Marketing Week articles from March 2006

Marketing Week archives from March 2006

Diageo shakes up industry with biggest launch since Smirnoff Ice.(Quinn)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Diageo is plotting to shake-up the drinks industry with the launch of a new fruit-based alcoholic drink called Quinn's, aimed at tackling excessive drinking. One bottle of Quinn's will count as one unit of alcohol. The drinks giant's...

Formula 1 needs to market itself better to youth - Fuller.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Formula 1 could be "as big as the Olympics" but needs to market itself better to younger consumers, says music impresario Simon Fuller. In an exclusive interview with Marketing Week, he says that F1 is not being talked about "around the...

Future unclear after death of RHM head.(RHM Bread Bakeries)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... The future of the top marketing role at RHM Bread Bakeries is unclear following the death of divisional marketing director Kate Taylor. It is understood that Taylor, who had been in the job for a year, had been suffering from cancer. It...

China enraged by trademark.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... China is reported to be incensed at an attempt by a Gibraltar-based company to register "Not made in China" as a Europe-wide trademark. The application, by Alvito, is being processed by the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market...

Morgan Stanley set to relaunch Goldfish.(Goldfish, the credit card )(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Goldfish, the credit card brand bought by Morgan Stanley's UK consumer banking group, is to relaunch later this year in an effort to rebuild awareness of the brand. Morgan Stanley, which recently appointed Grey London to its #50m...

Comet hunts marketing chief after top-level rejig.(appointment of Bob Darke and Simon Fox )(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Comet is searching for a head of marketing after promoting Bob Darke to commercial director, with a seat on the board, as part of a management reshuffle. Darke's new remit encompasses commercial, supply chain and direct channel...

Thistle finds sales boss at Choice.(appointment of Stuart Leven )(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Thistle Hotels has appointed Stuart Leven as sales and marketing director, replacing Richard Adler who left without a job to go to last month. Reporting to chief executive Tim Scoble, Leven joins Thistle Hotels from Choice Hotels Europe...

Coke, AG Barr launch drives to compete with Red Bull.(Sprite 3G and Relentless )
March 2, 2006... Coca-Cola's Sprite 3G and Relentless and rival AG Barr's Irn Bru 32 are to launch an advertising assault in order to ensure they provide serious competition to top-seller Red Bull in the saturated energy drink market. Retailers say...

Analysts urge P&G to stick to strengths.(Procter & Gamble Co.)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Procter & Gamble's (P&G) decision to pull the plug on its prescription drug research programme shows that specialist functions are best left to specialists, according to industry analysts. Experts say that the US consumer goods giant is...

Chupa Chups rolls out Mentos revamp.(Mentos)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Chupa Chups Perfetti van Melle is relaunching the Mentos brand and introducing what it claims is the first sugar-free chewy mint later this month. It is the confectionery company's biggest launch of the year. The brand, which is the...

Wash&Go to retain football association.(Football League)(Head and Shoulders and Pantene)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Procter & Gamble (P&G) has reaffirmed its support for Wash&Go with a new tie-up with the Football League. The Wash&Go "Good Sport" award has been created to support the latest addition to the Wash&Go range, Wash&Go Sport, which includes...

IN BRIEF: Orange to enter the fixed-line telephony market.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Orange is to enter the fixed-line telephony market, the first major move of its kind by a mobile phone operator. The new service will initially be available to Orange business customers. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

IN BRIEF: Powergen prices.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Powergen, the utility supplier, is putting up its gas prices by 24.4%, the highest ever single rate hike in the sector, and electricity prices by 18.4%. The increases, effective from March 10, will affect about 6 million UK customers. ...

IN BRIEF: Domino's Pizza profits.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Domino's Pizza UK & Ireland has announced a 26.6% increase in pre-tax profits to #11.2m for the 52 weeks to Janaury 1. Sales were up by 15.1 % from #174.3m to #200.7m for the same period. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and...

IN BRIEF: MFI review.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... MFI has confirmed it is to axe almost half the kitchen and bedroom products it sells. Concluding a company-wide review, chief executive Matthew Ingle says that a higher-quality range would be supported by a "more focused marketing campaign"....

IN BRIEF: Which? renews calls.
March 2, 2006... Which? has renewed its calls for the formation of a Nutrition Council, and is also calling on the Government to introduce more effective controls on food advertising, such as legislation. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and...

IN BRIEF: P and G claims supremacy.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Procter & Gamble chief executive AG Lafley has claimed supremacy over Unilever in sales of household goods in emerging markets. He was speaking at the annual meeting of the Analyst Group of New York. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd....

PEOPLE: Loyalty Management International.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Loyalty Management International, the company that is overseeing the expansion of Nectar (MW January 19), has promoted Steve Lobb to managing director. Alex Moorhead, previously Loyalty Management Group chief financial officer, becomes LMG...

PEOPLE: Colgate Palmolive.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Colgate Palmolive has announced that president-chief operating officer Ian Cook will become chief executive. Cook will succeed the current chief executive Reuben Mark next year. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

PEOPLE: Chrysler.(appointment of Simon Elliott )(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Chrysler's UK managing director Simon Elliott is leaving at the end of March to become executive director of sales, marketing, aftersales and network development for Chrysler in China. The company is looking for a replacement. ...

PEOPLE: Lloyds TSB.
March 2, 2006... Lloyds TSB group marketing director Helen Stevenson has quit and will leave the bank at the end of March. Former Western Union chief executive Alan Silberstein has been appointed as an interim replacement. The bank's head of marketing Alan...

PEOPLE: EMAP Radio.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... EMAP Radio managing director of national brands Shaun Gregory is leaving after ten years. His team will now report to managing director of radio Dee Ford. Gregory has spent the past 16 months building management teams for the company's...

EasyMobile U-turn into high street handset sales.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... EasyMobile, the mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) that sells SIM cards over the internet, is launching a range of handsets in high street stores. The no-frills service, a joint venture between Stelios Haji-Ioannou's easyGroup and...

Renault UK recalls Bouvier to lead the marketing team.(appointment of Emmanuel Bouvier )(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Renault UK has appointed Emmanuel Bouvier as its new marketing director. He replaces Olivier Genereux, who becomes marketing director for the Asia and Africa region. Bouvier, who reports to UK managing director Philippe Talou-Derible in...

Handbag.com launches card.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Women's website Handbag.com is launching its own-branded credit card. The Handbag Visa card is said to be one of a raft of brand extensions planned by the site this year. The bright pink card is aimed at women who love to shop and offers...

Global Brands snaps up former Budvar boss.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... John Harley, the former chief executive of Budweiser Budvar in the UK, has resurfaced as the beer brands director at vodka-specialist Global Brands. In his newly created role, the marketer will be responsible for bringing imported beer...

ASA deems Konami ad irresponsible.(Advertising Standards Authority)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Konami of Europe has been slammed by the Advertising Standards Authority for an ad for computer game Crime Life Gang Wars showing a group of black men holding guns, alongside the headline: "Rule the streets or fall by the wayside." Konami...

ASA criticize NSPCC.(Advertising Standards Authority criticize The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... The ASA has criticised children's charity NSPCC for a mailing that looked like a birthday card but was part of a campaign aimed at raising awareness of child abuse. The ASA upheld a complaint that the NSPCC was wrong not to clearly state...

Farmers' Union of Wales complains to ASA.(Advertising Standards Authority)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... The Farmers' Union of Wales has complained to the ASA about a press campaign for animal rights charity RSPCA, which appeals for public support to stop badger culling in the fight against bovine tuberculosis. Copyright: Centaur...

Analysis: Has Morgan Stanley landed a winner with Goldfish?(Goldfish)
March 2, 2006... Morgan Stanley, the US financial services giant, has signalled a renewed assault on the UK credit card market by announcing it is to relaunch Goldfish, the beleaguered card brand it bought from Lloyds TSB. The #175m acquisition by Morgan...

Coke tests non-diet Lime variant.(advertising)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Coca-Cola is to spend #1.5m launching Coke with Lime in a green bottle later this month. The drink is initially planned to be a limited edition, which will be on shelves throughout the summer. Diet Coke with Lime is a cornerstone of...

Saga health and wellbeing range targets fit over-50s.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Saga Group, the specialist over-50s service provider, is preparing an assault on the health and wellbeing sector. The group is said to be talking to national gym chains about a co- branded membership scheme, with classes and activities...

Analysis: Sharp aims for high-end electronics market.
March 2, 2006... Sharp may have been seen as a safe mid-market consumer electronics brand during the 1980s and 1990s but recent years have seen it repositioning through its focus on high-end TV technology. The company sees flat panel LCD screens as a key...

IPG plans Lowe group rebrand to sever ties with founder Sir Frank.(Interpublic Group)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Interpublic Group is understood to be planning to rebrand the beleaguered Lowe advertising network in an attempt to sever its association with Sir Frank Lowe. It is thought that IPG is using the working title 24 for the network, and is...

Charles Worthington haircare hunts agency.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Charles Worthington, the luxury haircare brand, is looking for an agency to handle its multi-million pound UK creative business. The PZ Cussons-owned brand, co-created by celebrity hairdresser Charles Worthington, has been in talks with a...

AA unveils TV ads that show 'caring' side of patrols.(automobile associations)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Delaney Lund Knox Warren & Partners is to launch a television campaign for the AA this week. It will also run in cinemas and will be fully integrated with digital and direct marketing work created by Dialogue DLKW. The ads are an...

IN BRIEF: Marketing Store appointed.(Dyson)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... The Marketing Store has been appointed to handle Dyson's customer relationship management account in the UK. The agency won the business following a pitch against Tullo Marshall Warren and Stephens Francis Whitson. Copyright: Centaur...

IN BRIEF: 23red appointed.(West Indies Rum and Spirits Producers Association)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... 23red has been appointed to handle the integrated marketing business for the West Indies Rum and Spirits Producers Association. The agency will create an authenticity logo for Caribbean-made rum. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and...

IN BRIEF: Campaign for T-Mobile.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Saatchi & Saatchi has created a #10m advertising campaign for T-Mobile to promote its Flext tariff. The campaign features the first ever interactive TV ad made for Freeview. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

IN BRIEF: Principles wins account for Salton Europe.(Principles Agency)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Principles Agency, the Leeds-based full service agency, has won the #6m advertising account for Salton Europe, the marketer and distributor of electrical products. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

IN BRIEF: Omnicom appointment.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Bruce Nelson, the controversial former Interpublic executive who left during last year's Bank of America review, is following the $600m (#342m) account he once ran to Omnicom Group. He will join Omnicom as vice chairman on March 6. ...

IN BRIEF: John Lewis reviewing advertising account.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... John Lewis is reviewing its #13m advertising account, handled by Burkitt DDB. The review, managed by the AAR, will be overseen by John Lewis marketing director Andrew Woodward. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

McDonald's in agency talks over quality of food brief.(I'm Lovin' It)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... McDonald's is talking to roster networks Leo Burnett and TBWA Worldwide about an advertising brief to promote the quality of the fast food chain's food offering. It is not clear when the campaign is due to break. At the same time, it is...

New Campaign: Walkers Crisps.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Walkers Crisps, the UK's top-selling crisp brand, has scrapped its "No More Mr Nice Guy" campaign with a view to using brand icon Gary Lineker to educate customers about its improved health credentials. The campaign, which was created by...

Mercedes sets up integrated ad team.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Shop, formerly known as Campbell Doyle Dye, has strengthened its grip on Mercedes-Benz's #13m advertising account with the formation of a joint agency- client business unit. Resources from Mercedes, Shop and Zulu agencies Claydon Heeley...

More Than campaign moves on from the dog.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Insurance brand More Than is to introduce the strapline "We do more" in a new campaign created by Fallon, which won the #35m account last year. The work, which breaks next week, marks the end of Lucky the Dog. The strapline also...

Zulu spears Invesco #2m direct brief.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Omnicom's newly formed Zulu network has won the #2m below-the-line account for Invesco Perpetual. The news follows the appointment of Shop to handle the company's #7m advertising business last month. Zulu is understood to have...

Analysis: Fear of disaster in a fragile ad industry.(advertising industry)
March 2, 2006... As "an industry run on gossip", in the words of one senior agency figure, advertising can often appear to the outside world as frivolous and fragile. Clients and other observers witnessing the ongoing spat between WPP Group chief executive...

IN BRIEF: PPA targeting agencies with new guide.(new guide out- lining the opportunities)(Periodical Publishers Association)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... The Periodical Publishers Association is targeting agencies with a new guide out- lining the opportunities presented by the children's magazine market. The research argues that "parentally approved" magazines are underused by advertisers....

IN BRIEF: Pearson profits.(Pearson )(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Pearson has reported a rise in pre-tax profits of 23% to #422m for 2005, as advertising revenue improved by 9% at its flagship newspaper, the Financial Times. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

IN BRIEF: Manchester United close to signing sponsorship deal.(Mansion)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Manchester United is understood to be close to signing a #60m shirt sponsorship deal with online gambling company Mansion. The deal would make it the biggest shirt sponsorship deal in football history. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd....

IN BRIEF: EMAP selling French magazine business.(Tele Star)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... EMAP is selling its struggling French magazine business and returning the proceeds to investors. It expects to complete the sale, which publishes titles such as Tele Star, by the end of September. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd....

IN BRIEF: Abbey parts company with MindShare's mOne.(Abbey)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Abbey has parted company with MindShare's mOne, which held the bank's #8m online media account. Carat is tipped to pick up the account as it has already won the bank's media planning and buying account. Copyright: Centaur Communications...

Ofcom reveals falls in TV viewers and ad revenues.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Overall television reach has declined in the two years to December 2005, according to figures published this week by media watchdog Ofcom. Its interim communications market report also reveals that total TV advertising revenues in quarters...

Virgin improves offer to advertisers with changes to radio team.(Virgin Radio )(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Virgin Radio has restructured its senior sales team in a move aimed at improving its advertising offer to clients and agencies. It is the latest change to the team made by sales director Nick Hewat, who joined the station from GCap Media late...

New Campaign: 118 118.(Telephone directory service )(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Telephone directory service 118 118 is launching an outdoor campaign featuring catchphrases from hit 1980s television show The A-Team. To support the brand's current TV work, which features the programme's theme tune and the 118 118...

Analysis: Press marketers in the dock over giveaway culture.
March 2, 2006... Free DVDs and CDs mounted on newspapers' front pages have become a source of worry to the bosses of the nationals. They condemn the use of DVDs as an expensive way of boosting circulation, which fails to promote loyalty among consumers; yet...

Pubs attempt to take advantage of smoking ban.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Pubs are looking to cash in on the Government's smoking ban by offering advertisers space in outdoor areas being created for smokers. A raft of planning applications is expected to be lodged with local authorities as pubs attempt to keep...

Mansell sells ads on Web and car to fund racing bid.(Scott Mansell )(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Racing driver Scott Mansell is attempting to emulate Alex Tew's "Million Dollar Homepage" method of selling advertising over the internet - on his car. Mansell, 20, is being hailed as a future Formula 1 driver and is competing in the US...

Manning Gottlieb OMD wins #4m Police Support recruitment push.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Manning Gottlieb OMD has been appointed to handle a #4m project for the Home Office to boost the number of police community support officers (PCSOs). The agency beat ZenithOptimedia and Mediaedge: CIA to win the business, following a...

Razor giant in 'media first' FHM promotion.(Quattro Titanium razor )(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Wilkinson Sword has signed a six-figure deal with EMAP to promote its latest Quattro Titanium razor in the men's monthly title FHM. The promotion will run in the April and May issues of FHM. The Quattro Titanium activity will start in the...

DVD rental service to push film release on envelopes.(Lovefilm, online digital video disks rental service)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Lovefilm, the UK online DVD rental service, is linking up with Momentum Pictures to promote the film company's new DVD release, Lord of War, on the back of its distinctive mailing envelopes. Lovefilm sends out 750,000 film and computer game...

IN BRIEF: Askjeeves.com launches ad campaign.
March 2, 2006... Askjeeves.com has launched a Europe-wide ad campaign to mark its rebranding as Ask.com. The relaunch is being supported with press, outdoor, London Underground ads and online. The Jeeves butler character is being retired. Copyright:...

IN BRIEF: Circus Street appointment.(Richard Townsend appointed as partner)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Starcom Digital's former digital managing director Richard Townsend has joined digital start-up Circus Street as a partner. Circus Street was set up in September by Jeremy Hill, also a former managing director of Starcom Digital, and Henry...

IN BRIEF: O2 links up with InfoSpace.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... O2 has linked up with mobile content and infrastructure solutions provider InfoSpace to give consumers access to classic British pub games on their mobiles via O2's I-mode service. The partnership will see the two launching iPub, a new mobile...

IN BRIEF: Moneysupermarket.com campaign.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Moneysupermarket.com, the price comparison website, is launching its first TV advertising campaign, created by agency Doner Cardwell Hawkins. The multi-million pound campaign launches this week and lasts for six weeks. Copyright: Centaur...

IN BRIEF: Skype links with LunarStorm UK.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Skype, the telephony-over-the-internet company now owned by eBay, has linked with youth community website LunarStorm UK to allow LunarStorm users to see when their friends are available online and then call them for free at the click of a...

Yahoo! Europe picks chiefs to boost e-content team.(Lloyd Shepherd appointed as director)(Simon Gunning appointed as director)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Yahoo! Europe has beefed up its online content team by poaching two senior people from Guardian Newspapers and television production house Celador. Former Guardian deputy director of digital publishing Lloyd Shepherd becomes Yahoo!'s...

CAP toughens rules for online virals.(Committee on Advertising Practice)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... The Committee on Advertising Practice (CAP) - the body that draws up the rules covering the UK's self-regulated advertising industry - has tightened its stance on online viral advertising. But its move is likely to meet with a hostile...

Google targets 'charm offensive' at agency world.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2006... Google has embarked on a "charm offensive" around Europe, with senior US and European executives meeting representatives from the search engine marketing community and from traditional offline media and creative agencies in the UK, Germany...

LETTER: No, Weetabix is not at all a brand in turmoil.(Letter to the Editor)
March 2, 2006... but, let me assure you, we have anticipated them. In January, The Weetabix Food Company's sales were up 20% on the same period last year. In addition, we have just launched a new range of Alpen Light cereal bars and extended our...

LETTER: Weetabix it does need to reconsider its image.(Letter to the Editor)
March 2, 2006... I couldn't help having a snigger to myself after reading your Benchmark article on Weetabix last week. A couple of years back I was at the latter stages of the recruitment process for a graduate marketing and sales role with Weetabix...

LETTER: Channel 4 has every right to be commercial.(Letter to the Editor)
March 2, 2006... Torin Douglas lumps the BBC and Channel 4 together as "major public service broadcasters that are becoming more competitive and facing growing criticism from commercial companies as a result" (MW last week). What Torin fails to mention is...

LETTER: India is much more than Hindu goddesses.(Letter to the Editor)
March 2, 2006... I am writing with regard to the most recent cover of Marketing Week (last week). To say I was a little shocked when this landed on my doorstep is an understatement. In light of recent controversy surrounding certain European newspapers...

LETTER: It's time to take note of the granny market.(Letter to the Editor)
March 2, 2006... I refer to the article about the Post Office's attempts to move into new product areas (MW February 16) and heartily endorse the comment that the Post Office is a "'grannies brand" but it could use that to its advantage by launching an MVNO...

LETTER: Online retailers have a huge advantage.(Letter to the Editor)
March 2, 2006... I read with interest the article "E-tail can provide an antidote to slow growth on the high street" (MW February 16) and was particularly interested by the findings from the Verdict research. With the huge surge in internet shopping showing...

LETTER: Availability is just as important as choice.(Letter to the Editor)
March 2, 2006... Again Alan Mitchell raises an uncomfortable subject for marketers (MW February 9). Less choice makes shoppers feel happier is something that is not just true in the world of jeans and mortgages. Some fmcg categories also offer a level of...

LETTER: Don't generalise about the fate of Irish pubs.(Letter to the Editor)
March 2, 2006... I read with interest the statistics and surveys freely hurled about the Irish experience (MW last week). While surveys report how the majority of Irish pubs have weathered the storm, I wonder how many rural pubs have closed compared with...

LETTER: It's worth caring more about subscriptions.(Letter to the Editor)
March 2, 2006... I agree that the demise of the Smash Hits just weeks before the ABCs was an ominous omen for the magazine market (MW February 9). It is particularly ominous since Smash Hits, although declining, maintained healthy ABCs, had huge brand...

LETTER: Collaboration is key for in-store marketing.(Letter to the Editor)
March 2, 2006... If the effectiveness of in-store marketing is to be maintained and the in-store arena is to unleash its commercial potential, retailers and brands have to understand how to integrate this environment into the communication planning process....

VIEWPOINT: Battle to get British teens' pulse racing.(sponsers for formula 1 sports car racing competitions)
March 2, 2006... Figures hot from the Ofcom press reveal an alarming picture for television companies and advertisers alike. It's not just that viewers are down: they're significantly declining in the vital 16 to 24 and 25 to 34 categories. In the two...

FORMULA 1: Fuller adds spice to formula 1.(Simon Fuller will market the formula 1 racing event)(Formula 1 Honda Racing)
March 2, 2006... Simon Fuller, the man behind the Spice Girls, is to mastermind F1 Honda team's marketing, helping it make a blip on young people's radars. But Formula 1, with its internal disputes and complex rights structure, won't be a smooth ride for the...

GAMES - PRODUCT PLACEMENT: Who wants to be a player?(demand for in-game advertising )
March 2, 2006... Third-generation consoles, multi-player games and more people attracted by new formats have combined to raise marketing interest. After all, games offer an arena where players - who favour in-game advertising - can interact with each other...

US: Censorship, controversy, PR and paranoia at this year's super bowl.(advertisements during football game)
March 2, 2006... PR got the ball rolling for brands featured during this year's game, but ad content wrangles and a half-time show dispute kept people talking after the whistle blew On February 5, Detroit played host to Super Bowl XL in which the...