Brand Strategy articles from May 2003

Brand Strategy archives from May 2003

Relating good causes to marketing. (Leader).(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2003... Cause-related marketing (CRM) exercises, highlighted in your special report (Brand Strategy-April 2003) throws up some interesting issues. Many enlightened business leaders who measure performance from a stakeholder perspective would argue that...

Teamwork is the best brand strategy. (Leader).(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2003... I agreed with the article by Wendy Gordon and Caroline Whitehill (Brand Strategy--April 2003) that agencies of all types should learn to collaborate but I also think that it needs to be acknowledged that there is a difference between brand...

An educational lesson: work inside out. (Leader).(Editorial)
May 1, 2003... Sometimes the most valuable marketing lessons can be learnt from unexpected sources. The best sparks of inspiration are more likely to come from a completely different sector than your closest competitor. Sir Brian Pittman, the former chief...

Leeds based agency, Thompson Design, has created the visual identity and off-air design work for children's TV characters, the Boohbahs. (Launches).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Leeds based agency, Thompson Design, has created the visual identity and off-air design work for children's TV characters, the Boohbahs. From Ragdoll, creator of the Teletubbies, the Boohbahs launched on Children's ITV (CITV) this month....

Nestle Rowntree is developing a bite-sized variant of the KitKat brand, already available in chunky and ice cream formats. (Launches).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Nestle Rowntree is developing a bite-sized variant of the KitKat brand, already available in chunky and ice cream formats. Called KitKat Kubes, it is due to launch in October with a 7m [pounds sterling] campaign. Marketing activity will be led...

Fairtrade coffee licensee, Cafedirect, is launching the world's first 100% fairtrade hot chocolate powder, called Cocodirect. (Launches).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Fairtrade coffee licensee, Cafedirect, is launching the world's first 100% fairtrade hot chocolate powder, called Cocodirect. Lewis Moberly created the brand's identity but marketing is restricted to a mailout of 20,000 leaflets to campaign...

Slinky is the new ready-to-drink offering from German wine brand, Blue Nun. (Launches).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Slinky is the new ready-to-drink offering from German wine brand, Blue Nun. The product, described as a white wine crush, will be available in 275ml bottles with an abv of 5.5%, and will target young, female drinkers. The launch, expected...

Chocolate manufacturer Cadbury's is expected to face strong criticism when it launches a 9m [pounds sterling] free sports equipment promotion at the beginning of May. (Marketing).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Chocolate manufacturer Cadbury's is expected to face strong criticism when it launches a 9m [pounds sterling] free sports equipment promotion at the beginning of May. The promotion, according to the Food Commission, is encouraging children to...

Durex Performa condoms are to become the first prophylactic brand to feature on billboards across the UK. (Marketing).
May 1, 2003... Durex Performa condoms are to become the first prophylactic brand to feature on billboards across the UK. Part of a 1m [pounds sterling] campaign developed by McCann-Erickson Manchester, billboards will feature one of three different executions...

Video games manufacturer Electronic Arts is to sponsor MTV's pan-European film programming 'MTV at the Movies'. (Marketing).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Video games manufacturer Electronic Arts is to sponsor MTV's pan-European film programming 'MTV at the Movies'. The six-month deal will cover 110 million homes across Europe and includes outdoor and in-house promo spots which will also cover...

UK boyband, Blue, are to replace Britney Spears in a 50m [pounds sterling] deal to become the international face of Pepsi. (Marketing).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... UK boyband, Blue, are to replace Britney Spears in a 50m [pounds sterling] deal to become the international face of Pepsi. Their images will be featured on cans and in advertising. The drinks brand will also sponsor Blue's forthcoming world...

The government's proposed five a day fruit and vegetable campaign is causing controversy among food manufacturers. (Marketing).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The government's proposed five a day fruit and vegetable campaign is causing controversy among food manufacturers. Sainsbury's has already withdrawn from the scheme and now Heinz's marketing has come under attack from the Advertising Standards...

Diary. (News Round-up).(conferences and seminars)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The Marketing Society in Scotland Annual Conference. EICC 22 May 2003 Sports marketing can be a lucrative way for brands to gain exposure. Vodafone's Neil Simpson and Scotland rugby coach, tan McGeechan, show how to maximise sporting...

Orange. (Appointments).(names Sanjiv Ahuja as chief operating officer)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... France Telecom-owned mobile operator Orange has appointed Sanjiv Ahuja as chief operating officer. He replaces Graham Howe who left the company following Sol Trujillo's promotion to CEO. Ahuja was formerly CEO of Comstellar Technologies in the...

Visa International. (Appointments).(John Elkins appointed as head of global brand and marketing )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Futurebrand's chairman and chief executive John Elkins has left the company to join visa International as head of global brand and marketing. He will oversee worldwide marketing and sponsorship, as well as the appointment of marketing services...

The Marketing Society. (Appointments).(appointed Hugh Burkitt chief executive)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Hugh Burkitt, former chairman of ad agency Burkitt DDB, has been appointed chief executive of The Marketing Society. The full time role has been created specially for him. Additionally, Lever Faberge UK chairman, Keith Weed has been appointed...

English Heritage. (Appointments).(appointed Dan Wolfe as marketing director)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... English Heritage has appointed Dan Wolfe as marketing director, a position that has been vacant for nine months. He was formerly senior commercial development manager for the Science Museum and part of the marketing team for the Millennium Dome...

LEGO Company is to launch what it claims is its biggest ever global ad campaign, to entice customers back to its core range of classic building bricks. (Marketing).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... LEGO Company is to launch what it claims is its biggest ever global ad campaign, to entice customers back to its core range of classic building bricks. Entitled 'What will YOU make?', the campaign targets LEGO's key audience of four to 10...

Solvite is to revive its famous stuntman ads, created by BDH/TBWA, for a celebration of the ad's 25th anniversary. (Marketing).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Solvite is to revive its famous stuntman ads, created by BDH/TBWA, for a celebration of the ad's 25th anniversary. As part of a 2m [pounds sterling] Easter ad campaign from Solvite's owners Henkel Consumer Adhesives, the company has dangled the...

Marketing holding group Cordiant has suffered a severe 67% fall in its share price following the loss of key client, UK drinks group Allied Domecq. (Financial).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Marketing holding group Cordiant has suffered a severe 67% fall in its share price following the loss of key client, UK drinks group Allied Domecq. The global contract was worth around 18m [pounds sterling] for 2003, 3.4% of last year's...

WPP has announced its Q1 results are 3.9% lower than last year, at 908.5m [pounds sterling]. (Financial).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... WPP has announced its Q1 results are 3.9% lower than last year, at 908.5m [pounds sterling]. As Ford Motor Company's sole advertising partner, the ad group had recently suffered from the car manufacturer's 20% marketing cut. Negative publicity...

Sadek Wynberg Millward Brown. (Financial).(Miliward Brown acquired Sadek Wynberg Research)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... WPP-owned market research company, Miliward Brown, has acquired qualitative research specialists, Sadek Wynberg Research. The new company will be called Sadek Wynberg Millward Brown and will be based in London.

Reader's Digest. (Financial).(to layoff 200)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Reader's Digest is to shed 200 jobs with a view to cutting costs by 44m [pounds sterling]. The publishing company posted a Q3 loss of 2.9m [pounds sterling], having made a 10.3m [pounds sterling] profit at the same time the year before. The...

Scottish and Newcastle breweries--which owns the Fosters and Kronenbourg beer brands--is offering 278m [pounds sterling] for cider maker HP Bulmer which produces the Strongbow brand. (Financial).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Scottish and Newcastle breweries--which owns the Fosters and Kronenbourg beer brands--is offering 278m [pounds sterling] for cider maker HP Bulmer which produces the Strongbow brand. Bulmer reported pre-tax losses of 1.8m [pounds sterling] in...

Gulf Air, Bahrain's national airline serving the United Arab Emirates, has revealed a new brand identity, developed by Landor, to help it ride out a downturn in aviation and the recent conflict in Iraq. (International).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Gulf Air, Bahrain's national airline serving the United Arab Emirates, has revealed a new brand identity, developed by Landor, to help it ride out a downturn in aviation and the recent conflict in Iraq. The new design reworks the airline's...

Egg. (International).(expansion plans moving slowly; posts losses)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Online bank Egg has announced that its expansion plans are progressing much slower than expected. The French arm has posted losses of 23.9m [pounds sterling] in the first quarter of 2003, compared to UK profits of 17.3m [pounds sterling] over...

Viacom Inc. (International).(operating income increases)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Multimedia owner, Viacom Inc, announced its operating income has increased by 14%, from $856.5bn (539.4bn [pounds sterling]) to $986.8bn (621.5bn [pounds sterling]). COO Mel Karmazin attributed the increase to strong advertising revenues in its...

Visage in a bottle: bespoke services look to the future: in a world of walk-in cosmetic surgery, consumers also expect products and services to meet perfection warns Jane Dalton. (Trendspotter).
May 1, 2003... The song lyric "I am what I am" seems never to have been further from the truth. Do not resign yourself to the fact you get what you're given from the gene pool, because companies are queuing up to give you the look and personality you want....

If I could get my hands on the National Health Service ... : the AA's group marketing director Clare Salmon takes the pulse of an ailing organisation and gives her diagnosis. (In An Ideal World).
May 1, 2003... It would be hard to imagine a more ambitious brand proposition than "Health Care for All". Greeted with initial scepticism not least from medics themselves, the NHS became the envy of more prosaic nations--before the very success of the...

March 2003: PressWatch top 10 brands in terms of positive coverage.(Brief Article)(Illustration)
May 1, 2003... 1. Morrisons 2. French Connection 3. Marks & Spencer 4. Thales 5. INVESCO Perpetual 6. Selfridges 7. Woolworths 8. First State Investment 9. Smith & Nephew 10. Smiths Group

Brewing a Seattle coffee experience for the British: Morag Cuddeford Jones talks to Scott Svenson, co-founder of the Seattle Coffee Company, about his caffeine-fuelled career. (That was the Brand that was).
May 1, 2003... Someone once said that the UK was a nation run by bean counters. They just didn't know that they were talking about coffee beans. Picture the scene: Thousands of commuters pouring out of train stations, a briefcase in one hand, and a coffee cup...

Brandspeak.
May 1, 2003... "I don't see people curbing their handbag purchases. I think maybe people are going elsewhere. Perhaps those handbag customers are a bit more interested in having something more obscure." Tyler Brule, founder of Wallpaper * on the problems...

It's poetry to the ears of Greenpeace. (Brand Stunt of the Month).(environmental group adopts campaign that mimics Poems On the Underground posters in London)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Greenpeace, the campaigning environmental charity has caused controversy with an initiative that mimics the popular Poems On the Underground posters in London. The poems have been adapted to give them a political meaning and heavily criticise...

Brand mot.(discusses branding problems at the Daily Mirror)
May 1, 2003... The Daily Mirror has suffered a turbulent year. Editor Piers Morgan rebranded the paper after September 11th to offer a more serious news focus alongside celebrity gossip. It also took an anti-war stance in the recent conflict with iraq. This...

Cutting through the clutter: consumers are searching for the simple life. Morag Cuddeford Jones asks: what's a marketing director to do? (News Analysis).
May 1, 2003... If you find yourself watching reruns of The Good Life, fetishising over Richard Briers' pig pen and contemplating the merits of pea pod wine, then you could be one of the 12 million European 'downshifters' identified by Datamonitor's latest...

In the picture: how brands are muscling in on content: marketers attempting to get broader consumer attention are looking towards entertaining editorial content. Ruth Mortimer discusses the latest offerings from the likes of Pepsi-Cola, Coca-Cola and The Big Issue. (News Analysis).
May 1, 2003... "We're not really going to be in marketing. We're going to be in entertainment," claimed John Hegarty, founder of ad agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH), when asked by the Marketing Society in 2001 to predict the media landscape of 2010. As Pepsi...

Is marketing in safe hands? Professor Malcolm McDonald argues that marketers should be defining need sets rather than focusing on products. (Opinion).
May 1, 2003... Marketing, as many of us have experienced it, is dead. Marketers have a bad name and we must change. I spend a lot of my time working with operating boards of organisations. I ask them to prioritise their key target markets and identify their...

Marketing chief executives: Sir Michael Perry examines why there are so few marketers at the helm of top companies. Can this trend be reversed? (Opinion).(edited speech )(Column)
May 1, 2003... I was an arts graduate who became a marketing man and then a CEO. I was the third Unilever chairman--out of only nine of us since the company was formed in 1929--to have followed that route. Two of the others were research chemists, and only...

Sherrington makes brave moves with added value: Elen Lewis meets the recently appointed global marketing director of SABMiller Mark Sherrington. With a career that has moved at an astonishing pace, he describes how big corporations do business. (Profile: Mark Sherrington).
May 1, 2003... MARK SHERRINGTON Age: 47 Education: 1977 graduated from Bristol University with a degree in education and sociology. CV: 1977 joined Lever Brothers as a graduate trainee. Spent 11 years at Unilever in jobs including taking charge...

A strategy that's bearing fruit: when is a banana not a banana? When it's a brand. Ruth Mortimer investigates the changing face and business of the Chiquita banana company which has worked hard to improve its CSR policy. (Chiquita).(corporate social responsibility)
May 1, 2003... The banana has both a sweet and a sour history. The product itself is perfect for mass production: it's nature's example of a self-contained, pre-packed treat. But the banana industry--producing an estimated 55 million tonnes a year--is not so...

It's a university challenge: universities can no longer count on league tables and fusty traditions to enlist discerning students. There are many commercial advantages to be gained with a branding programme. (Education).
May 1, 2003... Socrates would be turning in his grave. The challenges faced by education establishments today are far removed from the heady days of BC 468 when the lauded teacher was lecturing his pupils in the hilly groves of Athens. Although his curriculum...

Location, location, location: Napier University's student applications were spiralling downwards as it tried to differentiate itself against other universities in the central Scottish area. Elen Lewis discovers how a brand strategy was formulated. (Case Study: Napier University).
May 1, 2003... A few years ago, Napier University, like many other 'new universities' was in a bit of a fix. Applications had been spiralling down for five years, 60% of its students were coming through clearing and many undergraduates were dropping out after...

KFC: the real meal soul food: KFC is the UK's second largest fast-food brand. With a new ad campaign which respositions the food chain as 'soul food', Ruth Mortimer finds out how the brand will fare in this mature, saturated sector. (Fast Food: KFC).
May 1, 2003... What's cooking in the fast-food industry? Not a lot, it appears. The sector is in trouble; it's falling in popularity due to restricted menus, anti-globalisation campaigns, concerns about marketing to children, consumer anxiety over obesity and...

All hail the pope of yuppie chic: Morag Cuddeford Jones pins down Wallpaper * founder Tyler Brule for a masterclass on style. She learns that super service and slick surroundings are key as a gap emerges in marketing to the super rich. (Special Report: Luxury).(Interview)
May 1, 2003... Tyler Brule, style guru and former editor of Wallpaper*, wants a comfortable life. But no one will let him have it. Having pursued him for two weeks across half of continental Europe to get an interview, I finally nail him in St Moritz. On his...

Premium comfort and style: luxury brands have lost their allure. Instead of chic and unique, they've become overexposed and victims of their own success. Morag Cuddeford Jones asks what luxury should really mean to the discerning consumer. (Special Report: Luxury).
May 1, 2003... The image of luxury brands has been tarnished, and it seems that no amount of buffing will restore its sheen. In March, Gucci announced a 27% drop in profits. In the same month Swiss luxury group Richemont shocked the city by issuing a profit...

Starting at the roots: Kartik Kompela highlights three examples in the Indian market which demonstrate the need for marketers to understand the complex social and cultural intricacies of rural communities. (Brand Papers).
May 1, 2003... Developing a relationship is based on knowing a person well. Developing a brand relationship is based on knowing a consumer segment well. But with competing brands researching the same section of society, success lies in understanding your...

Look before you leap: Bob Schmetterer tells marketers to rely on the concepts of creativity and media neutrality rather than traditional advertising when creating a brief for the 21st century. (Brand Papers).
May 1, 2003... What we do in business isn't just about advertising, marketing, or communications. It's about creativity. It's about insight, leadership and creative ideas that foster new opportunities to build business. As you prepare to make the step change...

Silent salesmen can shout: Why keep your brand under wraps? Giles Lury argues that packaging should be taking a more central role in marketing communication and used to express the meaning of the brand. (Brand Papers).
May 1, 2003... Do you have a spare 70m [pounds sterling]? Because if you don't, you may want to review how you are spending your total promotional budget. In 1975, 2.5m [pounds sterling] bought a brand a good weight of advertising--some 5,000 gross...

Say goodbye to hello! Something snapped and it wasn't just the official photographer. Ravinder Chahil analyses the imlications of Catherine Zeta-Jones' and Michael Douglas's lawsuit against Hello! magazine. (Brand Papers).
May 1, 2003... It was all about publishing, privacy, pictures and the pretty people for Hollywood actors Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas. The pair scored a legal victory over the unauthorised use of their wedding photographs by Hello! magazine at the...

Big brand balls-ups: Brand managers can learn more from failure than from success. Matt Haig cites examples and draws some valuable marketing lessons from the biggest branding mistakes of all time. (Brand Papers).
May 1, 2003... A brand creates a bond with the customer which it has to handle with care. Ultimately, brands fail when something breaks the bond between customer and brand. This is not always the fault of the company, as some things really are beyond their...

Marketers prefer traditional methods to interactivity. (Research).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... * Two-thirds of marketers have never launched an interactive television campaign, according to new research from the Direct Marketing Association and Zip Television. Only a third of marketers have branched into iTV, although this figure has...

Bellwether blessings and curses. (Research).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... * Marketing spend is set to increase throughout 2003 despite the weak economy, claims the latest Bellwether Report from the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising. New budgetary setting is at its most buoyant since late 2000, with 45.8 % of...

Searching for an ideal partnership. (Research).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... * The unstable economy has forced companies to review their ad agencies, according to new research from Advertising Age's AdForum. Searches for new agencies were up 15% during the first quarter of 2003 in Europe from the last quarter of 2002....

Social segmentation by needs and desires. (Research).
May 1, 2003... * If you thought that the only people committed to going online were 30-year-old 'meedja' executives with a platinum credit card and a serious label fixation, then you thought wrong, says the latest segmentation research from media agency...

The corporate trust gap across Europe. (Research).
May 1, 2003... * It is an unfortunate irony that the more companies engage in the corporate social responsibility (CSR) agenda, the less consumers trust them. That is the conclusion of research into European trust in corporate organisations by think tank The...

What's in a number? (Last Word).(direct mail survey)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Percentage of people who have received direct mail addressed to a deceased family member or friend who say they'd never purchase from that company again: 19

Global village idiot. (Last Word).(Ikea's new bunk bed )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Swedish retailer Ikea produced a child's bunk bed called "Gutvik" (named after a Swedish town). Unfortunately, on its Europe-wide release, the name turned out to mean "good fuck" in German. Hardly child-friendly!

Blowing hot and cold in the retail sector. (Last Word).(new ads from Honda and Citroen)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Honda's new ad--showing the Accord car's individual pieces acting as a domino set--has met with rave reviews. The 6m [pounds sterling] marketing campaign, by Wieden & Kennedy, took five months to complete and has encountered almost entirely...

The monthly brand brainstorm. (Last Word).(Hong Kong Tourist Office advertising )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The Hong Kong Tourist Office made the error of launching a branded tourism campaign last month stating that: "Hong Kong will take your breath away". The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has certainly seen to that. Shortness...

Change and continuity: Marketers must grasp both cusps of change and continuity in business to make sense of a new relationship with consumers.
May 1, 2003... Companies make and lose their fortunes through their ability to read complex combinations of continuity (more of the same) and cusp (a shift to a new direction). Confusingly, most business sea-changes display an element of both at the same...