Precision Marketing articles from October 2008

Precision Marketing archives from October 2008

IN BRIEF: Lib Dems rapped over automated calls.(Brief article)
October 13, 2008... The Liberal Democrats party has conceded making unsolicited direct marketing calls, following an investigation by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) that found the party in breach of its regulations. The ICO has taken action against...

IN BRIEF: SMA appoints Partners Andrews Aldridge for #2m direct brief.(SMA Nutrition)(Brief article)
October 13, 2008... Baby formula company SMA Nutrition has appointed Partners Andrews Aldridge to handle its #2m online and CRM account. The agency won the pitch - handled by the AAR - against Tullo Marshall Warren (TMW), Tequila and EHS Brann Cirencester. The...

IN BRIEF: Rapp Collins Worldwide rebrands as Rapp.(WWAV Rapp Collins)(Brief article)
October 13, 2008... Rapp Collins Worldwide is rebranding its global network to Rapp putting an end to the renowned WWAV and Collins' names. The network's UK agency WWAV Rapp Collins will change its name in mid October. The Omnicom owned network will rebrand all...

IN BRIEF: Dodds takes key role at Proximity.(Brief article)
October 13, 2008... Mike Dodds, chief executive of OgilvyOne London, has become the new head of Proximity London. Dodds joins Proximity at a key time and takes the place of Amanda Phillips who resigned following the agency's recent merger with Craik Jones....

IN BRIEF: Postwatch folds into Consumer Focus.(Brief article)
October 13, 2008... Postal watchdog Postwatch has folded after eight years into merged beefed up body, Consumer Focus. The new Government body that has formed through merging Postwatch, Energywatch and the National Consumer Council, aims to be a more powerful...

IN BRIEF: Meteorite handed Ipsos MORI recruitment task.(Brief article)
October 13, 2008... International research company Ipsos MORI has appointed Meteorite to handle its graduate recruitment campaign. The campaign aims to banish any negative and outdated preconceptions graduates may have about a career in research. ...

IN BRIEF: MC&C merges with PI Media.(Mike Colling and Co.)(Brief article)
October 13, 2008... MC&C is to merge with PI Media but will retain its name. Founder of PI Media, Prager Proximity and former managing director of CIA Direct Ian Prager will remain within the business. The newly merged agency will add PI Media's client list,...

IN BRIEF: Comparethemarket review #20m account.(Brief article)
October 13, 2008... Comparison website comparethemarket.com is reviewing its #20m integrated account, just over a year after appointing VCCP. The price comparison website appointed VCCP in March 2007. The review is be handled by the AAR and VCCP has been invited...

IN BRIEF: Nectar embraces online in 'green' drive.(Brief article)
October 13, 2008... Nectar is ditching its offline coupon system by launching its first bespoke online offer, My Bonus Points, in a bid to become more environmentally friendly. Nectar cardholders will be encouraged to opt in to offers online from partners...

IN BRIEF: EasyJet appoints SmartFocus Digital.(Brief article)
October 13, 2008... Budget airline easyJet has appointed smartFocus Digital to handle its email marketing account. The digital marketing software provider will work alongside easyJet's incumbent direct marketing agency, EHS Brann to manage the low cost-fares...

IN BRIEF: Online retailers still have much to learn.(Brief article)
October 13, 2008... Online retailers who fail to make the most out of their e-commerce offerings are losing out on #2.3bn in revenue each year, according to a new report from Verdict Consulting. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

IN BRIEF: Indicia launches Web analytics arm.(Brief article)
October 13, 2008... Marketing services group Indicia is launching e-customermetrics, a Web analytics arm which aims to provide clients with a deeper understanding of individual customers. E-customermetrics aims to 'turn cookies into customers' by analysing Web...

IN BRIEF: Occam partners with ListLab.(Brief article)
October 13, 2008... Occam, the data-focused marketing technology solutions provider, is partnering with ListLab to outsource its broking division. The new partnership will enable Occam to utilise ListLab's expertise in the areas of list brokerage and list...

IN BRIEF: RM appoints EuroDirect for new channel launch.(Royal Mail Group PLC)(Brief article)
October 13, 2008... Royal Mail has appointed EuroDirect to handle its data services for the launch of its new brand engagement channel, Matter. The online driven channel encourages consumers to sign up for free to Matter.co.uk to receive a box full of products...

IN BRIEF: Dataforce sells Direct Communications Business.(Brief article)
October 13, 2008... Dataforce has sold its Direct Communications Business Unit to dsiCMM. The sale is part of a strategic decision to exit from the bulk print, poly wrapping and enclosing market place to develop its fully integrated multi-channel communications...

IN BRIEF: Virgin Media rapped by ICO over data loss.(Information Commissioner's Office)(Virgin Media Group Ltd.)(Brief article)
October 13, 2008... The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has found Virgin Media in breach of the Data Protection Act following the loss of over 3,000 customers' bank details in June. Virgin Media admitted to losing over 3,000 customers' personal details...

IN BRIEF: Mortascreen and Experian agree suppression deal.(Brief article)
October 13, 2008... Mortascreen has joined forces with Experian to launch a deceased suppression file that will capture an unprecedented 95 per cent of all deaths in the UK. Currently Mortascreen comprises over 6 million records of deceased individuals in the UK...

ANALYSIS: Anonymous green footprints annoy consumers.
October 13, 2008... By David Reed The front line in consumers' fight to become environmentally-aware is the supermarket. But they are also fighting on a second front - their own door mat. Unwanted items arriving into their home are perceived as potentially...

ANALYSIS: Watchdog loses business focus?(Postwatch merges with National Consumer Council )
October 13, 2008... By Sara Kimberley After eight years, the UK's watchdog for postal services, Postwatch, is merging with energywatch and the National Consumer Council to become a new super-powered 'Consumer Focus' group. As part of the change, postal...

ANALYSIS: Compare the (not quite whole) market.
October 13, 2008... In these cash strapped times, comparison websites are currently enjoying a boom. However, they would do well to keep a wary eye on the future by Stuart Aitken Irritating they may be, but in these credit crunch times, adverts for...

CONSUMER INSIGHT: Getting to grips with ethical consumers.
October 13, 2008... Businesses and brands are increasingly building 'sustainable' elements into their offer - believing that purchasing patterns can be influenced by playing on consumers' environmental awareness. But as our finances are squeezed, how much of...

PROFILE: On a mission.
October 13, 2008... by Sara Kimberley "The direct marketing industry is on a yellow card at the moment and unless something radical is done, there is a danger we'll get a red card." That warning comes from Royal Mail's head of environmental solutions...

OPINION: Why you should mind your language.(Column)
October 13, 2008... When putting together the DMA's environmental campaign - several years ago now - it would have been really easy to fall in to the same trap as the Government and NGOs by using the 'language of climate change' - carbon. However, it was fairly...

LETTER: Why pooling prospects prevents practical problems.(Letter to the editor)
October 13, 2008... The cost of buying a duplicate - or even a triplicate - record, versus the indication of responsiveness that comes from the appearance of a person on multiple lists, is paltry, as noted in your recent data discussion piece (Managing your data...

LETTER: Why invest in data now?(Letter to the editor)
October 13, 2008... Marketers will always face the issue of poor quality data - duplication of contacts being just one of the many hurdles which need to be overcome when acquiring and maintaining good quality contact information (Managing your data to avoid...

LETTER: You get what you pay for.(Letter to the editor)
October 13, 2008... Mardev's Liz Woodbridge asks 'what is a sales lead'? (Leading nowhere, precisionmarketing.co.uk). Good question. The answer increasingly is that a sales lead is a sales lead when it works. A sales lead that works can literally be worth...

VIEWPOINT: Abuse needs sanctions, not publicity.
October 13, 2008... The creation of the Direct Marketing Commission (DMC) is great news and could be a major turning point in the efforts of the direct marketing industry to raise standards and improve its image with public and politicians alike - particularly...

OPINION: Search engine optimisation goes green.(Column)
October 13, 2008... What we search for reflects what is important to us. If search is the zeitgeist of the world, it is no wonder that search has gone green. As environmental issues top media, business and personal agendas, terms like 'renewable energy' and...

CREATIVE CRITIQUE: October 2008.
October 13, 2008... Frazer Howard, creative director, EHS Brann Wow, this is hard. The thing is, when it comes to being environmentally friendly, a piece of direct mail is a bit like a car. Sure, there's stuff you can do to make them both a bit greener, but...

UNICEF: Born green live green die green.
October 13, 2008... If the goal of your organisation is to make the world a better place for the children in it, then it makes sense to avoid harming the world in the first place. Unicef UK has been assessing its environmental footprint, including the...

LOYALTY MARKETING: How to shop for feelings.
October 13, 2008... With the credit crunch biting hard, consumers are having to make tough decisions. At times like these, emotional loyalty could be the key to retention, says David Reed Loyalty is a critical marketing issue right now. With customers...

CASE STUDY - BARCLAYS: There's more to life.
October 13, 2008... Proving there's more to life than money: How Black Sun created a unique Membership Programme to ensure the loyalty of Barclays Premier Clients How do you create an emotional connection with customers in a typically functional...

DATA QUALITY: Data with green labels.
October 13, 2008... Perhaps unsurprisingly, the green lobby has never looked too kindly on the direct marketing industry. However, embracing suppression data will help the industry boost its green credentials If you had gone looking for advice on how to make...

LIST DEVELOPMENT: Where the green things are.
October 13, 2008... With consumers adopting green behaviour and showing a willingness to buy environmentally friendly products, marketers need to be able to target this growing demographic effectively From low emission cars to eco-tourism, ethical investments...

WEB ANALYTICS: Keeping track of green clicks.
October 13, 2008... For the green lobby, the Internet has enormous potential. However, whether it can be used to drive permanent behavioural change in the minds of consumer remains to be seen. Go to most websites, click on the "About Us" link and chances are...

VERTICAL MARKETS: Green beyond the grave?
October 13, 2008... Consumers may be beginning to act in a more environmentally responsible manner, but does this mean that they are more likely to make a legacy donation to a 'green' charity? Members of the green brigade have historically been viewed by...