Marketing articles from January 2009

Marketing archives from January 2009

UEFA signs UniCredit to replace MasterCard.(Union of European Football Associations)(UniCredit Group)(Brief article)
January 14, 2009... Italian bank UniCredit Group is to replace MasterCard as a principal sponsor of the UEFA Champions League, bringing to a close a relationship dating back to 1994. MasterCard also has football tie-ups with the European Championships and the...

Unilever to debut logo in consumer ads.(Brief article)
January 14, 2009... Unilever, which owns brands including Flora, Persil and Marmite, plans to feature its logo in consumer advertising for the first time, in a bid to leverage the value of its corporate reputation. It is understood that the FMCG company's logo...

Law ads top irritation poll.(Brief article)
January 14, 2009... InjuryLawyers4U has topped Marketing's annual poll of the UK's most irritating ads for the second year running. The survey, conducted by TNS, revealed some familiar favourites, with Iceland's Kerry Katona ads ranked the second most...

ECB eyes FMCG ties for Ashes and Twenty20.(Fast Moving Consumer Goods)(England and Wales Cricket Board)(Brief article)
January 14, 2009... The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is aiming to capitalise on a big year for the sport by securing promotional deals with FMCG brands. This year the governing body will host both the Ashes series and the ICC World Twenty20...

B&Q ends Olympic team link.(British Olympic Association)(Brief article)
January 14, 2009... B&Q is ending its sponsorship with the British Olympic Association (BOA) after three consecutive Olympic Games. Since 2004, the DIY chain has leveraged its tie-up through 'Team B&Q', a mix of Olympians, Paralympians and aspiring Olympians...

Motorola UK chief departs.(Rachel Ward)(Brief article)
January 14, 2009... Rachel Ward, Motorola's UK marketing director, has left the company as part of a restructure of its marketing team and ongoing global redundancies. Simon Collinson, who has been director of marketing strategy for Europe, Middle East and...

Asics assigns European job.(Brief article)
January 14, 2009... Sports footwear brand Asics has appointed Amsterdam Worldwide to handle its pan-European advertising, worth an estimated pounds 15m. The agency, which already holds the global account for the Asics-owned Onitsuka Tiger sports fashion brand,...

Marketing in reader survey.(Brief article)
January 14, 2009... Are you suffering from recession depression? Not enough money and too much month? Marketing wants to know. We are launching our first reader survey to find out how marketers feel about the industry, their prospects and the impact of the...

Virgin Media TV hands top role to Dodds.(Jeff Dodds )(Brief article)
January 14, 2009... Virgin Media Television has appointed Jeff Dodds to the new role of brand and marketing director. The former Honda marketing chief joins from Callaway Golf, where he was European marketing director. Dodds will be tasked with...

BAA plans consumer branding for Heathrow.
January 14, 2009... BAA is planning to relaunch Heathrow Airport as a consumer brand. The fresh brand positioning comes as the airport operator prepares to sell off its other major South East hub, Gatwick, as well as, potentially, Stansted. The attendant...

The week in marketing.
January 14, 2009... - Nivea plots launch. Nivea is planning its biggest brand launch of the year, with the roll-out of a men's deodorant called Silver Protect. The brand, aimed at 18- to 35-year-old men, will be supported by a pounds 2.2m advertising campaign...

Media: Universal Music pools media brief.(Brief article)
January 14, 2009... Universal Music is reviewing its pounds 27m media buying and planning account. It will consolidate the work across all its European brands, currently handled by seven agencies, into a single shop. The music giant has contacted 10 agencies...

Media: CNN expands to Freeview.(Cable News Network. CNN International)(Brief article)
January 14, 2009... Rolling news channel CNN International will launch on Freeview this Thursday. Its world news broadcasts will air daily between 9pm and 1am. The launch will double the channel's reach in the UK, adding 9m homes. CNN will broadcast a...

Media: Disney Channel to boost sponsorship options.(Walt Disney Co. Walt Disney Studios)(Brief article)
January 14, 2009... Disney Channel has created an in-house sales team as it looks to expand its sponsorship opportunities for advertisers. The channel has run a limited number of sponsorships in the past, but will now make all its programmes open to...

Media Road Test: Demons.(Brief article)
January 14, 2009... - What's new? With The X Factor gone for another year, ITV has launched supernatural drama series Demons in its Saturday early-evening slot. Episode one introduced student Luke Rutherford, whose life is turned upside-down when he meets...

Media brief: First Direct pilots customer magazine.(Brief article)
January 14, 2009... First Direct is piloting a customer magazine with articles on culture and lifestyle. The title, Black + White, has been sent to 30,000 long-term customers, aimed at those with a broad relationship with the bank who recommended it to friends....

Media brief: Sky unveils plans.(British Sky Broadcasting Group PLC. Sky Active)(Brief article)
January 14, 2009... Sky has unveiled plans to introduce energy-efficient studios, upgrade set-top-boxes to automatically switch to stand-by and encourage production companies to develop sustainable ways to produce programmes. -------------------- Did you...

Media brief: Top Gear launches viral campaign.(Brief article)
January 14, 2009... Top Gear is launching a viral campaign for its relaunched website The activity, which features masked hero The Stig, was created by Work Club and includes appearances by Top Gear writers. -------------------- Did you find this article...

Media brief: UK cinema box office takings increase.(Brief article)
January 14, 2009... UK cinema box office takings increased 5% to a record pounds 949m in 2008. Mamma Mia generated pounds 69m in UK ticket sales, Quantum of Solace pounds 51m and The Dark Knight pounds 49m. -------------------- Did you find this article...

Media brief: Egmont to publish authorised sequel.(Egmont Publishing)(Brief article)
January 14, 2009... Egmont Publishing is to publish an authorised sequel to AA Milne's The House at Pooh Corner in October. Return to Hundred Acre Wood, which comes 80 years after the last Winnie the Pooh story, was written by David Benedictus. ...

Media brief: Yours magazine launches TV campaign.(Brief article)
January 14, 2009... Yours magazine, published by Bauer Media, has launched a TV campaign targeting women over 55. The activity for the women's lifestyle fortnightly, which comprises three 10-second executions, was created by Hooper Galton and broke on Monday. ...

Branding: Chicago Town to roll out fresh look.(Chicago Town Pizza Co.)(Brief article)
January 14, 2009... Chicago Town is overhauling its brand identity to bring consistency to its range of frozen pizzas and desserts. Following a year-long consumer research project, the frozen-food company has introduced fresh packaging, positioning its...

Branding: Global Refund plots overhaul.(Goosebumps)(Brief article)
January 14, 2009... Global Refund, the business-to-business tax reimbursement scheme, is to relaunch as a consumer brand. Non-European Union citizens shopping in EU cities are eligible to claim back VAT. Global Refund, which is one of several private companies...

Branding: Audi revamps dealer outlets.(Brief article)
January 14, 2009... Luxury car marque Audi is to refresh the design of its UK dealerships to help expand its presence in urban areas. Until recently, Audi's dealerships have followed a 'hangar' design, with a protruding front roof. However, as part of a...

Branding: Brand in the news - Aviva.(Brief article)
January 14, 2009... Aviva is an odd name. More like a small car. Or, a beauty spa Sorry, that's Aveda. In fact it's the new name for Norwich Union. Changing your name can be a great thing to do, of course. As a kid, my mother assured me that I could change...

Branding brief: Antony Worrall Thompson launches soup range.(Brief article)
January 14, 2009... Antony Worrall Thompson, the TV chef, is launching a range of instant soups. Antony Worrall Thompson's Organic Instant Free Range Soups come in Chicken, Chicken & Vegetable, Tomato and Vegetable variants in packs of four. The products will be...

Branding brief: Churchill Wines to revamp packaging.(Brief article)
January 14, 2009... Churchill Wines is to revamp its packaging in order to convey the brand's use of traditional production methods. The packaging design, by branding consultancy Interbrand, features black and white pictures of the Quinta da Gricha vineyards in...

Branding brief: Rod & Ben to release limited-edition soup.(Watergate Organics)(Brief article)
January 14, 2009... Rod & Ben, an organic food brand based in Devon, is to release a limited-edition seasonal Mushroom and Tarragon soup variant in partnership with local mushroom farm, Watergate Organics. The Rod & Ben's soup range comprises 15 variants, which...

Branding brief: Drink Me Chai re-designs packaging.(Brief article)
January 14, 2009... Drink Me Chai is re-designing its packaging and website to give the brand a more distinctive image. The company, which produces Spiced and Vanilla Chai Latte drinks, is seeking stronger colour-coding to convey the nature of its products. ...

Branding brief: Cambridge Audio unveils fresh identity.(Brief article)
January 14, 2009... Cambridge Audio, the consumer electronics manufacturer, has unveiled a fresh corporate identity to reposition the brand as a cutting-edge provider of hi-fi equipment and home-cinema systems. -------------------- Did you find this...

Digital & Direct: O2 lines up ties to drive youth links.(Channel 4)(Brief article)
January 14, 2009... O2 is underpinning its partnership with the Academy music venues through a series of TV and online sponsorship deals designed to bring the brand closer to youth audiences. The mobile operator has signed a six-figure deal, negotiated by...

Digital & Direct: Ireland to flag holiday appeal.(Brief article)
January 14, 2009... Tourism Ireland has launched a campaign, entitled 'Kickstart', to push the country as a holiday destination. The campaign is the first activity to run under Tourism Ireland's brand positioning, 'Go where Ireland takes you', which aims to...

Digital & Direct: Brands boost email activity.(Brief article)
January 14, 2009... Brands have increased their weekly email volumes by 75% since August in response to the downturn, according to email marketing agency Alchemy Worx. The agency has set up a monthly monitor of the email volumes of 100 brands, following the...

Digital Choice: Swatch 007 Villains.(Brief article)
January 14, 2009... As a James Bond-loving horologist, I was naturally drawn to the Swatch 007 Villains collection - 22 watch designs inspired by your favourite Bond baddie. A link on the Swatch homepage takes you to a content page, where the collection is...

Digital & Direct brief: Center Parcs supports TV ads.(Golley Slater Digital)(Brief article)
January 14, 2009... Center Parcs is supporting its TV ads with a pounds 550,000 digital campaign, the holiday company's biggest online spend to date. The campaign comprises pay-per-click and online display activity, and was developed by Golley Slater Digital. ...

Digital & Direct brief: REaD Group creates Scientia Data.(Brief article)
January 14, 2009... The REaD Group, the data management company, has created Scientia Data, a subsidiary to be led by Dawn Orr, previously the managing director of Acxiom. Scientia will combine lifestyle and transactional data across many channels. ...

Digital & Direct brief: Shell trials online ad format.(Shell U.K. Ltd.)(Brief article)
January 14, 2009... Shell is trialling an online ad format, the 'un-roll', created by video search engine Blinkx. The campaign uses video content with overlay ads and logos. -------------------- Did you find this article useful? Why not subscribe to the...

Digital & Direct brief: First TransPennine Express launches website.(Code Computerlove)(Brief article)
January 14, 2009... First TransPennine Express is launching a website, developed by agency Code Computerlove. The train operator's site will feature a more engaging design and give greater prominence to customer and sales information. -------------------- ...

Digital & Direct brief: Appointment at Internet Advertising Sales Houses.(appointment of Julia Smith)(Brief article)
January 14, 2009... Internet Advertising Sales Houses, the committee that polices the activities of sales houses and encourages best practice, has appointed Julia Smith, former head of digital at Mirror Group Newspapers, as its first senior manager. ...

Digital & Direct brief: JD Williams launches DRTV campaign.(Brief article)
January 14, 2009... JD Williams, the catalogue company, has launched a DRTV campaign to promote its sister firm Fashionworld. The first of two campaigns created by DTV Group began on Monday with ads on channels including ITV, GMTV, and UK Style. ...

Andrew Walmsley on Digital: In need of star treatment.
January 14, 2009... Online sales may be boosting retailers' revenues, but many are missing out on their full potential. John Smith is a retailer. It's in his blood. He joined the company as a teenager, in the stock room, and worked his way through most areas...

News Analysis: Personality flaws.
January 14, 2009... A founder's public persona can build their brand, but the strategy can backfire. Take pity on the Apple PR machine: no amount of technological wizardry or innovation at last week's Macworld show in San Francisco was ever going to draw...

News Analysis: Discounting: the cost.
January 14, 2009... Price cuts helped retailers survive Christmas, but what about the long term? This Christmas period, an unprecedented number of retailers began discounting aggressively in an attempt to encourage recession-wary shoppers into their stores....

Media Analysis: Media madness takes hold.
January 14, 2009... As we approach the next decade a worrying media phenomenon is taking shape, writes John Billett. Media developments never come in gangs, nor are they ever simultaneous New media phenomena always come in phases, sliding in almost...

Mark Kleinman on marketing and the City: Branding the Square Mile.(Financial Services Board )
January 14, 2009... The proposed Financial Services Board will need some astute marketing to further the City's cause. Seldom has a floppy blond fringe occupied such prominence in the British national consciousness as it did on the day last August when the...

Brand Health Check: Gyms.(Survey)
January 14, 2009... Traditionally a top-ranker in New Year's resolutions, the gym may lose out this year. As rituals go, watching someone tell anyone who will listen that they're thinking of joining the gym in January is almost as traditional - and boring -...

Mark Ritson on Branding: Time to bank on longevity.
January 14, 2009... Barclays should jettison its frequent switches in brand positioning in favour of a longer-term view. It must be a new year, because Barclays has a new brand strategy. As regular as clockwork and as consistent as a drunken sailor with a...

Profile: A healthy outlook.(dialogue with Sheila Mitchell)(Interview)
January 14, 2009... Sheila Mitchell, marketing director, Department of Health, brings a private-sector eye to her Whitehall role. Interview by Gemma Charles. A group of brightly coloured plasticine figures is the, perhaps unlikely, centrepiece of Sheila...

Opinion: The Marketing Society Forum - Can successful advertising be created in-house?
January 14, 2009... In straitened times, many companies may be tempted to cut costs by ditching external support such as advertising agencies. We asked our panel whether in-house creative could be as effective. YES - ANDREW MCGUINNESS, PARTNER, BEATTIE...

Editor's Comment: Brands are taken at face value.(Editorial)
January 14, 2009... Does the public really care who runs a company? Should it affect the price of shares if a founder and spokesman steps down? A company comprises several elements including - crucially - a management team responsible for the day-to-day...

Recall: Irritating ads 2008.(Survey)
January 14, 2009... All marketers want consumers to remember their ads, but fame based on an ad's power to irritate is not something to aspire to, says Nicola Clark. Our annual survey of the UK's most irritating ads sparks the question: do advertisers...

Sector Insight: Weight control foods - Everything in moderation.(Statistical data)
January 14, 2009... Weight control foods have grown 30% as non-dieters seeking healthier options have begun to buy into the category, writes Jane Bainbridge. Whether it's too fat or too thin, weight has become a topic of much debate in recent years. While...

Media: Cinema's digital dream.(Digital cinema )
January 14, 2009... Digital cinema offers huge opportunities to advertisers and viewers, but ultimately it is cinema chains' readiness to invest that will decide the fate of the medium, writes Sarah Crawley-Boevey. Looking back to a time before digital radio,...

Helpline.
January 14, 2009... Joe Thomas takes the hassle out of finding the right product or service - you ask the question, he'll provide the answer. WRITE DIRECTION Q: We would like to replicate data across many formats while maintaining high quality. Could you...

Careers: What it's really like inside - Unilever.(Interview)
January 14, 2009... - How do you come up with fresh marketing ideas? Our inspiration comes from many different people and places, but all our ideas are underpinned by a real understanding of consumers. - Describe the marketing team in three words. ...

Careers: Brand manager of the week - Lesley Macbeth, Assistant brand manager, Merchant Gourmet.(Interview)(Brief article)
January 14, 2009... - Describe yourself in three words. Enthusiastic, determined and bubbly. - What would you be if you weren't a brand manager? An air hostess. I like flying and I'd love to see more of the world. - What advice would you give someone...

Careers: Me & My Mentor - Pete Markey, Marketing director, More Th>n.(Rob Merrington )(Brief article)
January 14, 2009... One person who stands out as a key person in my career is Rob Merrington who I worked for when he ran the direct marketing team at British Gas in 2000. Rob has continued to excel in his career and how heads the marketing team at EDF. He is...

Marketing Mole: Who does Google think you are? - Tom Hings, Director of brand marketing, Royal Mail.
January 14, 2009... - The first result is a link to Campaign's 'Close Up: 24 hours with' feature detailing a day in the life of Tom Hings. - The second and third listings are for Hings' profiles on Facebook and LinkedIn respectively. - The fourth links to...

Marketing Mole: Name that brand.
January 14, 2009... This Japanese manufacturer began producing vehicles in 1937 and is one of the world's biggest-selling car brands. The marque remains an active participant in Formula One. Most recently it sponsored the FIFA Club World Cup. Can you name...

Marketing Mole: We'll Call You - Evian.(Interview)
January 14, 2009... Having heard scientists' warnings that many 'detox' claims are meaningless, we called Evian to find out why it is using the term on its bottle labels. Evian Good afternoon, Danone Waters. Mktg Hi, could I speak with your customer...

Google boosts YouTube homepage ad options.(Brief article)
January 21, 2009... Google hopes to recoup some of the dollars 1.6bn it paid for YouTube by overhauling its homepage ads offering. The search engine giant hopes advertisers will pay pounds 32,000 a day for a click-to-play expandable homepage video ad, with...

Bacardi offers file-sharing.(Brief article)
January 21, 2009... Bacardi has launched a music file-sharing application, in collaboration with dance act Groove Armada, as it looks to bolster customer loyalty. The drinks company signed up Groove Armada last year following the band's split from record...

Alcohol firms back anti-binge campaign.
January 21, 2009... The alcohol industry is in talks with advertising agency Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO about creating a major responsible-drinking ad campaign. Companies including Diageo and Bacardi Brown-Forman are planning a national campaign intended to...

DfT calls for increased emission data visibility.(Brief article)
January 21, 2009... The Department for Transport (DfT) has outlined its demands for advertisers to increase the visibility of CO2 emission and fuel economy information on outdoor ads. The DfT stated that this information must be 'easily legible by a person...

Bupa hires group brand chief.
January 21, 2009... Private healthcare brand Bupa has appointed PepsiCo marketer Fiona McAnena to be its first group brand director, as it looks to strengthen its global marketing presence. McAnena, previously vice-president for innovation at PepsiCo, will...

P&G to trim digital roster.(Procter & Gamble)(Brief article)
January 21, 2009... Procter & Gamble is to consolidate its global digital roster in a bid to cut costs. The news comes as the FMCG giant, which expanded its pan-European account two years ago, looks to increase online adspend. According to Nielsen, P&G...

RSA embarks on global media review.(SFW and Wardour Communications to help advertising)(Brief article)
January 21, 2009... RSA, formerly Royal & Sun Alliance, plans to hire its first global media agency, as part of a wider shake-up of its agency arrangements. The financial-services giant has previously worked in the UK with Universal McCann, the incumbent...

Coke Zero share slides to lowest since 2006.
January 21, 2009... Coke Zero's market share has fallen to its lowest level since December 2006, despite multimillion-pound tie-ups with the latest James Bond film and footballer Wayne Rooney. The Coca-Cola sub-brand, which made its debut in July 2006 and was...

Little Black Book arrives.(Brief article)
January 21, 2009... Marketing is to reveal the habits and secrets of senior marketers in a unique directory. The Little Black Book, published on 4 February, contains insights into the personalities behind marketing's biggest jobs, along with contact details....

Nationwide fills top role.(Chris Rhodes appointed as senior marketer at Nationwide Building Society)(Brief article)
January 21, 2009... Nationwide Building Society has appointed Santander marketer Chris Rhodes to its most senior marketing role. Rhodes, who will take up the board-level position of group product and marketing director in April, is currently director of retail...

The week in marketing.(MAMA Group acquired by HMV)(Visit Wales launches a advertising campaign)(Pfizer Inc. teams up with healthcare organisations )
January 21, 2009... - Kids' charity TV work. Action for Children has launched the second phase of its 'As long as it takes' activity to boost awareness of the need to support young people It will include the charity's second piece of TV work, featuring an...

Media: The Times backs Saturday revamp.(Brief article)
January 21, 2009... The Times is to back the relaunch of its Saturday edition, on 24 January, with an integrated drive across TV, press and outdoor. TV ads will break on 5 February and run for three weeks as three separate 10-second ads per ad break. The...

Media: National Trust assigns brief.(Brief article)
January 21, 2009... The National Trust has appointed the7stars to handle its pounds 4m media planning and buying account. The agency will work on the Trust's regional planning strategy in the South, including Devon and Cornwall, Thames and Solent and the...

Media: Orange hands magazine task to John Brown.(Brief article)
January 21, 2009... Orange has appointed John Brown to produce its new customer and internal magazine Orangenews. The publication will cover internal and external news and issues. It will be distributed across Orange's UK stores and service centres. ...

Media Road Test: Skins.
January 21, 2009... - What's new? Pretty much everything. As the third series of Channel 4's hedonistic teen drama kicks off, only a few fringe characters remain from the opening two BAFTA-nominated seasons. A new, fresh-faced crop of 16-year-olds has...

Media brief: Canon hands media account to Omnicom's PHD.(Brief article)
January 21, 2009... Canon has handed its pounds 50m EMEA media planning and buying account to Omnicom's PHD. The bulk of the account was previously handled by WPP's Mediaedge:cia. It is the first time the print and technology firm has pooled its European media...

Media brief: Waitrose signs deal to sponsor Classic FM show.(Brief article)
January 21, 2009... Waitrose has signed a six-figure deal to sponsor Classic FM's Smooth Classics at Six show. The tie-up, during which recipes will be discussed on air, will be backed by online and print activity. -------------------- Did you find this...

Media brief: Rio Ferdinand teams up with Made Up Media for mag launch.(Brief article)
January 21, 2009... Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand is teaming up with the digital magazine publisher Made Up Media to launch a digital men's magazine. Rio will target 16- to 35-year-olds and be sent free to a database of more than 500,000. ...

Media brief: Genes Reunited website is redesigned.(improved search function for genealogy website)(Brief article)
January 21, 2009... Genes Reunited, the ITV-owned genealogy website, has been redesigned with an improved search function. A revised media page also allows users to upload videos. -------------------- Did you find this article useful? Why not subscribe to...

Media brief: Renault Vans extends sponsorship of travel bulletins.(Brief article)
January 21, 2009... Renault Vans has extended its sponsorship of Absolute Radio's travel bulletins. The company has been backing the show for four years, making it the station's oldest sponsor. -------------------- Did you find this article useful? Why...

Media brief: Danish energy company extends link-up with CNN.(Brief article)
January 21, 2009... Vestas Wind Systems, a Danish energy company, has extended its link-up with CNN with online sponsorship around coverage of the US Presidential inauguration. CNN has also collaborated with Facebook for the online coverage. ...

Branding: DGSi adds airside sites to overhaul.(Brief article)
January 21, 2009... Consumer electronics retail giant DSGi is extending its rebranding programme to its portfolio of airport stores as part of wider plans to improve the customer experience. The company has 28 Dixons Tax Free stores, each of which is to be...

Branding: Ryvita alters pack designs.(Brief article)
January 21, 2009... Ryvita has unveiled a fresh brand identity that aims to promote the 'honest goodness' of its products. The rebrand of the healthy snack food brand coincides with a major ad campaign featuring ITV's This Morning presenter, Fern Britton. ...

Branding: Mornflake in cereal revamp.(oat-based cereal range )(Brief article)
January 21, 2009... Mornflake is investing more than pounds 1m in the relaunch of its oat-based cereal range in a bid to raise its profile and take on luxury muesli brands, such as Dorset Cereals. Branding agency Brand Me has created a packaging design, based...