Precision Marketing articles from December 2004

Precision Marketing archives from December 2004

Five hires 20:20 London to push CSI: NY series.
December 3, 2004... Five is rolling out an integrated campaign for the launch of blockbuster series CSI: NY. The broadcaster has appointed 20:20 London to develop direct marketing, advertising and online activity. Various activity will target different...

Worldwide alliance to shield consumers against online fraud.(Global Trustmark Alliance)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Online consumers are to receive greater protection from marketing scams with the formation of the Global Trustmark Alliance (GTA). The alliance has been created by self-regulatory organisations in Asia, Europe and the Americas joining...

Credit-check firms attack ID cards.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Credit-check companies are voicing concerns over the Government's planned identity card scheme, claiming it will be of little use in fighting commercial fraud. Equifax external affairs director Neil Monroe says the Government's refusal...

Cornwell takes Euro job in Tequila merger.(Mike Cornwell)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... TBWA\GGT chief executive Mike Cornwell has been appointed European managing director of Tequila, as a result of Omnicom's merger of TBWA\GGT and Tequila\London. Cornwell is charged with developing the group services, both at network and...

IPA chief slams lack of agency/client contracts.(Institute of Practitioners in Advertising, Hamish Pringle, director-general)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... IPA director-general Hamish Pringle is urging direct marketing agencies - and their clients - to ensure they have 'copper-bottomed' contracts, following a study which exposes the fact that only 14 per cent hold a formal agreement. The...

Home Learning Direct hands CD door-drop brief.(Circular Distributors)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Home Learning Direct is shaking up management of its door-drop operations to improve targeting and response rates. The distance learning provider has handed the #1.9m account, originally managed solely by Royal Mail, to Circular...

RMG:Black Cat picks creative chief.(Saatchi & Saatchi X creative chief Guy Bradbury)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... RMG:Black Cat is bolstering its creative department with the appointment of Saatchi & Saatchi X creative chief Guy Bradbury as creative director. Bradbury will join the agency in January, six months after the arrival of Trefor Thomas as...

Unwieldy databases 'waste #50m a year'.(direct marketing)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Direct marketers waste #50m a year by having excessively large databases, according to a new report. The research, conducted by financial services forum Tank and database marketing guru Mark Patron, and sponsored by customer intelligence...

Links of London tries Web search.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Jewellery company Links of London is using search marketing for the first time to make Christmas sales sparkle. The company is employing search marketing specialist Ambergreen to run paid listings using Overture, Google and Espotting,...

RedEye lures 'true leader' to senior position.(electronic customer relationship management specialist Mark Patron)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Mark Patron, founder of Claritas UK and Abacus Europe, has joined eCRM specialist RedEye as non-executive director. Patron launched the UK's first computer profiling system in 1988, and was a key member of the team that built VNU's...

Monarch builds flyer numbers via Xmas game.(Monarch Airlines Ltd.'s online viral marketing campaign)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Monarch, the budget airline, is launching its first online viral marketing campaign to build passenger numbers. The Christmas-themed space invaders-style game, called Festive Flight Night, will be targeted at a database of 300,000 existing...

Slim-Fast in sampling drive for dieter details.(Unilever UK's low-carb range)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Unilever UK Foods is planning a data-capture drive to run alongside the launch of its new Slim-Fast low-carb range. The manufacturer will be using press ads to encourage consumers to register their details online and receive a low-carb...

DVLA to reveal Mosaic file listing 35m vehicle owners.(Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Vehicle licensing agency the DVLA is releasing detailed profiles on the owners of all registered private, company-owned and commercial vehicles in the UK, through Experian's new Mosaic Automotive system. The global information services...

Nectar devises welcome bundle for home-movers.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Nectar is launching a home-mover's scheme in a bid to boost loyalty among points collectors when they change address. Loyalty Management UK, the company behind Nectar, will roll out home- mover's packs containing a personalised map of...

Sony promotes Killzone with 'combat' piece.(Claydon Heeley Jones Mason, contract)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Sony is promoting the release of action game Killzone with a mailing to 140,000 registered PlayStation 2 gamers. The pack, created by Claydon Heeley Jones Mason, features the strapline 'The Helghast are coming', along with a 'terms of...

Borders to embrace e-marketing channel.(bookstore chain)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Borders, the bookstore chain, is considering using nationwide email marketing for the first time. The bookseller has previously concentrated on local marketing initiatives to highlight store openings. But following a successful marketing...

Strict filtering reading sound email as spam.(Interactive Prospect Targeting's assessment)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Harsh spam filtering systems are slashing email delivery rates by up to one-fifth, according to Interactive Prospect Targeting (IPT). The supplier of digital direct marketing solutions says legitimate mail is being caught and filtered as...

Guinness 'honest' tack to drive Xmas drinking.(direct mail)
December 3, 2004... Guinness is luring drinkers with a major direct mail blitz in the run- up to Christmas. The Diageo-owned brand is targeting members of the Guinness Relationship Marketing Programme through a two-pronged assault created by Tullo Marshall...

Mitsubishi hands Golley Direct account.(Mitsubishi Motors UK)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Mitsubishi Motors UK has handed its direct marketing account to Golley Direct following a four-way pitch. The car manufacturer parted company with incumbent The Fine Line after the agency was bought by McCann- Erickson. Golley Slater had...

IDM invites members to join progressive scheme.(Institute of Direct Marketing)(Continuing Professional Development)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... The Institute of Direct Marketing (IDM) is issuing a call for registrations to the first-ever direct marketing Continuing Professional Development programme. The scheme, which launches in January, is open to all IDM members and graduates. Some...

E-Christmas shopping growth continues.(Royal Mail, online and multichannel marketing)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Royal Mail expects to deliver 55 million items that have been ordered online this Christmas - 15 million more than during the festive period last year. The increase in deliveries reflects a buoyant Christmas period for e-retail. Royal Mail...

William Hill sends out bootie to football gamblers.(Prego, direct marketing campaign)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... William Hill is unveiling a direct marketing campaign through Leeds- based agency Prego. The initiative, which features the name of the mailing's recipient on the back of a football shirt, alongside kits belonging to soccer stars Alan Smith...

PHD Confidential launches media-buying aid.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... PHD Confidential, the media-buying agency, has launched a direct response media information service, at www.phdconfidential.co.uk. Brand owners will be able to glean best practice advice on the fundamental aspects of planning and buying media...

Bullring draws Brummies to shopping site.(Birmingham shopping centre)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Bullring, the revamped Birmingham shopping centre, is sending a glossy customer mailing out as it bids to increase profits. River Publishing is to publish a 24-page mailing for the retail complex. River won the business following a...

Freemans in direct rethink to attract trendy dressers.(direct marketing)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Otto UK mail order catalogue Freemans is moving away from its traditional direct marketing approach and testing new creative work to target a younger market. The campaign, which has been produced by Entire, will eschew the company's...

Honda takes iTV strategy to higher dimension.(Honda Motor Company Ltd., Interactive television, marketing)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Honda is launching an interactive service allowing consumers to see, speak to and book test-drives with dealers. The system is set to be unveiled in March. Honda hopes the Dealer of the Future facility will make the brand accessible to a...

National Blood Service launches plea to avert Christmas shortage.(direct marketing)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... The National Blood Service (NBS) is encouraging people to help save lives with a Christmas-themed direct marketing appeal. Using the message 'Give the gift of life this Christmas', the NBS is launching the drive through Kitcatt Nohr...

South Africa topples India in offshore call centre poll.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Cape Town: South Africa has been voted the top offshore contact centre location, knocking India into second place. Marketing services specialist Ion Group asked marketers to rate locations according to call-handling quality. South...

Crotty to manage Experian Ireland.(Peter Crotty)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Dublin: Experian Ireland has hired former Saatchi & Saatchi Ireland head of direct marketing Peter Crotty as general manager. Crotty will be responsible for the strategic development and daily running of the data provider's marketing...

Seastreak makes bid for disgruntled US commuters.(Sea Containers America Inc.'s direct mail initiative, New Jersey-Manhattan commuter ferry service)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... New York: Hoverspeed's parent company Sea Containers is rolling out a campaign to raise awareness of Seastreak, the New Jersey-Manhattan commuter ferry service. Seastreak, which carries 3,500 passengers a day, follows three main routes...

Multichannel is singled out.(Acxiom France, NP6, direct marketing practices analysis)
December 3, 2004... Paris: Earlier this year, Acxiom France, in conjunction with NP6, an email transmission house, and MultiChannel News, an e-newsletter dedicated to multichannel direct marketing, surveyed over 15,000 marketers to analyse multi-channel direct...

PROFILE - ANDREW MANN: Mann puts fun into shopping.
December 3, 2004... Tesco Clubcard director Andrew Mann comes to the job with a wealth of brand-building experience. He tells Anne Petrie how he intends to keep customers queuing up for more When it comes to building shopper loyalty and maintaining its 12...

CHRIS GORDON: Allow Royal Mail pricing flexibility for it to compete.
December 3, 2004... According to regulator Postcomm, postal services competition is nearing take-off, having been taxiing down the runway for quite some time. So will this new-found competition herald an exciting new era for direct mail users? Possibly....

Letter: Accept offshoring while maintaining top service.(Letter to the Editor)
December 3, 2004... As David Reed pointed out in his article on international call centres (PM November 12), companies cannot ignore the commercial benefits of 'offshoring' contact centres any longer. Whether it's to India or South Africa, offshoring delivers...

Letter: Rich variables block 'ratecard'.(Letter to the Editor)
December 3, 2004... Before there's any more hot air expended on the DMA (UK)'s agency ratecard, perhaps it's worth making a few points to put this into perspective. It would clearly be a nonsense to produce a 'ratecard' as such. What's actually being...

Product knowledge is the key to running successful call centres.
December 3, 2004... COMMENT: ALF SAGGESE An emphasis on call volumes is causing a shift in focus at call centres from the need to provide a service for customers, to trying to meet call quotas Could 'objective-itis' be damaging our contact centres?...

Letter: Agency rates need updating.(Letter to the Editor)
December 3, 2004... In my intermediary role at AAR, I welcome the DMA (UK)'s responsible approach to conducting the Agency Survey, as it provides information that previously didn't exist for the industry as a whole. The ISP and MCCA both publish agency rates,...

Letter: Vote No to EU German control.(Letter to the Editor)
December 3, 2004... Alex Hickman of the Vote No campaign is wrong when he states that this country joined the EU in 1973. We joined the Common Market after being bamboozled by Edward Heath. The Common Market was intended to create a free trade zone among...

LEADER: It's Xmas time, mistletoe online.(Editorial)
December 3, 2004... You read it here last, but, for once, we're happy to have bided our time. That's right folks, it seems, just like the postcard that was mailed in 1937 but turned up this week, the long-awaited - and much- hyped - e-Christmas has finally...

Creative critique.
December 3, 2004... Ian Haworth, executive director and head of creative at WWAV Rapp Collins, casts an eye over work for Barnardo's, Jobcentre Plus and Unicef. Jobcentre Plus Jobcentre Plus helps 20,000 job seekers a week get employment. This piece was...

SPECIAL REPORT - RESEARCH INDEX: The law of averages.
December 3, 2004... The findings of the DMIS Response Survey 2004 show that mean response rates for both business and consumer direct mail are virtually identical. But treat them with caution, says David Reed Expectations about response rates to direct mail...

SPECIAL REPORT - CUSTOMER MANAGEMENT: ASP option has bite.(application service providers)
December 3, 2004... Outsourcing customer management may be seen by some marketers as selling the family silver, yet with the growing interest in using application service reports (ASP) it is becoming a viable alternative. Richard Simpson reports Outsourcing...

Babyware firm details customers.(Little Green Earthlets and Isis Direct contracts)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Little Green Earthlets is releasing its file of buyers through Isis Direct. The company offers a collection of modern, practical and efficient baby goods. All products are chosen with an environmentally conscious attitude. Items are...

File offered by cake maker.(Collin Street Bakery Inc. and Marketing et al contracts)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Collin Street Bakery is offering its list of buyers through Marketing et al. The file comprises buyers of the classic Collin Street Bakery cake, as well as some new confectionery creations. There are both UK and international names on...

Charity unveils its pooled data.(Caspian List & Data Management's contract)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Charity Supporters is unveiling its file of 1.4 million names through Caspian List & Data Management. The list is pooled from a number of commercial organisations and charitable cause information has been collected as part of their...

TopGolf chips in with list.(Go Direct Marketing contracts)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... TopGolf, a new leisure facility which can be likened to golf-based ten pin bowling, is releasing its updated list of over 60,000 names through Go Direct Marketing. The game requires no previous golf experience and around half the players...

IMF sends out medical record.(International Medical File and 1 Stop Data contracts)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... International Medical File is offering its file of 170,000 medical professionals across Europe through 1 Stop Data. The file would work well for medical publishers, conference organisers and equipment manufacturers, among others. The...

Lloyd James selects account manager.(Julia Mayell )(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Lloyd James Group has hired Julia Mayell as account manager at its list and media management division. She will help manage a portfolio of third-party insert programmes. Prior to joining, Mayell worked for a business-to-business publishing...

Kitcatt Nohr Alexander Shaw names three recruits.(Suzene Ang, Claire Babraff, Jonathan Goodman appointed)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Kitcatt Nohr Alexander Shaw has expanded its creative and planning offering with three appointments. Suzene Ang joins as art director, Jonathan Goodman as account manager and Claire Babraff as senior account manager. Ang will work across all...

Broadsystem picks technical and operations chief.(David Bulman)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Broadsystem has recruited David Bulman as technical and operations director to streamline business operations across its three main UK offices. Bulman joins from Young & Rubicam/Wunderman, where he was managing partner of digital services. He...

Nice work: Paul Roberts, Meerkat.(Meerkat Marketing Communications Ltd.)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Name: Paul Roberts Company: Meerkat Department: Creative Job title: Creative group head Responsibilities: Working with Mickie Titterton, our creative director, creating and overseeing work in our creative department. Job...

IPT in AIM float to buoy global expansion push.(Interactive Prospect Targeting)(Alternative Investment Market)(Brief Article)
December 10, 2004... Interactive Prospect Targeting (IPT), one of the UK's leading online direct marketing firms, is floating on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM), as part of a major drive which could see it expand overseas. The company has raised...

Star Alliance campaign scoops top honours at DMA Awards.(Direct Marketing Association )(Brief Article)
December 10, 2004... Harrison Troughton Wunderman landed the Grand Prix at this year's DMA (UK) Awards, in association with Royal Mail, for its Star Alliance campaign. The drive featured massage areas strategically placed at Heathrow Airport over a ten-day...

Public to judge direct mail awards.(Brief Article)
December 10, 2004... The DMA (UK) is backing an initiative that will see a consumer panel analyse direct mail, in a bid to fuel debate about the merits of the medium. The scheme, which has been developed by Tank, with research by Nielsen Media Research,...

Air Miles appoints Grimes to top role.(AIR MILES Travel Promotions Ltd.:Nigel Grimes)(Brief Article)
December 10, 2004... Former British Gas chief Nigel Grimes has been appointed customer insight director at Air Miles, following a spell as a consultant to the company. Grimes left his role as British Gas head of customer relationship management last year, just...

Jack Daniel's to target young in birthday blitz.(contract between Brown-Forman Corp. and Iris)(Brief Article)
December 10, 2004... Brown-Forman is lining up a data-capture drive for Jack Daniel's to increase market share among 18- to 24-year-olds. The drinks company has brought Iris on board to handle the promotional work. The agency will develop a programme of...

Vegan Society tempts recruits using viral quiz.(Brief Article)
December 10, 2004... The Vegan Society is embarking on a viral campaign to promote the benefits of adopting the dietary choice. The viral game will be distributed to the society's existing membership database, and they will be encouraged to forward it to...

Blue Inc in guerrilla assault to bolster sales.(contract with Folk)(Brief Article)
December 10, 2004... Blue Inc, a men's high-street retailer, has hired its first marketing agency in an attempt to drive sales in the build-up to Christmas. Folk has been appointed to the brief following a three-way pitch. It will be charged with...

Businesses back safe drinking call.(Department for Transport's Christmas and New Year campaign)(Brief Article)
December 10, 2004... The Department for Transport (DfT) is rolling out a Christmas and New Year campaign to curb drink-driving. The message, targeted at 17- to 29-year-old men, is that any amount of alcohol affects your ability to drive safely. The...

FSA refines rules on mortgage marketing.(Financial Services Authority)(Brief Article)
December 10, 2004... The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is clamping down on the marketing of mortgage products five weeks after more than 7,000 firms came under the control of its new rules. The FSA is prioritising supervising financial promotions, product...

Showerlux puts luxury range to home improvers.(contract with Dig For Fire)(Brief Article)
December 10, 2004... Showerlux, a manufacturer and supplier of bathroom products, is shaking up its direct marketing. The company has pooled its direct and advertising activity into Sheffield-based Dig For Fire, in a bid to tap into demand for shower and...

French holiday company lures lapsed names.(VFB Holidays )(Brief Article)
December 10, 2004... French holiday specialist VFB Holidays is embarking on a drive to reactivate lapsed customers. The company plans to use its 2005 brochure to lure past bookers and enquirers. Incumbent Flourish is responsible for the strategy and...

Seiko postcards to target Pulsars at trendies.(Brief Article)
December 10, 2004... Seiko UK is rolling out an integrated initiative for its Pulsar watch range, to boost brand awareness and drive Christmas sales. The activity comprises interactive postcards distributed in trendy bars, as well as press ads. The push...

JWT to ditch Black Cat in RMG: Connect realignment.(J Walter Thompson)(Brief Article)
December 10, 2004... RMG:Black Cat is to become RMG:Connect, as part of a global realignment of the agency network that will see the London shop ditch the Black Cat name. Black Cat was founded as a sales promotion agency by Stephen Callender in 1991. It...

Cosmos hires UKChanges to revamp customer data.(Brief Article)
December 10, 2004... Cosmos, the UK independent tour operator, is overhauling its data to build lasting relationships with new and repeat customers. The travel company has handed UKChanges a brief to handle the deduplication and suppression screening of its...

Chez Nous rolls out major push to 'book direct'.(Brief Article)
December 10, 2004... Chez Nous, the French holiday, property and rental directory, is promoting its self-service-style breaks a direct response campaign. Yorkshire-based agency Prego is handling the push - comprising national press ads, direct mail and email -...

Horse charity prods donors for support.(International League for the Protection of Horses )(Brief Article)
December 10, 2004... The International League for the Protection of Horses (ILPH) is embarking on a data-driven fundraising campaign. Target Direct has analysed ILPH's donor base and previous campaign results, including its 'Adopt a horse' scheme (PM April...

Campbell leads planning team at WWAV Leeds.(Brief Article)
December 10, 2004... WWAV Rapp Collins Leeds has made Andrew Campbell its first planning director. Campbell moves to the agency having successfully launched the Northern division of WWAV's database and software specialist Identex four years ago. The...

PlayStation in festive 'self-indulgence' push.(Brief Article)
December 10, 2004... Sony PlayStation is aiming to give 300,000 gamers what they want for Christmas through a festive direct drive. The company is sending out PlayStation-branded wrapping paper carrying the message 'Happy Christmas to me'. The campaign,...

Citroen in email activity for C4 launch.(Automobiles Citroen S.A.)(Brief Article)
December 10, 2004... Citroen is launching an email campaign that will see its newsletter sent to 45,000 customers and prospects to raise awareness of the launch of the C4 marque. Identex is teaming up with one-to-one email marketing specialist Innovyx for the push,...

Complan Foods adjusts offering for over-50s.(Brief Article)
December 10, 2004... Complan Foods is embarking on a campaign targeting the over-50s and has appointed Millennium to handle the brief. Complan, a joint venture between Saatchinvest and former outright owner Heinz, aims to establish a new brand positioning and...

SR Communications launches Direct Smile.(Brief Article)
December 10, 2004... SR Communications, the direct marketing services company, is aiming to help the industry to develop more personal mailings with the launch of its Direct Smile technology. SR claims that the tool has the potential to lift response rates by up...

Hallmark Cards extends reach via SMS greetings.(Brief Article)
December 10, 2004... Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors Hallmark Cards is rolling out an initiative to deliver mobile greetings cards. The push will see the company use the cards as a vital promotional tool to boost the visibility of its...

Homebase seeks loyalty scheme promoter.(Brief Article)
December 10, 2004... Homebase is understood to be seeking a direct marketing agency to handle its Spend & Save loyalty scheme. It is thought to be planning to hire a number of agencies on a project basis before eventually appointing a single shop. Copyright:...

Tributes pour in for MM Group chief Stower.(Brief Article)(Obituary)
December 10, 2004... Audrey Stower, operations director of MM Group, has died after suffering a heart attack. Aged 43, she leaves husband Steve, and children Christopher and Katie. She worked for MM Group for over 14 years, and had spent the past two years...

Conley fronts World Vision alternative gift DRTV push.(comic Brian Conley in ad for DRTV)(Brief Article)
December 10, 2004... World Vision is launching a DRTV and radio campaign, featuring comic Brian Conley, to highlight its alternative gift catalogue (PM November 19). The TV drive, through FCBi London, airs from mid-December, while the radio promotion...

Capcom bolsters database with digital drive.(Capcom Company Ltd., C360, contract)(Brief Article)
December 10, 2004... Games publisher Capcom is ramping up its digital activity in a bid to boost its database and raise awareness of new releases. The company has appointed C360 to handle the brief following the agency's viral campaign for Resident Evil:...

Kew Gardens launches memorial sponsorship incentive for support.(Kew Green Hotels)(Brief Article)
December 10, 2004... Kew Gardens is rolling out a fundraising drive for different areas of the venue cultivated in memory of the dead. The programme will run through Our Lasting Tribute, a memorial scheme set up by direct marketing agency Whitewater to...

US credit mailing volumes approaching record 5.4bn.(Brief Article)
December 10, 2004... New York: Credit card mailings are set to reach record levels of more than 5 billion in the US by the end of the year. US households received a record 1.4 billion offers during the second quarter of 2004 - the most recent period for which...

Opera Telecom in Spanish offering.(new service)(Brief Article)
December 10, 2004... Madrid: Opera Telecom, the international mobile services company, is launching a Spanish scheme to boost its operation. The company will offer the Spanish market a range of premium rate mobile services, including SMS and MMS, mobile and...

O2 Ireland pushes Xmas take-up with Web assault.(Brief Article)
December 10, 2004... Dublin: O2 Ireland is rolling out an online acquisition drive in the run-up to Christmas. The campaign, created by digital specialist Agency Republic, will run on sites including Yahoo and MSN. The agency has also been handling media...

Sri Lanka taking more direct line.
December 10, 2004... Colombo: Having been ripped apart by 18 years of civil war that ended in 2002, the marketing fraternity in Sri Lanka is finally embracing new practices with vigour, and direct marketing is top of the list. On the surface, direct...

Crunch-time for data as the clean-up begins.
December 10, 2004... Direct marketing has always been a numbers game, with the main aim being to build a huge database. But it seems quantity has overtaken quality. How can the industry redress the balance? Anne Petrie investigates Collecting as many names as...

STUART ARCHIBALD: Hurts to say, but England Rugby team was right.
December 10, 2004... An industry friend of mine recently turned 40. Over several consoling glasses of scotch, we reflected on whether this new member of the 'past it' club had a future in our business, or whether it was time they made a graceful exit. We...