Precision Marketing articles from August 2007

Precision Marketing archives from August 2007

DMA admits door-drop MPS flaws.
August 10, 2007... The DMA (UK) has admitted that its unaddressed mailing preference service - on schedule to launch before the end of the year - will only have limited coverage because it will not include newspaper or directory publishers. First mooted over...

ScottishPower hunts new direct agency.
August 10, 2007... ScottishPower, one of the largest electricity groups in Europe, is seeking an agency to handle its direct marketing account. The account is currently handled by Navigator Response Advertising. The review marks part of the energy supplier's...

BHF appoints Tequila for 'emergency' brief.(Tequila London)(British Heart Foundation)(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has appointed Tequila as its retained agency with the main thrust of the brief to promote 'emergency life support' (ELS), a set of actions needed to keep someone alive in an emergency until professional...

IN BRIEF: AIG to take on insurance brands.(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... Finance giant AIG is planning to take on the might of Direct Line and More Th>n by launching a direct insurance brand. The company, which is one of the world's leading insurance firms, is understood to have appointed WWAV Rapp Collins to...

IN BRIEF: RAF charity opts for face-to-face.(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... The Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund is launching a new initiative to engage new supporters through face-to-face fundraising at major air shows across the UK this summer. The campaign has been planned by the RAF Benevolent Fund's incumbent...

IN BRIEF: RSPCA backs TV with mailing blitz.(Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... Animal welfare charity RSPCA is launching the second phase of its reality TV-inspired integrated campaign with a raft of direct mailings. The 'I'm an animal get me out of here' campaign, created by Bright, will see a door-drop delivered to...

Data breach to spark mass boycott of errant brands.
August 10, 2007... Companies are failing to recognise the true threat that a data security breach would have on their reputations, according to a new survey, which claims the vast majority of consumers would boycott a brand if it unwittingly released their...

ChildLine marketer switches to Bluefrog.
August 10, 2007... ChildLine head of direct marketing Matt Parkes has joined charity specialist agency Bluefrog, to develop its expertise in stewardship and legacy programmes. During his time at ChildLine, Parkes worked with Bluefrog on a number of...

Hugh Bessant exits Information Arts role.(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... Former Prospect Swetenhams chief Hugh Bessant has quit Information Arts after less than three months at the company. Bessant, who took up the role of sales director in May, is understood to have fallen out with the other directors over...

Benecol to build customer view with Dairy-free launch.
August 10, 2007... Functional foods brand Benecol is aiming to build a highly detailed picture of its customer base on the back of a major campaign to launch its first dairy free drink, Benecol Dairy Free. A direct mail drive, created by Elvis Communications,...

Wine brand pushes eco-packaging.
August 10, 2007... Wine brand Arniston Bay is to embark on a major push to promote its new environmentally friendly packaging, which sees the launch of two resealable pouches as an alternative to glass bottles. The brand, owned by The Company of Wine People,...

Wall to target agency market.
August 10, 2007... Former Kendall Tarrant headhunter Louise Wall has unveiled her new training and development consultancy 'Off the Wall', which will target the agency market. Wall quit Kendall Tarrant - now The Talent Business - last month. She has...

IN BRIEF: RNIB appoints WWAV.(contracts of Royal National Institute for the Blind and WWAV Rapp Collins)(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... The Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) has appointed WWAV Rapp Collins to create a new direct marketing and strategic data programme. The appointment follows a three way pitch between WWAV Rapp Collins, Whitewater and Domain. The...

IN BRIEF: Hiscox plots #10m burst.(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... Insurance firm Hiscox is launching a #10m integrated blitz to support its specialist range of insurance products. The 'Certainty' campaign focuses on the brand's core marketing theme of insuring with confidence and emphasises that more than...

IN BRIEF: New EMEA role at Proximity.(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... Proximity Worldwide has appointed Paul Bennett to the new role of managing director EMEA, as part of the agency's growth plans. Bennett, will continue to retain his responsibilities as head of international clients for the network, but his...

Argos boosts email marketing strategy.
August 10, 2007... Home shopping giant Argos is ramping up its email marketing to become the main focus of its online strategy in a bid to increase customer insight. The catalogue retailer has appointed digital direct marketing company eCircle to handle...

Citroen turns 'cool' for summer.
August 10, 2007... Citroen is launching a direct mail campaign to support its new Cool Special Editions summer promotion. The mailpack is shaped to look like an ice-lolly. The design of the pack ties in with the fact that all Citroen C1, C2, C3, and C4 Cool...

IN BRIEF: PO staff face 'gagging order'.(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... Thousands of employees across the UK's network of Post Offices are understood to have been offered 'hush money' to prevent criticism of the planned mergers with WH Smith outlets. Post Office employees have been sent a letter from their...

IN BRIEF: Flybe in loyalty 'first'.(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... Flybe is launching what it claims is the first frequent flyer loyalty programme for budget airlines to strengthen its relationship with regular passengers.The 'Rewards4all' scheme is open to all travellers from business to economy, and puts...

IN BRIEF: Mobile firms face clampdown.(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... A new industry code of practice for mobile phone providers has been issued by Ofcom to stamp out misleading sales and marketing practices, although the regulator has warned that if complaints do not fall it will take stronger action. With more...

Hi-Tec unveils 'less is more' global campaign.
August 10, 2007... Global sports brand Hi-Tec is overhauling its marketing strategy to launch a major global campaign to run in 29 markets worldwide. Creative retail marketing agency Live & Breathe has developed the new strategy, placing the brand's...

Land Rover embraces 'experts'.
August 10, 2007... Land Rover is ramping up its 'trusted by experts' theme, based around the life of a coffee buyer, to promote its Discovery 3 model. The drive, created by Craik Jones Watson Mitchell Voelkel, is continuing its strategy launched earlier...

Data bureaux - the great shakeout.
August 10, 2007... The data industry is undergoing a dramatic transformation. This has implications for agencies, clients and brands alike. After all, nearly every integrated campaign has customer and prospect data as its foundation. What's causing it? The...

US firm falls foul of EU data protection laws.
August 10, 2007... Paris US-based Tyco Heathcare has become the first multinational organisation to be fined under the EU Data Protection Directive, in a move which sends a warning shot to businesses transferring data across the Atlantic. France's data...

Gyro buys Swedish brand consultancy.
August 10, 2007... Sweden Gyro International has acquired Dowell Stubbs, the Stockholm- based brand communications consultancy, for an undisclosed sum, making it one of the largest independent agencies in Scandinavia. The acquisition of Dowell Stubbs - which...

Data industry compromising green identity.
August 10, 2007... Washington The environmental impact of the data industry in the US has rocketed since 2000, with energy consumed by servers and data centers doubling over the past seven years. A new report by the US Environmental Protection Agency claims...

South Africa faces up to new challenges.
August 10, 2007... The South African direct marketing industry is facing change with the arrival of permission-based marketing. While we have world class practioners, there are others in the business that have operated the same way for years and enjoyed enough...

ANALYSIS: Why charities are still merrily chugging away.
August 10, 2007... Face-to-face fundraisers - 'chuggers' - are not to everyone's taste, but given that they raise almost #30m each year, it is easy to see why charities are persevering with this controversial practice It's fair to say that face-to-face...

Why 'green window dressing' is no longer enough.
August 10, 2007... Environmental issues are top of the agenda for many companies and brands. The difference between a company which is carbon neutral and one that is not could affect the outcome in a sought after Ask most companies whether the green issue is...

Would you trust a spotty student with your brand?
August 10, 2007... As a recent report suggests consumers are less than happy with call centre customer services, the industry looks to new technology to improve the customer experience and cut down on complaints The frequently lambasted call centre industry...

OPINION: A match made by private equity.(Column)
August 10, 2007... So the AA is getting married again, this time to a much older partner. It is a match made by private equity for the purposes of mutual profit, rather than out of love - or any major business strategy. For those familiar with the Centrica...

LETTER: The Web holds key to the future of car sales.(Letter to the editor)
August 10, 2007... The article on the automotive market ('Driving Force', PM July 13) gave a pretty accurate idea of current online automotive brand activity, but it gave little advice on what car makers could do next to improve their return on investment. ...

LETTER: Engagement is key to reducing churn.(Letter to the editor)
August 10, 2007... The issues of reducing call centre agent churn are very similar to those faced by businesses looking to reduce customer churn ('From drones to free agents', PM 27 July) - and as an industry that is in the business of helping our clients...

LETTER: The problem with direct marketers.(Letter to the editor)
August 10, 2007... The problem with direct marketers is that as soon as one jumps, others follow suit. At the start of 2006, you couldn't move for products that provided cheap, faster data. As a result it's no wonder that online data cleansing hasn't proved to...

VIEWPOINT: Industry must not rest on its laurels.
August 10, 2007... While direct marketing revenues continue to rise, now is the time to push forward - not sit back and expect the cash to flood in The DMA (UK)'s recent announcement that the direct marketing sector contributes #43.7bn to the UK economy is...

LEADER: Trouble with the youth of today?(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... Quiz most marketers about how they target the youth sector, and the majority will grimace with pain, throw their arms up in despair and utter the words: "God only knows." Pull back the ubiquitous hoody and the popular image is of cynical,...

PROFILE: Bringing it on home.
August 10, 2007... Paul Simons The man who swapped rock stardom for a job at Cadbury's Schweppes has proven that he has the staying power to keep pace in the top flight of agency life There comes a time in most people's lives when they recognise they have...

CONSUMER INSIGHT: Why guerilla activity is popping up everywhere.
August 10, 2007... As brands and store owners compete for consumers' attention, they would do well to consider the branding opportunities presented by pop-up enterprises Innovative store owners and brands are increasingly using the concept of pop-up...

Creative Critique: 10.08.07.
August 10, 2007... carboncontrol.org.uk - Atticmedia Creative team leader - Mark Jaeckel; Design director - Peter Costello; Project manager - Michele Rodriguesuniqlo.co.uk - Pod1 Senior designer - Andreas Markdalen; Senior project manager - Katie...

LIST DEVELOPMENTS: Ulterior motives?
August 10, 2007... With increasing numbers of data owners tempting brokers with incentives, is there still room for ethics at the negotiating table? David Reed Let's do lunch. It's a common enough invitation for a journalist. But does it just represent...

DOOR-TO-DOOR: Welcome on the mat.
August 10, 2007... Agencies should not abandon door-to-door in favour of new media. It can be a highly efficient channel as part of an integrated campaign Patrick Dye Door-to-door has little of the glamour of other marketing media. This workmanlike...

LIST/INSERT FILE: Outdoor company unveils names.
August 10, 2007... Craghoppers, the mail order company offering high quality clothing and equipment for outdoor enthusiasts, is making its newly updated list of nearly 20,000 names available through Go Direct Marketing Ltd. The catalogue includes practical...

LIST/INSERT FILE: Mail order firm offers buyers.
August 10, 2007... Mail order company Cotton Traders has updated its list rental database, which is available through Caspian LDM. The company has been established for 20 years, offering a range of casual clothes and footwear. The file contains contact...

LIST/INSERT FILE: Nature fans have money to spend.
August 10, 2007... Garden Bird Supplies, which offers a wide range of bird food and accessories for use in the garden, has unveiled its database of buyers for rent through Prospect Swetenhams. The file consists of a high level of repeat purchasers. Buyers are...

LIST/INSERT FILE: Mums have mail order potential.
August 10, 2007... Upmarket baby and children's retailer Mamas & Papas is releasing its updated list of nearly 50,000 names through Go Direct Marketing. Mamas & Papas' stylish collections are designed to meet the needs of today's 'Yummy Mummy'. Products...

LIST/INSERT FILE: Professional men boast high income.
August 10, 2007... The Van Heusen Company is releasing its customer database for rent through Howse Jackson Marketing. The company sells high quality formal and casual shirts, cufflinks, ties and other accessories through mail order. The typical customer is...

MOVING PEOPLE: Mailtrack appoints head of client services.(appointment of David Justesen at Mailtrack)(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... Digital marketing solutions provider Mailtrack has appointed David Justesen head of client services. He joins the company from FormScape Software where he held the position of EMEA professional services director. His appointment marks a period...

MOVING PEOPLE: R.O.EYE unveils new client services team.(appointment of Kate Perry and Julian Oiller and Ben Freidman)(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... Specialist marketing agency R.O.EYE has made a raft of appointments to its newly created client services department to support its continued growth. Kate Perry will be the first to join the new team as client services co-ordinator, from her...

MOVING PEOPLE: Leonard heads up Momentum planning division.(appoinment of Ben Leonard at Momentum)(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... Ben Leonard has been appointed planning director at integrated marketing agency Momentum. He joins the agency from Edinburgh-based Family, where he spent four years in the same role, following similar positions at Faulds Advertising and...

Nice Work: Victoria White.(Brief article)
August 10, 2007... Victoria White Head of activation Tullo Marshall Warren Responsibilities I'm responsible for bringing my sales promotion knowledge and experience into the agency to establish the 'activation' arm. My main aim is to provide a resource...

Tory data plans spark alarm.(Brief article)
August 24, 2007... The direct marketing industry has voiced concern over Conservative Party proposals to drastically reform the Data Protection Act, amid fears it could undermine consumer confidence in the industry. An urgent review of the Data Protection Act...

Christian Aid hunts direct agency.
August 24, 2007... International development charity Christian Aid is seeking its first retained direct marketing agency. The charity is in the early stages of the process and has only just started contacting agencies. The pitch process is due to start at...

DMA launches major green initiative.
August 24, 2007... The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) UK is unveiling the first of a number of initiatives to get the direct marketing industry to 'go green' and stave off criticism from consumers and the Government. Green Matters, a quarterly...

IN BRIEF: Postman burns door-drops.(Brief article)
August 24, 2007... A postman from the Wirral has been ordered to serve 180 hours of community service after he was caught disposing of door-drops he was meant to deliver. Mark Davies, 41, said he had been forced to take on extra work delivering door-to-door items...

IN BRIEF: Design Council hires Chemistry.(Brief article)
August 24, 2007... The Design Council has appointed Chemistry Communications to handle its digital account after a three-way pitch. The agency won the account against digital agencies Bell and Syzygy. It will handle the Design Council's online marketing strategy...

IN BRIEF: Students urged to protect data.(Brief article)
August 24, 2007... The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is encouraging students to protect their personal information at a time when they are most likely to fall foul of identity theft. As the new academic year approaches, many students will be invited...

Mail retains its lead as best channel for coupon response.
August 24, 2007... Direct mail has retained its crown as the medium that delivers the best coupon redemption rate across the direct marketing industry, according to the 2007 Valassis Annual Coupon Report. Mailings continue to generate a response level...

VW pushes Golf Plus as gardener's friend.
August 24, 2007... Volkswagen is gearing up to target green-fingered consumers through a direct mail drive to promote its new Golf Plus. The campaign, created by Proximity London, aims to position the Golf Plus as the gardener's friend and is designed to...

Clausen's departure shakes up Joshua G2.(Rod Clausen)(Brief article)
August 24, 2007... Joshua G2 executive creative director Rod Clausen is to quit the agency, resulting in a shake-up of its entire creative department. He is leaving after six years to return to his native Australia to be with his family. Clausen and...

Parkinson's charity appoints TDA to drive direct strategy.
August 24, 2007... The Parkinson's Disease Society has appointed TDA to spearhead its stepped up direct marketing strategy, following a significant investment in the medium. TDA has been appointed following a competitive pitch involving DMS, Domain Group...

Cyprus unveils #14m tourism blitz.(Cyprus Tourist Organisation)(Brief article)
August 24, 2007... Cyprus Tourist Organisation (CTO) is overhauling its image with a pan- European campaign worth #14m, in a bid to boost tourism in the country after dwindling tourist numbers following the Middle East crisis. The tourism body is currently...

Greenbee takes on Partners.(Partners Andrew Aldridge )(Brief article)
August 24, 2007... Greenbee, the direct services arm of the John Lewis Partnership, has hired Partners Andrew Aldridge as its direct marketing agency. The appointment follows a three-way pitch involving WFCA and MBA. The agency will take over from CMW,...

IN BRIEF: IAB and DMA to launch charter.(Brief article)
August 24, 2007... The Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) and Direct Marketing Association (DMA) UK are joining forces to launch the UK's first search marketing best-practice charter. The charter is the product of the IAB search council and the DMA's continued...

IN BRIEF: Calvin Klein goes mobile.(Brief article)
August 24, 2007... Calvin Klein is embarking on a mobile marketing initiative to promote its ckIN2U fragrance. Mobile agency New Visions has created a mobile WAP site from which customers can request a free sample of the scent as part of a data capture drive....

IN BRIEF: Pepsi pushes interaction.(Brief article)
August 24, 2007... Pepsi UK is giving consumers the chance to feature in one of its campaigns by putting 'Pepsi to the Taste' as part of a data capture drive. The competition, which is to feature on the Pepsi website, will encourage visitors to upload a video...

Cancer Research UK in legacy initiative.
August 24, 2007... Cancer Research UK is targeting a new segment of potential donors with a legacy marketing campaign which uses the voices of real people who plan to leave a donation to the organisation. The charity based the creative for the campaign,...

World of adventure for Land Rover.
August 24, 2007... Land Rover is promoting its Freelander 2 range with a direct mail and online push portraying the world as the 4x4 model's playground. The 'Here' integrated campaign, created by Craik Jones Watson Mitchell Voelkel, leads on the idea that...

IN BRIEF: Royal Mail suffers operating loss.(Brief article)
August 24, 2007... Royal Mail has reported its first operating loss in six years, strengthening its argument that cost cutting is needed to safeguard its future. The postal operator incurred an operating loss of #12m last year, compared with a profit of #197m the...

IN BRIEF: DMA launches B2B guidelines.(Brief article)
August 24, 2007... The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) UK is rolling out the industry's first best-practice guidelines for the business-to-business (B2B) marketing communications sector. The DMA's B2B Committee, in a joint initiative with six other...

IN BRIEF: Vodafone appoints agencies.(Brief article)
August 24, 2007... Mobile phone giant Vodafone has appointed The Marketing Store (TMS) and DAD to handle its #2m retail direct marketing account. The agencies won the account after a four-way pitch that included Lida and 141 Worldwide. Incumbent agency RMG...

Jewish Care campaign combats #1.5m deficit.(Brief article)
August 24, 2007... Jewish Care, the UK's largest health and social care charity for the Jewish community, is launching a hard hitting campaign designed to combat an operating deficit of #1.5m. The integrated push is timed to coincide with the Jewish New...

Renault pushes test drive take up.
August 24, 2007... Renault is gearing up for one of its biggest direct mail campaigns to date, encouraging half a million potential customers to take a test drive. The integrated campaign, created by Publicis Dialog, will also include online activity to...

Getting the online/offline balance right.
August 24, 2007... In the struggle for multichannel marketing supremacy, agencies and clients are still approaching integration from different perspectives. As the division between online and offline activity blurs, the industry is failing to keep pace with the...

8 Million seek justice in wake of data theft.
August 24, 2007... US Cheque verification companies Certegy and Fidelity National Information Services (FIS) are facing a lawsuit filed on behalf of over 8 million consumers whose personal and financial information was stolen from their databases. The...

SAS appoints Neolane for multichannel work.
August 24, 2007... Denmark SAS Scandinavian Airlines has appointed Neolane to orchestrate its marketing activities and multichannel campaigns across the whole of the SAS group. Neolane, which provides multichannel campaign management software, will enable...

NZ Post applies for mail merge clearance.
August 24, 2007... Wellington State postal operator New Zealand Post is applying to the Commerce Commission for permission to merge its direct mail operations with those run by Australia's Salmat International. The application is to merge New Zealand Post's...

Modifying magazines for specific markets.
August 24, 2007... In 2006 the customer publishing industry enjoyed a 16 per cent increase in new titles entering the market. Judging by this, it is safe to say the industry is thriving in the UK. But how do we best replicate the success of a magazine in the...

ANALYSIS: The battle for online customer loyalty heats up.
August 24, 2007... Web retailers are embracing new schemes to encourage repeat visits to their sites. While traditional points-based loyalty schemes still operate, new products are revolutionising the market By 2011, e-retail sales will be worth #28bn - 9...

ANALYSIS: Rival postal operators eat into Royal Mail profits.(Financial report)
August 24, 2007... Having posted its first operating loss in six years, Royal Mail is counting the cost of increased competition. But this is just one of the many challenges the future holds When Royal Mail blamed its first operating loss in six years on...

ANALYSIS: Email marketing overtakes direct mail for first time.
August 24, 2007... As a sign of the continued growth of digital marketing, email marketing volumes have overtaken direct mail for the first time. Yet, with this growth comes increased responsibility. Can the industry shape up? Digital marketing is fast...

CONSUMER INSIGHT: Priorities shift for first time buyers.
August 24, 2007... Soaring prices are not the sole factor changing house-buying trends. As values have shifted and lives have become more complex, willingness has grown to commit to a mortgage with a friend or a stranger The UK housing market has undergone...

OPINION: Best practice is our responsibility.(Column)
August 24, 2007... Another week, another brouhaha for the Internet, this time about best practice in search marketing. Last week, the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) and the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) UK joined forces to launch the UK's first...

LETTER: Door-drop MPS has 'inevitable.(Letter to the editor)
August 24, 2007... There are doubtless many in the industry who oppose the planned unaddressed mail preference scheme ('DMA admits door-drop MPS flaws', PM August 10). But the reality is that the Government, via Defra, is insisting it happens. Therefore it...

LETTER: Consumer choice is key to success.(Letter to the editor)
August 24, 2007... While I am the first to acknowledge that the unaddressed mail market is convoluted, it should be recognised that it is also well developed in terms of its responsiveness to consumers. The major sections of the unaddressed mail market,...