Marketing articles from August 1991

Marketing archives from August 1991

Woolmark in M&S Deal
August 29, 1991... Woolmark in M&S deal Crisis-hit Wool Secretariat targets retailers. Ken Gofton reports Marks & Spencer (M&S) is to offer the Woolmark brand a new lease of life and create Woolmark knitwear "shops within shops" in most of its...

Thomson to Catch Early Birds with Discount Brand
August 29, 1991... Thomson to catch Early Birds with discount brand Thomson is to brand its start-of-season brochures for the first time and tout below inflation price rises in an effort to boost early bookings for 1992. The new Early Bird brochures will get a...

Mars boss out amid staff exodus rumour. (Mars Confectionery, George Greener) (Confectionery)
August 29, 1991... Mars boss out amid staff exodus rumour Mars Confectionery's managing director George Greener resigned last week after six years in the post. He has been replaced by Benno Hoogendoorn, managing director of Mars Snack foods -- Continental...

Ford cagey over plans to follow price cuts with brand reshuffle. (Ford Motor Company Ltd.) (Cars)
August 29, 1991... Ford cagey over plans to follow price cuts with brand reshuffle Ford hinted this week that a complete "re-alignment" of its brands is imminent after a move to rebrand and slash prices on existing low-specification models. As part of its...

Dixons to Go Upmarket and Sell Hi-Fi Separates
August 29, 1991... Dixons to go upmarket and sell hi-fi separates Dixons is to follow where the money is and sell individual hi-fi components in what looks to be a move upmarket away from rivals like Rumbelows. The UK's biggest electricals chain is running...

Barclays ties up TV ad deal to pay by response. (Barclays Bank PLC, direct response advertising) (Financial Services)
August 29, 1991... Barclays ties up TV ad deal to pay by response Barclays is to make its first tentative move into direct response TV ads this week after securing a mould-breaking airtime deal with contractors. For the first time TV companies have offered...

New parent Gallagher doubles W&M adspend in global drive. (Whyte and Mackay Distillers Ltd.) (Drinks)
August 29, 1991... New parent Gallagher doubles W&M adspend in global drive US tobacco firm Gallagher is to double marketing spend on Whyte and Mackay's (W&M) flagship whisky in its latest move to build a strong global brand. The boost to W&M Special...

Milton Keynes turns Japanese with TV ads. (Milton Keynes Development Corp.) (Satellite TV) (Advertising)
August 29, 1991... Milton Keynes turns Japanese with TV ads Milton Keynes is gunning for ex-patriot Japanese businesspeople by taking ads on pan-European Japanese satellite TV. The city has the largest concentration of Japanese investment in the UK outside...

Film Companies Try to 'Terminate' Video Ads
August 29, 1991... Film companies try to |terminate' video ads How many media owners out there would turn down a "solid five-figure sum" to place an ad in these straitened times? It is happening at the moment in the embryonic world of advertising on video tapes....

Clicking with consumers. (camera industry advertising) (Eurobrands) (Advertising)
August 29, 1991... CLICKING WITH CONSUMERS In our first Euro-brands survey of cameras, it is immediately obvious that "Eurobrand" is something of a misnomer here. Out of the top 12 advertised brands, nine are Japanese, one is American and another South Korean....

Advertisers Dumbfounded by Higher BARB Figures
August 29, 1991... Advertisers dumbfounded by higher BARB figures Advertisers and media buyers have been thrown into a state of confusion this week by the switch in research methods at the Broadcast Audience Research Board (BARB). BARB's latest weekly summary of...

Granada TV shares now a good buy. (Granada Television International Ltd.) (TV Franchises) (Media)
August 29, 1991... Granada TV shares now a good buy Granada TV has been labelled a "buy" stock by City analysts, who think it will actually be better off if it loses its franchise. Media analyst Dr Simon Taylor of broker Robert Fleming believes things...

Thirsty for Ovalteenies. (Ovaltine Products Inc., Horlicks advertising) (Media Buying) (Media)
August 29, 1991... THIRSTY FOR OVALTEENIES Product placement has always been a whizz of an idea, but the news last week that Ovaltine wants to sneak into soap opera and sitcoms shouldn't detract from the fact that it hasn't held back on the advertising front...

LBS Report Debunks the Effectiveness of Promos
August 29, 1991... LBS report debunks the effectiveness of promos Marketers are wasting their time if they think consumer promotions stand any chance of building their brands, claims the first international study on the subject. A four-country probe by the...

33 Export will sponsor BSkyB's US Open tennis. (Sports Sponsorship) (Below-The-Line)
August 29, 1991... 33 Export will sponsor BSkyB's US Open tennis Bottled French premium lager 33 Export has kept faith with BSkyB with a new sponsorship package for its coverage of US Open tennis. The new deal follows a decision by insurance giant Refuge to...

Ignorance: A Barrier to Integration
August 29, 1991... Ignorance: a barrier to integration The US President Calvin Coolidge was celebrated for his economy of expression. It was almost impossible to have a protracted conversation with him. One story recounts how, upon his return from church one...

Sony & Philips Fight to Change Tapes
August 29, 1991... This week's electronics fair in Berlin will reveal plans for a replacement for the audio cassette. Mat Toor looks at the main options Sony & Philips fight to change tapes This week the oddly-named Funkaustellung consumer electronics fair in...

Ski stays at the top of the slope despite a slide along with St Ivel. (Grand Metropolitan Inc. Grand Metropolitan Foods Div.'s Ski Yoghurt, St. Ivel Ltd.'s St Ivel Shape, yogurt) (Sector Survey)
August 29, 1991... Ski stays at the top of the slope despite a slide along with St Ivel The Europeans are coming! At last, the joint ventures and the inch-by-inch approach that dairy brands like Muller, Yoplait and Danone have taken is paying off with share of...

Not Quite the Right Answer
August 29, 1991... Not quite the right answer When a media sales house like Laser Sales announces a move into direct response TV it shows that something is up. Laser Sales think it worthwhile investing a small fortune to develop voice activated technology which...

Not All Plain Sailing for a New Launch
August 29, 1991... Not all plain sailing for a new launch When I was a child, and took my toy boat to the local park lake, there was always some knowing adult who would read the wind, define a course, set the rudder and sails accordingly, and then launch it for me....

Going for the Grind?
August 29, 1991... Going for the grind? Coffee has come a long way from the early days of powder during the Second World War. Freeze dried products have powered the market's growth, but now instant coffee sales are falling. Can the coffee giants find a new trick to...

Setting Sights on AV
August 29, 1991... SETTING SIGHTS ON AV Hi-tech equipment for audio-visual presentations at meetings is becoming more and more innovative, says Simon Rines Given that research suggests that the retention of information is 43% greater when visual aids are used, it's...

Is There Gold in Them There Pills?
August 29, 1991... IS THERE GOLD IN THEM THERE PILLS? In reality, a reorganised NHS is unlikely to be a PR or market research goldmine. Matt Fearnley takes a look at the prospects as the healthcare sector faces massive change One of the PR industry's great...

Why Londoners Lose Out
August 29, 1991... Why Londoners lose out It's official: people who live and work in London are far worse off than those outside the metropolis. According to the Reward Group's latest London Weighting Survey, a family of four, living in a three-bedroomed...

Taking the Floor with Carpetland
August 29, 1991... Taking the floor with Carpetland As one of the management team that last week bought Carpetland, the chain that fell into receivership along with parent Lowndes Queensway, Malcolm Sevren is a marketing director who fully appreciates the...

Budweiser Loses Courage
August 22, 1991... Budweiser loses Courage Anheuser-Busch (A-B) is to wrest UK marketing control for the world's biggest beer, Budweiser, from former partner Courage at the end of this year. The coup follows the Courage takeover of beer brands formerly owned by...

Major postpones consumer bill. (John Major, Consumer Rights Bill) (Consumer Legislation)
August 22, 1991... Major postpones Consumer Bill Premier John Major's much-hyped Citizens' Charter has elbowed the planned Consumer Rights Bill off the Parliamentary agenda. Government plans to give consumers a better deal on goods and services will be...

Skol 1080 out to Clean Up Strong Lager Sector
August 22, 1991... Skol 1080 out to clean up strong lager sector Allied-Lyons is to relaunch its super-strength lager Skol 1080 in what looks like a new attempt by the beer industry to rid high-gravity brews of their "wino" reputation. It comes as part of a...

Nissan GB plans 20m pound sterling adspend to patch up poor image after row. (cars)
August 22, 1991... Nissan GB plans 20m [pounds] adspend to patch up poor image after row Nissan GB is ready to spend 20m [pounds] on advertising to patch up what it admits is the damage inflicted on the brand's image during its highly-publicised row over...

Nyet problem, says Soviet Jeans. (Clothing)
August 22, 1991... Nyet problem, says Soviet Jeans Soviet Jeans, the upmarket casual clothes range whose brand values rest on the principles of glasnost and perestroika, is pressing on with a "freedom of expression" promotion as tanks roll into Moscow this...

TV uses voice-activation to win ads from press. (Laser Sales' Lasercall, direct response telephone service) (Direct Response)
August 22, 1991... TV uses voice-activation to win ads from press A TV sales house is attempting to coax advertisers out of the press with a direct response telephone service capable of handling up to 2000 calls simultaneously. The service -- Lasercall --...

Elida Gibbs spurns BDA effectiveness logo. (British Dental Association) (Dental Products)
August 22, 1991... Elida Gibbs spurns BDA effectiveness logo One of the UK's biggest toothpaste makers is shunning a new dentists' endorsement scheme which claims to assess effectiveness boasts. The British Dental Association (BDA) will launch a logo...

Assessing the Effects of the Coup
August 22, 1991... Assessing the effects of the coup The euphoria of the revolutions of 1989 has now been well and truly overtaken -- and by dangers in 1991 which have to be reassessed day by day. We must now face up to the fearful prospects of regional conflict...

HHCL drinks to success of five-month Britvic pitch. (Howell Henry Chaldecott Lury, Britvic Soft Drinks Ltd.) (Soft Drinks)
August 22, 1991... HHCL drinks to success of five-month Britvic pitch Britvic has handed Howell Henry Chaldecott Lury (HHCL) an 8m [pounds], six-brand clutch of business in a move to centralise its advertising. Director of brands marketing Tony Hillyer...

Yardley Fights Mass Market Slide with Launch of Forever and Lace
August 22, 1991... Yardley fights mass market slide with launch of Forever and Lace Yardley Lentheric is to launch its first new fragrance brand since last year's management buyout. The fragrance and cosmetics business, formerly owned by SmithKline Beecham, will...

Ecover turns to recycled posters for first ads. (Household Products)
August 22, 1991... Ecover turns to recycled posters for first ads Ecover's first ad campaign launches this week with a novel tactic -- recycled posters. They advertise both Ecover washing-up liquid and washing powder and are made up of old ad posters....

BMP denies conflict. (Wensauer DDB Needham) (Conflicts of Interest) (Advertising)
August 22, 1991... BMP denies conflict BMP DDB Needham's German operation is strongly denying this week that an administrative reshuffle was a front to avoid client conflict between Henkel and new win Bristol Myers. Dusseldorf-based Wensauer DDB Needham...

IPA Newsletter Keeps Holt Dispute Alive and Kicking
August 22, 1991... IPA newsletter keeps Holt dispute alive and kicking The war of words between former adman Bob Holt and The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) over his claims that many agencies rip off clients enters a new phase this week -- with an...

Pumping the petrol. (petroleum industry advertising) (Eurobrands) (Advertising)
August 22, 1991... PUMPING THE PETROL The top dog in European petrol spend -- or rather, top tiger -- has no hand on its UK tiller this week. The 7m [pounds] UK Esso account is out to pitch and J Walter Thompson is the strongest favourite to take control. ...

Classic wins radio license. (Classic FM) (National Commercial Radio) (Media)
August 22, 1991... Classic wins radio licence The Classic FM consortium is boasting it will need much less cash than originally planned to set up the first national commercial radio station (INR1). Classic was awarded the INR1 licence this week after Sir...

Classified move for Woman's Realm. (Woman's Realm, periodical) (Magazines) (Media)
August 22, 1991... Classified move for Woman's Realm IPC will launch classified advertising into Woman's Realm this autumn in an attempt to boost its revenue and circulation. It will start with a "shopping market" offering products and services in...

Fast Food Gets a Grilling
August 22, 1991... FAST FOOD GETS A GRILLING Ulster is the only TV region where McDonald's does not spend any money advertising on television. Even that's likely to change soon with the autumn opening of Belfast's first symbol of US culture. Yet the UK's biggest...

BBC drops slogan after ITC rebuke. (Radio Times, periodical, Independent Television Commission) (Media)
August 22, 1991... BBC drops slogan after ITC rebuke The Independent Television Commission (ITC) has forced the BBC's Radio Times to drop its ad slogan "If it's on, it's in" after a complaint from TV Times' parent IPC. IPC said the slogan was inaccurate...

Aquafresh Boxes Clever with Ritz Video Vouchers
August 22, 1991... Aquafresh boxes clever with Ritz video vouchers SmithKline Beecham toothpaste Aquafresh is to become the first brand to get national ads on video cassette boxes in a joint promotion with Ritz Video next month. SmithKline's biggest...

It's Anchors away for holiday-hungry children. (Anchor Foods Ltd.'s sales promotion) (Below-the-Line)
August 22, 1991... It's Anchors away for holiday-hungry children Anchor Foods is to cash in on the hard-pressed travel industry and offer free holidays for children. In return for two proofs of purchase on Anchor's strawberry or chocolate mousse, consumers...

Auditing the Demand for Cleaner Lists
August 22, 1991... Auditing the demand for cleaner lists Any fast-growing, lucrative industry attracts rogues. Direct marketing is no exception. I have often thought some of our suppliers would have done well in the used car business -- though looking at the state...

Opportunities Bubble to the Surface
August 22, 1991... Opportunities bubble to the surface Smaller producers are poring over an MMC report which gives them the chance to win market share from rivals Coke and Pepsi Soft drinks companies up and down the land will be looking to add extra fizz to their...

Anchor Slips Down the Chart as Flora Steals Its Crown
August 22, 1991... Anchor slips down the chart as Flora steals its crown The Daddy of them all regains its rightful place at the top of the butter mountain. Last year Anchor -- which spent over 2.5m [pounds] in the past 12 months in an effort to keep butter trendy...

Rooting out the Cowboys
August 22, 1991... Rooting out the cowboys Judging by some of the things we at Marketing hear, parts of the marketing services industry are more akin to the Wild West than a modern business. Deals may be done on the basis "my word is my bond" but they are actually...

Drinking to the Christmas Season
August 22, 1991... Drinking to the Christmas season The liquor market is one of the most complex and competitive industries in the UK. It operates in two quite distinct market sectors with the on and off-trade; it is exceptionally seasonal with over 25% of all...

Watching out for the Enemy
August 22, 1991... Watching out for the enemy We have all heard to the point of tedium discussion about the likely effects of the new ITV licensing system on broadcasting quality. If broadcasters produced programmes as copiously as complaints, there would never be...

Going for Brokers
August 22, 1991... Going for brokers The aged widow pushes herself wearily up from her Shackleton chair and shuffles in worn slippers towards the door. Two letters. Her back pain nags as she bends down to pick them up. It is hardly worth the effort -- the gas bill...

Cards Run out of Credit
August 22, 1991... Cards run out of credit Access may die, but rival credit cards have little cause for joy, argues Paul Meller The recession will mark different industries in different ways. Some will emerge exhausted, others will be leaner and fitter. The...

Facing Brand Changes
August 22, 1991... FACING BRAND CHANGES Marketing managers -- it is being predicted in some circles -- will become more concerned with managing groups of experts than with assembling brand marketing packages, the role that many assume now. In Marketing last year...

Seeking That Elusive Job
August 22, 1991... Seeking that elusive job Peter Shaw (pseudonym), a marketing manager with ten years' experience, was made redundant in January. "I knew it was coming," he says, "but it was still a great shock." He reacted by dealing with the...

A Whirlwind Career Up to Whirlpool
August 22, 1991... A whirlwind career up to Whirlpool Graham Hayden, the new sales and marketing director of Philips Whirlpool started out in his career without higher education. He did what now is almost impossible -- he joined an ad agency with just three...

McDonald's Forges Irn Link
August 15, 1991... McDonald's forges Irn link Fast food multinational McDonald's has abandoned its UK "no alien brands" policy and let AG Barr's Irn Bru get a foot-hold where Coca-Cola and Pepsi have failed. The Irn Bru brand is this week on sale in McDonald's...

Distribution Puts Fizz into Soft Drinks
August 15, 1991... Distribution puts fizz into soft drinks The Monopolies and Mergers Commission (MMC) will pull the ring on the 3.5bn [pounds] carbonated soft drinks industry within days. Its monopoly probe will concentrate on what the Irn Bru/McDonald's deal...

Quorn gets the taste for foreign expansion. (Imperial Chemical Industries PLC. Marlow Foods' Quorn, meat substitute) (Food) (Brief Article)
August 15, 1991... Quorn gets the taste for foreign expansion Meat substitute Quorn is to make its first foreign expansion with an autumn launch into Belgium. ICI's Marlow Foods is linking up with the country's second biggest supermarket chain Delhaize le...

Horne Brothers sold off as recession hits Sears. (Retail) (Brief Article)
August 15, 1991... Horne Brothers sold off as recession hits Sears Sears this week sold loss-making upmarket retailer Horne Brothers to management after a review of its hard-hit menswear business. Sears now wants to focus on organic growth of its remaining...

Yugotours' Disarray over Civil War Forces Mediterranean Brand Launch
August 15, 1991... Yugotours' disarray over civil war forces Mediterranean brand launch The UK's fourth biggest tour operator Yugotours may scrap its 38-year-old brand as Yugoslavia remains paralysed by civil war this week. Yugotours will unveil a new...

Mars' Slogan Change Fends off Health Lobby
August 15, 1991... Mars' slogan change fends off health lobby Mars is to abandon the powerful "work, rest and play" slogan in Canada as health lobbyists campaign worldwide to outlaw generalised health claims. The Canadian version, "A Mars a day, at work, rest...

M&A Pledge under Spotlight
August 15, 1991... M&A pledge under spotlight Poster contractor Mills and Allen (M&A) stands accused this week of reneging on assurances it gave monopoly watchdogs that it intends to market the sites of new acquisition Dolphin separately. An internal...

BA cuts fares from US in price strategy shift. (British Airways PLC) (Airlines) (Brief Article)
August 15, 1991... BA cuts fares from US in price strategy shift BA has slashed 15% off fares to London from 17 US cities in what it claims is an attempt to "boost tourism to Britain" - but what amounts to a pre-emptive strike against new rivals United and...

BT Sets Up Share Shops with Nominated Firms
August 15, 1991... BT sets up share shops with nominated firms The world's biggest share marketing drive this autumn will tempt 20 million UK households to become customers of Government-inspired share shops. Consumers will get discounts on commission if they...

New agreement signed on tobacco ads. (Tobacco Advisory Council) (Tobacco) (Brief Article)
August 15, 1991... New agreement signed on tobacco ads The tobacco industry and the Government are on the brink of signing a new voluntary agreement on advertising and sponsorship this week - including the controversial "Smoking Kills" health warning. ...

ICI links with Tyne Tees in TV sponsorship first. (Imperial Chemical Industries PLC, The Powerhouse, television program) (Sponsorship)
August 15, 1991... ICE links with Tyne Tees in TV sponsorship first ICI is to make its first move into broadcast sponsorship in a toe-in-the-water deal with Tyne Tees. A new science series called The Powerhouse is to get a "five-figure" sum from the...

Courage supports Y&R over Foster's campaign. (Courage Beer Co., Young and Rubicam Inc., Foster's, beer) (Drinks)
August 15, 1991... Courage supports Y&R over Foster's campaign Brewer Courage moved fast this week to quell well-placed rumours that the month-old Foster's campaign is already in jeopardy. News of doubts over the Young and Rubicam ads follow the...

Success and the City Challenge
August 15, 1991... Success and the city challenge "The main street was a poor thing, chiefly filled with cheap shops and six-penny bazaars. . . You felt that all the shoddiest stuff in Europe, America and Japan were being poured into this street." "... has no...

ASA Slaps Down BMW for Faking Used Car Photo
August 15, 1991... ASA slaps down BMW for faking used car photo BMW faked an ad for its approved used cars scheme, it was revealed this week. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld a complaint against BMW for a national press ad featuring two...

ITC forces New England to switch its sexy ads to the silver screen. (Independent Television Commission) (Ice Cream)
August 15, 1991... ITC forces New England to switch its sexy ads to the silver screen Upmarket ice-cream maker New England is being forced to restrict its "fake orgasm" ads to the cinema. The Independent Television Commission (ITC) last week cracked down...

Sapporo Turns to TV to Widen Consumer Target
August 15, 1991... Sapporo turns to TV to widen consumer target Cult Japanese beer Sapporo is vying to break out of its trendy "club circuit" clique with its first concerted UK ad campaign this week. The beer, claimed to have created the premium sector when it...

Haagen-Dazs plays it cool on sexy ads. (Ice-Cream) (Advertising)
August 15, 1991... Haagen-Dazs plays it cool on sexy ads Haagen-Dazs has splashed cold water on the first of its sexy press ads to avoid causing offence. The original double-page ads, featuring a scantily-clad couple embracing with high passion while...

Cold comfort for ice-cream. (Eurobrands) (Advertising)
August 15, 1991... COLD COMFORT FOR ICE-CREAM At the tail-end of the traditional ice-cream season, overall sector advertising spend across six countries predictably dropped by around $4m. Yet Mars boosted its spend, providing a rare insight into the...

Southern seeks to unite publishers. (Southern Newspapers) (Newspapers) (Media)
August 15, 1991... Southern seeks to unite publishers Southern Newspapers is in talks with the local South-east publishers who want to take it over about creating a one-stop comprehensive press package to mirror and rival the TVS television region. ...

Whisky Presses On
August 15, 1991... WHISKY PRESSES ON In the year to June 1991, Allied-Lyons' subsidiary William Teacher spent 40% less than Whyte and Mackay (W&M) on press advertising for its Highland Cream - 841,000 [pounds] compared with 1.3m [pounds]. But the brand,...

Reinstatement at TWC seen as Oyston snub. (Neil Jones reinstatement, Trans World Communications, Owen Oyston) (Radio) (Media)
August 15, 1991... Reinstatement at TWC seen as Oyston snub Trans World Communications (TWC) has snubbed its millionaire ex-chairman and chief executive Owen Oyston by reinstating sacked managing director Neil Jones. Jones was fired by Oyston last year,...

Direct debacle punctures buoyant industry boasts. (Direct 91, trade show, cancelled) (Direct Marketing) (Below-The-Line)
August 15, 1991... Direct debacle punctures buoyant industry boasts The exhibition supposed to symbolise the dawning of a golden age for the UK direct marketing industry has been called off at the eleventh hour. Direct 91 was scheduled for this October in...

Colgate pushes mouth rinse with huge spend. (Colgate-Palmolive Co., Actibrush, mouth rinse) (Dental Products) (Below-The-Line)
August 15, 1991... Colgate pushes mouth rinse with huge spend Colgate-Palmolive next week launches one of its biggest below-the-line campaigns ever. A near-3m [pounds] push behind Actibrush mouth rinse starts with a doordrop of 12ml sample sachets and 20p...

Direct Mail: The Public Service
August 15, 1991... Direct mail: the public service I promised you on July 11 that I would find out from one of my German colleagues whether their more restrictive data protection laws have resulted in them being suffocated by tonnes of ill-targeted mail. In...

British Airways flies straight to the top, as American Airlines zooms in. (airline advertising) (Sector Survey)
August 15, 1991... British Airways flies straight to the top, as American Airlines zooms in "Fasten your seatbelts, we're going through a spot of turbulence." It's usually a reassuring voice, warning of a little discomfort on the way to clear skies. This year,...

Why Price Wars Are Here to Stay
August 15, 1991... Why price wars are here to stay A mosquito has a lifespan of a few days. A bee, a few weeks. A sparrow three of four years. Like all things in nature, including economies, they operate according to their own timescales. Talk to the mosquito...

A Question of Ethics All over the Shop
August 15, 1991... A question of ethics all over the shop Two thirds of shoppers say ethical issues influence their buying habits, and the biggest ethical issue is irresponsible marketing, according to research carried out by Mintel in December 1990. ...

Elongating Consumers' Anticipation
August 15, 1991... Elongating consumers' anticipation There I was, returning from a meeting in Barcelona, shuffling forward in the Terminal One immigration queue, when my arm was pulled backwards. My passport almost fell from between my clenched teeth. The fingers...