Marketing articles from April 2009

Marketing archives from April 2009

Marketers must react as austerity takes hold.(Brief article)
April 29, 2009... The marketing industry needs to move quickly to respond to the fast-moving, systemic shift in attitudes to consumerism, according to leading analysts. The Chancellor's Budget, delivered last week, heralds a lengthy period of hardship in...

Marmite plots breakfast bar.(Unilever Group. Food and Beverages Div.)(Brief article)
April 29, 2009... Unilever is planning to extend its Marmite brand with the launch of a breakfast bar. It is understood that the FMCG multinational is eager to grab a share of the booming cereal bar market, which grew by 6.6% last year to reach a total...

Google Breaks Dollars 100bn Value Threshold
April 29, 2009... Google has become the world's first dollars 100bn-brand, according to the latest BrandZ survey. The study found that the internet search giant has reached a brand value of dollars 100,039m, a 16% year-on-year increase. It is trailed by...

Austerity Era Heralds Brand Strategy Rethink
April 29, 2009... Chris Sanderson, director of strategy and insight at trend analysts The Future Laboratory, describes the current economy as being in a state of 'cataclysmic change'. Recession is feeding into a broader transformation in consumption patterns....

Thinkbox to advertise on television.(Red Brick Road)(Brief article)
April 29, 2009... Thinkbox, the marketing body for commercial TV companies, is launching its first TV advertising campaign. The ads, which were created by The Red Brick Road, are intended to promote the benefits of advertising on television. ...

ISP Introduces 'Seal of Approval' Accreditation
April 29, 2009... The Institute of Sales Promotion (ISP) is launching an accreditation scheme intended to protect consumers from dishonest promotional activity. Kellogg and Coca-Cola have already signed up to the ISP Seal programme and the trade body expects a...

UPS to review global account.(United Parcel Service of America Inc. appointed McCann Group)(Brief article)
April 29, 2009... UPS, the world's biggest package delivery company, is reviewing its dollars 300m global marketing account. The review will bring an end to the tenure of the McCann Group, which has held the business for more than 20 years. The pitch is...

Freeview fills director's role.(DTV Services Ltd. appointed Tim Hunt)(Brief article)
April 29, 2009... Freeview has appointed Tim Hunt, managing partner at creative ad agency St Luke's, as its director of marketing communications. He replaces Rob Farmer, who moved to ITV as director of viewer marketing last month, as exclusively revealed...

The Week in Marketing
April 29, 2009... - Jaffa Cakes extension. United Biscuits has launched a limited-edition strawberry-flavoured variant of McVitie's Jaffa Cakes. The product will be available until July in single pack and twin packs. McVitie's claims the Jaffa Cakes brand is...

Vidler Handed Top Role at EMI Music
April 29, 2009... Andria Vidler, chief marketing officer at Bauer Media, is moving to EMI Music as president for the UK and Ireland. Vidler will report directly to David Kassler, EMI Music's European president. Her remit will include the development of...

Pizza Hut in Sony film tie.
April 29, 2009... Pizza Hut has teamed up with Sony Pictures to launch a limited-edition Terminator variant to back the upcoming release of the Terminator: Salvation film. The partnership will mark the movie's release at cinemas on 3 June. An online...

UKTV backs Home launch with 'reality' push.(UKTV Interactive Ltd.)(Brief article)
April 29, 2009... UKTV is launching its latest rebranded channel, Home, tomorrow (Thursday). The channel, formerly known as UKTV Style, will carry the strapline 'There's no place like it'. Four idents, designed by Red Bee Media, aim to show the reality of...

Media Road Test: Star Trek.(Brief article)
April 29, 2009... - What's new? Star Trek has been given a new lease of life for the 90210 generation, courtesy of JJ Abrams, the man behind Cloverfield and Lost. The film, which is a prequel to the Star Trek stories to date, explains how the Enterprise...

ITV seeks chief executive.(resignation of Michael Grade)(Brief article)
April 29, 2009... ITV is searching for a chief executive after its executive chairman, Michael Grade, announced his plans to move to a non-executive role by the end of the year. Managing director of brand and commercial Rupert Howell is thought to be among the...

BBC iPlayer expands offering.(British Broadcasting Corp.)(Brief article)
April 29, 2009... BBC iPlayer is expanding its offering with the addition of high-definition content from the BBC HD TV channel. Free-to-air BBC HD is already available on satellite and cable TV platforms. It features a range of shows from BBC channels...

Newspapers tie up to promote Books for Schools.(The Times, The Sunday Times and First News are partnerd)(Brief article)
April 29, 2009... The Times, The Sunday Times and First News, the weekly children's newspaper, have tied up to promote the Books for Schools initiative First News will print a Books for Schools token in every issue throughout the summer term; the tokens can be...

SunTalk hires Million 2-1.(Brief article)
April 29, 2009... The Sun's online radio station, SunTalk, has hired mobile marketing company Million 2-1 to launch a text-in service. Listeners are encouraged to send in comments via SMS about an issue of interest SunTalk is broadcast from 10am to 1pm, Monday...

Press Gazette saved from closure.(Progressive Media)(Brief article)
April 29, 2009... Press Gazette has been saved from closure after it was acquired by publisher Progressive Media, the group run by New Statesman owner Mike Danson. The title will continue in both print and online. -------------------- Did you find...

Tampax to launch 'Nature' activity.
April 29, 2009... Tampax, the feminine hygiene brand, is aiming to dispel the embarrassing stereotypes often associated with women's periods. The brand is launching a 'Mother Nature' campaign, which will break in the UK in June. This will support the...

M&S revamps Mini-Bites line.(Marks and Spencer PLC)(Brief article)
April 29, 2009... Marks & Spencer has rolled out a fresh look for its Mini-Bites cakes range. The revamped tub design, created in-house, features stronger colours and a different strapline for each variant, such as 'It's crunch time' for its Chocolate...

Kitchen towel reworks packs.(Thirst Pockets)(Brief article)
April 29, 2009... Thirst Pockets, the kitchen roll brand, has overhauled its packaging to highlight improvements to the product. Created by branding agency The Design Group, the packaging now carries the strapline 'Stronger than ever'. It features the...

Brand in the news: Comparethemarket.com.(Brief article)
April 29, 2009... Who'd have thought it? It has taken an online financial and utility services aggregator to remind us all just what we're meant to be doing. What a brief. A client bang in the middle of an - ahem - 'low-interest sector'; a desperately...

McVitie's expands breakfast offering.(Brief article)
April 29, 2009... McVitie's has expanded its breakfast offering with Mini Croissants The bright yellow packs contain seven mini croissants with strawberry or chocolate-flavoured fillings. The launch will be backed by in-store promotions next month. ...

Huggies introduces Big Kid Box range.(Brief article)
April 29, 2009... Huggies, the Kimberly-Clark nappy brand, has introduced its Big Kid Box range of potty-training pants. The reusable storage box contains a pack of both the Pull-Ups Day Time and Pull-Ups Night-Time pants. Boys' products carry a Disney Cars...

Bold 2in1 adds gel format in bottles.(Brief article)
April 29, 2009... Bold 2in1, the Procter & Gamble laundry detergent brand, is adding a gel format in bottles with a redesigned dosing cap. The range comprises four variants: Lavender & Camomile, Sparkling Pomegranate & Orange Blossom, White Diamond & Lotus...

Silk Cut unveils limited-edition packs.(Brief article)
April 29, 2009... Silk Cut has unveiled a range of limited-edition packs for its 'lower tar' cigarettes. The five pack designs, based on the brand's 'Cut' theme, will be available for four weeks from 1 May. -------------------- Did you find this...

Mentos launches limited-edition Rainbow variant.(Brief article)
April 29, 2009... Mentos, the mint brand, is launching a limited-edition Rainbow variant. Each roll will contain seven fruit flavours, including watermelon, grape and pineapple. Brand owner Perfetti van Melle has also added a fizzy powder-filled lollipop to...

Nikon shifts CRM account to DCH.(customer relationship management)(Brief article)
April 29, 2009... Nikon has appointed DCH to handle its digital CRM strategy following a pitch against the incumbent agency on the business, SMP. DCH has initially been tasked with providing strategic eCRM support and planning, which will include the...

Beefeater in cocktail push.(Brief article)
April 29, 2009... Beefeater Gin is relaunching its website to push the spirit's use as an ingredient in long drinks and cocktails. The site, which will go live on 6 May, will include a series of comical 'mixology webisodes' aimed at driving brand...

Veggie brand overhauls site.(Linda McCartney Foods)(Brief article)
April 29, 2009... Linda McCartney Foods has revamped its website to highlight the brand's ethical values and generate greater interaction among its consumers. The overhauled site, designed by digital agency Silver Chair, includes a social networking area,...

Digital choice: Google Street View.(Brief article)
April 29, 2009... What's so fascinating about Google Street View? Like many, I entered my postcode, not for the view of the street, but to see what had been captured by the now infamous Google camera car as it drove by. I've none of the privacy concerns...

Muller launches animated microsite.(Muller Dairy UK)(Brief article)
April 29, 2009... Muller, the yoghurt brand, has launched an animated microsite to push the message that 90% of the milk used in its products comes from within a 30-mile radius of its Shropshire dairy. The site, created by agency Carlson, takes the user...

Iceland Foods signs deal with Orion Children's Books.(Brief article)
April 29, 2009... Iceland Foods has signed a partnership deal with Orion Children's Books to offer customers a free copy of Galaxy Award-winning title Horrid Henry & the Abominable Snowman. Cocktail Marketing brokered the deal, which promotes the Reading for...

Halfords appoints eCircle.(Brief article)
April 29, 2009... Halfords has appointed digital agency eCircle as its first email marketing partner following a pitch. The agency will initially work with the retailer to create a competition page on its website, and will distribute newsletters containing...

WRAP rolls out latest tranche of campaign.(Brief article)
April 29, 2009... WRAP, the recycling advocacy organisation, has rolled out the latest tranche of its 'Love Food Hate Waste' campaign. The activity urges consumers to reduce the amount of food they throw away, and will run across press, radio, outdoor and...

RAF launches online campaign.(Royal Air Force)(Brief article)
April 29, 2009... The RAF is launching an online campaign to help people understand the range of careers it offers. The push, created by LIDA, aims to get users closer to the experiences of RAF personnel in Basra. -------------------- Did you find...

Andrew Walmsley on Digital: Time to Face the Music
April 29, 2009... File-sharing has irrevocably changed the music industry - failing to accept this fact is fruitless. The government's Digital Britain conference was a parade of the great and good. From the Prime Minister to the lowliest panellist, talk was...

Marketing Promotion: The Thinkboxes Winner for March 2009 - Pure TV Brilliance from Boursin
April 29, 2009... Boursin has returned to TV advertising after a 10-year absence, and resurrected its 'Du pain, du vin, du Boursin' strapline. The soft-focus ad features a pair of French lovers frolicking in the countryside, bathed in the golden glow of late...

Shirt Measures
April 29, 2009... The shirt-sponsorship market has begun to suffer the fallout from the downturn. The prolific global expansion of English football's Barclays Premier League has steadily pushed up the value of the UK's shirt-sponsorship market. However,...

Less Than Watertight
April 29, 2009... A campaign pushing the benefits of bottled water has drawn a mixed response, writes Joe Thomas. The bottled-water industry kicked off the first part of its attempt to reverse declining sales last week. Under the auspices of the Natural...

BBC's Budget Balancing Act
April 29, 2009... Marketing cuts will force the BBC to hone the use of its existing media resources. The BBC's decision to slash its marketing budget by 25% could be as much to do with sensitivity to the plight of its rivals, given the prevailing economic...

Amanda Andrews on Media: Tweens, Not Tweets
April 29, 2009... Disney's unparalleled success should inspire other brands to take a share of this lucrative market. Leicester Square was transformed last week, as hordes of screaming girls gathered by the red carpet to see their idol, Destiny Hope 'Miley'...

Manchester United
April 29, 2009... The football club is not immune to difficulty, as its latest financial report shows, writes Ed Kemp. Manchester United's footballing success has been well documented. Off the field, its performance seems to have been as strong; deals with...

Mark Ritson on Branding: Strength in Numbers
April 29, 2009... The share performance of the BrandZ Top 100 portfolio shows the true value of strong brands. In the managerial pecking order within most firms, finance occupies a more central role than the flimsy business of marketing. Financial people use...

Adwatch 29.04.09.(Statistical data)
April 29, 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? 22.04 Brand Agency/TV buyer % ...

Adwatch 29.04.09: Sainsbury's
April 29, 2009... Despite the recession, the supermarket is sticking to its big idea with this appetising ad. There are two things that I really admire in the brand landscape right now. The first is brands that have a proper, big idea at the heart of...

Profile: In Search of Organic Growth
April 29, 2009... Kellie Fernandes, head of global marketing at Green & Black's, is aiming to recruit new consumers to the brand. Interview by Gemma Charles. Kellie Fernandes, head of global marketing at Green & Black's, has a clear vision of the best...

Opinion: The Marketing Society Forum - Is Nostalgia Covering Up for a Lack of New Product Development?
April 29, 2009... Following the successful relaunch of Cadbury's Wispa, companies have been rushing to revive old brands such as Birds Eye's Arctic Roll and Mellow Bird's coffee. But where does this leave NPD? NO - SIMON MICHAELIDES, MARKETING DIRECTOR,...

Editor's Comment: Don't React, Instigate
April 29, 2009... What has happened to the core marketing discipline of forward-thinking? Recently, there has been a marked increase in strategies dictated by necessity, rather than good planning. It is easy to pontificate on what could have been done differently...

BrandZ
April 29, 2009... We reveal the results of the 2009 BrandZ survey, which expresses in financial terms the strength of thousands of brands in 443 categories and in 30 countries. The economy may be in freefall and advertising forecasts bleak, but this year's...

A Break from the Norm
April 29, 2009... The recession means the UK self-catering holiday industry should make up some of the ground it has lost to all-inclusive deals. There was a time when splashing out on a holiday was viewed as an optional luxury. These days, even in the midst...

Stretching Your Budget outside the Box
April 29, 2009... As marketers try to extract value from dwindling funds, extending television activity across multiple platforms is vital, writes Nicola Clark. The fact that a T-Mobile ad has attracted more views on YouTube than Barack Obama's historic...

Helpline
April 29, 2009... Joe Thomas takes the hassle out of finding the right product or service - you ask the question, he'll provide the answer. SHOW MUST GO ON Q: We want to run a summer roadshow but we would like some promotional staff to assist us. Who should...

What It's Really like Inside: The Economist
April 29, 2009... - How do you come up with fresh marketing ideas? Everything starts with the customer. We squeeze into the marketing director's office and brainstorm - sometimes so loudly you can hear the retail manager through the wall. We also keep in touch...

Brand manager of the week: Simon Thorne, Brand services manager, Virgin Media.(Interview)(Brief article)
April 29, 2009... - Describe yourself in three words. Loyal, tenacious and fun-loving. - How would you define marketing? The relentless desire to be the best in the market and the best choice for consumers. - What would you be if you weren't a brand...

Me & My Mentor: Claudia Sestini, Head of brand marketing and online, Comedy Central.(Brief article)
April 29, 2009... After spending eight years in publishing, Chris Hancox, vice-president marketing and creative services, gave me my break in the broadcast industry at Paramount Comedy, which we have just rebranded as Comedy Central. Chris is a brilliant...

Marketing Mole: Who Does Google Think You Are? - David Kisilevsky, Vice-President Marketing, EMEA, Burger King
April 29, 2009... - The first result links to a profile of Kisilevsky when he was in a different role. - The second pushes to his up-to-date LinkedIn profile. - The third result refers to a profile of another David Kisilevsky, a geologist. - The fourth...

Marketing Mole: Name that brand.
April 29, 2009... This frozen-food brand is named after its founder, the US inventor who pioneered food preservation by freezing. In Europe the business was owned by Unilever until 2006, when it was bought by a UK private equity group. Can you name...

Marketing Mole: We'll Call You - Ask.Com
April 29, 2009... Can a less hirsute butler outdo the mighty Google when it comes to efficient web searches? We called the creator of Jeeves to get some answers. Ask.com Ask Jeeves, hello. Mktg Hi. Can I speak to someone in customer services? Ask.com We...

DfT urged to improve electric car awareness.(Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders educated consumers the advantages of hybrid vehicles)(Brief article)
April 22, 2009... The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) is leading calls for the government to fund and oversee a campaign to educate consumers on the benefits of electric and hybrid vehicles. It follows a decision by the Department for...

Shop-shutter ads to launch.(Streetskins places outdoor posters)(Brief article)
April 22, 2009... A company is attempting to cash in on the woes of the recession-hit high street by selling advertising space on empty retail units. Streetskins says it has found a method of placing ads on metal shutters that is resistant to graffiti and...

Diageo GB marketers set for job cuts.(Financial report)(Brief article)
April 22, 2009... Diageo is to make up to 20% of its marketing positions redundant as part of a companywide plan to save pounds 100m. The drinks firm, which owns the Smirnoff, Guinness and Baileys brands, is keen to protect its staff in emerging markets,...

Paid-For Search Suffers as Brands Reduce Spend
April 22, 2009... Investment in the medium has fallen for the first time, writes Fiona Ramsay. Paid-for search marketing has been hit by its first ever decline in spend, according to research conducted by Efficient Frontier. The study, which included...

Ryvita to shift ad business out of MWO.(Ryvita Co. cut ties with Mortimer Whittaker O'Sullivan )(Brief article)
April 22, 2009... Ryvita has ditched Mortimer Whittaker O'Sullivan (MWO), the agency that created its long-running ad campaign featuring TV presenter Fern Britton. MWO had held the account for the crispbread and snacking brand for five years. ...

Bottled-Water Alliance Rolls out First Campaign
April 22, 2009... The Natural Hydration Council (NHC) has launched its first consumer campaign, aimed at promoting the health benefits of drinking bottled water. The NHC was set up by Nestle Waters, Danone Waters and Highland Spring last September to protect...

Price site adds 'IT' meerkat.(Comparethemarket.com introduces its mascot)(Brief article)
April 22, 2009... Comparethemarket.com is introducing an additional brand mascot this week called Sergei, as part of its 'comparethemeerkat' campaign. Sergei, who is 'head of IT' at comparethemeerkat.com, will star alongside existing mascot Aleksandr in a...

FIFA to unveil clothing line.(Global Brands Group master licensee of International Federation of Association Football)(Brief article)
April 22, 2009... Football's international governing body, FIFA, is preparing to sell a range of clothing after licensing its brand for fashion for the first time. The clothing will be sold from August in official FIFA stores and FIFA-branded retail...

The Week in Marketing
April 22, 2009... Littlewoods in launch Littlewoods, part of the Shop Direct Group, has kicked off a summer fashion push across TV, print and online to encourage consumers to shop online with the brand. The 'Whoever you are, shop your way at Littlewoods.com'...

Borders in tie-up with Sky Arts 1.(Brief article)
April 22, 2009... Borders has signed a sponsorship deal with Sky's Arts 1 and Arts 1 HD channels. The books, magazines and entertainment retailer will use the sponsorship idents to introduce the strapline 'Let's escape' and an image of a butterfly made...

Orange mag gets overhaul.(magazine promotes services offered by Orange)(Brief article)
April 22, 2009... Orange is relaunching its in-store customer magazine as a lifestyle glossy called Together. The monthly title, produced by John Brown, was previously called What's New. It is being expanded to 52 pages of editorial and will have a...

BBC Parliament channel refreshes identity.(Brief article)
April 22, 2009... The BBC has introduced a fresh identity for BBC Parliament as part of an ongoing strategy to unify the look of BBC News output across TV, radio and the internet. The BBC started the brand alignment process in 2008 in a drive to create a...

Media Road Test: Bliss.(Brief article)
April 22, 2009... - What's new? Teen lifestyle magazine Bliss has been redesigned. As with any product aimed at a youth audience, there is a defined window of relevance to the target group and the title needs to keep itself fresh to attract a new...

Financial Times launches campaign.(DDB London creates campaign)(Brief article)
April 22, 2009... Financial Times has launched a campaign called 'Rabbit', created by DDB London, to promote its coverage and analysis of this week's Budget. -------------------- Did you find this article useful? Why not subscribe to the magazine?...

Hellomagazine.com partners LynkU.com.(online shopping channel services to be launched)(Brief article)
April 22, 2009... Hellomagazine.com has partnered with LynkU.com, a fashion-shopping search engine, to launch an online shopping channel. The service will offer a collection of designer and high-street fashion brands via the Hello! site. Designer boutiques...

Stage Entertainment runs campaign.(Bauer Media radio )(Brief article)
April 22, 2009... Stage Entertainment is running a campaign on Bauer Media radio station Magic 105.4 to promote the launch of Sister Act - The Divine Musical Comedy. -------------------- Did you find this article useful? Why not subscribe to the...

Nickelodeon ties up with Tiscali TV for promotion.(Brief article)
April 22, 2009... Nickelodeon has tied up with Tiscali TV to debut a promotional channel called Nick Extra, which is intended to engage with viewers and extend the brand appeal and reach of Nickelodeon. It will feature tailored competitions, teasers and...

The Sun agrees partnership deal with Massive R&B.(Brief article)
April 22, 2009... The Sun has agreed a partnership deal with Massive R&B ahead of the release of the anniversary edition of its Classics album. Voted-for tracks will feature on Massive R&B Classics and The Sun will carry branded merchandising and advertising....

Newsquest to roll out network of websites.(Brief article)
April 22, 2009... Newsquest is to roll out a network of hyperlocal websites for seven of its Midlands titles and is looking for unpaid members of the public to write for them. The Kidderminster Shuttle is the first to launch the local modules. ...

Brawn GP targets challenger status.(Greenspace appointed)(Brief article)
April 22, 2009... Brawn GP, the nascent Formula One team and current leader of the 2009 World Championships, has appointed branding agency Greenspace to position it as a challenger brand to established names such as Ferrari and McLaren. The strategy is...

Charity plots music event.(Brandhouse appointed by Cancer Research UK)(Brief article)
April 22, 2009... Cancer Research UK has appointed creative agency Brandhouse to raise the profile of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The fundraiser, which takes place during October, will be launched with a concert featuring only female performers. Cancer...

Lambrini adds rose variant.(wine marketing)(Brief article)
April 22, 2009... Lambrini is launching a rose variant as it aims to steal a share of the growing wine category. Lambrini Rose will go on sale at the end of the month with a recommended retail price of between pounds 2.49 and pounds 2.99. It will also be...

Brand in the news: Burger King.(Brief article)
April 22, 2009... Burger King's Whopper used to be the undisputed king of fast food Grilled to order, with prime beef and classy toppings, it knew no rival. Over the years, our tastes have become more sophisticated. We now shop at farmers' markets and...

UEFA unveils a fresh visual identity.(Radiant Studios creates logo for Union of European Football Associations)(Brief article)
April 22, 2009... UEFA has unveiled a fresh visual identity, designed by Radiant Studios, for the Champions League Final. The logo features a laurel wreath motif. This year's event will be held in Rome. -------------------- Did you find this article...

Warburtons adds two loaves to its range.(Brief article)
April 22, 2009... Warburtons, the bread brand, has added two 600g loaves to its range. Tasty White and Tasty Grains & Seeds will be available from the end of this month. The launch will be supported by an integrated campaign in May, including a series of...