Marketing Week articles from May 2005

Marketing Week archives from May 2005

Digital growth is led by old school.(Editorial)
May 5, 2005... Some see Greg Dyke, the former director-general of the BBC who this week chairs the annual Marketing Week television conference, as an emissary from the past - a successful product of commercial terrestrial TV in its heyday rather than a herald...

Dyke slams successor over BBC redundancies.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Former BBC director-general attacks Mark Thompson over 'morale- destroying' job cuts Former BBC director-general Greg Dyke has slammed the cost-cutting drive put in place by his successor Mark Thompson, claiming it is unnecessary and is...

More marketing jobs to go at Marks & Spencer.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Marks & Spencer is set to axe up to 30 more jobs from its marketing department as tough conditions on the high street drive the chain to seek further cost savings. The retailer says it has started a consultation exercise over job cuts...

Ford of Britain picks Mazda marketing chief as chairman.(appointed Stephen Odell as chairman)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Mazda global marketing chief Stephen Odell is to become the chairman of Ford of Britain. Odell, who has been senior managing executive officer for marketing, sales and customer service at Mazda since May 2003, will take up the position...

McCain to launch 'deli' snack range.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... McCain Foods is gearing up for the launch of a major sub-brand aimed at moving the frozen-food brand into the upmarket convenience and eating- out sector. McCain Deli-Select, which is due to be launched at the end of this year, is a range...

Unilever picks homecare global marketing chief.(Promotions)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Unilever has appointed a marketing chief with global responsibilities for homecare. Senior vice-president brand development for home and personal care in North America Randy Quinn moves to London to take hands-on responsibility for...

Baxters appoints Euro chief in ad team revamp.(Appointments)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Baxters Food Group, the premium Scottish soup manufacturer, has strengthened its management team with the appointment of Andrew Field as sales and marketing director of European ambient brands. Field has been working in consultancy, but has...

Hoping to attract the pink pound.(Mecca.com)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Rank-owned bingo and gaming website Mecca.com is hoping to attract the pink pound by taking out its first advertisement aimed at the gay sector. The company has bought a full page in this year's guide to Pride London with the strapline 'Coming...

Lloyds TSB to trial plasma screen information points.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Lloyds TSB, the UK's fourth-largest high street bank, is test-marketing plasma screen information points for customers. The technology allows branch customers to access information on products and services on touch-screen points in...

Sega picks UK MD after restructure.(Promotions)(Managing Director)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Sega of Europe has promoted Gary Knight to director of marketing following a reshuffle that has also resulted in the launch of a separate UK division. Former director of marketing Matt Woodley has taken on the new worldwide role of...

Marconi in crisis over missing deal.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Marketers at Marconi are facing an uncertain future after the beleaguered telecoms equipment maker failed to win a role in BT's #10bn network revamp. The company was effectively put up for sale last week following BT's decision to hand...

ASA raps BT over 'misleading' campaign for broadband.(Advertising Standards Authority)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... A BT television campaign promoting the company's 2MB broadband services, featuring a father wanting to share digital pictures of his baby with his relatives, has been banned by advertising watchdog the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). ...

L'Oreal set to target UK ethnic minorities.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... L'Oreal is expected to unveil product launches in the haircare market after digesting the results of research that revealed that black women in the UK spend six times more on haircare products than white women. Other haircare companies,...

Obesity research ignites calls for food ad curbs.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Lobby group Sustain has renewed calls for the Government to introduce legislation aimed at tackling obesity rather than rely on voluntary action by manufacturers. It follows the publication of a report that shows the level of obesity is...

Drambuie marketing chief quits.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Drambuie marketing director Caroline Sutcliffe has left the company. It is understood the Scottish liqueur company is recruiting a successor, who will be the fourth person to hold the position in just over three years. A company insider...

Le Creuset starts drive to tempt style-conscious cooks.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Upmarket cookware brand Le Creuset is repositioning its 80-year-old range to make it more appealing to younger, style-conscious consumers and boost market share. The repositioning will be supported by a marketing campaign, developed by...

Heineken to launch keg beer system.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Heineken has launched a portable keg beer system as part of a #100m marketing push. Heineken announced in February it was investing an extra #100m in marketing and repackaging during 2005 in an effort to strengthen the brand's position in...

Samsung unveils rivals to N-Gage.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Samsung will tackle Nokia's N-Gage head on by launching two mobile phones with three-dimensional gaming capabilities. The phones, which feature a vibration function and a 3D accelerator chip for added realism, have just been released in...

Christian group Alpha plans first cinema ads.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Christian study group Alpha is to launch a cinema campaign for the first time as it attempts to target younger people. The ad will launch in September. Alpha is close to appointing an agency for its annual advertising push and three...

Bandai to take over Namco.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Bandai, the Japanese toymaker, is to take over video game company Namco. The new company will be called Namco Bandai Holdings and will be 57 per cent-owned by Bandai. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

Bacardi chairman resigns.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Bacardi chairman and chief executive Ruben Rodriguez has resigned. His surprise resignation, after 18 years with the group, comes as rival Diageo approaches Bacardi about a consolidation deal. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and...

Not a suitable enough role model.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Wayne Rooney, the Manchester United footballer surrounded by controversy, has been dropped from appearing at a Coca-Cola Great Britain-backed children's football tournament. The organisers of the English Schools Football Association event,...

BA appointed official airline.(British Airways)(British & Irish Lions)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... British Airways has been appointed the British & Irish Lions' official airline for the rugby team's tour to New Zealand, where it faces the All Blacks. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

Sharapova signed up.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Colgate-Palmolive has signed up Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova as the face of its deodorant and body spray brands in a deal negotiated by IMG. In the US, Sharapova will be the face of Lady Speed Stick, and in Europe she will front ads...

Rate tart charge.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Egg is to introduce a two per cent 'rate tart' charge for credit card balance transfers. Egg was one of the pioneers of offering a zero per cent introductory rate to attract new customers. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and...

Egg rules out redundancies.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Egg, the internet bank, has ruled out any redundancies in its marketing department, or scaling back its marketing strategy, as part of the #12m cost-cutting drive announced last week. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

Concern over Tesco's decision.(National Heart Forum)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... The National Heart Forum has expressed concern over Tesco's decision not to adopt a 'traffic-light' food labelling scheme. The forum, which supports the use of a single clear system, says Tesco's decision reflects the general resistance to...

Euro Disney narrows losses.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Euro Disney has narrowed its losses for the first half of the year from E108.9m (#74.2m) to E80.9m (#55.1m). Visitor numbers for the six months to the end of March are up slightly, from 5.6 million to 5.7 million. Copyright: Centaur...

DLKW snaps up #21m SCA Hygiene ad account.(Delaney Lund Knox Warren)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... SCA Hygiene has expanded its roster with the appointment of Delaney Lund Knox Warren to the #21m pan-European advertising account for incontinence brand Tena. It beat Fallon and Abbott Mead Vickers.BBDO to win the account. It is understood...

Isobel wins launch task for Ilva furniture chain.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Danish furniture retailer Ilva has appointed Isobel to its advertising account, with a brief to create a launch campaign for the opening of its first three UK megastores. Isobel, which won the account without a pitch, is believed to have...

Lloyds TSB reconsiders its direct marketing strategy.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Lloyds TSB has confirmed that it is reviewing its #20m direct marketing through the AAR, as first predicted by Marketing Week (MW September 30, 2004). Incumbent WWAV Rapp Collins has been invited to pitch for the business along with...

Fallon campaign.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Fallon has created a national outdoor and online campaign for Sony's new range of Walkman MP3 players. The campaign will use the new global Sony brand line, 'like.no.other', and will emphasise the Network Walkman range's key benefit over the...

Karmarama beats two to Colman's Sauces business.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Unilever Bestfoods-owned Colman's Sauces has appointed Karmarama to its advertising business following a three-way pitch. The agency saw off Fallon and Vallance Carruthers Coleman Priest to land the #1m contract for the 190-year-old brand....

WWAV Rapp Collins campaign.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... WWAV Rapp Collins has created a direct marketing campaign for VisitScotland's Business Tourism Unit to target the top 5,000 corporate events organisers in the UK. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

Election-themed poster capaign.(PartyPoker)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... PartyPoker has launched an election-themed poster campaign featuring the party leaders as poker players, including an execution of Michael Howard with the slogan 'Good at Bluffing?'. They were designed in house; media is by Carat. ...

Leo Burnett campaign.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Leo Burnett has created a TV campaign for Morgan Stanley Consumer Banking to push its Platinum Card Cashback Bonus scheme. The campaign will break on May 5. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

Media Steps floating.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Media Steps, the steps and stairs ad site company, is floating on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) later this month, in a deal believed to be worth #7m. The company has several exclusive sites at train stations and football clubs. ...

Ware Anthony Rust chairman stepping down.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Ware Anthony Rust chairman Robert Ware is stepping down from his post after 20 years at the agency. His decision follows a management buy-out of the company by managing director Alison Meadows and finance director Anne Marchini. ...

First work for Christian Aid.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Campbell Doyle Dye has created its first work for Christian Aid to promote this year's Christian Aid Week. The #1m ad campaign will run across print, outdoor and television, and has the strapline 'You add, we multiply'. Copyright:...

Ingram Partnership appointment.(appointed Martin Deboo as partner)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... The Ingram Partnership, the branding and strategic consultancy, has appointed Martin Deboo as partner. He joins from OC&C Strategy Consultants, where he headed the packaged goods division, whose clients include InBev and Cadbury Schweppes. ...

Campaign for Wrigley's Orbit.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Abbott Mead Vickers.BBDO has created a television campaign for Wrigley's Orbit. It focuses on the dental health benefits of chewing the sugar-free gum by showing people who cannot stop smiling. It breaks on May 9. Copyright: Centaur...

The Gate rebranded.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Citigate Albert Frank, the financial and charity agency, has rebranded as The Gate. The agency, part of the Incepta group, will be known globally as The Gate Worldwide. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

Henley Centre merges with HeadlightVision.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... WPP Group has merged strategic marketing consultancy The Henley Centre with HeadlightVision, the brand consultancy. The Henley Centre chief executive Sian Davies becomes chief executive of the new company, and HeadlightVision chief executive...

Publicis revenues.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Publicis Groupe has reported a 2.4 per cent rise in revenues to E887m (#604.5m) and a four per cent hike in organic growth for the first quarter of 2005 compared with the same period last year. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and...

N&S to launch Jackpot TV in partnership with Bowley.(Northern & Shell )(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Northern & Shell is to launch its planned gaming channel as a joint venture with ex-Carlton TV chief executive Martin Bowley. The channel, called Jackpot TV, will launch at the end of this month. Northern & Shell, owned by Richard...

Tesco covers up lads' mags' risque content.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Retail giant Tesco is to obscure the front covers of mainstream "lads' mags", following complaints about their sexually explicit content. It will also move titles, including weeklies Zoo and Nuts to higher shelves. They will be given less...

Unilever to market Axe on Sony PlayStation Portable.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Unilever has signed up to send video ads for its Axe deodorant brand - sold in the UK as Lynx - to Sony's new PlayStation Portable (PSP) hand- held video game player, in what is being claimed as an industry first. The Axe ads will appear...

Metro lends its name to music festival.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Metro is to sponsor a music festival for the first time, under the banner The Metro Weekender. The free newspaper, owned by Associated Newspapers, will be scaling back its support of comedy at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival as it switches...

Candidate spurns top job at EMAP.(EMAP Advertising)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Active International chief Tony Wheble has turned down the offer to become managing director of EMAP Advertising, choosing instead to take charge of a holiday villa company. Wheble was offered the job at EMAP left vacant by the departure of...

Butlins to review #3m combined media brief.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Butlins is reviewing its #3m media planning and buying business, which is held by Mediaedge:CIA. The holiday company is keen to build on its new brand strategy and direct-response initiatives. The pitch will be overseen by sales and...

Amnesty sponsoring film.(Private)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Amnesty International UK is sponsoring a film about the plight of a Palestinian family in the occupied territories. The film, called Private, aims to raise awareness of the situation in the disputed areas of the Middle East. Copyright:...

JC Decaux increase in revenue.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... JC Decaux, the outdoor media company, has announced a six per cent year on year increase in revenue for its UK street furniture and transport divisions. Global revenues increased from #243.4m in the first quarter of last year to #258.1m for...

FI increase in advertising revenues.(Financial Times )(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... The Financial Times has reported a three per cent increase in advertising revenues for the year to April 29. Holding company Pearson announced the figures as it revealed that its network of newspapers has moved into profit. It denies...

Restructure of Adshel.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Clear Channel has announced a restructure of its six-sheet division, Adshel, following the promotion of managing director Julie France to group managing director. It has also promoted Adshel sales director Rob Atkinson to a group role....

Future buying 38 magazines.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Future Publishing is buying 38 magazines from Highbury House in a #30.5m deal that does not include any of Highbury's computer games magazines. It comes weeks after Future's bid to buy the whole company was referred to the Competition...

Manning Gottlieb OMD win.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Manning Gottlieb OMD has won the #22.8m planning and buying account for music company Sony BMG. The agency was already the incumbent on the Sony Music account and beat Vizeum, incumbent on BMG, in a final pitch. Copyright: Centaur...

Guardian Media Group appointment.(Appointed Mark Dodson as Chief Executive)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Guardian Media Group has appointed Mark Dodson, chief executive of its Cheshire & Lancashire group of newspapers, as chief executive of the regional newspaper division. He will replace Ian Ashcroft, who is retiring in October. ...

ITV acquires Freeview multiplex.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... ITV has acquired a Freeview multiplex for #150m in a deal that will see it take ownership of ten channels on the free-to-air service (News Analysis, page 22). Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

Ofcom considering classification scheme.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Ofcom is considering an industry-wide classification scheme aimed at helping consumers understand the suitability of content of a variety of broadcasts, including music downloads and television shows. The plan is part of Ofcom's bid to...

Unilever picks AKQA for Peperami Noodles brief.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Unilever has commissioned AKQA to create an online site and viral films to support the launch of Peperami Noodles, instant noodles containing slices of Peperami sausage. The site and the viral films are part of an estimated #3m...

Biggest UK brands are 'failing to exploit Web'.(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Three-quarters of the biggest brands in the UK are failing to properly exploit new media and online channels, according to a survey of the country's top marketing spenders. The research, conducted by OgilvyInteractive, found that although...

BBC names digital roster.(British Broadcasting Corp.)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... Agency Republic, Modem Media and a partnership between I-Level and Dare have been named as the BBC's first digital roster agencies. The broadcaster began the pitch, which involved representatives from the BBC's domestic and international...

SBS appoints Reading Room for online task.(Small Business Service )(Brief Article)
May 5, 2005... The Small Business Service (SBS), the Department of Trade and Industry agency that promotes small businesses, has appointed Reading Room as its digital design agency. Reading Room will work with SBS to provide design solutions that make...

Splitting may resolve the NRS's differences.(National Readership Survey )
May 5, 2005... The NRS is going through a period of turmoil, with newspaper owners claiming that it concentrates too heavily on magazines. Could splitting the two be the answer? asks Branwell Johnson The National Readership Survey (NRS) has been held up...

The bell isn't tolling for TV ads: it's ringing in new opportunities.(Television Advetising)
May 5, 2005... Advertisers are worried about viewers' growing control over the ads they watch. On the contrary, PVRs can be a boon for marketers. By Mark Wood Television is going through big and dramatic changes. There are more formats, stations,...

Does anyone take notice of election broadcasts?
May 5, 2005... In today's media environment, political broadcasts have less impact than they used to. Torin Douglas argues that much can be learned from advertising It was one of the most optimistic statements of the entire election campaign. At the...

Will Sky suffer in the free-to-air scramble?
May 5, 2005... Commercial terrestrial channel owners are scrambling for space on the Freeview platform, which is likely to have more viewers than Sky before long. Amanda Wilkinson reveals their motives With some media buyers and analysts predicting that...

Have ads fallen prey to religious hysteria?
May 5, 2005... Three out of the four most complained-about ads last year used religious imagery to sell their product. Is this due to a sensitive public after 9/11 or the ignorance of marketers? By Sonoo Singh Religion is a minefield for the unwary...

STILL RESISTING THE SEA OF CONFORMITY.(Interview)
May 5, 2005... Greg Dyke was never going to creep, tail between legs, into obscurity after his very public BBC exit, and the man not known for his diplomacy won't disappoint when he chairs the MW television conference in Paris this week. David Benady meets...

As the pharmas grow strong our health system dwindles.
May 5, 2005... In an inversion of the superstore-supplier struggle, high street pharmacists are being strangled by the mighty drugs manufacturers, says George Pitcher Good to see pharmaceutical giants GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and AstraZeneca doing so well...

Letter: Heineken didn't fail, consumers were confused.(Letter to the Editor)
May 5, 2005... At the conclusion of the special report "Tell me what I think" (MW April 21), the old chestnut of how Heineken lager advertisements failed in focus groups was raised once again as an example of the limitations of research. While it would be...

Letter: Murray's mint for a dose of sanity.(Letter to the Editor)
May 5, 2005... Iain Murray's latest column (MW last week) has to be one of his best ever! Thanks to Iain for continuing to apply common sense and sanity in an increasingly insane world. I look forward to his views every week. These are my views, of...

Letter: Politicians sell an unwanted brand.(Letter to the Editor)
May 5, 2005... As noted in Marketing Week (Politics isn't working. Can Marketing fix it? MW April 21), the UK election campaign has, to date, been a particularly unmemorable one. There is a sense of it being a foregone conclusion, widespread cynicism and a...

Letter: Online companies must now deliver.(Letter to the Editor)
May 5, 2005... I was interested to read the recent article "Consumers and e-tail begin to click" (MW 14 April). Royal Mail's research showed that 29.4 million people used the internet to buy gifts last Christmas, great news for e- tailers. However, there...

Letter: Time for package design to open up.(Letter to the Editor)
May 5, 2005... I read with interest your recent article on packaging (A design of the times, MW April 7). In common with most articles on this subject, there was a lot of talk about image, identity, desire and emotion, but very little about the mechanics...

FACTFILE: Young ones put the record straight.
May 5, 2005... A survey of young Galaxy radio listeners suggests a 'night out' does not lead to loutish behaviour, and that young people are taking responsibility for their safety and drinking The forthcoming changes to the licensing laws, which will...

SPECIAL REPORT - CONFERENCES & EXHIBITIONS: Showing off your title.
May 5, 2005... The Cosmopolitan Show may have died a death, but many other magazines see exhibitions as a vital way to make money and raise the profile of their publication, says Ian Whiteling London's Olympia was the venue. Inside, one of the UK's...

SPECIAL REPORT - CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: Show them you care.
May 5, 2005... Companies can no longer afford to ignore their social responsibilities, as they could be missing out on an easy way to increase profits, says David Benady Gone are the days when brands helped to raise funds for charity but didn't like to...

Survival of the species is in man's wildest dreams.
May 5, 2005... The Y chromosome may be dying out but, with the kind of self-belief shown by Maxim's Felix Dennis, there is hope for the male species, says Iain Murray Felix Dennis is a multi-millionaire and an indifferent poet but, by way of...

Time for thinking outside the box.
May 12, 2005... Three headline - and apparently unlinked - events have happened in the world of marketing and media over the past week. The first was the not altogether unexpected defection of Trevor Beattie and Andrew McGuinness from TBWA to form a new...

Kevin Rose swaps Audi for VW Germany role.(Volkswagen appointed Kevin Rose as Senior marketing executive)(Brief Article)
May 12, 2005... Audi UK director to take a senior marketing position at Volkswagen's German headquarters Audi UK head Kevin Rose is leaving to take up a senior marketing position with Volkswagen in Germany. He will move to the group's headquarters in...

Hytner slams Abbey strategy as Barclays rebrand gets under way.(Jim Hytner )(Brief Article)
May 12, 2005... Barclays marketing chief Jim Hytner has criticised rival Abbey's second costly revamp in 19 months as he fires up his own rebranding exercise. Hytner, who was recruited from his job as head of marketing at ITV last autumn, believes...

Trinity Mirror boss Ellis Watson quits for Menzies.(Brief Article)
May 12, 2005... Trinity Mirror national newspapers division managing director Ellis Watson is to leave the publisher to join the distribution division of John Menzies. A former marketing director for The Sun and the News of The World, Watson will become...

BT considers non-roster agency pitch.(Brief Article)
May 12, 2005... BT is set to look outside its roster of agencies as part of the review of its #80m advertising business. It is understood that although BT has not approached external agencies yet, it is considering doing so following the final round of...