Marketing articles from April 2009

Marketing archives from April 2009

Arla to launch first UK range under own name.(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Arla Foods is to launch a range of products in the UK under its own brand name. The move is aimed at bolstering its share of the dairy market and reflects a strategy already in place in other European countries. The Arla products will be...

Batchelor to chair Society.(Alex Batchelor has been appointed)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Alex Batchelor, marketing director of TomTom, has been elected chairman of the management board of the Marketing Society. Batchelor, who stood unopposed, will succeed Chris Satterthwaite, the chief executive of Chime Communications, who is...

COI offers banks marketing assistance.
April 1, 2009... The COI has issued an open invitation to the UK's nationalised and majority government-owned banks, offering them full use of its services. Despite the Treasury having control of Northern Rock and holding majority stakes in Lloyds Banking...

Lucozade embarks on expansion of Sport line.(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Lucozade Sport is aiming to shake up the sports nutrition and supplements market with the launch of 35 products, ranging from gels and tablets to powders and bars. The brand, which is owned by GlaxoSmithKline Nutritional Healthcare (GSK),...

Breakthrough boosts activity.(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Breakthrough Breast Cancer is revamping its annual fundraising and awareness campaign by tying up with retailers including Marks & Spencer and Topshop to sell branded clothing. The charity has previously limited activity to its 'target'...

C&C UK boss to step down.(John Holberry has been resigned)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... The UK managing director of Magners-owner C&C, John Holberry, has resigned after less than a year in the post, citing concerns over his role at the cider maker. He plans to leave the company in August. In a statement, Holberry said: 'I have...

The week in marketing.(briefs)
April 1, 2009... - Sony airs 'heart' ads. Sony UK has created a series of idents to support its exclusive sponsorship of England's 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign. Breaking today (Wednesday), the ads will air during ITV's coverage of England's...

Freesat to target pay-TV switchers.(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Freesat, the free-to-air satellite TV service, is launching its first TV advertising campaign as it aims to attract cash-conscious consumers to its subscription-free service. Will Abbott, marketing director at Freesat, said the current...

Standard Life launches title.(Standard Life Assurance Co. launches Tomorrow)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Standard Life is to roll out its prospect magazine, Tomorrow, following a successful trial last month in which 400,000 issues were distributed with The Sunday Telegraph. Supporting the financial-services brand's Money Plus consumer...

Real Radio promotes rebrand with pounds 2m drive.(GMG Radio)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Real Radio, part of GMG Radio, has launched a pounds 2m campaign to publicise its rebrand from Century Radio. The five-week push, which broke last weekend, features brand icon Barry, a basset hound, and will run across TV, outdoor, taxis...

Media Road Test: Wired.(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... - What's new? The UK edition of men's technology magazine Wired launches this week The upmarket techno and culture fest is a world away from the doom and gloom of Britain's deepening recession. The cover feature looks at how living will...

Absolute Radio signs deal.(Planet Rock)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Absolute Radio has signed a deal to sell its airtime and online advertising alongside that of DAB station Planet Rock. The aim is to offer advertisers a 'streamlined' media buy. -------------------- Did you find this article useful?...

Orange shifts cinema ad strategy.(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Orange has shifted its 'Gold Spot' cinema ad strategy. The work will still feature the Mr Dresden character of previous ads, but the focus will move from the 'pitch' set-up to the start of filming. The first ad in the series, created by Fallon,...

Culture, Media and Sport Committee launches inquiry.(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... The House of Commons' Culture, Media and Sport Committee has launched an inquiry into the future of local media. It will consider issues surrounding the impact of digital, the effect of news aggregators such as Google, and the level of...

Film4 ties up with Waterstone's.(Waterstone's Booksellers Ltd.)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Film4 has tied up with Waterstone's to promote its 'Great Adaptations' season. In-store activity will run nationwide with three-for-two offers on all books used as the basis for the season's films. -------------------- Did you find...

Good Housekeeping gets major overhaul.(Channel 4)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Good Housekeeping has undergone its first major overhaul in a decade. The NatMag title will unveil its fresh look this week. Changes include the addition of columnist Aggie Mackenzie, from Channel 4's How Clean is Your House? ...

Campaigners hand out spoof copies of FT.(Financial Times)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Anti-capitalist campaigners handed out spoof copies of the Financial Times ahead of this week's G20 Summit in London. The publication was distributed at Waterloo station last week. -------------------- Did you find this article useful?...

CTF provider to broaden offering.(Child Trust Fund)(Family Investments)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Friendly society Family Investments, the UK's biggest Child Trust Fund (CTF) provider, is rebranding as it expands its product range into other financial-services areas. Since 2002, all children born in the UK who qualify for British...

Okocim beer in overhaul.(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Carlsberg is to relaunch its high-strength Polish beer brand Okocim to position it as a premium drink. The overhaul, handled by UK branding agency LFH, will roll out in Poland this month and the rest of Europe over the coming year. ...

Huggies alters Drynites line.(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Kimberly-Clark has revamped its Huggies Drynites Pyjama Pants range, aimed at parents of children up to the age of 15, who are prone to bedwetting. The redesign is intended to communicate to parents that the range can engender a more...

Brand in the news: Pretty Green.(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... It is really interesting that Liam Gallagher, a man who defined the swaggering attitude of 90s Britpop culture, is back with a fashion range - Pretty Green. He is a strong brand in his own right, and it is great to see a bloke getting in...

Arts Council England appoints 23red Regions.(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Arts Council England has appointed 23red Regions to its marketing and design roster for a three-year period, following a pitch against eight other agencies. 23red will now compete for a range of national and regional contracts. ...

Turning Leaf to be relaunched as stand-alone range.(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Turning Leaf, the Californian wine brand, is to be relaunched as a stand-alone range. Turning Leaf was previously sold under the Gallo Family Vineyards umbrella, but is being rebranded with a contemporary packaging design. ...

Osram appoints Chaos Design.(Osram-GEC)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Osram, a manufacturer of energy-saving light bulbs, has appointed branding agency Chaos Design to develop a fresh communications strategy The company plans to run a B2B campaign through its UK wholesale channels with the strapline 'Getting...

Cardiff-Wales Mardi Gras appoints Revolting.(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Cardiff-Wales Mardi Gras, an annual event celebrating gay and lesbian life in Wales, has appointed graphic design agency Revolting to create a consumer-facing identity. A new visual brand, range of promotional materials and a website will be...

Hi-Tec uses www.DesignBay.com.(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Hi-Tec, the footwear brand, is using 'crowdsourcing' site www.DesignBay.com. The site allows brands to receive submissions from designers across the globe. Hi-Tec plans to redesign the suite of 30 icons representing its proprietary...

LoveFilm divides acquisition task.(Quant)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... LoveFilm, the UK's biggest online DVD and games rental service, has appointed sister digital agencies Quant and Presky Maves to handle its customer acquisition account. The two agencies have been tasked with boosting membership numbers as...

LG rolls out Europe drive.(LG Electronics)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... LG Electronics is this week launching a European campaign backing its TVs, home-entertainment systems and Blu-ray players. The creative, which comprises a viral campaign and microsite, was developed by Publicis Modem. It is intended to...

D&A job goes to Flourish.(Dollond & Aitchison)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Dollond & Aitchison (D&A), the high-street optician, has hired direct and digital agency Flourish to handle a series of acquisitions and marketing projects. The agency has been briefed to drive footfall and increase sales at D&A's 400...

Digital choice: Marie Stopes.(Brief article)(Column)
April 1, 2009... I'm 38, married, have a small child and rapidly greying hair, yet I was asked to review 'Be frisky, not risky', a microsite promoting safer sex to people who still have the energy to do it. What a way to make me feel old. Marie Stopes...

Orange leads planned launch.(mobile search launched)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Orange is leading plans by mobile operators to launch mobile search on the 'idle screen' of handsets, rather than through web portals, to boost search activity. It will roll out the service on HTC Touch mobiles on the Orange network. ...

Honda launching online compaign.(Honda Motor Europe Ltd.)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Honda is launching a 'Good to Grow' online campaign, supporting the UK launch of its Insight car, tomorrow (Thursday). The gardening-themed push, developed by creative agency Collective, offers a pounds 10,000 prize and highlights the...

Dooley's launches first UK website.(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Dooley's, the alcohol brand, has launched its first UK website, via digital agency Clusta. A corresponding campaign, by Cubo, is running across TV and in-store. -------------------- Did you find this article useful? Why not subscribe...

Whyte & Mackay uses Google Latitutde and Twitter for campaign.(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Whyte & Mackay, the whisky distiller, is using Google Latitude and Twitter for a nationwide campaign. 'The Whyte & Mackay Safari Hunt' offers a whisky prize for 'hunting down' the brand's lions icon in bars and pubs. --------------------...

Communities and Local Government hires Meteorite.(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Communities and Local Government has hired Meteorite to help develop a national diversity and equality campaign for the fire and rescue services. The agency was appointed after a pitch against TMW, Tequila\ and Chemistry. ...

T4 relaunches online portal.(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Channel 4's T4 weekend strand has relaunched its online portal with interactive features. The site includes an 'iCarpet', which lets viewers post questions to put to celebrities, as well as polls about T4 programmes and celebrities. ...

Andrew Walmsley on Digital: Currency conversation.(Conference news)
April 1, 2009... Those calling for a currency for online media are overlooking one important point: it's already here. As the Treasury pumps more money into the economy, we seem to have less and less of it. To make the pill more bitter still, what money we...

Branding with 'Old Big 'Ead'.(Leeds United Football Club )
April 1, 2009... The late, lamented Brian Clough could have taught today's marketers a thing or two. The Damned United, a film charting the tumultuous 44-day reign of Brian Clough at Leeds United FC, opened last week. Marketers under the age of 30 will...

The public interest.
April 1, 2009... Nationalised banks must act with taxpayers in mind, writes Alex Brownsell. Given the seismic changes being experienced by the UK banking sector, the review and renegotiation of the marketing agency arrangements of a few of its members...

DAB eyes iPlayer effect.(DAB digital radio)
April 1, 2009... The BBC's fresh enthusiasm for online radio could help DAB out of limbo, writes Sarah Johnson. There is tentative hope that DAB digital radio could finally pick up some of the momentum it so desperately needs. This hope rests on Tim Davie,...

Amanda Andrews on Media: Getting in on the game.
April 1, 2009... Video games are offering advertisers a widening range of innovative and engaging opportunities. The computer-generated city in which the action of racing video game Burnout Paradise takes place features an 'Obama for President' billboard....

Hitachi.
April 1, 2009... The electronics brand has upped its advertising, but consumer spend is in decline. The electronics market has lost its spark, with Hitachi, Panasonic, Toshiba and Sony all announcing job cuts in response to declining sales. Hitachi,...

Mark Ritson on Branding: I spy the end for ads.
April 1, 2009... How can marketers reach an audience that won't look at their ads? They'll have to work it out, fast. You might not have heard of it yet, but Prail Technologies is set to become one of the most famous companies in marketing. The San...

Adwatch 01.04.09.(Table)
April 1, 2009... Marketing's unique weekly analysis of advertisement recall in association with tns. Q Which of the following TV commercials do you remember seeing recently? 25.03 Brand Agency/TV buyer % ...

Adwatch 01.04.09: Visa.(Barclaycard Services Ltd.)
April 1, 2009... This ad's message is unclear and compares badly with Barclaycard's 'man in a flume'. I'm a little confused by this Visa ad, and the more I watch it, the more confused I become. What is it trying to say? Is it that having a credit card is...

Profile: Going against the grain.(Jon Goldstone)(Interview)
April 1, 2009... Jon Goldstone, Hovis marketing director at Premier Foods, is on a mission to take Warburtons' market lead. Interview by Gemma Charles. It's 12 months since Hovis marketing director Jon Goldstone swapped crisps for bread, and it has been...

Opinion: The Marketing Society Forum - Is there a formula for stimulating emotional responses to brands?(Viewpoint essay)
April 1, 2009... Food group Nestle is following the Japanese philosophy of kansei, in which products are designed to elicit certain emotional responses in consumers. Is such a technique viable in marketing? NO - PHIL RUMBOL, MARKETING DIRECTOR, CADBURY ...

Editor's comment: COI 'help' could hinder banks.(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... This week the COI's deputy chief executive, Peter Buchanan, offered his organisation's marketing services to our growing number of nationalised (or at least effectively government-owned) banks. Should they accept? There is the view that...

The UK's biggest online advertisers: Top 100 online advertisers.(List)(Company rankings)
April 1, 2009... Online advertising has long been seen as the 'great white hope' of the advertising industry, but times are tough, writes David Benady. With the traditional advertising industry standing on the edge of a precipice, the continued growth of...

Bread and morning goods: A good slice of the market.
April 1, 2009... The purchasing dynamics at play in the bread market are shifting, but on the whole the sector remains robust, writes Jane Bainbridge. Bread is a staple of British diets but there are many pressures on this sector. Consumers are making...

Direct Marketing Leagues: Survival of the fittest.(Statistical table)(Company rankings)
April 1, 2009... Agencies that can work across disciplines should emerge from the recession in a strong position, writes Noelle McElhatton. In the year when we mark the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth, phrases used by the great scientist, such...

Helpline.
April 1, 2009... Joe Thomas takes the hassle out of finding the right product or service - you ask the question, he'll provide the answer. FRAGRANT PROSPECTS Q: We want to distribute some gifts to potential customers, but don't know where to start. Who...

What it's really like inside: William Hill.(Interview)
April 1, 2009... - How do you come up with new marketing ideas? Ideas are never in short supply at William Hill Towers. Alternatively, they're the product of incredibly well-written, detailed briefs (no laughing at our agency, please). - What is the...

Brand manager of the week: Lindsay Strachan, Brand consultant, Scottish Widows.(Interview)
April 1, 2009... - Describe yourself in three words. Enthusiastic, organised, creative. - What would you be if you weren't a brand manager? I studied music management and I've always fancied organising festivals So, I'd most likely be thigh-deep in...

Me & My Mentor: Nina Mistry, Product manager, Empire and Kerrang!, Bauer Media.(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... I'm lucky to have worked with some of the best editors in the industry, but Mark Dinning, the editor of Empire, is an inspiration. His passion for movies is infectious and his great relationships with the studios have been key to securing...

Marketing Mole: Who does Google think you are? - Cathryn Sleight, Marketing director, Coca-Cola GB.
April 1, 2009... - The first link is to a Zoominfo.com profile listing of Cathryn Sleight, marketing director, Coca-Cola. - The second result is for Marketing's 2005 article about Sleight's appointment to her current role. - The third and fourth are...

Marketing Mole: Name that brand.
April 1, 2009... The origins of this powdered coffee product go back to Switzerland in 1938. This brand is available only in the UK, having been launched in 1965 About 7m cups are consumed every day. Can you name the brand? Email your answer, name and...

Marketing Mole: We'll Call You - Coors.
April 1, 2009... Coors is going after the UK's missing women beer-drinkers with a new, female-friendly brew. Always keen for refreshment, Mole wanted to find out more. Coors Good morning, Coors consumer helpline, how can I help? Mktg Hi, I'm trying to...

Army tests Show Room recruitment initiatives.(Brief article)
April 8, 2009... The British Army is piloting a series of US-style experiential 'Show Rooms' as it steps up its efforts to boost recruitment. The rooms are designed to give potential recruits a taste of life as a soldier. Visitors can experience simulations...

Mellow Bird's in comeback.(Kraft UK)(Work Club)(Brief article)
April 8, 2009... Mellow Bird's, the classic British brand that brought instant coffee to a tea-drinking nation in the 70s, is being relaunched with a nationwide marketing drive targeting students. Kraft UK, which also owns the Kenco, Maxwell House, Carte...

Brawn sponsors reap rewards.(Brawn GP )(Brief article)
April 8, 2009... The storming start to the Formula One season made by debutant team Brawn GP has not only stunned the motorsport world, but also provided its sponsors with an unexpected return on investment. The team secured sponsorship from Virgin and...

Tories plan to overhaul English tourism bodies.(Brief article)
April 8, 2009... The Conservative Party is proposing a complete overhaul of English regional tourism and branding if it wins the next general election. Shadow culture secretary Jeremy Hunt has vowed to abolish the Regional Development Agencies, which were...

Greggs rolls out 'quality' ads.(Brief article)
April 8, 2009... Greggs, the high-street bakery chain, is launching a TV campaign focusing on quality and value for money. As with the brand's most recent campaigns, the ads star comedian Paddy McGuinness, but also introduce a small terrier, called Scamp....

Billingsley to quit Orange.(Justin Billingsley)(Brief article)
April 8, 2009... Justin Billingsley, Orange's brand director, is leaving to take on the role of regional chief executive for Saatchi & Saatchi Asia. Spencer McHugh, head of brand communications at Orange, will replace him. During his tenure with the...

AXA reviews pounds 30m marketing roster.(Axa UK)(Brief article)
April 8, 2009... AXA UK is reviewing its entire marketing services roster, worth more than pounds 30m and spanning 169 agencies. The review, which is being handled by Creative Brief, encompasses all the financial-services group's brands, including Sun Life...

Mini faces censure over CO2 emissions ad data.(BMW (UK) Ltd.)
April 8, 2009... Mini has come under fire from environmental pressure group We Are Futureproof for an alleged breach of Department for Transport (DfT) rules in its latest outdoor ad campaign. Under recently introduced DfT guidelines, environmental...

Coke Zero set for 'lads' push.
April 8, 2009... Coca-Cola will launch its latest ad for Coke Zero with its most 'laddish' marketing campaign to date. The work, aimed at 20-something men, is intended to further distance Coke Zero from the brand's other low-calorie variant, Diet Coke. ...

Westfield to shift ad task.(Westfield London shopping centre)(Adam & Eve)(Brief article)
April 8, 2009... The Westfield London shopping centre has parted company with Adam & Eve. The agency was forced to resign the business by John Lewis, which views the mall as a competitor to its London stores. The pounds 1.6bn centre, which opened in...

The week in marketing.(briefs)
April 8, 2009... - Starbucks' Via debut. Starbucks has launched its range of instant coffee products, Via Ready Brew, in the UK. The powdered coffee, which comes in Colombian and Italian Roast variants, will be available in selected Starbucks outlets in...

Cineworld shifts focus to venues.(Brief article)
April 8, 2009... Cineworld is refreshing the branding of its 75 cinemas in an attempt to create a strong identity based on its venues, rather than focusing solely on the films it shows. The brand relaunch includes a fresh logo, which will be rolled out...

Paramount to flag rebrand.(Paramount Comedy Channel)(Brief article)
April 8, 2009... Paramount Comedy has launched its biggest marketing campaign to date to mark its rebrand to Comedy Central. The Comedy Central brand goes live this week and will be supported by a campaign spanning TV, press, outdoor and internet. Posters...

Style Network backs fashion documentary.(Comcast International Media Group)(Brief article)
April 8, 2009... The Style Network has launched a campaign to promote its fashion documentary series, Running in Heels. The programme follows a group of interns working at glossy women's magazine Marie Claire in New York. The national TV campaign will...

Media Road Test: T4 website.(Brief article)
April 8, 2009... - What's new? The site's masthead shows moving images of T4 presenters interacting with virtual bubbles that appear around them on screen. This grabs the user's attention and sets the tone for the site's interactive content and bright...

Fox's Biscuits to sponsor Heart's mid-morning shows.(Brief article)
April 8, 2009... Fox's Biscuits will sponsor Heart's mid-morning shows in a six-figure deal spanning the radio network's 24 stations. The activity will include biscuit giveaways and an airtime campaign featuring Fox's brand mascot, Vinnie. ...

Eden signs up sponsors.(Brief article)
April 8, 2009... Eden, UKTV's factual channel, has signed up online travel site ebookers and luggage brand Antler as sponsors. They join Eden's existing sponsor, Lonely Planet. -------------------- Did you find this article useful? Why not subscribe to...

BBC fined for failures.(British Broadcasting Corp.)(Brief article)
April 8, 2009... The BBC has been fined pounds 150,000 for the 'extraordinary nature and seriousness' of its failures when Radio 2 broadcast a series of obscene calls made by Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross to actor Andrew Sachs. -------------------- ...

Maxim is shut down.(Brief article)
April 8, 2009... Maxim, the men's monthly magazine, owned by Dennis Publishing, has been shut down. It will continue as an online-only title. -------------------- Did you find this article useful? Why not subscribe to the magazine? Please call 08451 55...

Appointment at NBC Universal Global Networks.(Charlotte Ashton)(Brief article)
April 8, 2009... NBC Universal Global Networks has appointed Charlotte Ashton, former director of entertainment and factual at UKTV, to the role of vice-president programming and marketing for its UK portfolio of channels. -------------------- Did you...

Clear Channel Outdoor rolls out ad panels.(Brief article)
April 8, 2009... Clear Channel Outdoor has started the roll-out of 300 ad panels in Glasgow as part of the introduction of a new pedestrian tourist map and signage system. -------------------- Did you find this article useful? Why not subscribe to the...

Co-operative Group reviews media.(Brief article)
April 8, 2009... The Co-operative Group, which includes supermarket chain Somerfield, has called a pounds 54m review of its media planning and buying requirements. -------------------- Did you find this article useful? Why not subscribe to the...

EDF Group plots 'leader' identity.(EDF Energy)(Brief article)
April 8, 2009... EDF Group, the energy company, has appointed global branding consultancy Interbrand to lead a repositioning exercise across Europe. The work is intended to place the company as a 'new kind of leader' in the energy sector and will emphasise...

Asda reworks non-food line.(ASDA Group Ltd.)(Brief article)
April 8, 2009... Asda plans to strengthen its position in non-food markets by rebranding its own-label pharmacy and diagnostic products. The redesign highlights the retailer's focus on 'good-value non-food merchandise'. Created by branding and packaging...

Accor unifies brands in ad.(Brief article)
April 8, 2009... Hotel group Accor, which owns the Ibis, Novotel and Sofitel chains, is to use its parent brand in an umbrella marketing campaign for the first time. The company is launching a drive under the banner 'Accor Hospitality' to promote all its...

Brand in the news: Umbro England football shirt.(Brief article)(Column)
April 8, 2009... Everyone seems to be very positive about the new England shirt from Umbro - so, obviously, I must take the opposite view to be provocative. But I can't. I like it too. Complete with dinky collar and properly embroidered three lions it looks...