Precision Marketing articles from January 2007

Precision Marketing archives from January 2007

Industry backs 'invaluable' Donovan.(Judith Donovan )(Postwatch)
January 12, 2007... Industry figures have welcomed the reappointment of Judith Donovan as regional chair of Postwatch, branding her 'invaluable' to the sector's cause. As well as being chair of the Northern Postwatch region, Donovan, one of the founders of...

UIA hands #3m brief over to Barraclough.(UIA Insurance )(Barraclough Edwards Chamberlain)(Brief article)
January 12, 2007... UIA Insurance is understood to have appointed Barraclough Edwards Chamberlain (BEC) to handle its #3m integrated direct marketing account, following a competitive pitch. BEC won the account from incumbent agency Draft FCB, less than two...

20:20 Scoops digital Stolichnaya account.(Brief article)
January 12, 2007... Stolichnaya, the world's number one selling vodka, has appointed 20:20 London as its international digital agency. The appointment follows a competitive four-way pitch for the new global website for Stolichnaya Brand Organisation's (SBO)...

IN BRIEF: Everest plots online shake-up.(Brief article)
January 12, 2007... Everest, the home improvement company that supplies windows, doors and conservatories, has appointed Data Lateral to handle website development. The company has already rebuilt, redesigned and relaunched Everest's core consumer website,...

IN BRIEF: UK Mail lands State account.(Department for Work and Pensions )(Brief article)
January 12, 2007... Private postal operator UK Mail has won a #12m a year contract to deliver post for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), previously handled by Royal Mail. The company, which already handles more than 5 per cent of UK post, including Royal...

IN BRIEF: Lib Dem 'breaks waste policy'.(Andrew Waller )(Brief article)
January 12, 2007... The City of York Council's deputy leader Andrew Waller has been caught delivering unsolicited door-drops for the Liberal Democrats, despite his party issuing 'No Free Newspapers or Junk Mail' stickers to highlight its war on waste policy....

IN BRIEF: Students warned over ID theft.(Brief article)
January 12, 2007... The Home Office's Identity Fraud Consumer Awareness Group (IFCAG) is warning students about the threat of identity theft, as thousands head to university after the Christmas break. Students are identified as a high-risk group due to them...

Lenders face clampdown for giving sub-standard advice.
January 12, 2007... The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is poised to prosecute mortgage lenders for failing to give customers the right advice, having carried out a major study into compliance. The move follows a new crackdown on financial miscreants....

Vast majority admit shoddy data practice.(Brief article)
January 12, 2007... Almost 90 per cent of companies admit to having poorly managed databases, while over a third concede that they never run customer and prospect databases against suppression or preference files, according to a new study. The research,...

Survey finds staff aim for work/life balance.(Brief article)
January 12, 2007... Direct marketers are turning their backs on huge salaries by working fewer hours to achieve a better work/life balance, according to Precision Marketing's annual salary survey. The findings contradict a recent TUC study, which claims that...

Seat moves family car push online to hit core audience.
January 12, 2007... Sporty car marque Seat is shifting its advertising budgets online to promote the new family Altea XL model and target its core audience more effectively. The campaign, created by Geronimo, will work with affiliate partners such as Top...

N&P offers independent service.
January 12, 2007... Independent financial advisers are teaming up with Norwich & Peterborough (N&P) Building Society as part of a customer acquisition programme. The building society is offering customers the chance to speak for free to an independent...

Honda chief in power switch.(appointed Martin Moll )(Brief article)
January 12, 2007... Engine manufacturer Honda UK has appointed Martin Moll as head of marketing at its Power Equipment division. Moll joins Honda (UK) Power Equipment from the group's car division, where he managed the sales operation. He replaces Jeff Dodd...

IN BRIEF: Public urged to check credit.(Information Commissioners Office)(Brief article)
January 12, 2007... The Information Commissioners Office is advising consumers to ensure their financial information is correct and up to date as millions seek credit to finance spending in the New Year sales. Lenders assess consumers' credit files before...

IN BRIEF: DMA kicks out rogue member.(Direct Marketing Association)(Brief article)
January 12, 2007... The DMA (UK) has expelled another member - Britton Group SMR - after the company failed to complete the annual member compliance questionnaire for the year ending December 31, 2005. The company was one of nine being investigated by the DM...

IN BRIEF: Charities back Young DM Awards.(Direct Marketing Association)(Brief article)
January 12, 2007... The DMA (UK) has revealed the three charities taking part in this year's Young Direct Marketing Awards; the scheme designed to boost the industry's standing among secondary school pupils. Pupils will get the chance to design a campaign for...

IN BRIEF: Results Europe sold by DLG.(Marketing Databasics )(Brief article)
January 12, 2007... Data analytics company Marketing Databasics - which was bought by investment fund Indicia Group headed up by former Wegener DM chief David Perkins - has acquired Results Europe from DLG for an undisclosed sum. DLG took over the business as...

WWAV recruits beef up digital presence.(WWAV Rapp Collins appointed Alex Stoneham and Joe Woollen )(Brief article)
January 12, 2007... WWAV Rapp Collins has boosted its digital offering by hiring two new digital chiefs. Alex Stoneham, who has been recruited as digital communications director, joins from Wunderman Interactive, where she was head of client engagement. ...

Online tool set to slash spending.(EuroDirect)(Cameo)(product enhancement)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
January 12, 2007... EuroDirect is extending its Cameo product with the launch of Cameo with Attitude, a market-research tool it claims can reduce marketing spend by tens of thousands of pounds by improving targeting and reducing mailpack testing times. The...

Honda steps up blitz for 'green' 4x4 model.(Brief article)
January 12, 2007... Honda is to promote its new SUV and tackle consumer misconceptions about 4x4s on the back of a major integrated push. The 'More Forwards Please' initiative, created by Hicklin Slade & Partners, will target 11,000 Honda customers and...

Carte D'Or pushes new desserts.(Brief article)
January 12, 2007... Unilever's premium ice cream brand, Carte D'Or, is launching the second phase of its customer management and brand awareness campaign to promote three new desserts. The push, created by Craik Jones Watson Mitchell Voelkel, kicks off with...

It is up to us to build relationship of trust.
January 12, 2007... Although it has bee a little while since I took physics, I remember the law that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Yet I suspect that even Isaac Newton would have had trouble predicting the impact on our industry last year of...

US DMA welcomes anti-spam legislation.
January 12, 2007... Washington DC The US DMA has backed new laws giving the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) extra authority to help protect consumers from spam, spyware and Internet fraud. The legislation, entitled the Undertaking Spam, Spyware and Fraud...

Unicef mailing fuels fears of major scam.(Brief article)
January 12, 2007... Tokyo The Japanese branch of the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) has caused an uproar by sending potential donors direct mail using just their surnames, leading recipients to believe the mailshot was fraudulent. Following the...

Hawaiian laws help to combat identity theft.
January 12, 2007... Hawaii The Hawaiian Government has launched three laws in an attempt to combat identity theft, including one that obliges businesses and the government to notify people if their personal information is at risk of disclosure without...

Direct mailings still welcome on the mat.
January 12, 2007... Isn't it wonderful when the omniscient news media reports something we in the industry all know to be true? Remember when the Internet and online marketing were going to spell the end of the direct mail business? Well, it hasn't worked...

ANALYSIS: Industry faces up to challenges of the year ahead.
January 12, 2007... 2006 was not the best for direct marketing's image with yet more industry bashing in the national media. But what does this year hold in store? A panel of industry figures gaze into their crystal balls Christmas may be just a distant...

ANALYSIS: Agencies fight for a role in the MySpace revolution.
January 12, 2007... The rise of social networking, whereby consumers are becoming the medium, poses a major threat to agencies which risk being shut out. Will they be able to adapt or is it already too late? Charlie McKelveyAgencies must find a way of breaking...

ANALYSIS: Royal Mail warned to innovate or lose share to rivals.
January 12, 2007... 12 months since deregulation, and competition is beginning to have an impact on Royal Mail's monopoly, although it still has the lion's share. Will it be able to retain its competitive edge? Jenny Hoffbrand Opinion is divided over...

'Strapped Students' are overburdened but optimistic.
January 12, 2007... Live for now is the motto of the consumer segment identified as Strapped Students. They are unafraid of borrowing from multiple sources and are confident they will repay their debts when they are older Much has been written about the...

OPINION: Challenging times in social network age.(Brief article)
January 12, 2007... I'm often asked what has been the single biggest development in direct marketing over the past few years. While the Internet is way up there, in my humble opinion it is the increasing sophistication of customer databases that has been...

LETTER: Threshers sadly missed marketing opportunity.(Letter to the editor)
January 12, 2007... Marketers throughout the country will continue to debate whether Threshers '40 per cent off' voucher campaign was a stroke of genius or a marketing trick which spiralled out of control. But there can be no doubt that Threshers missed an...

LETTER: Broody shows he is stuck in past.(Letter to the editor)
January 12, 2007... I thought Martin Broody's comments (PM December 1) were unbelievably cynical and simply reflected old school data-collection techniques. I was stunned to read that he thinks that data collected from the actual person cannot be trusted. I,...

LETTER: DMA Awards earn deserved praise.(Letter to the editor)
January 12, 2007... Chris Whitson gives the DMA and its Awards a fantastic endorsement in his Viewpoint article (PM December 15). He's quite right when he says that every entry is rigorously scrutinised in terms of strategy, creativity and results to ensure...

VIEWPOINT: Are B2B marketers really out of the loop?(Industry overview)
January 12, 2007... Believe everything you read and you could be forgiven for thinking business-to-business marketers are still in the dark. There are plenty of solutions available A heresy is being uttered within business-to-business (B2B) marketing: the...

PROFILE: From roadie to agency giant.(Jonathan Harman)(RMG Connect)
January 12, 2007... By Sara Kimberley Jonathan Harman: The man charged with leading Carlson in the UK and Europe reckons he's already got the solution: focusing on clients and mapping out their customers' journeys In these days of structured career...

Creative Critique: 12 January 2007.
January 12, 2007... Andy Barwood, creative director, Hicklin Slade & Partners This week I'm reviewing work selling holidays and booze-fuelled nights out (two subjects I love from the bottom of my heart). And Westlife (who I love from the heart of my bottom)....

FINANCIAL SERVICES: Lending a helping hand.
January 12, 2007... Many finance firms walk a thin line between trying to sell products and promoting responsible borrowing. But isn't this where targeting techniques come to the fore? With millions of Britons struggling to get even a toe, let alone a whole...

DATA INTEGRITY: In case of emergency.
January 12, 2007... Would your marketing database be safe if disaster struck? A continuity action-plan is essential David ReedSince privatisation, Britain's energy supply has been able to meet demand without the lights going out. However, this same period...

LIST/INSERT FILE: Craft firm hands over list to HLB.(Readicut)(Brief article)
January 12, 2007... Readicut, the mail order company that offers a selection of craft products in the UK, has handed management of its list to HLB. The company has been providing needlecraft, rug kits, knitting wools and paper crafts to enthusiasts for more...

LIST/INSERT FILE: Wealthy investor data on offer.(Matrix-Data)(Brief article)
January 12, 2007... Matrix-Data, the customer intelligence solutions firm, is offering its database of wealthy private investors. The Matrix Investor database provides financial intelligence on over 2.5 million affluent individuals and offers a varied,...

LIST/INSERT FILE: Database covers loyal radio fans.(Brief article)
January 12, 2007... GCap Media, the commercial radio group whose brands include Classic FM, Capital Radio and XFM, has unveiled its new central email database of over 850,000 listeners for rental through Lloyd James Group List & Media Management. Customers...

LIST/INSERT FILE: Opportunity with home catalogue.(Health and Home)(Brief article)
January 12, 2007... Health & Home, the monthly catalogue mailing company, is offering an insert opportunity through Independent Direct Media. The magazine informs its customers of the latest kitchenware, household goods, health and beauty products,...

LIST/INSERT FILE: Guidepost Trust launches file.(EDM Media)(Brief article)
January 12, 2007... The Guidepost Trust has unveiled its list for rental through EDM Media. The charity was formed in 1972 and provides direct services for people with dementia, with or recovering from mental health problems and those with learning...

MOVING PEOPLE: Emailvision takes on Bates as country manager.(Paul Bates )(Brief article)
January 12, 2007... Emailvision, the direct marketing technology solutions company, has appointed Paul Bates as UK country manager. Bates has built a career in sales management after spending 11 years in the Royal Air Force. He has 16 years' experience managing...

MOVING PEOPLE: Iris recruits Maryon in expansion programme.(Lisa Maryon )(Brief article)
January 12, 2007... Iris experience, the UK experiential marketing agency, has recruited Lisa Maryon as senior account manager as part of its 2007 expansion drive. Maryon will be working on Sony Ericsson and Network Rail. She joins the agency from The Works...

MOVING PEOPLE: Crawford joins CMW North Leeds office.(David Crawford)(Clark McKay and Walpole )(Brief article)
January 12, 2007... Clark McKay and Walpole North (CMW North), the integrated online and direct marketing agency and member of the Media Square group, has recruited David Crawford as deputy managing director. Crawford joins the Leeds-based office, which currently...

MOVING PEOPLE: Lavers takes charge at OgilvyOne CRM unit.(Peter Lavers )(Brief article)
January 12, 2007... OgilvyOne Worldwide London, the direct marketing and digital agency, has appointed Peter Lavers as managing partner of its consulting and customer relationship management (CRM) unit QCi Assesments. Lavers will lead QCi from its office in...

Nice Work: Chris Friend.(Liquid Communications )(Brief article)
January 12, 2007... Christ Friend Account director Liquid Communications Responsibilities I manage a small team of really motivated people looking after accounts which include Innocent, Danone and Whole Foods Market. My primary responsibility is to make...

DMA chief warns: beware 'green fog'.(Brief article)
January 26, 2007... Rosemary Smith, the new chair of the DMA (UK), has warned members that the sector must act now or watch the industry disappear into a 'green fog'. Speaking exclusively to Precision Marketing, Smith reveals her fears that the direct...

Emirates direct brief heads to Chemistry.(Brief article)
January 26, 2007... Emirates, the Middle Eastern airline, has appointed Chemistry Communications to handle its direct marketing account, following a pitch. The agency replaces DDA and is tasked with developing customer management strategies, as well as other...

AIS sells stake in Tree to Paul Simons group.(Brief article)
January 26, 2007... Cagney, the marketing services business set up by former Ogilvy boss Paul Simons, has bought out Archibald Ingall Stretton's 40 per cent stake in data company Tree London. The deal, which is worth an initial #1.2m in cash and shares, sees...

IN BRIEF: Call for 'cyber police station'.(Brief article)
January 26, 2007... Computer experts are calling for the introduction of a 'cyber police station' to make it easier for people to report online crime. IT specialists and representatives from Microsoft have claimed to the House of Lords science and technology...

IN BRIEF: Centrica defects to TNT Post.(Brief article)
January 26, 2007... Leading energy supplier Centrica has appointed TNT Post to handle its postal contract, worth an estimated #23m. The move, which follows BT's decision to also switch to TNT, is likely to ring alarm bells at Royal Mail, especially as the...

IN BRIEF: Direct budgets set to rise.(Brief article)
January 26, 2007... Traditional direct marketing budgets are set to rise by more than 50 per cent, according to a new study, discrediting the theory that direct mail spend will be diverted online. Although online spend is set to soar - some 85 per cent of...

IN BRIEF: Church goes online for Lent.(Church of England)(Brief article)
January 26, 2007... The Church of England has launched a multimedia campaign to encourage consumers to behave in a more Christian manner over the period of Lent. The Love Life Live Lent campaign hopes to give inspiration for simple things people can do to...

DRTV 'far better at building brand value than image ads'.
January 26, 2007... Direct response TV advertising, a much-maligned channel, is far more effective at supporting and building brands than so-called image advertising, according to a new study. The research, carried out by agency Watson Phillips Norman (WPN)...

GNER and Scots tie to push city breaks.
January 26, 2007... Great North Eastern Railway (GNER) has teamed up with VisitScotland Edinburgh & Lothians for the first time to push the city to tourists and encourage them to use GNER's services. The drive is part of a national campaign for GNER,...

Asbof deal to bolster self-regulation fund.(Advertising Board of Finance )(Brief article)
January 26, 2007... The Advertising Board of Finance (Asbof) - the organisation which gathers the cash to fund self-regulatory schemes such as the ASA and the MPS - has struck a deal to ensure mailing clients pay contributions straight to their postal operator....

Premierline Direct appoints WWAV Leeds to boost share.(Brief article)
January 26, 2007... Direct commercial insurance company Premierline Direct - co-founded by insurance guru Barrie Wells - has appointed WWAV Rapp Collins Leeds to handle its #5m marketing account as part of an aggressive expansion strategy designed to boost...

Hellmann's taps makeover trend.(Brief article)
January 26, 2007... Unilever is promoting the new packaging and taste of Hellmann's Extra Light Mayonnaise, aiming to strike a chord with women planning New Year 'makeovers'. A direct mail campaign launches at the end of January and has been created by...

UK shops make Caples shortlist.(Event overview)(Brief article)
January 26, 2007... UK direct marketing agencies have picked up 38 nominations in the XXIX John Caples International Awards, with 19 different agencies being named on the shortlist. Proximity leads the UK contenders with seven nominations for its work with...

IN BRIEF: Skipton in deal with REaD Group.(Skipton Information Group partnership)(Brief article)
January 26, 2007... Skipton Information Group, the company behind EuroDirect and Callcredit, has teamed up with The REaD Group in a strategic bid to develop its customer rentention. The data available to The REaD Group will include EuroDirect's Data Exchange, the...

IN BRIEF: Wider data sharing planned.(Brief article)
January 26, 2007... Widespread data sharing between public and private Widespread data sharing between public and private sectors is to be allowed for the first time in proposed legislation revealed this week by ministers. The Serious Crime Bill will permit...

IN BRIEF: Data chiefs face prison threat.(Brief article)
January 26, 2007... Company directors whose firms gather data without issuing a valid data protection notice could face up to ten years in jail, under a new UK law effective from this week. The Fraud Act will seek to prosecute persons who dishonestly fail to...

IN BRIEF: Leger plots online assault.(Brief article)
January 26, 2007... European specialist Leger Holidays is planning its first online marketing campaign to raise brand awareness and make it easier for people to access its website. The first stage of the drive, devised by bigmouthmedia, includes search engine...

BTA hunts agency to lure Canadian visitors.(Brief article)
January 26, 2007... VisitBritain Canada, the Canadian arm of the British Tourist Authority, is seeking an agency for its integrated account. The government tourist body is looking for an agency and is seeking tender applications by February 21. The contract...

Claydon Heeley drafts in creatives.(Company overview)(Brief article)
January 26, 2007... Claydon Heeley is restructuring its creative department to boost its digital offering and has appointed a team of five new digital creatives. The decision to expand its creative department follows recent digital wins from Glenfiddich,...

IN BRIEF: IDs 'worth #85,000 each'.(reports of ID theft)(Brief article)
January 26, 2007... Individual UK identities are worth up to #85,000 for the perpetrators of ID theft, according to a study, which shows lawyers are the top target of the crime. The study, carried out by anti-ID theft company Garlik, shows that people's fears...

IN BRIEF: Vertex sold off for #217.5m.(a consortium of Oak Hill Capital, GenNx360 and Knox Lawrence International buys Vertex)(Brief article)
January 26, 2007... One of the UK's leading contact centres Vertex has been sold by United Utilites to a US private equity firm in a deal worth #217.5m. The deal has been spearheaded by a consortium led by Oak Hill Capital, and including GenNx360 and Knox...

IN BRIEF: Vodafone and HTW to split.(Vodafone Group PLC's contract with Harrison Troughton Wunderman will expire in April)(Brief article)
January 26, 2007... Mobile phone giant Vodafone is seeking a new direct marketing agency, after parting with agency Harrison Troughton Wunderman (HTW). The move, which will end a six -year relationship with the WPP Group-owned agency, is said to be mutual. The...

Visit Wales plays on 'something different'.(Brief article)
January 26, 2007... Visit Wales is bolstering its appeal to tourists, urging them to visit throughout the spring and summer seasons to indulge in "exploring something totally different". The drive, created by Partners Andrews Aldridge, segments the target...

Asda launches ISA for kids' future.
January 26, 2007... Asda, Britain's second largest supermarket chain, is to promote its new Flying Start individual savings account to parents who want to create financial security for their kids. A campaign, created by Ashley Bolser Agency (ABA), pushes the...

Innovation is key to 'content generation'.
January 26, 2007... The relationship between brands and consumers is evolving rapidly. Consumer trust in traditional advertising is in decline and traditional brand communications are no longer recognised as trusted sources of information. Instead, individuals are...

Children wounded in Unilever 'knife' mailing.(Brief article)
January 26, 2007... Amsterdam Marketing chiefs at Anglo-Dutch group Unilever have been left red-faced after a raft of children were injured by opening a mailshot which included a knife with a metal blade. The company sent the mailing, which included a small...

US branded 'biggest spam and virus host'.(Brief article)
January 26, 2007... New York The US sends more spam emails than any other country and hosts more than a third of websites that contain viruses, according a recent report. It has been identified as hosting 34.2 per cent of the world's Web- based malware -...

Washington passes law to ban pre-texting.
January 26, 2007... Washington DC A new law prohibiting the practiec of "pre-texting" has been passed in the US following recent laws that give extra authority to the Federal Trade Commission to protect consumers against spam and Internet fraud (PM January 12)....

Consumers can't get enough of magazines.(Industry overview)
January 26, 2007... Customer publishing in the UK continues to thrive. Last year, customer magazines were named consumers' preferred form of marketing communications by the DMA's Participation Survey. New titles rose by 16 per cent in 2006 and the signs are...

ANALYSIS: Can 'Chelsea tractors' reverse negative image?(environement friendly)
January 26, 2007... 4x4s have become an easy target for environmentalists, with both national and local government on the attack. But how can manufacturers fight popular misconceptions and ensure that sales do not slump? Yet while 4x4s have not always just...

ANALYSIS: The Facts - 4x4.(Brief article)
January 26, 2007... All you ever wanted to know about 4x4s but were too afraid to ask * In 2005, new registrations of 4x4 vehicles in London totalled 11,445 units - 6.3 per cent of the capital's total new car market - representing one in 14 cars. Across the...

ANALYSIS: Email spend soars, but analysis is stuck in slow lane.
January 26, 2007... Email marketing growth shows no sign of slowing, but a report by Alterian exposes the fact that analysis is virtually non-existent. Are marketers just wasting their cash? Charlie McKelvey Believe the predictions and 2007 looks like...

ANALYSIS: Exposing the 'good, bad and ugly' of UK broker sites.
January 26, 2007... Insurance is one of the key beneficiaries of the move online, with most consumers looking to the Web to find the best deals. Yet many firms are still making basic errors Gemma Hummerston UK insurance brokers are not only damaging...

CONSUMER INSIGHT: Healthy hedonists indulge in their well-being.
January 26, 2007... As obesity is seen as a growing social evil, Britons view it as less acceptable to consume indulgences that may adversely affect their health and appearance. People still want treats, but they must be healthy Health has always been...

PROFILE: Smith braced for storm ahead.(Industry overview)
January 26, 2007... Rosemary Smith The three 'Es' of environment, engagement and expertise form the basis of the new DMA chairman's agenda, but is she prepared for the inevitable media onslaught? Jenny HoffbrandNew DMA (UK) chairman Rosemary Smith could...