Marketing Week articles from November 2001

Marketing Week archives from November 2001

Extensions that stretch credibility.
November 1, 2001... If necessity really is the mother of invention, packaged goods manufacturers will never have been so busy. Declining margins in mature markets ensure that, once various cost-cutting "efficiencies" have been put in place, the only way to...

Scots moot defying blair over tobacco ads ban: Government calls on Scottish ministers to reject bill proposing a ban on tobacco ads in Scotland.
November 1, 2001... The Government has warned Scottish ministers not to support a bill being introduced to Scotland's Parliament next week that proposes banning all tobacco advertising in Scotland. Last week the leader of the House of Commons Robin Cook told...

Rothmans plans premium cigarette to take on silk cut.
November 1, 2001... Rothmans is to launch a new premium cigarette called 555 Smooth, to rival brands such as Silk Cut and Benson & Hedges The launch, on November 15, will be backed by a [pounds sterling]12m marketing campaign by Bates UK. The agency knocked...

Gillette in $200m mach3 successor launch.
November 1, 2001... Gillette is launching a razor called Mach 3 Turbo, the successor to its Mach 3 razor. The launch is to be supported by a $200m ([pounds sterling]140m) global advertising campaign created by BBDO Worldwide. The razor, which will use...

Powell moves to spain in thomson rejig.
November 1, 2001... Thomson Holidays managing director Shaun Powell is being transferred to Spain as part of a European restructure by the Company's owner, German travel giant Preussag. Preussag, which bought Thomson Travel Group (TTG) last year, is renaming...

Standard life marketer takes on top finance role.
November 1, 2001... Standard Life Assurance Company has promoted marketing chief John Hylands to the role of finance director for the Standard Life group as part of a major restructure of the company. Hylands, a qualified actuary, will be replaced by Standard...

Marketing jobs threatened after lurpak/anchor announce merger.
November 1, 2001... The UK marketing department of New Zealand Milk (NZM) is being disbanded following the announcement that Anchor is to form a new venture with rival yellow fat brand Lurpak. The move could threaten the business of NZM's agencies WCRS and...

Waitrose is to launch disney-branded fruit.
November 1, 2001... Waitrose is launching a range of Disney branded fresh fruits to encourage children to eat mote healthily. The Disney Fun Fruits range goes on sale on November 5 and will be available exclusively in Waittose's 136 branches for six months,...

One 2 one to launch free time tariff.
November 1, 2001... One 2 One has launched a promotional tariff called Free Time, which provides free calls for customers at evening and weekends. It claims that Free Time is the only off-peak price plan within the mobile phone market to contain flat-rate...

Heineken ireland hunts for marketing director.
November 1, 2001... Heineken Ireland is searching for a replacement marketing director after Alistair Spink left the company earlier this month. Spink joined Heineken two years ago from British Sugar, where he was new business development director. It is not...

Diageo plans uk rtd expansion following success of smirnoff ice.
November 1, 2001... Diageo is planning to launch ready-to-drink (RTD) brands in the UK that have been tested in other countries. This forms part of its strategy to use RTDs to drive growth. While its most successful RTD brand, Smirnoff Ice, is sold in 15...

Pets at home rolls out [pounds sterling]14m nationwide concept stores.
November 1, 2001... Pets at Home, the pet store chain, has developed a new retail concept, which it is rolling out to its 143 stores across the country. This includes the 90 stores the company acquired from rival Petsmart for [pounds sterling]30m last year,...

Report casts doubt over brands' future.
November 1, 2001... Marks & Spencer, Apple and Daewoo are among brands perceived as least likely to survive to 2015, according to pan-European research on consumer perceptions. FutureBrand surveyed 448 people of varied ages and backgrounds from France,...

Mercedes-benz appoints former volvo marketer as head of sales.
November 1, 2001... DaimlerChrysler UK (DCUK) has appointed a former Volvo UK marketing chief as its genetal manger of Mercedes-Benz passenger car sales. Ewan Ramsay joins the company after four years in Australia, where he worked first as managing director of...

M&S to target fashion-conscious male market with casual range.
November 1, 2001... Marks & Spencer is launching a branded range of casual menswear to compete with designer labels and stores such as Gap, House of Fraser and Debenhams. M&S hopes the range, which will go on sale in the spring in all M&S stores that sell...

Lastminute.com joins forces with lufthansa.
November 1, 2001... Lastminute.com, the high-profile holiday bookings and retail website, has signed a global marketing partnership with airline Lufthansa. Lufthansa will arrange exclusive flight discounts and packages for Last-minute's sites in the UK,...

Swatch left without head of marketing.
November 1, 2001... Swatch Watches has lost its most senior marketer for the second time this year, following the recent departure of brand director Hannah Moore. Moore, who was responsible for marketing and advertising the Swatch brand, has been replaced by...

Vimto md quits for research role.
November 1, 2001... Vimto Soft Drinks marketing director Peter Knowles has left the business to become chairman of quantitative research company Heawood Research. Vimto has not appointed a successor to Knowles, saying it has yet to decide if he will be...

Revlon tests make-up for darker skin tones.
November 1, 2001... Revlon is to test a range of cosmetics for black and Asian women in the UK, called Revlon Ethnic Shade Range. The range, which goes on sale this week, is already available in the US, but this is the first time that the UK market will have...

Whitebread.
November 1, 2001... Whitbread is to axe 300 jobs at Marriott Hotels, following a 25 per cent fall in like-for-like sales at its London hotels. The company, which this week reported a rise in half-year operating profits by 10.1 per cent to [pounds sterling]137.2m,...

Easyrentacar.
November 1, 2001... EasyRentacar is to be rebranded EasyCar in a bid to make the brand name snappier.

Easyjet.
November 1, 2001... EasyJet has cut its advertising spend by five per cent to [pounds sterling]13.3m year on year, according to the company's latest annual results. The savings derive from new routes to cities already served and already exposed to advertising by...

Ford motor co.
November 1, 2001... Ford Motor Co president and chief executive officer Jacques Nasser has left the company and has been replaced by chairman William Clay Ford Jr.

Nestle rowntree.
November 1, 2001... Nestle Rowntree is launching three chocolate cakes in time for Christmas. The After Eight, Smarties and Wonka Nerds cakes will retail at between [pounds sterling]6.49 and [pounds sterling]6.99.

Debenhams.
November 1, 2001... Debenhams has signed celebrity florist Jane Packer to design a range of vases, silk lower bouquets and home fragrances as part of its Designer at Debenhams collection.

Guinness.
November 1, 2001... Guinness is to become the sponsor for the Rugby Football League, in a deal worth [pounds sterling]100,000, and will sponsor the test match series against Australia in November.

KP snacks.
November 1, 2001... KP Snacks has appointed Rob Devonport as marketing controller with responsibility for its The Real McCoy, KP Nuts and Phileas Fogg brands. He was previously marketing manager at Bulmer.

Peugeot.
November 1, 2001... Peugeot has redesigned its showrooms to generate a 'friendly and informal' atmosphere, using the increasing involvement of women in the car market as a key influence.

Tesco.
November 1, 2001... Tesco has teamed up with skincare guru Bharti Vys to extend its Skin Wisdom range of body and eye skincare products to include six new products.

Land rover.
November 1, 2001... Land Rover has sealed a sponsorship deal with the Ski Club of Great Britain for a two-year period, which includes Land Rover branding at many of the club's slopes in the UK Club representatives abroad.

Safeway has launched Poppy Pride Ale and Legion Scotch Whisky.
November 1, 2001... Safeway has launched Poppy Pride Ale and Legion Scotch Whisky, as part of its support for the Poppy Appeal. Both will be available in stores from the beginning of November...

Safeway is launching its 2001 Christmas ordering service.
November 1, 2001... Safeway is launching its 2001 Christmas ordering service which enables customers to order everything from turkeys to table decorations for collection on December 22, 23 or 24.

Heinz hunts agency for baby food range. (Agencies).
November 1, 2001... HJ Heinz is looking for an agency to handle the advertising for its revamped baby food portfolio. Heinz is understood to be using the Incorporated Society of British Advertisers (ISBA) to oversee the search on its behalf. Leo Burnett,...

[pounds sterling]350m Allied domecq advertising review sees rainey kelly dropped. (Agencies).
November 1, 2001... In a global realignment, Allied Domecq has consolidated the [pounds sterling]350m global advertising business for its wine and spirits brands into five agencies. The move ends Allied's relationship with Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R in the...

Interbrand to lay off more as downturn bites. (Agencies).
November 1, 2001... Branding agency Interbrand is making up to ten per cent of its workforce redundant. This is the second time in four months that the agency has had to cut staff numbers. In July Interbrand made ten per cent of its (then) 250 staff redundant. ...

TfL road-toll work back out to pitch. (Agencies).
November 1, 2001... Transport for London (TfL) has been forced to hold a repitch for the [pounds sterling]9m London congestion charge advertising account, following the outcry over the appointment of M&C Saatchi three weeks ago. M&C Saatchi will retain the...

RB moves [pounds sterling]2.6m vanish business. (Agencies).
November 1, 2001... Reckitt Benckiser has ditched WCRS as the agency for its Vanish brand, and has handed the [pounds sterling]2.6m business to Roose & Partners. The move follows a pan-European agency review for the stain-removal brand and marks an end to...

MG rover castigated over 'speed' campaign. (Agencies).
November 1, 2001... MG Rover has been censured by the Advertising Standards Authority for the second time in three months for emphasising speed in its car ads. The ASA this week upheld a complaint about a press and poster campaign for the MG range of cars....

Mother.
November 1, 2001... Mother has created a print campaign for Schweppes mixers which sees the return of the 'Sch... You Know Who' slogan for the first time since 1975. The campaign is based on photographs of lookalikes of famous people taken by Alison Jackson.

Armando testa.
November 1, 2001... Armando Testa has created a [pounds sterling]1.2m outdoor and London Underground campaign for coffee brand Lavazza. The campaign breaks next month and has the catchline Espress Yourself.

Pepsico.
November 1, 2001... PepsiCo has gone to court to stop its former agency Foote, Cone & Belding from meeting with new client Coca-Cola to discuss Dasani bottled water. It claims that FCB is still a custodian of trade secrets for PepsiCo's rival Aquafina brand.

Wcrs.
November 1, 2001... WCRS has created a [pounds sterling]4m TV, radio and press campaign for Camelot Group's Christmas Eve game, Christmas MillionareMaker. Media planning is through Media Planning Group and buying through OMD UK.

The union.
November 1, 2001... The Union has created a [pounds sterling]500,000 campaign for Quality Meat Scotland. The ads will be shown on ITV and Channel 4 in Scotland as well as in the Scottish press.

Agency.com.
November 1, 2001... Agency.com, the digital agency, is looking for a partner to launch a new network across Europe. It has already teamed up with direct marketing agency Claydon Heeley Jones Mason to launch Agency Republic UK.

Marsteller.
November 1, 2001... Marsteller, the design and advertising agency, has been appointed to handle Shell Renewables, a subsidiary of Shell which focuses on solar and wind energy. It won the business from Cheetham Bell JWT.

Saatchi & saatchi.
November 1, 2001... Saatchi & saatchi has created a TV ad campaign to promote Sony's flat widescreen WEGA television range. Media buying for the campaign, which breaks today (Wednesday), is by OMD International.

Banc.
November 1, 2001... Banc has created a press and poster campaign to support Young's Brewery's core brand Young's Bitter. The ads show a ram, the brand's symbol, in disguise with the strapline 'There's no disguising a great beer'. Media is through Walker Media.

HHCL & partners.
November 1, 2001... HHCL & Partners has created a TV campaign for Littlewoods featuring comedian Graham Norton, highlighting Christmas gifts for all the family.

Jcb.
November 1, 2001... JCB has set up an in-house design department, Design Works, to handle product design, worldwide advertising and creative promotions. The company has also updated and streamlined its logo.

Mercier grey.
November 1, 2001... Mercier Grey has created an in-store winter campaign for Superdrug. The strapline Shaking up Christmas is included on window posters and point-of-sale material.

7UP to sponsor williams fl team. (Media).
November 1, 2001... PepsiCo's 7UP brand is to return to Formula One after 11 years with a tie-up with the BMW-Williams team. Under the terms of the deal, which starts next year, 7UP will be the official soft drink partner to the Williams team. The soft...

Schools football body starts hunt for sponsor. (Media).
November 1, 2001... The English Schools Football Association (esfa), the governing body of school football in England, is to sell its commercial rights to a single sponsor. The esfa, of which 14,000 schools are members, runs 14 competitions, including the...

BBC broadcast & presentation division gets governors' go-ahead for commercialisation. (Media).
November 1, 2001... The BBC board of governors has given the green light to plans to hive off the corporation's Broadcast & Presentation division as a separate commercial entity. The move will enable it to compete for creative work from third parties. B&P,...

Times faces review of its marketing. (Media).
November 1, 2001... News International has confirmed that it is reviewing the marketing strategy for The Times amid industry speculation that the company has frozen future advertising spend. The company is already committed to spending on outdoor sites and...

Telewest unveils rebranding plan. (Media).
November 1, 2001... Cable giant Telewest and its regional subsidiaries ate being rebranded Telewest Broadband in a bid to consolidate the business under one name and take ownership of the broadband market. A blue logo has been designed to represent the cable...

Mega profile strikes poster sites deal with littlewoods. (Media).
November 1, 2001... Littlewoods has signed a deal with giant poster specialist Mega Profile, which will allow the poster company to use the retailer's properties as advertising sites. The deal is for five years, and gives Mega Profile exclusive tights to use...

NTL.
November 1, 2001... NTL is understood to be talking to Aston Villa about its existing media agreement with a view to establishing a joint venture to exploit the club's online related activities.

Outdoor connection.
November 1, 2001... Outdoor Connection, the outdoor media agency, is launching its first specialist unit to focus solely on planning and buying digital outdoor media campaigns.

XFM.
November 1, 2001... XFM is launching a poster campaign today (Wednesday) on London Underground stations to promote its breakfast show. The ad was created by Quiet Storm with media buying through Zenith.

The BBC.
November 1, 2001... The BBC has appointed John Keeling, former managing director Europe for The Auction Channel, as the Controller of UKTV channels.

Turner broadcasting system.
November 1, 2001... Turner Broadcasting System is launching a marketing initiative to build the Cartoon Network brand in the hotel market.

The independent television commission.
November 1, 2001... The Independent Television Commission has received more than 150 complaints about a TV campaign from the Internet service provider Freeserve, which features a group of nudists.

BBC worldwide.
November 1, 2001... BBC Worldwide has launched an internal fact-finding mission after director of global marketing and brand development Jeff Taylor was arrested by Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption as part of an investigation into commissions...

Zenith media and optimedia.
November 1, 2001... Zenith Media and Optimedia's German media buying and planning specialist More Media have been awarded a global account for Infineon worth up to $20m ([pounds sterling]13.8m), after pitching against Carat, MediaCom, OMD and incumbent' MindShare....

Orange.
November 1, 2001... Orange has appointed Karen Earl to manage the sponsorship of the Heineken Cup and the Parker Pen Shield

Octagon movie and media.
November 1, 2001... Octagon Movie and Media has been reappointed by the Rugby Football Union to handle Twickenham's advertising signage business.

BBC worldwide.
November 1, 2001... BBC Worldwide and Kellogg are linking up to promote TV series Walking with Beasts. Some 13 million packs of Kellogg's breakfast cereals will contain collectable 3-D cards depicting the creatures featured in the series.

Metro.
November 1, 2001... Metro has restructured its senior management team, making Shakeel Mughal head of client services and Saleem Bhatti head of commercial development. Bhatti will also continue to oversee Metro's Manchester office.

XP set to revolutionise uk web use: E-companies are adapting their services to take advantage of Microsoft XP's Net features.
November 1, 2001... A number of UK e-commerce companies are promising major enhancements to their services, following last week's launch of Windows XP, the new Internet-focused computer operating system from Microsoft. The two key features of XP which have...

AA unveils 'battle of the sexes' viral drive.
November 1, 2001... The AA's insurance arm is running a viral campaign linked to the squabbling couple featured in its TV and poster advertising. The offline ads' creative work -- based on a domestic argument -- is designed to engage the 25- to 35-year-old age...

How to sell an 'old' paper to the young: The Telegraph is gaining readers, but not quickly enough. Can it shake off its 'old fogey' image without shaking off the old fogeys?
November 1, 2001... The Telegraph Group is ending its long-standing relationship with creative agency J Walter Thompson (MW last week). Given the economic climate, is this the right time to rock a steady ship? The Daily Telegraph is still the market leader in...

Data protection act will not mean great changes: The Data Protection Act should not cause much upheaval, as marketers should have been following a responsible code of practice anyway.
November 1, 2001... Last week saw the introduction of the second phase of implementing the 1998 Data Protection legislation. The primary implication is that every company in the UK is now legally required to disclose any personal data they possess about someone --...

Brand new ideas or money for old rope?: Manufacturers argue that new products and relaunches benefit consumers, as innovations mean improved quality and performance. Is this actually the case or are they a ruse to get consumers to spend more?
November 1, 2001... Innovation provides the key to stimulating the detergent and toilet tissue markets, which as basic purchases would otherwise be dependent on price-led promotions to capture consumers' attention. But while new product ideas undoubtedly benefit...

Easy to launch but hard to keep afloat : Only two easyGroup companies are profitable, raising doubts over the flexibility of the no-frills format. Do its latest additions make the grade?
November 1, 2001... Stelios Haji-Ioannou's easy-Group businesses have enjoyed growing popularity for several years but there is concern that the company's latest expansion plans are making it stretch too far, The group is planning to launch cinema and hostels...

Turning to the bottle: Diageo is entering the final stages of its strategy to become a pure drinks company.
November 1, 2001... Turning to the bottle: Diageo is entering the final stages of its strategy to become a pure drinks company, as it tries to buy Seagram's wines and spirits assets and offload its own food business. However, regulatory hurdles and a static global...

Opportunity knocks for those who really want it: Bankers shouldn't rest on their sagging laurels but look aggressively at possibilities for growth through mergers, such as packaged goods companies. (Business).
November 1, 2001... Conventional wisdom has it that corporate deals -- the mergers and acquisitions activity that keeps investment bankers in the manner to which they're accustomed -- have dried up in response to the global economic slowdown and the political...

You're taking the ben nevis aren't you? (MARKETING WEEK diary).
November 1, 2001... In this difficult economic climate, holding on to clients is essential. Some agency executives are prepared to risk life and limb to do so. Step forward Ian McAteer, managing director of the Union, who was asked by Alasdair Muir, managing...

Reebok's promotional trump card. (MARKETING WEEK diary).
November 1, 2001... Whoopee's gonna get ya -- or so the Diary hears. It seems in these times of gloomy economic forecasts and military action, many brands are tightening their belts. Not so Reebok, which in its latest promotional drive has resurrected one of the...

Smoke gets in the uglies' eyes. (MARKETING WEEK diary).
November 1, 2001... Single people have a tough time finding a partner. Ugly single people have it especially hard (as the Diary well knows). But Match.com says it has found a way to relieve their misery. The online dating service has organised a "lurve cruise"...

A long spacewalk on a short pier. (MARKETING WEEK diary).
November 1, 2001... Finding the account manager dressed in silver wellies may not be an everyday occurrence for most of us, but that was what faced employees of brand agency iD recently. Looking like a cross between Ziggy Stardust and Compo from Last of the...

Leche pascual. (EUROPE).
November 1, 2001... Leche Pascual, the Spanish dairy group, has paid Pta753m ([pounds sterling] 6.6m) to secure exclusive rights to the 'Pascual' brand in Spain. The company had been in a dispute over the name with Pascual Hermanos -- a distributor for the Spar...

Inditex. (EUROPE).
November 1, 2001... Inditex, owner of the Zara fashion chain, has signed an agreement with Gruppo Percassi to enable it to commence business in Italy. Inditex, which owns 51 per cent of the joint venture, had previously tried to enter Italy by way of a tie-up with...

Heye & partner. (EUROPE).
November 1, 2001... Heye & Partner, J Walter Thompson, Michael Conrad & Leo Burnett and Munich agency Start have been named as the four agencies pitching for the Beck's beer advertising account in Germany. Incumbent agency Saarchi & Saatchi was not invited to...

Coca-cola. (EUROPE).
November 1, 2001... Coca-Cola has run into difficulty with its plans to launch the Powerade sports drink in Germany. A local drinks maker, Ubermorgen Getranke Trendprodukte (UGT), claims that Coca-Cola failed to actively exploit its right to the Powerade name...