Marketing articles from June 2008

Marketing archives from June 2008

Exclusive - Adwatch survey takes interactive route.(Survey)(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Marketing's Adwatch, the UK's leading monitor of the memorability of TV ads, has gone interactive, giving marketers the power to gauge the performance of their brand's ads. Established more than 20 years ago, Adwatch is an exclusive weekly...

Jill McDonald scoops Marketer of the Year award.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Jill McDonald, McDonald's senior vice-president and chief marketing officer, UK and Northern Europe, has won the prestigious Marketer of the Year prize at this year's Marketing Society Awards for Excellence. The award, voted for by...

Branded ready meals lose out to their own-label competitors.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Supermarket own-brands are squeezing their branded rivals out of the pounds 2bn ready-meals sector, according to the latest Mintel report. All the major manufacturers of branded ready-meals lost significant value sales between 2003 and...

Frozen ready-meal sales slide.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... The ready-meals market has gone into decline for the first time in more than a decade as concerns over healthy eating and the effects of celebrity chefs extolling the virtues of home cooking eat away at sales. Consumers' busy and...

PPA slams EU for car ad proposal.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... The PPA, the association of UK magazine and periodical publishers, has accused the EU of discriminating against print media over stricter rules on publishing car emission information on ads. The association is concerned that the proposed...

Kimberly-Clark hires InBev boss.(Paul Evans appointed as media director )(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Kimberly-Clark has appointed Paul Evans as its media director for Europe, replacing Oliver Cleaver. Evans, who was previously senior media manager at Inbev, will work on brands including Andrex, Huggies and Kleenex. Cleaver retired in...

New campaign: Abbey.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Abbey is unveiling a TV campaign starring British Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton ahead of this year's Santander British Grand Prix. The Santander-owned bank sponsors both the Silverstone race and Hamilton's McLaren constructor team, and...

Nintendo to extend reach with DS cookery guide.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Nintendo is continuing its efforts to expand its customer base with the launch of a cooking guide for its handheld DS device. Cooking Guide: Can't Decide What to Eat? offers Nintendo DS users step-by-step instructions for cooking a range of...

Pepsi to debut Xtra Cold draught variant in bars.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Pepsi UK is adding a second premium variant to its range in a bid to steal share from market-leader Coca-Cola. The launch of Pepsi Xtra Cold follows the introduction of the brand's 'natural' cola, Pepsi Raw (Marketing, 20 November 2007)....

Red Bull focuses on 'natural' cola.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Red Bull will put the natural ingredients of its Red Bull Simply Cola brand at the heart of a pounds 2m campaign to support its entry into the competitive UK cola market. The drive eschews Red Bull's traditional cartoon style and tagline...

ITV takes action to protect brand.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... ITV is moving to prevent the use of 'iTV' as a representative term for interactive television, it has been claimed. Online media news website Interactive TV Today (itvt) claims that the broadcaster has requested that it amend its logo on...

Samsung seeks soundtrack act.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Samsung is offering up-and-coming bands the chance to provide the soundtrack to online and radio ads for its F400 mobile phone. The consumer electronics company has linked up with social networks Facebook, MySpace and Bebo to promote the...

Thomas Cook consolidates European advertising.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Thomas Cook Group has commenced a review of its pan-European ad arrangements to consolidate the account into a single agency. The business will include brands such as Going Places and Cresta, which were acquired by the company in its merger...

Auto industry blasts CO2 ad plans.
June 11, 2008... As the EC consults on plans that would force car ads to disclose emissions information, manufacturers hit back. The motoring industry has slammed EU plans, which, if implemented, could force car manufacturers to put CO2-emission warnings on...

COI debuts home 'check-up' work.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... The COI has unveiled a press and radio campaign promoting the introduction of Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) for properties. The ads will highlight that, from 1 October, anyone selling or renting a domestic or business building will...

Economic downturn fuels coupon use.(Survey)
June 11, 2008... The number of consumers actively seeking financial promotional deals is on the increase as rising food and utility prices begin to take their toll on spending, according to a survey carried out by GfK NOP. The poll of 1000 consumers...

Scope in 'shock' cinema activity.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Scope is bucking the charity sector's shift away from the use of shock tactics with its latest cinema ad. The 30-second ad, which shows a man in a wheelchair being beaten, is intended to promote Scope's current 'Time to Get Equal Week'....

John Lewis showcases 'unique'experience.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Department-store chain John Lewis is rolling out a two-phase campaign to promote the 'unique' shopping experience it offers. The first phase, created by Lowe, highlights five 'key facets' of the brand, from its range of products and...

Orange unveils plans for service overhaul.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Orange is to roll out a range of electronic products, including laptops, branded 'Totally connected' as part of a wide-ranging growth strategy that includes an organisational restructure. The company's chief executive, Tom Alexander,...

Co-op campaign to 'link' portfolio.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... The Co-operative is launching a pounds 1.4m national press campaign highlighting the links between its businesses. The campaign, which has been created by McCann Erickson, will show how the group's food, pharmacy, banking, insurance,...

Activity Superstore rolls out couples' brand.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Activity Superstore, a gift experiences company, has unveiled an online consumer offering called Fresh Weekends this week. The launch of the brand, which is aimed at couples seeking unusual, activity-filled weekend breaks, is being...

News brief: St John Ambulance hands account to Bartle Bogle Hegarty.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... St John Ambulance has handed its advertising account to Bartle Bogle Hegarty without a pitch. The agency has been briefed with recruiting volunteers ahead of the London 2012 Olympics as well as improving the first aid charity's image following...

News brief: UK adspend up more than 4% on previous year.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... UK adspend reached pounds 19.4bn in 2007, up more than 4% on the previous year, according to the Advertising Association. Press ads accounted for 40%, or pounds 7.7bn, of all spending. TV took second place with pounds 4.7bn in total ad revenue

News brief: Bullring to roll out TV ad.
June 11, 2008... Bullring, Birmingham's flagship shopping centre, is rolling out a 30-second TV ad, created by Isobel, which features summer activities such as kite-flying and bowls

News brief: Diabetes UK wins free outdoor campaign.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Diabetes UK has won a free outdoor campaign at 1500 sites through a fundraising challenge set by Everyclick.com and Clear Channel Outdoor Cystic Fibrosis won a free digital campaign.

News brief: Tayto appoints new group marketing director.
June 11, 2008... Tayto, the snack manufacturer, has appointed Elly Hunter as group marketing director. Hunter previously headed marketing at Dale Farm and Irwins Bakery

News brief: Co-operative Group sponsors Pride of Britain Awards.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... The Co-operative Group has been unveiled as sole sponsor of the Daily Mirror-owned Pride of Britain Awards, which will be broadcast on ITV1 on 1 October

News brief: Sunday Times to promote Prince Caspian.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... The Sunday Times is launching a three-week campaign promoting the release of Prince Caspian, the second Chronicles of Narnia film. The newspaper is offering readers a free audio CD of the book

News brief: Bookstart to run TV campaign.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Bookstart, a national reading charity, is to run a TV campaign to promote its Bookstart book giveaway to fathers. The TV ad, due to break next week, will run around male-targeted programmes and on digital TV channels including Bravo and Dave

Media: NME hands radio job to Universal McCann.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... NME Radio has awarded its media account to Universal McCann. The agency will work with the digital radio station, a strategic partnership between DX Media and music weekly NME's publisher, IPC Ignite, as it attempts to establish itself. ...

Media: BT promotes Fon to football fans.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... BT has created a Facebook application to tap into fans' enthusiasm for the UEFA European 2008 Football Championship. Battle of the Fans, set up by Albion, aims to promote BT Fon, a service that allows members to access each other's internet...

Media: FourFourTwo in Swindon tie-up.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Monthly football magazine FourFourTwo has signed its first shirt sponsorship deal, with Swindon Town FC. The Haymarket title's logo will appear on Swindon's shirts from the start of next season, and the tie-up will be promoted extensively...

Media choice: Honda live ad.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... If it was about talkability, it worked. People have certainly been debating the pros and cons of the impact of Honda's live ad. I love the work Honda has produced over the years - beautiful, stunning and memorable. You can still find me...

Media brief: MTV UK relaunches MTV News service.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... MTV UK is relaunching its MTV News service with updated graphics and a fresh logo in a bid to strengthen its news offering to its youth-focused audience. The service is being supported by a redesigned website

Media brief: EuroNews overhauls on-air branding.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... EuroNews is overhauling its on-air branding as part of a drive to better compete with rival services from CNN, BBC World and Al Jazeera The rebranding includes scrapping the channel's 'EU-blue' colour and changing its 'block' style of...

Media brief: AOL expands Asylum.com.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... AOL has added four international editions, including ones for the UK and Australia, to its men's lifestyle site Asylum.com. Asylum's expansion comes six months after the site was launched in the US

Media brief: Woman's Weekly partners with Mills & Boon.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Woman's Weekly, the IPC women's magazine, has partnered with Mills & Boon to help celebrate the publisher's centenary. A competition will offer readers prizes including the chance to claim a free book from WH Smith

Media brief: Five secures exclusive deal with UEFA.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Five has secured an exclusive three-year deal with UEFA for the TV rights to the UEFA Cup between 2009 and 2012. This is the first time a UK broadcaster has been able to buy a collective package of UEFA Cup games, including the final. In total,...

Media brief: GMTV signs Acdoco to sponsor wedding series.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... GMTV has signed Acdoco, the household-cleaning products manufacturer, to sponsor its annual Battle of the Brides wedding series this summer. The competition, which was sponsored by the brand between 2004 and 2006, will run for 11 weeks on ITV...

Media brief: Planet Rock acquired by millionaire rock fan.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Planet Rock has been acquired from GCap Media by millionaire rock fan and entrepreneur, Malcolm Bluemel. The purchase of the digital station has the backing of rock legends including Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi and Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull

Branding: Speedo shifts focus to leisure emphasis.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Swimwear brand Speedo is ramping up its customer marketing strategy as it looks to shed its image as a performance sports brand. The brand has increased its investment in in-store communications, including window displays, in an attempt to...

Branding: Harcourt-Cooze in Cacao debut.(Taxi Studio Endorsement Willie Harcourt-Cooze)(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Willie Harcourt-Cooze, entrepreneur and star of Channel 4 documentary Willie's Wonky Chocolate Factory, is launching his Venezuelan cooking chocolate under the Willie's Cacao brand. The brand, developed by Taxi Studio, rolls out this month...

Branding: Supermarkets top green survey.(J Sainsbury PLC)(Marks and Spencer PLC)(Tesco PLC)(Survey)(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Supermarkets are the greenest brands in the UK, according to a report by Landor. The 2008 ImagePower Green survey showed that the UK's biggest grocers accounted for five of the top six green brands. Marks & Spencer was the greenest...

Branding: Design choice - Heinz Tomato Ketchup.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Heinz Tomato Ketchup is like an old friend you can rely on. Everything about it, from the iconic design to the ritual of trying to get the stuff out of the bottle, makes me feel good, and, until now, its classic design has remained largely...

Branding brief: Haribo to launch Sour Cherries.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Haribo is launching the sour cherry sweet from its Tangfastics mix as a separate product. Haribo Sour Cherries will be rolled out this month in 160g and 200g bags, with the line 'Sour Cherries from Tangfastics. So good they've got their own...

Branding brief: Barratts overhauls shoe stores.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Barratts has overhauled its shoe stores to broaden its appeal. The Dolcis brand, bought out of administration in March, will be sold in Barratts stores and aimed at 35- to 50-year-old women, while Mimi&Belle will be added and aimed at younger...

Branding brief: CAT appoints ex-Tommy Hilfiger marketer.(Ulrich Simpson appointed as head of design )(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... CAT clothing has appointed ex-Tommy Hilfiger marketer Ulrich Simpson as head of design to oversee the brand's return to workwear. It will also launch a collection inspired by early CAT design

Branding brief: Essential launches chocolate spreads.
June 11, 2008... Essential, the food brand, has launched three organic Fairtrade chocolate spreads, which are available in health shops

Branding brief: Hilton hires former Starwood marketers.(Ross Klein and Amar Lalvani appointed as global head of luxury)(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Hilton has hired two former Starwood hotels marketers to oversee its luxury portfolio expansion and move into the boutique hotel market Ross Klein and Amar Lalvani join as global head of luxury and lifestyle brands and global head of luxury and...

Branding brief: Mentos to launch pocket-sized chewing gum.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Mentos is launching a pocket-sized pack of chewing gum. The product is available in Pure Fresh Mint, Ice Burst Menthol, Juice Burst Red Fruit and Juice Burst Green Apple variants

Branding brief: Diageo redesigns Baileys' packaging.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Diageo has redesigned Baileys' packaging to feature an image of the Irish countryside. It will be supported by a pounds 1.2m drive to promote 'ice cold' Baileys as a summer drink

Branding brief: Kumala to rebrand as premium brand.(Constellation Europe Ltd.)(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Constellation Europe is rebranding its Kumala wine range as a premium brand. It will redesign the packaging for the portfolio, which has been streamlined to include Cape Classics, Core and Zenith/Eternal

Direct: NCH selects shop for fundraising activity.(National Children's Home)(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... NCH, formerly the National Children's Home, has hired Tangible Response to handle donor fundraising ahead of a rebrand later this year. Despite being one of the UK's biggest children's charities, NCH claims to have only 1% brand...

Direct: RT names print marketing boss.(Tom Gunn appointed as marketing manager)(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Radio Times has promoted Tom Gunn to the role of marketing manager, in which he will oversee all promotion for its print format. Gunn, who takes up the post next month, will develop and deliver a marketing strategy intended to drive...

Direct: Betfair readies Euro 2008 work.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Betfair is rolling out a multichannel pan-European campaign to coincide with the UEFA Euro 2008 football tournament. The 'Join the home of football betting' activity has been devised by WDMP and is being developed for nine markets across...

Direct choice: NSPCC.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... The apparent death from starvation of seven-year-old Khyra Ishaq in Handsworth, Birmingham, last month was made even more shocking by the nature of its discovery. The police were alerted by a neighbour who saw children run out of the house...

Direct brief: Foster's to launch direct mail campaign.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Foster's is launching a direct mail campaign inviting drinkers to play a Top Trumps-style card game. The activity, created by EHS Brann Cirencester, supports Foster's' 'Stealing shadows' TV ad

Direct brief: Kit Kat Senses to give out free samples at event.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Kit Kat Senses, an official partner of Sandown Park Racecourse's Girls Aloud Music Night on 17 July, will distribute free samples to people at the event, as well as running its ad featuring the band on TV screens at the racecourse

Direct brief: Casella Wine plans experiential campaign.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Casella Wine, an Australian wine brand, is planning experiential work to introduce its Yellow Tail range of wines to the UK this summer The campaign will be created and run by Jack Morton Worldwide.

Direct brief: Parkinson's Disease Society targets existing donors.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... The Parkinson's Disease Society is targeting existing donors with a direct campaign through TDA, to support research into the sleep disturbances affecting people with the condition

Direct brief: BBC hires Kyp Systems.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... The BBC has hired Kyp Systems to produce an interactive guide to the BBC Proms. The guides will be distributed at the Proms Out+About event, a live music marathon taking place in locations around London

Direct brief: ITW seeks to boost sales.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... ITW Space Bag, a home-storage specialist, is hoping to boost sales across Europe with a direct-response TV campaign by DTV Group. It will run a series of long- and short-form ads in the UK and Germany

Direct brief: Motor Show hires Watson Phillips Norman to promote event.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... The British International Motor Show has hired Watson Phillips Norman to create DRTV activity to promote this year's event. The ad will run across 50 TV channels before and during the event

Digital: HP puts web at heart of printer campaign.(Hewlett-Packard Co.)(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Hewlett Packard (HP) is using a digital campaign promoting its range of wireless printers to encourage consumers to think more creatively about printing. The activity, called 'Summer is in the Air' and fronted by presenter and former...

Digital: Russell Grant in Match.com deal.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Dating site Match.com has teamed up with Russell Grant to run a horoscope-based dating service on the astrologer's website. The service uses a series of astrological matchmaking tools to help singles find a partner online. Users can...

Digital: Red Bull agrees YouTube clip tie.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Red Bull is to show global worldwide highlights from its Red Bull Air Race World Series on video-sharing site YouTube. The energy drink brand will also broadcast behind-the-scenes footage, interviews and commentary of the races through the...

Digital choice: Orange.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... The music festival/mobile brand tie-up has started to look a little tired. Like that couple bickering at a dinner party, sticking with it because they've invested so much, scared to break ties because everyone else is still attached and...

Digital brief: Adidas hires Agency Republic.
June 11, 2008... Adidas has hired Agency Republic to handle online marketing to support its sponsorship of the London 2012 Olympic Games

Digital brief: Asda rolls out transactional website.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Asda is rolling out a transactional website for its George clothing brand as it aims to become the biggest value-clothing retailer on the web. The site, which launches in September, will offer up to 20,000 products for home delivery

Digital brief: Oneworld launches improved online booking facility.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Oneworld, the alliance of airlines including British Airways, Qantas and American Airlines, is launching an improved online booking facility. Consumers will be able to book multiple flights with up to 30 airlines covering 700 destinations and...

Digital brief: Avis Rent A Car hires Web Liquid.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Avis Rent A Car, an official partner of the Silverstone Circuit, has hired Web Liquid to create a viral-based competition around the Formula One British Grand Prix. The prize is two VIP tickets to the race

Digital brief: Met Office appoints 23red West.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... The Met Office has appointed 23red West to lead a revamp of its website. The digital shop will refresh its design, as well as improve the functionality of the government agency's web services

Digital brief: Heat and Zoo to tie up with Lovefilm.com.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Bauer magazine brands Heat and Zoo are tying up with DVD rental service Lovefilm.com and online retailer Play.com to offer readers who visit a dedicated microsite, at www.stretchit.co.uk, the chance to win free cinema tickets and a 20% discount...

Digital brief: Winston Churchill Memorial Trust hands campaign to Tri-Direct.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust has handed its digital marketing campaign to Tri-Direct. The ads, which launch this month, inform consumers about the work the Trust does. The campaign will span digital display, direct mail and specialist...

Digital brief: GO3 appoints LIDA to create website.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... GO3, a nutritional supplement brand, has appointed LIDA to create its global website ahead of its UK launch later this year. Footballer David Beckham will front the brand's promotions

Andrew Walmsley on digital: Community spirit is a virtual reality.
June 11, 2008... Every time disaster strikes an area, we hear about the 'sense of shock in the community' and the anger in the local community' 'Community leaders', we hear, are pressing for action. So, what is this 'community'? You may live in Albert...

News Analysis: Will brands back women's sport?
June 11, 2008... Sponsors struggling to cut through in men's sports are finding platforms in the women's arena, writes Ed Kemp. Tennis star Maria Sharapova (pictured) will arrive at Wimbledon later this month with a list of brand endorsements that would...

News Analysis: Advertising scales fresh heights.
June 11, 2008... Honda's live TV spot may have impressed, but do 'event ads' have lasting brand benefits? Back in the 50s, live TV ads were commonplace, usually featuring plummy-voiced men instructing those lucky enough to own a television set to buy the...

Raymond Snoddy on media: Newspapers are reliant on gimmicks.
June 11, 2008... Some media pundits have savaged The Times' redesign. The colour-coded segments have drawn their venom, and the move of the leading articles to page 2, broadly accepted to be the least-read page of a newspaper, has been received as something...

Media Analysis: Virgin Radio casts off its shackles.
June 11, 2008... SMG's sale of the station could create a raft of cross-platform opportunities for the re-named brand. Virgin Radio has gone the way of fellow British brands Tetley, Jaguar and Corus, having been acquired by an Indian firm - TIML Golden...

Brand Health Check: Royal Mail.
June 11, 2008... Liberalisation and a failure to modernise have led to huge financial losses and a brand in need of a revamp. For fans of European integration and free-market policy, the liberalisation of the Royal Mail must have seemed like a great idea....

Mark Ritson on branding: iPhone strategy: no longer a grey area.
June 11, 2008... Just hours after I write this, but after we go to press, Steve Jobs is due to announce the imminent arrival of the 3G iPhone at Apple's annual developers' conference in California. The company is also expected to make significant changes to the...

Profile: High flier - Sinead Finn, Head of commercial revenue, Ryanair.(Occupation overview)
June 11, 2008... With tourism something of a family trade, it was almost inevitable that Sinead Finn would end up working in travel. Ryanair's head of commercial revenue fondly reminisces about summers in southern Ireland, where her mother ran painting holidays...

Adwatch: Esure - 'UFO accident'.(Brief article)
June 11, 2008... Ever wondered why you regularly struggle to recall the names of people you really like, but haven't seen for a while? It's because your raddled memory has been stuffed to capacity with motor-insurance mnemonics. Bloke dressed as Nelson....