Marketing articles from February 2001

Marketing archives from February 2001

Ex-Tango boss to launch parenting internet venture.(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Ex-beeb.com and Tango marketing chief David Atter has emerged as chief executive and co-founder of Talking Families, a new web site offering parenting tips. Atter, who was sales and marketing director of beeb. com before leaving last...

COI to review [pound]100m creative roster.(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... The Central Office of Information is set to put more than [pound]100m worth of government advertising business up for grabs in the next few weeks in a full-scale review of its creative agency roster. The review, led by COI Communications...

Excite Recruits IPC Chief to Top UK Job
February 22, 2001... Excite, the internet portal and search site, has drafted in IPC Media commercial director Rebecca Miskin as its first dedicated UK general manager. Miskin, 35, will oversee all aspects of the UK business, including marketing, with full profit...

Air Miles hires BA marketer as trio exit over strategy.(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Air Miles has hired British Airways marketer Mary Thomas to its top marketing post, just as the loyalty programme suffers a series of senior management departures. Thomas joined Air Miles as marketing chief last week after spending more...

BT set to realign [pound]20m consumer direct marketing.(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... BT is set to call a review of its consumer direct marketing business, worth up to [pound]20m. It is the second major DM account to have come up for pitch in the telecoms sector in the space of a week. Last week, Orange put its [pound]25m...

Top Ericsson marketer leaves alter ad review.(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Jan Ahrenbring, Ericsson Mobile Communications' top marketer, has quit suddenly, just two weeks after hiring Bartle Bogle Hegarty to handle the firm's [pound]100m global ad account. Ahrenbring, vice-president of marketing and...

Virgin Radio.(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Virgin Radio has appointed Mustoe Merriman Herring Levy as its first retained advertising agency, to support the station's refocused music policy announced this month. A campaign comprising TV, outdoor, cinema and press ads will break on...

BSkyB.(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... BSkyB is reported to be poised to appoint Bates UK as the lead agency on its [pound]35m ad account. Bates pitched for the business alongside WCRS. The decision has to be approved by BSkyB chief executive Tony Ball. BSkyB denied that any...

Burger King.(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Burger King has hired John Dasburg, president and chief executive of Northwest Airlines, as chief executive. Dasburg replaces Dennis Malamatinas, who left in June to head Priceline Europe, at the Diageo-owned fast food chain.

Procter & Gamble.(Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Procter & Gamble is launching its lams Dog Food line in the UK. The brand, already available in the US, will be distributed to 3500 pet stores and will be supported by the biggest UK marketing programme for Iams. TV ads, through Saatchi &...

Asda's clothing label George.(George Davies, Nayna McIntosh)(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Asda's clothing label George has yet to name a replacement for marketing director Nayna McIntosh, who is to follow former chairman George Davies to his new job as a supplier to Marks & Spencer.

Coca-Cola.(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Coca-Cola is to be the sole global marketing partner for the forthcoming Harry Potter film in a $150m ([pound]104m) deal with Warner Bros. As part of the agreement, Coke will develop a series of promotions, from advertising, point-of-sale and...

Weetabix.(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Weetabix has consolidated the planning and buying for its outdoor advertising account into one specialist, Outdoor Connection, for the first time. Last year, Weetabix spent [pound]1.7m, or 12% of its ad budget, on outdoor advertising.

Virgin One.(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Virgin One is launching a loyalty scheme for customers called Plus One. The current account mortgage provider has linked up with Worldwide Travel, National Car rental, Lonely Planet and Virgin Wines to provide special deals.

Barclaycard.(James Davison)
February 22, 2001... Barclaycard is seeking a consumer marketing director for its online financial service iMoney.co.uk, set to launch this summer. James Davison, previously managing director of e-commerce for Barclaycard, becomes chief executive of the service,...

Tesco's marketing operations.(Richard Brasher )(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Tesco's marketing operations director Richard Brasher has swapped roles with Simon Uwins, the supermarket's commercial director for nonfoods. Brasher has held the marketing operations position, the most senior below marketing director Tim...

Carlton Screen.(Immediate Sales Company, Walker Media)(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Carlton Screen will today (Wednesday) launch the first-ever campaign to promote the benefits of advertising cinema. The [pound]1m campaign, through the Immediate Sales Company and Walker Media, features a cast of 600 elephants and aims to...

The Halifax.(Delaney Lund Knox Warren)(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... The Halifax is to promote its use of credit cards abroad in a new ad launching on Thursday. The ad, created by Delaney Lund Knox Warren, stars Yvonne McBride singing about the bank's cards to the tune of Ricky Martin's Livin' La Vida Loca. It...

TV campaign.(Levi Strauss and Co., Bartle Bogle Hegarty)(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Levi's is putting [pound]5m behind a new TV campaign in the third burst of activity to support its 'twisted engineered jeans'. The ads, created by Bartle Bogle Hegarty, feature a new character called Twisted Boy, who will have his own web...

Kellogg.(J Walter Thompson, Leo Burnett)(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Kellogg has split with J Walter Thompson in the US and consolidated its US advertising account into Leo Burnett. However, the cereal giant insists it will continue to use both networks in the UK and Europe.

Advertising agencies.(pitch for a new nicotine patches brand)(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... An undisclosed number of advertising agencies will this week pitch for a new nicotine patches brand, designed to help smokers kick the habit. The brand, called Varsatec, is seeking an agency through the AAR.

Boots slated online for 'unsafe' brands.(Friends of the Earth carries out web-based attack on Boots Pharmaceuticals Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Friends of the Earth (FoE) is carrying out a web-based attack on Boots the Chemist with the launch of a site that reworks the Boots logo into the word 'pollutes'. The site, located at foe.co.uk/safer_chemicals, launched this week as part...

Beck's appoints M&C to [pound]5m job.(Scottish Courage, M&C Saatchi)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 22, 2001... Scottish Courage has handed its [pound]5m Beck's creative account to M&C Saatchi, which edged out J Walter Thompson in the final stage of a year-long review. M&C also handles Courage's biggest brand, Foster's, which has an annual...

Pizza Hut.(sponsors Sky Sports' football coverage)(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Pizza Hut's branding work to support its sponsorship of Sky Sports' football coverage breaks this weekend. The restaurant operator has signed a renewal of its deal to sponsor the Worthington Cup and other non-Premier League football shown on...

Sketchley plans to revamp brand under new team.(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Sketchley, the dry-cleaning retail brand owned by Minit UK, is to get a relaunch this year under a new management team headed by former Somerfield managing director Tony O'Neill. O'Neill, who left Somerfield in 1999 after eight years,...

Southern Comfort to award [pound]4m UK ad task to Mother.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 22, 2001... Spirits manufacturer Brown-Forman is set to appoint Mother to handle its UK account for Southern Comfort, believed to be worth up to[pound]4m. Mother is thought to be in line for the business following a three-way pitch against Leo...

Charity authority probes Red Cross support of Nestle.(Charity Commission, British Red Cross, marketing of Nestle's baby food products)(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... The Charity Commission has summoned The British Red Cross to answer accusations that it defended Nestle's baby food marketing activities. Baby Milk Action (BMA) has reported The British Red Cross to the Charity Commission, accusing it of...

Argos poaches top Comet marketer.(Paul Geddes, Argos Distributed Ltd.)(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Comet marketing chief Paul Geddes has defected to retail rival Argos to become its director of marketing. Geddes left the Kingfisher-owned chain last week after less than two years in his role as marketing director. It is not known when...

Britannic Money Ties Up with Frasier in [Pound]1m Deal
February 22, 2001... Britannic Money, the mortgage provision arm of Britannic, is to launch a marketing push, an estimated [pound]10m, to establish itself as a household name. It includes a [pound]1m deal to sponsor Channel 4's Frasier. The drive follows...

Gillette-owned deodorant.(Tom Green to front television campaign for Right Guard)(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Gillette-owned deodorant Right Guard has enlisted MTV comic Tom Green to front a television campaign to launch Xtreme Sport, a new variant aimed at 15-to 24-year-old men. Green starred in the film Charlie's Angels and is the fiance of actress...

Genie names UK chief in time for major brand job.(United Kingdom, Susie Moore)(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Genie, the mobile portal owned by BT, has appointed Susie Moore to the newly-created position of UK marketing director ahead of a major brand marketing push. Moore takes responsibility for all Genie's marketing activity in the UK. Global...

Sainsbury's beats Unilever and P&G with Novon brand.(J Sainsbury PLC, Procter and Gamble Co.)(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Sainsbury's is gearing up to launch own-brand liquid washing capsules, as Procter & Gamble and Unilever race to get their products onto supermarket shelves. The supermarket will launch Novon Solububbles, manufactured by a French...

ASA takes Planet Telecom faxes to Fair Trading body.(Advertising Standards Authority, Office of Fair Trading)(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has referred Planet Telecom, a company that sent out unsolicited faxes to advertise its web site, to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). The action is the third referral since Christopher Graham...

Harlequin Mills & Boon awards [pound]1m job to Total Media.(Harlequin Mills and Boon PLC)(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Harlequin Mills & Boon, the romantic fiction publisher, has handed the [pound]1m media account for its Mills & Boon titles to Total Media. The business, previously handled by Frontline Media, also includes the Silhouette titles, targeted...

Cornetto boosts line-up with soft ice cream variant.(Birds Eye Walls Ltd. introduces Cornetto Whippy)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 22, 2001... Birds Eye Wall's is entering the soft ice cream market with the launch of Cornetto Whippy in March. It claims the brand will be the first soft ice cream available pre-packaged in freezer cabinets. ATV campaign for Whippy will run in July....

Co-op first to back Fair Trade in ads.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 22, 2001... The Co-op is aiming to raise awareness of issues facing Third World growers and producers by promoting Fair Trade Mark products through its TV advertising. It is the first supermarket to do so. An ad by Partners BDDH supporting Fair Trade...

Guinness Plans [Pound]5m St Patrick's Day Offensive
February 22, 2001... Guinness is set for its biggest ever St Patrick's Day promotion, pouring nearly [pound]5m into a through-the-Line push featuring Irish ballad Danny Boy. The Irish stout brand will use new TV ads directed by photographer Rankin, alongside...

PowerPodz Microstars.(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Corinthians this month unveils the launch advertising for what it hopes will become the next playground craze. PowerPodz Microstars, a collectibles range that comprises models of well-known footballers such as Manchester United's Jaap Stam,...

Mini Smarties set for relaunch with new packaging.(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Nestle is set to unveil a new pack design for Mini Smarties featuring a pyramid-shaped pack, new logo and updated background, in the first revamp for the 64-year-old Smarties brand since 1995. The new packaging features a depiction of...

BBC signs up six to sponsor 2001 'Talent' initiative.(British Broadcasting Corporation Ltd.)(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... The BBC has recruited six major brands, including Persil and McDonald's, to sponsor this year's BBCTalent scheme as it seeks to give the programme a national presence. The Post Office, Radio Times, Kellogg and Odeon Cinemas have also...

Duracell pushes new batteries in [pound]2m ads by AMV.(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Duracell is to put [pound]2m behind the launch of two battery brands to replace Duracell Ultra and Duracell Copper & Black. Duracell Ultra M3 replaces the Ultra brand, which was introduced in 1998. Designed for 'high-drain'...

Inland Revenue to Offer iTV Tax Returns Service
February 22, 2001... The Inland Revenue's new marketing chief, Ian Schoolar, is to introduce an interactive TV service that will allow the public to file tax returns and apply for tax credits on-screen. Discussions will take place between the Revenue and...

BP shifts Spain chief to UK retail role.(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... BP has appointed Graham Sims as head of retail operations in the UK, replacing JR Thomas who has moved to run the Arco-branded retail network in the US. Sims will head all retail marketing, with marketing manager Sally Bye reporting to...

Abbey National.(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Abbey National is featuring its new Croydon 'superstore', which opened in January, in a new [pound]2.2m TV campaign. The ad continues actor Alan Davies' relationship with Brian the Bank Manager and the 'Because life's complicated enough'...

Detsiny exits The Marketing Soc for CIM training post.(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Mike Detsiny, director general of The Marketing Society, is leaving to join The Chartered Institute of Marketing as general sales manager. Destiny, a former marketing director for Cadbury and Allied Breweries, will head the CIM's Company...

Home Secretary Jack Straw.(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Home Secretary Jack Straw said last week that his department's adspend for 2000-2001 is likely to reach [pound]22.6m, an increase of about 400% on the previous year's figure. Straw said the increase was due to high-profile campaigns aimed at...

LG Electronics.(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... LG Electronics has taken another step into the sports sponsorship arena with a [pound]1m deal to back snooker's grand prix, one of the sport's most prestigious events. The three-year deal, which comes as snooker faces the prospect of rival...

CIA MediaLab.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 22, 2001... CIA MediaLab, the research arm of CIA UK, has released figures which show that adspend in the UK rose by 5.5% and amounted to [pound]8bn in the last 12 months to December 2000. The biggest growth is in computer advertising, which rose by 35%....

Thomascook.com.(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Thomascook.com, the online travel agent, has appointed John Briggs as head of commercial activities. He joins from First Choice Group, where he was general manager for the company's Suncars division. He was responsible for overall business...

Scrabble.(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Scrabble is to appear on over one million Vitalite tubs as part of a national joint schools on-pack promotion with St Ivel. The promotion, Schools at Play, encourages consumers to collect tokens for schools and special Junior Scrabble pieces....

Unison.(U.K. public service union)(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Unison, the public service union, is to mount another major advertising push in March as it continues to warn of what it claims will be massive cuts in public services if a Conservative government is voted in at the next general election. The...

Unilever's Persil.(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Unilever's Persil this week launches a campaign that features traditional female and male door signs wearing underpants in support of Comic Relief 2001. 'Pantvertising', which will run until Red Nose Day on March 16, was developed by Creative...

Bacardi Breezer.(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Bacardi Breezer experienced record sales in the off trade in the run-up to Christmas. Figures released by AC Nielsen MMS show that during November and December, sales increased 69% compared with the same period last year.

Scottish Courage.(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Scottish Courage is backing the launch of Theakston beer in a can with two ten-second TV ads, which build on the first ad unveiled last September in the 'RealSubstance' campaign for Theakston Cool Cask. Created by Scottish Courage roster...

The Conservative Party.(United Kingdom)(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... The Conservative Party has launched a pre-election poster campaign to highlight the bureaucratic workload the Labour government has imposed on public sector workers. The push, through Yellow M, shows disillusioned nurses and teachers who have...

Tobacco brands.(banned from promotion on Internet)
February 22, 2001... Tobacco brands will be banned from using the internet to promote themselves under the provision of the government's Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill. The Bill had its third reading in the Commons last week, and will now move to the...

Bon Bon Buddies.(launches interactive gum dispenser)(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Bon Bon Buddies, the confectionery firm, is launching an interactive gum dispenser branded with popular characters including The Simpsons and South Park. The Gum Buddy, costing [pound]1.99 -- the first product of its kind to be launched in...

Coke Steps Up Local Activity in UK
February 22, 2001... Coca-Cola GB's Charlotte Oades tells Cordelia Brabbs about its UK-specific marketing plans Coca-Cola is kicking off a range of UK-based initiatives, including an exclusive tie-up between Diet Coke and the Hollywood movie of best-selling book...

Where Are the Mags to Shake Up the Sector?
February 22, 2001... Amid the spin and self-congratulation that characterises the announcement of magazine ABC figures, one of the main topics of conversation was the UK launch of women's glossy InStyle. Its publishers, Time Inc had taken the brilliant -- or bonkers...

Paid-For Sector Shows Growth in Circulations
February 22, 2001... Growth has outstripped decline in consumer magazines, with circulations up in more than half of magazine sectors, according to the Periodical Publishers Association. The public's obsession with celebrity is contributing to the growth in the...

Four Key Consumer Mags Make Debut
February 22, 2001... Four major consumer launches, Nova, Hotdog PS and BBC History Magazine made their ABC debuts in the latest set of figures. IPC Media's Nova has had a tough time since its May relaunch, with the sudden departure of launch editor Deborah Bee...

Lads' Mags Hit Plateau despite Top Performers
February 22, 2001... Keeping heads above water continued to be the priority in the men's lifestyle sector, which showed a year-on-year circulation increase of just 0.1% in the latest ABCs. But while the market seems to have reached a plateau -- only Cabal's Mondo...

What's On TV stays on top.(magazine sales statistics)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 22, 2001... When H Bauer launched TV Choice in August 1999, IPC counter-attacked with heavy support for its market-leading What's On TV. The investment has paid off and the IPC title has managed to hold a reasonably stable position, dropping just 0.4%...

Celeb Titles Buoy Women's Weeklies
February 22, 2001... The public's fascination with stars' lives gave celebrity titles a boost in a women's weekly sector that saw an overall drop in sales of 1.3% year on year and a slight increase of 0.9% period on period to 7,475,174. Boosted by a high-profile...

INSTYLE.(Review)
February 22, 2001... Camilla Shields Marketing manager, Starcom Motive The UK arrival of InStyle magazine seems to have it all: celebrities, lifestyle, beauty and fashion packed into a hefty 200 pages with the token 'best beauty buys' supplement, which...

Teen Magazines Find Going Tough as Market Grows
February 22, 2001... Teen mags continued to feel the squeeze in this set of ABCs, and the recent launch of the BBC's celebrity-style Star and the forthcoming launches of Cosmo Girl and Elle Girl should make this market even more competitive. The sector was down...

Glossies Feel Pressure of Competitive Market
February 22, 2001... Marie Claire, once the outstanding performer in women's glossies, looks to be in dire need of the ad push that IPC Media is planning for it through the Leith Agency. Even an exclusive interview with Mel from Big Brother failed to boost the...

Home Interest Mags' Boom Wanes
February 22, 2001... The housing market may still be buoyant, but the goldrush days of the home interest sector are well and truly over, according to the latest set of ABCs. Six of the top ten titles have registered circulation falls in the six months from July to...

Gardening mags fail to hold on to readers' attention.(sales statistics)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 22, 2001... Consumers' fascination with gardening has finally waned, exacerbated by poor weather and extensive flooding in the past six months. Magazines across the sector as a whole recorded a 14% drop in circulation over the period to just over one...

Future Publishing.(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Future Publishing has announced it is to close six titles in the UK, including Dreamcast magazine DC-UK, Digital Camera Users and Video Gamer, as part of a radical restructure which will include the loss of 90 jobs. A further 240 jobs are...

Health and beauty titles.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 22, 2001... Health and beauty titles had a disappointing year, according to the latest ABC figures for the six months ending December 2000. The sector as a whole saw an 8% growth during the six months, and 7.3% year on year. This, however, was...

Contract magazines.(sales statistics)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 22, 2001... Contract magazines once again dominated the top ten ABC positions for the biggest circulation. Group O Magazine published by John Brown held the top spot with a circulation of 4,939,177.AA Magazine, also by John Brown, came second with...

Dance music.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 22, 2001... Dance music was one of the fastest-growing sectors in this set of ABCs, with a 20.5% year-on-year increase in sales overall. Market leader Mixmag, published by Emap, saw its sales shoot up by 47.1% year on year and 10% period on period to...

Parenting magazines.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 22, 2001... Parenting magazines was the third-fastest growing sector, with a 206.5% rise in circulation overall. This figure was boosted by non paid-f or titles, Emma's Diary Pregnancy Guide and Emma's Pre-School Guide, both published by Lifecycle...

General motoring magazines.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 22, 2001... General motoring magazines was the third biggest sector overall, and saw a healthy 8.6% year-on-year increase. Contract titles, such as AA Magazine from John Brown and Ford Magazine from Citrus Publishing, swelled the total average net...

The Audit Bureau of Circulations.(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... The Audit Bureau of Circulations has made slight changes to the way in which it reports the ABC figures. Where titles are ranked, the positioning reflects the title's UK and Republic of Ireland sales only. Where titles are listed according to...

Anheuser-Busch leads UK net strategy review.(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Anheuser-Busch, the brewing giant that owns the Budweiser brand, is talking to new media agencies as part of a wide-ranging review of its entire UK web strategy. Anheuser-Busch is looking at the whole gamut of online activity, but the...

Kellogg appoints three partners to back up Winders.(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Kellogg is to use three different media partners to promote each flavour of its new Fruit Winders snack, in an online launch campaign handled by MindShare's digital specialist, M Digital. The integrated campaign features Kellogg's three...

Air Miles opens up site to non-members.(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Air Miles has overhauled its web presence, opening its site up to non-members for the first time and allowing them to sign up to the scheme online. The move comes as the British Airways-backed frequent flyer scheme gears up for increased...

ABSOLUT.COM.(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Edwin Mitchell-Finch Director of digital media PSD Associates Site: Absolut.com I stumbled across this site and think it is an 'absolut' gem. Excuse the pun, but it really is quite good. Blasted with a breadth of vivid deckchair...

Rivals.net.(contract with SkyDigital's men's channel Bravo)(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Rivals.net, the network of independent sports sites, has signed a four-month deal with SkyDigital's men's channel Bravo, which includes sponsorship of the station's Futbol Argentina output and its 'Goal of the week' competition. Rivals will...

Teletext.(contract with Yahoo! UK)(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Teletext has signed a one-year deal to supply TV and cinema content to Yahoo! UK. The 'content for traffic' agreement will see Teletext deliver news and features to the yahoo.co.uk portal in return for a link to the teletext.co.uk site....

Lycos UK.(contract with Easyodds.com)(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Lycos UK, the internet portal, has formed a partnership with online betting company easyodds.com. Easyodds continuously compares the latest odds from different bookmakers, and the deal will allow Lycos users access to an odds comparison...

Teamtalk.com Plc.(Brief Article)
February 22, 2001... Teamtalk, the sports content provider, has launched a web site covering horseracing. It will include live audio race commentaries, an online betting service in association with Ladbrokes, and an e-mail service called 'Nag Me' which forewarns...