Precision Marketing articles from February 2006

Precision Marketing archives from February 2006

Pound exits Masterfoods in wake of Euro shake-out.(Andrew Pound)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2006... Masterfoods has drastically downsized the central European customer management team at its petcare division, as part of an ongoing internal restructure. The company has sidelined the department in an effort to hand regional control back...

Post Office appoints Clark McKay to handle select financial briefs.(Clark McKay )(Brief Article)
February 3, 2006... The Post Office has appointed Clark McKay and Walpole to handle its entire range of financial products. The organisation selected Clark McKay despite the fact that the agency is not taking part in its ongoing direct marketing and sales...

RNID and Cafod launch hunt for direct agencies.(Catholic Agency for Overseas Development )(Brief Article)
February 3, 2006... Two charities - the RNID and Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (Cafod) - are in the hunt for direct marketing agencies. The RNID, which supports the deaf and hearing impaired, has briefed the AAR to help it to find an agency to...

ClarityBlue pledged Experian 'free rein'.(Experian Information Solutions Inc)
February 3, 2006... Experian has assured ClarityBlue chief executive Duncan Painter of a "free rein", following its #85m acquisition of the company. ClarityBlue, which builds and manages databases for clients such as O2, Barclaycard and BSkyB, this week...

Experian Marketing Services.(to be spun off)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2006... Set up more than 20 years ago with a staff of ten, Experian is now worth $2.5bn (#1.4bn), and operates in more than 50 countries. In the UK, it has been on an aggressive acquisition trail over the past few years, snapping up Yelldata,...

Hicklin Slade scoops Honda dealers work.
February 3, 2006... Honda has appointed Hicklin Slade & Partners to handle its #1.5m dealership marketing business. The agency will be responsible for direct mail, online work, press ads and radio activity, and will work in co-operation with over 200 Honda...

Conduit duo quit after takeover.(Mike Gray and Mike Pulvertaft, Pendragon Marhaus)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2006... Conduit chiefs Mike Gray and Mike Pulvertaft have left the business data specialist following a buyout by integrated marketing services group Pendragon Marhaus. Gray, who became managing director when Tony Lamb left by "mutual consent" (PM...

Camp blasts finance sector for cave-in over FSA ruling.
February 3, 2006... Financial marketing guru Lucian Camp has branded the Financial Services Authority's (FSA) guidelines on direct mail impractical, and a serious threat to the direct mail sector. In a letter to Precision Marketing this week, Camp, chairman...

Creatives to lock heads in Telegraph contest.
February 3, 2006... The Telegraph Group is launching a direct marketing drive to promote a competition that will pit media agencies, ad agencies and clients against each other for the right to win a #150,000 campaign. Telegraph Create - the department which...

Fiat appoints Arc London to commercial vehicles task.(Fiat Auto UK Ltd.'s marketing agreements)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2006... Fiat Auto UK has handed its commercial vehicles business to Arc London, after a four-way pitch. The integrated agency already handles all direct communications for Fiat cars and vans, as well as certain Alfa Romeo briefs. It also handles...

Red Brick Road boss in hunt for direct partners.(Paul Hammersley)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2006... Paul Hammersley, the man brought in to run Frank Lowe start-up The Red Brick Road, has ruled out launching a standalone direct division. However, he has confirmed the shop is seeking strategic partnerships with direct and digital...

VW urges customers to upgrade to a Jetta.(Volkswagen Ag)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2006... Volkswagen is launching a direct marketing campaign in a bid to entice customers into showrooms to test-drive the new-look Jetta. The campaign, created by Proximity London, kicks off with a mailing to 20,000 existing Volkswagen Bora...

Wunderman nabs Publicis chief.(Marcus Starke)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2006... Wunderman has poached Publicis Frankfurt's chairman and chief executive Marcus Starke to run its Europe, Middle East and Africa region. Starke will take the position of president and chief executive of Wunderman EMEA, replacing David...

IN BRIEF: Johnston Press embarks on rebrand.(appointed Walpole North and Clark McKay )(Brief Article)
February 3, 2006... Regional newspaper group Johnston Press has appointed Clark McKay and Walpole North to raise brand awareness, build customer relationships and rebrand its website, following a four-way competitive pitch. The Leeds-based agency is to begin by...

IN BRIEF: Ex-DMA chief chairs fundraising body.(Colin Lloyd appointed chairman of Institute of Fundraising)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2006... Former DMA (UK) chairman Colin Lloyd has been appointed chair of the new self-regulatory scheme for charities, the Institute of Fundraising. Lloyd, who stepped down from the DMA in 2001, will oversee the independent council and has overall...

IN BRIEF: Discovery shakes up senior team.(EHS Brann Discovery )(Brief Article)
February 3, 2006... Data agency EHS Brann Discovery has promoted former director of client services Dave Craft to managing director. Tash Whitmey is also promoted from business development director to client services director, with responsibility for client...

IN BRIEF: Royal Mail challenges court ruling.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2006... Royal Mail will be appealing against the recent High Court judgment, which ruled that it had withheld #40m from business customers expecting compensation (PM January 6). The postal firm decided to appeal and continue the legal battle that...

Skoda targets tea ladies in fresh attack on fleet market.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2006... Skoda is bolstering its assault on the UK fleet market with a campaign promoting the latest Octavia and Superb models as company cars. The pack, created by Archibald Ingall Stretton, takes a novel approach by targeting tea ladies, as...

Ealing Council plots #5m fundraiser for park.(Cascaid )(Brief Article)
February 3, 2006... Ealing Council has appointed non-profit agency Cascaid to help raise funds for a landmark project aiming to create the first new London park of the century. The appointment followed a three-way competitive pitch process. If the...

Golley Slater upscales with digital division.(Push Digital)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2006... Golley Slater is to launch a full-service Web design and online marketing business, following the acquisition of agency Push Digital. The new division, Golley Slater Digital, will be headed by Liz Faber and Mathew March Smith, who founded...

List groups unite to form European hub.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2006... Four leading independent list management companies have teamed up to create a European network. Euroleads, d2m direct marketing merz, mls srl and RSA Direct have joined forces to create Lists4Europe, which will offer list representation...

US direct growth set to outdo advertising.
February 3, 2006... The growth of direct marketing expenditure in the US is expected to outstrip that of brand advertising, according to a new report. A study by the Winterberry Group has predicted that direct spend will increase, on average, by 7.8 per cent...

Proximity to launch French viral division.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2006... Omnicom Group's French direct agency Proximity BBDO and its sister outfit CLM BBDO are launching a new media division that will focus on viral marketing. BBDO Factory has been set up in direct response to an increased demand from...

Ukrainians witness arrival of CD mailing.
February 3, 2006... During the past five years, the use of videos and CDs in direct marketing has become popular in the Ukraine, especially in the business- to-business (B2B) sector. The main reason is that they can store a lot of data about a company and its...

NEWS ANALYSIS: Squeezing every penny out of your marketing pound.
February 3, 2006... If you want to know which marketing media are yielding the highest response rates, and which require the least financial input, take a look at RDP's performance indicator Given the huge sums of money brand owners plough into generating...

NEWS ANALYSIS: Will cut-price data fuel return of carpet-bombing?(Brief Article)
February 3, 2006... Mazda's intentions to develop a 13-million deep prospect pool seem out of place in a climate where direct marketing professionals are doing their best to turn their backs on mass marketing for good Mazda's plans to build a 13-million...

NEWS ANALYSIS: Red Brick Road chief to follow a multidiscipline path.
February 3, 2006... Under the leadership of Paul Hammersley, Frank Lowe's start-up is hunting direct partners and staff from a broad range of backgrounds to attract partners and recommend the right media for each brief Unless you spent your Christmas holiday...

PROFILE: Rounding up unusual suspects.(Dan Brown)(Mazda Motors UK Ltd.)
February 3, 2006... Dan Brown Mazda's CRM manager is at the centre of an ambitious project for the car brand: the creation of a 13-million strong prospect pool, in a major about-turn for its acquisition strategy. And he's confident of success Vickie...

OPINION: Cracking open packaged goods.
February 3, 2006... There are two reasons why the packaged goods sector isn't punching its weight in direct marketing (PM Vertical Markets, last week). Firstly, there are concerns about return on investment (ROI) and secondly, people worry about how to...

LETTER: Clients must champion their customers more.(Letter to the Editor)
February 3, 2006... Across the marketing industry, one of the biggest issues of the past few years has centred around balancing the needs of both the product and customer, and driving strategies to meet them. However, despite much restructuring, there's still a...

LETTER: Opinions don't count for much.(Letter to the Editor)
February 3, 2006... I read with interest your Special Report 'Opinion seekers' (PM January 13), which discussed the idea that brands are going direct to consumers to elicit their opinions. This information may well make the client feel warm and cuddly about...

LETTER: Can't we resist FSA straitjacket?(Letter to the Editor)
February 3, 2006... Leonora Corden of Royal Mail says the Financial Services Authority's (FSA) communications guidelines should be welcomed, not feared (PM January 20), because they encourage communications that give customers what they want - broadly speaking,...

VIEWPOINT: High time industry put consumer first.
February 3, 2006... While reading the recent industry round-ups, it struck me that if you were to look at the stories that defined a particular year since 2000, you'd be forgiven for sinking into a severe depression. All the top stories up until 2004,...

OPINION: Tough choices on lead-generation.
February 3, 2006... So, with the much-trumpeted rise of integration, who would you turn to for advice about which is the most effective medium for your lead- generation strategy? Bearing in mind that there are more than 1.5 billion leads a year out there to...

Creative Critique.
February 3, 2006... I ask people in the agency to bring in interesting pieces of direct marketing so that I can 'critique' them over a nice glass of Chablis (chilled, of course). These are a few from my private collection. On a serious note, some of the...

VERTICAL MARKETS: You won't see them for dust.
February 3, 2006... Given the length of time between car purchases, manufacturers have a tough job keeping customers warm. The trick is to maintain a subtle, non-intrusive dialogue in the interim Whether consumers are looking for a cheap run about town or a...

MAILING ISSUES: Go with the flow.
February 3, 2006... Mailing houses have formed a radical post-deregulation idea: produce and deliver direct and transactional mail under one roof, creating a single mail stream. If they can pull this off, the scope for marketing via bills and statements will be...

LIST/INSERT FILE: Keys of Clacton unveils database.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2006... Household textile firm Keys of Clacton is releasing its database of over 35,000 names through MM Teleperformance. The firm makes household goods such as quilts, sheets, pillowcases, mattress covers and tablecloths, as well as skincare...

LIST/INSERT FILE: Contest reveals 16,000 donors.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2006... Charity Contest is making its file of 16,000 charity donors available through EDM Media. The database comprises individuals who have entered an instant cash prize draw for the chance to win #10,000, which is then donated to medical...

LIST/INSERT FILE: Sit-Up TV offers refreshed file.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2006... TV home shopping company Sit-Up TV Channels has updated its DRTV mail order buyers list. It now offers over 1.2 million names. The file, which holds 568,000 telephone numbers, is being managed by Listlab. It consists of buyers from the...

LIST/INSERT FILE: Ortega provides 258,000 names.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2006... Ortega, the mail order company which offers personalised books and gifts for children, is releasing its updated list of over 258,000 names through Go Direct Marketing. Customers are mostly females aged 25 to 65, who buy gifts for children...

LIST/INSERT FILE: Home & Comfort sells buyer list.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2006... Home & Comfort, a catalogue list of over 145,000 names, is being made available, also through MM Teleperformance. Products include personal care, home and gardening goods, car accessories and jewellery. Price ranges from #4 to #40. ...

MOVING PEOPLE: Presky Maves names Bird head of art.(Phil Bird )(Brief Article)
February 3, 2006... Presky Maves has appointed Phil Bird head of art. He will share responsibility for the agency's creative output, working on briefs for clients such as Glenfiddich, NTL and the Post Office. Bird has recently been working as a freelance art...

MOVING PEOPLE: 141 Worldwide picks senior planner.(Bernie Morrison )(Brief Article)
February 3, 2006... 141 Worldwide has recruited Bernie Morrison as a senior planner. She joins a planning team of six, headed by Andrew Aylett. Morrison was a freelance planner and researcher. Before that, she worked at branding consultancy Corporate Edge,...

MOVING PEOPLE: Liquorice chooses new business managers.(Phil Williams )(Sophie Devonshire )(Brief Article)
February 3, 2006... Marketing communications agency Liquorice has hired Phil Williams and Sophie Devonshire as new business planning consultants. In 2003, Williams set up the Two Halves Consultancy on his own, with Walt Disney as the main client. Before that, he...

Nice Work: Bob Gill.(Data Locator Group)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2006... Name: Bobby Gill Company: Data Locator Group Department: Operations Job title: Database manager Responsibilities: I manage all of our consumer databases, and I'm responsible for maintaining data quality. This is no mean feat. For...

Postcomm urges PAF rethink.(Postal Services Commission reviews Royal Mail Group PLC's Postcode Address File )(Brief Article)
February 10, 2006... Postcomm has launched a full-scale review of Royal Mail's Postcode Address File (PAF), after a flood of complaints over pricing, and fears that the postal operator could exploit PAF ownership, giving it an unfair advantage over rivals. ...

Bad debt client rocks Spirit IC.(liquidation, reorganization and restructuring)(Brief Article)
February 10, 2006... Spirit IC, the integrated agency set up with minority backing from Spirit Advertising, has called in the liquidators after being rocked by a bad debt from a single client. The company, set up by Mike Berry in 1998, took the client to the...

RNIB hunts for direct shop in funding review.(Royal National Institute for the Blind, direct marketing agency)(Brief Article)
February 10, 2006... The Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB) is hunting a direct marketing agency, and has appointed the AAR to lead the search. The charity, which provides support and advice to the blind and partially sighted, is to examine its...

Boardroom obstacle to email marketing.
February 10, 2006... A lack of board-level understanding has emerged as a key threat to the development of the email marketing industry, according to the DMA (UK). The attitude of company boards has been identified, alongside Internet crime and spam, as the...

The price of emails.(America Online Inc. and Yahoo! Inc. to launch new email marketing services)(Brief Article)
February 10, 2006... The email marketing landscape threatened to change this week after two of the world's largest email providers, AOL and Yahoo, announced that they are to launch paid-for email services. The companies are to guarantee companies that their...

Verint Systems snaps up CM Insight for #3m.(acquisition)(Brief Article)
February 10, 2006... Customer management consultancy CM Insight has been bought by US analytic software firm Verint Systems for $5.8m (#3.3m). Verint, which offers software-based solutions to the security and business intelligence markets, is seeking to bolster...

Training agency lures graduates.(Training and Development Agency for Schools launches direct marketing campaigns and contracts Draft London)(Brief Article)
February 10, 2006... The Training & Development Agency for Schools (TDA) is launching a direct marketing drive to tempt potential science teachers into the profession. Three different mailpacks, created by Draft London, will this month be sent to science...

Energizer overhauls Euro digital marketing strategy.(Energizer UK contracts advertising agency Them)(Brief Article)
February 10, 2006... Battery manufacturer Energizer has appointed integrated advertising agency Them to handle its pan-European digital strategy. The agency's first work for Energizer will be the launch of a European website, as part of a data-capture...

Peugeot to revitalise e-customer magazine.(Peugeot UK contracts McCann Relationship Marketing Worldwide (UK) to redesign its Instant Rapport magazine)(Brief Article)
February 10, 2006... Car manufacturer Peugeot UK has handed the task of revamping its online customer magazine to McCann Relationship Marketing Worldwide (UK). MRM Worldwide (UK), which won the work after a three-way pitch, will be charged with recreating and...

National Car Rental targets global business travellers.(marketing campaign, contract with Positive Thinking )(Brief Article)
February 10, 2006... National Car Rental is launching an integrated campaign targeting the international business travel market. Creative agency Positive Thinking has created a campaign centred around the strapline 'In a word. National'. The initiative will...

Kerrygold bids to refresh direct activity.(Irish Dairy Board Inc. contracts The Marketing Store )(Brief Article)
February 10, 2006... The Irish Dairy Board, owner of the Kerrygold brand, has appointed The Marketing Store to handle its direct marketing account, following a three-way pitch. The agency has been briefed to produce direct campaigns for Kerrygold Pure Irish...

Mercedes-Benz rolls out 'A to S' offensive.(promoting A to S Class series automobiles, contract with Agency Republic )(Brief Article)
February 10, 2006... Luxury car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz is launching a digital data- capture drive to promote its A to S Class series. The campaign is the first work from Agency Republic since its appointment at the end of last year. Rich media ads will...

Egg delivers Valentine's rewards.(Egg PLC launches marketing campaign through WDMP)(Brief Article)
February 10, 2006... Egg is embarking on an email marketing initiative designed to reward its cardholders on Valentine's Day. The campaign, which has been created by direct response agency WDMP, will be sent to customers on the Egg cashback scheme, as part of...

IN BRIEF: Zulu launches new business arm.(Rebeccah Rumph and Mike Jefferies appointed)(Brief Article)
February 10, 2006... Zulu, the recently formed digital-led network of Omnicom-owned agencies, has set up a dedicated new business unit and appointed Mike Jefferies from PR agency Ketchum to head it up. Jefferies will take the position of business development...

IN BRIEF: Owners Club rethinks direct plans.(Owners Club International contracts Keevill Barton Kershaw )(Brief Article)
February 10, 2006... Property and leisure company The Owners Club International has appointed Keevill Barton Kershaw to handle its direct marketing activity following a competitive pitch process. The agency's first project will be a direct mail campaign to generate...

IN BRIEF: Tesco in online flowers push.(Tesco PLC's new campaign)(Brief Article)
February 10, 2006... Tesco is launching an online Valentine's campaign to raise awareness and drive sales of its flower delivery service. The push, run by Harvest Digital, will appear on AOL, targeting young families and couples. It will also target young men...

IN BRIEF: ASA rejects BCA 'fantasy' moan.(Advertising Standards Authority rejects complaint against BCA )(Brief Article)
February 10, 2006... The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has rejected a complaint against a BCA mailing promoting the firm's Dark Chapters fantasy and science fiction club. The initiative, which showed an artist's impression of a naked woman in chains, also...

Dogs Trust pushes 'canine couples' in mail offensive.(charity contracts 141 Worldwide for a direct mail campaign )(Brief Article)
February 10, 2006... Dog welfare charity the Dogs Trust is launching a Valentine's Day direct mail campaign in a bid to keep canine couples together. The mailing, created by the London arm of 141 Worldwide, will be sent to Dogs Trust supporters, asking them...

Lloyds TSB unveils 'immediate' online loans.(Lloyds TSB Group PLC contracts Tullo Marshall Warren )(Brief Article)
February 10, 2006... Lloyds TSB is kicking off a direct marketing drive to promote a new online loan service that offers applicants an immediate decision. A mailpack, created by integrated agency Tullo Marshall Warren (TMW), will be sent primarily to customers...

Kidspace drive promotes new Romford centre.
February 10, 2006... Kidspace, the international chain of giant indoor adventure parks, is launching an integrated campaign to promote the opening of its first UK centre, in Romford, Essex. The campaign, themed 'Explorers wanted', has been created by Crayon...

William Hill drive to push Marvel games.(William Hill launches direct mail campaigns through Prego)(Brief Article)
February 10, 2006... Gambling firm William Hill is promoting the introduction of Marvel comic-themed slot machines at its casinos with an integrated campaign. The activity, which has been created by Leeds-based agency Prego, features direct mail and email and...

Land Rover plots sports challenge.(Land Rover UK Ltd. launches a multimedia marketing campaign through Freestyle New Media Group)(Brief Article)
February 10, 2006... Car manufacturer Land Rover is launching a multimedia campaign to promote its G4 model and highlight its forthcoming extreme sports competition. The drive will feature WAP, Bluetooth and online elements. The G4 challenge sees finalists...

Cohesion has never been more important.(marketing strategies, forecast)
February 10, 2006... As the pressure to deliver greater return on investment in media continues, marketers are striving even harder to find new and cost- effective ways to reach audiences. This challenge is now more difficult - for the simple reason that...

NEWS ANALYSIS: Online playmakers contest off-field route to fanbase.
February 10, 2006... With online football fanzines growing in popularity as an alternative to the PR of official club sites, they face a dilemma: should they follow their commercial instincts, while risking a more corporate tone? The media's coverage of...

The Facts: All you ever wanted to know about football fanzines.(British Library's collection of fanzines)(Brief Article)
February 10, 2006... * The British Library houses the largest collection of football fanzines in the UK, with more than 1,000 titles available. These unofficial periodicals often take an irreverent view of the team in question, and have titles that reflect this...

NEWS ANALYSIS: Suitors circle Experian after it engulfs ClarityBlue.(Experian Information Solutions Inc)
February 10, 2006... While Experian's purchase of ClarityBlue fits perfectly with the company's ongoing expansion strategy, the data giant has now become so attractive that it is luring a number of potential suitors of its own Not for the first time in...

NEWS ANALYSIS: Is FSA mail clampdown damaging to direct industry?(Financial Services Authority)
February 10, 2006... Few would argue that the FSA's 'Treating customers fairly' initiative is loaded with good intentions, but people who usually bury their head in the sand may find more complicated mailings a massive turn-off If you have ever been hustled...

PROFILE: Bentley chief reaches for stars.(Bentley Motor Cars)
February 10, 2006... Steven Egan In the Bentley Motors marketing chief's book, there's only one thing worse than being talked about... He explains why keeping the car brand's rich and famous customer base happy is key to its advocacy strategy Sara...

CLIENT VIEW: Email's no longer new kid on block.(direct marketing trends, using email)(Brief Article)
February 10, 2006... Email is now an established marketing tool, but is it direct marketing, online, interactive or something else? The IDM diploma is now called the 'Interactive and Direct Marketing Diploma', consumers can sign up to the Email Preference...

VIEWPOINT: Customer rewards are there to be earnt.(Brief Article)
February 10, 2006... If rewards are handed out at the drop of a hat, customers have no incentive to work hard for them - in other words, be loyal to the brand If, like me, you spend a considerable sum of money every year for the 'pleasure' of taking the train...

LETTER: Why scrap scripts when commonsense will do?(Letter to the Editor)
February 10, 2006... Call centres which operate without scripts are doomed (PM January 20), unless they're committed to allowing people to use commonsense to make the most of each call. This means providing adequate training and giving all call centre staff...

LETTER: Davis requires lots more facts.(Letter to the Editor)
February 10, 2006... There I was minding my own business, sunning myself on Sydney's famous Bondi Beach, with some BBQ prawns in one hand, a Foster's in the other, and my latest edition of Precision Marketing rested on my (tanned) knees. It was a wonderful...

Fan sites should be goal of the season.
February 10, 2006... "Football fans have been listening to 'ad-speak' for years. They're sophisticated consumers who can smell a rat a mile away - if something doesn't have football authenticity, it's worth nothing to them." Little did the top Premiership...

Creative Critique - 10.02.06.
February 10, 2006... Pete Harle and Dave Woods - Creative directors, Claydon Heeley Jones Mason Pedigree Agency Joshua Art director Lyndsay McMorrow Copywriter Andy Kelleher Pedigree - First up, this mailer is wall-to-wall with cuddly...

VERTICAL MARKETS: Finding the energy to switch.
February 10, 2006... With energy firms increasingly pushing green products to snap up the 50 per cent of homes which have never switched supplier, direct channels are proving a fertile hunting ground Between the freezing fog and the over-heated oil market,...

ADDRESS MANAGEMENT: Staying put?(customer data management, direct marketing management)
February 10, 2006... While many companies may be dissatisfied with their address management solution, they seem less willing to chop and change software than consumers do their address Steve Hemsley As far as direct marketers are concerned, people just...

LIST/INSERT FILE: Klick Photopoint offers fresh list.(mailing list launched)(Brief Article)
February 10, 2006... Photo-processing service Klick Photopoint has released its recently updated list through Independent Direct Marketing. Klick offers a film and digital photo-processing facility through stores, online, and by mail order. The file is...

LIST/INSERT FILE: Planning News reveals database.(Brief Article)
February 10, 2006... Planning News, a title which focuses on planning information, has appointed Holistic List Management to manage its database of 310,000 consumers. The list contains details of prospects who are at the application stage of gaining planning...