abbott Mead Vickers/BBDO Ltd., WCRS Group PLC to help marketing )(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... WCRS, Abbott Mead Vickers.BBDO and Adam & Eve have been shortlisted to pitch for the #3m Twinings tea account. The company called a review of its advertising, previously handled by Lowe, in April. The incumbent declined to repitch. ...

MCBD wins #7m business from charities consortium.(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... Moving People, a consortium of mental health charities, is understood to have appointed Miles Calcraft Briginshaw Duffy to handle its #7m advertising business. It follows a four-way pitch against M&C Saatchi, Euro RSCG and an undisclosed...

Douwe Egberts accounts up for grabs.(Julie Baker, Douwe Egberts and Nick van Holstein appointed)(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... Sara Lee is seeking agencies to handle the advertising and below-the- line accounts for its Douwe Egberts instant coffee brand. It is understood the review is in its early stages and the company is considering appointing either an...

Pot Noodle gives consumers chance to duel with dwarves.(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... Pot Noodle, the Unilever-owned snack brand, is launching an experiential campaign that will give consumers the chance to "duel" with dwarves. The activity, which also includes sampling, will launch at the Southend Airshow this month and...

Unilever calls on TMW for Lipton Ice Tea task.(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... Unilever is understood to have appointed Tullo Marshall Warren to handle the below-the-line account for its Lipton Ice Tea brand. The agency, which already works with Unilever on a number of personal care and household brands, is believed...

DoH seeks agency to raise awareness of Hepatitis C.(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... The Department of Health is talking to advertising and media agencies about a brief to raise awareness of Hepatitis C. It is understood the review is in the early stages and a number of COI roster agencies have been approached to pitch...

Analysis: Will Nigel Jones be able to resuscitate ailing Publicis?
June 5, 2008... Draft FCB president Nigel Jones has got a new train set, though some might say a slightly damaged one. But Jones believes he has got what he always wanted in the role of UK group chairman and chief executive of Publicis, an agency network...

Reading Room wins brief for Glenlivet electronic campaign.(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... Digital agency Reading Room has been appointed by Pernod Ricard UK to handle a brief for Glenlivet Scotch Whisky. It will be the brand's first electronic, customer-relationship management campaign. Reading Room won the business after a...

Relations between TNS and WPP hit fresh low.(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... The war of words between WPP Group and market research company Taylor Nelson Sofres reached new levels of acrimony as TNS unveiled details of its proposed "merger of equals" with German market research company GfK. WPP and GfK are locked in...

AA and Saga award Phd #30m account.(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... The AA and Saga are poised to appoint Phd to handle the two brands' #30m consolidated media planning and buying account following a review against fellow incumbent Carat. Parent company Acromis Holdings is understood to be in final...

Google tests merchant search.(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... Google is testing a new service in a bid to compete with search aggregators and price comparison sites such as Moneysupermarket.com. Google is currently beta testing Google Merchant Search in the UK for secured loans from financial...

New campaign: Enjoy England gears up for summer of fun.(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... Enjoy England has created a family of monsters to promote family fun and children's activities during the summer holidays. The monsters feature on a dedicated website, which will launch on July 14 and highlight the country's key...

IN BRIEF: Inmedia Broadcasting signs contract.(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... Inmedia Broadcasting has signed a two-year contract with Roadchef to provide a new subscription radio service, Roadchef Live! to all their UK sites. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

IN BRIEF: Channel 4 signs Nintendo UK.(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... Channel 4 has signed games console Nintendo UK to be the first brand to run advertising around its syndicated online content in a deal negotiated by MEC Interaction. The campaign for the Legend of Zelda game includes pre-roll spots running on...

IN BRIEF: Investments frozen in bbc.co.uk.(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... The BBC Trust, the corporation's governing body, has frozen further investment in bbc.co.uk until tighter management controls have been put in place, after a review revealed the BBC spent #110m on the site in 2007/08, #36m more than its...

IN BRIEF: Yahoo! shares.(Financial report)(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... Yahoo! activist shareholder Carl Icahn has been cleared to purchase another $1.5bn (#764m) of shares in the company after US financial regulator, the Federal Trade Commission, completed its anti-trust review. Copyright: Centaur...

IN BRIEF: Live Nation reviewing planning and buying account.(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... Live Nation, the concert promoter with ties to Madonna and Jay-Z, is reviewing its #10m media planning and buying account, which is currently held by full service entertainment specialist Sold Out Advertising. Copyright: Centaur...

IN BRIEF: Chadbury Schweppes UK shortlist.(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... Cadbury Schweppes UK is understood to have shortlisted Carat, Phd, incumbent Starcom and a team from The7Stars and Naked for its #25m media planning and buying business. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

Naked to handle Kimberly-Clark Euro communications strategy.(Brief article)
June 5, 2008... Naked Communications has been appointed to handle the pan-European communications strategy for Kimberly-Clark brands Kleenex, Andrex and Huggies. The agency will join the roster alongside existing agencies, JWT and MindShare, and was...

Analysis: Is drop in outdoor ad revenue just dip or beginning of fall?
June 5, 2008... Outdoor advertising revenues have dipped for the first time in nearly six years, leading observers to question whether this is a blip or the start of a decline following several years of exceptionally strong figures. Investment in new,...

Sega to launch official 2008 Olympics game this month.
June 5, 2008... Sega, the video games company, is launching its official Olympic Games title later this month. It will be backed by a major TV campaign and sponsorship deal with Sky. The company, which has the licence to release games using the Olympic...

Keep the limelight away from a newspaper editor's office.
June 5, 2008... The press is supposed to be about the news, but for how long can the individuals who provide the editorial remain off their own front pages? However, a shock defeat for the Eggheads did occur last month. Admittedly, this is hardly...

LETTER: Customer experience key to brand image.(Letter to the editor)
June 5, 2008... Your Best Brand Performers 2008 supplement provokes an interesting question. Why do some brands gain more respect from the public? What is it that sets them apart from their peers? For the top three brands in your survey, Amazon, Google and...

LETTER: Regulations will end unethical practices.(Letter to the editor)
June 5, 2008... New regulations will not destroy buzz marketing (MW May 29), but it will help to kill off unethical practice. WOM UK, the word of mouth marketing association for the UK, is very much in favour of protecting and acting in the consumer's best...

LETTER: Buzz marketers will operate within law.(Letter to the editor)
June 5, 2008... I refer to your cover story about the recent legislation to ban stealth marketing (MW May 29). I've always been sceptical about brands that believe they can masquerade as consumers in the hope of exerting some influence in changing brand...

LETTER: Cavemen's pleasure was only short-lived.(Letter to the editor)
June 5, 2008... With reference to Iain Murray's article (MW May 15), the "cavemen" who were "able to devote their entire existence to food, sex and leisure" had a life expectancy of a mere 25 to 35 years. Something to bear in mind before embarking on such...

VIEWPOINT: Cigarette reforms are thin end of the wedge.(Viewpoint essay)
June 5, 2008... Haven't things moved on since 1956 when then Chancellor of the Exchequer Harold Macmillan judged tax revenue from cigarettes so important that it justified overriding the health minister's advice and suppressing statistical evidence linking...

FINANCIAL SERVICES MARKETING: Airing dirty financial laundry.
June 5, 2008... Under proposed plans, the FSA could publish information about the complaints it receives about the UK's top 125 financial brands and how many of them it upheld. The aim of the plan is to increase the sector's transparency and improve the...

LAUNDRY PRODUCTS: War of the whites.
June 5, 2008... The battle continues to rage between Unilever's and P&G's laundry brands, even in a saturated market. But given consumers' increased confidence in own-label and standard products, the packaged-goods giants are having to work harder to...

VODAFONE: In pursuit of wider horizons.
June 5, 2008... Chief executive Arun Sarin may have left Vodafone in rude health, but how well will his successor be able to position the mobile phone brand as a communications powerhouse? asks Rufus Jay Vodafone chief executive Arun Sarin has retired...

TRUSTED BRANDS SURVEY: Britain's most trusted brands.(Survey)
June 5, 2008... The results of this year's Reader's Digest Trusted Brands survey are in, showing which brands keep the customers flocking back, which turn them off, and what qualities about a brand engender consumer trust Trust, in one form or another,...

The roots of trust grow deep and strong.(Interview)
June 5, 2008... Howard grates on us, BA disappoints us, but we trust them. So what makes us trust a brand? Asks Victoria Scott Don't shoot Howard just yet! I don't always agree with Stuart Smith, but his leader in the April 24 issue suggest he is either...

MARKET RESEARCH: In this together, or not at all.
June 5, 2008... Thanks to the internet, market research is no longer the only way for brands to gather information about consumers. Alicia Clegg explains how partnerships can help researchers rediscover their edge In the coffee-bars around the Market...

Dreaming of an exclusive holiday isolated from Britain's yob culture.
June 5, 2008... On foreign soil, Sid Chav is vulgar, loutish, devoid of manners and given to casual outbursts of violence - even in the first-class cabin of the plane The story of David Burnish, who won compensation from Thomson Holidays because his...

Nissan clashes with SMMT over Qashqai's SUV label.(Nissan Motor Company Ltd.)(Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders)
June 12, 2008... Trading figures place the Qashqai as the biggest-selling sports utility vehicle, to Nissan's dismay Nissan Qashqai, the Sunderland-built model launched last March, has overtaken the Honda CR-V to become the UK's biggest-selling sports...

Royal Mail seeks to axe senior marketing roles.(Brief article)
June 12, 2008... Royal Mail is understood to be asking senior marketers to re-apply for their jobs as part of major review of its marketing team. It is believed that the postal operator is reassessing its structure and is looking at senior roles, which...

Olympic committee to run mascot design competition.(Brief article)
June 12, 2008... Following the fiasco surrounding the design of the logo for the London 2012 Olympic Games, the organising committee is considering running a public competition to design the mascot for the event. A London Olympic Games Organising...

Government and AA in obesity venture.(Advertising Association)(Brief article)
June 12, 2008... The Government is set to form a partnership with the Advertising Association in its fight against the obesity crisis. It is the first time that industry stakeholders will get a voice to influence any new Government policies on food advertising....

New campaign: Silvercross targets parents-to-be.(Brief article)
June 12, 2008... Silver Cross, the upmarket pram and baby accessory company, has launched a print and online campaign to promote its products. It is the first time the brand has used online advertising, which will run websites targeting parents-to-be and...

Producer to invest #1m in French wine brand.(Elephants Can't Jump)(Constellation Europe Ltd.)(Brief article)
June 12, 2008... Constellation Europe is investing #1m in the launch of a new mid-market French wine brand, Enchante. The launch is a joint venture with Bordeaux wine producer Baron Phillippe de Rothschild. The wine producer has appointed branding agency...

Wholegrain cereal TV ad 'misled' consumers.(advertising)(Brief article)
June 12, 2008... The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned an ad for Nestle cereals that claimed consumer should eat three portions of wholegrain every day. The watchdog upheld seven complaints that challenged the need to eat three daily...

Senior Orange role for ex-Virgin chief.(Steven Day)(Brief article)
June 12, 2008... Orange has appointed former Virgin Media executive Steven Day as its chief marketer as part of chief executive Tom Alexander's major restructure of the mobile operator. Day is seen as the final piece in the jigsaw for the revamped brand. ...

Radical reorganisation on agenda for Sport England.(Sport England )(Brief article)
June 12, 2008... The Government is making major reforms to Sport England as part of its strategy to capitalise on the London 2012 Olympic Games and pull Britons out of their increasingly sedentary lifestyles. Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport...

IN BRIEF: Ad expenditure rises.(advertising )(Brief article)
June 12, 2008... The Advertising Association Advertising Statistics Yearbook 2008 says ad expenditure in the UK rose by 4.2% year-on-year in 2007 to #19.4bn. The fastest growing media was the internet (39.5%). Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and...

IN BRIEF: 3G version of iPhone unveiled.(Brief article)
June 12, 2008... Apple has unveiled a 3G version of its iPhone and cut the price in half to #100. When it goes on sale on July 11, it will be thinner than the original model and will allow users to surf the internet faster. Copyright: Centaur...

IN BRIEF: Samsung Mobile appointment.(appointment of James King )(Brief article)
June 12, 2008... Samsung Mobile has appointed former Motorola marketer James King to head its UK marketing division. He will take on the role from July. He replaces Susan Land, who left the company in February to join Nokia. Copyright: Centaur...

IN BRIEF: Virgin Atlantic report passenger numbers up.(Brief article)
June 12, 2008... Virgin Atlantic has reported passenger numbers are up 6% in the aftermath of the Terminal 5 opening in March. It announced this week that it will hire 100 extra cabin crew as it adds an extra flight to its London to Hong Kong service. ...

IN BRIEF: Value of retail sales rises.(Brief article)
June 12, 2008... The British Retail Consortium has reported the value of retail sales rose 1.9% in May compared with the previous corresponding month. The growth follows a 1.5% decline in April. That was the strongest result since January this year and has...

IN BRIEF: Lee Bartlett promoted.(Brief article)
June 12, 2008... ITV has promoted Lee Bartlett to managing director of ITV global content. He replaces Dawn Airey following her departure to Five. Bartlett was previously chief operating officer of Airey's division. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd....

Staaf to head own-brand marketing for O2.(Erik Staaf)(Brief article)
June 12, 2008... O2 has appointed Erik Staaf to the new role of head of own-brand marketing. He joined from mobile phone headset maker Jabra late last month. Staaf will be responsible for the launch of own-branded mobile phones and other devices, as well...

Virgin Money drops green card for mobile payments.(Virgin Money Personal Financial Service Ltd.)(Brief article)
June 12, 2008... Virgin Money has shelved plans for a biodegradable credit card in favour of "greener" systems, such as payment over mobile phones. The financial services company says the green card, which was announced in April last year (MW April 26,...

Analysis: Can John Lewis chief defy credit crunch and grow the brand?(John Lewis Partnership PLC)
June 12, 2008... Only three months into his role as head of brand communications at John Lewis, and Craig Inglis is already talking about his ambition of giving the retail brand a "bit more of a face and a personality". In his first exclusive interview,...

CIM survey reveals optimism about marketing prospects.(Chartered Institute of Marketing)(Survey)(Brief article)
June 12, 2008... Marketers remain "surprisingly" bullish about their own organisations' prospects despite becoming increasingly gloomy about the UK economy, according to the latest research from the Chartered Institute of Marketing. The report, published...

Analysis: Jordans leaves its independent roots to go global with ABF.(Jordans Cereals)
June 12, 2008... Jordans, the cereal maker, is the latest "eccentric" start-up that has sold itself to a major corporation after decades of being resolutely independent. It joins Green & Black's, now part of Cadbury, and Ben & Jerry's, owned by Unilever, as...

Sega UK's marketing head quits for senior Hasbro marketing role.(Brief article)
June 12, 2008... Grant Gie, head of marketing at Sega UK, is leaving his job to join toy brand Hasbro in a senior marketing role. He will join the company on June 30 but it is not known whether he will be responsible for the male or female toy divisions....

IN BRIEF: Yellow Tail experiential marketing campaign.(Jack Morton Worldwide)(Brief article)
June 12, 2008... Jack Morton Worldwide, the experiential marketing agency, will create an experiential marketing campaign with Australian wine company Casella Wine to introduce the Yellow Tail wine brand to the UK this summer. Copyright: Centaur...

IN BRIEF: Tropicana press campaign.(Tropicana Products Inc.)(Brief article)
June 12, 2008... DDB has created a press campaign to launch Tropicana's soft drink brand Spirit. The ads will aim to highlight the drink's ingredients, which include sparkling mineral water and fruit juice. Each ad will promote different flavours and will be...

IN BRIEF: National Express Group shortlist.(Brief article)
June 12, 2008... National Express Group, the coach company, has shortlisted CHI & Partners, Beattie McGuinness Bungay and TBWA\London to pitch for its #15m ad account. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

IN BRIEF: Thomas Cook reviewing ad account.(Angels)(Brief article)
June 12, 2008... Thomas Cook is reviewing its #9m advertising account. It follows the company's merger with MyTravel last year. Thomas Cook's advertising is currently handled by Company of Angels and MyTravel previously worked with Clear Marketing. Both...

IN BRIEF: Dell business.(Brief article)
June 12, 2008... WPP's global network created to service the Dell business will be named Enfatico, replacing the working title Project Da Vinci. Dell consolidated its global media and marketing services in to Enfatico in December last year. The agency is also...