Marketing articles from January 1997

Marketing archives from January 1997

Moving on Out: Moving on Up?
January 30, 1997... Debate is raging on whether to keep telephone marketing in house or to outsource it. Robert Dwek takes a look at both sides of the argument and the commercial results Outsourcing has been one of the buzz-words of the 90s, along with downsizing...

Revolutionary, Direct, Action
January 30, 1997... A deep transformation of the relationship between the consumer and the producer demands that marketers should act fast and with innovation, argues David Stubley Not so long ago it was argued that putting telephone numbers on ads 'spoilt the...

Accounting for Tastes
January 30, 1997... Financial services firms are experimenting with new approaches. Financial service companies have been what the marketing jargon would term 'early adopters' of DRTV. But that doesn't mean the medium has stagnated - new users, with new twists,...

Lessons in the Humanities
January 30, 1997... Technology isn't the be-all and end-all of telemarketing. Even in the high-tech environment of today's telemarketing bureaus, people are still more significant than the technology. Asked what is the most important consideration in choosing a...

Answering the Call of Duty
January 30, 1997... Poorly prepared and understaffed call centres fall to cash in on eager responses. They can also hand potential customers to rivals. Once, DRTV was the domain of home-shopping channels, or daytime TV slots for mail-order companies. Today,...

What Price Fame When Reputation Is under Threat?
January 30, 1997... So it's official. After years of postulating, the pub pundits at the 'Prat and Partridge' have changed their minds. There is now no truth in the saying whatsoever. I'm talking about that old chestnut, beloved by all barroom bandits across...

Three-Way Fight in US for a Pizza Digital TV Action
January 30, 1997... An extraordinary three-headed media battle is about to break out in the US which will almost inevitably cause echoes here, even if they are delayed and distorted. If you pass Seaworld and the Epcot Centre and travel on to Time Warner's Full...

Can a Marketer Really Be a Great Industry Chief?
January 30, 1997... You will no doubt recall Sherlock Holmes's brother Mycroft who was supposed to be even more brilliant than the great sleuth himself. I'm not sure if he was the individual played by Gene Wilder in a film called The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes'...

What Future for Agencies?
January 30, 1997... Nationwide Building Society's move to spread its advertising business across a few small agencies could mark a major change in the advertising industry Nationwide Building Society's decision to sever its links with GGT and spread its [pounds]15m...

Capping Coca-Cola's Power
January 30, 1997... When Cadbury-Schweppes and Coca-Cola sell their bottling agency, the EU will protect its rivals Cadbury Schweppes and Coca-Cola have been given European Union approval to sell their joint bottling venture to the bottler Coca-Cola Enterprises...

An Unacceptable Face of Political Advertisements
January 30, 1997... As Gordon Brown has now declared Labour's hand on taxation (i.e. the Tory hand) and so eliminated any remaining point of difference between the two main contenders, the outcome of the general election will come down - predictably - to...

Family Values
January 30, 1997... Walking into Cadbury Schweppes' Edwardian-fronted London office is a bit like stepping back in time. The polished floors and lush decor of the reception suggests a private members' club rather than the corporate head office of a multinational...

You Can't Put a Price on Design's True Inspiration
January 30, 1997... We've all read the headlines - 'Sainsbury's in Coca-Cola Cott war', 'Tesco takes on Kellogg', 'Supermarkets flout IGD Code'. Most of this misses the point. Retailers are behaving in the same way as second or tertiary brand owners always have -...

In Defence of the Defenders
January 30, 1997... Winston Fletcher looks over his chairmanship of the Advertising Association - and to its future As soon as I was given the simple task of recalling what the Advertising Association and I have done together during the past four years my memory...

Publishing Loyalties
January 30, 1997... Since last year customer magazines have taken the lead in the UK circulation league Asked to name the UK's biggest circulation magazine, most people who know the sector would say Reader's Digest. If they were really up to date, they might suggest...

To Have and to Hold Onto
January 30, 1997... Latest research findings are refining ideas about the true meaning of customer loyalty If total quality management (TQM) was the hot issue of the first half of the 90s, then customer retention and satisfaction has taken over in the second. It's a...

Keeping Up to Data
January 30, 1997... Electronic media have transformed business directors The market for business information is growing and the shift towards electronic sources continues. According to market information specialist Key Note, the business information market will grow...

Feel-Good Factor Mustn't Prevent Quality Recruits
January 23, 1997... Eureka! Cripes! Shazam! 'Admen discover whereabouts of feel-good factor!' Well nearly. The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising's newly-published census shows that agencies put on another 500 staff last year - that's an increase of 1700 above...

ITV Should Be on Its Guard for the Channel 5 Launch
January 23, 1997... There used to be a time, not so long ago, when there was something called the ITV Association. ITV managing directors met and squabbled and just occasionally made a decision about the future. In those days journalists even tried to find out what...

Confucius Says: 'Keep It Simple to Keep customers.'(Column)
January 23, 1997... It is said that Confucius, asked what he would do if he ran China, replied: "I would make people use language correctly." When his disciples said this seemed rather trivial, he disagreed. "If what is said is not what is meant, what should be done...

Will We Be Tuning in to Five ?
January 23, 1997... As Channel 5 gears up for launch, Patrick Barrett tunes in to media reaction to its proposed programming to find out if it will entice advertisers and audiences to switch on Mrs Doubtfire is understood to be the big Hollywood blockbuster which...

Card Players Cut Up Rough
January 23, 1997... Ford's departure from the Shell Smart consortium has raised questions about new-style card coalitions, writes Sharon Marshall Smart is the most advanced brand coalition loyalty scheme in development, aiming to offer linked loyalty schemes between...

Research Is the Perfect Vehicle for My Opinions
January 23, 1997... I've never thought of myself as a car buff, but the past week has seen me giving more thought than usual to our four-wheeled friends. Conscientious readers may have noticed my Design Choice last week on the mailing for the new Volkswagen Passat....

Glad to Be Grey
January 23, 1997... Unkind souls have likened Graham Duff's succeeding Christine Walker at Zenith Media to John Major following the Iron Lady into 10 Downing Street. Arriving in his office, the scene doesn't initially dispel Duff's 'grey man' image. The chief...

Any Prospective Marriage Needs a Little Guidance
January 23, 1997... Alliances are all the rage. In marketing circles, the motives of the participants are dissected and pronounced to stem from pioneering, customer-led innovation, or from defensive desperation. Whatever the motive, what is certain is that we are...

We Can Work It Out
January 23, 1997... Like all marriages, the relationship between client and agency needs effort and commitment Likening the relationship between agency and client to a marriage may seem a little excessive, but the comparison is a valid one, according to new research...

Under Fire
January 23, 1997... Eurotunnel faced its first serious test with the tunnel fire last year. Ben Abrahams reports on how it coped with the sudden burst of international media attention Lorry driver Brian Shilton pulled in to the Le Shuttle freight terminal outside...

Reaching for the Stars
January 23, 1997... Hiring a celebrity to endorse your brand may seem like a great idea, but make sure you pick a professional who isn't going to overshadow the product If you are choosing a celebrity to endorse your product Ken Clayton, managing director of Michael...

Zenith Is Rocked as Walker Quits
January 16, 1997... Christine Walker, one of the most powerful figures in the UK media industry, has resigned as chief executive of Zenith Media and is keeping her future plans secret. Walker helped turn Zenith into the UK's biggest media buying operation over the...

Why media is still seeking its Zenith. (Christine Walker's resignation from Zenith Media)(Editorial)
January 16, 1997... Christine Walker's departure from Zenith surprised everyone. Certainly it's not good news for Cordiant's media-buying subsidiary. But it comes at a time when much that the media world held sacred is under threat of change. From the uncertainty...

What Happened to the Hidden Persuaders?
January 16, 1997... The most famous book about advertising is not about advertising. Vance Packard published The Hidden Persuaders in 1957 and his death last month prompted me to read it again. At the time he wrote it, a great economic change was taking place in...

Loaded Offends Bitter Drinkers
January 16, 1997... The pitfalls of joint marketing have been brought home to two 'laddish' brands, whose apparently successful cross-marketing strategy has now been placed in jeopardy. Last summer Bass and IPC ran a joint promotion, offering a free miniature...

Now Is the Time to Get Real with Target Practice
January 16, 1997... This could be the year not of the monkey or the goat, nor even of digital satellite television, but the year of real numbers and real people. Direct-mail databases and developments such as loyalty cards have already reduced the Mystic Meg aspects...

Viewer's Two-Way Choice
January 16, 1997... In March, 3.2 million UK households will get the chance to sign up to Two Way TV, the UK's first mass-market interactive TV service. Described as a low-tech interactive service, Two Way TV does not offer services such as video-on-demand or...

Why Ad Agencies Seem to Be Losing Client Confidence
January 16, 1997... My dentist makes a small fortune out of putting sundry ingenious pieces of miniature architecture in my mouth, which I hope to donate to a museum one day as an example of what can be done by a determined practitioner who gets his hands on a...

Banks Lend an Ear to Service
January 16, 1997... High-street banks are pushing improved customer service as a key part of their attempts to overcome the negative attitude of consumers. Midland Bank's decision to revive its 'Listening Bank' slogan and launch a campaign highlighting its customer...

Can Mars Update Its Image?
January 16, 1997... In an effort of regains its market share, Mars has had to rethink tactics for its flagship chocolate bar. It's Britain's best known advertising slogan but, after 37 years, Mars is questioning the value of its 'A Mars a day helps you work, rest...

Will Haircare War Claim Casualties?
January 16, 1997... Rivalry in the shampoo and conditioner market is about to become even fiercer. This year will see the advent of one of the most ferocious periods of marketing in the history of haircare as L'Oreal, the world's largest cosmetics and toiletries...

Real Power Lies with the Media, Not the Monarch
January 16, 1997... Did you see the monarchy debate? Wasn't it awful? Wasn't it a disgrace? Wasn't it an appalling trivialisation of one of the most important constitutional issues facing this country? Yes, yes, yes - and don't we love it! Sir Robin Day in The Daily...

Old Fossils Get Down and Boogie
January 16, 1997... If January has frozen out all those embarrassing memories of exactly how badly you behaved at the Christmas party, new technology has come your rescue by putting party photos on the Internet. Visitors to the Dino-7-ties page on the Brann Web site...

Moral Minority
January 16, 1997... "I am not a moralist. I am not Mary White-house." Bruce Gyngell, chief executive of Yorkshire Television, is a man who speaks in sweeping statements, and in one sentence can invoke controversy. His latest move, to take Hollywood Lovers off...

Poorly Targeted Mail Should Earn a Good Thrashing
January 16, 1997... Much to my joy, over the past five years a number of health fads have come to tabloid-headline grief. As a consequence, everyone now knows that jogging wears out your knees and that dieting erodes your ability to think clearly. Still, when...

Salary Survey 1997
January 16, 1997... Following positive salary predictions for 1997, in the second week of Marketing's salary survey James Curtis unveils the range of benefits and extras that marketers can expect to perk up their wage packets Last week, in the first part of our...

Generation Next
January 16, 1997... Keeping track of youth style was never easy, but now researchers are tackling it with new precision. How do you give your product youth appeal? Not so long ago, many marketers seemed to believe that the way to win over the group once known as...

Complementary Forces
January 16, 1997... Customer database can provide a boost to market research. An increasing number of companies are making use of databases that provide facts, not assumptions, which make accurate predictions of behaviour and frequently direct access to named...

Rare Media Well Done
January 16, 1997... It's getting harder to avoid advertising, as it crops up in more and more odd places. Andy Fry looks at how ambient media is being used on an increasingly large scale What do petrol pump nozzles, toilet urinals, Chinese takeaway cartons, video...

Salary survey reveals bullish outlook on pay. (for marketing professionals in UK)
January 9, 1997... The feel-good factor is back among marketers, who are receiving bigger than ever pay rises, according to Marketing's annual salary survey. The survey shows 8% of sales and marketing directors and 2% of marketing directors earn more than...

Midland Revives 'Listening Bank.' (Midland Bank's Television Advertisement Campaign)
January 9, 1997... The banking industry's claims that it has rehabilitated its poor image among customers are to be put to the test by a new TV campaign through Midland Bank. Midland plans to axe its trademark blue sofa in the new campaign and will return to the...

UKCL Boss Gets Littlewoods Job
January 9, 1997... Littlewoods, which last week announced its acquisition of rival scratchcard operator UK Charity Lotteries, has handed the role of sales and marketing director of its entire scratchcard operation to Andrew Slamin, former sales and marketing...

A Lack of Direction in the Moral Haze
January 9, 1997... That Bruce Gyngell should seek to exercise some moral judgement over what is broadcast in the ITV region he controls is admirable. Yet we can't help feeling that he is mistaken in his choice of first battleground in what will become a war between...

Customers Keep Their Value after the Sale Is Made
January 9, 1997... Almost since the birth of the Industrial Revolution, product labels and instruction manuals have provided us with an endless source of irritation, frustration and amusement. In Victorian times it was a seller's market. The new consumers were more...

Mirror Reflects Youthful Image
January 9, 1997... Mirror Group is ploughing [pounds]16m into rejuvenating its flagship title The Daily Mirror to prevent continuing erosion of sales as the tabloid market shrinks. The target of the newspaper's new look, introduced on Monday, is younger readers....

London Tube Map
January 9, 1997... The London Underground map remains one of the most effective examples of contemporary graphic design. The essential basis of its design has been copied almost everywhere else in the world where a similar underground network exists. While trying...

TV Deal Talks BT's Language
January 9, 1997... BT is the biggest British advertiser yet to make the move into funding television programmes it wants its brand to be associated with. Now We're Talking, hosted by Philip Schofield, focused on 'communication' and pulled in an audience of just...

ABC Figures
January 9, 1997... National press auditor the Audit Bureau of Circulations has recently come in for another bashing about how its ABC figures should be reported. It refused to publish The Telegraph's November sales figures, saying that the newspaper's discounted...

For a Real Media Education Listen to Mr Murdoch
January 9, 1997... There are many ways to learn about the media. Some people sign up-for media studies courses, others take an MBA, and at a more senior level there are consultants for hire. But probably the best tuition in the business of the media almost anywhere...

GGT Lands 12m Pounds Telewest Drive
January 9, 1997... Telewest, currently the UK's largest cable company, has handed GGT Advertising and sister company GGT Direct the [pounds]12m task of trying to revive the flagging fortunes of cable television. The planned spring campaign follows the scrapping...

Will It End in Tory Tears?
January 9, 1997... The Tories may have decided to drop personal attacks on Tony Blair and replace demonic eyes with tears, but they are still preparing to fight a pre-election advertising campaign based on attacking the opposition. As revealed exclusively in...

Why Personality Plays a Role in a Brand's Success
January 9, 1997... A few years ago I read in a survey of American millionaires that most managed their personal finances hopelessly. If you knew my skills in that area as well as my bank does, you would realise why I found this so heartening. It encouraged me to...

Agency of the Week: McCann-Erickson
January 9, 1997... McCann-Erickson has been described as the Arsenal of the advertising industry. No one likes them, and chants of 'boring' greet many of their performances. But, like Arsenal, much of what McCanns produces often deserves more credit than it gets....

Is Delivery Coming Home?
January 9, 1997... Retailers and manufacturers are learning the secret of successful doorstep distribution from the dairies. It could soon be a familiar sight on the doorsteps of Britain - not just pints of milk but packets of Persil, Corn Flakes and Frosties too,...

Can Retailers Turn Green This Year?
January 9, 1997... Retailers are responding to the growing consumer demand for organic goods. With last year giving the shopper BSE, the E-coil scare in Scotland and the prospect of more genetically engineered food on shelves, it's little wonder that the new year...

BT Failed to Box Clever by Axing a Classic Design
January 9, 1997... Although I'm already sick of New Year's resolutions, I can't resist offering one to BT. Bring back the classic red phone box. I say this, not because of some nostalgic attachment to Olde Englande, but because I can't bear to look at another...

The Best Policy
January 9, 1997... The way to the top in business these days is to change jobs every two years. And while you are about it, trade in your wife for a younger model every six years, and let the world know how well you are doing by constantly moving house. Consider,...

Playing It Safe Is a Serious Risk in Sales Promotion
January 9, 1997... Every garage has a trainee mechanic, someone who during their apprenticeship is given not much more responsibility than kicking the tyres to see there is enough pressure in them. Promotional activity in FMCG seems to have fallen almost entirely...

Salary Survey 1997
January 9, 1997... Wondering what pay rise to ask for this year? To give you an idea, James Curtis reveals details of Marketing's salary survey, offering an exclusive glimpse into marketers' wage packets This year Marketing's salary survey is bigger than ever. In...

Information at Your Fingertips
January 9, 1997... Hand-held IT is leading the way in field marketing, giving clients live information from consumers in the field Bill Gates of Microsoft delivered the keynote speech at a recent business conference in Las Vegas. In his presentation to launch the...

Sweet Smell of Success
January 9, 1997... Robin Cobb looks at how acting on Impulse successfully revived the fortunes of a 20-year-old body spray Life for most toiletries targeting those in their teens and 20s is inevitably short. Brands and favoured designer labels rise and fall swiftly...