Brand Strategy articles from April 2003

Brand Strategy archives from April 2003

Research versus creativity responses. (Leader).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Research is just one tool in brand strategy development and can be useful, but only if tackled in the right way. It's not just a case of swallowing data from a focus group. Using findings for a knee-jerk strategic reaction in a certain...

Open space solutions. (Leader).(brand identity )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Chris Macrae, myself and others believe that it is time to rediscover humanity in brand strategy and business in general. One solution may be the `Open Space' format, which gathers 100 people in a six-hour format which is intensely...

Treading the boards on the centre stage. (Leader).
April 1, 2003... It's time to learn a new language. If marketing is to take centre stage and become indispensable, then marketers must learn the vocabulary of the board. They must confound the financial director's maxim that the marketing people are the arty...

Soft drinks brand Pepsi has signed a 20m [pounds sterling] deal with the English Football Association. (Marketing).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Soft drinks brand Pepsi has signed a 20m [pounds sterling] deal with the English Football Association. The contract allows Pepsi to use the England squad and FA Cup in marketing communications until 2006. The agreement looks likely to herald...

Masterfoods is launching a 10m [pounds sterling] promotion called Chocollect which allows customers to build up reward points and compete for instant win prizes. (Marketing).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Masterfoods is launching a 10m [pounds sterling] promotion called Chocollect which allows customers to build up reward points and compete for instant win prizes. It also has a cause related marketing element as points can then be donated to...

Homewares retailer MFI has created a celebrity line-up for its new 10m [pounds sterling] ad campaign. (Marketing).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Homewares retailer MFI has created a celebrity line-up for its new 10m [pounds sterling] ad campaign. The TV and print campaign, by Publicis, stars comedians Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer, actress Martine McCutcheon and chef Gordon Ramsay.

The AA has created a new campaign to advertise its insurance services. (Marketing).(Automobile Association )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The AA has created a new campaign to advertise its insurance services. The TV ads, created by Rapier, are designed to support the new complimentary car service offered by the brand. The move comes as the AA's rival breakdown service, RAC,...

Mobile phone company Orange has launched an 8m [pounds sterling] business-to-business ad campaign. (Marketing).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Mobile phone company Orange has launched an 8m [pounds sterling] business-to-business ad campaign. The brand hopes to publicise its Orange Business Solutions product, which offers mobile email, roaming, training and 24-hour support to...

Troubled alcohol company Bulmers has invested 8m [pounds sterling] on marketing its Strongbow cider brand. (Marketing).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Troubled alcohol company Bulmers has invested 8m [pounds sterling] on marketing its Strongbow cider brand. The campaign, which will encompass TV, radio and press ads, sees a 68% rise in the cider's marketing budget for the year. Strongbow...

McDonald. (Marketing).(is reviewing children's ad business)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... McDonald's has announced a review of its 6m [pounds sterling] children's advertising business, currently held by Leo Burnett. The move comes as McDonald's seeks to change its image following a period of store closures and a 212m [pounds...

Abbey National. (Marketing).(contracts with Wolff Olins for brand review)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Abbey National has appointed Wolff Olins to carry out a brand review after announcing a loss of nearly 1bn [pounds sterling] last month. The bank has a 14m [pounds sterling] ad budget and recently ran a series of ads starring ex-Eastender...

FMCG company Danone is launching a 5m [pounds sterling] promotional campaign for its Jacob's Thai Bites snack brand. (Marketing).
April 1, 2003... FMCG company Danone is launching a 5m [pounds sterling] promotional campaign for its Jacob's Thai Bites snack brand. The company is spending 4m [pounds sterling] on TV slots created by Euro RSCG and a further million pounds on sampling...

Mobile handset company Motorola has signed a $75m (47.7m [pounds sterling]) deal lasting three years with youth music channel MTV. (Marketing).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Mobile handset company Motorola has signed a $75m (47.7m [pounds sterling]) deal lasting three years with youth music channel MTV. The agreement allows Motorola to host content on its handsets and it will also be associated with a new show: MTV...

Yell, the international directories company, has launched an ad campaign for its Yellow Pages directory. (Marketing).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Yell, the international directories company, has launched an ad campaign for its Yellow Pages directory. The campaign, by Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO, stars actor James Nesbitt and runs throughout April.

Diary.(business event calendar)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
April 1, 2003... Creativity from Adam & Eve to David Beckham Yarnfield Park Conference Centre 10 April 2003 What can large companies do to enhance creativity and innovation within their mammoth structures? Graeme Livingstone-Wallace, strategy director...

Volvo Car. (Appointments).(promotes Gerald Keaney )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Volvo Car has promoted Gerald Keaney to the position of global marketing, sales and customer services for the automobile company. Keaney was formerly the managing director and sales and marketing director of Volvo Car UK.

Air Miles. (Appointments).(Richard Pepper named marketing director)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Air Miles has appointed a marketing director, Richard Pepper, as part of its battle against its rival Nectar Loyalty scheme. He reports directly to managing director Drew Thomson. Pepper was previously head of CRM at mobile operator T-Mobile.

Mastercard. (Appointments).(names Arjan Kruger chief marketing officer for Europe)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Arjan Kruger has been named as Mastercard's chief marketing officer for Europe. He was previously the European head of brand marketing and sponsorship at the company. Kruger will continue to oversee sponsorship deals with UEFA, but he will also...

Bernard Matthews. (Appointments).(names Andy Watts as marketing director)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Andy Watts has taken up the role of marketing director at food company Bernard Matthews. He is the first marketing director at the company for several years.

Easyjet. (Appointments).(promotes David Magliano to director of strategic marketing)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Easyjet has promoted David Magliano to the new role of director of strategic marketing. His role will involve building the brand in overseas markets. His current role as sales and marketing manager will be axed.

Sports brand Umbro has joined with Calypso Soft Drinks to launch a new isotonic sports drink: Pro>Performance. (Launches & Rebrands).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Sports brand Umbro has joined with Calypso Soft Drinks to launch a new isotonic sports drink: Pro>Performance. The new drink will launch into a crowded sector, where GlaxoSmithKline's Lucozade Sport, Coca-Cola's Powerade and the...

Confectionery company Nestle Rowntree has spent 4m [pounds sterling] on overhauling its 65-year-old Rolo brand. (Launches & Rebrands).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Confectionery company Nest Rowntree has spent 4m [pounds sterling] on overhauling its 65-year-old Rolo brand. The revamp is supported by a 1.6m [pounds sterling] ad campaign by J Walter Thompson, which features the new strapline: "Discover the...

The crowded no-frills airline sector is poised for another new entrant--Now. (Launches & Rebrands).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The crowded no-frills airline sector is poised for another new entrant--Now. The airline is waiting for its operator's license from the Civil Aviation Authority, but hopes to be running by summer. It will face fierce competition from Easyjet,...

McVitie's is launching a new breakfast products range called a:m, which is understood to comprise eight products, including muffins and a cereal bar. (Launches & Rebrands).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... McVitie's is launching a new breakfast products range called a:m, which is understood to comprise eight products, including muffins and a cereal bar. The range will appear both in the confectionery sector as singles and the biscuit sector as...

Drinks companies Diageo and Anheuser-Busch Europe are launching branded clothing ranges with textiles company Cotton Traders. (Launches & Rebrands).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Drinks companies Diageo and Anheuser-Busch Europe are launching branded clothing ranges with textiles company Cotton Traders. The products will be targeted at rugby enthusiasts and feature Guinness, Toucan and Harp branding.

The National Lottery has announced that UK consumers will be able to purchase tickets using the internet, TV and mobile phones. (Launches & Rebrands).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The National Lottery has announced that UK consumers will be able to purchase tickets using the internet, TV and mobile phones. The first available products are Instant Win Games, which can be played at National-Lottery.co.uk.

Cadbury Trebor Bassett has launched a new range of mints and gum called 24-7. (Launches & Rebrands).
April 1, 2003... Cadbury Trebor Bassett has launched a new range of mints and gum called 24-7. The launch is supported by a 1.4m [pounds sterling] sponsorship of Channel 4 TV show Boys and Girls with further advertising by Euro RSCG.

Procter & Gamble has snatched a 2.2bn [pounds sterling] stake in German hair and beauty business Wella from under the noses of rivals Unilever and L'Oreal. (Financial).
April 1, 2003... Procter & Gamble has snatched a 2.2bn [pounds sterling] stake in German hair and beauty business Wella from under the noses of rivals Unilever and L'Oreal. The deal gives P&G a 77.6% share of the company. It will also make an offer for further...

The UK's advertising industry will lead recovery in Europe, according to Initiative Media London. (Financial).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The UK's advertising industry will lead recovery in Europe, according to Initiative Media London. The UK TV market is forecast to rise by 3.8%, the internet by 48%, cinema by 8% and outdoor by 5%. This prediction is in line with figures from...

GlaxoSmithKline has suffered a blow after a judge in Chicago potentially cleared the way for the launch of a generic version of the GSK antidepressant Paxil. (International).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... GlaxoSmithKline has suffered a blow after a judge in Chicago potentially cleared the way for the launch of a generic version of the GSK antidepressant Paxil. The court ruled that Apotex, a Canadian generics company, had not infringed the patent...

Brand agencies Springpoint and FutureBrand have merged. (International).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Brand agencies Springpoint and FutureBrand have merged. Springpoint's founder Fiona Gilmore has left the company, although she continues to work on a part-time consultancy basis for the new firm.

Top Shop. (International).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Fashion retailer Top Shop may expand abroad through a chain of flagship stores in European cities. The retailer's new head, BHS owner Philip Green, claimed that the brand was strong enough to be rolled out abroad. Green bought Top Shop's parent...

Virgin. (International).(airline)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Virgin is examining a move into low-cost airlines in the US. The group previously discounted the initiative because of US ownership regulations, but financial problems in the US airline industry have reawakened interest. The company now has a...

Power to the people--brands must show ethical conduct; people are increasingly prepared to stand up and support a cause. Lesley Salem asks how brands engage the active citizen. (Trendspotter).
April 1, 2003... The firemen's strike and anti-war fever are clear signs that society is no longer disengaged from politics. As people challenge political leadership and lose faith in public institutions, they are empowering themselves to find their own...

If I could get my hands on Coca-Cola ... I'd make sure that it went back to its advertising roots, says Al Ries, founder of Ries & Ries, a PR consultancy. (In An Ideal World).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The first thing I would do if l got my hands on the Coca-Cola brand is to return it to its heritage and go back to the concept of `The Real Thing'. One of Coca-Cola's great strengths is that it is widely known as the original cola. Everything...

How the Mercury brand slipped away like quicksilver; Ruth Mortimer looks at the brief life of the brand that was galvanised into action in the 1980s, making a promising start. (That Was The Brand That Was).
April 1, 2003... The brand assumed the identity of the winged Roman god of swiftness. But the quickest thing about Mercury Communications was the speed with which it exited the competitive British telecoms market. Its brief race through the industry began in...

KitKat rings the bell for UK workers' break time. (Brand Stunt Of The Month).(Nestle Rowntree)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Nestle Rowntree's KitKat biscuit brand stuck two fingers up at the UK's workaholic culture this month, when it exhorted the nation to down tools and `Have a break'. The slogan has been part of the brand's heritage for 40 years and its owners...

Brand mot: Ryanair is the ultimate business paradox.
April 1, 2003... The brand generates acres of negative coverage and yet managed to file a 28.3m [pounds sterling] profit in the third quarter of 2002, up from 18.9m [pounds sterling] the previous year. It is cheered by the City for a savvy acquisition of Buzz,...

The day Amazon iPAQed up: Morag Cuddeford Jones finds out why `sorry' seems to be the hardest thing to say for online retailer Amazon. (News Analysis).
April 1, 2003... Thousands of customers will have been furiously hammering the `Where's my stuff?' button on the Amazon.co.uk website this month, following a high profile blunder by the e-taller. Rumours spread like wildfire across email and the internet one...

How fast food and footie make an excellent match: understanding the relationship between brands and sport could improve sponsorship effectiveness. Ruth Mortimer assesses McDonald's latest sponsorship deal with the 2004 Olympic games in Athens. (News Analysis).
April 1, 2003... Sports sponsorship is a funny old game. But fast food retailer McDonald's is counting on using it to win over sports fans when it sponsors the Athens 2004 Olympics. The company needs the adrenaline injection as it recently announced its...

Designing a strategy: Grant Marshall argues that although design agencies focus on creative solutions, they can make valuable strategic input. (Debate).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... As creative director of this agency, I'm often asked the question: "Should we offer strategic advice to our clients?" and my reply is always the same. We'd never consider not offering it. Our remit as a consultancy is to build brands and...

Whose business is it anyway? Wendy Gordon and Caroline Whitehill say the branding world should stop polarising itself and learn to collaborate. (Debate).(Industry Overview)
April 1, 2003... Once again the topic of brand strategy agency versus design agency is getting an airing. This is a debate that seems to ebb and flow with the times yet it doesn't ever seem to go away. Why are we stuck in this spiralling black hole, incapable...

Harrison is a smartie at marketing chocolate: Andrew Harrison, marketing director of Nestle Rowntree, talks to Elen Lewis about managing the delicate balance between renovating and honouring the heritage of well-loved brands such as KitKat. (Profile: Andrew Harrison).
April 1, 2003... Andrew Harrison's children must think he's got the best job in the world. After all, he works in a chocolate factory. Sometimes he even asks their advice about a particular campaign or a new product. Last month, six-year-old Katy Harrison was...

Building a brand out of bricks; Ruth Mortimer finds out how the stud-and-tube brick has gone from household object to fantasy films and discusses how the toy brand plans to win over indifferent older girls and move into the adult market. (Lego).(Company Profile)
April 1, 2003... Toys are a serious business for the Lego Company. More than 20 billion Lego bricks are produced a year and a Lego set is sold every seven seconds. The company acts as both a retailer and entertainer with four Legoland theme parks situated...

Giving off good relations: the press release trumpeting a new multi-million account is the shiny face hiding barely gritted teeth and an undercurrent of resentment. Morag Cuddeford Jones ask if clients and agencies can ever play happy families. (Client/Agency Relationships).(Industry Overview)
April 1, 2003... Barely concealed insults are traded on the front pages of the weekly press, as news breaks of another acrimonious split. But, we're not talking about Burton/Taylor, Cruise/Kidman starstyle bust-ups. The relationship breakdown between ad agency...

Client and agency chemistry: be aware of the bigger picture, honesty is the best policy and don't forget to make it fun. Two experts on the front line of client/agency relationships offer their insights into making all the right moves. (Client/Agency Case Study).
April 1, 2003... Will Harris, vice president of marketing for O2 and former agency man at WCRS, gives relationship insights from experiences on both sides of the fence. When relationships start to go wrong there are very obvious tell tale signs. Nothing in...

Pringle look goes with a swing; Morag Cuddeford Jones talks to Kim Winser, Pringle's chief executive, about the transformation of the Scottish knitwear brand and how Pringle has risen from long walk to catwalk in just three short years. (Pringle).(Company Profile)
April 1, 2003... A languid, loose-lidded Sophie Dahl reclines 50ft above London's exclusive Sloane Square. But her come hither gaze is purely for commercial gain. Dahl is the new face of relaunched and rejuvenated Scottish knitwear brand Pringle, and her image...

Why giving is good for you; it pays to be charitable but only if the balance is right. Elen Lewis investigates whether cause related marketing--the shop window of corporate social responsibility--can impact a business's bottom line. (Special report: charity).(Industry Overview)
April 1, 2003... Charity is good for business. For decades corporations have been advocates of philanthropy--often dictated by the whim of the chairman's wife. More recently, marketing-savvy companies have been dedicating time and resources into cause related...

Modernising Barnardo's: Barnardo's, the children's charity has been working hard to drop its Victorian associations. Andrew Nebel, Barnardo's marketing director tells Ruth Mortimer how the charity is updating its brand. (Special report: charity).
April 1, 2003... What does the name Barnardo's mean to you? Around 70% of the public still link the charity with orphanages, according to a recent report from think-tank The Future Foundation. But the organisation closed its last orphanage in the 1960s and...

The mongrel mix: Paul Richards suggests employees get together and tell stories. Sharing experiences is likely to stimulate new ideas, resolve problems quickly and above all, make your staff feel valued. (Brand Papers).
April 1, 2003... Most people are familiar with the `two cycles' idea--the operational cycle, where work is done to known processes and expected results, and the innovation cycle, where the process is like surfing--you have to be prepared to fall, learn, re-work...

Restoring confidence: how can marketing directors break free from the vicious time-money spiral? Tim Ambler offers stringent guidelines to help marketers regain their confidence in a time of commercial uncertainty. (Brand Papers).
April 1, 2003... Why have marketers lost confidence? Surveys reveal an anxiety to protect budgets, avoid risk and hold onto jobs. A little less mobility in the job market ensures that those who prepare plans live with the results, but battening down the hatches...

Brand armour protection: Peter Fisk argues that brands are not effectively managed for the creation of shareholder value, especially when times get tough. Cutbacks seem like a good idea but may cause long-term damage. (Brand Papers).
April 1, 2003... From Apple to Microsoft's Xbox, from Aveda to Volkswagen's Beetle, brands are all around us. They come in many forms--names and badges, ideas and designs, corporate and category, product and ingredient. They rise and fall, they define and...

Rise of the patchwork kid: Louise Ellerton says brands need to demonstrate an understanding of the needs of a new `pick `n' mix' youth society, which crosses culture, nationality, religion and language. (Brand Papers).
April 1, 2003... Youth culture has always evolved quickly, to the chagrin of marketers often left hanging in their attempts to cash in on the latest phase. Today's must-have can transform seemingly overnight to tomorrow's wouldn't-be-seen-dead-with, and kids'...

Problematic piracy: Peter Ward analyses the law suit between Sony Music and EasyInternet, a signal that record companies are taking action against those who help consumers download music from the net. (Brand Papers).
April 1, 2003... The Buggles once claimed that `video killed the radio star' but the internet could be cited as an accessory to murder. The world wide web has long posed problems for record companies by enabling consumers to download their favourite tracks...

Unofficial celebrity endorsement. (Trends).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... * Celebrity endorsement can be a powerful marketing tool. But marketers would do well to observe which brands naturally share characteristics with high-profile people, claims research from NFO WorldGroup on behalf of The Brand Council. ...

Eyeing up the smartest options. (Trends).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... * Which media channels capture consumers' attention for longest? Surprisingly, bills and statements are the items that receive most eyeballing, according to a survey by LMR/MarketingUK for Group 1 Software. These receive a 42.5-second viewing...

Mobile rebrands pay off. (Trends).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... * Rebranding is a long-term strategy. But it seems to have paid-off for new mobile brands T-Mobile and 02. A report from Continental Research shows that consumer awareness of the two brands is steadily increasing as knowledge of rivals Orange...

Branding to the male: 90s new man gets negative. (Exclusive Research).
April 1, 2003... * It all confirms what women always knew: men have fragile egos and marketers would do well to recognise this. The Euromale study from Evo Research & Consulting--exclusive to Brand Strategy--has examined the attitudes of men across Europe to...

The Asian anomaly in ethnic marketing. (Research).
April 1, 2003... * As the Race in Media Awards prepares to honour advertisers who support marketing to ethnic minorities, a new report from media agency, Mediaedge:cia, has warned that targeting this group is a "double-edged sword". The report claims that,...

Shifts in pre-school demographics open new opportunities. (Research).
April 1, 2003... * The pre-schoolers' world is dramatically different than it was even a decade ago. First-time mothers are older, have more money, fewer children and spend more time working. This has led to them purchasing more premium brands for their...

What's in a number? 2,320,333,68,623 [pounds sterling]. (Last Word).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... There's no debt like a British Gas debt. British Gas issued a final demand for this amount when Brian Law forgot to pay his 59 [pounds sterling] gas bill last November. The company even went to court over the matter. Mr Law offered to pay the...

Blowing hot and cold in the retail sector. (Last Word).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... A Dutch furniture retailer has taken a novel approach to the age-old problem of shoplifting. The Van Gils store has put a prison cell in its showroom to lock up any offenders. Since its introduction, the retailer has not suffered a single...

The monthly brand braindrain. (Last Word).(Portman Group debuts Roxxoff blend of vodka and herbs)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... A new alcopop--Roxxoff--an unsubtle blend of Russian vodka and Chinese herbs, claims to do exactly what it says on the tin. This would be fine poured into the water dispenser down at the old folks' home, but spokesman Chris Williams claims it...

Global village idiot. (Last Word).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Scandinavian vacuum manufacturer Electrolux used the following in an American campaign: Nothing sucks like an Electrolux.

Megabrand, megamistake? Focusing building global brands is misplaced, companies are growing margins today at the expense of prosperity tomorrow.
April 1, 2003... Is brand building always a good thing? Take the current fashion for culling `brand tails' and focusing all corporate resources on building global megabrands. The corporate pluses of such a strategy are obvious and numerous. It delivers...