Marketing articles from February 2008

Marketing archives from February 2008

Innocent to extend into food with 'breakfast pot'.(Innocent Drinks)(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Innocent Drinks is poised to enter the food market with the launch of a breakfast pot, which will be positioned as a 100% natural alternative to cereal. The pot contains fruit, yoghurt and muesli and will be available in mango and...

Supermarkets to shun star ties for price focus.(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... UK supermarkets are shifting away from celebrity-backed marketing strategies toward price promotions, ahead of an expected slowdown in consumer spending. Asda has frozen its adspend at pounds 51m, last year's level, and is moving away...

Kellogg shelves character work.(Kellogg Sales and Marketing Company UK Ltd.)(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Kellogg is to abandon third-party licensed character promotions in 2008 as part of a shift toward engaging more responsibly with children. The cereal firm claimed such activity has become less effective in light of worsening consumer...

Coke in London 2012 talks over sponsorship clash.(Coca-Cola Co. (Atlanta, Georgia))(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... London 2012 has been drawn into negotiations with global Olympic sponsor Coca-Cola over its plans to sign up an exclusive grocery partner. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) is working to agree a...

'Buzz' Finds Favour in the UK
February 27, 2008... Coca-Cola Enterprises and Kellogg are to experiment with 'buzz marketing'. The approach, also known as word-of-mouth marketing, involves techniques that can range from employing actors to extol the virtues of products in bars, to more...

P&G boss urges green alliance.(Procter & Gamble Co.)(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Procter & Gamble is appealing to brand owners to work together to encourage consumers to adopt more eco-friendly lifestyles. Gianni Ciserani, P&G president for Western Europe, said the success of its Ariel Cool Clean campaign, which...

Powerade to roll out Zero variant.
February 27, 2008... Coca-Cola is extending its Zero label to the pounds 200m-a-year sports drink market with the launch of Powerade Zero. The calorie-free drink will launch in the US in April, before its UK roll-out. Powerade will also return to TV in a...

New campaign: Teletext.(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Teletext will launch a pounds 4m campaign next month to promote its holiday services on digital TV and online. A series of seven TV ads features bored cats waiting at home while their owners enjoy a break booked through Teletext Holidays....

Pepsi draws up expansion plans for Raw brand.
February 27, 2008... Pepsi has revealed it plans to expand Pepsi Raw, its nascent premium cola brand made from natural ingredients. Bruno Gruwez, marketing director at Pepsi, confirmed that the company is developing additional flavour variants and pack...

Delta selects Digitas for pounds 25m integrated duties.
February 27, 2008... Delta Air Lines, the US transatlantic carrier, has handed its dollars 50m (pounds 25m) global integrated advertising account to Digitas amid plans to step up its international marketing. The airline is understood to have briefed the...

Vodafone chief exits amid rejig.(resignation of Dominic Chambers at Vodafone UK Ltd.)(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Vodafone UK head of brand and marketing Dominic Chambers is leaving as part of a restructure of the company's marketing operations. Chambers is understood to be stepping down without a job to go to. The mobile operator is searching for a...

Ford assigns branded digital magazine to Dennis.(Ford Motor Co.)(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Ford has become one of the first major UK advertisers to roll out a branded digital magazine through Dennis Publishing's customer publishing division. The car manufacturer has appointed Dennis to create a title promoting its S-Max model,...

Citroen backs C5 with 'German' ad.
February 27, 2008... French car manufacturer Citroen is launching an ad campaign emphasising the 'Teutonic' engineering credentials of its C5 model, in an effort to emulate the success of its German rivals. The company is hoping the work will help it break...

DoH hires AMV for vaccination task.(United Kingdom. Department of Health)(Abbott Mead Vickers/BBDO Ltd)(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... The Department of Health has appointed Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO to handle a pounds 4m ad campaign to raise awareness of a cervical cancer vaccination programme. The campaign, promoting the introduction of the HPV (human papilloma virus)...

Is Facebook Losing Momentum?
February 27, 2008... A dip in one month's year-on-year user data could deter marketers from trying to tap social networking's potential. Facebook has suffered its first decline in UK user numbers for 18 months, suggesting that the social networking craze has...

Smooth assigns creative account.(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Guardian Media Group (GMG) Radio has appointed Dye Holloway Murray to the pounds 3m Smooth Radio creative business ahead of a push to target older listeners. The agency pitched against incumbent Clear Marketing, Hooper Galton and Mustoes...

Egg Marketing Chief Wright in Departure
February 27, 2008... Alison Wright, chief marketing officer of the combined Egg and Citi UK consumer operation, is to step down. Wright's exit after less than a year in the role, in which she was responsible for a combined adspend of pounds 40m a year, is a...

Football clubs in motorsports tie.(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... England's top four football clubs, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool, are poised to launch motorsports teams. The clubs are in advanced discussions with FIA-approved motor series Superleague Formula, which plans to sign up...

Dell pools pounds 100m digital work into WPP shop.(Dell Computer Corporation Ltd.)(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Dell has consolidated its global digital ad account, worth more than pounds 100m, into Project Da Vinci, the WPP agency set up solely to produce marketing activity for the brand. The world's second-biggest computer manufacturer will work...

Cadbury pours pounds 10m into Trident activity.(Cadbury Trebor Bassett)(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Cadbury is to match last year's pounds 10m launch spend on chewing-gum brand Trident in 2008 - a decision that will fuel its battle with Wrigley. Cadbury recently rolled out a fresh ad for Trident, created by JWT, using the tagline 'Mess...

Appletiser plans image overhaul.(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Appletiser is repositioning as a premium soft drink that can be drunk every day, as it aims to shed its image as a brand for special occasions only. The shift is part of a three-pronged pounds 6.8m promotional strategy for 2008, which...

US fast-food chain to take on KFC in the UK.(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Church's Chicken, a US fast-food restaurant chain, is to open a network of branches in the UK as part of a European expansion intended to challenge KFC's dominance. The company will launch in the UK under the name Texas Chicken. It plans...

News brief: Diageo adds Hint of Coffee to Baileys range.(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Diageo is adding a Hint of Coffee variant to its Baileys cream liqueur range. The flavour will be tested in World Duty Free stores for one month before being rolled out in Alpha and Nuance UK airport stores from April

News brief: Tropicana to roll out Tropicana Spirit.(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Tropicana is rolling out Tropicana Spirit, a carbonated fruit drink, in Orange & Mango, Blueberry & Blackberry and Lemon & Grapefruit flavours. The line will be backed by a pounds 5m press and outdoor campaign from May

News brief: Appointment at O2.
February 27, 2008... O2 has appointed Shadi Halliwell as UK head of brand and marketing communications. Halliwell had been covering the role on an interim basis

News brief: Living TV's website to be available to virginmedia.com users.(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Living TV's website is to become available via Virgin Media's consumer portal, offering users a mix of female-focused features, exclusive celebrity interviews and lifestyle content. It will be accessible to virginmedia.com's 6m monthly users

News brief: Typhoo redesigning logo.(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Typhoo is redesigning its logo as part of a partnership with Twentieth Century Fox. Typhoo will rebrand as Ty.whoo to promote the film Dr Seuss Horton Hears a Who!

News brief: Avon to launch mineral eye shadows.(Avon Products Inc.)(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Avon, the cosmetics company, is to launch a range of mineral eye shadows using a model found by Coleen McLoughlin on her ITV2 show, Coleen's Real Women

News brief: Daily Sport relaunches next Monday.(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... The Daily Sport is relaunching next Monday. The title, which has been revamped in a bid to boost sales, will incorporate a fresh news layout, quiz and puzzle sections with more in-depth football coverage

News brief: Microsoft launches Engagement Management service.
February 27, 2008... Microsoft is launching Engagement Management, a service allowing advertisers to manage and measure the effectiveness of their online ad campaigns

Media: Waitrose food title to support pig farmers.(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Waitrose Food Illustrated is launching its first marketing drive, which urges consumers to support a fairer deal for British pig farmers. The year-long 'Save our bacon' campaign will kick off in next month's issue. The supermarket hopes...

Media: Publishers focus on soccer mags.
February 27, 2008... Bauer Consumer Media, BBC Magazines and IPC Media are going head-to-head with weekly titles targeting young football fans. IPC is increasing the frequency of Shoot from monthly to weekly following a 7% ABCs uplift last year, while BBC...

Media: Green Rewards job goes to MPG.(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Green Rewards, the eco-friendly loyalty scheme, has appointed MPG to its pounds 3m integrated media account. The agency will handle all online and offline planning for the initiative, which is intended to encourage consumers to live more...

Media choice: Fabulous.(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... You would have to have been living in a cave for the past few weeks to have avoided the hype for Fabulous, the revamped News of The World magazine. Headlined as 'Grazia for the red-tops', Fabulous has a lot to live up to. So, what's the...

Media brief: BSkyB plans legal challenge.(British Sky Broadcasting Group PLC)(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... BSkyB is planning a legal challenge against the Competition Commission after it ruled that the broadcaster must sell the majority of its 17.9% stake in ITV

Media brief: Warner Music awards account to ZenithOptimedia and MediaMix.
February 27, 2008... Warner Music has awarded its pounds 7m media planning and buying account to ZenithOptimedia and MediaMix following a head-to-head pitch against Carat

Media brief: ABC combines audience figures for first time.(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... ABC has combined its monthly print and online audience figures for newspapers and their websites in one report for the first time. The Multi-platform Monthly Report also gives year-on-year results

Media brief: Disney Channels overhauls European media operations.
February 27, 2008... Disney Channels Worldwide is overhauling its European media operations, merging its line-up of pay-TV channels, programming sales and online divisions

Media brief: Nokia ties with Wallpaper*.(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Nokia has tied up with IPC design title Wallpaper* to promote its GPS-enabled N82 handset on the magazine's website as part of its coverage of the Milan and Paris fashion weeks

Media brief: Paramount Comedy launches teaser campaign.(Paramount Comedy Channel)(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Paramount Comedy is launching a teaser campaign to promote the forthcoming fifth season of US sitcom Two and a Half Men. The integrated TV, print and online work will use a fictional character, Big Bill McGill, to create a community of...

Media brief: Horse & Hound to relaunch.(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Horse & Hound, IPC's weekly equestrian title, is relaunching to include more in-depth reports, increased analysis and an additional focus on the major equestrian events of the year

Media brief: Reed Elsevier puts division up for sale.(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Reed Elsevier, the Anglo-Dutch publishing group, has put its Reed Business Information division, home to titles including Variety, Estates Gazette and Farmers Weekly, up for sale

Media brief: Legally Blonde: The Musical appoints aka.(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Legally Blonde: The Musical, which is expected to open in London's West End later this year, has appointed aka to handle all promotional activity for the production following a competitive pitch

Branding: Young's backs Chip Shop revamp in ads.(Young's Chilled Fish)(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Young's is backing the relaunch of its Chip Shop frozen fish brand with a TV ad campaign as part of a pounds 5m marketing investment in it this year. The campaign, created by Doner Cardwell Hawkins, will run over Easter, backed by print...

Branding: Dr Oetker set for baking line work.(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Dr Oetker, best known in the UK for its frozen pizza range, is rebranding the SuperCook range of home baking products it acquired last year. The new-look packaging, created by GJ Design, retains the SuperCook logo on the label but with...

Branding: Nando's widens marinade range.(Nando's Grocery Ltd.)(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Nando's, the chicken restaurant chain, is expanding its range of grocery marinades with the addition of a Mango & Lime variant. The marinades, which are sold under licence by The Grocery Company, are the most popular in the UK, with a...

Branding: Design choice - Apple MacBook Air.(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... As president of the world's biggest network of independent advertising agencies, I travel a lot. So when I got wind of the new Apple MacBook Air I had to look. After all, who wouldn't want an ultra-sleek, three-quarter-inch, 2GB, 3lb...

Branding brief: Asda hires gratterpalm.(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Asda has hired gratterpalm to develop packaging, point-of-sale and in-store materials for spring, including Mother's Day and Easter promotions. The agency pitched for the project last July, winning a brief that also includes designing events,...

Branding brief: Ian Macleod Distilleries revamps London Hill Gin.
February 27, 2008... Ian Macleod Distillers has re-packaged its London Hill Gin. The label has been created by Graphic Partners to highlight the product's premium credentials

Branding brief: Marc Demarquette to launch hand-painted Easter eggs.(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Marc Demarquette, the boutique chocolate brand, is launching a range of Easter eggs hand-painted in an Art Deco style. There are six variants: lavender, ginger, coffee, orange, cinnamon and wild peppermint

Branding brief: Bon Bon Buddies licenses Scooby-Doo.(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Bon Bon Buddies, the biscuit manufacturer, has licensed Hanna-Barbera cartoon character Scooby-Doo. It will add Scooby-Doo Jammeroos to its range of character biscuits, which includes Winnie The Pooh and Disney's Cars, next month

Branding brief: Ramblers' Association appoints Spencer du Bois.(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... The Ramblers' Association has appointed Spencer du Bois to review its brand positioning and identity, as it redefines its role. The charity has campaigned for the rights of walkers across Great Britain for 70 years

Branding brief: Latitude to expand range.(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Latitude, the iced-tea range, is expanding with 750ml, take-home bottles. At the same time, it is adding a raspberry-flavoured green tea variant alongside its existing mango green tea line

Branding brief: Hastings Direct gets fresh look.(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Hastings Direct, the insurance company, has relaunched with a fresh look and refocused positioning, including the redesign of its brand icon Harry. It has also introduced the strapline 'Do your thing' in its latest TV ad

Branding brief: Uniross redesigns battery packaging.
February 27, 2008... Uniross has redesigned the packaging for its Hybiro rechargeable batteries, highlighting their environmental credentials and endorsement by wildlife charity WWF. The overhaul was handled by Landor Associates

Direct: Hertz seeks UK shop for pounds 20m business.(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Hertz is reviewing its pounds 20m pan-European marketing communications account. The car rental company has approached a number of UK agencies about the brief, and a shortlist is understood to have been drawn up. The search marks a shift...

Direct: Nivea Visage in sampling drive.(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Nivea has hired experiential agency Sledge to run a sampling campaign to support a raft of product launches. The agency was hired following a pitch against undisclosed agencies, and has been tasked with promoting 43 Nivea Visage products...

Direct: Sci Fi plots push for Flash Gordon.(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... The Sci Fi Channel is to roll out an integrated campaign to promote the launch of fantasy series Flash Gordon. The work, created by Karmarama, centres on a mock political campaign carrying slogans such as 'Our future's safe with Gordon'...

Direct choice: Somerfield student discount card.(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Competing for the student pound is always a challenge, and marketers tend to think that the answer lies in new media campaigns and clever-clever creative. But Somerfield has taken a refreshingly simple approach in its latest push to...

Direct brief: HSBC escapes censure by ASA.(Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Ltd.)(Advertising Standards Authority)(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... HSBC has escaped censure by the Advertising Standards Authority after the body received complaints about a direct campaign in which the bank sent customers fake receipts for pounds 3000 to warn about the dangers of identity theft

Direct brief: Samsung launches campaign.(Samsung Electronics Company Ltd. teams up with Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp. to advertise)(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Samsung is launching a campaign in partnership with the Twentieth Century Fox film 27 Dresses to promote its G600 Pink handset. The activity, created by MWorks, includes in-store, promotional, press and online work

Direct brief: M&S begins in-store promo campaign.(The Prostate Cancer Charity)(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Marks & Spencer has begun an in-store promotional campaign to raise money for The Prostate Cancer Charity. The retailer is selling 'Real Man' pin badges for pounds 1 in stores and online, and distributing information leaflets

Direct brief: LoveFilm launches campaign with Yamaha.(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... LoveFilm, the online film rental company, has launched a cross-promotional campaign with Yamaha. The drive will promote the former's film download service and the latter's digital sound projectors. Visitors to Yamaha stockists are being...

Direct brief: Threadneedle launches awareness campaign.(Threadneedle Asset Management)(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Threadneedle, an asset management company, has launched an awareness campaign through The Engine Group. The work spans press, posters, taxi and online advertising and uses the strapline 'Out-think, out-perform'

Direct brief: Kettler hires Tri-Direct.(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Kettler, the German fitness and leisure equipment brand, has hired Tri-Direct to handle media planning and buying for its first direct campaign. The creative, by Inferno, spans press and online

Direct brief: Carplus launches awareness drive.
February 27, 2008... Carplus, a car-sharing advocacy charity, is launching a London-wide awareness drive for car clubs in the capital. The activity spans print, direct and online

Direct brief: Lexus hires The Listening Company.(Lexus GB Ltd)(Listening Co.)(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Lexus has hired The Listening Company to its UK call centre account. The agency now handles all Toyota's brands in the UK. Lexus' direct business remains with Partners Andrews Aldridge

Digital: EasyJet embarks on European eCRM push.(easyJet Airline Company Ltd)
February 27, 2008... EasyJet is rolling out a pan-European digital marketing drive aimed at boosting online bookings to counter the effects of the expected economic slowdown. The budget airline is developing an extensive customer acquisition strategy to help...

Digital: Seat to promote full range online.
February 27, 2008... Seat is launching a digital campaign aimed at encouraging consumers to visit UK dealerships to test-drive its range of models. The Volkswagen-owned marque has briefed Geronimo to develop an online advertising initiative based on the...

Digital: Picture The Loan in portal revamp.(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Picture The Loan is stepping up its digital activity with a website aimed at encouraging consumers to consolidate their debts. The financial services brand has appointed Pod1 to develop a portal featuring a 'consolidation calculator' that...

Digital choice: England away-shirt label.(Umbro International Ltd. uses Quick Response Code on football shirts)(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... As a rugby-mad Kiwi, the thought of saying anything positive about English football makes me uncomfortable. And to me, today's football shirts all look pretty similar; Brazil play in yellow, Italy in blue and Scotland apparently don a...

Digital brief: BBC Worldwide to sell shows through iTunes.(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... BBC Worldwide is to sell shows including Ashes to Ashes through iTunes, after signing a deal with Apple. Episodes will be available to users in the UK priced pounds 1.89 each after they have run on the BBC's iPlayer catch-up service

Digital brief: Facebook chief revenue office to leave the company.(Owen Van Natta)(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Facebook's chief revenue officer, Owen Van Natta, is leaving the company after two-and-a-half years. He joined the social networking site in its early stages, handling business development and forging strategic partnerships

Digital brief: Dept for Children, Schools and Families appoints agency.(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... The Department for Children, Schools and Families has appointed Lean Mean Fighting Machine to work on digital communications for a campaign to increase the number of young people studying modern foreign languages. The agency joins Naked and...

Digital brief: Skoda rolls out digital promotion.(Skoda Automobilovy Koncern Ltd.)(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Skoda is rolling out a digital promotion to back the launch of its Fabia Estate model. Expandable banners and MPUs will support the integrated campaign's 'Full of lovely stuff' positioning

Digital brief: EGi appoints Brandhouse.(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... EGi, the commercial property news and information website, has appointed Brandhouse to handle its integrated online and offline marketing. EGi is part of the Estates Gazette Group

Digital brief: Coors appoints Experian Fusion.(Coors Brewers)(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Coors Brewers has appointed Experian Fusion to work on digital marketing for its lager brands. It will help run email campaigns targeting users of the Carling, Coors and Grolsch websites

Digital brief: Encyclopaedia Britannica to make content available via Blinkx.(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... Encylopaedia Britannica is making video content available via video search engine Blinkx. Contextually relevant ads will be placed against the footage and Blinkx will share ad revenues with Encyclopaedia Britannica

Digital brief: TalkTalk hands online media buying to Group M.(Carphone Warehouse Group PLC)(Brief article)
February 27, 2008... TalkTalk, Carphone Warehouse's home phone and broadband brand, has handed its online media buying to WPP's Group M as it shifts all its marketing into CHI & Partners Media. Essence was the incumbent on the account

Andrew Walmsley on Digital: Music Trade Should Go with Digital Flow
February 27, 2008... The story famously associated with King Canute is most commonly interpreted as an example of hubris. But Canute was, in reality, smarter than this, attempting to demonstrate to his fawning courtiers that even he, as King, could not stop the...

News Analysis: No Room for Politics
February 27, 2008... Beijing 2008 is under fire over China's human rights record, but do its sponsors deserve to be vilified, asks Ed Kemp. Steven Spielberg's withdrawal on moral grounds as artistic director for the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics may...

News Analysis: Virgin Plays the Hero Once More
February 27, 2008... The company's failed bid for Northern Rock has left it cast in a favourable light with consumers. Far from doing any damage to Virgin, Richard Branson's failed takeover bid for Northern Rock may have enhanced his brand's reputation as the...

Raymond Snoddy on Media: A Creative Approach to 'Commitment'
February 27, 2008... Sometimes you have to give politicians the benefit of the doubt Sceptics should suspend their disbelief about the government's latest action plan for the creative industries. After all, what's not to like about an initiative that promises to...

Media Analysis: No Fee, No Win?
February 27, 2008... Publicis Blueprint's failure to make ad-funded customer titles pay illustrates the model's risks. Customer magazines are an effective way of talking to a target audience, even encouraging loyalty. Nonetheless, someone still has to foot the...