Marketing articles from February 2008

Marketing archives from February 2008

Supermarkets bolster focus on children's ranges.(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... The UK's biggest supermarkets are investing millions in own-label ranges aimed at children. The launches are intended to capitalise on growing public concern about youngsters' eating following the imposition of government restrictions on...

Egg brand tarnished by storm over credit cards.(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Egg's decision to withdraw its credit cards from 161,000 customers whose credit profiles it claims have deteriorated is likely to devastate the brand's reputation. Industry experts believe the 10-year-old online bank, whose brand image was...

Pringles to add bagged crisps.(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Pringles is to take on Walkers Sensations with the launch of a premium bagged crisp line. Pringles Select is a luxury kettle chip that has already launched in the US. It is understood that Procter & Gamble plans to launch the line in the...

DCMS seeks pounds 100m backing for British athletes.(Department for Culture, Media and Sport)(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) aims to raise pounds 100m in private investment to support elite British sport. The move could involve the sponsorship of Olympic hopefuls by consumer brands. The government is committed...

How Ryanair escapes ASA rules.(Advertising Standards Authority)
February 6, 2008... The Advertising Standards Authority's decision not to invoke its ultimate sanction and refer Ryanair to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), despite repeated breaches of ASA regulations, has raised questions about whether self-regulation in...

3 and O2 link up for video service.(3UK )(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... 3UK and O2 have partnered to launch EyeVibe, a mobile video community that allows members to share content and earn from it. The service brings together 3's SeeMeTV and O2's LookAtMe! platforms to create a user-generated community that will...

Louis Vuitton set for TV ad debut.(television advertising)(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Louis Vuitton, the luxury fashion brand, is launching its first TV campaign. In a departure from the brand's traditionally product-led advertising, the activity, which breaks on 15 February, does not feature any Louis Vuitton items. ...

New campaign: Kellogg's Corn Flakes.(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Kellogg is launching its first TV campaign for its flagship Corn Flakes brand in five years. The work, which rolls out this week, introduces a couple who meet by chance in the supermarket, and are attracted to each other at first sight....

Timberland hires Leagas Delaney.(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Timberland, the outdoor fashion brand, has hired Leagas Delaney to handle its global ad account ahead of a worldwide brand campaign this autumn. The brand split with its former agency, the Arnold agency in Boston, at the beginning of the...

Call for industry awards entries.
February 6, 2008... The deadline for submissions for the 2008 Marketing Society Awards for Excellence, in association with Marketing, is looming, with entries due by 15 February. Two additional categories have been introduced this year: Ethical Marketing -...

Scottish Widows first to unveil London 2012 ads.(Scottish Widow's Fund and Life Assurance Society)(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Scottish Widows, part of the Lloyds TSB Group, is to become the first London 2012 sponsor to launch Olympic-themed TV ads. The financial planning firm will pip other sponsors, including British Airways, EDF Energy and Adidas, to the post by...

Coca-Cola in European digital strategy revamp.(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Coca-Cola is reviewing its pan-European digital strategy, which could lead to the firm shaking up its digital agency arrangements. In the UK, Coca-Cola works with a range of agencies including Glue London, AKQA and Workclub; the latter was...

Koelliker appoints Cosmic ID ahead of UK activity.(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Koelliker UK, the newly appointed importer of Korean 4x4 car marque SsangYong, has hired Cosmic ID to spearhead a multimillion-pound relaunch of the brand in the UK. The agency will conduct a review of the brand's marketing strategy and...

EU to back food firms' GDA labels.(Guideline Daily Amounts system)(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... The European Union draft regulations on food labelling, which support the Guideline Daily Amounts system, have been welcomed by major food manufacturers. Last week, the EU indicated that it was in favour of the GDA system and wanted member...

Google hits out at Microsoft deal.
February 6, 2008... The search giant has slammed a pounds 22bn takeover bid for Yahoo!, calling on the competition authorities to investigate. Google has raised concerns over Microsoft's audacious dollars 44.6bn (pounds 22.4bn) takeover bid for Yahoo!,...

Marriott to add boutique hotels.(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Marriott, the international hotel chain, has partnered with Ian Schrager, credited as the inventor of the boutique hotel, to launch a global high-end brand by 2010. The 150-room 'Edition' hotels will seek to offer customers a...

BT secures London 2012 telecoms tie.(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... BT has finalised a deal to become the official telecoms partner and fifth tier-one domestic partner of the 2012 Olympic Games. There had been mounting industry speculation that the telecoms firm had been battling with Orange for the coveted...

Blood Service job handed to DLKW.(National Blood Service )(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... The National Blood Service (NBS) has assigned incumbent DLKW to work on a pounds 2.5m campaign to raise awareness and encourage existing and potential donors to give blood regularly. The appointment follows a statutory review of its...

Jordans appoints Green & Black's marketer.(Jordans Cereals)(appointments)(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Jordans Cereals is stepping up its new product development and has hired former Green & Black's marketer, Carol Welch, as marketing and innovation director. Welch left Green & Black's last year after a restructure, which resulted in her...

Book charity in TV reading drive.(Bookstrust)(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Bookstrust, a charity that encourages parents and carers to read to children, is launching its first TV activity. The campaign, which was planned by Trinity Communications and created by Kitcatt Nohr Alexander Shaw, is designed to boost...

Premier Inn rolls out Lenny Henry ad push.(advertising)(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Premier Inn, the Whitbread hotel chain, has drafted in comedian Lenny Henry to front a pounds 9m ad campaign to support its recent rebrand (Marketing, 27 June). The year-long campaign, which launches on 15 February, depicts Henry enjoying...

Armani seeks digital shop for scent ranges.(Giorgio Armani S.p.A.)(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Armani, the Italian fashion brand, is looking for an agency to roll out a digital marketing strategy for its men's and women's fragrance ranges. The company has approached a number of UK agencies to pitch for the brief, with a result...

News brief: Enjoy England briefs Farm for TV campaign.(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Enjoy England, the domestic tourism arm of VisitBritain, has briefed Farm to launch a TV campaign urging British travellers to share their holiday experiences and travel tips with others

News brief: Jimmy Choo appoints AR to creative business.(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Jimmy Choo, the designer shoe and accessories brand, is aiming to become a global luxury brand, having appointed New York agency AR to its creative business

News brief: Reebok to build on sponsorship of Amir Khan.(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Reebok is to build on its sponsorship of British boxing star Amir Khan through an online 3-D film showcasing the speed and power of his fists. The film, which will appear on selected websites, will show Khan shadow-boxing, with his punches...

News brief: Lastminute.com founders launch Mydeco.com.(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Lastminute.com founders Brent Hoberman and Martha Lane Fox have launched Mydeco.com, a furniture website that enables customers to buy online from 500 retailers including John Lewis, Argos and Marks & Spencer. Albion will handle its branding...

News brief: Red Stripe to be top sponsor for Camden Crawl.(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Red Stripe will be the top sponsor for this year's Camden Crawl music festival. The beer will be available at all venues for the two-day event, which starts on 18 April

News brief: Wines of South Africa to be presenting partner at event.
February 6, 2008... Wines of South Africa, which represents the country's wine exporters, has been unveiled as the presenting partner of the Summer Swing event at Kew Gardens

News brief: BHF launches first Facebook application.(British Heart Foundation)(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... The British Heart Foundation has launched its first Facebook application as part of a Valentine's Day promotional campaign. The application enables users to send friends gifts such as a kiss or a cake

News brief: Kaupthing Bank to launch in the UK.(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Kaupthing Bank, a North European bank, is launching in the UK with an online offering. Digital Marketing Group members Jaywing and Graphico will handle the launch

Media: Fox backs sci-fi film with iPhone activity.(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Fox has become the first film studio to partner with the iPhone in a campaign to promote the sci-fi action movie Jumper, which stars Samuel L Jackson and Hayden Christensen. A dedicated iPhone application will encourage consumers to take...

Media: Clear Channel extends city tie.(Clear Channel Communications Inc.)(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Clear Channel has lengthened its Oxford bus shelter contract and is to add 45 sites in the city centre. The company has confirmed that the contract, which it has held since 1987, will now run until 2022. The shelters will carry...

Media: Digital stations' audiences slide.(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Digital radio stations Heat Radio, The Hits, Life, Q and Smash Hits have all lost listeners, according to Rajar results for the fourth quarter of 2007. Ross Nester, broadcast account director at Mediaedge:cia, said that Heat Radio, which...

Media choice: Elle.(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... In recent years, women have begun consuming magazines differently. To satisfy their cravings for celebrity gossip and fashion updates, they have migrated from lifestyle monthlies to weeklies. The March issue of Elle, which has been recently...

Media brief: Disney appoints Beatwax.(Walt Disney Co. Walt Disney Studios contract with Beatwax Communications)(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Disney has appointed Beatwax to promote the UK theatrical release of National Treasure: Book of Secrets this Friday. The experiential agency has created an event that will involve eight people competing in a cross-Continent treasure hunt

Media brief: Orange signs up Snoop Dogg.(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Orange has signed up hip hop star Snoop Dogg to appear in a series of cinema ads reminding people to turn off their mobile phones during film screenings

Media brief: Grazia to be headline sponsor of fashion event again.(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Grazia, the weekly glossy magazine published by H Bauer, is to be the headline sponsor of London Fashion Weekend for the fifth time. The event takes place on the Natural History Museum's lawns from 20-24 February

Media brief: Vogue to launch ad campaign.(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Vogue will be launching an ad campaign across The Times, The Guardian and The Independent to support its March issue. The Conde Nast title is also increasing its cover price from pounds 3.70 to pounds 3.80

Media brief: Eve ties up with Max Mara and Selfridges.(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Eve magazine has tied up with Max Mara and Selfridges in a promotional deal to support the launch of Max Mara Le Parfum. For two weeks from tomorrow (Thursday), buyers of the fragrance will receive a free subscription to the Haymarket title

Media brief: Times Online teams up with Fourth Estate.(HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. Fourth Estate Div.)(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Times Online has teamed up with publisher Fourth Estate to offer readers the chance to redesign the cover for the classic JG Ballard novel Crash. The initiative will support the publication this week of the author's autobiography

Media brief: Emap completes sale.(Emap sale of consumer magazine business to H Bauer )(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Emap has completed the sale of its consumer magazine business to H Bauer for pounds 714.3m. The publications, which include FHM and Grazia, have joined Bauer's stable of weeklies alongside titles such as Take A Break and TV Choice

Media brief: Virgin 1 secures slot on Sky EPG.(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Virgin Media TV channel Virgin 1 has secured slot 121 on the Sky EPG, one of the most prominent available. It will join the second page of the EPG, close to the four main terrestrial channels

Branding: Budweiser to roll out barbecue sauce line.(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Budweiser, the US beer brand, is extending its offering with the launch of its first food products, a line of barbecue sauces and marinades. The range comprises six products. Three are barbecue sauces, in Original Bud, Bud Beechwood Smoked...

Branding: Nomoo launches desserts range.(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... A dessert range called Nomoo is being launched to capitalise on the growing number of people who identify themselves as dairy intolerant. The Nomoo range includes vanilla custard and mousses in chocolate, lemon and strawberry flavours, all...

Branding: Seeds of Change revamps identity.(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Seeds of Change, the Mars-owned organic food brand, is being relaunched with refreshed packaging and an overhauled soups range. The packaging will be rolled out across all products in the range from this month. Changes include an updated...

Branding: Design choice - Fiat 500.(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... You only have to look at Volkswagen's 'update' of the beloved Beetle to realise that 'retro' is not necessarily a good thing. A bit like the Sex Pistols reunion, lime green leggings, mullet haircuts and the resurgent moustache, some things...

Branding brief: Beck's redesigns Vier packaging.(Beck's North America Inc.)(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Beck's has redesigned the packaging of its Beck's Vier 12-bottle and 20-can multipacks. It plans to revamp the secondary packaging for all its brand extensions. Pearlfisher created the new look

Branding brief: Glengettie given fresh look.(Touchpoint.)(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Glengettie, the Welsh tea brand owned by Typhoo, has been given a fresh look by Manchester agency Touchpoint. The brand is blended to taste its best when brewed using the softer water found in Wales

Branding brief: Blackpool Zoo appoints Rehab.(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Blackpool Zoo has appointed design and marketing agency Rehab to create a fresh identity following a pitch. The zoo aims to increase its appeal to families

Branding brief: Orchard Pig revamps its look.(Blue Marlin)(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Orchard Pig, the Somerset cider brand, has revamped its look as it extends into other apple products including juice and vinegar. The brand identity has been designed by Blue Marlin

Branding brief: Japanese restaurants able to apply for authenticity rating.
February 6, 2008... Japanese restaurants in the UK will be able to apply for an authenticity rating similar to the Michelin star system. The scheme will be run by Japan's Ministry of Agriculture and will rank restaurants according to the authenticity of their...

Branding brief: Wrigley names Interbrand as design agency.(The Wrigley Company Ltd and Interbrand Group PLC)(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Wrigley, the chewing-gum brand, has named Interbrand as its global packaging design agency. It has decided to consolidate its design roster in order to drive growth

Branding brief: Cooks&Co to expand into cooking oils.(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Cooks&Co, the housewares brand, is expanding into cooking oils Products in the range include Virgin Sesame, Virgin Sunflower and Olive Oil with Chilli. They will be stocked in Sainsbury's, Musgrave and independents.

Branding brief: Didcot to be given brand overhaul.(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Didcot in Oxfordshire is to be given a brand overhaul by design agency Lloyd Northover as part of plans to develop the town physically and economically

Branding brief: Westover House to open clinics.(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Westover House, a private healthcare company, is launching with a brand identity designed by Caulder Moore. It plans to open 15 clinics over the next three years, the first in London this spring

Direct: Child charity in anti-crime push.(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... The Children's Society will use direct marketing to highlight its work discouraging anti-social behaviour and crime among young people. The campaign, which breaks tomorrow (Thursday), focuses on the work of the Youth Inclusion Support...

Direct: Grosvenor hands work to Stream.(Grosvenor Casinos )(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Grosvenor Casinos has hired Stream to handle the direct account for its Grosvenor and G Casino brands. The agency was handed the business following a three-way pitch managed by Grosvenor. Stream has been tasked with overseeing the...

Direct: Abbey seeks agency for point-of-sale job.(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Abbey is to hire a marketing agency to handle its in-branch point-of-sale activity. The bank has already approached several agencies regarding the brief for a pitch, which is being managed by the AAR; a result is expected later this month....

Direct choice: Brent Council 'Not another drop'.(Brent Council Community Safety Team)(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Here's a crisp little idea that gladdens the heart and serves as an antidote to the morass of big, grumpy, centralised, anodyne nonsense that pervades our beloved business at the moment. This campaign to support Brent Council Community...

Direct brief: Keep Britain Tidy launches poster campaign.(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Keep Britain Tidy has launched a poster campaign directing people to a 'Dirty Pig' website, where they can upload pictures of 'litter louts' and adorn them with pig snouts and ears. The work, created by Wunderman, asks 'What does dropping...

Direct brief: Training and Development Agency for Schools begins drive.(Draftfcb London)(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... The Training and Development Agency for Schools has begun a drive to increase applications for teacher-training courses in priority subjects. The work, created by Draftfcb London, targets students, career finders and career changers

Direct brief: Thomson al Fresco launches campaign.(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Thomson al Fresco, a division of TUI, is launching a campaign promoting mobile-home holidays across Europe. The push, created by Bright, spans TV, radio, direct mail, inserts and press advertising

Direct brief: Tour operators association to introduce loyalty scheme.
February 6, 2008... The Association of Independent Tour Operators is seeking to introduce a loyalty scheme to reward consumers booking trips through its member agencies

Direct brief: Deloitte launches second phase of campaign.(Deloitte & Touche L.L.P.)(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Deloitte is launching the second phase of a campaign to build awareness of its consulting, tax, audit and corporate finance services The work will run across online, outdoor and press.

Direct brief: Vodafone signs deal with Omniture.(Vodafone Group PLC)(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Vodafone has signed a deal with behavioural targeting firm Omniture to tailor its online products and offers to individual users. It will base the offers on the time of day, visitors' referring URLs and search engine queries

Direct brief: Hitachi to promote products at mini-events.(he Liquid Way)(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Hitachi is to promote its products at a series of mini-events that will be staged at its 'Inspire Life' conference. The initiative will target existing and potential customers as well as opinion-formers. The electronics firm has appointed The...

Direct brief: Amarula uses sampling campaign to reach consumers.
February 6, 2008... Amarula, the liqueur brand, hopes to reach 400,000 consumers with a sampling campaign that ties in with its sponsorship of the circus Afrika! Afrika!

Digital: C4 debuts Skins episode online.(Channel 4 Television Co.)(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Channel 4 is previewing the latest series of teen drama Skins online, with the first episode appearing on MySpace and the E4 website. For the first time, the broadcaster is to make an entire episode of the show available online between 10pm...

Digital: Business Link assigns tasks.(Business Link London)(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Business Link London, a government-backed development company, has handed its multimillion-pound digital and direct account to Golley Slater London. The agency has been tasked with raising Business Link's profile among the capital's...

Digital: Sky set to postpone green-button launch.(Sky Television L.L.C.)(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Sky could be forced to delay the roll-out of its green-button interactive TV (iTV) ad service until next year, because of technical problems. The broadcaster had been planning a spring launch for the service, which will allow Sky+...

Digital choice: Osoyou.com.(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... As employers, unions and advertisers wrestle with the various issues posed by Facebook, the idea of a social networking site with a plausible commercial edge seems as remote as ever. The problem has been that the sites tend to be places for...

Digital brief: PriceRunner.co.uk revamps website.(Website overview)
February 6, 2008... PriceRunner.co.uk, the price-comparison service, is revamping its website. The aim is to boost user interaction through the addition of forums, user-reviews and user-generated videos

Digital brief: Land Rover signs deal with Scrum.com.(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Land Rover has signed a deal with ESPN-owned rugby site Scrum.com to sponsor its 6 Nations Fantasy League game. The tie-up will run on the rugby portal as well as ESPN's other European platforms, including Cricinfo.com and ESPNsoccernet.com

Digital brief: Yahoo! confirms job cuts.(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Yahoo! has confirmed it is to make 1000 job cuts worldwide, representing 7% of its workforce. Profits at the company dropped by 23% to dollars 206m (pounds 104m) in the last three months of 2007, down from dollars 269m (pounds 136m) year on...

Digital brief: Sky awards media account to Diffiniti.
February 6, 2008... Sky has awarded its pounds 23.5m digital media account to Aegis-owned agency Diffiniti following a four-way pitch. The account was previously held by i-level

Digital brief: Google revamps mobile search service.(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Google has revamped its mobile search service in an effort to make it faster and easier for users. The service merges mobile and internet results along with news, business, images and local listings

Digital brief: Sharwood's partners with Couponstar.
February 6, 2008... Sharwood's has partnered with Couponstar to provide internet users with print-at-home coupons that can be redeemed in-store against the food brand's Thai product range

Digital brief: NME.com and MSN Music join forces.(MSN Music )(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... NME.com and MSN Music have joined forces to offer consumers branded content via the Microsoft portal. Fans will be able to view the latest music news and reviews from NME, as well as daily reviews of the latest album releases

Digital brief: Newspaper website traffic reaches highest level.(Brief article)
February 6, 2008... Newspaper website traffic reached its highest level in three years last month following a series of big new stories. According to Hitwise, 1.48% of all UK internet visits in the third week of January were to websites in its news and media -...

Andrew Walmsley on digital: Search kills mystery but adds intrigue.
February 6, 2008... We've all met them: the no-hopers who nevertheless seem to be on an unstoppable rise up the career ladder. By moving jobs every 18 months they avoid any of the consequences of their actions, and by doing so are elevated above the dedicated, the...

News Analysis: The buddy system.
February 6, 2008... As long as pitch-free agency appointments continue to occur, so will the cries of cronyism, writes Gemma Charles. The appointment last week of MWO to the pounds 10m Wickes advertising account without a pitch marked the continuation of a...

News Analysis: Corporations get personal.
February 6, 2008... A growing number of company chiefs are bypassing copywriters to speak direct to consumers. Brands such as O2 and Topshop have been quick to jump on the social networking bandwagon by using sites such as Facebook to target consumers, but a...

Raymond Snoddy on media: For a lame duck, DAB is in rude health.(digital audio broadcasting)
February 6, 2008... You've probably all heard already that DAB (digital audio broadcasting) radio has virtually had it. The 'exodus' of stations from the platform, according to a report published last week by Enders Analysis, looks as if it could turn into a...

Media Analysis: Telegraph suffers identity crisis.
February 6, 2008... The newspaper's incoming marketing chief will find a brand in danger of creating a split personality. It is often said that particularly cold winters lead to a dip in The Telegraph's circulation as its typically older readers succumb to...