Precision Marketing articles from September 2003

Precision Marketing archives from September 2003

Horne quits EHS Brann to set up new consultancy.(EHS Brann London managing director Mike Horne resigned)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... EHS Brann London managing director Mike Horne has quit to start a business consultancy. Horne, who was previously managing director of Brann Agency UK before its merger with EHS Realtime in January last year, will leave at the end of...

WWAV chief Coleman out after top-level shake-up.(WWAV Rapp Collins London parts ways with chief executive Adam Coleman)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... WWAV Rapp Collins London has parted company with chief executive Adam Coleman, in a management restructure which sees chairman and group chief executive Chris Gordon assume his role. Coleman, who does not have a job to go to, will not be...

Planet Ark appoints Archibald Ingall Stretton.(for its first UK campaign)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... Environmental group Planet Ark is rolling out its first UK campaign to reduce direct mail waste and encourage consumers to recycle mailings. The foundation, which has appointed Archibald Ingall Stretton (AIS), aims to promote the Mailing...

Oftel handed powers to punish persistent 'nuisance' callers.(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... The Office of Telecommunications (Oftel) has unveiled new powers to line companies that persistently misuse telephone networks, to protect consumers from nuisance calls. Under the Communications Act, Oftel can now take action against...

Virgin Holidays hires Detica to focus targeting.(news)(is overhauling its relationship marketing )(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... Virgin Holidays is overhauling its relationship marketing to launch more targeted campaigns and increase repeat bookings. Independent IT services company Detica has been appointed to the brief. The travel giant will review its customer...

Amnesty tests 'smarter' station leaflets plan.(news)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... Amnesty International UK is testing a more targeted form of face-to-face fundraising in its latest effort to boost donor recruitment. The human rights charity has appointed the Push Consultancy to handle a brief for face-to-face work that...

DMA in CWU talks to avert strike.(news)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... The DMA (UK) is entering talks with the Communications Workers Union (CWU) to express 'grave concerns' over possible industrial action. The association is keen to assure the industry that contingency delivery plans are in place if a...

HMV rewards loyalty with credit card first.(news)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... Entertainment retailer HMV is launching its first loyalty and credit card to develop long-lasting relationships with customers. The company, which has 165 stores nationwide, is introducing a branded storecard with credit facilities...

Klick Photopoint hunts for unique inserts partners.(news)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... Independent photo processor Klick Photopoint is unveiling a third-party inserts programme to leverage the power of partnership marketing. The programme, which is being handled by WWAV Rapp Collins Media, offers companies the opportunity to...

ScottishPower rejigs customer contact system.(news)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... ScottishPower, the gas and electricity supplier, is overhauling its direct marketing activity by creating two databases to drive inbound calls. ScottishPower, which has 2.5 million customers nationwide, is targeting warm prospects and...

SMS service rolls out missing children scheme.(news)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... A unique service which helps parents locate children who get lost in public places is launching its first integrated campaign as it prepares to roll out the scheme nationwide. Child Safe Zones (CSZ) allows parents to register their child's...

Royal Mail presses ahead on size-based pricing plans.(news)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... Royal Mail looks set to press ahead with plans to introduce size-based pricing after asking postal regulator Postcomm to consider the proposals, despite industry pressure to quash the initiative. The new pricing system will take the size of...

O2 rejects India market to hand account to LBM.(news)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... Mobile phone giant [O.sub.2] has bucked against the trend of companies relocating call centres to India following a trial between a UK service provider and a Mumbai-based supplier. The test saw the UK's largest outbound call provider,...

Battersea Dogs bids for loyalty via sponsorship.(news)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... Battersea Dogs Home has launched a kennel sponsorship campaign to increase support from existing donors and prospects. The South London charity has appointed specialist charity agency Bluefrog to develop the package and involve donors in...

NSPCC embarks on first inserts drive for support.(news)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... The NSPCC is testing the effectiveness of inserts in attracting donors for the first time with a national press campaign. The drive, devised by WWAV Rapp Collins, will feature more than 600,000 inserts in titles including The Mail On...

Citibank unveils travel insurance mailing activity.(news)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... Citibank is launching a campaign to promote travel insurance offers to its database of 1 million credit card customers. The bank has appointed creative marketing communications agency Birddog to design the promotion, and will use Unat...

Royal Mail concedes extended PPI transfer.(news)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... Royal Mail is extending the changeover period for its Postage Paid Impressions (PPIs) proposals in the face of a backlash from industry bosses, who claim they have not been consulted on the issue. The move follows the DMA (UK)'s appeal to...

Timberland launches integrated blitz.(news)(campaign)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... Clothing and footwear brand Timberland is embarking on an integrated campaign to signal its 30th birthday and capture customer data. The initiative has been developed by Liquid Communications. Targeting 18 towns and cities across the UK and...

Friends Reunited appoints Kitcatt first agency.(news)( Kitcatt Nohr Alexander Shaw )(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... Friends Reunited, the website that connects old acquaintances and school friends, has appointed Kitcatt Nohr Alexander Shaw as its first agency. It is tasked with developing relationship marketing, brand advertising and exploiting the company's...

Age Concern seeks agency for recruitment drive.(news)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... Age Concern is seeking an agency to spearhead a campaign encouraging the elderly to become members of the charity. Whitewater currently holds the charity's direct marketing account and was responsible for a TV campaign for Age Concern last year...

Segura quits Dunnhumby for Billington post.(news)(Dunnhumbycinnamon client services director Adam Segura has quit to join Billington Cartmell)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... Dunnhumbycinnamon client services director Adam Segura, who oversaw the Tesco Clubcard account, has quit to join rival agency Billington Cartmell. Segura will take up the role of head of direct marketing at his new agency. Prior to...

Alliance & Leicester plots Girobank push.(news)(ad campaign to be launched)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... Alliance & Leicester is rolling out a multimillion pound campaign as part of plans to revamp its Girobank business. The push, devised by TDA, aims to update the banking network's image. The company wants to focus on both attracting new...

VisitBritain in next phase of strategy rejig.(news)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... VisitBritain, the tourism body responsible for marketing Britain overseas, is overhauling its relationship marketing strategy. The organisation is using Insight@tmw, the planning and data division of independent direct marketing agency...

Esure builds Web activity with email test initiative.(news)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... Esure, the telephone and Internet insurance company, is embarking on an email campaign for home and car insurance, in a move away from its more traditional advertising strategy. The company has appointed direct email marketing agency Inbox,...

Saab in mail assault on convertible market.(news)(to launch direct mail campaign to promote redesigned 9-3 Convertible)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... Saab is launching a major direct mail offensive to promote the redesigned 9-3 Convertible, supported by a TV and outdoor blitz. The push, devised by Draft London, will see mailings sent to both cold and warm prospects. The pack contains a...

Danone embarks on integrated debut for fruit-flavoured Volvic drink.(news)(campaign from Alcone aims to boost sales and promote awareness of fruit-flavored mineral water brand)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... Danone is rolling out its first integrated campaign for Volvic Touch of Fruit to boost sales and promote awareness of the fruit-flavoured mineral water brand. The initiative has been devised by Alcone, which was awarded the account this...

Amazon starts mass legal action to stamp out spam.(international)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... Seattle: Online retail giant Amazon has filed 11 lawsuits in a bid to wipe out spoof emails sent by spammers to its customers. Amazon is seeking to claim millions of dollars in damages from email marketers that access consumers' details and...

Do Not Call register signs up 40m.(international)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... Washington DC: The number of people on the Do Not Cal register topped 40 million this week, as the first deadline to sign up passed. Anyone who met the September 1 deadline will be exempt from receiving cold calls from telemarketers when...

REaD Group Canadian scheme 'set to save 25m [pounds sterling]'.(international)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... Toronto: The REaD Group claims its Canadian bereavement register will save businesses more than Can$55m (25m [pounds sterling]) a year. The scheme, which forms part of REaD Group's international expansion strategy, should limit the distress...

No points for a service 'bribe'.(international)(Editorial)
September 5, 2003... Scottsdale, Arizona: Just when I thought the automobile business was improving its customer service, my local dealer let me down. I was buying a new car, and used the General Motors website to specify the type--right down to the options. I...

Winter of discontent clouds direct horizon: industrial action at Royal Mail could leave all concerned in a no-win situation. Not only might it stall a long awaited recovery plan, and threaten jobs, but direct marketers would be left with a bitter taste in their mouth.(news analysis)
September 5, 2003... As Royal Mail continues to talk up its turnaround plan in the shadow of an impending strike, the industry is frantically checking its media schedules and keeping its fingers crossed that a walkout can be avoided. Chief executive Adorn...

Marketers face age-old dilemma: with the over-50s demonstrating the most hostility towards marketing in the latest Electoral Roll opt-out figures, something must be causing offence in the targeting process. Emily Cubitt assesses the damage.(news analysis)
September 5, 2003... Most marketers will tell you that the youth of today are their idea of Nirvana--young, free, single and rich. But there is another story. With over 80 per cent of all UK wealth, 60 per cent of savings and two-thirds owning their own home,...

Why 'upstarts' will always fuel fraught relations.
September 5, 2003... Jack Charlton apparently kept a small black notebook. Into this book went anyone who gave him a good kicking on the pitch. He was then able to return the compliment next time around. I have decided to follow in Jack's ample footprints. "Why?",...

Only concise creatives will thwart waste levels.(letters)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... I was walking to the Tube the other day and a tiny notice on someone's front door caught my eye. In angry red-and-black typewriter script, it read: 'No junk mail here. Offenders will be reported to Wandsworth Mailwatch.' Be afraid. The...

Combine purchasing and lifestyle data for true customer relations: when informed by data, direct marketing has massive untapped potential to communicate with customers on their own terms and offer them real choice.(Comment: David Perkins)
September 5, 2003... Francis Bacon got it right when he said knowledge is power. Yet, over 400 years on, marketers are still not fully capitalising on the contribution data can make in customising a product, personalising a brand, and placing them in control of the...

Mail still draws charity bucks in.(letters)
September 5, 2003... Your News Analysis 'Charities shift tack' (PM August 22) was right to highlight my enthusiasm for integrated campaigns, spreading risk and opportunity across different media. But I wouldn't say direct mail is no longer able to raise big bucks....

Fight over TPS is far from over.(letters)
September 5, 2003... I am writing to express my concern about your report on the DMA (UK)'s discontinued opposition to the Department of Trade & Industry's proposal to allow corporate subscribers to register with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) (PM August...

Heading for Do Not Call climate.(letters)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... Your news that the Canadian telemarketing industry is set to face the same meltdown as the US with the introduction of the Do Not Call register must set alarm bells ringing over here. Despite your Leader (PM July 11) arguing that our...

True test of the 'common touch'.(leader)
September 5, 2003... On the surface, the postal workers' dispute with Royal Mail is a throwback to the industrial strife of the Seventies and Eighties: the humble worker sees a raft of new management drafted in on massive salaries to slash and burn the company,...

Creative critique.
September 5, 2003... ... is a weekly look at direct marketing initiatives by a panel of agency creatives. This week, Piggy Lines, head of art at McCann Relationship Marketing, looks at what the car sector is offering and finds music to drive to, and has a dabble...

Stock tactics: for online retailers, the delivery of realtime stock information is essential to survival. But when firms implement solutions they must take full account of their impact on the 'shopping experience'. (Special report: response handling/fulfilment.
September 5, 2003... FOR MANY ONLINE BUSINESSES, stock control resembles a wayward pantomime horse, with the front end completely out of step with the back. But can you stop the whole operation from turning into a farce and deliver realtime stock level data to the...

Maternity and children's clothing firm lists buyers.(list file)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... Blooming Marvellous, the upmarket catalogue specialising in maternity, baby and children's clothes, has released its updated list of 80,000 names through Swetenhams. The list is made up of individuals who have either requested a copy of,...

Nightingales to offer affluent women details.(list file)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... Nightingales, the mail order specialist in ladies' fashion and nightwear, has released its records through Cheryl Nathan List Brokering. Some 96 per cent of the file are females, with 20 per cent 35 to 44 years old, 36 per cent 45 to 54...

Auto Trader updates online shoppers data.(list file)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... AutoTrader.co.uk, the online arm of the UK's leading used car company, has unveiled its updated file of 250,000 email addresses through list specialist HLB. The quality of the data has been improved, since it now features only people who...

Untapped assets: a solid database is what soaring success rates are made of, allowing firms to hit their given target spot-on. So why are so many companies disobeying this key commandment?(Special report: research index)
September 5, 2003... YOU HAVE SPENT SIX YEARS building your database, and invested 424,000 [pounds sterling] a year in it. But are you getting the maximum value out of this key resource is your database a company-wide resource or a standalone marketing tool? Does...

Draft London chooses digital production manager.(Moving people: all change: the week's appointments and promotions making the news in the direct marketing industry)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... Draft London has appointed Simon Bucknall as digital production manager. Bucknall was previously senior producer at Camelot, where he was responsible for producing the National Lottery website, as well as new online products. He will manage and...

Information Arts picks Hermsen as consultant.(Moving people: all change: the week's appointments and promotions making the news in the direct marketing industry)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... Business-to-business database specialist Information Arts has taken on Phil Hermsen as consultant analyst in a newly created team. He will be responsible for managing the team and building internal marketing databases for both the consumer and...

All Response Media names Eatson online manager.(Moving people: all change: the week's appointments and promotions making the news in the direct marketing industry)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... All Response Media has appointed Neil Eatson manager of online division Digit-all. Reporting to board director Colin Gillespie, Eatson will oversee a client base that includes One.Tel, Maplin and Reckitt Benckiser. Joining from TBG, where he...

Langlands lands McMillian marketing role.(Moving people: all change: the week's appointments and promotions making the news in the direct marketing industry)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... McMillian, the broadcast and post-production solutions provider, has made Gary Langlands sales and marketing director. Langlands takes up the new post after joining from NCR, where he was responsible for marketing professional services and...

Nice work ... is a monthly column dedicated to those people who are happy at work. Don't think it's possible? Read on.(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... Name: Alex Shephard Company: Billington Cartmell Department: Account management Job title: Account director Responsibilities: Overseeing a variety of brands and strategic development, with a forecasting, financial management...

New honesty may offer a mailshot in the arm for junkies.(diary)
September 5, 2003... This week, dear readers, we'd like you to spare a thought for your local down-at-heel, overworked and underpaid pestle. As we are sure you realise, you can't believe everything you read in those nasty national newspaper scare stories--they are...

Forthcoming events.(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) is presenting a one-day course, How Networking Can Improve Your Networth, on Tuesday September 16. The interactive seminar, taking place in Edinburgh, will show individuals bow to generate an expansive...

Below the belt.(Soundoff: Hunter's tale)(Brief Article)
September 5, 2003... Summer must be over. Not only are the mornings chillier, but the trade mugs are more than 12 pages again. Mind you, some of us haven't wasted the summer, and I'm glad our efforts for the Smart pitch have been rewarded. I've no idea if...

Tequila\London chief Biggins in sudden exit.(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... Tequila\London chief executive Paul Biggins has left the agency without a job to go to. Biggins was appointed to the London operation about 18 months ago, after being plucked from his managing director position at the group's Manchester...

REaD Group joint venture launches phone bereavement register.(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... A national telephone bereavement register is being launched to curb the 30 million calls made each year to the deceased. A joint venture between The REaD Group and UK Data IT aims to complement direct mail suppression file The Bereavement...

Bonnier buys Swetenhams to link with Prospect Shop.(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... Swedish publishing group Bonnier has bought list broker Swetenhams for an undisclosed sum, as it bids to become the UK's number one data marketing company. Bonnier data marketing business The Prospect Shop will be merged with Swetenhams,...

Royal Mail plots supplier offensive.(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... Royal Mail is bolstering its assault on the direct marketing supplier sector with the launch of a joint venture offering sophisticated data-led campaign management. The scheme, 'Jaywing Central', will be set up with data services company...

Dulux promotes decorators plan to homeowners.(news)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... Dulux is launching a campaign to inform new homeowners about decorators in their area who are accredited by the company. The ICI-owned firm has appointed JDA to promote the nationwide service, which advises relocated residents who are...

Lloyds TSB revamps kids account starter pack.(news)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... Lloyds TSB has overhauled its strategy for targeting young savers by freshening up its direct marketing. The financial services giant has handed the task to Partners Andrews Aldridge to enhance children's savings product Young Saver. ...

NSPCC ramps up legacy marketing.(news)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... Children's charity the NSPCC is targeting supporters in a campaign to encouraging legacy donations. The direct mail drive, devised by WWAV Rapp Collins, is aimed al over-55s on the charity's database. 'Legacy of love' will be mailed to...

Sky plots boost for interactive services.(news)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... BSkyB plans to boost uptake of its interactive services--which witnessed 17 per cent growth last year--by promoting customer marketing chief Ian Shepherd to spearhead the drive. His will be responsible for all Sky Active business, including...

Fulham to boost e-commerce in Web upgrade.(news)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... Fulham Football Club is revamping its website to boost ticket and merchandise sales and encourage fan loyalty. The Premiership club, which currently plays home matches as Queens Park Rangers' Loftus Road stadium, is bolstering the...

Building group aims to upgrade telemarketing.(news)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... Housebuilder Taylor Woodrow's Spanish arm is ramping up its telemarketing activity in a bid to improve the brand experience for UK customers buying property abroad. The company has appointed telemarketing firm HSM to manage customer...

TeamCard launches online loyalty programme.(news)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... TeamCard, the sport-based loyalty programme, is launching online as it seeks to become the leading programme of its type in the UK. Fans are now able to visit the website, www.teamcard.co.uk, to purchase products from a range of blue-chip...

Intelligent Finance adopts Infinity targeting system.(news)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... Intelligent Finance is one of the first firms to implement a new communications tool that enables financial services companies to develop more personalised, multichannel marketing campaigns. Infinity has been designed to spearhead faster,...

Inserts 'play major role in purchasing decisions'.(news)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... Inserts can play a major part in establishing trust in the brand and influencing consumers' buying decisions, according to new research by the DMA (UK) Inserts Council. The report, Consumer Perceptions of Inserts, claims inserts are now an...

NHS embraces email in effort to slash costs.(news)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... The NHS is shelving traditional postal communication with staff and will instead turn to email in a bid to cut costs. The Department of Health has commissioned data specialist Talking Numbers to build, manage and operate what will...

Macmillan launches major Princess Diaries offensive.(news)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... Macmillan Children's Books, part of global publishing group Pan Macmillan, is embarking on its biggest campaign to date to promote the release of the fifth in the series of The Princess Diaries and bolster its database. The campaign...

Pet food firm to go face-to-face.(news)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... Oscar Pet Food, the home-delivery pet food specialist, is launching a nationwide campaign to build a clearer picture of potential customers. The company has given LinkDirect the brief, and the agency has the task of setting up appointments...

N Brown finance arm to roll out loans blitz.(news)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... First Financial, the financial services division of mail order giant N Brown Group, is launching an acquisition campaign for its range of unsecured loans. EHS Brann Leeds has been appointed to handle the campaign, which will be launched in...

Samsung appoints marketing head.(news)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... Samsung, the electrical goods giant, has appointed Eamon Collins as its new UK head of marketing communications. He moves from Hitachi Europe where he was group manager, marketing communications. Collins will be responsible for co-ordinating...

TES appoints Kitcatt as its first official agency.(news)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... The Times Educational Supplement (TES) has appointed its first official marketing agency, Kitcatt Nohr Alexander Shaw, to increase its appeal among new and young teachers and boost sales.

Hays chief executive steps down.(news)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... Colin Matthews is stepping down as chief executive of Hays, the personnel, mail delivery and crates company, after splitting up the company prior to sell-offs. He says: "My background is in operations, technology and manufacturing. Running a...

Crozier warning for Post Office staff.(news)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... Royal Mail chief executive Adam Crozier has warned Post Office workers not to "kill the company through greed" ahead of possible strike action. He says the company lost 611m [pounds sterling] last year and cannot fund a pay rise of 14.5 per...

Austin Reed appoints AIS for rebrand task.(news)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... Austin Reed, the menswear retailer, has appointed Archibald Ingall Stretton to handle a brief to manage its marketing and advertising, and oversee a major rebrand.

AA launches 2m [pounds sterling] DRTV campaign.(news)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... The Automobile Association is launching a 2m [pounds sterling], three-week DRTV campaign to promote its car loans. Created by Rapier, it highlights the company's typical APR of 6.9 per cent and free vehicle inspections.

Feline welfare charity rolls out leaflet offensive.(news)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... Cat welfare charity Cats Protection is running a direct marketing campaign through veterinary surgeries to increase awareness of its work. TDA will design a leaflet campaign that will run in 2,500 centres across the UK. They outline a...

Post Office to reinvent itself in root-and-branch review.(news)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... The Post Office aims to ensure customer satisfaction and maximise revenue streams by conducting a thorough audit of branch services and products. The company is conducting a root-and-branch review of 11,000 outlets in a 12-month nationwide...

Children In Need in database marketing first.(news)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... BBC Children In Need is targeting its active fundraisers database for the first time, ahead of it annual TV activity. The charity, which last year raised 25m [pounds sterling], is planning to give this autumn's event a head-start by...

Vernons Pools revamps data for customer insight.(news)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... Vernons Pools is overhauling its marketing database to become customer-centric and launch more targeted campaigns. Direct marketing agency Entire has been handed the brief to transform Vernons' 2 million-strong database following a...

Threat of US 'do not mail' bill moves a step nearer.(international)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... Washington DC: The prospect era national 'Do Not Mail' list has moved a step closer as US marketers face a three-pronged assault on their industry. Legislators in Massachusetts are considering a bill that would prevent marketers from...

Zenith tips Australian direct boom.(international)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... Sydney: Direct response advertising in Australia is set to boom, according to media giant Zenith. The company expects at least 25 per cent of the Aus$900m-worth ([pounds sterling]366m) of ads it places annually in TV, radio and print to...

Identity fraud fears for new disclosure legislation.(international)(Brief Article)
September 12, 2003... Sacramento, California: The US DMA has slammed proposed state laws requiring companies to reveal to consumers the personal information they pass on to third parties. It claims the new rules could promote identity fraud. The...

Coping with the ups and downs.(international)
September 12, 2003... Vienna: "Land of the mountains, land of the rivers", begins the Austrian national anthem. And, accurately so, given that more than 70 per cent of the landscape is covered with mountains. While adding to the country's wealth through winter...