Marketing Week articles from May 2009

Marketing Week archives from May 2009

LEADER: Marketers can lead economic recovery.(Survey)(Column)
May 7, 2009... I'm trying to come up with a convincing argument for why we might eventually be able to claim that economic recovery was marketing-led. I'm promoting that very idea at the Debating Group's event at the House of Commons next Monday. There's...

Women focus of Unilever's engagement initiative.(Mindbubble.co.uk)(Face)(Brief article)
May 7, 2009... Home and personal care brands company to offer women cash incentives for constructive feedback. By Mary-Louise Clews Unilever is planning to encourage more women to engage with its portfolio of brands, which include Dove and Persil,...

Sales of soap and tissues soar after swine flu ads.(swine influenza)(Brief article)
May 7, 2009... Hygiene brands are benefiting from an upsurge in sales following the Government's national swine flu public information campaign. Retailers of anti-bacterial hand gels, soaps and tissues are experiencing a sales upsurge following the...

KFC to put halal on the menu for London trial.(Brief article)
May 7, 2009... By Camille Alarcon KFC is this week testing a number of halal restaurants at several locations in London. Customers visiting outlets in locations including Upton Park, Bethnal Green and Tottenham Hale will be able to eat food products...

DoH to launch 'Start4Life' sub-brand of Change4Life.(Department of Health)(Mary-Louise Clews)(Brief article)
May 7, 2009... Department of Health proposes breastfeeding diet information sub-brand. By Mary-Louise Clews The Government will launch a sub-brand of its Change4Life anti-obesity campaign to promote the importance of diet during breastfeeding and...

Coke names UK sparkling drinks brand director.
May 7, 2009... Coca-Cola Great Britain has appointed senior Diageo marketer Nick Robinson as brand director of its sparkling drinks portfolio. Robinson will lead the marketing of Coke, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Fanta, Sprite, Dr Pepper, Lilt and the...

Film promo email accused recipients of drug abuse.(Brief article)
May 7, 2009... The Advertising Standards Authority has ruled an email promoting a film called Shifty - a British thriller about a young muslim crack cocaine dealer - was "distressing and irresponsible". Visitors to the website promoting the film, which...

CLARIFICATION: Morrisons.(Correction notice)
May 7, 2009... Last week we published that Morrisons had been banned from airing ads featuring Denise Van Outen and Richard Hammond. We've been asked to clarify that in fact the ban only applied to spots starring Van Outen in their current form. The...

Southern Co-operative Group develops living aid brand.(Brief article)
May 7, 2009... Independent retail group enlists Rise to Devilfish for Xest range launch. By Mary-Louise Clews The Southern Co-operative group will launch a campaign in June to promote a new range of own-brand living aid products under the brand Xest to...

Rash of pig flu-related marketing threatens to become an epidemic.(Siegel & Gale London)
May 7, 2009... As companies look to benefit from the worldwide outbreak of swine flu, they must beware of going beyond product marketing and spreading panic. By Joe Fernandez Swine flu has been dominating global headlines since it emerged in Mexico...

Heinz unveils strategy for infant milk Nurture launch.(TBWA\Paling Walters)(Heinz Europe)(Brief article)
May 7, 2009... TBWA\Paling Walters and Haygarth to handle Heinz foray into baby milk. By Branwell Johnson Heinz has devised a marketing strategy and appointed agencies for its new Nurture range of formula and follow-on milk for infants. TBWA\Paling...

Virgin Money is on to a winner with Marathon.(Virgin Money Personal Financial Service Ltd)(London Marathon (Running))(Survey)(Brief article)
May 7, 2009... Nearly 60% of respondents to marketingweek.co.uk's recent online poll think Virgin Money's investment in the London Marathon is a good use of marketing funds. Flora's 14-year-old sponsorship of the annual event came to an end on 26...

Foster's wine division picks global brands chief marketer.
May 7, 2009... Foster's EMEA, producer of premium wine brands, has appointed Richard Trimby as marketing director EMEA and Global Brands Rosemount and Lindemans. Trimby will transfer from his current position as commercial director for Continental...

Absolute Radio appoints first digital marketing head.
May 7, 2009... Ex-Bauer community marketer to take charge of Absolute's social media strategy. By Luan Goldie Absolute Radio has appointed its first digital marketing manager as it looks to become the industry leader in digital listening. Former...

Da Vinci Code prequel signs deal with Mail on Sunday.(Brief article)
May 7, 2009... Sony Pictures has signed a deal with The Mail on Sunday to launch a five-page cover wrap to promote the film Angels & Demons, the prequel to The Da Vinci Code. The wrap, which will cover the second section of the newspaper this weekend...

Rocket retains #42.4m Co-op media work.(Co-operative Group Ltd.)(Brief article)
May 7, 2009... Rocket, part of Omnicom's PHD group, has retained The Co-operative Group's #42.4m media planning and buying account. Rapp Media retains the media buying for Somerfield, which The Co-op bought for #1.56bn in July last year. Rocket has...

MARKETING: 'Survival of the fittest' hits the media sector.(Conference notes)
May 7, 2009... The Darwinian theory has been the recent focus of debate and the media but it does not just apply to species, but agencies too Recent media documentaries and biographies have had a common subject: Charles Darwin. 2009 is the bicentenary...

BEST OF THE BLOGS: Stuart Smith on Aviva.
May 7, 2009... When it comes to media-stoked ridicule, there's nothing quite like a corporate rebranding exercise. Who could forget the spendthrift waste that was the BT piper? Or the grotesquely expensive if temporary transformation of the Post Office plc...

LETTER: Credit crunch has boosted coupons use.(Letter to the editor)
May 7, 2009... Although I agree with Oliver Felstead (the debate, MW 23 April) about trends in coupon redemption, it is important to recognise that it's not how many coupons that are downloaded that matters, but how many are redeemed. As a result of...

LETTER: Brand/band discord.(Letter to the editor)
May 7, 2009... With reference to your brands and bands article (Musical Swap Shop, MW last week), it was certainly the case a few years ago that only about 5% of "active" artists had a proper recording contract. From those, about 90% were dropped after...

LETTER: Put the client problem first and integration will follow.(Letter to the editor)
May 7, 2009... The editor's leader column (Learn to behave like your best customers, MW last week) once again highlights that the integration debate is over. For decades people have talked integration but if you're not already "integrated" in thought, if...

BEST OF THE BLOGS: Ruth Mortimer on Starbucks.
May 7, 2009... Starbucks profits have declined this quarter by 77% after the company closed 123 American stores as part of a plan to slash costs. But why is the company finding times tough? This is my opinion: We're all looking at our spending and...

POLITICS OF MARKETING: Three strikes and McLaren will be out of race.(World Motor Sport Council)(McLaren Cars Ltd.)
May 7, 2009... Having been caught in two scandals in two years, F1 team McLaren's survival chances look slim if it stumbles into a third Since the Watergate break-in of 1972, the media has indiscriminately applied the suffix "gate" to hundreds of...

Total entertainment at heart of Sony's strategy.(Sony (U.K.) Ltd.)
May 7, 2009... Never afraid to stick his neck out, Matt Coombe is trying to bring together Sony's multiple divisions and create one 'total entertainment package'. By Jo Roberts Matt Coombe, marketing chief for Sony in the UK, might be in charge of...

Q&A: Sony - Matt Coombe.(Interview)
May 7, 2009... Can you tell us what your remit is in the UK? I'm responsible for all the communications that go out in the UK market. Half of those communications are produced from Europe and the rest in the UK; so half is activation and half is...

Marketer 2 marketer.(Interview)(Brief article)
May 7, 2009... * Brian Bell, technology marketer and former head of marketing at Lenovo in the UK and Ireland, asks: "What creature on earth (living or dead) would you compare yourself to and what would be its key characteristics?" MC: A giraffe - I'm...

CONSUMER CONFIDENCE: How to turn the browsers into buyers.
May 7, 2009... Consumer fears of the economy worsening are fading and their confidence in spending is on the rise. This is great news for marketers needing to kickstart sales, if they can persuade people to overcome their reluctance to spend. By Louise...

CONSUMER CONFIDENCE: The frontline.(Interview)
May 7, 2009... We ask marketers on the frontline whether out "Trends" research matches their experience on the ground Max Bonpain general manager of marketing for Samsung (telecoms) in Australia; formerly head of brand management for Samsung UK I...

CHICAGO TOWN PIZZA: Pizza brand is taking on takeaways.
May 7, 2009... Chicago Town is hoping to profit from the economic downturn by tempting the customers of its takeaway pizza chain rivals to save money by switching to its cheaper, frozen alternative. By Joe Fernandez Money is short in consumers' pockets...

CHICAGO TOWN PIZZA: Facts & Figures.(Brief article)
May 7, 2009... * In 1989, The Schwan Food Company starts selling Chicago Town in Europe and opens a plant in Leyland, England. It was planned to sell frozen pizza to the UK's 80,000 pubs, but the strategy did not work and the product ultimately ended up...

CHICAGO TOWN PIZZA: Analyst viewpoint.(Brief article)
May 7, 2009... Michelle Strutton, senior consumer analyst, food and drink, Mintel We forecast the pizza market will experience a stagnation in sales during 2009. Frozen pizza, which is cheaper than chilled varieties, will increase its share of sales as...

MARKET RESEARCH: Social media breathes life into research.
May 7, 2009... The emergence of social media has benefited traditional research methodology by forcing it to become more engaging and interactive. By Morag Cuddeford-Jones If you had to describe the process of market research, you'd probably say it was...

LAST WORD: The Secret Marketer.(Column)
May 7, 2009... This week, I was pleased to discover that our ad agency has made a few small cutbacks of its own. Gone are the extravagant fresh flowers in reception, as indeed are most of the receptionists. I have often been puzzled as to why it takes...

Rose-tinted glasses are just what our MPs need.(Column)
May 14, 2009... Forgive the indulgence, but this Leader column may read to some of you like a "Part Two" of last week's effort. Last night I took part in the MCCA-sponsored Debating Group event I mentioned in my last column. I was speaking for the motion...

Nestle prepares for launch of weight-loss brand in UK.(Brief article)
May 14, 2009... Diet plans and ready meals range set to enter head-to-head battle with market leader WeightWatchers. By Camille Alarcon Nestle is planning to launch its global weight-loss brand, Jenny Craig, in the UK in a head-to-head battle with...

Consumers sceptical over green assurances.(Brief article)
May 14, 2009... By Mary-Louise Clews UK consumers are much more sceptical of brands' efforts to adopt and communicate more sustainable practices than consumers in other territories, according to Havas Media research across ten international...

Shortage of confidence is the greatest threat to sales.(Survey)(Brief article)
May 14, 2009... By Russell Parsons A lack of confidence among consumers is the biggest threat to sales in the current economic environment, according to a poll of marketers ahead of this week's Marketing Week Trends Show in London. According to the...

118 118 Chief takes advisory role after global restructure.(Mark Horgan )(Brief article)
May 14, 2009... European boss Mark Horgan steps down as The Number appoints global chief. By Camille Alarcon The Number 118 118 European chief executive Mark Horgan has left his position and moved into an advisory role with the directory service company...

Cravendale cleared of racism by watchdog.
May 14, 2009... A television campaign for Cravendale milk that highlights the "pure" nature of the product has been cleared of racism by the Advertising Standards Authority. The advertisement shows an angry animated black and white bull calmed and...

Top industry names lined up for new industry event.(MarketingWeekLive)(Conference news)(Brief article)
May 14, 2009... Birds Eye Iglo chief executive Martin Glenn and M&C Saatchi worldwide chief executive Moray MacLennan are among the industry glitterati scheduled to appear at a new event for integrated marketing. MarketingWeekLive, which will also...

Ella's Kitchen picks Initials for beefed up marketing plan.(Brief article)
May 14, 2009... Kids' organic food brand will boost marketing and launch new products. By Camille Alarcon Ella's Kitchen, the kids and baby organic food company, is this year bolstering its marketing activity to support new product launches and has...

Marketers divided over Twitter's role in branding.(Brief article)
May 14, 2009... The jury is still out on whether Twitter can help marketers promote their brand, despite the huge amount of publicity given to the "micro- blogging" site recently, according to last week's marketingweek.co.uk poll. Forty-four per cent of...

S&N adds to agency roster to combat dip in beer sales.(Brief article)
May 14, 2009... Scottish & Newcastle has completed a review of agencies with sales promotion expertise, and is understood to have added at least two new agencies to its roster as the drinks industry continues to battle a downturn in beer sales. ...

Record number of viewiers tune into commercial TV.(Brief article)
May 14, 2009... Commercial television has maintained the record level of viewing figures it recorded in the first quarter of 2008, despite destabilising upheavals being experienced within the broadcasting companies and the arrival of more online distractions,...

Hunt is on for title sponsor of Wembley tournament.(Brief article)
May 14, 2009... New annual pre-season football tournament The Wembley Cup is looking for a title sponsor. The search is being led by sports, entertainment and media company IMG, which a spokeswoman says is looking for companies that "have a core target...

UKTV Food Channel rebrands as Good Food.(Brief article)
May 14, 2009... By Camille Alarcon UKTV is to complete the relaunch of its channels with the rebrand of UKTV Food Channel as Good Food, thanks to a partnership with BBC Worldwide's Good Food property. Both the food channel and its associated website...

Sony uses Hay festival to push digital reading device.
May 14, 2009... Sony is promoting its electronic reading device, the Reader Digital Book, through a new sponsorship deal with literary festival The Guardian Hay Festival. The deal will see a number of on-venue collaborations during the 11-day event. ...

BEST OF THE BLOGS: Stuart Smith on retail tactics.
May 14, 2009... "The old adage is: make your move in a downturn and profit in an upturn," says Andy Street, managing director of John Lewis, which is launching up to 50 "pocket" stores in the midst of the recession. Now compare and contrast Best Buy's...

WEB COMMENT: Why DAB has stalled.
May 14, 2009... Hmm! Somehow I just don't believe that this includes the vast numbers of people who listen to the radio in their car (Digital radio attracts more than a third of listeners (marketingweek.co.uk, 7 May). Car makers have been reluctant to fit...

WEB COMMENT: Listeners down, recall up.
May 14, 2009... While listener numbers have shown a small decline, there is some good news for commercial radio (Commercial radio's share of listening still falling, marketingweek.co.uk, 7 May). In terms of the important measure of how many people recall...

LETTER: Personal path to trust.(Letter to the editor)
May 14, 2009... It is indisputable that the best way for marketers and brands to engender trust in their customers is to show that they truly understand the people they are talking to (Leader, MW last week). But how do you do it? Treat the customers as...

LETTER: How sharper marketing skills can beat the recession.(Letter to the editor)
May 14, 2009... Last week's leader raised some much needed hope about the recession. A lot has been written about the state of the economy, but little on where businesses should start in the battle to rebuild consumer confidence. Many organisations...

BEST OF THE BLOGS: Ruth Mortimer on Unilever.(Brief article)
May 14, 2009... Unilever is apparently reversing its method for dealing with television networks. According to an interesting article in AdAge, the company has started what it calls its "reverse upfront" approach to deal with media outlets. The usual...

BRANDS: Celebrities may have to put their mouths where the money is.
May 14, 2009... If US regulators get their way, celebrity endorsers better believe in brands or they could find themselves in legal difficulties Celebrity endorsements are now so commonplace that it seems hard to pick up a brand off the shelf without...

MARKETING: The two sides to the customer value story.
May 14, 2009... Placing consumers into a four-box profitability matrix is worthless if it ignores the customer's perspective of your brand Are you on top of the marketing metrics debate? Have you, for example, managed to turn the theory of "customer...

Murdoch digs in for long war against free online content.(Viewpoint essay)
May 14, 2009... Will the media mogul prove a modern-day Citizen Kane or emerge Canute- like against the rising tide of 'freebie' online news? For a moment last week, I thought the recession was over. Peter Mandelson was telling us he has detected the first...

TREND-BUSTING STRATEGIES: The great outdoors.
May 14, 2009... More consumers are now choosing home-based leisure activities, yet some brands are going against that trend and urging consumers to get out and spend. Can they succeed? asks Joe Fernandez More than half of Brits are pleased that a...

TREND-BUSTING STRATEGIES: Get-Out-There Marketer.(Brief article)
May 14, 2009... Richard Brown, Eurostar chief executive Consumers value their holidays now more than ever, as they prioritise the need to escape and recharge the batteries. However, with all the compromises that people are making to ensure they can still...

TREND-BUSTING STRATEGIES: Stay-At-Home Marketer.(Brief article)
May 14, 2009... Ashley Stockwell, Executive director of brand and marketing, Virgin Media People do seem to be spending more time on the sofa and entertaining themselves at home. Thinkbox reported record TV viewing figures for 2008 - up by 48 minutes a...

TREND-BUSTING STRATEGIES: Why 'staycation' can get people out and about.(Brief article)
May 14, 2009... Figures released last month by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport show that attendance at museums and galleries in the past six months has continued to rise, with 45.3% of the English population visiting at least one over the past year....

TRUST: Why deference transformed into reference.
May 14, 2009... As trust in business leaders, politicians and other figures of authority is replaced by consumers putting their faith in peer-to-peer recommendations, brands must gauge the mood of their target audience and tailor their offers to suit. By Jo...

TRUST: The frontline.
May 14, 2009... We ask marketers on the frontline whether our 'Trends' research matches their experience on the ground Simon Parslow founder of online retail site eSay-uk.com Peer-to-peer endorsement and celebrity endorsements both have their...

VOUCHERS: Money for nothing.
May 14, 2009... Consumers love vouchers, but brands must see them as a long-term, integrated solution, not a short-term fix. By Lucy Fisher Although there's no doubt that everyone is keen to save money, big discounts can lead to damaged brand values, not...

VOUCHERS: DOS & DONTS.(Brief article)
May 14, 2009... * Do choose the most appropriate offer based on customer insight. Test to gauge price thresholds and redemption levels - consider first rolling out a campaign regionally rather than nationally. * Do grow your customer and prospect...

VOUCHERS: CASE STUDY - Unilever.(Brief article)
May 14, 2009... At FMCG giant Unilever, marketing director Matt Close explains that promotions marketing is treated as part of the broader customer marketing programme. "It's just one part of the toolkit; I tend not to view it as sales promotion," he says....

LAST WORD: The Secret Marketer.(Column)
May 14, 2009... I suspect that I am not alone in being bombarded with unsolicited approaches from recruitment firms. While I applaud the ingenuity of those people whose income is largely dependent upon commission, my patience ran out this week. A former...

Etailers stand at the forefront of change.
May 21, 2009... Online retail sales grew 14% during the past year, according to the IMRG Capgemini E-retail Sales Index. Despite the recession, the report says UK online shoppers spent an average of #10 more per visit in April 2009 than this time last year....

CIM aims to help marketers strengthen their influence.(Chartered Institute of Marketing)
May 21, 2009... White paper will address claims that marketers are unaccountable, untouchable, slippery and expensive. By Branwell Johnson The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) is using its latest policy document to address claims made in a Cranfield...

FINANCIAL SERVICES: M&S Money to target disgruntled savers.(Brief article)
May 21, 2009... By Russell Parsons M&S Money is plotting further moves into the savings market as it joins other financial brands looking to exploit public mistrust in traditional banks. The wholly-owned subsidiary of HSBC has launched its first...

CAR SALES :Car industry sees benefit of scrappage initiative.(Brief article)
May 21, 2009... By Camille Alarcon The UK car industry is seeing immediate results from the Government's vehicle scrappage scheme despite initial teething problems, with Ford revealing it has already taken more than 3,000 new car orders and General...

Alcohol industry defends role of supermarket promotions.
May 21, 2009... Tesco research shows in-store offers do not lead to irresponsible consumption. By Russell Parsons Alcohol retailers and producers have hit back at suggestions that supermarket promotions contribute to alcohol problems as the Government...

NEW CAMPAIGN: Feel Good to target TV ad at students.(Brief article)
May 21, 2009... Student's entry to Feel Good Drinks awards programme sparks 'animated gnomes' campaign by Loose Moose The Feel Good Drinks Company is launching an ad campaign that will target the student market before rolling out as a nationwide campaign....

'M&S should return to core values' after profits tumble.(Financial report)
May 21, 2009... Analysts suggest Marks & Spencer needs to retrench to its core values after reporting poor results this week. The retailer posted a drop in annual profits of 37.5% to #706.2m, down from #1.21bn a year earlier. Just as the retailer...

Watchdog clears TV ad for oven cleaner of being sexist.(Brief article)
May 21, 2009... HomePride oven cleaner commercial is light hearted and comical, says ASA. By Luan Goldie A television ad for HomePride oven cleaner has been cleared by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) of sexism, despite more than 670 complaints....

Brands turn deaf ear to concerns of consumers.(Brief article)
May 21, 2009... More than 58% of respondents to the latest Marketingweek.co.uk poll asking whether brands were listening enough to their customers' concerns said "no". The question was prompted by Marks & Spencer's decision to apologise for its...

CFO steps up to become i-Level Group chief exec.(I-Level Group)(Brief article)
May 21, 2009... I-Level Group, the parent company of digital agency i-Level, has appointed Stephen Rust as its chief executive. He replaces David Pattison, who stepped down from the role last October and will now become non-executive chairman. Rust joined...

ANALYSIS: Can brands strike home with public health messages?
May 21, 2009... Despite major government efforts, like Change4Life, the majority of people fail to recognise obesity. A study suggests this is an opportunity for brands to step up to the plate. By Joe Fernandez Obesity in the UK has trebled in the past 20...

Meat trade body ditches TV for press and digital activity.(Brief article)
May 21, 2009... Beefy and Lamby characters to go as body focuses on its 'Quality Standard'. By Camille Alarcon EBLEX, the trade body representing the beef and sheep industries, is changing its advertising strategy in favour of heavyweight press and...

Merged fund manager picks Libertine for rebrand task.(Henderson New Star contracts with Libertine )(Brief article)
May 21, 2009... Henderson New Star has appointed Libertine to spearhead the rebrand campaign for the recently merged fund management brand. The appointment follows the #100m acquisition of New Star Asset Management by Henderson Group in January. The...

Stagecoach to offer free ad space for teen advice push.(Stagecoach Group PLC)(Brief article)
May 21, 2009... Bus operator Stagecoach is working with the Government to target teenagers with advice on relationships and sex. Stagecoach is to provide free advertising space for the Government's "R U Thinking" campaign on more than 2,600 of its buses...

Consultancy launches to target 'crucial' over-60s sector.(Sagacity)(Brief article)
May 21, 2009... A consultancy aimed at helping brands tap into the spending power of the growing over-60s market is launching. The over-60s are predicted to be at the forefront of the economic recovery in the UK as they have the wealth and savings and...

Morrisons to publish online edition of in-store magazine.(Brief article)
May 21, 2009... Supermarket's own title will include interactive features when it goes online By Luan Goldie Supermarket chain Morrisons is taking its in-store magazine online for the first time. Morrisons Magazine is expected to soft launch its...

Imagine Fashion sets its sights on luxury goods.(Brief article)
May 21, 2009... Luxury brands are to have a new vehicle for exposure with the launch of Imagine Fashion, a free online and mobile video publication. Imagine Fashion will be devoted to luxury and fashion brands and is set to launch at the end of this...

TV makeover show agrees deals for first live event.(Brief article)
May 21, 2009... Television makeover programme 10 Years Younger has signed up Marks & Spencer, Fake Bake tanning salons and make-up brand Benefit to take part in its first live event. The event is fronted by Myleene Klass and will recreate the makeover...