Marketing articles from December 2006

Marketing archives from December 2006

BT readies launch drive for broadband-TV service.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... BT is rolling out a national ad campaign using the strapline 'Passing you the control' to back the launch of BT Vision, its TV-over-broadband service. The integrated push, through Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO, will form the focal point of BT's...

Morrisons revamps look to build national identity.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Morrisons is overhauling its brand identity as part of its strategy to expand beyond its Northern roots and establish itself as a national retailer. The revamp of the corporate identity is understood to encompass the fascias on all of the...

DoH hands pounds 10m smoking ban business to Farm.(Department of Health)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... The government has appointed Farm to handle a high-profile ad campaign promoting the forthcoming ban on smoking in public places in England. Spend on the campaign is estimated to be pounds 10m, nearly half the Department of Health's (DoH)...

Brands to sell via web-video clips.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Universal Music, Rolls-Royce and TEAMtalk Media have signed up to a web TV service that allows viewers to buy products from within a video by clicking on them. Coull TV is rolling out technology that enables brands to enhance online video...

Green Flag in review of pounds 10m advertising work.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Green Flag, the Royal Bank of Scotland-owned breakdown service, is reviewing its promotional account as it seeks to take market share from rivals including RAC and AA. Green Flag has approached a number of agencies regarding the brief,...

Thinkbox to plug new technology.(to use mobile streaming)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... TV marketing body Thinkbox is to focus its activity next year on new technology including mobile streaming and TV via the internet. According to Thinkbox chief executive Tess Alps, its 'The Third Age of Television' activity is intended to...

EDF to back ITV soapstars show.(EDF Energy)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... EDF Energy has signed up to sponsor the next series of Soapstar Superstar on ITV. The deal, which includes sponsorship on ITV1, ITV2, online and interactive advertising, is a shift of strategy for the energy giant. It has previously held...

IKEA hands lead to Agency.com.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... IKEA intends to give online a more prominent role in its communications strategy after naming digital specialist Agency.com as lead agency on its UK roster, which includes RBLM and Naked Communications. The Swedish retailer currently...

New Campaign: Rolls Royce.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Rolls-Royce is running the first ad campaign for its luxury pounds 250,000 Phantom marque, which launched in 2003. The press ads will run globally in all Rolls-Royce's markets. The campaign targets high net-worth individuals, with ads...

Tizer relaunch to play on heritage.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... AG Barr is to relaunch its Tizer brand, with an emphasis on the 82-year heritage of the fizzy-drink brand. Tizer has suffered falling sales as consumers have turned to healthier drinks such as water and juices. In 2005 it suffered a 36%...

Nestle steps up Nespresso drive.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Nestle is to promote its super-premium coffee brand Nespresso with a series of global initiatives intended to defend its share of the coffee market. It is planning to launch Nespresso Magazine as a biannual title that it claims will have a...

More Th>n abandons 'Normal is great' strategy.(Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Group PLC)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... More Th>n, the Royal & SunAlliance-owned insurance brand, is dropping the 'Normal is great' strapline from its advertising after less than a year. The strapline, which formed a pivotal part of its promotional strategy, was introduced by...

Premier Foods to prune roster after RHM buyout.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Premier Foods' pounds 1.2bn acquisition of rival RHM has put the companies' respective ad agencies on alert. Insiders widely expect the ad accounts to be slimmed down. Premier Foods currently uses DLKW for Ambrosia and Branston Pickle, and...

Dell kicks off search for European online agency.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Dell, the world's biggest direct seller of computers and computer accessories, is holding a pitch for its pan-European online account ahead of an increased investment in digital. The firm has been in contact with a number of digital...

Peugeot reworks UK digital roster.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Peugeot has completed a shake-up of its digital arrangements in the UK with the appointment of a roster of four agencies. The car manufacturer has hired E3, Euro RSCG 4D Digital, CMW Interactive and Underwired to its multimillion-pound...

Boots seeks to fuel online sales.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Boots is putting the finishing touches to a digital strategy intended to help it corner the multibillion-pound online health and beauty market next year. The retailer is understood to be close to embarking on a six-figure expansion project...

NatWest to look beyond cricket sponsorship ties.(National Westminster Bank PLC)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... NatWest is to broaden its sponsorship activity beyond its traditional territory of cricket and is looking at both the sporting and non-sporting arenas. The bank, which has been involved with cricket for more than 25 years, ploughs the vast...

COI pulls its drug awareness site.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... The COI has been forced to pull the plug on a website that encourages teenagers to talk openly about drugs. The 'Frank Debate' blog was launched recently as part of a government drug-awareness campaign. However, the site was taken down...

Apple extends concession strategy with Comet tie-up.(Apple Computer (UK) Ltd.)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Apple is expanding its store-within-a-store concept with a presence in electricals retailer Comet, following a successful trial in Tesco. Comet will host Apple concessions in five of its 250 UK stores, in Greenwich, Bristol, Yeading,...

Mattel in Barbie loyalty scheme.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Mattel is to launch a loyalty scheme for its 47-year-old Barbie doll brand as it continues its ongoing battle with younger rival Bratz. Mattel has sounded out several direct marketing agencies to develop and promote the scheme, which will...

New campaign: Nissan Qashqai.
December 6, 2006... Nissan is supporting the launch of its Qashqai compact car with a campaign based on a fictitious urban event called the Qashqai Car Games. Unbranded films featuring car stunts have been seeded on video-sharing websites such as YouTube....

ABTA Conference: EasyGroup to reposition cruises and buses.(Association of British Travel Agents)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... EasyGroup is to tone down its easyCruise brand in a repositioning of a number of its core businesses. Speaking at the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) convention in Marbella, Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou said the easyCruise ships...

ABTA Conference: Customer videos extend influence.(user-generated content)(Association of British Travel Agents)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... User-generated content (UGC) is to become a more important tool for travel marketers, as consumers rely more on independent advice, according to holiday operator Thomson. The company is adding customer video reviews and photos to its...

ABTA Conference: Travel operators set to prioritise regions.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Regional promotional work is to become increasingly important to travel operators, as regional airport growth outstrips that of mainstream airports. The chaos at Heathrow and Gatwick following security alerts in August has encouraged many...

ABTA Conference: First Choice adds opt-out emissions charge.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... First Choice is launching the UK's biggest travel-operator carbon-offset scheme, which will force its airline travellers who do not wish to participate, to actively opt out. Adult travellers will pay pounds 1 while children will pay 50p,...

ABTA Conference brief: Dulux to sponsor Ugly Betty.
December 6, 2006... Dulux is to sponsor Channel 4's latest US import, Ugly Betty. The show, which will be broadcast in January, follows the life of an ordinary woman who lands a job on a fashion magazine.

ABTA Conference brief: National Tyres hands account to Kemsley.
December 6, 2006... National Tyres has handed its pounds 2.5m ad account to Glasgow agency Kemsley. The business was previously handled by Barkers Communications Scotland.

ABTA Conference brief: EC reviews legislation.(European Commission )(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... The European Commission is reviewing its legislation to make it easier to prosecute email spammers. Fraudulent emails are estimated to cost the global economy more than pounds 26bn a year. The EC is proposing joint enforcement initiatives with...

ABTA Conference brief: Maplin Electronics to sponsor World Snooker.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Maplin Electronics has signed up to sponsor World Snooker's UK Championship tournament. The three-year deal was brokered by IMG. This year's tournament is being held at the York Barbican Centre from 4-17 December.

ABTA Conference brief: Government rejects calls by MPs.(Association of British Travel Agents)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... The government has rejected calls by MPs to force airlines to state carbon emissions per passenger in ads and online. Ministers told the Environmental Audit Committee, which made the proposal, that it had no plans to compel airlines to disclose...

ABTA Conference brief: ADI calls on marketing industry for support.(Animal Defenders International)(Association of British Travel Agents )(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Animal Defenders International (ADI) is calling on the marketing industry for support after its challenge to the ban on political advertising was rejected by the High Court. ADI has been given leave to appeal to the House of Lords, and is...

ABTA Conference brief: 3 UK poaches PC World director.(Ian Parpworth)(3G UK Ltd.)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... 3 UK has poached PC World development director Ian Parpworth to head its retail network. As director of retail strategy, Parpworth will oversee an estate of about 150 stores.

ABTA Conference brief: Leo Burnett retained by John West.(John West Foods)(Leo Burnett Company Inc.)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Leo Burnett continues to be retained by John West on its roster of agencies ('John West pounds 5m ad work goes to Cheetham Bell', Marketing, 22 November).

Media News: Conde Nast creates digital fashion title.(Stylefinder.com)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Conde Nast is to launch its first standalone web brand, Stylefinder.com, in March, reflecting the publisher's growing commitment to developing its online presence. The site will be an interactive shopping guide that will be updated daily,...

Media News: McGregor seeks partner for trip.(Cartwright to find a sponsor for Ewan McGregor, Charley Boorman'sdocumentary "Long Way Down")(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Actor Ewan McGregor and his travel companion Charley Boorman are seeking a commercial brand partner for their second long-haul motorcycle trip. The documentary Long Way Down, a sequel to 2004's Long Way Round, will be screened next autumn,...

Media News: Diet Coke backs ITV2 WAGs show.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Diet Coke has signed up to sponsor ITV2 reality show WAGs Boutique. The programme will feature 10 footballers' wives and girlfriends designing and running a fashion boutique in London, overseen by an as-yet unnamed mentor. Diet Coke...

Media choice: I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here.(ITV PLC)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... It wasn't that bad, but it wasn't that good either. Out were the Jordans and Nicoles of the past, and in were quite normal people who, let's face it, have never really made it into the Hall of Fame. Also gone was the sense that these...

Media News brief: Coutts launches customer magazine.
December 6, 2006... Coutts is launching a bi-annual customer magazine through Square One Publishing, called A Journal of Interest.

Media News brief: Channel 4 signs deal with Endemol.(Channel 4 Television Co.)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Channel 4 has signed a three-year extension deal with Endemol to broadcast the Big Brother series until 2010. The deal also covers spin-off shows such as Celebrity Big Brother.

Media News brief: Conde Nast to launch Indian edition of Vogue.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Conde Nast International is to launch an Indian edition of Vogue next autumn. Published in Mumbai, it will be the 17th international edition of the title, and the first on the Asian subcontinent.

Media News brief: Clear Channel Outdoor retains contract.(Clear Channel Outdoor UK)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Clear Channel Outdoor UK has retained its contract to supply and maintain street furniture in Portsmouth for a further 24 years. The contract covers 650 ad panels on bus shelters across the city.

Media News brief: IPC launches travel website.
December 6, 2006... IPC is launching a travel website to build on TVTimes' classified travel pages. Myholidayideas.com will be promoted in a 10-week campaign across 90 IPC titles.

Media News brief: Who Wants to be a Millionaire rights could change hands.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Who Wants to be a Millionaire rights could change hands after 2waytraffic announced a proposal to acquire the share capital of owners Complete Communications Corporation, Knight Whitehill Productions and The River Studio for pounds 106m.

Media News brief: Virgin Radio teams up with Roberts.
December 6, 2006... Virgin Radio has teamed up with Roberts to create a Virgin-branded DAB radio that automatically tunes in to the station.

Media News brief: NME expands tour.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... NME is expanding its Shockwaves NME Awards Tour to encompass a 15-date indie rave tour, alongside its existing 17-date indie rock tour. The tie-up with the haircare brand is in its third year.

Media News brief: Appointment at Fremantle Media.(Robert Marsh appointed at FremantleMedia Worldwide Production)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Fremantle Media has appointed Robert Marsh as vice-president for interactive and telephony in the UK, with a focus on online, podcasting and digital content. Marsh joins from Channel 4, where he was head of commissioning and producer relations,...

Branding News: Cafedirect revamps to improve standout.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Cafedirect, the manufacturer of Fairtrade hot drinks, is revamping its packaging and corporate identity to stave off the threat of retailers' own-label products and companies including Nestle. Lewis Moberly is creating a more unified look...

Branding News: Meridian pushes wellbeing values.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Healthfood brand Meridian has revealed a new look following its return to private ownership last year. The fresh identity and packaging, by The Paul Martin Design Company, has been rolled out across the brand's range, which includes...

Branding News: Linda McCartney to overhaul line.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... The Linda McCartney vegetarian frozen-food range is being relaunched next year following its sale by Heinz to US natural-food firm Hain Celestial Group in June. Design agency Made Thought was appointed in October to undertake the rebrand...

Branding News: Design choice - Innocent 'Supergran' hats.(Innocent Drinks)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Hats off to the team at Innocent for creating this unusual seasonal look: its smoothies are again wearing woolly hats as part of its 'Supergran' annual fundraising campaign in aid of Age Concern. Echoing the audience participation of Blue...

Branding News brief: T-Mobile enlists Saatchi & Saatchi Design.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... T-Mobile has enlisted Saatchi & Saatchi Design to create its new brand book and a photographic image bank for use across its communications materials. The book focuses on the brand's 'Simply closer' position.

Branding News brief: Pret A Manger introduces compostable box.
December 6, 2006... Pret A Manger has increased its corporate social responsibility commitments by introducing a compostable salad box created by Rapid Action Packaging.

Branding News brief: ELC launches action-hero toys.(Early Learning Centre)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Early Learning Centre has launched a collection of action-hero toys with packaging and identity designed by Parker Williams. The environmentally themed Planet Protectors range targets three- to six-year-olds.

Branding News brief: Town & Country introduces desserts for dogs.(Town & Country Petfoods)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Town & Country Petfoods has introduced a range of desserts for dogs with packaging by Stocks Taylor Benson. Called HiLife Just Desserts, the range includes summer fruit pudding and apple and cranberry crumble variants.

Branding News brief: Royal Mail appoints Silk Pearce.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Royal Mail has appointed Silk Pearce to design a series of commemorative stamps to celebrate the identities of the Home Nations. Called 'The four countries of the United Kingdom', the series will be issued over the next four years.

Branding News brief: RADA launches supporters' magazine.(Royal Academy of Dramatic Art )(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) is launching a supporters' magazine designed by 300million. The agency was also tasked with designing advertising and a brochure for the drama school to use in its efforts to raise funds from private...

Branding News brief: Halewood International launches on-pack promotion.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Halewood International is launching an on-pack promotion on its Crabbie's green ginger wine next year, offering consumers money off future purchases. The brand is seeking to tap into a resurgent interest in food and drink that was popular in...

Branding News brief: Stamford Consulting unveils launch branding.
December 6, 2006... Stamford Consulting Group, a recruitment company for the financial, technology and media industries, has unveiled launch branding through Haygarth.

Direct News: Tommy's to step up direct activity.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Tommy's, the baby charity, is seeking a direct agency to recruit donors and raise awareness of its work. The charity currently communicates with supporters through a regular leaflet entitled Saving Babies' Lives, but is to expand its range...

Direct News: Thisismoney in awareness drive.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Thisismoney.co.uk, a website offering consumers advice on personal finance, is to run a series of online and direct-response campaigns to raise brand awareness and boost traffic to the site. The website, which is owned by Associated...

Direct News: Avon seeks agency for Colour relaunch.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Avon is to back the relaunch of its core Avon Colour cosmetics range with a national direct campaign, and is hunting an agency to handle the brief. The aim of the activity will be to address the brand's dramatic slump in profits and...

Direct News brief: Prudential Group reviews accounts.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Prudential Group is reviewing its pounds 27m above- and below-the-line accounts for its Prudential and Egg brands. The business is currently handled by several agencies including Tri-Direct, Tequila\London and Claydon Heeley.

Direct News brief: Yorkshire Tourist Board hires Smarter.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Yorkshire Tourist Board has hired Smarter Communications to handle its integrated advertising account. It will oversee direct mail, press, online and TV activity in the New Year.

Direct News brief: Coca-Cola Enterprises to give away key rings.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Coca-Cola Enterprises is to give away key rings with purchases of Coke at Apollo Cinemas nationwide, as part of promotional activity around the release of animated film Happy Feet. The work has been created by Dynamo.

Direct News brief: ScotsCare launches poster and print drive.
December 6, 2006... ScotsCare, the charity for impoverished Scots in London, is launching a direct-response poster and print drive to raise funds and boost awareness of its services.

Direct News brief: Disney supports release with experiential campaign.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Disney is supporting the release of the Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest DVD with an experiential campaign created by Clay. The activity will see a double-decker bus converted into a replica of a desert island, where consumers can...

Direct News brief: Seabrook Crisps ties up with Blah!(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Seabrook Crisps has tied up with Blah!, a political group founded by 70s and 80s punk icon Captain Sensible, for an on-pack promotion Created by Propaganda, the work will feature on more than 3m crisp packets.

Direct News brief: BBC Magazines hires Adestra.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... BBC Magazines has hired Adestra to handle email activity promoting a range of its websites including topgear.com, radiotimes.com and goodfood.com. The agency will work alongside BBC Magazines' digital department to boost awareness and sales.

Direct News brief: Discover Leisure hires Prego.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Discover Leisure, a caravan retailer set up by the former management team of Dixons Motors, has hired Yorkshire agency Prego to handle its marketing and branding.

Direct choice: Amnesty International.(Different Kettle)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Having been impressed by Amnesty's recent 'Protect the human' campaign, I was excited when I saw this insert, and on first inspection I wasn't disappointed. Dramatic, clear and concise, it tells an all-too-familiar story of trafficking and...

Digital News: ITV alters red-button policy.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... ITV has scrapped its approach of running only one interactive TV (iTV) ad in each break, which could see it boost revenue from the medium by up to 40% in 2007. The UK's biggest commercial broadcaster is set to bolster its iTV inventory...

Digital News: Sacla to develop portal for pasta.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Italian food brand Sacla is relaunching its website as a portal for pasta lovers. The family-owned business has hired integrated agency Meteorite to handle the project, which represents its most significant commitment to digital. The...

Digital choice: Second Life.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth and He saw that it was good. A few hundred thousand years passed until man created the internet, and he saw it was good. Whether as a communications tool, commercial opportunity,...

Digital News brief: Divine launches download service.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Divine, a wireless technology company, has launched a service allowing consumers to download radio tracks direct to their mobile phones. Users can receive a ring-tone, track or celebrity picture by sending a shortcode.

Digital News brief: UKTV Style uses web to premier lifestyle show.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... UKTV Style is using the web to premier its lifestyle show Danielle Does Christmas. The series has been adapted into a collection of video clips, which are being shown on www.uktvstyle.co.uk.

Digital News brief: Key drivers of internet uptake.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Social networking, instant messaging and web telephony are the key drivers of internet uptake, according to the European Interactive Advertising Association. Of European internet users, 45% go online daily, spending a weekly average of 11 hours...

Digital News brief: Lovefilm.com hires former Sainsbury's manager.(Ground, Andrew)(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Lovefilm.com, the online DVD rental service, has hired former Sainsbury's brand marketing manager Andrew Ground as its UK managing director. He will focus on increasing its customer base from 350,000 to more than 1m.

Digital News brief: Sony launches microsite.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Sony has launched a microsite and online ad campaign to promote its PSP console and games in the run-up to Christmas. The work, created by Agency Republic, includes banner and skyscraper ads.

Digital News brief: Directgov launches mobile phone version.
December 6, 2006... Directgov, the government website providing access to public services, has launched a version available on internet-enabled mobile phones. It was created by Cimex.

Digital News brief: Casio tops The Viral Chart.(Brief article)
December 6, 2006... Casio's viral campaign for its Exilim camera has topped The Viral Chart for global movies. The work, showing a young woman stripping off in a wood, has been viewed more than 400,000 times since its launch last month.

Andrew Walmsley on digital: It's all coming together for 3G.
December 6, 2006... It's six years now since the government raised pounds 22.5bn in the biggest auction ever to have been held, selling five licences to operate 3G mobile phone networks. It was subsequently described by the academics who had advised the government...

News Analysis: Beating pureplays at own game.(top online sites)
December 6, 2006... Traditional retailers have seen their share of online visits explode in the run-up to Christmas. Broadband, mobile phones, Bratz dolls, digital cameras, laptops PCs, iPods, lingerie, Barbie dolls, Nintendo DS, LCD TVs - if Santa manages to...

News Analysis: Is there room for BT Vision?(Digital television)
December 6, 2006... BT is hanging its hat on a broadband TV service that will give users total control over what they pay for. SkyDigital, Freeview and NTL Telewest are pretty tough competition for anyone entering the cut-throat digital-entertainment market....

Forum Preview: Catalysts to growth.(Brand management)
December 6, 2006... Brands must devise a strategy of innovation based on consumer insights to nurture growth, writes Becky Charles. As a profusion of brands jostle for prime position within busy markets, it has become more vital than ever for companies to find...