Marketing articles from June 2003

Marketing archives from June 2003

Toyota work wins Marketing Society Grand Prix award.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Toyota has scooped the Grand Prix at this year's Marketing Society Awards for the repositioning of its Corolla car. The strategy, which also won the Brand Revitalisation category, involved investing pounds 20m in a campaign to make the...

Vivid hands top job to ex-Tomy chief.(Vivid Imaginations hires marketing director)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Vivid Imaginations, Britain's biggest toy-maker, has hired former Tomy marketer Emma Sherski as marketing director. The appointment comes as the company tries to erode the gap on multinationals Hasbro and Mattel with a series of licensed...

Labour under fire for bypassing COI.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... The government is facing allegations from the chairman of an influential parliamentary committee that it bypassed COI Communications in the run-up to the last general election. The result was a significant overspend on politically sensitive...

Silk Cut to retain 'stylish' imagery of ads on-pack.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... The stylish advertising that made Silk Cut famous is to be echoed on thousands of packs of the cigarette brand as owner Gallaher attempts to maintain its image in the wake of the industry-wide advertising ban. The company will this week...

Boots plans 15% budget cut amid refocus on brand.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Boots is to slash its media spend by up to 15% as it embarks on an overhauled marketing strategy focusing on brand rather than price promotions. The retail group, which is expected to reveal a fall in annual profits from pounds 639m to...

NHS hunts backers for SMS reminder service.(Text message reminder service for medical appointments)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... The NHS is calling on brands with healthy living credentials to sponsor a text message reminder service. The initiative aims to save pounds 400m lost through missed appointments every year. It has signed up milk drink brand Yakult and is in...

STOP PRESS: Prudential hires Blackbird to review account.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Prudential has asked marketing consultancy Blackbird to review the performance of its pounds 14m media planning and buying account, held by PHD. It has also given Carat a pay-per-click online marketing project on its general insurance business....

STOP PRESS: BT will wait before taking legal action.(British Telecom and Carphone Warehouse)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... BT says it will wait to see Carphone Warehouse's advertising starring Maureen Lipman before deciding whether to take any legal action over the ads. Carphone Warehouse agency Will Pond-Jones Collective has lured Lipman, the former face of BT, to...

STOP PRESS: AXA appoints J Walter Thompson.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... AXA has confirmed the appointment of J Walter Thompson to its three-year pounds 70m umbrella ad account after a two-way pitch against BMP DDB. Head of brand Darrin Nightingale said the agency would be responsible for making the AXA brand more...

STOP PRESS: Mazda Motors UK moves marketing director.(to role of dealer operations director)
June 5, 2003... Mazda Motors UK has moved marketing director Rob Lindley to the role of dealer operations director, replacing Phil Waring, who is promoted to managing director. Lindley will be replaced as marketing director by fleet and remarketing director...

STOP PRESS: 3 management team presents revamped marketing strategy.(mobile brand 3)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... The UK management team of mobile brand 3 has presented a revamped marketing strategy to Hutchison Whampoa group managing director Canning Fok in an attempt to boost sales of 3G handsets.

STOP PRESS: EasyJet throws spotlight back onto Beckham.(after using him in their ads)
June 5, 2003... EasyJet has thrown the spotlight back onto David Beckham in the row over its use of the England captain in its ads. The airline has said it will donate pounds 20,000 to charity if Beckham matches the figure, following last week's story in...

STOP PRESS: Revlon shortlists agencies.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Revlon has shortlisted MindShare, Starcom Motive, PHD and Manning Gottlieb OMD to pitch for its pounds 3m UK and Ireland media account. The decision sees the business move out of Mediaedge:cia.

STOP PRESS: BBC embarks on biggest ever ad campaign.(to back coverage of major events)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... The BBC is embarking on one of its biggest ever ad campaigns, called 'BBC Summer is Here', to back its coverage of events such as Royal Ascot, Wimbledon and Glastonbury. TV, poster and radio ads, which break next week, were created by Fallon....

STOP PRESS: Thresher trials retail format.(for premium wines)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Thresher is trialling a retail format aimed at what it calls 'stylish singles', offering premium wines at up to pounds 50 a bottle.

STOP PRESS: Oftel says callers to 192 will hear recorded message.
June 5, 2003... Oftel has ruled that callers who ring 192 after the service's expiry on August 24 will hear a recorded message giving a freephone number for information on the full range of 118 directory enquiry numbers.

STOP PRESS: Vodafone appoints J Walter Thompson.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Vodafone has appointed J Walter Thompson to its advertising account in Australia, worth about pounds 8m.

STOP PRESS: OneWorld promotes director.
June 5, 2003... OneWorld, the airline alliance that includes British Airways and American Airlines, has promoted director for marketing and customer experience John McCulloch to chief executive. McCulloch is a former head of group marketing at HSBC.

STOP PRESS: Nokia and Orange sign as title sponsors.(for Edinburgh Festival Fringe)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Nokia and Orange have signed up as title sponsors of the leading venue at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, dubbing it the Nokia Orange Assembly Rooms. The two companies have also signed a deal with The Scotsman to provide festival-goers with...

STOP PRESS: Velvet increases in price.(toilet tissue)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... SCA Hygiene Products has increased the price of Velvet toilet tissue by 6% to reflect higher manufacturing and distribution costs. The rise follows a similar hike by Kimberly-Clark brand Andrex in April.

STOP PRESS: Appointment at InterContinental Hotels Group.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... InterContinental Hotels Group has appointed David Hughes senior vice-president of sales, marketing and commercial. Hughes was previously senior vice-president of strategy for EMEA. Colin Roy, director of revenue management, becomes marketing...

STOP PRESS: GBL International launches VK Coast.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... GBL International has launched VK Coast, an extension of its VK Vodka Kick drink, available in three fruit flavours.

STOP PRESS: Grey Global joins list.(potential bidder for Cordiant Communications)
June 5, 2003... Grey Global has joined WPP and Publicis Groupe on the list of potential bidders for Cordiant Communications.

Loseley replaces Wall's at Wimbledon.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Wall's ice cream has ended its association with the Wimbledon tennis championships because it says the cost of renewing its involvement is not viable. In a last-ditch deal, Wall's has been replaced as Wimbledon's official ice cream partner...

DaimlerChrysler selects UK chief.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... DaimlerChrysler has brought in its Swiss chief, Wilfried Steffen, as president and chief executive for the UK, responsible for brands including Mercedes-Benz, Maybach, Smart, Chrysler and Jeep. The appointment follows a shake-up among the...

ITC probes Virgin Mobile TV work.(Independent Television Commission looks at complaints)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... The Independent Television Commission is investigating 48 complaints from nurses and members of the public about Virgin Mobile's ad campaign set in an Eastern European-style hospital. The ad, by Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R, promotes...

Virgin Net picks Albion to handle acquisition work.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Virgin Net, the internet service provider, has chosen Albion as its through-the-line ad agency in preparation for a campaign to acquire customers from Freeserve, AOL and BT. The brief is to position Virgin Net squarely as an ISP and dispel...

Deadline looms for 2003 Brand Design Awards.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... There are just two weeks left to get entries in for Marketing's 2003 Brand Design Awards. The deadline for all entries is June 20. The awards, launched last year, judge the strategy, creative treatment and bottom-line financial results of...

Jordan chief exits after 17 years in F1.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Mark Gallagher, marketing director of the Jordan Formula One team, is leaving the sport after 17 years to join the board of a sports asset management consultancy that includes F1 driver Jenson Button on its books. Gallagher, one of F1's...

Abbey transfers pounds 33m media into MindShare.
June 5, 2003... Abbey National has moved its pounds 33m media planning and buying account out of Carat into MindShare after a whirlwind process that excluded senior Abbey National marketing personnel. The business has been held by Carat for 16 years and...

Warburtons ad breaks this week.(television campaign)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Warburtons highlights its five-generation family heritage and the sentiment associated with its baking in a pounds 3.6m TV campaign breaking this week. The 40-second ad, by Bartle Bogle Hegarty, will air across Warburtons' sales area -...

Smirnoff in talks to secure League Cup sponsorship.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Smirnoff, the UK's biggest vodka brand, is in talks with the Football League about taking over from Worthington as the title sponsor of the League Cup. It is thought that Smirnoff is the front-runner and a deal could be announced as early...

Ryanair supports price focus with cut-price seats.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Ryanair, which announced a 59% leap in pre-tax profits on Tuesday, is selling one million cut-price seats to force home its 'lowest fares' reputation this summer. The seats will either be pounds 19.99 or pounds 29.99 for one-way travel...

Budgets up 4.7% in April as spend surge continues.(advertising expenditures rise)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Advertising expenditure is showing a sustained re-surgence with an increase of 4.7% in April, the 11th increase in the past 12 months, according to Nielsen Media Research. The results contradict recent pessimistic assessments of the state...

First Choice set to bring brands under one name.(travel agency)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... First Choice Holidays, the UK's fourth-biggest travel firm, is to rebrand its portfolio of UK stores under a single name, probably the operator brand First Choice. The company has 321 shops, split into the Travel Choice, Bakers Dolphin and...

Toyota returns to Just for customer magazine work.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Toyota UK has handed its customer magazine In Front back to Just Customer Communications, which lost the business to Miller Bainbridge four years ago. In Front, sent to 350,000 customers four times a year, became the centrepiece of...

Diageo sells off Translucis network.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Diageo has sold Translucis, its network of in-bar advertising screens, signalling the end of its two-year dalliance in media ownership. The sale of Translucis and its Magnetic plasma screen network to Avanti, the broadband telecoms...

Anchor hands 'ethical' pounds 4m ad activity to CHI.(Anchor Butter gives ad account to Clemmow Hornby Inge)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Anchor Butter has handed its pounds 4m advertising account to Clemmow Hornby Inge as it attempts to capture market share from Flora and Unilever Bestfoods' stable of margarine spreads. Arla Foods, Anchor's owner, wants its ads to reinforce...

McVitie's trio of TV ads.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... McVitie's is backing its foray into the morning snacking market with a trio of TV ads featuring the voice of Graham Norton and building on the 'Make yourself at home' theme it introduced last year. The ads, by Publicis, are part of a pounds 12m...

Entenmann's in revamp to back expanded range.(and develop strong brand identity)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Entenmann's, the luxury cake maker, has appointed Will Pond-Jones Collective to help it carve out a distinctive brand identity to challenge rivals such as Mr Kipling and stablemate Sara Lee. The brand, part of the Hibernia Foods portfolio,...

Nintendo links to Vimto to support Pokemon games.(promotion deal to bolster interest )(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Nintendo has struck a promotional deal with soft drinks brand Vimto to bolster interest in the launch of two Pokemon games. Pokemon Ruby and Pokemon Sapphire will be released for Nintendo's GameBoy Advance handheld console on July 25. ...

Sainsbury's asks for feedback on own-label goods.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Sainsbury's is claiming a landmark in food retailing with the launch of an on-pack initiative inviting customers to give feedback on the quality of individual products. The retailer is printing a freephone number on bottles of own-label...

Amulet collapse ends Man City sponsorship.(Amulet Group put into administration)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... The demise of the Amulet Group, parent of the UK's biggest 'ambulance-chaser', The Accident Group, has left Manchester City football club without a sponsor and an entire marketing department without jobs. The collapse of the group, which...

Coca-Cola to promote entire Fanta range.(Coca-Cola Great Britain)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Coca-Cola GB is to promote the entire Fanta range for the first time in the latest TV ad for the brand, which breaks this weekend. Created by Soul, the ad uses Fanta's established endline, 'Why can't everything be as fruity as Fanta'. The...

Breakdown firms fail to convince over extensions.(Survey shows that consumers do not buy other products/services from car breakdown companies)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... The efforts of organisations such as the AA and the RAC to market themselves as multi-service providers is proving fruitless, according to this week's OMD Snapshots survey for Marketing. The poll found the vast majority of consumers are not...

NEWS BRIEFS: Halewood buys Sidekick shot brand.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Halewood International has confirmed it has bought the Sidekick shot brand from Bulmers, as tipped in Marketing (May 8). Halewood has pledged pounds 1m to the brand for a marketing campaign that will include advertising, PR, sampling and...

NEWS BRIEFS: Essential Well Being launches clinics.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Essential Well Being, a natural healthcare company, is to launch a national network of clinics and has hired Leonardo to create a pounds 500,000 integrated campaign for the brand.

NEWS BRIEFS: Bernard Matthews returns to TV advertising.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Bernard Matthews is returning to TV advertising to promote a range of frozen instant hot snacks. The pounds 3m campaign will support the launch of Hot Pops - turkey in a seasoned crispy 'popcorn' batter. Aimed mainly at parents with teenagers,...

NEWS BRIEFS: Scottish Courage launches two brews.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Scottish Courage is launching two brews under the Kronenbourg 1664 banner: Premier Cru, a 6% slow-brewed speciality beer to be sold in the off-trade, and Deco, a 25ml container of chilled absinthe attached to a 275ml bottle of Kronenbourg that...

NEWS BRIEFS: Heineken renews sponsorship.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Heineken has renewed its title sponsorship of the European Rugby Cup after months of speculation. It has signed a two-year deal believed to be worth significantly less than the previous agreement.

NEWS BRIEFS: Veet links with Beau Bra.(to promote Veet Bikini Kit)
June 5, 2003... Veet, the hair removal brand, has linked with lingerie designers Beau Bra to produce a collection of underwear to promote its Veet Bikini Kit. It will be featured in editorial reader giveaways and competitions in women's glossies over the...

NEWS BRIEFS: Carlsberg-Tetley appoints Fuse Digital.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Carlsberg-Tetley has appointed Fuse Digital to relaunch carlsberg.co.uk, following a three-year pitch. The first phase of the redesigned web site launches later this month.

NEWS BRIEFS: NMG Product Placement names non-exec director.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... NMG Product Placement, one of the biggest specialist product placement agencies working in film and TV, has named John Blakemore, the outgoing ads director at GlaxoSmithKline, as a non-executive director.

NEWS BRIEFS: Jazz FM cleared.(of breaching its licence)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Jazz FM has been cleared by the Radio Authority of allegations that it had breached its licence remit in extending its play list to include R&B artists such as Stevie Wonder.

NEWS BRIEFS: Quaker invests in TV campaign.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Quaker is investing pounds 1.2m in a TV campaign for Snack-a-Jacks, part of a pounds 5m marketing budget for the brand this year. The creative, by First Independent Creative and Marketing, features a vox pop highlighting the different flavours...

NEWS BRIEFS: Heinz sells San Marco.(pizza brand )(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Heinz has sold its San Marco pizza brand and licensed its Ross pizza brand to Green Isle Foods, owner of Goodfellas. The deal takes effect on June 8.

NEWS BRIEFS: ASA tells easyJet to make ads clear.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... The Advertising Standards Authority has told easyJet to make clear that its discounted prices do not include taxes and charges, after the Consumers' Association and two members of the public objected to three ads proclaiming flights from just...

NEWS BRIEFS: Ebac Dehumidifiers moves account.(to MediaVest Leeds)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Ebac Dehumidifiers has moved its pounds 1m media planning and buying account from Brilliant Media to MediaVest Leeds. Ebac is to launch a water cooler for homes, called Eddy, through national press and women's magazines.

NEWS BRIEFS: Stain Devils sponsors chat shows.(Oprah Winfrey and Rikki Lake)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Stain Devils, the stain removal brand owned by Adcoco, is sponsoring daytime chat shows Oprah Winfrey and Rikki Lake on Sky Living and Sky One for three months.

MEDIA: ITV seeks sponsorship for three major strands.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... ITV is hunting pounds 4m in total sponsorship for three strands of programming - including the Rugby World Cup and a nine-week celebrity entertainment strand that airs at the end of this month. The channel still lacks a backer for this...

MEDIA: Audi targets women with TT 150 launch.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Audi is using glossy style titles to launch the Audi TT 150, an economy version of the TT model aimed at 30-something style-leaders. The target market is 55% female and Audi has linked up with IPC Southbank for fashion spreads in Marie...

MEDIA: Nivea for Men in talkSPORT tie-up for Father's Day.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Nivea for Men is running a competition on talkSPORT's breakfast show to promote Nivea Aftershave Balm in the run-up to Father's Day on June 15. The promotion, 'Balm or Barmy', highlights Nivea's 'cooling and soothing' positioning and...

MEDIA: UK surfers slow with broadband internet take-up.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... The UK is lagging behind the rest of the world in broadband internet take-up, with Italy the only nation in Europe having lower penetration, according to research from Nielsen//NetRatings. In the 13 months to April, high-speed net...

MEDIA CHOICE: Phones 4U.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... It's rare that an ad can make you laugh out loud when you see it. It is rarer still that an integrated campaign featuring mobile phones will do it for you. It's a sector renowned for overloading you with endless mundane facts about how...

MEDIA BRIEFS: IPC Ignite! launches web site for mag.(Uncut magazine)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... IPC Ignite! is launching a web site for its Uncut magazine, aimed at men over 35. It will complement sister brand NME.com, which targets rock music fans in their late-teens and early-20s.

MEDIA BRIEFS: Britvic teams up with Nickelodeon.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Britvic Soft Drinks has teamed up with Nickelodeon in a launch promotion for children's drink Freekee Soda. The deal covers TV and Nickelodeon's nick.co.uk site and features a competition to win the chance to be a Nickelodeon presenter. The...

MEDIA BRIEFS: ITV1 to broadcast first Junior Eurovision.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... ITV1 is to broadcast the first Junior Eurovision Song Contest, to be held in Copenhagen in November. Potential UK representatives aged eight to 15 are being sought for a national final to be broadcast live on September 6.

MEDIA BRIEFS: 97.4rock fm creates web site.(Lancashire UK radio station)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Lancashire radio station 97.4rock fm has created a web site, www.rockfmworks.com, to help clients access advertising opportunities. Firms can access scripts, audio, Rajar figures, competitive analysis and promotional ideas.

MEDIA BRIEFS: Future Publishing launches bi-monthly mag.(Practical Web Pages WebBuilder Project Guide)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Future Publishing is launching Practical Web Pages WebBuilder Project Guide as a regular bi-monthly magazine from June 11. It will have a cover price of pounds 5.99 and each issue will have a covermounted CD featuring trial software.

MEDIA BRIEFS: EasyJet confirms OMD Europe appointment.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... EasyJet has confirmed the appointment of OMD Europe to its pounds 30m pan-European media account following a face-off pitch against Carat (Marketing, May 1). The review was called following the airline's acquisition of rival Go. BBJ handled...

MEDIA BRIEFS: BBC World awarded digital frequency in Berlin.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... BBC World, the international 24-hour news and information channel, is the only foreign TV channel to have been awarded a digital terrestrial frequency in Berlin. The German capital will become the first city to exclusively use digital TV from...

MEDIA BRIEFS: NME extends series.(Music magazine.)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... NME has extended its series of bi-monthly one-offs with a special devoted to the Glastonbury music festival, which went on sale this week. The magazine features archive photos covering Glastonbury festivals since 1970.

MEDIA BRIEFS: OMD and Alban sell stake in Outdoor Connection.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... OMD and Alban Communications have sold their combined two-thirds stake in outdoor planning specialist Outdoor Connection to Poster Publicity. PHD retains its one-third stake. Outdoor Connections will use Poster Publicity for all its media...

MEDIA BRIEFS: Look Media imports outdoor ad format.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Look Media is importing its scooter outdoor ad format from Australia to the UK. The scheme is a different take on lorry billboards and uses Vespa GTs pulling trailers carrying an illuminated double-sided four-sheet billboard. The bikes will be...

MEDIA BRIEFS: CNBC Europe unveils programme schedule.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... CNBC Europe has unveiled a programme schedule which includes an extension of flagship morning programme Squawkbox Europe to three hours. The channel has also created a sponsorship team to increase commercial opportunities for advertisers.

MEDIA BRIEFS: Independent Media Distribution offers discounts.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Independent Media Distribution, the distributor of radio advertisements to stations, is offering 50% discounts on its rates to attract advertisers to radio and encourage existing clients to use a variety of creative. The discount applies to new...

MEDIA BRIEFS: CCL Foods to sponsor supplement.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... CCL Foods, the producer of sauces and condiments, including Pizza Express dressing, is to sponsor a Summer Salads & Vegetables supplement that accompanies BBC Good Food's July issue. The deal includes advertorials and cover advertising.

MEDIA BRIEFS: Kelly search and Contract Journal join forces.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Kellysearch, the UK industry search engine, has joined forces with Contract Journal, the trade magazine for the construction industry, to create CJDirectory.com, a database of more than 12,000 building products and services for property owners....

DIRECT: VSO selects marketing chief to boost income.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO), the international development charity, has hired a marketing chief to increase fundraising income by 50%. The organisation has recruited Debbie Ramsay, a client services director at direct marketing agency...

DIRECT: BMW in 'heritage' template for mailings.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... BMW is embarking on a relationship marketing programme to develop long-term ties with consumers by introducing a direct marketing template than can be rolled out across its range. The car firm is launching the strategy with a DM campaign...

DIRECT: BA backs loyalty scheme revamp with TMW activity.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... British Airways is poised to launch one of its biggest direct campaigns to promote a revamp of its Executive Club loyalty scheme that will allow members to manage their accounts entirely online for the first time. The airline is mailing...

DIRECT: Zurich appoints Black Cat to run 'professional' DM.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Zurich Professional, part of the Zurich Financial Services Group, has hired Black Cat to develop a direct marketing strategy to boost the division's share of the professional indemnity insurance market. The company, which targets...

DIRECT CHOICE: Gordon's Gin.(a direct mail campaign provides useful information)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Reviewing a direct mailing pack isn't usually one of my favourite pastimes. After all, much of what I receive tends to be pretty boring and just another hard-sell. So this Gordon's pack was indeed a pleasant surprise; it was a spot-on...

DIRECT BRIEFS: Kerry Foods drafts in Generator.(Cheestrings and Attack-a-Snak instant-win promotion)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2003... Kerry Foods has drafted in Generator to develop an instant-win promotion across its Cheestrings and Attack-a-Snak ranges. More than five million packs will carry inserts with the strapline 'Have You Won the Stash?' The inserts are in the form...