Precision Marketing articles from February 2005

Precision Marketing archives from February 2005

Tullo Marshall Warren grabs Archers Direct.(Travel industry)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Archers Direct, part of the Cosmos travel group, has handed its direct marketing work to integrated agency Tullo Marshall Warren (TMW). The independent shop, which won the business following a pitch, is charged with increasing sales for...

Microsoft global group to overhaul direct marketing strategy.(Software industry)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Microsoft is launching a global marketing communications group with the aim of integrating direct marketing efforts into its mainstream advertising campaigns. The software giant is looking to create a central unit to streamline common...

WWAV hands top role to Haworth.(Ian Haworth )(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... WWAV Rapp Collins executive director and head of creative Ian Haworth has been appointed both chairman of the London agency and creative director of Rapp Collins Europe. Creative partners Nick Platt and Barney Cockerill will assume...

Boots plots shake-up for Advantage Card.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Struggling high-street giant Boots is considering the radical move of developing commercial uses for its Advantage Card database. The chain, which boasts about 15 million members of the scheme, is exploring alternative ways of generating...

Vodafone kicks off review of business brief.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Vodafone is reviewing its business-to-business (B2B) direct marketing in the wake of an organisational shake-up. The mobile phone giant's direct marketing operations were split shortly before Christmas into consumer-facing and Enterprise...

Pharmaton blitz hits busy mums with health kick.(Pharmaceutical industry)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Boehringer Ingelheim brand Pharmaton is being backed by a direct marketing drive to strengthen its position as a healthy alternative to 'pick-me-ups', like coffee and energy drinks. The pharmaceutical giant aims to win over thirtysomething...

Tesco email drive steals march on retail rivals.(Tesco PLC's marketing)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Tesco sent more than half of all supermarkets' marketing emails to consumers last month, according to digital direct marketing solutions provider IPT. In one of the first sets of results from IPT's recently launched EmailTracker - which...

Swetenhams lands NSF account.(National Suppression File, Prospect Swetenhams Ltd., Direct Marketing Association contracts)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... The DMA (UK) has hired Prospect Swetenhams to run the National Suppression File (NSF) as it bids to help the sector improve efficiency and reduce waste. Marketing of the file will continue to be run by The REaD Group. The file was...

OFT bolsters attack on marketing scams.(Office of Fair Trading's advertising)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is launching a major clampdown on direct marketing scams, with a month-long drive to alert consumers to deception. The main thrust of the 'Scam awareness month' initiative is a targeted assault on the...

Five under fire as CSI:NY push sparks uproar.(crime series marketing, Advertising Standards Authority (United Kingdom) investigations)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Five has been forced to withdraw its direct marketing blitz (PM last week) promoting crime series CSI:NY, after a flood of complaints about the upsetting nature of the campaign. The initiative involved 55,000 fake forensic files being...

Chrysler launch to rival BMW and Mercedes.(Auto marketing)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... DaimlerChrysler is embarking on a direct blitz to take on BMW and Mercedes ahead of the launch of its 300c saloon. The work, which has been created by Barraclough Edwards Chamberlain (BEC), will include direct mail, inserts, online and...

Blind charity in insert first to promote books.(National Library for the Blind hires Prego to help it recruits donors)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... The National Library for the Blind (NLB) is launching its first insert campaign to recruit donors. The charity has relied predominantly on direct mail and face-to-face fundraising. The NLB is the leading UK provider of books for...

Financial services bosses struggling to interpret law.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Financial services chiefs have admitted they are still trying to interpret the Government's new legislation which demands they treat customers fairly. Financial Services Forum (FSF) chief executive Anthony Thomson says the trade body...

Bravissimo appoints Dig For Fire in major assault.(lingerie retailer)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Bravissimo, the lingerie retailer for women with a large cup size, is plunging into a major customer acquisition campaign. Dig For Fire has been awarded the account following a three-way pitch. The drive will run throughout the first half...

Matalan in CD deal to manage D2D business.(Circular Distributors)(door-to- door)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Matalan has appointed Circular Distributors (CD) to manage its door-to- door (D2D) campaigns. The contract with the clothing and homeware store includes Royal Mail bookings. The retailer will use CD's dedicated Royal Mail team to manage...

WWF appoints Black Sun to boost loyalty.(World Wide Fund for Nature)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Animal welfare charity WWF UK is overhauling its member loyalty communications to strengthen links with donors. The organisation has appointed Black Sun to review its loyalty strategies. The agency is charged with engaging members by making...

Tequila\London picks Mills for top digital role.(appointments)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Tequila\London has appointed Matthew Mills managing partner with a brief to head and develop its digital offering. Mills, who joins from Proctor & Stevenson, where he had similar responsibilities, will take over a team of 20 that was formed...

Lego awards Experian pan-Euro mailing brief.(direct mail campaigns)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Lego has handed its pan-European database management contract to Experian, to increase the speed and accuracy of its direct mail campaigns. The information solutions firm will provide the toy giant with comprehensive data services over the...

Radio Times in half-price voucher offensive.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Radio Times is sending out 390,000 mailings containing half-price vouchers to persuade viewers who bought the magazine at Christmas to purchase it again. The work, through DS-J, offers a four-week 'De-TV- Tox', complete with a list of the...

Preference Service numbers near 7 million.
February 4, 2005... There are now 6,997,449 numbers on the Telephone Preference Service, 260,189 on the Corporate Telephone Preference Service, and more than 1.6 million on the Fax Preference Service, according to online checking service NumberCheck.co.uk. This...

AdLink sets up standalone design arm.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... AdLink, the pan-European digital media company, is launching design arm AdLink Creative Services - a standalone division offering brand management, digital and email marketing. Existing clients include BMW, Sony, Universal and MTV. ...

Wanadoo targets narrowband customers.(Internet service providers)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Internet services provider Wanadoo is sending 175,000 'paper aeroplane' mailings to its AnyTime and Pay-as-you-go customers to persuade them to upgrade from narrow- to broadband. The copy on the plane reads: 'Reach your favourite places up...

Directory enquiries firm Gay-Lo hires GB Group.(Home Service)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Gay-Lo, the gay and lesbian directory enquiries service, has appointed customer data specialist GB Group to compete with rival 118 companies. The move comes as it attempts to cope with both a rapid rise in demand and relocation from Windsor...

ActionAid hires star for Ethiopia DRTV campaign.(direct television)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... ActionAid is embarking on out a DRTV drive featuring actress Emma Thompson, in a bid to tackle world poverty. The ad, devised by Watson Phillips Norman (WPN), breaks early this month. It was shot in Ethiopia on one of Thompson's visits as...

Asda to target affluent with major alcoholic drinks drive.(ASDA Group PLC)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Asda is taking the rare step of launching a direct blitz for its wine, beer and spirits ranges. The store, which does not have a clubcard or use vouchers as a matter of policy, is planning a 24-page magazine insert and direct mail...

Marines to test direct waters in debut assault.(Royal Marine Commandos's advertising)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... The Royal Marine Commandos is unveiling its first direct assault to test the effectiveness of different channels. The campaign, managed by COI Communications and created by WWAV Rapp Collins, employs inserts and direct mail. The mail...

Axa promotes CashBuilder Plus with Smillie blitz.(AXA Sun Life, Carol Smillie )(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Axa Sun Life is rolling out its first DRTV commercial, for the CashBuilder Plus savings product, since being fined for running misleading ads. The account enables consumers to save a minimum #10 a month for the first year. The...

US DMA unveils ten-year plan to overhaul strategy.(Direct Marketing Association)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... New York: The US DMA has unveiled a series of changes to its operational strategy, as part of a ten-year plan. The DMA has been working on a 'road map' over the past year, and has given chief executive John Greco approval to implement it....

Diageo hands Euro RSCG data brief.(Diageo North America)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... New York: Diageo North America has handed Euro RSCG 4D Discovery its database marketing brief. Euro RSCG will offer data strategy development and multi-brand database management, constructing a database for relationship marketing...

Poorer nations favour traditional direct marketing.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Amsterdam: Developing countries are experiencing major growth in traditional direct marketing, despite the emergence of new media, according to an InterDirect survey. The study was carried out across 20 countries, with the objective of...

Brazil gets into the party mood.
February 4, 2005... Rio de Janeiro: You could be forgiven for thinking that, after football, Brazilians live for their country's annual Carnival. It certainly gets a lot more coverage than breakthroughs in data-driven marketing. And, just as Europe gets very quiet...

PROFILE - MERLIN STONE: Merlin retains magic touch.(Marketing industry)
February 4, 2005... He may be one of the most influential figures in the direct marketing industry, but Merlin Stone sees himself as a peer of his clients, rather than a guru. Sebastian Burford reports Professor Merlin Stone could be the closest thing direct...

STUART ARCHIBALD: Greenhouse gas reduction isn't a load of hot air.
February 4, 2005... Can the industry save the world? Unless you live on another planet (or head-up the US government), you should no longer have any doubt that climate change is a reality, and that its consequences threaten our very existence. Now, on a...

Letter: How baby-boomers are no longer dying 'Swans'.(Letter to the Editor)
February 4, 2005... A massive 80 per cent of the nation's wealth is held by the over 50s, 'baby boomers', 'silver citizens', (call them what you will but don't be derogatory by calling them 'grey'). Which begs the question: why are 90 per cent of advertising...

Letter: BLA demands transparency.(Letter to the Editor)
February 4, 2005... In response to Paul Seligman's letter (PM January 24), I am chairman of the DMA Business to Business board standing committee, and have been on the DMA Business List Audit working party since the BLA's conception. Paul's comments are...

Why politicians forget intrusive concerns when wooing voters.(political parties gearing for direct marketing )(Column)
February 4, 2005... COMMENT: GUS CHALMERS The big two political parties are gearing up for a major direct marketing blitz in the run-up to the General Election. But will consumers be receptive? If you live in the West Midlands, expect an unusual number of...

Letter: Paying the price for cheap work.(Letter to the Editor)
February 4, 2005... Two press articles caught my eye recently. One stated that Wal-Mart's drive to lower the cost of goods in the US has driven manufacturing outside of the country, with subsequent unemployment leading to fewer people who can afford to shop......

LEADER: Dangers of the personal touch.(Five's direct marketing complaints)
February 4, 2005... Last week we received a direct mailing - nothing unusual in that you might think, after all, it is our bread and butter - but this mailpack had a twist. A coffee-stained dossier opened to show pictures of forensic evidence from a crime scene,...

Creative critique.
February 4, 2005... Peter Riley is creative partner at 20-20 London Dogs Trust I opened this late one night when I got home, and after five seconds I thought it looked really bad. After 15 seconds I thought it looked bad but wondered whether it was a...

SPECIAL REPORT - RESPONSE HANDLING: The full monty.(online marketing)
February 4, 2005... Despite the rise of new media, many people shun the Net as a response channel, in favour of the humble telephone. Will the Web ever become the medium of choice, or does its future lie as part of a multichannel approach? By Michele Witthaus...

Safety firm offers list of SME buyers.(Small and medium sized companies)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Safetyshop, a supplier of workplace safety and maintenance equipment, is unveiling its 70,000-name list through RSA Direct. The company sells over 21,000 products, helping businesses comply with health and safety regulations, through its...

Gaming site to reveal 1.3m file.(Allegran, Caspian List & Data Management 's contract)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Online gaming company Allegran has unveiled its list of over 1.3 million names through Caspian List & Data Management. The list consists of names taken from the company's lottery site Loopy Lotto, dating site Loopy Love, and EurMiles, a...

LBM releases business data.(Marketing industry)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Business list owner LBM is releasing its details of enterprises through the Marketingfile.com website. The list contains the postal and telephone details for businesses at over 1.5 million locations, and contains 200,000 decision-maker...

Charity bosses on the market.(National Charities Database, Wyvern Direct Response)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... The National Charities Database is making its list available through Wyvern Direct Response. The file consists of 14,000 senior decision- makers in the UK's charity and voluntary sectors. Areas covered include animals and wildlife, armed...

Rosie Nieper rolls out names.(Clothing industry)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Clothing catalogue Rosie Nieper is launching its list of 60,000 names through Go Direct Marketing. The catalogue offers a range of fun T-shirts for adults and children, featuring brands such as Bang on the Door, Retro and Simon Drew....

Hollis to develop Evolution business.(Zoe Hollis appointed as business development manager )(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Zoe Hollis has been appointed business development manager at Evolution Direct Marketing, with responsibilities spanning the insert and list market. She joins from Intermarketing's Smart Media, and will work from the Darlington office. Noyan...

Arc hires Comonte for EMEA role.(Tara Comonte, Arc Worldwide)(Europe, the Middle East and Africa)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Tara Comonte is joining Arc Worldwide as chief financial officer for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). She will oversee financial operations for the region, provide commercial and financial support to individual markets, and drive...

Sandom-Brown heads HLB lists team.(Lindsey Sandom-Brown, HLB Communications Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... HLB, the WWAV Rapp Collins Group-owned list broking and management company, has appointed Lindsey Sandom-Brown to head its list management and third-party insert team. She will be working across the entire HLB portfolio, which includes World...

Nice work: Joanne Rodger, HPI Research Group.(Brief Article)
February 4, 2005... Name: Joanne Rodger Company: HPI Research Group Department: Account management Job title: International qualitative research executive Responsibilities: Managing and co-ordinating international research studies Job perks:...

Woodland Trust supports DMA recycling drive.(Direct Marketing Association)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... The DMA (UK) is joining forces with environmental group the Woodland Trust to launch the third phase of its campaign to boost recycling. The drive aims to build on efforts to increase the participation of direct mail companies, from...

Post watchdog risks uproar over regulatory 'light touch'.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... Postcomm is risking the wrath of Royal Mail by pledging to treat new entrants to the postal market with a regulatory 'light touch'. The move, outlined in the watchdog's corporate strategy for the next three years, is designed to free...

Somerfield hunts loyalty partners.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... Somerfield is to offer suppliers access to exclusive deals on its Saver Card loyalty scheme, but will not allow third-party direct access to customer data. Saver Card members receive coupons, based on their purchases, which feature rival...

Craik Jones handed New Deal direct initiative.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... The Department of Work & Pensions (DWP) has appointed COI Communications roster agency Craik Jones Watson Mitchell Voelkel to produce a direct marketing campaign for its New Deal employment scheme. Craik Jones has produced a creative route...

BHF to deliver 'Real Valentine' donor message.(British Heart Foundation )(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is rolling out a major integrated Valentine's Day campaign in a bid to raise #1m. Created by Target Direct, the 'Real Valentine Appeal' will see around 2.5 million items delivered through direct mail,...

Virgin Holidays to tap into 'magic' of Disney.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... Virgin Holidays is launching a direct campaign to promote its Disney holiday deals. Kitcatt Nohr Alexander Shaw will send a mailing to 80,000 UK homes, backed by a radio ad that is to air on regional stations including Capital, Heart and...

Consortium offers low SMS rates.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... Businesses are set to benefit from a mobile marketing consortium that has been formed to drive down the price of picture and text messaging. The UK Mobile Messaging Consortium (UKMMC), a not-for-profit arrangement, will enable SMEs to...

Recruits on the rise as sector recovers.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... The number of people employed in direct marketing agencies has increased over the last year, as has the level of temps and freelance workers, according to the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) Agency Census 2004. Reflecting a...

Greggains steps up to lead EMEA planning at Arc.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... Arc Worldwide has promoted Fiona Greggains to the new role of regional planning director for EMEA. Reporting directly to Arc Worldwide EMEA chief executive John Quarrey, Greggains is to develop the agency's planning across the region....

MBO deal fuels restructure at Beechwood.(management buyout)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... London-based integrated agency BDS Beechwood has completed a management buyout (MBO) from its US owners. The MBO from private equity group GTCR includes the agency's Web, direct marketing and sales promotion divisions. These will be...

Land Rover mails cold list in Freelander blitz.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... Land Rover is launching a direct marketing blitz to support the Freelander. The mailpack, produced by Craik Jones Watson Mitchell Voelkel, aims to persuade motorists to test-drive the car, while communicating each of its key product...

Black & Decker unleashes pan-European online blitz.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... Black & Decker is unveiling a pan-European online blitz to plug into customers. The power tools specialist is planning a database-building exercise involving online customer management and an email competition. Mailtrack, the direct...

RoadChef to test 'unique' rewritable loyalty cards.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... Motorway service station chain RoadChef is testing a loyalty card, claiming it is the first time in the UK that read/write technology has been used as the basis of such a scheme. If successful, the trial, to run at two outlets for the next...

Samaritans mail drive stresses volunteer costs.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... The Samaritans is high-lighting the life skills that individuals can learn by joining its volunteer training scheme. Kitcatt Nohr Alexander Shaw has created a direct mail campaign to emphasise the cost of recruiting volunteers. Individuals...

Bupa blitz promotes 'Feel Better' theme.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... Bupa is unveiling its new 'Feel Better' brand positioning with a major direct marketing drive. The campaign is being handled by WWAV Rapp Collins Leeds, which has also been tasked with managing the integration of the proposition into all...

Windmill buys up digital shop.(WebDezines )(advertising agency)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... Windmill Partnership, the London-based integrated marketing agency, has bought design specialist WebDezines as part of a new media business drive. Founded in 2001, WebDezines constructs and hosts websites for SMEs. Clients include the...

Berkeley Homes mines data for buyer assault.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... Berkeley Homes is constructing a direct marketing blitz that it claims will mark the first time a major developer has used the medium to attract buyers. The company has hired Chemistry Communications Group to devise a marketing strategy...

Ladbrokes launches search for agency.
February 11, 2005... Ladbrokes is reviewing its customer relationship and digital marketing business following the appointment of new CRM head Darren Moffet. The digital review, which includes Ladbrokes' online betting service and gaming, is understood to be...

Tequila\London lands Morgan Stanley deal.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... US financial services company Morgan Stanley has hired Tequila\London to handle its #20m credit card direct marketing account. The agency, which recently announced a merger with sister shop TBWA\GGT, is to develop and market partnerships...

Joshua to handle Aquafresh promotions.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... GlaxoSmithKline has appointed Joshua to work on its #5m Aquafresh account. The agency is tasked with handling direct mail, sales promotion, and electronic and trade advertising across Europe and the US. The brief includes promotion of the...

Latenightlondon.co.uk in LoveBytes drive.
February 11, 2005... Latenightlondon.co.uk, the leisure website, is launching LoveBytes, an on- and offline campaign themed on Valentine's Day. Some 100,000 people will be targeted with emails directing them to a microsite, where, by playing an online game, they...

Stopgap launches acquisition campaign.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... Marketing recruitment specialist Stopgap has launched an online drive carrying the strapline 'Work is Hell'. The campaign, put together by Liquid Communications, involves a prize-draw offering entrants the chance to win #2,500 to spend at...

Man Utd builds internal loyalty with staff blitz.(Manchester United Football Club )(marketing)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... Manchester United Football Club is launching internal marketing campaign Visions & Values to motivate and inspire employees. Hundreds of staff at the world's biggest football club are to receive a sticker book outlining their roles, length...

MPs call on credit firms to share data over bad debts.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... The credit industry should take greater steps to cross-reference data on borrowers, according to a group of MPs. A Treasury Select Committee has slammed the sector for not openly swapping information on customers, which can result in...

Cancer Research UK bids to raise #16m funds.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... Cancer Research UK is launching its biggest ever fundraising drive to attract new donors and raise revenue. The charity is aiming to generate #16m, the figure it estimates is needed to drive forward research. Direct mail will form an...

Honda launches integrated campaign to optimise prospecting tack.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... Honda is unveiling a multimedia campaign in an attempt to boost the performance of its Prospect Relationship Marketing (PRM) programme. The car company's decision to step the drive up a gear comes after it cut its direct marketing...

Bush senior says tsunami 'will not hit US charities'.(George H.W. Bush)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... Washington DC: Former US president George Bush senior has assured direct marketers that donations to charities not involved in the Asian tsunami relief effort will continue, despite the massive support for victims of the disaster. Speaking...

EuroDirect builds American reach.(Geodemographic services)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... Ontario: Geodemographic services and data specialist EuroDirect has expanded its sales and support network to include Canada and the US. The move comes in response to increased demand from clients for the company's marketing intelligence...

Marketers will 'bypass mobile networks in future'.(survey)(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... Calabasas, California: The role of mobile network operators is set to decline, with brand owners marketing their own portals to global consumers, according to a new report. 'Emerging Business Models for Mobile Content', a study from...

Data maintains German health.(Brief Article)
February 11, 2005... Munich: The German government is continuing to make structural alterations to the healthcare system. These are driven by changing consumer habits, attitudes, the environment, technological challenges concerning communication and information,...

Why Boots must take Advantage of its data.(Boots Company PLC)
February 11, 2005... Boots is aiming to develop commercial uses for its loyalty card database, as part of plans to rebuild profits. Tesco's Clubcard is often cited as the most sophisticated scheme; will Boots be able to replicate its success? James Quilter reports...

Letter: Still a big role for lists in the age of prospect pools.(Letter to the Editor)
February 11, 2005... Prospect pools undoubtedly offer major advantages over normal list rental practices (Special Report, PM January 21). However, there is still a role for lists, as they can provide fresh names and be used to generate additional insight when...

Letter: Failed agencies must pay debts.(Letter to the Editor)
February 11, 2005... Your News Analysis "Who feels the pain when agencies go under?" (PM January 28) struck a chord. No one would deny that the market is tough out there, and I extend every sympathy to the three agencies mentioned which have recently gone into...

Customer management requires top-to-bottom company culture.
February 11, 2005... COMMENT: NIGEL PEARSON Most customer management programmes fail because either the executive isn't on board or employees don't share the organisation's values and goals Much hyperbole exists about the virtues of customer management,...

Letter: Regard SMEs as consumers.(Letter to the Editor)
February 11, 2005... I read with interest Richard Lloyd's Comment on targeting SMEs (PM January 28). While it is important to continue discussing the huge steps forward that business-to-business marketing is taking, his comments were not ground-breaking in any...