Marketing Week articles from March 2009

Marketing Week archives from March 2009

New ISBA president rallies marketers to save economy.(Incorporated Society of British Advertisers)
March 5, 2009... Marketers will have 'pivotal role in getting us out of this mess' says Hunter in maiden speech for the body Incorporated Society of British Advertisers president Mark Hunter will urge marketers to "keep the faith and hold their nerve" in...

Pizza Hut chief executive Murdoch stands down.(Chief executive Alasdair Murdoch resigns)(Brief article)
March 5, 2009... Chief executive of Pizza Hut UK, Alasdair Murdoch, is stepping down from his role. It is believed he does not have a job to go. He will be replaced by Jens Hofma, who is currently chief executive of KFC Germany and Holland. KFC and Pizza...

Ex-Motorola VP Dale tipped for senior Euro Xbox role.
March 5, 2009... Microsoft's Xbox 360 is believed to have signed up former Motorola and Orange marketer Jeremy Dale for a senior European role. Dale left his last position as corporate vice-president of global marketing at Motorola in January. He was based...

DWP explores ways to publicise merger.(Department of Work and Pensions )(Brief article)
March 5, 2009... The Department of Work and Pensions is considering creating a new public-facing brand that will reflect the operational merger of the Pensions Agency and the Disability and Carers Service that took place last year. It is recruiting a new...

Director leaves DMA for equestrian body.(Mike Barnes resigns from Direct Marketing Association )(Brief article)
March 5, 2009... Mike Barnes, the director of marketing and business development at the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), is stepping down to join the equestrian organisation British Eventing. Barnes will leave the DMA in April after ten years in his...

ASA decides P&G's Olay Regenerist ad is misleading.
March 5, 2009... The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned a television advertisement for Procter & Gamble's Olay Regenerist because it implies that the skin care brand could have a similar effect to cosmetic injections. The ad, created by...

The Hut Group seeks agency for brand awareness work.(Brief article)
March 5, 2009... Online retailer The Hut Group is to start looking for agencies to work on a brand awareness campaign after buying Zavvi's brand, rights and 1 million-strong customer database this week. Hut Group is looking to compete with HMV, Play and...

Madame Tussauds takes on frank.(Brief article)
March 5, 2009... Madame Tussauds has appointed integrated agency frank to handle its entire creative network. Madame Tussauds is owned by Merlin Entertainments and frank already works with sister attractions the London Eye and the Sea Life London Aquarium....

Subaru appoints integrated agency PHWT to UK business.(Brief article)
March 5, 2009... Subaru has appointed integrated agency Palmer Hargreaves Wallis Tomlinson (PHWT) to handle its Subaru UK business. West Midlands-based PHWT handled the Subaru account until 2005 when it lost a pitch to Miles Calcraft Briginshaw Duffy. ...

MCCA helps Vodafone Spain to find UK agency.(Marketing Communication Consultants Association)(Brief article)
March 5, 2009... The Marketing Communication Consultants Association (MCCA) is helping Vodafone Spain to source a UK marketing agency to help with retail marketing initiatives and experiential work. One of the MCCA's roles is to act as an intermediary to...

News International signs deal to push The Damned United film.(Sony Pictures )(Brief article)
March 5, 2009... Sony Pictures has signed a deal with News International to promote British film The Damned United across the media owner's titles. The cross-platform campaign aims to advertise the film, which tells the story of Brian Clough's 44-day reign...

Analysis: Roberto Cavalli credit card launch.(Milan Fashion Week)
March 5, 2009... Roberto Cavalli links financial services and high fashion with credit card launch To the thumping beats of dance music, designer Roberto Cavalli stuck two fingers up to the recession and launched his own credit card at Milan Fashion...

ATOC seeks media agency for Railcard campaign brief.(Association of Train Operating Companies)(Brief article)
March 5, 2009... The Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) is on the hunt for a media agency to plan and buy campaigns for the Railcard brands. ATOC is the trade association owned by each of the franchised train operating companies. The companies...

Yes, but no, but yes... the ITV merger dilemma for advertisers.
March 5, 2009... ITV's merger proposal would break all the rules. But is this melodrama just a cunning ploy to sneak the real solution in through the back door? The answer is both no and yes. No, because although there are a number of attractive and...

No brand is an island - it is part of a much wider shopping experience.
March 5, 2009... Why business and style magazine Monocle hopes a business model based on value, not price, can help the brand ward off the threat of recession Imagine that you're a media mogul. In charge of your own magazine brand, every headline shouts...

LETTER: Clients will advertise if agencies share risk.(Letter to the editor)
March 5, 2009... Stuart Smith was right on the money to say it was no coincidence that the last recession gave birth to a new third wave of stellar UK agencies (MW February 19). He also correctly identified their ability to "keep their nerve" and ability to...

LETTER: Digital marketers are not entitled to IP rights.(Letter to the editor)
March 5, 2009... In your news story "Search agency to offer IP initiative" (MW February 19), one of our competitors claims to be the first digital marketing agency to offer its clients "the opportunity to retain their intellectual property rights". If it has...

LETTER: Ticketmaster tie-up will benefit brands.(Letter to the editor)
March 5, 2009... In response to your article "The Live Nation and Ticketmaster merger must benefit music fans" (MW February 19), I think it is interesting to also reflect on how the merger might benefit brands. It has been said before that the music...

VIEWPOINT: Consumers with less money hold more power.(Viewpoint essay)
March 5, 2009... In the midst of all the economic gloom, marketers - indeed - chairmen and chief executives alike should remember one thing. Consumers with less money to spend should not be seen as less powerful. The reverse is true. Consumers with less...

PROTECTED BRANDS: I can't live without you.
March 5, 2009... Marketers are striving to bubble-wrap their brands to protect them from the ravages of a weak economy. Jo Roberts learns six steps to identify what is the essential value of a product or service in order to achieve the exalted 'protected...

PROTECTED BRANDS: Why no brand can be 'protected'.
March 5, 2009... By Jonathan Salem Baskin I don't believe there's such a thing as a "protected" brand. I can't think of an example of a single product or service that is benefiting from all the money that has been dumped into building brand integrity,...

PROTECTED BRANDS: The 'wannabe' protected brand: Bulldog.(Bulldog Natural Grooming )
March 5, 2009... Bulldog The Bulldog Natural Grooming male brand already appears in major retailers such as Sainsbury's and Boots but at only two years old it has aspirations that it can become a "protected" brand of heritage. The small brand aims to...

PROTECTED BRANDS: The protected heritage brand: Special K.
March 5, 2009... Special K People have been starting their day with a bowl of Kellogg's cornflakes for more than 100 years. But the brand doesn't just rely on its history to retain its protected status. The company's Special K brand - aimed at people...

NEW MARKETING MODELS: A bitter pill to swallow.
March 5, 2009... Aggressive direct sales techniques, the mainstay of drugs companies, have been branded 'obsolete' by PwC, and pharma marketers admit these are being pushed down the agenda. Joe Fernandez asks whether the industry will be forced to kick its...

NEW MARKETING MODELS: Why the direct response model isn't broken.
March 5, 2009... Mark Rabe, vice-president and managing director of sales at Yahoo! UK & Ireland, explains why direct response ads are effective for stimulating demand The main benefit of direct response advertising is the return on investment it offers...

BUPA: Arms around the world.(Bupa International)
March 5, 2009... Despite the worldwide economic pinch, Bupa International is striving to improve its global reach with a digital marketing push and the creation of health-wise online communities. By Jo Roberts Bupa International is hoping that a new...

GLOBAL SPENDING PATTERNS: How culture can affect cost.
March 5, 2009... As the effects of the recession are felt around the world, the reactions of consumers in different countries to rising food prices is far from uniform, although regional trends have been revealed Shoppers are cutting back as they grow...

FMCG: Research extends beyond lab.
March 5, 2009... The key to successful new product development in a recession is not the science behind its creation, but cost-effective, insightful research online before launch. Matthew Valentine reports For every successful FMCG launch, the landscape...

FMCG: CASE STUDY - CADBURY.(internet marketing)
March 5, 2009... Wispa The best sort of online research can sometimes leapfrog conventional methods altogether, according to Tony Bilsborough, head of external communications at Cadbury. The brand reintroduced its Wispa bar in 2007 after an online...

Ads may be the kitsch art of TV, but they are great interruptions.(television advertising)
March 5, 2009... Viewers claim TV with regular ads is more pleasurable, but only because the ads break up the programmes, not because they are worth watching In common with kitsch art, TV commercials may be one of those paradoxical creations that are so...

MW poll shows 'Aldi effect' on retailers was overhyped.(Marketing Week)(Survey)
March 12, 2009... Discount retailers Aldi, Lidl and Netto have made only marginal gains in their overall market share The "Aldi effect" may be overstated, according to exclusive Marketing Week research that shows less than 10% of shoppers would...

William Grant loses global marketing chief Sturgeon.(William Grant and Sons Ltd.)(Steven Sturgeon)(Brief article)
March 12, 2009... William Grant & Sons global marketing director Steven Sturgeon is to leave the drinks company at the end of the month. It is not clear whether he has a job to go to. Sturgeon, who is also a member of the company's executive committee, is...

McDonald's boosts prizes to beef up Monopoly promo.
March 12, 2009... McDonald's is to launch its biggest sales promotion in the UK by way of an expanded Best Chance Monopoly initiative offering #280m worth of prizes. The promotional campaign has been devised by The Marketing Store and will run in all...

Encams set to revive Keep Britain Tidy ads.(Brief article)
March 12, 2009... Environmental protection charity Encams has admitted its Keep Britain Tidy anti-litter campaign has "lost its way" over the past ten years. However, it says it is about to embark on a new marketing-focused era under new chief executive...

New campaign: ASICS puts both feet forward.(Brief article)
March 12, 2009... ASICS, the trainer brand, is launching a pan-European print campaign with the strapline "What's a left without a right?" The campaign is the first work for the ASICS SportStyle leisure footwear range from Amsterdam Worldwide. The agency...

ASA slams horror poster for glorifying knife crime.(Advertising Standards Authority)(The Works Media Group PLC)(Brief article)
March 12, 2009... The Advertising Standards Authority has slammed a poster for the horror film Scar for being "overly graphic and shocking". The poster featured a close up of a screaming face with a deep knife wound across the cheek. The title, Scar, was...

Cogent Elliott leads global creative work for Triumph.(Triumph Motorcycles )(Brief article)
March 12, 2009... Triumph Motorcycles has appointed Cogent Elliott as its lead global creative agency. The agency will work on all Triumph marketing communications worldwide, including country-specific, national and local advertising, literature and...

BJL creates #2.5m TV and cinema ad campaign for Rustlers burgers.
March 12, 2009... BJL has created its first work for the Kepak Convenience Foods brand Rustlers in the form of a #2.5m television and cinema campaign that targets young males and students. The 30-second TV ad launches on April 1 and uses the strapline...

AMV.BBDO wins Passport Services strategic ad business.(Identity and Passport Services)(Brief article)
March 12, 2009... The Identity and Passport Services (IPS) has appointed Abbott Mead Vickers.BBDO as its long-term strategic advertising agency. The agency will work across the entire IPS remit, including ID cards, passports and the General Register Office...

Steak helps retain online support for OAP charity.(Age Concern acquires Help the Aged)(Brief article)
March 12, 2009... The OAP charity being created by the merger of Age Concern and Help the Aged has appointed SEO agency Steak to help retain supporters online. The agency, whose clients include British Gas and John Lewis, has been hired to make sure the...

ITV soap hunting for fresh backer.(Brief article)
March 12, 2009... ITV is on the hunt for a sponsor for its weekday soap opera Emmerdale to replace Reckitt Benckiser. The long-running programme attracts nearly 7 million viewers an episode and actors Amanda Donohoe and Maxwell Caulfield have just been...

The7Stars wins fast food brand's media business.(pizza company Papa John's)(Brief article)
March 12, 2009... The7Stars has scooped the media planning and buying account for home delivery pizza company Papa John's. The agency pitched against incumbent M2M for the business. The senior director of marketing EMEA for Papa John's is Simon Wallis. ...

Absolute Radio in rebranding drive.(Absolute Radio UK)(Brief article)
March 12, 2009... Absolute Radio is to launch the next stage of its rebranding campaign with a focus on the station's expanded playlist. The station, which rebranded from Virgin Radio last September, will run the second wave of television activity, created...

More Than renews Magic sponsorship.(insurance firm More Than contracts with Bauer Radio)(Brief article)
March 12, 2009... Direct insurance firm More Than has renewed its sponsorship deal with Bauer Radio's Magic 105.4. The one-year #600,000 agreement, brokered by UM with Bauer Media, will include an hour-long ad-free programme on Sunday nights called the...

The twitter of a threat to traditional push marketing.(online social networks)
March 12, 2009... As the Twitter phenomenon grows, so does the weight of word of mouth, and traditional push marketing appears to be on its way out Twitter went mainstream one Friday in January when Stephen Fry appeared on Tonight with Jonathan Ross. Before...

Carter's digital blueprint will help to guarantee his political future.(Stephen Carter)
March 12, 2009... Lord Carter's charting of Digital Britain, which aims to safeguard the UK's digital future, involves a clever marriage of market and state Digital Britain will pass to the cabinet for thorough scrutiny (read: political mauling)....

Exploit full potential of the digital space.(monitoring of live and digital campaigns innovations)
March 12, 2009... Keep very close tabs on live campaigns John Lennon once said: "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans." His shrewd observation on the human condition is applicable to today's advertising industry, with many clients and...

MARKETING STRATEGY: Marketers seek reconnection to power source.
March 12, 2009... A Chartered Institute of Marketing survey of executives at international brands reveals that 57% think their marketing function is disconnected from a strategic role. Maeve Hosea asks whether this is because senior marketers too often execute...

PRO BONO WORK: Is the spotlight enough on its own?
March 12, 2009... The search for an agency for the 2012 London Olympics brings with it one of the largest 'goods-in-kind' tenders in marketing, but can agencies afford to take it on? Louise Jack investigates One of the largest "goods-in-kind" contracts...

PRO BONO WORK: AGENCY VIEWPOINT - Grey London.(contract with Women's Aid )
March 12, 2009... Grey managing director Chris Hirst suspects that during a recession, agencies will need to become more disciplined about taking on pro bono work but claims it won't stop altogether. "These things are so often driven by someone within the...

PRO BONO WORK: AGENCY VIEWPOINT - McCann Erickson.(McCann-Erickson Europe's contract with The Karen Clifford Skin Cancer Charity )
March 12, 2009... McCann Erickson's work for The Karen Clifford Skin Cancer Charity (Skcin) began as an idea for a spoof campaign. Created for fun by the agency, it was so taken by the idea that it searched for a relevant charity to take advantage of it. ...

The numbers game that cheats business of its real sense of value.
March 12, 2009... Using hard data, such as sales and income figures, as facts on which to base decisions is a dangerous trap that too many businesses are falling into Spare a thought for those fighting to survive at the front line of the credit crunch....

TRAVELODGE: Sparking a hotel price war.
March 12, 2009... In a move more common with supermarkets, Travelodge is aiming to 'steal' #29m of revenue from rival hotel chains by exposing their 'rip- off' practices in its latest ad campaign. By Joe Fernandez Famed for its cheap rooms and simple...

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY: Responsibility begins at home.
March 12, 2009... To tackle the challenges of 2009, businesses must stick with their CSR programmes - and start getting their own houses in order, says Stuart Jackson Unquestioningly, brands have got to give customers a consistent quality of experience...

CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR: Look to the future.
March 12, 2009... As brand owners seek to increase their understanding about future fashions and tastes, they are turning to semiotics - the study of human cultures - to identify the latest macro and micro-trends Managing risk is one of the most important...

CREATIVITY: Innovation drives change.
March 12, 2009... The climate of gloom surrounding traditional print media is not shared by its digital and customer publishing counterparts which are embracing creativity to drive change. By Matthew Valentine Creativity has always driven the growth of...

CREATIVITY - CASE STUDY: National Geographic.(Brief article)
March 12, 2009... While customer publishing brings to mind retailers such as Tesco, Asda and Ikea moving into media, one magazine brand is moving from printed pages into retailing. National Geographic has been a magazine for more than 100 years. Published...

CREATIVITY - CASE STUDY: Ikea Family Live.(IKEA UK Ltd.)
March 12, 2009... It isn't just online magazines that are putting traditional print titles under pressure. Publications from supermarkets and other retailers such as Ikea are seeing their circulations and revenues increase. Indeed, Ikea Family Live, which...

The obsession with youth ignores a swelling mass of mature shoppers.
March 12, 2009... Credit Suisse's attack on M&S for appealing to older shoppers betrays the bank's misunderstanding of the importance of elderly, better-off consumers These are trying times in the City. The #1,000 lunches and lap-dancing frolics of...

Brands 'must be beacons of trust to beat recession'.
March 19, 2009... Lord Gould says trust and community connection will be the watchwords in the post-recession world Consumers will expect brands to become trusted, transparent and engaged "pillars of the earth" to replace outdated, untrustworthy...

FSA: new study should unite retailers over food labelling.(Food Standards Agency)(Brief article)
March 19, 2009... Food brands will be expected to fall in line with food labelling recommendations due from the Food Standards Agency in the next two months. The FSA says its recommendations, which the Government will use to make a "final decision on...

Royal Mail set for charity mail-outs clash with TNT.(TNT Post)(Brief article)
March 19, 2009... Royal Mail is facing competition from TNT Post for its direct marketing delivery service for charities. Commercial rivals to Royal Mail have been hampered in the past in their efforts to attract charity-based business because only Royal...

Brand experts back Post Bank proposal.(Brief article)
March 19, 2009... Post Bank, the proposed service that would offer a wider range of financial services through the Post Office network, could be a timely move, according to branding experts. A coalition of business leaders, politicians and unions yesterday...

New campaign: Bid to get Britain swimming.(Coca-Cola Great Britain appointed Mother Ltd. as creative agency)(Brief article)
March 19, 2009... Coca-Cola Great Britain is to run an integrated campaign to support the launch of the natural mineral water brand Schweppes Abbey Well that aims to get Britons swimming. The campaign, created by Mother, includes radio, digital and on-pack...

ASA rejects complaints against ad for Stella 4%.(Advertising Standards Authority)(Stella Artois)(Brief article)
March 19, 2009... The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has cleared a television campaign for Stella Artois 4% after complaints from an alcohol abuse charity that the ad linked alcohol with seduction and daring behaviour. The ad, created by Mother, is...

S&N's White Lightning to relaunch with less alcohol.(Scottish & Newcastle Breweries PLC)(Brief article)
March 19, 2009... Scottish & Newcastle is to relaunch its White Lightning cider brand with a reduced alcoholic strength in a bid to offer a "responsible" alternative to cheaper super-strength white cider brands. The brewer says the strength of White...

Advertising Association names Tim Lefroy as chief.
March 19, 2009... The Advertising Association has unveiled Tim Lefroy as its chief executive to replace Peta Buscombe. Lefroy will step down from his role as chief executive of the change management consultancy Radical Communications to take up the...

Finance heads believe marketing investment is needed in recession.(Brief article)
March 19, 2009... Finance directors across the country believe that marketing investment should be strengthened during the economic downturn to benefit their companies in the long run, according to a new report. The survey by database marketing and...

UK ad spend dropped nearly 10% in 2008 Q4.(Brief article)(Statistical data)
March 19, 2009... Total UK advertising expenditure fell by 3.9% in 2008 but plummeted 9.6% in the fourth quarter. Newspapers have seen the biggest drop in ad spend, down 12% on 2007, continuing a trend that saw ad spend drop 0.3% in the previous year. By...

Brunini leaves Group M and Universal's BrandAmp.(Universal Music International)(Giulio Brunini)(Brief article)
March 19, 2009... BrandAmp, the Group M and Universal Music Group joint venture set up to develop music and brand partnerships, has parted company with chief executive Giulio Brunini. The BrandAmp team, which now numbers seven, will report to Group M...

Fallon revives Asda 'pocket tap' to cash in on consumers' nostalgia.(Fallon London)(ASDA Group Ltd.)(Brief article)
March 19, 2009... Fallon has resurrected the famous Asda "pocket tap" and well-known jingle in its latest execution for the supermarket. The campaign has been devised in a bid to reinforce the chain's value credentials and to benefit from consumer...

EHS Brann wins Hastings Insurance pitch.(EHS Brann Cirencester)(Hastings Insurance Services)(Brief article)
March 19, 2009... Hastings Insurance Services has appointed EHS Brann Cirencester to handle its direct marketing and brand positioning following a pitch. The integrated agency will work across Hastings portfolio of brands, which include Hastings Direct and...

Gravity wins Racing UK CRM strategy business.(Brief article)
March 19, 2009... Racing UK, the horse racing TV broadcaster, has appointed Gravity to develop and implement its CRM strategy. Gravity won the business after a pitch against 141, which handles consumer acquisition for Racing UK. The broadcaster wishes...

Bus operator brings Aegis on board for #1m brief.(easyBus.co.uk's contract with Aegis Media )(Brief article)
March 19, 2009... Aegis Media has been appointed to handle the media strategy, planning and buying of easyBus.co.uk. The brief, estimated to be worth in the region of #1m, includes press and digital activity. Aegis will work across all media and EU...

Bauer Media cookery mag Eat In prepares for launch.(Brief article)
March 19, 2009... Bauer Media is gearing up to launch a mass market paid-for monthly cookery magazine at the end of the month, with the a title Eat In, Marketing Week has learned. Bauer hopes the title, which has an initial print-run of 120,000, will tap...

Analysis: VOD offers ideal home for product placement revenue stream.(video-on-demand)
March 19, 2009... Culture secretary Andy Burnham announced last week that he saw no place for product placement on live British TV. But since the practice is permitted in the growing areas of online and video-on-demand, does the ban for live broadcast really...

Women's title from Shortlist publisher gets mixed reaction.
March 19, 2009... The prospect of a new free women's title from the publisher of men's title Shortlist has been met with mixed reactions from media agencies. Although Shortlist Media founder and managing director Mike Soutar has dismissed the idea of an...

Vanneck heads Customer Direct at News International.(Katie Vanneck)(Brief article)
March 19, 2009... News International has appointed marketer Katie Vanneck to head its new Customer Direct department. Customer Direct has been created to build direct relationships with News International's brands, such as The Sun, News of The World, The...

Metro campaign will encourage readers to recycle free sheets.
March 19, 2009... Metro has launched a campaign to encourage readers to recycle their copies of the free newspaper. The publication, which celebrates its tenth anniversary this year, has also worked with Southeastern and Southern train operating companies...

It's time to mourn the death of commercial tv as we know it.
March 19, 2009... Commercial broadcasters must diversify if they are to overcome the double dangers of the recession and the rise of the internet Last year there was a flurry of positive stories about the health of TV. Thinkbox's Tess Alps pointed out that...

PERSONALISED SERVICE: When the big go boutique.
March 19, 2009... Personalisation was once the preserve of the boutique hotel, but with reliability not enough to lure high-end guests, premium chains are mimicking smaller rivals. By Jo Roberts The uniformity of the premium hotel experience was once its...

Tailor of Hilton's bespoke new line.
March 19, 2009... Hilton Hotels luxury brands chief Ross Klein has brought some retail ideology into the chain's new boutique venture, Denzien Hotels. The result is locations that aim to mix fashion with function. By Jo Roberts Ross Klein, global head of...

Policies that please the electorate could hide inflationary timebomb.(WPP Group PLC's Martin Sorrell )
March 19, 2009... Sir Martin Sorrell warns the fiscal intervention that has taken place in the early part of this recession could result in galloping inflation Labour isn't working... helped to unseat Jim Callaghan's 'winter of discontent' government and...

LETTER: Agencies have also become disconnected.(Letter to the editor)
March 19, 2009... Agencies could learn a lot from marketers' disconnection from the boardroom, which you highlighted (MW last week). At a recent award judging day I attended, there was little sign that agencies have taken heed. SMART objectives were few and far...