Precision Marketing articles from May 2005

Precision Marketing archives from May 2005

Fedma 'green' group to justify mail volumes.(Woodland Trust )(Planet Ark)(DMA)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Fedma is following the DMA (UK)'s lead by aiming to improve the direct industry's record on green issues. The pan-European trade body is setting up a committee on environmental issues in response to member demand. Member organisations...

Acxiom launch takes on suppression market.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Acxiom is taking on the likes of Royal Mail, Experian, Equifax and The REaD Group by expanding into the suppression market. The global data-management services company says the launch of its Purity file will help to rid the industry of...

Call for joint action on pitch costs.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... DMA (UK) Agencies Council chairman Chris Arnold has declared war on expensive pitches, calling for industry-wide action to cut the huge cost of the process. Arnold, who was installed a fortnight ago (PM April 22) following the departure...

PIP opponents gain last chance reprieve.(Pricing In Proportion )(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Opponents of Royal Mail's pricing in proportion (PIP) scheme could win a stay of execution for its introduction - pencilled in for April 2006 - if they can convince regulator Postcomm that businesses will not have enough time to adjust. ...

RAC appoints Wegener DM to insurance brief.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... RAC Financial Services has hired Wegener DM Results to drive database marketing for general insurance products. The data management and intelligence division of Wegener DM will also provide consultancy services and manage other marketing...

VisitScotland in drive to target events sector.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... VisitScotland's Business Tourism Unit is campaigning for the country to be perceived as a 'dynamic destination' for business events, meetings and conferences. WWAV Rapp Collins Edinburgh is to send 5,000 top UK corporate events...

Mobius eyes online Carling file with mail blitz.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Coors Brewers is testing a direct mail customer management programme for beer brand Carling, targeting consumers on its online database. Carling has hired Newcastle-upon-Tyne-based direct shop Mobious to put together a test campaign. The...

Lloyds TSB starts direct shake-up.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Lloyds TSB is to create a two-tier direct agency roster, with one agency for its main strategic campaigns, and a pool of others for project work. The bank has invited roster agencies WWAV Rapp Collins, Partners Andrews Aldridge, FCBi...

ID fraud top target for organised crime.(Identity)(Cifas)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... The lack of an identity card system, and a culture of opening bank accounts by phone, Internet and post, is making the UK financial services sector a top target for organised crime, according to fraud prevention service Cifas. Identity...

N&S launches mobile push via Opera Telecom.(Northern & Shell )(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Publishing giant Northern & Shell is targeting readers with celebrity- based services, after ramping up its mobile marketing strategy. People can check their horoscope, enter competitions, send in photographs via MMS, and vote on news...

Action Medical debuts DRTV in Tiny Lives drive.(Direct Response Television)(Action Medical Research )(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Action Medical Research is airing its first DRTV campaign in a bid to recruit donors for its 'Touching Tiny Lives' initiative. The charity aims to raise more than #3m in three years to fund research into premature births, and give...

Whitbread rolls out Brewsters rebranding.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Whitbread is using direct marketing to reveal plans to rebrand its Brewsters outlets into Brewers Fayre restaurants. More than 100 outlets are to be renamed, creating a 400-strong chain. Over 200,000 mailpacks will be sent out to regular...

M&A activity to rocket on back of 'pent-up demand'.(Mergers and Acquisitions)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Senior industry figures are predicting "an extremely active" year for mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the direct sector. According to a joint survey by marketing services consultancies Willott Kingston Smith and Results Business...

BBC selects direct roster to build online audiences.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... The BBC has created a roster of UK digital marketing agencies to service the entire organisation. Following a four-month, pan-European search, which generated over 70 applications, Agency Republic, Modem Media, and a partnership between...

All Response in launch of India search-led shop.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... All Response Media, a direct response media agency, is joining forces with Indian search marketing service Natural Search Solutions to create multinational Search Marketing Agency (SMA). SMA will be one of the largest pay-per-click...

Two shops head PM Awards nominations.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Claydon Heeley Jones Mason and Craik Jones Watson Mitchell Voelkel head the list of finalists for the Precision Marketing Response Awards 2005, with six nominations each. Partners Andrews Aldridge is next, with five. The winners will be...

Holmes Place in online loyalty blitz.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Holmes Place has appointed digital customer management consultancy Mailtrack to manage an online campaign developing customer relationships. Launching this month, it will comprise annual and monthly newsletters to its customer database,...

Digital advances 'overwhelming marketers'.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Some 70 per cent of marketers believe there are "not enough hours in the day" to stay on top of digital innovation, according to a study by Ogilvy Interactive. Meanwhile, 80 per cent of respondents said they were not impressed by any of the...

Ware parts from Ware Anthony Rust.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Robert Ware, chairman of communications agency Ware Anthony Rust (WAR), has sold his shares to board members and a management team, and is to step down after 20 years in charge. Managing director Alison Meadows comments: "Establishing and...

Budgens in bid to drive summer sales.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Budgens is targeting local consumers with a four-month press and instore initiative aimed at driving sales. The push, which launches next week and will run until the end of August, is being handled by WFCA. Instore work has been designed to...

Kidspace embarks on direct offensive.(Kidspace)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Kidspace, a children's entertainment centre based in Romford, Essex, is unveiling a #3m marketing campaign through Crayon, formerly HHM (PM last week). The drive begins in July, and is to include direct mail, door-drops, and radio and press...

Renault in viral blitz for Megane sports marque.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Renault is launching a viral online campaign to promote its Megane Renaultsport 225 model. The drive encourages customers to register for a test-drive at microsite www.testofcharacter.co.uk, which allows them to watch the car in action...

Ex-Saga chief unveils data agency to target over-50s.(Grey Sells)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Saga's former head of customer information Emma Reid is launching a specialist data consultancy, Grey Sells, targeting the over-50s market. The company, which will provide strategic insights into the grey market, claims to already have a...

The Derbyshire in email data-capture drive.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... The Derbyshire, a mutual financial services organisation, is refining its email marketing strategy by using tracking technology to promote its services. Concep, the e-services specialist, is sending tailored messages to 12,000 current...

Johnston Press direct offensive to bolster online used-car sales.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Regional newspaper group Johnston Press is rolling out an integrated campaign to direct readers to online used car service Motors Today. Clark McKay and Walpole North is handling the promotion, which uses the strapline 'Mad about...

SmartFocus opens office in US expansion offensive.(appointed Will Condon as Vice President of Business Development and Technical Consultant)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Connecticut: UK-based software company SmartFocus is setting up a US office to support partners which use its systems, and drive expansion. The North American office, to be based in Stamford, Connecticut, will provide technical support...

EASA appoints French chairman.(European Advertising Standards Alliance)(Appointed Jean-Pierre Teyssier as Chairman)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Brussels: Self-regulatory advertising body the European Advertising Standards Alliance (EASA) has named Jean-Pierre Teyssier chairman. Teyssier is president of the French Bureau de Verification de la Publicite, which is responsible for...

New Zealand councils to impose 'no circular' fines.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Auckland: Direct mail companies face NZ$20,000 (#7,600) fines for sending 'junk mail' to homes which display 'no circular' stickers. North Shore, Rodney District and Waitakere City councils are proposing a bylaw to introduce penalty...

Clients take the lead in Australia.
May 6, 2005... Sydney: Australians have been responsible for many inventions that have made an impact around the world. But the same spirit of innovation doesn't hold true when it comes to the marketing industry. Various factors are responsible for this...

Can Arnold rise to massive challenge?(DMA (UK) Agencies Council)
May 6, 2005... New DMA (UK) Agencies Council chairman Chris Arnold has his work cut out if he is to address the issues which lie ahead. So can his 'change and challenge' philosophy bear fruit? Sara Kimberley reports Chris Arnold, newly installed...

STUART ARCHIBALD: Clients should concentrate on job they do best.
May 6, 2005... A photographer friend told me recently about a client who turned up to a shoot wielding a digital camera, ready to capture his own take on the creative brief. This got me thinking: doubtless, we have all encountered clients with a...

Letter: Anyone feeling brassed off about unfair press?(Letter to the Editor)
May 6, 2005... Emily Cubitt is right to suggest that "the best thing for the list industry would be some good PR to help raise its profile" (Home truths, PM April 22); the puzzle is, how we get any positive messages across to industry and consumers alike,...

Letter: No need for list firms to worry.(Letter to the Editor)
May 6, 2005... I read with interest that list operators are most concerned about public perceptions of the industry (PM April 22). As we're all aware, the direct marketing industry as a whole has recently been through tough times, with Brassed Off Britain...

Segmentation performing at its best can tell a customer's future.
May 6, 2005... COMMENT: BRUCE CARROLL If UK companies made the most of their consumer databases by employing rich segmentation, they would be able to spot their customers' next moves a mile off I can't help thinking that segmentation betrays just...

Letter: Be warned of hefty D2D fees.(Letter to the Editor)
May 6, 2005... Creating new terms and conditions that impose heavy fines on clients that cancel several months in advance is a luxury allowed only to suppliers that dominate a market. Such is the case with Royal Mail and its door-to-door users. A...

Letter: IPA doors open to direct sector.(Letter to the Editor)
May 6, 2005... That was a cheap shot in your Leader column (PM April 22), but I guess it confirms that there is no such thing as a bitch-free lunch - even when you're a guest of the IPA. However, I see a glimmer of support - namely that my serving as the...

LEADER: Time to tackle the pitch battle.
May 6, 2005... There are few issues which raise the hackles of those working in direct marketing more than the pitch process - from tales of phantom accounts to 20-strong shortlists. You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who's happy with the current system,...

Creative critique.(Base One Interactive)
May 6, 2005... Rob MacDonald, Creative director, Euro RSCG KLP Client: Base One Interactive Agency: Base One Art director: David Thomas Copywriter: Jon Bottom The company personalisation is a nice, and necessary, touch in this piece,...

SPECIAL REPORT - DOOR-TO-DOOR: Part of the furniture.
May 6, 2005... Being a physical reference point within a household sounds like a powerful way for a brand to make its presence felt - which door-drops can achieve when performing at their best. But, asks David Reed, how can you ensure your piece is saved for...

SPECIAL REPORT - LOYALTY MARKETING: Perks of the job.
May 6, 2005... Retaining customers is a clear priority for companies, but their chances are slim if they can't hold on to valued staff. Michele Witthaus suggests they should be looking to reward their employees, as well as their customers The growth in...

Property website lets visitor list.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Property portal www.primelocation.com is making its list of registered users available to the market. The majority are homeowners, with household incomes above the national average. Avongate is managing the list, which it claims...

Conduit offers start-ups data.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Data provider Conduit is offering free business records to companies that have started up within the last 12 months. The deal is available in May only. New companies brief Conduit on their target audience, and it will then provide the...

Catalink.com unveils buyers.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Catalink.com, an Internet portal for catalogues, is releasing its updated list of over 140,000 prospects through Go Direct Marketing. The list broker claims that contacts on the database are 'serious' mail order buyers who have proactively...

Bella Valore to name mothers.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Maternity wear catalogue Bella Valore is putting its list of 18,603 subscribers on the market through Isis Direct. The average order from the catalogue is #65, with multibuyers ordering three or four times a year. Bella Valore customers...

PDV releases contestants file.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... PDV, a group of entertainment websites, is offering a postal and email database of users to the market. The file comprises registrants on sites including the dailydraw.com and chooseaprize.com. Individuals have agreed to view advertisers'...

Cuffe promoted to top HelpIT Systems role.(Promoted Chris Cuffe to Managing Director)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Data-cleansing software provider HelpIT Systems has promoted Chris Cuffe from general manager to managing director. Cuffe joined the company in 2003, and will now be responsible for developing strategic partnerships, market analysis and...

Rich takes up non-executive offer at Cello Group.(Appointed Allan Rich as Non-executive director)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Cello Group, the marketing services holding company, has brought Allan Rich out of retirement to hire him as a non-executive director. Rich was executive group director and vice-chairman of Mediacom UK before he retired in 2003. Cello...

WDMP makes triple appointment.(Appointments )(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... WDMP has appointed three account managers. Lauren O'Rooke Walker joins as senior accountant from JDA Leeds; Katherine Francis as account manager from Chilli Marketing; and Suzy Sandison as junior account manager from EHS Brann. The newcomers...

Nice work: Susanne Goller.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2005... Name: Susanne Goller Company: Geronimo Department: Planning Job title: Insight manager Responsibilities: I manage UK insight research for my client Nestle Purina Petcare UK. This entails supplying brand teams with insight that...

Shift offshore 'huge success' in lifting service.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2005... Offshore call centres are flying in the face of negative publicity, with UK companies planning wholesale moves overseas. According to delegates at the recent Offshore Customer Management International Conference in Delhi, offshoring is...

Royal Mail profits surge to spark compensation payout.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2005... Royal Mail is set to announce #500m to #600m profits for 2004-5, opening the way for compensation payments to businesses, and triggering #200m-worth of staff bonuses. The move follows Postwatch chairman Peter Carr's call for business...

Rolls-Royce hands HTW global Phantom blitz.(Harrison Troughton Wunderman )(Brief Article)
May 13, 2005... Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is gearing up for a major global direct marketing blitz for its Phantom marque. The move comes on the back of last year's revival, which saw the company achieve its highest car sales for 14 years. Harrison Troughton...

TPG Post in worldwide rebrand to TNT Post.(Royal TPG Post)(Brief Article)
May 13, 2005... Royal TPG Post, the Dutch post office group which is challenging Royal Mail's grip on the UK market, is rebranding globally as TNT Post. The decision, intended to strengthen the brand in international markets, brings TPG into line with UK...

Starfish invites fundraising via dinner parties.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2005... Starfish, a global charity dedicated to supporting children in southern Africa affected by HIV and AIDS, has launched its first online fundraising initiative, entitled Dinners of Hope. The drive encourages participants to hold dinner...

Vauxhall rolls out last leg of Astra offensive.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2005... Vauxhall is unleashing an online and direct mail blitz to promote the new Astra Sport Hatch and drive customers into the showrooms. Draft London is behind a series of online ads that will feature on the websites of men's motoring and...

Compass adopts 'friendlier' image.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2005... Compass Finance, the consolidation and debt services company, has handed its #2m direct marketing business to The Black Hole. The agency is to rebrand the service to adjust its 'abrasive' image, making it more emotional and less...

Finance companies 'neglecting callers'.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2005... Financial services providers are losing almost one-third of prospect enquiries generated by marketing campaigns because they are unable to cope with consumer demand. The findings come from London-based SMS response technology provider...

Scottish Life to target IFAs in press activity.(The Union)(Independent Financial Advisers)(Brief Article)
May 13, 2005... Pension specialist Scottish Life is devising a responsive press campaign targeting independent financial advisers (IFAs). Scottish creative agency The Union has won the business after a four- way pitch. It will launch a series of press ads...

Bushmills mail blitz lures online club members.(Beechwood)(Brief Article)
May 13, 2005... Irish Distillers is launching an online customer management programme for whiskey brand Bushmills. Marketing communications agency Beechwood has created the 1608 Club concept - named after the year in which the Bushmills Distillery first...

Five in spoof horror blitz for Farm series two.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2005... Five is rolling out a direct campaign to promote the second series of celebrity reality TV programme The Farm. Targeting 16- to 35-year-olds, the mailpack features 3D-glasses to view a series of spoof horror film postcards, while...

Occam predictive model to bolster charity mailshots.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2005... Charities are set to benefit from Occam.predict, a fundraising data solution which launches this week. Database services specialist Occam claims the tool will increase charities' recruitment potential. The predictive mailing model...

Sunderland University in hunt for full-service shop.(University of Sunderland)(Brief Article)
May 13, 2005... The University of Sunderland is seeking a full-service agency to execute direct mail initiatives, working closely with its marketing and student recruitment teams. Incumbent Robson Brown has been invited to repitch for the six-figure...

Peugeot mailing to target launch hot prospects.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2005... Peugeot is taking the handbrake off a direct marketing drive to boost pre-launch awareness of its 1007 compact car. EHS Brann has put together a direct mail campaign to target hot prospects. A series of communications in the next few weeks...

Alzheimer's Society appeals for support.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2005... The Alzheimer's Society is launching a mailing drive in an attempt to increase donations for research into the incurable disease. WWAV Rapp Collins Bristol is working on the campaign, and will send a package to 53,000 current donors and...

The Pier hires Exact Abacus to build efficiency.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2005... Furniture retailer The Pier is outsourcing its IT services to direct marketing solutions provider Exact Abacus. The company aims to improve its mail order operations by implementing Exact's 3EX multichannel software, integrating The...

Fantasy Sport in call for game sponsorship.(Mailtrack)(Brief Article)
May 13, 2005... Fantasy Sport, the online gaming brand, is seeking sponsors through a direct marketing drive. It has appointed online, design and data consultancy Mailtrack to run the initiative. Fantasy Sport games allow players to interact with...

Gala Group scoops IDM award.(Institute of Direct Marketing)(Brief Article)
May 13, 2005... Gala Group, the bingo operator, and its agencies Perspektiv Marketing and ISD Computer Services, are the first winners of the Institute of Direct Marketing's (IDM) Diamond Business Performance Award. The silver award went to Draft London and...

Camelot scouts for digital agency.(Camelot Group PLC)(Brief Article)
May 13, 2005... Camelot is reviewing its #3m digital media account, currently held by Tribal DDB and Media Contacts. Alongside the incumbents, Profero, Agency Republic and Unique Digital are thought to be pitching. Tribal was handed the online creative briefs...

AOL reviews direct arrangements.(marketing contracts)(Brief Article)
May 13, 2005... AOL, the Internet services provider, is embarking on a shake-up of its direct marketing strategy by discussing its #6m account with agencies. It currently uses Joshua and its own inhouse team, but it is believed the company is keen to...

Which? appoints Bright to direct work.(Consumers Association)(Brief Article)
May 13, 2005... Which?, formerly the Consumers' Association, is understood to have appointed Bright to handle part of its direct business. It is not known how the move will affect Rapiers, which was appointed by former marketing director Geoff Hurst, who has...

BT embarks on B2B campaign.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2005... BT is kicking off a business-to-business (B2B) drive to highlight security and customer management. The campaign includes TV and press ads, and online work. It is part of the telecom giant's biggest-ever B2B initiative. The company is hoping...

Bristol & West targets ISA at heavy spenders.
May 13, 2005... Bristol & West is running a major campaign featuring direct elements to attract people to a new ISA product. Rhythmm Communications, the independent, Bristol-based agency, is launching the drive for the Regular Saver Fixed Rate ISA. With...

British Legion plans biggest drive for VE Day anniversary.(Victory in Europe Day)(Brief Article)
May 13, 2005... Royal British Legion is targeting 10 million people with a campaign on the back of events to mark the 60th anniversary of VE Day. The charity is unveiling its biggest ever integrated campaign in a bid to raise over #3m. The drive, created...

Organic milk door-drop push targets families.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2005... The Organic Milk Suppliers Co-operative is promoting its first product, Altogether Better, in a door-drop campaign targeting over 800,000 families. The mailpack, created by London-based agency Steam, includes money-off coupons and...

Guardian in cookbook mailing blitz to lure foodies.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2005... The Guardian is contacting 10,000 foodies with direct mail to promote its serialisation of the New River Cafe Cookbook, which will this month appear in two Saturday editions. The drive, created by Claydon Heeley Jones Mason, uses sheets...

Gyro selects H-P chief to head new German office.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2005... Hamburg: Gyro International, a UK-based integrated brand communications agency, is expanding its network in Germany, in response to demand from its international client base. The agency is opening a branch in Hamburg, following the recent...

Global mobile revenue 'surging'.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2005... Calabasas, California: Global mobile phone revenue is set to rise by $53bn (#28bn) to $124bn (#66bn) in the next five years, through the use of SMS, MMS, games and ringtones. According to a report from Informa Telecoms * Media, operators...

Europe heading for 'complete mobile penetration'.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2005... Rome: Mobile penetration in Europe is forecast to reach 100 per cent by 2007, according to research by UK-based telecoms, IT and media adviser Analysys Research. Active penetration already exceeded 100 per cent by the end of 2004 in...

Norway enters permission era.(direct marketing)
May 13, 2005... Oslo: Marketers in Norway have over the past year noticed distinct changes in the economic and political climate with regards to direct marketing. The economic outlook and marketing spend are on the up again, after years of recession. However,...

Offshore call centres win over the doubters.
May 13, 2005... UK consumers may be grumbling about having to deal with overseas call centres, but it looks like they are there to stay. Reporting from the Offshore Customer Management International Conference, Emily Cubitt charts the story so far ...

CHRIS THOMAS: Why some rate mobile phones better than sex.
May 13, 2005... Imagine an established, highly interactive channel through which you could engage 89 per cent of the adult population. Now imagine what you could do if 80 per cent of those people kept this channel open 24 hours a day, every day. The...

Letter: Consumers will lose out in an opt-out culture too.(Letter to the Editor)
May 13, 2005... Having read your 'Permission impossible?' Special Report (PM April 15), I feel someone needs to champion the cause of continued opt-out for direct mail, because the industry seems to be drifting towards opt-in without putting up a fight. ...

Letter: Weak case for size-based fees.(Letter to the Editor)
May 13, 2005... May I commend Mark Thomson, director of sales and customer service at Royal Mail, on his incongruous wit. I recently received a letter from him telling me about Royal Mail's pricing in proportion policy. He explained that the changes...

Why aren't we measuring direct lead generation like we used to?(Column)
May 13, 2005... COMMENT: MIKE COLLING For an industry that is supposed to be all about response, we should be paying more attention to accountability, to demonstrate clients' return on investment I took my first steps into the world of direct...