Precision Marketing articles from November 2006

Precision Marketing archives from November 2006

Army unleashes youth blitz.
November 3, 2006... The Army is aiming to stem its recruitment crisis - which has seen new recruits plunge by 30 per cent - by expanding youth membership programme Camouflage, to encourage 13to 17-year-olds to consider a career in the Forces. The new...

Shottons seal Mailcom buy-back.(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... NewLogic has sealed the purchase of Mailcom, reuniting the Shotton family and many of the original line-up with the company they founded in the early Eighties. Mailcom was launched in Milton Keynes in 1982, before establishing a presence...

Harley-Davidson hunts agency for European drive.(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... Harley-Davidson is understood to be seeking an agency to handle a direct marketing brief, as part of plans to tap into a wider European market. Last year the company launched a clothing and toys range in Europe to bolster its popularity...

IN BRIEF: AIS integrated restructure.(Archibald Ingall Stretton)(Jo Boyd )(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... Archibald Ingall Stretton (AIS) is restructuring to bring all of its specialist offerings into an integrated outfit. The restructure includes the appointment of Jo Boyd to managing director and expansion of the data planning department....

IN BRIEF: MP's recycling record exposed.(Member of Parliament )(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... A junior Government minister at the forefront of the push to increase direct mail recycling has been caught ignoring the rules of his local council. Parliamentary Under-Secretary Ben Bradshaw, who stresses the importance of recycling to...

IN BRIEF: Habitat pushes upmarket Xmas.(Habitat International Ltd.)(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... Habitat is aiming to reposition itself as an affordable designer-home store through a Christmas direct marketing campaign. The drive, created by WDMP, will target high-spending, loyal customers, focusing on cardholders and responders, as well...

IN BRIEF: TV licensing lands IPA gold.(IPA Effectiveness Awards)(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... Proximity London has scooped a gold award and a special prize for Best Integration for its BBC TV Licensing campaign at the 2006 IPA Effectiveness Awards. The integrated push encouraged record numbers of students to buy a TV licence. In total,...

Wegener UK management depart in wake of DLG deal.(Caroline Kimber, Tony Lamb, Rob Purdie, Jonathan Burston and Nick Wright)(Wegener Direct Marketing)(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... The majority of Wegener DM UK's management team has left 'with immediate effect' two weeks after DLG bought the business from Dutch parent Koninklijke Wegener. Marketing director Caroline Kimber, technical development director Tony...

Viral video promotes webcams to PC users.(Logitech )(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... PC peripheral manufacturer Logitech is launching a viral video on the back of its first push last year to promote webcams to professional computer users. 'Our secret' continues the story which began in 'Working late' - the viral video...

Cascaid branches out on both sides of border.(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... Direct marketing agency Cascaid is branching out in Ireland as part of its long-term growth strategy and aims to bridge the gap in the charity specialist market in the region. Cascaid Ireland is to serve both southern and northern Ireland...

Mars boosts Pedigree with 'premium brand' offensive.
November 3, 2006... Mars-owned dog food brand Pedigree is launching a customer management campaign as part of a new personalised strategy aimed at repositioning it as a premium brand. The drive, which also flags up the brand's new strapline, 'it's a dog...

Volvo blitz reaches out to mothers.
November 3, 2006... Safety-driven car manufacturer Volvo is reaching out to mothers through a targeted direct mail campaign. The drive will be executed in two parts, encouraging 20,000 recipients to register their details to take a test drive or request a...

S Africa offers #71m incentive.(Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative )(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... UK brand-owners are being urged to switch to South African contact centres on the back of an estimated R1 billion (#71m) incentive scheme, planned by the South African government. The outsourcing industry has been identified as one of the...

IN BRIEF: IPC to bolster reader insight.(IPC Media)(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... IPC Media is bolstering its subscriber database in an effort to create a single customer view across all records. The magazine publisher has appointed Alchemetrics to the brief. It will migrate data from the incumbent database supplier and...

IN BRIEF: EHS Discovery in shake-up.(EHS Brann Discovery has handed the role to operations director Ol Janus)(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... EHS Brann Discovery has united client services and data development under a single boss, and handed the role to operations director Ol Janus. The move, which sees Janus take over the client services job, vacated by Tash Whitmey earlier this...

IN BRIEF: Transactis unveils Xmas spenders.(Transactis, Inc. )(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... Transactional data co-operative Transactis is launching a Christmas Spenders segmentation of over 3 million people who spend more money in the run up to Christmas. The list has been compiled by analysing the shopping trends of names on...

IN BRIEF: Help the Aged in loneliness drive.(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... Help the Aged is launching a Christmas fundraising campaign to raise funds and awareness of the loneliness faced by many older people during the festive season. The initiative, which has been developed by Joshua G2, is dubbed 'One is the...

Smoking ban assault to shore up support.(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... The Government is launching a major responsive marketing campaign to secure public support in the run up to next year's smoking ban in England and Wales. Created by Golley Slater, the campaign is to kick off at 'smoking blackspots' in...

Experian boosts customer insight.(Experian Information Solutions Inc)(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... Experian is teaming up with ClarityBlue for the first time since acquiring the firm for #85m in January, to launch what is claimed to be its single biggest marketing solution to date, Experian Fusion. The solution links ClarityBlue's...

Is it time for one-to-one or mass customisation?
November 3, 2006... Is direct marketing about to jump into true one-to-one marketing? This is one of a host of questions that presented themselves at a recent roundtable debate convened by Broadsystem Marketing is supposed to be following an evolutionary...

US state fines firms for No Call list breach.(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... Missouri Four businesses are to be fined $100,000 (#53,000) for violating Missouri's No Call list and making calls to numbers registered on it. The US' largest provider of direct broadcast satellite services, DirecTV, will pay half of the...

French grocery chain in Dunnhumby tie-up.(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... Paris Grocery retailer Groupe Casino is aiming to strengthen its customer insight by joining forces with Dunnhumby to create Dunnhumby France. The long-term joint venture is to draw on data from Casino's loyalty card programmes to inform...

France direct spend double other media.(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... Lille Direct marketing spend in France has increased by 4.7 per cent in the past year, to more than double the amount spent on all other types of communications, according to a report. The study, published by the Union Francaise du...

Global drives need a local perspective.
November 3, 2006... An emphasis on local markets is invariably required for international campaigns, especially when the overhaul campaign funnels through to customer management channels. Without it, campaigns can become detached, impersonal and, at worst,...

ANALYSIS: Winners and losers of Royal Mail's zonal pricing plans.
November 3, 2006... As Royal Mail plans to introduce a zonal pricing system, its rivals are worried that things are about to get harder in the postal game. But Royal Mail insists it is competing fairly Royal Mail's one-price-goes-anywhere service, which...

ANALYSIS: The Facts - Royal Mail.(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... All you ever wanted to know about zonal pricing but were too afraid to ask * Royal Mail has 100,000 postmen and women delivering mail to 10,500 postcode areas. The new pricing policy would cover: Mailsort 120 1st, 2nd and 3rd class;...

ANALYSIS: Consumer choice site aims to calm 'junk mail' storm.
November 3, 2006... With direct mail critics as vocal as ever, both Government and campaigners are looking for ways to reduce the burden. Is the new website itsmypost.com, which boosts customer choice, the answer? Direct mail has been subjected to an elevated...

ANALYSIS: Are complaints about silent calls falling on deaf ears?(Office of Communications, UK)
November 3, 2006... As a BBC report looks into the persistent nuisance of 'silent calls', Ofcom insists it is dealing with the problem and will soon start fining those firms which continue flout the new rules Believe everything you read and you may be...

OPINION: Niche the new mass in world of search.(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... In the US alone, 5.6 billion searches were done by home and work surfers this July, according to Neilsen.NetRatings for SearchEnginesWatch.com (this does not include internal searches at a particular site). Align this with the emergence of rich...

LETTER: How people respond as important as how many.(Letter to the editor)
November 3, 2006... Helen Davies' piece on integration was spot on (PM October 6). With search marketing generally way more cost-effective than traditional acquisition channels, more marketing spend is moving inexorably in the online direction. Why spend #50 to...

LETTER: Consumers want facts and benefits.(Letter to the editor)
November 3, 2006... Your News Analysis (PM October 6) regarding the launch of Smarteez quotes Tequila\London's Cordell Burke: "There is still a place for creative, so long as it is relevant." You don't say? Nothing like stating the bleeding obvious. For him...

LETTER: Baker's argument forgets charities.(Letter to the editor)
November 3, 2006... I saw the report of your interview with Norman Baker MP. I have rarely read such nonsense. Baker cannot help being stupid, but he can help being ignorant. He states: "At some point you have to take a view on what society benefits from."...

VIEWPOINT: Loyalty schemes for attack not defence.
November 3, 2006... Loyalty programmes are at their most effective in offensive campaigns to lure new customers, rather than a mechanism to retain disaffected ones Retaining customers is one of the prerequisites of any marketing department - often, for more...

LEADER: Recycling creating a no-win situation.(David Miliband)
November 3, 2006... Imagine, just for a moment, that you're in the shoes of Environment Minister David Miliband. You've had quite a busy week, especially since the publication of the Stern Report, predicting the true cost of ignoring global warming. The...

CONSUMER INSIGHT: Wealthiest pensioners feeling in pink down South.
November 3, 2006... Greys in the Pink - the UK consumer group with the highest net worth - are former high-earners who invested wisely and are now reaping the benefits in retirement Over the past few weeks we have been looking at younger generations that...

PROFILE: Team leader in direct adventure.(Andrew Shelton of Virgin Holidays Ltd.)
November 3, 2006... Andrew Shelton Virgin Holidays' marketing boss not only has the travel bug, but a clear vision of how the use of technology in direct channels will help shape the future direction of the sector Sara Kimberley Most marketers like to...

Creative critique: 03.11.06.(Plan International, LTSB Home Insurance)
November 3, 2006... The last time I did a Creative Critique I inadvertently slung so much mud at my fellow creative agencies that everyone now hates me. Ho-hum. This time I've decided to be really diplomatic, to see if I'm invited to the Christmas parties of...

CHARITY: Emergency measures.(online donation raises million overnight)
November 3, 2006... The immediacy of the Web makes it perfect for urgent charity appeals, meaning millions can be raised literally overnight. But using online techniques to build relationships is a different matter When Hurricane Katrina struck the US' Gulf...

DIGITAL PRINT: Getting personal.(personalization in digital printing)
November 3, 2006... Truly personalised communication through digital printing has been promised for nearly a decade. So why has take-up been so slow? David ReedThe first time you see it, the mailing can be quite entertaining. Your name where a car's...

DATA INTEGRITY/PROSPECTING: Is customer always right?(consumer loyalty)
November 3, 2006... Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors Many businesses market to existing customers, figuring it is cheaper and easier. But can you be sure they are not someone else's customers too? David Reed Scratch a direct marketer...

LIST/INSERT FILE: Expert Verdict unveils names.
November 3, 2006... Expert Verdict has refreshed its database of individuals who have purchased the latest technological developments from its mail order catalogue. The file, which is now available through Prospect Swetenhams, offers over 49,000 purchasers...

LIST/INSERT FILE: Mensgiftshop in database release.(Mensgiftshop.con)(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... Mensgiftshop.com/Him has unveiled an insert opportunity through Fig Tree DM. The company sells gifts and accessories for men of all ages. Customers are mainly women who buy for their partners, sons, fathers and grandfathers. They are...

LIST/INSERT FILE: Joe Browns puts file up for rent.(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... Joe Browns, the lifestyle mail order fashion house, has updated its file and is offering it for rent through Tri-Direct. The database, comprising more than 240,000 names, has been collated through various channels, including direct mail,...

LIST/INSERT FILE: Wooden Toys reveals new list.(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... Wooden Toys has released an insert opportunity through Fig Tree DM. The company sells traditional toys and games to parents of children aged primarily between two and ten, through its mail order catalogue and online store. The customer...

LIST/INSERT FILE: Lifestyle data goes on market.(directory is introduced by Integral Marketing Inc.)(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... A new file called Portrait Lifestyles has been launched through Integral Marketing. The list consists of over 39,000 records of consumers and their home address. The database has been created via cooperative telephone research, providing...

MOVING PEOPLE: Fuel AdNetwork lures management duo.(Fuel AdNetwork has appointed Natalie Joseph account manager and Ritchie Boubouli agency sales manager)(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... Fuel AdNetwork, Dealgroupmedia's online advertising network, has appointed Natalie Joseph account manager and Ritchie Boubouli agency sales manager. They will deal with clients such as The Betting Site, MEN Arena, Office Humour and Ecademy....

MOVING PEOPLE: BSI picks head of global marketing.(Gerald Eastwood appointed as head of global marketing)(Alastair Trivett appointed as managing director )(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... BSI Product Services has recruited Gerald Eastwood as head of global marketing. His appointment follows a strategic review of the organisation's functions by new managing director Alastair Trivett. Eastwood specialised in global business...

MOVING PEOPLE: Poulters expands team with three recruits.(Ross Hewitt appointed as digital head)(Anna Mawhinney appointed as digital account manager)(Pam Manku appointed as digital project manager)(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... Integrated marketing agency Poulters has made a flurry of appointments to its digital department. Ross Hewitt joins the Leeds-based shop as head of digital. Previously with Scarborough Building Society, Hewitt has vast experience of the...

MOVING PEOPLE: Bonham Group chooses Euro chief executive.(Paul Samuels appointed as chief executive officer)(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... The Bonham Group has named Paul Samuels chief executive of its European operation. Samuels, former head of sponsorship for O2 UK, will take up the role on November 20. He is to be responsible for building The Bonham Group brand in Europe and...

MOVING PEOPLE: Broadsystem lands ClarityBlue chief.(Paul Kennedy appointed as head of professional services)(Brief article)
November 3, 2006... Broadsystem has hired Paul Kennedy as head of professional services. Kennedy joins from ClarityBlue, where he was relationship director for two major financial services clients. Prior to this, he worked as an account director at MM...

Postwatch axe sparks industry fears.
November 17, 2006... Government plans to scrap Postwatch and fold it into a new 'superbody' - confirmed in this week's Queen's Speech - have sparked fears that the direct marketing industry will lose a powerful ally, just as postal deregulation starts to kick...

Harley-Davidson hires McCann Birmingham.(McCann Erickson Birmingham has appointed to handle its integrated account)(Brief article)
November 17, 2006... Harley-Davidson has appointed McCann Erickson Birmingham to handle its integrated account, following a four-way pitch (PM November 3). The agency is to be tasked with promoting the new range of 2007 Harley- Davidson bikes, including its...

Rapier chief to head PM Awards judging.(Precision Marketing Response Awards for John Townshend )(Brief article)
November 17, 2006... Rapier creative partner John Townshend is to chair the Precision Marketing Response Awards for the next two years. Townshend takes over from former Sharpen Troughton Owens Response managing partner Martin Troughton, who stepped down this...

IN BRIEF: ICO bolsters ID theft offensive.(campaign)(Information Commissioner Office)(Brief article)
November 17, 2006... The Information Commissioner's Office is attempting to combat the growing menace of identity theft in the UK by launching an interactive DVD campaign, dubbed 'The lights are on...' to improve understanding of the Data Protection Act. Designed...

IN BRIEF: Consumers offer data for just #10.(Brief article)
November 17, 2006... Consumers are willing to part with their personal information for as little as #10, according to a survey. The most attractive incentive was revealed to be hard cash or vouchers. Other incentives that proved attractive to consumers willing to...

IN BRIEF: Cats Protection in Heyday link.(Heyday)(Brief article)
November 17, 2006... Cats Protection has signed a strategic marketing partnership with Heyday, a subdivision of Age Concern, to raise awareness of both charities' causes and attract a wider supporter base. The relationship will involve a number of joint campaigns,...

IN BRIEF: Morphy Richards pushes retro gear.( campaign)(Brief article)
November 17, 2006... Electrical appliance group Morphy Richards is to promote its limited edition retro Head Gear range, targeting women in a major integrated campaign. The limited edition range celebrates 70 years of Morphy Richards, and includes retro...

Royal Mail locks horns with green groups over new hub.
November 17, 2006... Royal Mail is embroiled in a major environmental row, sparking outrage among wild-life campaigners, by finalising plans to build a distribution warehouse and lorry park at one of the UK's main sites for endangered animals. The Thurrock...

Guide Dogs for Blind hands gifts to donors.(Brief article)
November 17, 2006... The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association is launching a festive fundraising appeal in the run up to Christmas, targeting its loyal supporter base. The campaign, developed by TDA, is designed to thank donors for their generosity by giving...

Pernod Ricard in first Glenlivet mail assault.(Glenlivet Distillers Ltd.)(Brief article)
November 17, 2006... Pernod Ricard UK's malt whisky brand The Glenlivet is returning to direct marketing for the first time in three years, and has appointed Beechwood to handle its account. The brand has not received any direct marketing support since it...

Hamleys appoints chiefs in online marketing expansion.(Stella Hartley appointed as a marketing director )(Brief article)
November 17, 2006... Hamleys is to expand its online operation with the appointment of a new marketing team, including a marketing chief and head of direct marketing, who joins from Playboy UK. The drive will be spearheaded by marketing director Stella...

Art Fund unveils saved treasures.(Brief article)
November 17, 2006... The Art Fund is launching its first campaign since appointing OgilvyOne in the summer. The drive consists of a series of posters on the London Underground, featuring masterpieces that have been saved by The Art Fund, and at exhibitions...

Clampdown on phishing scams.
November 17, 2006... Anti-fraud legislation to close a number of loopholes - including the possession of computer files used for phishing scams - has been passed into law for England and Wales. The rise of 'phishing techniques', whereby fraudsters steal bank...

IN BRIEF: Agencies vie for Pilsner Urquell.(Brief article)
November 17, 2006... SABMiller, the company behind Carling Black Label, is reported to be seeking a direct agency to promote Pilsner Urquell lager, as part of a long-term strategy to boost the brand's profile. Several agencies are understood to have been invited...

IN BRIEF: Icstis warns of delivery scam.(phone bills)(Brief article)
November 17, 2006... Premium rate regulator Icstis is warning consumers and businesses to beware of a delivery scam which could lead them to unwittingly run up huge phone bills. The scam, from a service provider called Studio Telecom, urges people to phone a...

IN BRIEF: Thomson mobile home boost.(Brief article)
November 17, 2006... Tour operator Thomson is aiming to debunk the 'gas stove and dodgy crockery' image of mobile home holidays by appointing Bright to push its Thomson Alfresco brand. The agency has been charged with dispelling the traditional belief that...

IN BRIEF: RNLI offers #2.5m lifeboat.(Royal National Lifeboat Institution)(Brief article)
November 17, 2006... The Royal National Lifeboat Institution has launched a virtual gift catalogue which includes a Tamar lifeboat worth #2.5m. The catalogue, developed by Whitewater, will be sent to a large portion of the RNLI database, which includes members,...

Amnesty pools data to boost membership.(Amnesty International UK )(Brief article)
November 17, 2006... Amnesty International UK is overhauling its supporter database - pooling data from a number of different systems - as part of a strategy that is designed to expand its membership from 300,000 to 1 million by 2011. The human rights charity...

Housley returns to totalhotspots.(Mike Housley quits LBM Ltd.)(Brief article)
November 17, 2006... LBM strategic development director Mike Housley has quit after two years to concentrate on global wifi hotspots directory totalhotspots.com, which he helped to set up in 2003. Housley, who joined LBM when it sold a controlling stake to...

ON THE WEB: Arc nets Barclays investment brief.(Brief article)
November 17, 2006... Barclays has appointed Arc to handle its pan-European Barclays Global Investors (BGI) account. BGI, the world's largest fund manager, had been working with Personal, part of the Engine Group, until recently, although it was claimed the split...

ON THE WEB: Acxiom mystery over sick chiefs.(Brief article)
November 17, 2006... Two of Acxiom's senior bosses - Dawn Orr and Jon Cano Lopez - have been signed off sick, allegedly with stress, sparking speculation of a major bust-up with the company's management. Orr, UK data group leader, and Cano Lopez, European data...

ON THE WEB: Rogue postie lines up for award.(Roger Annies, Royal Mail First Class People award)(Brief article)
November 17, 2006... Direct industry nemesis Roger Annies - the postie who was suspended in the summer for advising customers on how to stop unwanted mail - could be nominated for a Royal Mail First Class People award after a campaign by a local paper. He was...

INTEGRATION: Barnardo's broadens young carers assault.(Brief article)
November 17, 2006... Barnardo's is launching the second phase of its 'Hidden lives' campaign, to encourage 175,000 people to sign up and support young carers across the UK. The drive, created by BBH, aims to raise funds and build awareness of young carers...

INTEGRATION: Public trust blogs over marketing.
November 17, 2006... UK consumers trust blogging sites more than newspapers, TV advertisements or email marketing campaigns, according to a study. The research, conducted by Ipsos-Mori across Europe, shows that blogs are now the second-most trusted source of...

INTEGRATION: Clients/agencies: try talking to each other.
November 17, 2006... I was recently doing an IDM lecture on that well-trodden subject: the client/agency relationship. I asked the clients how many worked with a great agency. Not a single hand popped up. Stunned, I asked the agency folk the same question in...

Australia fines first firm under Spam Act.(Brief article)
November 17, 2006... Sydney Marketing firm Clarity1 has the dubious honour of being the first firm to be convicted under Australia's new Spam Act, for sending 200 million unsolicited emails, resulting in an A$5.5m (#2.2m) fine. The fine was handed down by...

EuroDirect launches Cameo in South Africa.(EuroDirect is launching consumer classification system Cameo )(Brief article)
November 17, 2006... South Africa EuroDirect is launching consumer classification system Cameo in South Africa. The South African version has been expanded to complement the comprehensive range of systems already in use in the UK and Europe. Created using the...

China unveils plan to sell off postal service.(China's State Council is planning to turn postal service)(Brief article)
November 17, 2006... China China's State Council is planning to turn postal service China Post into a $10bn (#5.2bn) standalone company, in a move that will see one of the last bastions of the Communist regime sold off. Under the plan, approved last week by...

It's time for DMA to engage new guard.(Direct Marketing Association)
November 17, 2006... I had a productive and enjoyable US DMA annual conference in San Francisco. Since I've missed a few years of the DMA's showcase event, this visit was a good opportunity to gauge the state of the industry and the association's own brand....

ANALYSIS: Can South Africa woo brands to join Cape crusade?
November 17, 2006... The South African government has announced a R1bn (#71m) incentive fund to attract contact centre work from firms in the UK, Europe and US. But is the timing right, given the recent offshoring row? Given the recent furore over offshoring...

ANALYSIS: The Facts - South African Market.(Brief article)
November 17, 2006... All you ever wanted to know about the South African market but were too afraid to ask * The contact centre and business process outsourcing industry is the fastest growing sector in terms of employment in Cape Town, and continues to grow...

ANALYSIS: Is Acxiom Europe paying price for 'double whammy'?
November 17, 2006... With the heads of both its sales and services divisions off sick, speculation is mounting that all is not well at Acxiom. Is the 'double whammy' of UK pressure and US action to blame? The news that two of Acxiom's senior bosses - Dawn Orr...

ANALYSIS: Charities vying for wealth of Christmas donations.
November 17, 2006... Most charities are now embarking on their major Christmas campaigns, in an attempt to attract Yuletide donations. But for how long will seasonal goodwill work? With Christmas looming, it may not be a great surprise to learn that most...

PROFILE: Aristocrat doing it for himself.
November 17, 2006... John Townshend Rapier's creative partner knows that getting major clients to be integrated is a big risk for them, but firmly believes it is the way ahead Sara Kimberley The Townshend family has come a long way since the second...