Marketing Week articles from March 2007

Marketing Week archives from March 2007

Dell plots mobile move after Motorola boss jumps ship.(Ron Garriques )
March 1, 2007... Dell is understood to be plotting a move into mobile phones after poaching Motorola executive Ron Garriques to run its new global consumer group. The news comes just weeks after rival Apple announced details of its long-awaited iPhone. ...

Unilever uses famous brands for ready meal market push.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Unilever is gearing up for a major assault on the chilled ready meal market with the launch of a range of meals that contain branded ingredients. The Colman's, Knorr and Bertolli ready meals will be launched in the third quarter of this year....

Grade in savage attack on TV advertising curbs.(Michael Grade )(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Michael Grade has roundly condemned government restrictions on advertising as "nonsense", and is rallying broadcasters and advertisers to fight off further restrictions together. The ITV executive chairman says: "We have a common cause in...

Scotland likely to be test site for low.(Scottish Executive)
March 1, 2007... Scotland could soon become a test bed for the launch of large numbers of low alcohol and no alcohol beers, wines and spirits, following last week's historic agreement between the Scottish Executive and representatives of drinks...

Accor brings no-frills hotel Etap to the UK with integrated launch.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Hotel chain Accor Group is rolling out a new no-frills hotel chain called Etap in the UK. Fox Kalomaski, the specialist travel, retail and leisure agency, has been appointed to handle the UK launch and the business is thought to be worth...

Asda unveils new strapline for first Fallon ad campaign.(ASDA Group PLC)(Fallon London)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Asda has added another strapline to its growing band of customer messages. The "There's no place like Asda" strapline, created by newly appointed Fallon, is running on the supermarket giant's current press ads along with "real-life...

TfL rejigs marketing and media structure.(London, England. Transport for London appoints Nigel Marson)
March 1, 2007... Transport for London (TfL) plans to combine its group marketing, media and communications departments under one umbrella as part of a major corporate restructure, six months after it promoted Nigel Marson to head of group marketing. ...

Motorola to ditch 'pretty' handset marketing focus.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Motorola is overhauling its marketing strategy to focus on customer experience ahead of the launch of a new "high-definition" mobile phone. The move is the company's biggest marketing shift since Simon Thompson took over as director of...

IN BRIEF: Marketing Week biggest marketing magazine.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Marketing Week has emerged as the biggest marketing magazine title in the Superbrands Top 500 B2B brands hotlist. Overall, it ranks 219th; Marketing is ranked at 241. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

IN BRIEF: Mortgage specialist for self-employed.(Bradford & Bingley PLC)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Bradford & Bingley is repositioning itself as a mortgage specialist for the self-employed, first-time buyers and buy-to-let sector. The repositioning will be backed by a multi-million pound campaign, created by BJL. Copyright: Centaur...

IN BRIEF: UK Green Building Council.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... The UK Green Building Council, comprising 36 property companies, launched yesterday (Tuesday), to investigate ways the UK's building industry can tackle environmental issues. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

IN BRIEF: Transform London.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... London Mayor Ken Livingstone has declared he wants to transform London into the world's greenest capital city. He says he wants to cut London's carbon emissions by 60% by 2025 - twice the rate of government targets. Copyright: Centaur...

IN BRIEF: Difficult for Royal Mail to catch up.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Royal Mail has left it too late to become an international business, according to Peter Bakker, chief executive of its main rival TNT. Bakker says it will be difficult for Royal Mail to catch up after years of expansion by other operators....

IN BRIEF: Royal Mail wants to increase stamp prices.(Royal Mail Group PLC)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Royal Mail wants to add 6p to the price of stamps to stem losses and ensure survival. The change is part of proposals put to regulator Postcomm this week... Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

PEOPLE: Channel 4.(Channel Four Television Company Ltd.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Channel 4 has appointed Mark Phillips, head of the Ministry of Sound's advertising sales and business development, as its head of digital advertising. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

PEOPLE: The Financial Times.(Jon Slade)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... The Financial Times has brought back Jon Slade from The Times to lead its new strategic development unit within its advertising department for Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Slade previously worked at the Financial Times from 2002 to...

PEOPLE: EMAP Radio.(Mark Mahaffy)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... EMAP Radio has appointed Mark Mahaffy, commercial director of Mirror Group Newspapers, as managing director of its Northern Ireland division. He will take over the role from interim Gary Robinson. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and...

PEOPLE: EMAP Advertising.(Bruce Daisley promoted)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... EMAP Advertising has promoted Bruce Daisley, head of agency sales for its radio division, as digital sales director. He will lead the group's ad strategy across online, mobile, IPTV and video-on-demand. While... Copyright: Centaur...

PEOPLE: UKTV.(David Abraham )(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... UKTV, the joint venture between BBC and Virgin Media Television, has appointed St Luke's co-founder David Abraham as its new chief executive. Abraham joins from Discovery Networks USA and succeeds Dick Emery. Copyright: Centaur...

PEOPLE: Opodo.(Isabelle Ratinaud)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Opodo European head of marketing Isabelle Ratinaud has left the company following a restructure, as first predicted by Marketing Week (January 25). The online travel company is devolving marketing responsibilities to individual countries and...

Sony Euro chief demands industry action over HDTV.(David Patton )(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Sony chief European marketer David Patton has called for the TV industry and Ofcom to "sort out" high-definition (HD) TV, saying that the UK is falling behind. Patton, senior vice-president of marketing communications for Sony Europe,...

TGI Friday's seeking team to revive brand.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... TGI Friday's, the restaurant chain, is seeking a managing director and marketing director to spearhead a UK rejuvenation of the brand. The plan follows the sale of the restaurant chain by Whitbread to a joint venture formed by TGI's...

Vilara uncovered: upmarket resort is agency's viral push.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... An online viral campaign promoting luxury holiday destination Vilara as the "perfect destination - because chavs don't know where it is" has been revealed as a marketing push by Southampton-based agency Lawton. Tim John, creative...

Trident ads are 'racist' according to complainants.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... The advertising campaign for the launch of Cadbury Schweppes' Trident chewing gum, featuring a Jamaican stand-up comic, has triggered more than 50 complaints from consumers who think it is racist. The ad, created by JWT, shows the...

Portman Group calls for alcohol sponsorship ban on children's kit.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Replica sports kit for children will no longer be allowed to carry alcohol branding, under proposed changes to the drinks industry's self regulatory code on marketing. The Portman Group, the industry-funded body that administers the code,...

Analysis: Can a makeover help Asda?(ASDA Group Ltd.)
March 1, 2007... Asda president and chief executive Andy Bond has underlined his commitment to traditional supermarkets over high street convenience stores by announcing plans to open at least 18 new superstores across the UK this year. Bond says Asda's...

Charity raps Shire for Alzheimer's drug plan.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Drugs company Shire Pharmaceuticals' decision to launch a Website called DementiaLink.co.uk, which aims to promote and raise the profile of its Alzheimer's drug Reminyl XL during Alzheimer's Awareness Week in July, has been called into...

Analysis: Portman Group is still calling the shots, but for how long?
March 1, 2007... A leading doctor has called for a total ban on all alcohol advertising, including sports sponsorship, in a bid to curb Britain's binge-drinking culture. The plea from Professor Ian Gilmore, the incoming president of the Royal College of...

Bic plots refillable shaver for women.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Bic is expanding its presence in the UK shaving market with the launch of its first refillable system shaver for women. The French razor and pen company is adding to its Soleil range of disposable female razors with the launch a new triple...

IN BRIEF: FedEx looking for digital agency.( )(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... FedEx, the world's largest transportation company, is looking for a digital agency as part of a move to boost its online presence across Europe. It is understood to have approached a number of UK agencies with a brief to boost its online...

IN BRIEF: Inferno to handle ad business.(Premier Travel Inn)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Premier Travel Inn has appointed Inferno to handle its #5m advertising business following a three-way pitch against undisclosed agencies. It is not clear if the incumbent Vallance Carruthers Coleman Priest was invited to repitch. The hotel...

IN BRIEF: Volvo global advertising review.(Goodby, Silverstein and Partners )(Volvo of America Corp.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Goodby Silverstein & Partners has pulled out of Volvo's #150m global advertising review. The agency was pitching with 180 Amsterdam against Fallon, Arnold/Nitro and incumbent Euro RSCG. It is thought that 180 Amsterdam will remain in the...

IN BRIEF: Vision Express shortlist.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Vision Express has shortlisted Publicis and Miles Calcraft Briginshaw Duffy to pitch for its #7m advertising account. The optical chain previously used Swiss agency Seeaytch Advertising Network but it is not thought that the agency was...

IN BRIEF: Nokia shortlist.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Nokia has shortlisted Bartle Bogle Hegarty, Mother, Wieden & Kennedy, JWT, DDB and the incumbent agency Grey to pitch for its #175m global advertising account for its handset division. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

Publicis chief exec heads for exit door.(Grant Duncan )(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Publicis chief executive Grant Duncan has resigned from the agency after eight years without a job to go to. It is not clear if Duncan, who leaves the agency at the end of April, will be replaced. Duncan's departure comes at a difficult...

Tequila wins #2m Strongbow brief.(Brewer Scottish & Newcastle)(Tequila\Manchester)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Brewer Scottish & Newcastle (S&N) has appointed Tequila\Manchester to handle the Continental European work for its Strongbow cider brand. The account is understood to be worth more than #2m. The agency won the business following a...

New campaign: Orville Redenbacher's.(Orville Redenbacher Div.)(McCann-Erickson Advertising Ltd.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... McCann Erickson has created a new television campaign for US microwave popcorn brand Orville Redenbacher's. The ad will feature a family discovering that popcorn is more than just a snack to eat while watching films. When dad forgets the...

Double blow for Agency Republic as directors quit.(Patrick Griffith and Andy Sandoz)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Agency Republic has lost its top planning and creative directors Patrick Griffith and Andy Sandoz. Both are leaving to go travelling without jobs to go to, but it is believed the pair are talking about launching a start-up or joining a...

Tetra Pak hands global overhaul to Ogilvy.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Ogilvy Group UK has been appointed to handle a multi-million pound global strategic review of the Tetra Pak packaging brand. Ogilvy won the task in a pitch against four undisclosed agencies. Ogilvy will be responsible for ensuring that the...

Personal to push healthy school meals.(School Food Trust)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Personal is to handle an advertising push by the School Food Trust to promote healthy eating in schools. The agency won the business following a four-way pitch and has created an integrated campaign around the theme "Eat Better, Do...

Analysis: Daley sets up pitch at Man United.
March 1, 2007... The news that Lee Daley is leaving Saatchi & Saatchi to take his "dream job" at Manchester United means the advertising industry is losing one of its most controversial figures. The chairman and chief executive of Saatchi & Saatchi London...

EMAP to focus major restructure around brand-led profit centres.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... EMAP is expected to unveil a brand-led structure, with each brand operating its own profit and loss (P&L) centre. The media giant is making an internal announcement this week. The restructure will create a brand director for each of the...

Magazine body investigates coupon misuse.(Periodical Publishers Association)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... The Periodical Publishers Association, the trade body for the magazine publishing industry, is looking into the use of money-off coupons and vouchers by its members and by advertisers in the magazines they publish. The news comes as...

DoH creates youth club posters to warn against teen pregnancy.
March 1, 2007... The Department of Health starts a national ad push next week to raise awareness of teen pregnancy among hard-to-reach 12-19 year-olds. The campaign, which has been created through COI Communications, will cover the FBI Youth poster sites...

BCMA aims to develop measurement standard.(Branded Content Marketing Association)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... The Branded Content Marketing Association (BCMA) is launching an in- depth study into measurement techniques with the aim of developing an industry-recognised standard. The move comes almost a year after the Association, which represents...

Call to relax ban on brand sponsorship.(Lorraine Heggessey )(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Talkback Thames chief executive Lorraine Heggessey has criticised the regulation that bars brands from sponsoring programme content in the UK. She says that the British TV medium misses out on opportunities that are available abroad,...

Digital Outlook takes Shaun the Sheep online to promote series.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... The launch of the first solo series for Wallace & Gromit character Shaun the Sheep is to be backed by a major global online initiative. London-based agency Digital Outlook is to promote the new series from Aardman Animations via a...

IN BRIEF: Pearson to rely on FT.com.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Pearson, owner of the Financial Times, is expected to continue to rely on subscription revenues for FT.com. The group had voiced fears that subscription revenues had hindered competitiveness in the online world. Copyright: Centaur...

IN BRIEF: Fish4 website.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... The7Stars has been appointed to handle media planning and buying for classified ad website Fish4. The agency won the business, believed to be worth #20m, in a pitch against undisclosed agencies. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and...

IN BRIEF: Logos to be replaced.(Honda Motor Europe Ltd.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Honda Racing F1 Team is to replace sponsorship logos on its cars with an image of the earth to highlight its 'green' credentials, as predicted by Marketing Week last year (December 21). Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors...

IN BRIEF: BSkyB profits could fall.(British Sky Broadcasting Group PLC)(Financial report)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... BSkyB has warned investors that its operating profits could fall #20m if it fails to reach agreement with Virgin Media over the cable operator's carriage of its entertainment and news channels. The two media companies are understood to be in...

IN BRIEF: Ofcom launches enquiry.(British Sky Broadcasting Group PLC)(Office of Communications (United Kingdom))(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Ofcom has launched an inquiry into BSkyB's #940m purchase of a 17.9% stake in ITV. Trade and Industry Secretary Alistair Darling ordered the investigation, which he says 'raises a number of public interest concerns about the number of...

Villa markets media rights.(Aston Villa Football Club PLC)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Aston Villa, the Premier League football club, is putting all its media rights up for sale. The review will encompass the club's domestic and international television, mobile, home video, website, matchday video and broadband, and puts...

ADT appoints John Ayling as media planning agency.(John Ayling and Associates Ltd.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... ADT, the security systems company, has appointed John Ayling & Associates to handle its #1m media planning and buying account. It follows a competitive pitch against a number of undisclosed agencies. The media review follows the appointment...

Analysis: EMAP's digital hiccup is not an isolated case.
March 1, 2007... Struggling EMAP is in familiar territory. In 2001, its stock market valuation collapsed and it was ejected from the FTSE 100. Fast-forward six years and it has suffered three profit warnings in 12 months, a plummeting share price and declining...

LETTER: Cadbury's ill-advised crisis communication.(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... Is Cadbury trying to get mentioned in every crisis communications textbook from now until Doomsday? Not content with the criticism the company received for its handling of the "salmonella in milk"' crisis last summer, Cadbury is now...

LETTER: Too much competition killing off Royal Mail.(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... I am seriously concerned about the level of business that Royal Mail is losing to rival operators in the UK (MW February 15). Of course, competition is a good thing, in the bulk mail arena it has produced an improved service from Royal...

LETTER: Iain Murray versus scientific consensus.(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... How extraordinary that Marketing Week should publish an article (MW February 22) comparing the scientific consensus on climate change to a quasi-religious belief system. Let's examine what is meant by scientific consensus. Two years ago,...

VIEWPOINT: Duncan's sights are on the bigger picture.(Andy Duncan)
March 1, 2007... It's already looking like annus horribilis for Andy Duncan, chief executive of Channel 4 - and we're only into two months of it so far. After three years of relatively calm weather during which he has successfully surfed digitalisation and...

Why converged media needs a converged measurement.
March 1, 2007... As convergence of media platforms continues, advertisers will rightly come to demand converged audience measurement It still remains to be seen exactly which devices will carry what functionality. Whoever thought that cameras would be a...

CHANNEL 4: Four better, or worse?(Channel Four Television Company Ltd. investigated)
March 1, 2007... Channel 4 has taken a lot of heat recently, for its handling of the Celebrity Big Brother racism row and most recently for the Richard & Judy 'rip-off'. But is this down, as some critics says, to Andy Duncan's lack of experience, or just par...

MOTOROLA: Upwardly mobile?(Company overview)
March 1, 2007... Already second to Nokia in the handset market, Motorola's year got off to a bad start with a swathe of job losses and a high-level resignation. But the mobile phone company has high hopes that, with a new generation of products, it can...

Bhs: Losing the rub of the Green?(Sir Philip Green )(British Home Stores )
March 1, 2007... Outdated fashions and poor buying decisions have resulted in a dramatic slide in profits at Bhs. Can new marketing director Shaeren McKenzie revive the retailer's fortunes? Noelle Waugh reports Bhs, owned by flamboyant retail tycoon Sir...

COMMENT: Radio will have its day again.
March 1, 2007... Radio has been lambasted for failing to keep up with other media, but will soon break through as a truly competitive digital platform, says Erica Taylor Over the past couple of years radio has encountered some bad press, with the medium...

CITY VIEW - US VERSUS UK MEDIA: Print and Press.
March 1, 2007... UK media companies are lagging behind the US in their impact on the stock market, but the publishing sector is forging ahead. By David Forster The media sector has been a business editor's dream in recent weeks with a slew of stories...

CITY VIEW: The IBIS Capital Media Indices.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... IBIS Capital is a corporate finance advisory and investment business focused on the media sector. The IBIS Capital Media Indices are a set of proprietary analytical tools developed to monitor the UK media industry from the perspective of...

PRODUCT PACKAGING: Packaging builds brand image.
March 1, 2007... Brands that are seen to be making a commitment to reduce the environmental impact of their packaging will reap great rewards, as the public and media continue to wage war on waste The Local Government Association's "War on Waste" campaign...

MARKET RESEARCH: Into the mind of the consumer.
March 1, 2007... Do consumers really know what they're after? Revolutionary techniques in market research look beyond what they think they want and unlock their subconscious desires. Alicia Clegg reports If you follow the animated sitcom the Simpsons, you...

DIRECT MARKETING: Evolution not convolution.
March 1, 2007... With the increasingly important role of digital channels in direct marketing, and an emerging threat to practitioners' data sources, the discipline is going through a period of change, says David Reed For creationists, one of the flaws in...

Hooked on casual information: confessions of a survey addict.
March 1, 2007... Addiction to e-mails may be serious, as a new study shows, but in a world packed full of forgettable facts, surveys are also a hard habit to break Marsha Egan sounds as though she may be one of those earnest Americans forever in search of...

02 Takes on phone makers with own-brand handsets.(Brief article)
March 8, 2007... O2 is to take on handset manufacturers such as Nokia and Motorola by ramping up its investment in own-branded products. It is creating a new division in its marketing team to spearhead the launch of a range of own-branded mobile phones...

Huggies brand branches out into baby sun care products.(Brief article)
March 8, 2007... Kimberly-Clark is moving the Huggies baby brand into the skincare market with its first range of sun protection products under its disposable swimwear brand. K-C will roll out the new range of children's sun care products under its Little...

CHI 'full-service' rebrand as deal rumours circulate.(Clemmow Hornby Inge)(Havas)(Brief article)
March 8, 2007... Clemmow Hornby Inge (CHI) is planning to relaunch as a fully integrated "big ideas" agency that will also offer media planning and buying. The new full-service proposition, which has the project name CHI-II, will include direct marketing...

Flybe staffs up in advance of #15m rebranding drive.(BA Connect)(Brief article)
March 8, 2007... Flybe is upping its advertising spend by a third and creating a raft of new marketing appointments following its acquisition of BA Connect. The low-cost airline will increase its advertising spend from #10m to #15m this year as it looks...

New campaign: Xerox.
March 8, 2007... Xerox, the office equipment brand, is rolling out a multi million-pound pan-European campaign promoting its range of colour multifunction products. The ad push sees Xerox launch its first viral film. The campaign will run across print,...

Commodore to return with PC-based game system.(Brief article)
March 8, 2007... Commodore, one of the brand pioneers in the video games arena, is to return to the world of gaming with the launch of a PC-based system later this month. The brand became synonymous with video gaming for a generation of consumers with its...

Nanjing Autos lures Lotus boss ahead of MG launch.(appointment of Gary Hagan)(Brief article)
March 8, 2007... Nanjing Automobile Corporation (NAC) (UK) has appointed former Lotus and Volvo marketer Gary Hagan as sales and marketing director as it gears up to launch MG-branded cars across Europe later this year. Hagan joins from Lotus in the US,...

New campaign: Virgin Health Bank.(stem cells storage services)(Brief article)
March 8, 2007... Virgin Health Bank is launching its new stem cells storage service with a press campaign in parenting magazines that will start this month. The campaign, which has been created by Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R, focuses on the benefit...

HP Sauce unveils 'Spamalot' bottle.(Brief article)
March 8, 2007... Beattie McGuinness Bungay (BMB) has teamed with West End musical Monty Python's Spamalot to produce a limited edition HP Sauce bottle as part of the brand's biggest marketing push. The agency is also believed to be in talks with the...

IN BRIEF: Bernard Matthews redundancies.(layoff from food company)(Brief article)
March 8, 2007... Marketing Week has been asked to point out that Bernard Matthews is not making 500 redundancies as reported in the February 22 issue. The company had made 165 lay-offs at the time of going to press, and some of those employees have since been...

IN BRIEF: Eon takeover.(Brief article)
March 8, 2007... Eon, the power company, is reported to be looking at Scottish & Southern Energy as a takeover target, as its E41bn (#27.6bn) bid for Spanish utility company Endesa looks set to collapse. SSE is thought to be defending itself against the move,...

IN BRIEF: Bacardi writes to Swedish government.(acquisitions)(Brief article)
March 8, 2007... Bacardi, the spirits group, is reported to have written to the Swedish government to say it wants to buy Swedish company Vin & Sprit, the owner of Absolut Vodka. The Swedish government wholly owns V&S. Copyright: Centaur Communications...

IN BRIEF: Blackstone approaches DaimlerChrysler.(Brief article)
March 8, 2007... Blackstone, the world's biggest private equity group, is understood to have approached DaimlerChrysler about making a bid for its ailing US division. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

IN BRIEF: Bid for Sainsbury's.(Brief article)
March 8, 2007... The Takeover Panel has set a deadline of April 14 for a private equity consortium to make a bid for supermarket retailer Sainsbury's. The group is made up of CVC, Kolhberg Kravis Roberts, Blackstone and Texas Pacific. Copyright: Centaur...